Relationship between postprandial changes in cardiac left ventricular function,glucose and insulin concentrations,gastric emptying,and satiety in healthy subjects

Background  

The digestion of food is known to alter the hemodynamics of the body significantly. The purpose of this study was to study the postprandial changes in stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO) and left ventricular (LV) longitudinal systolic and diastolic functions measured with tissue Doppler imaging, in relation to gastric emptying rate (GER), satiety, and glucose and insulin concentrations in healthy subjects.     

Aptitude,Gender, and Computer Algebra Systems

The answers to a nationwide questionnaire among college engineering students in Norway have resulted in a large database on attitudes towards use of computer algebra systems (CAS). These results have been used to investigate students' attitudes towards use of CAS correlated to academic standing and to gender. We found that strong students have a more positive attitude towards CAS than weak students, although both groups showed a majority of positive responses. The data also show a gender difference in attitude towards CAS, male students being more positive, although there was no noticeable gender difference in mathematics grade expectation. Another result of these studies is that students find use of CAS to be more appropriate in subjects like physics and engineering than in purely mathematical subjects     

A Study of Linear Friction Weld Microstructure in Single Crystal CMSX-486 Superalloy

The microstructure of linear friction welds in single crystal (SX) CMSX 486 superalloy was studied. Gleeble thermomechanical simulation of the welding process was also performed in order to understand the microstructural changes induced in the alloy during the joining process. Microstructural analysis of the welded and Gleeble-simulated specimens showed that extensive liquation occurred in the alloy during joining, which is in contrast to the general assumption that linear friction welding (LFW) occurs exclusively in the solid state. The study revealed the application of the compressive load during the forging stage of LFW induced rapid solidification of the resultant metastable liquid phase. Nevertheless, part of the liquid resulted in a continuous Hf-base oxide phase along the weld line. Possible ways of preventing the formation of the potentially deleterious oxide film and, thus, improve the prospect of applying LFW for the joining of CMSX-486 superalloy are suggested.     

User involvement in developing mobile and temporarily interconnected systems

Information systems (IS) research on user involvement has primarily theorized relationships between developers, managers and users in systems development. However, so far, marginal attention has been paid to differences in user involvement practices between information systems. This paper explores user involvement in developing mobile and temporarily interconnected systems (MTIS). We refer to MTIS as heterogeneous systems that rely on network technologies for increasing the ubiquity of information services for users on the move. Such systems are becoming increasingly important in leveraging, e.g. car infotainment, supply chain management and wireless e‐commerce. With particular emphasis on the nature of MTIS and its implications for user involvement, the paper analyses the systems development process of an action research project. The findings suggest that user involvement practices need to be adapted to accommodate features of this class of systems. Being an early attempt to trace the implications of technology features such as use context switches and temporary system relationships, the paper contributes to the development of an updated theory of the user role in an era of increased system complexity and stakeholder ambiguity.     

Optimized Production and Energy Conservation

The possibilities of energy conservation in a cement factory are great. At least two important energy waste sources can be identified: flue gas heat and electrical energy of fan drives. A study of the Cementa AB factory at Slite, Sweden (production 2.1 million ton/y) shows that even though considerable efforts already have been made in energy saving, the potential is still great. Thus it is estimated that about 40 MW of gas heat can be turned into 3.5 MW of electrical energy. By applying high-efficiency motor drives about 2 MW can be recovered from fan drives. These two sources correspond to a total annual saving of $2.5 million. An investment to recover this energy will be paid back in less than a year.     

SO2 promoted oxidation of ethyl acetate, ethanol and propane

The effect of SO₂ addition on the oxidation of ethyl acetate, ethanol, propane and propene, over Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ and Pt/SiO₂ has been investigated. The reactants (300–800 vol. ppm) were mixed with air and led through the catalyst bed. The conversions below and above light-off were recorded both in the absence and in the presence of 1–100 vol. ppm SO₂. For the alumina-supported catalyst, the conversion of ethyl acetate, ethanol and propane was promoted by the addition of SO₂, while the conversion of propene was inhibited. The effect of SO₂ was reversible, i.e. the conversion of the reactants returned towards the initial values when SO₂ was turned off. However, this recovery was quite slow. The oxidation of propane was inhibited by water, both in absence and presence of SO₂. For the silica-supported catalyst no significant effect of SO₂ could be observed on the conversion of ethyl acetate, ethanol or propane, whereas the conversion of propene was inhibited by the presence of SO₂. In situ FTIR measurements revealed the presence of surface sulphates on the Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst with and after SO₂ addition. It is proposed that these sulphate groups enhance the oxidation of propane, ethyl acetate and ethanol by creating additional reaction pathways to Pt on the surface of the Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst.     

Unusual polymerization of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride on PET substrates

3-(Trimethoxysilyl)-propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride (AEM 5700) is a trifunctional monomer that can be polymerized under acidic conditions at temperatures greater than 100 °C. Under such conditions, coatings based on AEM 5700 formed on PET substrates are relatively hydrophobic and exhibit rewetting times higher than 100 min. Hydrophilic coatings exhibiting a rewetting time of 2.8 min can be also formed when AEM 5700 is initially hydrolyzed under alkaline conditions and then polymerized under acidic conditions. This effect could be related to the accessibility of unreacted hydroxyl groups and quaternary ammonium groups for interaction with water. Excellent antimicrobial action was demonstrated for all coatings based on AEM 5700 on PET substrates. Polyester fabrics having AEM 5700 coating can be dyed with direct dyes. The loss of hydrophilic properties for AEM 5700 coatings is observed after dyeing with direct dyes.     

Influence of Processing Conditions on the Physicochemical Properties and Shelf-Life of Spray-Dried Palm Sugar (Arenga pinnata) Powder

The influence of spray-drying conditions on some physicochemical properties of palm-sugar powder ( Arenga pinnata ) was studied. Twenty tests were carried out according to a central composite design. Independent variables were: inlet temperature (150–190°C), feed flow rate (9–21 g/min), and maltodextrin concentration (14–25%). Process yield, hygroscopicity, and outlet temperature were analyzed as responses. Results revealed that increasing inlet temperature resulted in higher process yield and outlet temperature and a lower hygroscopicity. Similarly, higher inlet temperature led to lower moisture content, dissolution rate, and total phenolic content of the powder. Conversely, the feed flow rate negatively influenced process yield and hygroscopicity, and positively influenced moisture content. Moreover, maltodextrin exhibited negative influence on process yield and hygroscopicity, respectively. Moreover, storage (30°C, six months) led to noticeable losses in flowability and wettability. Powder morphology was also influenced by the inlet temperature. Lower inlet temperature resulted in particles with shrivelled surfaces while higher temperature produced a greater number of larger particles with smooth surfaces.     

Architectural knowledge in inter-organizational IT innovation

This paper examines the front-end process of inter-organizational IT innovation. In particular, it focuses on the nature and role of architectural knowledge. Such knowledge is important for development of architectures capable of serving the goals of heterogeneous actors and technologies. Yet, surprisingly little research has been done on how architectural knowledge may be developed through collective achievements. This paper presents a theoretical model of architectural knowledge development in inter-organizational IT innovation. Applying this model throughout an action research project within the Swedish transport industry, the paper identifies four dimensions of architectural knowledge that proved important for facilitating an industry-wide ubiquitous computing environment. The four dimensions are technology capability awareness, use context sensitivity, business model understanding, and boundary-spanning competence. We conclude the paper by outlining the theoretical and strategy implications of the model and the four dimensions of architectural knowledge.