Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients are often prone to coronary artery disease (CAD), and CAD is found to be the main cause of death in NAFLD patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2) rs3834458 polymorphism and serum FADS2 level with NAFLD and CAD in Chinese Han population. Materials and Methods The serum level of FADS2 was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in healthy people, NAFLD patients, and NAFLD patients combined with CAD (NAFLD+CAD). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the genotypes of FADS2 rs3834458 in the three groups. Results Body mass index (BMI), glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of the NAFLD group and the NAFLD+CAD group were higher than those of the healthy control group (P < 0.05); the HDL-C of the NAFLD+CAD group was significantly lower than that of the healthy people and the NAFLD group (P < 0.05). The serum FADS2 concentration in the NAFLD+CAD group was significantly higher than that in the NAFLD group (P < 0.05) and the healthy people (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in genotype distribution (χ2 = 5.347, P < 0.497) and allele frequency (χ2 = 3.322, P = 0.345) between the three groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that the T allele was not an independent risk factor for CAD with NAFLD (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 0.422-6.180). Conclusions Serum FADS2 concentration was positively correlated with the susceptibility of NAFLD with CAD, while the polymorphism of rs3834458 was not associated with NAFLD with CAD.
With the market competition intensifies, enterprises focusing on core business has become the most important rules of survival. Therefore, more and more enterprises adopt outsourcing as criticalbusiness initiatives due to itseffectively reduce costs, enhancing the core competitiveness of enterprises and other characteristics. Duroc, a famous American management scholars had predicted: “In ten to fifteen years within any business background to support not only to do the work of creating turnover should be outsourced.” Do what you do best (your core competency) and outsource the rest.It has become an irreversible trend.In this paper, we will introduce the business value of IT outsourcing, discuss IT outsourcing industry’s strengths and weaknesses, finally we will provide corresponding countermeasures based on the discussion.
Structural analysis based on complex network theory has been considered promising for security issues of power grids. At the same time, modern power distribution networks with more Distributed Generations (DGs) and Energy Storage Systems (ESS) have taken on more challenges in operation and security issues. This paper proposed a dedicated metric named as Power-SupplyAbility for power distribution networks based on net-ability. Special features of DGs, such as relations of capacities, identification of effective supply area, and limitation in continuous power supply, have been considered in definition. Furthermore, a novel opinion is proposed that the extent of improvement for operation and security by adding DGs also depends on the original structure of the distribution networks. This is an inherent ability of the original networks and could be quantitatively analyzed. Through case studies, this method has been proved to be effective in identifying potential structural vulnerabilities of distribution networks; particularly the impact of DGs on security has been studied. Furthermore, it can help in site selection for DGs by providing different priorities of locations compared with results of other works. This can help to complement other methods to construct a more comprehensive methodology by considering aspects of security, economy, and quality.
Different objects require different imaging spectra, and a high-temporal-resolution imaging spectrometer has further requirements for producing a large field of view(FOV). For these reasons, we present a new system based on a staring/scanning area-array detector to allow for wide-FOV imaging, along with an acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF) to impart quick, programmable selection of spectra. Using AOTF as a dispersive component and a turntable as the motion platform, we designed a staring, spectral-programmable imaging prototype with a working band of 400~1000 nm. Besides, we could obtain a large FOV by image mosaic. We performed imaging experiments and image processing for an initial verification of this technique. This technical solution can be used not only for VNIR, but also in SWIR, MWIR, and other bands; it adapts to spectral and FOV requirements for varying subjects, and provides an advanced technical means for further application of high-resolution spectral imaging.
Customer Operations Performance CenterInc (COPC) is the world’s leading authority on Contact Center Operations Management. The COPC 2000 Standard is a comprehensive operating model for Contact Centre Operations. It is a world-wide benchmark and certification for contact centers. As well as an overall performance management system, COPC is designed to reduce costs, increase revenue, and improve service, quality and customer satisfaction.However, many COPC implementation projects failed. In this study, we first review the process of implementing COPC. Then, we identify major barriers in implementing COPC. Organizations should take proper measures in overcomingthese barriers to ensure successful implementation of COPC.
With enormous interfacial area for particle collection, microbubbles exhibit great application prospect in the mineral flotation. Under certain ionic strength, microbubbles can be produced continuously in the microbubble column without extra reagent addition. In this work, multiphase flow characteristics (Sauter mean diameter, bubble size distribution, gas holdup & interfacial area) were studied systematically with variables including the salt type, salt concentration, and operating conditions. Based on mathematical model, critical coalescence concentration was determined for each investigated salt. According to experimental results, a mathematical correlation was established between the Sauter mean diameter and ionic strength. For the formation of microbubble system, the lowest ionic strength was approximately 0.5 mol/L. Multiphase flow characteristics in the microbubble column depended highly on the ionic strength. The interfacial area and gas holdup increased by 38 times and more than 3 times respectively, with the ionic strength of Al2(SO4)3 rising from 0 to 1.5 mol/L. The critical coalescence concentration ranged from 0.037 mol/L (Al2(SO4)3) to 0.517 mol/L (NaCl), which correlated with the ionic strength of each salt.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.