Exploring how to counteract the world's energy insecurity and environmental pollution, this volume covers the production methods, properties, storage, engine tests, system modification, ...transportation and distribution, economics, safety aspects, applications, and material compatibility of alternative fuels. The esteemed editor highlights the importance of moving toward alternative fuels and the problems and environmental impact of depending on petroleum products. Each self-contained chapter focuses on a particular fuel source, including vegetable oils, biodiesel, methanol, ethanol, dimethyl ether, liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas, hydrogen, electric, fuel cells, and fuel from nonfood crops.
Complementary and alternative medicine in the United States Institute of Medicine; Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Committee on the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by the American Public
2005, 20050326, 2005-04-13, 2005-06-15
eBook, Book
Odprti dostop
Integration of complementary and alternative medicine therapies (CAM) with conventional medicine is occurring in hospitals and physicians offices, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are covering ...CAM therapies, insurance coverage for CAM is increasing, and integrative medicine centers and clinics are being established, many with close ties to medical schools and teaching hospitals. In determining what care to provide, the goal should be comprehensive care that uses the best scientific evidence available regarding benefits and harm, encourages a focus on healing, recognizes the importance of compassion and caring, emphasizes the centrality of relationship-based care, encourages patients to share in decision making about therapeutic options, and promotes choices in care that can include complementary therapies where appropriate.
Numerous approaches to delivering integrative medicine have evolved. Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States identifies an urgent need for health systems research that focuses on identifying the elements of these models, the outcomes of care delivered in these models, and whether these models are cost-effective when compared to conventional practice settings.
It outlines areas of research in convention and CAM therapies, ways of integrating these therapies, development of curriculum that provides further education to health professionals, and an amendment of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act to improve quality, accurate labeling, research into use of supplements, incentives for privately funded research into their efficacy, and consumer protection against all potential hazards.
Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a genetic ultrarare renal disease associated with overactivation of the alternative pathway of complement. Four gain-of-function mutations that form a ...hyperactive or deregulated C3 convertase have been identified in Factor B (FB) ligand binding sites. Here, we studied the functional consequences of 10 FB genetic changes recently identified from different aHUS cohorts. Using several tests for alternative C3 and C5 convertase formation and regulation, we identified two gain-of-function and potentially disease-relevant mutations that formed either an overactive convertase (M433I) or a convertase resistant to decay by FH (K298Q). One mutation (R178Q) produced a partially cleaved protein with no ligand binding or functional activity. Seven genetic changes led to near-normal or only slightly reduced ligand binding and functional activity compared with the most common polymorphism at position 7, R7. Notably, none of the algorithms used to predict the disease relevance of FB mutations agreed completely with the experimental data, suggesting that in silico approaches should be undertaken with caution. These data, combined with previously published results, suggest that 9 of 15 FB genetic changes identified in patients with aHUS are unrelated to disease pathogenesis. This study highlights that functional assessment of identified nucleotide changes in FB is mandatory to confirm disease association.
Alternative splicing of eukaryotic transcripts is a mechanism that enables cells to generate vast protein diversity from a limited number of genes. The mechanisms and outcomes of alternative splicing ...of individual transcripts are relatively well understood, and recent efforts have been directed towards studying splicing networks. It has become apparent that coordinated splicing networks regulate tissue and organ development, and that alternative splicing has important physiological functions in different developmental processes in humans.
The holistic Rx Saeed, Madiha M
2017., 2017, 2017-10-01
eBook
According to some reports, about half of all adults and children have one or more chronic health conditions. One in four adults has two or more chronic health conditions. And, sadly, these numbers ...continue to grow at an alarming rate. The Holistic Rx offers the reader with one or more chronic health conditions or symptoms easy-to-follow evidence-based approaches to healing their ailments by targeting inflammation and its underlying root causes. Dr. Madiha Saeed covers the foundations of good health like digestive health and detoxification, and the Four Big S’s (stress management, sleep strategies, social and spiritual health), along with disease-specific supplements homeopathy, acupressure, aromatherapy, , other holistic remedies to achieve lasting good health and wellness. The first part of the book addresses the root of chronic illness—inflammation—and examines its underlying causes and possible treatment approaches that focus on the whole body rather than just the affected area. In the second part of the book, she first advises the reader on adjusting their holistic approach to their health conditions based on their individual needs. Then, after briefly describing various integrative approaches, she provides an A-to-Z guide to holistic and integrative treatment of over 70 chronic illnesses, conditions, and symptoms. For each condition, she outlines a healing plan that begins with digestive health and detoxifications and the four S’s specific to that organ system and covers the additional alternative, holistic, and complementary approaches that are most effective for that condition. This ready resource will help the whole family address their most common complaints and promotes a healthy, balanced lifestyle that focuses on overall wellness.
The rapid growth of vehicles has resulted in continuing growth in China’s oil demand. This paper analyzes future trends of both direct and life cycle energy demand (ED) and greenhouse gas (GHG) ...emissions in China’s road transport sector, and assesses the effectiveness of possible reduction measures by using alternative vehicles/fuels. A model is developed to derive a historical trend and to project future trends. The government is assumed to do nothing additional in the future to influence the long-term trends in the business as usual (BAU) scenario. Four specific scenarios are used to describe the future cases where different alternative fuel/vehicles are applied. The best case scenario is set to represent the most optimized case. Direct ED and GHG emissions would reach 734 million tonnes of oil equivalent and 2384 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050 in the BAU case, respectively, more than 5.6 times of 2007 levels. Compared with the BAU case, the relative reductions achieved in the best case would be 15.8% and 27.6% for life cycle ED and GHG emissions, respectively. It is suggested for future policy implementation to support sustainable biofuel and high efficient electric-vehicles, and the deployment of coal-based fuels accompanied with low-carbon technology.
This paper investigates the role the food movement has played in catalyzing the entrance of new farmers into alternative agriculture. I analyze 30 interviews with farmers who participate in ...Alternative Food Networks in southern Ohio to understand what kinds of strategies and support were important for facilitating their entrance into alternative agriculture. I develop a typology of three distinct pathways into alternative agriculture, based on the values and goals that motivated famers' decision to participate in alternative agriculture, their farming experience and skills, professional networks and socialization, land access, and persistence strategies. I show how farmers' pathways shape the kinds of enterprises they establish and their strategies for getting started and persisting in alternative agriculture. The farmers’ strategies include a reliance on non-farm income and wealth and non-production revenue strategies for some types of farmers, while other types of farmers are able to make it by farming full-time. The study identifies a new pathway into alternative agriculture: Returning farmers come from farm families, but left agriculture to pursue higher education or a non-farm career and then re-entered agriculture later in life through Alternative Food Networks.
•The food movement plays a role in motivating and facilitating the entrance of new farmers into alternative agriculture.•Farmers' pathways into alternative agriculture shape the kinds of enterprises they establish.•Beginning farmers in alternative agriculture rely on non-farm income and wealth and non-production revenue strategies.•Returning farmers left agriculture to pursue non-farm work and re-entered agriculture through Alternative Food Networks.
New technologies, systems, societal organization and policies for energy saving are urgently needed in the context of accelerated climate change, the Ukraine conflict and the past coronavirus disease ...2019 pandemic. For instance, concerns about market and policy responses that could lead to new lock-ins, such as investing in liquefied natural gas infrastructure and using all available fossil fuels to compensate for Russian gas supply cuts, may hinder decarbonization efforts. Here we review energy-saving solutions with a focus on the actual energy crisis, green alternatives to fossil fuel heating, energy saving in buildings and transportation, artificial intelligence for sustainable energy, and implications for the environment and society. Green alternatives include biomass boilers and stoves, hybrid heat pumps, geothermal heating, solar thermal systems, solar photovoltaics systems into electric boilers, compressed natural gas and hydrogen. We also detail case studies in Germany which is planning a 100% renewable energy switch by 2050 and developing the storage of compressed air in China, with emphasis on technical and economic aspects. The global energy consumption in 2020 was 30.01% for the industry, 26.18% for transport, and 22.08% for residential sectors. 10–40% of energy consumption can be reduced using renewable energy sources, passive design strategies, smart grid analytics, energy-efficient building systems, and intelligent energy monitoring. Electric vehicles offer the highest cost-per-kilometer reduction of 75% and the lowest energy loss of 33%, yet battery-related issues, cost, and weight are challenging. 5–30% of energy can be saved using automated and networked vehicles. Artificial intelligence shows a huge potential in energy saving by improving weather forecasting and machine maintenance and enabling connectivity across homes, workplaces, and transportation. For instance, 18.97–42.60% of energy consumption can be reduced in buildings through deep neural networking. In the electricity sector, artificial intelligence can automate power generation, distribution, and transmission operations, balance the grid without human intervention, enable lightning-speed trading and arbitrage decisions at scale, and eliminate the need for manual adjustments by end-users.
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