Differences in Dialysis Practice Are the Main Reasons for the High Mortality Rate in the United States Compared to Japan

The cumulative survival of Japanese hemodialysis patients is more than 2.5 times better than that of dialysis patients in the United States (U.S.). The difference is particularly pronounced in older patients, being 4 times better in patients over the age of 50 years. The mortality in U.S. patients has increased from 10 to 25% over the last three decades, but has remained stable at around 10% in Japan.
There is no obvious difference in patient selection. The Japanese accept almost as high a proportion of diabetic patients as does the United States, and the mean age of incident patients is higher in Japan.
Renal transplantation, virtually absent in Japan, should increase mortality in U.S. dialysis patients by removing patients with the highest probability of survival, but even if one adds surviving transplant patients and studies prevalent populations, the survival rate is much better in Japan. Genetic factors are unlikely to explain differences in mortality, as older Americans live much longer than older Japanese.
We speculate that the difference lies in the practice of dialysis. Patients in the United States are generally treated by much faster and shorter dialysis than in Japan. This puts a severe burden on the cardiovascular system of older patients, leading to the poorer survival rate. Japanese physicians also appear to be better trained in dialysis and to spend more time with their patients. The nursing shortage in the United States may also contribute to the increased mortality. Whatever the explanations, the U.S. dialysis community must work to equal and, hopefully, surpass the now superior survival of Japanese dialysis patients.     

Temporal and spatial aspects of an environmental stimulus influence the dynamics of behavioral regulation of the Aplysia siphon-withdrawal response.

Exposure to turbulence, an environmental stimulus, produces behavioral adaptation in the Aplysia siphon-withdrawal response (SWR). The authors show that the duration and spatial extent of turbulence influence adaptation recovery. In terms of duration, recovery in whole animals and reduced preparations (tail, siphon, and CNS) was more rapid after longer exposures to turbulence (10 min) than after briefer exposures (10 s-5 min). In terms of spatial extent, recovery in reduced preparations was more rapid after diffuse turbulence (tail and siphon together) compared with focal turbulence (siphon alone). Furthermore, spatial extent and duration interact: Duration regulates recovery only when turbulence is diffuse. Results suggest that SWR adaptation reflects a composite of cellular processes, including short-term synaptic enhancement in L30 inhibitory interneurons. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modeling Effects of Rhythmic Context on Perceived Duration: A Comparison of Interval and Entrainment Approaches to Short-Interval Timing.

Relative merits of interval and entrainment conceptions of the internal clock were assessed within a common theoretical framework by 4 time-judgment experiments. The timing of tone onsets marking the beginning and ending of standard and comparison time intervals relative to a context rhythm were manipulated: onsets were on time, early, or late relative to the implied rhythm, and 2 distinct accuracy patterns emerged. A quadratic ending profile indicated best performance when the standard ended on time and worst performance when it was early or late, whereas a flat beginning profile (Experiments 1-3) indicated uniform performance for the 3 expectancy conditions. Only in Experiment 4, in which deviations from expected onset times were large, did significant effects of beginning times appear in time-discrimination thresholds and points of subjective equality. Findings are discussed in the context of theoretical assumptions about clock resetting, the representation of time, and independence of successive time intervals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The ability of eye-tracking metrics to classify and predict the perceived driving workload

Traffic safety is directly related to the mental and physical condition of the driver. Performing regular secondary tasks while driving is an additional activity that dissipates attention and adds to the drivers' workload. Identifying driver fatigue and workload based on gaze behavior is one way to ensure a safe driving experience. The purpose of this paper is to classify and predict driving perceived workload using a set of eye-tracking metrics (gaze fixation, duration, pointing, and pupil diameter). The ability of eye-tracking metrics to predict driving workload has been investigated. As a result, frustration, performance, and temporal load showed a correlation with gaze metrics. Gaze point, duration, fixation, and pupil diameter significantly influence driving workload.Relevance to industry: Results will supply the specialists in eye-tracking/sensor technologies and traffic safety with new knowledge to improve the design of the driving performance and safety monitoring systems and efficiency of the driving process.     

基于生态径流指标的水文情势变化评估新方法

基于流量历时曲线计算生态径流指标的方法存在诸多不足,也未形成相应的河流水文情势变化评估方法。采用流量过程线重新定义了月、季和年三种时间尺度的生态径流,构建了包含12个月生态盈余和12个月生态赤字的生态径流指标体系,提出了衡量这些指标在建库前后变化度的计算公式,基于月生态赤字发展了月生态风险评估方法,形成了一种河流生态水文情势变化评估方法。将其用于长江宜昌站,评估三峡工程在建库前后的生态水文情势变化。结果表明：重新定义的月、季、年生态径流之间消除了不一致性,香农多样性指数与年生态赤字的年际变化具有更高的相似度,变化度计算公式完全适用于衡量建库前后的变化程度,生态风险图使生态径流指标的实用性大为增强。     

基于改进K-means聚类的配电网电压暂降频次估计法

传统考虑保护动作特性的电压暂降频次估计法需要获取详尽的保护配置信息,然而配电网保护配置多样,在不同因素如过渡电阻、运行方式、故障类型等的影响下,阶段式保护各级保护区可能产生较大变化,采用传统方法对电压暂降持续时间进行评估可能会产生较大误差。文中提出一种基于改进K-means聚类的配电网电压暂降频次估计方法,在未知线路保护配置基础上,基于电压暂降历史监测数据与保护动作信息,采用改进K-means聚类算法,对电压暂降幅值-持续时间进行聚类分析,推断线路保护配置情况,计算保护动作时间与保护动作电压。根据计算结果,在考虑不同故障类型、不同运行方式及不同过渡阻抗的情况下进行配电网电压暂降频次估计。在IEEE RBTS-6母线测试系统的母线5配电网中进行仿真,验证了文中方法的有效性和优越性。     

Estimation and forecasting with logarithmic autoregressive conditional duration models: A comparative study with an application

This paper presents a semi-parametric method of parameter estimation for the class of logarithmic ACD (Log-ACD) models using the theory of estimating functions (EF). A number of theoretical results related to the corresponding EF estimators are derived. A simulation study is conducted to compare the performance of the proposed EF estimates with corresponding ML (maximum likelihood) and QML (quasi maximum likelihood) estimates. It is argued that the EF estimates are relatively easier to evaluate and have sampling properties comparable with those of ML and QML methods. Furthermore, the suggested EF estimates can be obtained without any knowledge of the distribution of errors is known. We apply all these suggested methodology for a real financial duration dataset. Our results show that Log-ACD (1, 1) fits the data well giving relatively smaller variation in forecast errors than in Linear ACD (1, 1) regardless of the method of estimation. In addition, the Diebold–Mariano (DM) and superior predictive ability (SPA) tests have been applied to confirm the performance of the suggested methodology. It is shown that the new method is slightly better than traditional methods in practice in terms of computation; however, there is no significant difference in forecasting ability for all models and methods.     

基于敲击声振法的风机叶片脱层检测系统设计

脱层是风机叶片的主要损伤形式,根据风电叶片的材料特性及外形特点,分析和研究了敲击声振检测原理和现场检测的可行性。叶片出现脱层时,缺陷处刚度下降,敲击应力持续时间增大。依据此检测原理,计算出合理的等效锤头质量,利用压电薄膜作为动态冲击力传感器进行了力锤的结构设计;利用FPGA设计了便携式检测仪,对敲击信号进行信息提取和处理,计算敲击力脉冲信号的宽度,具有结果图形显示和串行通信的功能。经过实验,验证了脉冲宽度与损伤深度的关系。     

设计降雨特征对城市内涝模拟结果的影响分析

降雨是城市内涝的主要诱因之一,不同降雨特征对于城市内涝风险的影响也有所区别。为了进一步挖掘降雨特征对城市内涝风险的影响,采用综合流域排水模型（InfoWorks ICM）构建了我国南方某城市的内涝模型,系统分析了设计降雨的雨型和历时特征对城市内涝模拟结果的影响。在4个重现期的3种降雨雨型和3个降雨历时条件下,共计36个不同降雨情景对研究区的内涝情况进行模拟。通过对比不同模拟情景下的积水深度、积水面积以及积水量等结果发现：在相同降雨雨型和重现期条件下,降雨历时对积水深度的影响有一定的差别;在不同降雨雨型和降雨历时模拟情景中,积水点的位置基本保持一致,而积水面积受降雨雨型和降雨历时的双重影响;峰值积水量受降雨雨型影响较大,受降雨历时影响较小,而积水总量受降雨历时影响较大,受降雨雨型影响较小。研究中量化分析了不同设计降雨特征对城市内涝模拟结果的影响,旨在为合理地开展城市内涝预警以及应急管理等工作提供依据。