Efficacy of a Diabetes Specific Nutritional Supplement (DSNS) on Glycemic Response in Prediabetic Adults: A Two-Armed, Open-Labelled Randomized Controlled Study

It is well known that Diabetes Specific Nutritional Supplements (DSNSs) are linked to improved glycemic control in individuals with diabetes. However, data on efficacy of DSNSs in prediabetics is limited. This was a two-armed, open-labelled, randomized controlled six-week study on 199 prediabetics [30 - 65 years;Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) 5.7% - 6.4% and/or Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) 100-125 mg/dl]. Two parallel phases were conducted: Acute Blood Glucose Response (ABGR) and Intervention phase. Prediabetic participants were randomized into test (n = 100) and control (n = 99). The primary objective was to assess the ABGR of DSNS versus an isocaloric snack, measured by incremental Area under the Curve (iAUC). Test and control received 60 g of DSNS and 56 g of isocaloric snack (cornflakes) respectively, both in 250 ml double-toned milk on visit days 1, 15, 29 and 43. Postprandial Blood Glucose (PPG) was estimated at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes. During the 4 weeks intervention phase, the test group received DSNS with lifestyle counselling (DSNS + LC) and was compared with the control receiving lifestyle counselling alone (LC alone). Impact was studied on FBG, HbA1C, anthropometry, body composition, blood pressure, nutrient intake, and physical activity. The impact of DSNS was also studied using CGM between two 14-day phases: CGM1 baseline (days 1 - 14) and CGM2 endline (days 28 - 42). DSNS showed significantly lower PPG versus isocaloric snack at 30 (p 12, and chromium were reported by DSNS + LC versus LC alone. No other significant changes were reported between groups. It may be concluded that DSNS may be considered as a snack for prediabetic or hyperglycemic individuals requiring nutritional support for improved glycemic control.

Dynamic Response of Curved Beam under Moving Load

In this paper an integral transform method is used to analyze the dynamic response of simple supported curved beam under single moving load with constant speed, and some parameters are defined. These parameters, such as radius of curvature, ratio of stiffness, velocity, warping stiffness, which may influence the response, are also discussed.

Research on Light Response Curve Fitting Model of Four Chamaenerion Plants on the Serzilla Mountains

In order to study the applicability of different light response models to the photoresponse curves of four species of Chamaenerion, four species of Chamaenerion collected from Serzilla were used as test materials. Four common photosynthetic models were used to fit the photosynthetic response curve of the leaves. The results show that: 1) The effect of different photosynthetic response models on photosynthetic response curve of the genus chromasia was different. The fitted value of the correction model of right angled hyperbola was closest to the measured value, the R2 was 0.998, and RE was 0.216. 2) In terms of fitting the photosynthetic parameters, the initial quantum efficiency, light compensation point and dark respiration rate were suitable for fitting with non-right angle hyperbolic model. In terms of fitting the photosynthetic parameters, the initial quantum efficiency, light compensation point and dark respiration rate were suitable for fitting with non-right angle hyperbolic model. 3) The photosynthetic characteristics of C. angustifolium subsp. circumvagum reflect the negative response to high altitude radiation. Under strong radiation, the photosynthetic rate, apparent quantum efficiency, and light saturation point are low. On the other hand, C. conspersum has a positive response to high altitude radiation. C. angustifolium and C. latifolium has a higher light compensation point and higher light saturation point, but it is also positive for high altitude radiation. The response is only a choice of light intensity at different elevations, which also explains the distribution of C. angustifolium and C. latifolium in the salmonella with a single elevation, habitat, and slope.

Energy Dependence of the New Gafchromic EBT3 Film:Dose Response Curves for 50 KV, 6 and 15 MV X-Ray Beams

Purpose: To study and compare the dose response curves of the new GafChromic EBT3 film for megavoltage and kilovoltage x-ray beams, with different spatial resolutions. Methods: EBT3 films (lot#A101711-02) were exposed to each x-ray beam (6 MV, 15 MV, and 50 kV) at 7 dose values (50-3200 cGy). Each film piece was scanned three consecutive times in the center of Epson 10000XL flatbed scanner in 48-bit color at two separate spatial resolutions of 75 and 300 dpi. The data were analyzed using ImageJ and, for each scanned image, a region of interest (ROI) of 2 × 2 cm2 at the field center was selected to obtain the mean pixel value with its standard deviation in the ROI. For each energy, dose value and spatial resolution, the average net optical density (netOD) and its associated uncertainty were determined. The Student’s t-test was performed to evaluate the statistical differences between the net OD/dose values of the three energy modalities, with different color channels and spatial resolutions. Results and Discussion: The dose response curves for the three energy modalities were compared in three color channels. Weak energy dependence was found. For doses above 100 cGy, no statistical differences were observed between 6 and 15 MV beams, regardless of spatial resolution and color channel. However, statistical differences were observed between 50 kV and the megavoltage beams. The degree of energy dependence (from MV to 50 kV) was found to be a function of color channel, dose level, and spatial resolution. Conclusions: The dose response curves for GafChromic EBT3 films were found to be weakly dependent on the energy of the photon beams from 6 MV to 15 MV. For very low energy photon (e.g. 50 kV), variation of more than 11% due to the energy-dependence is observed, depending on the absorbed dose, spatial resolution and color channel used.

Ideal Drift Response Curve for Robust Optimal Damper Design for Elastic-Plastic MDOF Structures under Multi-Level Earthquakes Dedicated to Professor Karl S.Pister for his 95th birthday

A new method of robust damper design is presented for elastic-plastic multi-degree-of-freedom(MDOF)building structures under multi-level ground motions(GMs).This method realizes a design that is effective for various levels of GMs.The robustness of a design is measured by an incremental dynamic analysis(IDA)curve and an ideal drift response curve(IDRC).The IDRC is a plot of the optimized maximum deformation under a constraint on the total damper quantity vs.the design level of the GMs.The total damper quantity corresponds to the total cost of the added dampers.First,a problem of generation of IDRCs is stated.Then,its solution algorithm,which consists of the sensitivity-based algorithm(SBA)and a local search method,is proposed.In the application of the SBA,the passive added dampers are removed sequentially under the specified-level GMs.On the other hand,the proposed local search method can search the optimal solutions for a constant total damper quantity under GMs’increased levels.In this way,combining these two algorithms enables the comprehensive search of the optimal solutions for various conditions of the status of the GMs and the total damper quantity.The influence of selecting the type of added dampers(oil,hysteretic,and so on)and the selection of the input GMs on the IDRCs are investigated.Finally,a robust optimal design problem is formulated,and a simple local search-based algorithm is proposed.A simple index using the IDRC and the IDA curve of the model is used as the objective function.It is demonstrated that the proposed algorithm works well in spite of its simplicity.

Modified non-rectangular hyperbola equation with plant height for photosynthetic light-response curves of Potentilla anserina and Elymus nutans at various growth phases in the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China

The non-rectangular hyperbola(NRH)equation is the most popular method that plots the photosynthetic light-response(PLR)curve and helps to identify plant photosynthetic capability.However,the PLR curve can't be plotted well by the NRH equation at different plant growth phases due to the variations of plant development.Recently,plant physiological parameters have been considered into the NRH equation to establish the modified NRH equation,but plant height(H),an important parameter in plant growth phases,is not taken into account.In this study,H was incorporated into the NRH equation to establish the modified NRH equation,which could be used to estimate photosynthetic capability of herbage at different growth phases.To explore photosynthetic capability of herbage,we selected the dominant herbage species Potentilla anserina L.and Elymus nutans Griseb.in the Heihe River Basin,Northwest China as the research materials.Totally,twenty-four PLR curves and H at different growth phases were measured during the growing season in 2016.Results showed that the maximum net photosynthetic rate and the initial slope of PLR curve linearly increased with H.The modified NRH equation,which is established by introducing H and an H-based adjustment factor into the NRH equation,described better the PLR curves of P.anserina and E.nutans than the original ones.The results may provide an effective method to estimate the net primary productivity of grasslands in the study area.

Regularity classification and corresponding analysis method requirements of horizontally curved bridges with unequal pier heights

The seismic behavior of horizontally curved bridges,particularly with unequal height piers,is more complicated than that of straight bridges due to their geometric properties.In this study,the seismic responses of several horizontally curved single-column-bent viaducts with various degrees of curvature and different pier heights have been investigated,employing three different analysis approaches:namely,modal pushover analysis,uniform load method,and nonlinear time history analysis.Considering the investigated bridge configurations and utilizing the most common regularity indices,the results indicate that viaducts with 45-degree and 90-degree deck subtended angles can be categorized as regular and moderately irregular,respectively,while the bridges with 180-degree deck subtended angle are found to be highly irregular.Furthermore,the viaducts whose pier heights are asymmetric may be considered as irregular for almost all ranges of the deck subtended angles.The effects of higher transverse and longitudinal modes are discussed and the minimum analysis requirements are identified to assess the seismic response of such bridge configurations for design purposes.Although the Regularity Indices used here are useful tools to distinguish between regular and irregular bridges,further studies are needed to improve their reliability.

Stress response characteristics of BFRP anchors on loess mudstone slope under rainfall conditions

To investigate the stress response characteristics and shear stress transfer mechanism of BFRP(basalt fiber reinforced plastics)anchors under rainfall conditions and to explore the reinforcement effect of BFRP anchors,a comparative indoor physical model test was conducted in this study using loess mudstone slope as a typical case,and multi-attribute response data,such as slope displacement,BFRP anchor strain and axial force,were obtained.Based on the variation law of slope displacement,it can be concluded that the deformation displacement of the slope on the side reinforced by BFRP anchors is smaller than that of slopes reinforced with steel anchors;the bearing capacity of BFRP anchor is given priority in time,and the anchoring effect of BFRP anchor at the top of the slope is given priority,and the axial force value of anchor is characterized by a surface amplification effect in space;the axial force is higher around the anchor head and tends to decay as a negative exponential function as the anchor extends in the direction of the interior of the slope;the shear stress of BFRP anchor and anchorage body are unevenly distributed along the axial direction,with the maximum value occurring in the free section near the slope surface and decreases as the BFRP anchor extends towards the interior of the slope.These results can provide a theoretical basis for the optimal design of BFRP anchors.

Time history of seismic earth pressure response from gravity retaining wall based on energy dissipation

The seismic design of gravity retaining walls is based mostly on the pseudo static method.The seismic earth pressure is assumed to be a constant without considering the wave traveling effect when the seismic wave propagates through the slope.However,under continuous ground motion,the actual earth pressure on the retaining wall varies with time.The present seismic earth pressure calculation method yields results that differ significantly from the actual scenario.Considering this,a slip surface curve was assumed in this study.It is more suitable for engineering practice.In addition,a theoretical calculation model based on energy dissipation was established.The time history of seismic earth pressure response under continuous ground motion was calculated using the equilibrium equation between the external power and the internal energy dissipation power of the sliding soil wedge.It can more effectively reflect the stress scenario of a retaining wall under seismic conditions.To verify the applicability of the proposed approach,a large-scale shaking table test was conducted,and the time history of the seismic earth pressure response obtained from the experiment was compared with the calculation results.The results show that the proposed approach is applicable to the calculation of the time history of seismic earth pressure response of gravity retaining walls.This lays the foundation for the seismic design of retaining structures by using dynamic time history.

Testing and Modeling of Bituminous Mortar Response

A dynamic shear rheometer （DSR） setup, with a modified test geometry specifically developed for the mortar, was used to conduct time and frequency domain tests. The mortar was composed of a pure bitumen, filler and fine fractions of sand. In the test setup two mounting procedures were compared and the one that delivers better test result repeatability was selected. Test results obtained from frequency domain tests were used to construct a master curve using time-temperature superposition principle （TTS）. Time domain material functions were obtained from the master curve by using frequency-time domain inter-conversion. In this process a series of Kelvin-Voigt element were used. Using material parameters obtained from frequency domain results, creep-recovery tests in time domain were simulated using a Matlab program. Results show a very good agreement with experimentally obtained creep-recovery data.

Parameter Identification Based on Force-Displacement Curves for a Bolted Joint Finite Element Model

In order to identify the uncertain parameters of a bolted joint finite element model,a simple and applicable way of parameter identification is introduced.By utilizing numerical simulation with the Abaqus software and experimental investigation with the MTS material testing system,the tangential force-displacement curves that reflect the characteristics of the bolted joint were acquired.On the basis of this,by employing the response surface methodology（RSM）and genetic algorithms（GAs）,parameters in the FEM model were identified.The force-displacement curves by both virtual and experimental approaches are well correlated at the end.This phenomenon-based parameter identification method may help facilitate precise prediction of complex jointed connection structures.

Research on rail wear of small radius curve in EMU depot

Purpose–With the help of multi-body dynamics software UM,the paper uses Kik–Piotrowski model to simulate wheel-rail contact and Archard wear model for rail wear.Design/methodology/approach–The CRH5 vehicle-track coupling dynamics model is constructed for the wear study of rails of small radius curves,namely 200 and 350 m in Guangzhou East EMU Depot and those 250 and 300 m radius in Taiyuan South EMU Depot.Findings–Results show that the rail wear at the straight-circle point,the curve center point and the circlestraight point follows the order of center point>the circle-straight point>the straight-circle point.The wear on rail of small radius curves intensifies with the rise of running speed,and the wearing trend tends to fasten as the curve radius declines.The maximum rail wear of the inner rail can reach 2.29 mm,while that of the outer rail,10.11 mm.Originality/value–With the increase of the train passing number,the wear range tends to expand.The rail wear decreases with the increase of the curve radius.The dynamic response of vehicle increases with the increase of rail wear,among which the derailment coefficient is affected the most.When the number of passing vehicles reaches 1 million,the derailment coefficient exceeds the limit value,which poses a risk of derailment.

Responses to oral glucose challenge differ by physical activity volume and intensity: A pilot study

Background:One-hour postprandial hyperglycemia is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.Physical activity(PA)has short-term beneficial effects on post-meal glucose response.This study compared the oral glucose tolerance test results of 3 groups of people with habitually different levels of PA.Methods:Thirty-one adults without diabetes(age 25.9±6.6 years;body mass index 23.8±3.8 kg/m^2;mean±SD)were recruited and divided into 3 groups based on self-reported PA volume and intensity:low activity<30 min/day of moderate-intensity activity(n=11),moderately active≥30 min/day of moderate-intensity PA(n=10),and very active≥60 min/day of PA at high intensity(n=10).Participants completed an oral glucose tolerance test(50 g glucose)with capillary blood samples obtained at baseline,15 min,30 min,45 min,60 min,90 min,and 120 min post-ingestion.Results:There were no significant differences between groups for age or body fat percentage or glycated hemoglobin(p>0.05).The groups were significantly different in terms of baseline glucose level(p=0.003)and,marginally,for gender(p=0.053)and BMI(p=0.050).There was a statistically significant effect of PA on the 1-h postprandial glucose results(p=0.029),with differences between very active and low activity groups(p=0.008)but not between the moderately active and low activity groups(p=0.360),even when baseline glucose level and gender differences were accounted for.For incremental area under the curve there was no significant effect of activity group once gender and body fat percentage had been accounted for(p=0.401).Those in the low activity group took 15 min longer to reach peak glucose level than those in the very active group(p=0.012).Conclusion:The results suggest that high levels of PA have a beneficial effect on postprandial blood glucose profiles when compared to low and moderate levels of activity.

Clustering residential electricity load curve via community detection in network

Performing analytics on the load curve(LC)of customers is the foundation for demand response which requires a better understanding of customers'consumption pattern(CP)by analyzing the load curve.However,the performances of previous widely-used LC clustering methods are poor in two folds:larger number of clusters,huge variances within a cluster(a CP is extracted from a cluster),bringing huge difficulty to understand the electricity consumption pattern of customers.In this paper,to improve the performance of LC clustering,a clustering framework incorporated with community detection is proposed.The framework includes three parts:network construction,community detection,and CP extraction.According to the cluster validity index(CVI),the integrated approach outperforms the previous state-of-the-art method with the same amount of clusters.And the approach needs fewer clusters to achieve the same performance measured by CVI.

Behaviour and Analysis of Horizontally Curved Steel Box-Girder Bridges

Various theories and analytical formulations were implemented and exploited in the 1980s and 1990s for the design of bridge beams or decks curved in the horizontal plane and subjected to out-of-plane loads. Nowadays, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is a valid tool for the analysis of structures with complex geometries and, therefore, the development of sophisticated analytical formulations is not needed anymore. However, they are still useful for the validation of FE models. This paper presents the case study of an existing viaduct built in North Italy, aiming to compare analytical approaches and numerical modelling. The bridge is characterized by an axis curved in two directions and a rectilinear segment. The global analysis of the viaduct is carried out with special attention to the attributes that cause torque action and bending moment. The theoretical developments focus on a deeper understanding of the torsional response under different constraint and loading conditions and aspire to raise awareness of the mutual interaction of flexural and torsional behaviour, that are always present in these complex curved systems. The examination of the case study is also obtained by comparing the response of isostatic and hyperstatic curvilinear steel box-girders.

Electrical responses and classification of complex waterflooded layers in carbonate reservoirs: A case study of Zananor Oilfield, Kazakhstan

Experiments of electrical responses of waterflooded layers were carried out on porous,fractured,porous-fractured and composite cores taken from carbonate reservoirs in the Zananor Oilfield,Kazakhstan to find out the effects of injected water salinity on electrical responses of carbonate reservoirs.On the basis of the experimental results and the mathematical model of calculating oil-water relative permeability of porous reservoirs by resistivity and the relative permeability model of two-phase flow in fractured reservoirs,the classification standards of water-flooded layers suitable for carbonate reservoirs with complex pore structure were established.The results show that the salinity of injected water is the main factor affecting the resistivity of carbonate reservoir.When low salinity water(fresh water)is injected,the relationship curve between resistivity and water saturation is U-shaped.When high salinity water(salt water)is injected,the curve is L-shaped.The classification criteria of water-flooded layers for carbonate reservoirs are as follows:(1)In porous reservoirs,the water cut(fw)is less than or equal to 5%in oil layers,5%–20%in weak water-flooded layers,20%–50%in moderately water-flooded layers,and greater than 50%in strong water-flooded layers.(2)For fractured,porous-fractured and composite reservoirs,the oil layers,weakly water-flooded layers,moderately water-flooded layers,and severely water-flooded layers have a water content of less than or equal to 5%,5%and 10%,10%to 50%,and larger than 50%respectively.

经直肠超声造影评估前列腺癌新辅助内分泌治疗反应的价值

目的:探讨经直肠超声造影(contrast-enhanced transrectal ultrasound)时间-强度曲线(time-intensity curve,TIC)参数评估前列腺癌(prostate cancer,PCa)患者对新辅助内分泌治疗(neoadjuvant hormonal therapy,NHT)的反应程度。方法:纳入27例接受NHT的PCa患者的临床资料,根据术后病理学检查结果分为有效组(n=16)和无效组(n=11)。对比两组患者临床病理学特征、治疗前后血清前列腺特异性抗原(prostate-specific antigen,PSA)和CETRUS检查指标及其变化率,以筛选与NHT反应性有关的潜在指标。进一步采用相关性分析评价其在评估患者对NHT反应方面的价值。结果:有效组和无效组在临床病理学特征、治疗前的血清PSA和C E T R U S检查指标方面的差异无统计学意义(均P>0.05)。治疗后,仅有效组的TIC曲线下面积(area under curve,AUC)低于无效组(560 dB·s vs 710 dB·s),其变化率大于无效组(-27.1%vs-5.3%)(均P<0.05)。相关性分析显示AUC变化率与组织学反应评分之间的相关性略高于治疗后AUC(r为-0.690 vs-0.630)。结论:CETRUS TIC参数中,NHT后的AUC及其变化率在评估PCa患者对NHT反应方面具有较好的价值。其中,AUC变化率可能与治疗反应程度更相关。

基于决策曲线分析抗RA33、IL-6及hs-CRP水平对类风湿关节炎治疗反应性的预测价值

目的基于决策曲线分析抗类风湿关节炎-33(抗RA33)、白细胞介素-6(IL-6)及超敏C反应蛋白(hs-CRP)水平对类风湿关节炎(RA)患者治疗反应性的预测价值。方法选取2021年1月至2023年8月该院收治的102例RA患者,收集患者临床资料并检测其血清抗RA33、IL-6及hs-CRP水平。使用甲氨蝶呤与依那西普治疗半年后,根据治疗反应性分为反应良好组与无反应组。采用Pearson相关分析RA患者抗RA33、IL-6、hs-CRP水平与RA疾病活动评分(DAS28)的相关性,多因素Logistic回归分析RA患者治疗无反应的影响因素。绘制受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线,分析抗RA33、IL-6、hs-CRP在RA无反应中的效能。采用决策曲线分析抗RA33、IL-6、hs-CRP单独与联合预测RA患者治疗无反应的净收益情况。结果治疗半年后,反应良好和中度的患者共80例(反应良好组),无效22例(无反应组)。反应良好组病程短于无反应组,DAS28评分低于无反应组(P<0.05)。反应良好组血清抗RA33、IL-6、hs-CRP水平低于无反应组(P<0.05)。Pearson相关分析显示,血清抗RA33、IL-6、hs-CRP水平与DAS28评分均呈负相关(P<0.05)。多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示,DAS28评分及抗RA33、IL-6、hs-CRP水平为RA患者治疗无反应的影响因素(P<0.05)。ROC曲线显示,血清抗RA33、IL-6、hs-CRP单独及联合预测患者治疗无反应的曲线下面积分别为0.729、0.814、0.831、0.948,三者联合的预测价值更高。决策曲线分析显示,在大多合理阈值范围内,血清抗RA33、IL-6、hs-CRP联合预测对RA患者治疗反应性的总体净收益高于单独预测的净收益。结论抗RA33、IL-6、hs-CRP水平与RA患者治疗反应性密切相关,三者联合预测治疗无反应的临床价值及净收益较高。

基于Ansys Workbench的双桁架码垛机械手动态性能分析

为了提高定制化门窗材码垛分类的效率,以双桁架码垛机械手为基础对静态、动态性能进行分析以满足定制化门窗材的码垛效率。针对双桁架码垛机械手在分类码垛过程中存在多种运动状态,在双桁架码垛机械手静态性能满足刚度和强度的基础上对其动态特性进行分析,动态特性分析采用模态和谐波响应方法。通过对双桁架码垛机械手的动态分析,得到了其在两个机械手不同频段时X、Y、Z向的位移量,通过响应曲线明确了频段对位移量的影响规律。两个机械手的响应曲线在规避特殊频率段以提高码垛效率、促进分类码垛的智能化发展具有重要意义。