Covert manipulation of energy density of high carbohydrate diets in 'pseudo free-living' humans

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of varying the energy density (ED) of high carbohydrate (HC) diets on food and energy intake (EI), subjective hunger and body weight in humans. DESIGN: Randomised cross-over design. Subjects were each studied twice during 14 d, throughout which they had ad libitum access to one of two covertly-manipulated diets. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Six healthy men (mean age (s.d.)=32.17 y s.d. (5.26 y), mean weight=69.74 kg s.d. (2.75 kg), mean height=1.76 m s.d. (0.05 m), body mass index (BMI)=22.57 (2.2) kg/m2) were studied. The fat, carbohydrate (CHO) and protein content (as % energy) and ED of each diet were 21:66:13% and 357 kJ/100 g, (low-energy density (LED)) or 22:66:12% and 629 kJ/100 g (high-energy density (HED)). A medium fat diet was provided at maintenance (1.6 x BMR, MF for 2 d) before each ad libitum period. Subjects could alter the amount, but not the composition of foods eaten. RESULTS: Mean EI was 8.67 and 14.82 MJ/d on the LED and HED diets, respectively. Subjects felt significantly more hungry on the LED diet, than on the HED diet (F(1,160)38.28; P < 0.001) and found the diets to be similarly pleasant (72.72 mm vs 71.54 mm (F(1,392)0.31; P = 0.579)). Mean body weight decreased on the LED diet at a rate of 0.1 kg/d and increased at 0.06 kg/d on the HED diet (F(1,131)86.60; P < 0.001), giving total weight changes of -1.41 kg and +0.84 kg, respectively, both of which were significantly different from zero (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Excess EI is possible on HC, HED diets, at least under conditions where diet selection is precluded. Comparison of these results with previous studies, which altered ED using fat, suggests that CHO may be a better cue for hunger than fat.     

Do computer-administered Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventories underestimate booklet-based scores?

We ran meta-analyses that compared the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory scale scores produced in 770 booklet and 762 computer administrations described by nine studies. While most of the differences were small, the computer-based scores significantly underestimated their booklet counterparts on 8 of the 13 scales. The average underestimate was about three-quarters of a T-score point and accounted for around 4% of the reliable variance. These findings suggest that separate norms and profile sheets for computer-administered MMPIs might be helpful.     

Domain decomposition for parallel processing of spatial problems

Spatial models often are not used to their fullest potential because they have massive computational requirements. Existing workstations and microcomputers often must solve these models in batch mode and, consequently, decision makers are unable to explore and resolve complex spatial problems in an interactive and graphical environment similar to that provided by general purpose business software. Parallel processing can solve spatial models at high speed, however, greatly decreasing turnaround times and enabling decision makers quickly to see the results of revising parameters and criteria. To reap these benefits in a parallel processing environment, researchers must recast modelling procedures from their existing sequentially-oriented form to one in which parallelism can be exploited. This process, referred to as domain decomposition, is a fundamental enterprise in parallel spatial modelling. Domain decomposition for spatial problems can be structured by a set of general principles which are described and illustrated using an example from location-allocation modelling.     

Engineering Entrepreneurship: does entrepreneurship have a role in engineering education?

Many engineering programs have recently added courses and material on "engineering entrepreneurship". These programs represent a diverse understanding of what engineering students should receive in the way of instruction in the area of entrepreneurship. This paper examines various definitions of engineering entrepreneurship, and also examines the pedagogical justification for including entrepreneurship in engineering education. The authors use as a context the engineering programs at The University of Texas at Austin, particularly the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The paper examines educational objectives and criteria discussed in documents produced by the National Science Foundation, the American Society of Mechanical Engineering International, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, and other sources, to develop one approach for entrepreneurship education.     

A note on joint optimization of maintenance and inventory

Previous work by Armstrong and Atkins examined age replacement and spare ordering decisions for a system which contained one machine subject to random failure and with only one spare machine in stock or on order at any one time. In this technical note we consider several extensions to that work which generalize the cost terms and the order lead time while retaining the one-machine one-spare structure of the original paper.     

锂电充电器IC应变便携式产品市场发展

电池技术的变化一直很慢,不像其它快速变化的技术那样给人冒险刺激的感觉.1800年,Alessandro Volta伯爵发明了第一个电池.一直到200年之后才出现了下一个重大突破:镍铬(NiCd)电池.而自NiCd电池出现至今,又过去了40多年.但是最近,两股重要力量已经加速了电池技术的变化,并将电池技术推到了最前沿.首先,对环境的担忧要求取代NiCd电池中有毒的铬的作用.其次,消费者对电池驱动的便携式产品需求出现了飞速增长.