Introduction to the Asian Energy Security project: Project organization and methodologies

The spectacular recent economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region in general, and in many of the economies of Northeast Asia in particular, has spurred a vast expansion in the need for energy services, and an expansion in the demand for the fuels that help to supply these services. Future projections suggest that the growth of fossil fuel use in Northeast Asia, especially in China, will have major consequences for financial and fuel markets and pollution both regionally and globally. Before the project described in this paper was initiated, there was no ongoing forum for energy experts from all of the countries of the region to meet, informally and in an unofficial capacity, to discuss openly and in a targeted fashion the energy situations in their countries, and to work together to evaluate the energy efficiency costs and benefits of different ways of meeting regional demand. The Asian Energy Security (AES) project provides such a forum, and as such constitutes a unique resource in the engagement of the countries of Northeast Asia on the topic of energy security.     

Energy security and sustainability in Northeast Asia

“Energy Security” has typically, to those involved in making energy policy, meant mostly securing access to oil and other fossil fuels. With increasingly global, diverse energy markets, however, and increasingly transnational problems resulting from energy transformation and use, old energy security rationales are less salient, and other issues, including climate change and other environmental, economic, and international considerations are becoming increasingly important. As a consequence, a more comprehensive operating definition of “Energy Security” is needed, along with a workable framework for analysis of which future energy paths or scenarios are likely to yield greater Energy Security in a broader, more comprehensive sense. Work done as a part of the Nautilus Institute's “Pacific Asia Regional Energy Security” (PARES) project developed a broader definition of Energy Security, and described an analytical framework designed to help to compare the energy security characteristics – both positive and negative – of different quantitative energy paths as developed using software tools such as the LEAP (Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning) system.     

Staphylococcus aureus mastitis: pathogenesis and treatment with bovine interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-2.

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes play a central role in the pathogenesis of bovine mastitis. Intramammary challenge with Staphylococcus aureus was shown to induce both quantitative and qualitative changes in mammary gland polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Intramammary infusion of recombinant bovine interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-2 elicited a similar cellular response. Staphylococcus aureus, interleukin-1 beta, and interleukin-2 all increased the number of somatic cells after intramammary infusion and activated the inducible superoxide production in milk polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Interleukin-2 also activated phagocytosis of these cells, and their activation was maintained for 3 to 5 d after intramammary administration. Interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-2 were moderately effective in the therapy of experimental S. aureus mastitis. Approximately 54% of the glands treated with interleukin-1 beta responded to therapy by transiently clearing the milk of S. aureus, 30% of which relapsed, and a total of 38% of the treated glands remained cured. In contrast, 83% of glands treated with interleukin-1 beta responded to therapy, but 50% of these quarters relapsed. A total of 42% of the quarters treated with interleukin-1 beta remained cured. Homologous recombinant cytokines are effective immunomodulators that augment natural defensive mechanisms similar to the normal response to pathogens and may prove to be suitable alternatives to, or may be used in combination with, antibiotics as effective mastitis therapeutic agents.     

Stability of aflatoxin M in milk.

This three-part study was designed to determine aflatoxin M recovery from pasteurized and/or stored cow's milk. (a) Aflatoxin M was added to samples of raw Holstein milk at a concentration of 2.0 mug/liter. Half of each sample then was pasteurized at 63 C for 30 min, and both raw and pasteurized portions were stored at 4 C up to 17 days. (b) Samples of raw milk, pasteurized (77 C, 16 s) skim milk, dry cottage cheese curd, and cottage cheese whey were taken from a commercial operation in an area in which natural contamination had been encountered. (c) Milk from a cow dosed with aflatoxin B1 was stored frozen (-18 C) in bulk and in assay-size sample containers for 120 days. Aflatoxin M was recovered completely after either storage or pasteurization in (a) and (b). In (c), a recovery deficiency was detectable after 68 days of storage, which increased to 45% of the original value by 120 days. These observations differ from those of others in that loss of aflatoxin M was significant after pasteurization or storage of raw milk, totaling 87% loss after 120 days of frozen storage. Aflatoxin M partitioning between curd and whey in the preparation of cottage cheese agrees with more recent studies, but differs from previous reports. Three possible explanations for the differences are offered.     

Non-contact flood discharge measurements using an X-band pulse radar (I) theory

This article describes a non-contact method for measuring surface velocity and discharge in a natural channel. The X-band pulse (9.36 GHz) radar, developed by the Applied Physics Laboratory of the University of Washington, was used to scan instantaneously the lateral distribution of surface velocity across a river section, according to Bragg scattering from short waves produced by turbulent boils on the surface of the river. Based on the assumption that the vertical velocity distribution follows a universal power or logarithmic law, the discharges were estimated.     

Self-Reported News Attention Does Assess Differential Processing of Media Content: An Experiment on Risk Perceptions Utilizing a Random Sample of U.S. Local Crime and Accident News

Evidence for media effects in survey research often depends upon measures of self-reported attention to various types of media content, under the assumption that such attention measures gauge the extent of cognitive processing of content. However, effects associated with self-reports of attention might often be due to reverse causation (the attitude or knowledge tested as the outcome might in fact give rise to self-reports of greater attention) or third variable effects. To better assess whether self-reported attention to content actually measures differential processing of content, an experiment was conducted in the context of media influences on health and safety risk perceptions. A pool of 120 eligible news stories concerning violent crime, car crashes, and other unintentional injuries was randomly selected from a national random sample of such news coverage. These stories were manipulated to contain or not contain reference to alcohol as a contributing factor in the incident. Consistent with predictions and prior cross-sectional survey results, self-reports of attention and the exposure treatment interacted in estimating concern about alcohol-related risks, with the pattern of results suggesting that between-participant differences in self-reports of attention in fact reflected differences in processing of the message. Methodological advantages of using random samples of messages in experiments for inference are also discussed.     

Mathematical Modeling of the Self-Pressurizing Mechanism for Microstructured Fiber Drawing

A method is proposed for modeling the self-pressurization of optical fibers that are sealed before drawing. The model is solved numerically and the results compared with experimental results. An explanation of the mechanism is presented and a numerical investigation is undertaken to optimize the choice of experimental parameters to minimize the transient effects of sealed preform drawing.     

全球纺织纤维市场趋势

全球纺织加工行业（含服装业）2007年制造水平增长8％,达11500亿美元（图1～图3）。2007年全球纺织纤维用量增长7％,达8400万t,其中化学纤维占55％,棉纤维占34％,其他植物纤维占8％,羊毛占2％。1997～2007年间,纤维用量每年以4％的速度增长,除羊毛以外,其他纤维都呈增长态势。化学纤维年增长率为5％,     

Effect of various heat treatments on plasminogen activation in bovine milk during refrigerated storage

Plasmin and plasminogen‐derived plasmin activities were measured in heated milk with and without the addition of plasminogen activator, before and after storage at 4 °C for 96 h. The effect of a free sulfhydryl group donor, β‐lactoglobulin or cysteine, on plasminogen activation was investigated in a model system and milk. Heating milk to 75 °C enhanced plasminogen activation that was marked by a considerable increase in plasmin activity. Heating at 85 and 90 °C caused a significant decrease in plasmin and plasminogen‐derived plasmin activities. However, after storage, significant plasmin levels were restored because of the activation of remaining unfolded plasminogen. Both β‐lactoglobulin and cysteine significantly decreased plasmin and plasminogen‐derived plasmin activities in a model system. While endogenous β‐lactoglobulin was not sufficient to completely eliminate plasminogen activation in milk, cysteine addition prior to pasteurisation significantly decreased plasmin and plasminogen‐derived plasmin activities. Results highlighted the importance of the remaining plasminogen in heated milk systems.     

Cholesterol gallstone induction in hamsters reflects strain differences in plasma lipoproteins and bile acid profiles

Because different strains of hamsters vary in their susceptibility to gallstones, the relationship between plasma lipoproteins, hepatic cholesterol, bile lipids and bile acid profile was examined during gallstone induction in strains of male Syrian hamsters from Charles River Lakeview (CHR), Biobreeder F₁B (BIO) and Harlan Sprague-Dawley (HAR). Gallstones were induced by feeding a purified diet containing 0.4 or 0.8% cholesterol for 5 wk. Basal plasma total cholesterol was similar, but the hypercholesterolemia induced by dietary challenge was significantly lower in CHR than in HAR and BIO hamsters. Cholesterol-fed CHR hamsters transported cholesterol mainly in HDL (47%), whereas VLDL-C+IDL-C predominated in BIO and HAR hamsters, and their HDL transported only 28 and 38%, respectively. HAR hamsters accumulated the most hepatic cholesterol, revealed the highest cholate/cheno ratio, the lowest glycine/taurine ratio and hydrophobicity index. HAR also developed the fewest cholesterol gallstones (23%), while 64% of CHR and 58% of BIO hamsters had cholesterol gallstones and 34% of BIO hamsters developed pigment stones. Doubling dietary cholesterol from 0.4 to 0.8% doubled the incidence of cholesterol gallstones but exerted minimal impact on other parameters compared to strain differences. Thus, different strains of hamsters vary considerably with respect to biliary cholesterol, bile acid profile and formation of cholesterol gallstones associated with differences in plasma lipoprotein profiles.