发挥咨询业作用,推进工程项目管理

承包商对工程的具体掌控力要远高于业主方,业主方面对工程实施中的各种问题往往鞭长莫及。为了帮助业主方从源头上实现项目的成功管理,就要发挥工程咨询机构的作用。本文论述了工程咨询机构在招标阶段项目管理的核心内容,指明了其在招标阶段的关键工作,在一定程度上实现了项目资源的优化配置,为业主节约了成本和效益最大化。同时,也分析了我国目前项目管理发展中存在的问题,并参照国内外先进管理思想和管理模式提出了我国工程咨询机构的发展方向及相应对策,对我国工程咨询业的发展有一定的参考价值。     

Subjective responses to intravenous nicotine: Greater sensitivity in women than in men.

Although approximately 45% of smokers in the United States are women, the influence of sex on nicotine dependence remains incompletely understood. Evidence from preclinical and clinical studies has indicated that there are significant sex differences in nicotine's effects. The authors' goal in this report was to determine whether men and women differ in their acute response to intravenous nicotine, which has not been examined in previous studies. Twelve male and 12 female smokers received saline followed by 0.5 mg/70 kg and 1.0 mg /70 kg nicotine intravenously. In response to nicotine, women, as compared with men, had enhanced ratings for drug strength, head rush, and bad effects. Women and men experienced similar suppression of smoking urges by nicotine as assessed by the Brief Questionnaire on Smoking Urges. Nicotine-induced heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure increases were also similar in magnitude in men and women. The findings, consistent with those of several previous studies, support greater sensitivity of female smokers to some but not all of the subjective effects of nicotine. Further studies are warranted to examine the role of this differential nicotine sensitivity to development of nicotine dependence and response to nicotine replacement treatments in men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Three-dimensional imaging laser radar with a photon-counting avalanche photodiode array and microchip laser

We have developed a threedimensional imaging laser radar featuring 3-cm range resolution and single-photon sensitivity. This prototype direct-detection laser radar employs compact, all-solid-state technology for the laser and detector array. The source is a Nd:YAG microchip laser that is diode pumped, passively Q-switched, and frequency doubled. The detector is a gated, passively quenched, two-dimensional array of silicon avalanche photodiodes operating in Geigermode. After describing the system in detail, we present a three-dimensional image, derive performance characteristics, and discuss our plans for future imaging three-dimensional laser radars.     

Meat quality of steers finished on autumn grass, grass silage or concentrate-based diets

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of varying the proportions of autumn grass and concentrates and grass silage and concentrates on the quality of meat from cattle with similar rates of carcass growth. Fifty continental crossbred steers were assigned to five treatments. The experimental diets offered were (1) grass silage ad libitum plus 4 kg concentrate (SC), (2) 1 kg hay plus 8 kg concentrate (CO), (3) 6 kg grass dry matter (DM) plus 5 kg concentrate (CG), (4) 12 kg grass DM plus 2.5 kg concentrate (GC) and (5) 22 kg grass DM (GO). The experiment lasted 85 days after which all animals were slaughtered. The right side m. longissmus dorsi was excised from all animals 24 h post slaughter for assessment of meat quality. Treatments SC and CO resulted in animals with whiter (P<0.05) subcutaneous and kidney/channel fat than all other treatments. There was an interaction (P<0.05) between ageing time and treatment with treatment GC having higher (P<0.05) tenderness, texture and acceptability values after 2 days ageing, but not after 7 or 14 days ageing. It is concluded that supplementing grass with low levels of concentrate produced the most tender and acceptable meat at 2 days post mortem, but that further ageing eliminated all treatment effects on eating quality of beef.     

Structurally related peptide agonist, partial agonist, and antagonist occupy a similar binding pocket within the cholecystokinin receptor. Rapid analysis using fluorescent photoaffinity labeling probes and capillary electrophoresis

The molecular basis of ligand binding to receptors provides important insights for drug development. Here, we explore domains of the cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor that are critical for ligand binding, using a novel series of fluorescent photolabile probes, receptor proteolysis, and rapid high resolution separation of peptide fragments by capillary electrophoresis. Each probe incorporated the same fluorophore and a photolabile p-benzoylphenylalanine at the amino terminus of the pharmacophoric domain (residue 24 of CCK-33) of CCK analogues representing full agonist, partial agonist, and antagonist of this receptor. Each was used to label the CCK receptor expressed on Chinese hamster ovary-CCKR cells, with the labeled domain then released by cyanogen bromide cleavage. Capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection achieved an on-capillary mass sensitivity of 1.6 attomoles (10(-18) mol), with an excellent signal-to-noise ratio. Each of the biologically divergent, but structurally similar probes saturably and specifically labeled the same receptor domain, consistent with conservation of "docking" determinants. This had an apparent mass of 2.9 kDa, most consistent with the first extracellular loop domain. An additional probe having its site of covalent attachment in a different region of the probe (residue 29 of CCK-33) labeled a distinct receptor fragment with differential migration on capillary electrophoresis (third extracellular loop). Identification of the specific receptor residue(s) covalently linked to the amino-terminal probes must await further fragmentation and sequence analysis.     

A study of rural Latino women seeking cancer-detection examinations

Not only the ovarian steroids but a number of proteins have an effect on the endometrium and its capability to accept an implanting embryo and to establish a pregnancy. In this study we have selected the placental protein 14 (PP14) which is, in spite of its name, produced by the glandular epithelium of the endometrium. Pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein (SP1) was also investigated. This marker is trophoblast-specific but it has been chosen since some patients repeatedly exhibit weak but detectable serum SP1 when no embryo is present. There seems to be a negative correlation between the chance of obtaining a pregnancy and the occurrence of such abnormal serum SP1 signals; they could originate from the endometrium itself or from another maternal source influencing the endometrium indirectly. The full-cycle time course was determined for these two proteins as well as for estradiol and progesterone. A total of 66 cycles were analyzed, of which 16 were from ovulating volunteers without any hormonal treatment (controls) and 13 were from women taking oral contraceptives. The remaining 37 cycles were from 32 patients undergoing conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Eight pregnancies were achieved in this group during the study period. We found that abnormal positive SP1 signals occurred predominantly in the unsuccessful IVF subgroup, but also in the control groups (with or without contraceptive pills), and this in a cycle-independent manner. PP14, on the other hand, exhibited cyclic patterns in the IVF and ovulating control cycles as did progesterone. However, in seven out of 13 cycles under oral contraception (and suppressed progesterone), a midcycle rise in PP14 was observed. Moreover, midcycle PP14 levels were generally higher in this group when compared to the ovulating controls as well as to the cycles under controlled ovarian stimulation for IVF. This confirms that PP14 is influenced by progesterone but only in an indirect way or under the additional effect of other hormones. It is unlikely that SP1 plays this role since it was not correlated to any of the other proteins or steroids studied. Nevertheless, SP1 did not occur randomly over the different groups.     

Supplementation with isoflavonoid phytoestrogens does not alter serum lipid concentrations: a randomized controlled trial in humans

Isoflavonoids are a class of flavonoids that are derived in the human diet mainly from soybean-based foods. The major dietary isoflavonoids, genistein and daidzein, have estrogen-like activity and are classed as phytoestrogens. Because estrogens can lower serum LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol, the objective of this study was to determine if isoflavonoids could improve serum lipids in healthy subjects. Forty-six men and 13 postmenopausal women not receiving hormone replacement therapy completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of two-way parallel design and 8 wk duration. One tablet containing 55 mg of isoflavonoids (predominantly in the form of genistein) or one placebo tablet was taken daily with the evening meal. Subjects maintained their usual diet and physical activity, which were unchanged throughout the intervention. Measurement of isoflavonoids and their metabolites in 24-h urine samples provided an assessment of compliance and of isoflavonoid metabolism. Serum total, LDL, HDL and HDL subclass cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein (a) were assessed at baseline and during the last week of intervention. After adjustment for baseline values, no significant differences in postintervention serum lipid and lipoprotein (a) concentrations between groups were identified. Further adjustment for age, gender and weight change did not alter the results. In addition, changes in urinary isoflavonoids were not significantly correlated with changes in serum lipids and lipoprotein (a). Therefore, this study does not support the hypothesis that isoflavonoid phytoestrogens can improve the serum lipids, at least in subjects with average serum cholesterol concentrations.