Feeding trial of instant food containing lyophilised yam powder in hypertensive subjects

BACKGROUND: It was reported in a previous paper that the yam tuber storage protein dioscorin exhibited antihypertensive effects on spontaneously hypertensive rats. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the effects of packets of instant food (30 g) with (treated meal) and without (placebo) lyophilised yam powder on hypertensive subjects. RESULTS: A placebo‐controlled feeding trial was conducted daily for 5 weeks (stage 1), followed by a 1 week washout and then a 5 week crossover (stage 2). Twenty‐one subjects finished the trial. One packet of treated meal contained 140 ± 2.54 mg of dioscorin according to enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The blood pressure results of the treated meal and placebo groups at stage 1 end versus originals, but not at stage 2 end versus stage 2 beginning, were significantly different by the paired t test. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure readings after treated meal intervention, but not after placebo intervention, differed significantly from the original values based on one‐way analysis of variance followed by the post hoc Tukey test; the reductions in SBP and DBP were 6.52 and 4.76 mmHg respectively. The feeding trial did not appear to affect serum lipid profiles or other biochemical measurements of cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSION: Intake of an instant food containing 140 mg of dioscorin over 5 weeks had a regulating effect on human blood pressure. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

The process of enterprise resource planning implementation and business process re-engineering: tales from two Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises

Abstract.  Using an innovative process model, we describe and analyse the process of introducing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in two Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises and especially their decisions concerning business process re-engineering. First we compared the results from our cases with Martinsons' earlier work (2004). One case seemed to fit most of the characteristics of a private venture (PV) whereas the other case, also a PV, had a very low degree of fit. We used the process model to offer further insights and features such as its predictive power. Second, and as predicted, we also observed the differential role of top management support in the two Chinese companies. But thirdly, and somewhat surprisingly, we found that cultural issues were only of limited importance. Finally, the ability of the project team to deal with unexpected events was seen as critical in ensuring the stability of a project. In contrast, project drift is shown to lead to a degree of chaos. We offer some suggestions as to how stakeholders can improve their chances of implementing ERP systems more successfully.     

用于控制NRE和产品测试成本的改进的设计-生产-测试的流程

介绍传统测试流程和先进测试流程的比较,新测试流程利用在设计中使用虚拟测试工具、专门的工程测试系统以及灵活的自动测试系统来降低SoC芯片的测试成本。     

European Union associated university websites

Scientometrics - The web site is an important communication medium for universities in many countries. There are numerous reasons to expect that their characteristics will vary along national...     

可编程逻辑在数字显示中的应用

数字显示正在飞速地发展,预测到2005年时，数字显示在市场营收方面将会超过传统显示技术。数字液晶显示器(LCD)、数字等离子体显示屏(PDP)，数字光处理器(DLP)，以及其它数字显示技术正快速进入市场。显示技术的数字化推动向数字显示转变的原因主要有三点：1、内容为主。模拟电视之所以变得比较廉价是由于它为巨大的内容市场，即广播电视提供了服务。但事情正在变化。商业PC、Internet、数字有线电视和卫星电视以及消费类DVD产品的出现，合起来构成一个巨大的新的数字内容领域。而且，随着向数字广播电视(SDTV和HDTV)的转变。最后…