Fire Company Staffing Requirements: An Analytic Approach

Fire Company staffing is an important issue. Properly done it ensures sufficiency of hands to perform a variety of tasks required for success on the fire ground. Directly or indirectly staffing affects losses and outcomes and is likely an element in firefighter and civilian safety. While the issue continues as part of a political consensus process, no recent attempts have been documented that suggest a process for local agencies to determine the appropriate company size based on their level of risk assessment and acceptability. This approach provides the practitioner with a model to utilize when considering this issue. It avoids the one-size-fits-all question by demonstrating a methodology for using community demands to determine appropriate fire unit sizing. The resulting process is relatively easily done once the community demands and expectations are identified. The article also considers additional factors other than staffing that can affect the outcome of community testing and that might support or raise questions regarding reliability and validity of the processes.     

Multi-step dip-spin coating manufacturing system for silicone cardiovascular membrane fabrication with prescribed compliance

A multi-step dip-spin coating procedure by which synthetic vessels of virtually the entire cardiovascular system can be constructed from medical imaging data was developed to consistently and accurately fabricate silicone membranes with prescribed compliance for in vitro hemodynamic experimentation and medical device development. Experimental results showed that the three factors tested (silicone mixture viscosity, mold diameter, and number of dips in solution) each had a statistically significant effect on the resulting wall thickness of the fabricated silicone membranes. A setup was designed and constructed to test the compliance of the silicone membranes, and a prediction model showed that the most important factors for compliance were the mean pressure used to pressurize the membranes, the membrane wall thickness, and the difference in membrane diameter between the two test pressures. The manufacturing process was repeatable with a process standard deviation of 0.002753 cm for an average wall thickness of 0.063576 cm (4.33%).     

Ecotoxicity tests in the environmental analysis of wastewater treatment plants: case study in Portugal

A global evaluation of wastewaters should include ecotoxicological tests to complement the chemical characterization, with advantages especially in the case of complex wastewaters. A European project developed in Tranc?o River Basin (Portugal), integrated the ecotoxicological and physicochemical studies of wastewater samples from two municipal sewer networks and respective wastewater treatment plants. Wastewater samples were analysed for physicochemical parameters, ecotoxicological acute and chronic tests performed and the potential for endocrine disruption evaluated. Organic load parameters and total suspended solids showed significant correlations with Microtox and ThamnoToxKit test results. Data analysis showed that treated treatment plant effluent samples are associated with less organic contamination and less toxicity in ThamnoToxKit test. Chronic toxicity test and endocrine disruption assay of treatment plant effluent samples indicated that, in a long term, potential population effects could arise in the receiving waters. A test battery to monitor this type of wastewaters is proposed, including tests with a bacterium, an alga and a crustacean. In a screening phase the most sensitive test, Microtox, can be used. The use of an ecotoxicological approach can have added value to hazard and risk assessment of discharges to the receiving waters and can contribute to the environmental management of the treatment plant.     

Volumetric Properties of 3-Methylbutyl Ethanoate with Ethyl Acrylate,Butyl Acrylate,Methyl Methacrylate,and Styrene at 25°C

Densities of the binary systems of 3-methylbutyl ethanoate (isoamyl acetate) with ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, and styrene have been measured as a function of composition at 25°C and atmospheric pressure using an Anton Paar DMA 5000 oscillating U-tube densimeter. The calculated excess volumes were correlated with the Redlich–Kister equation and with a series of Legendre polynomials. The excess volumes are positive for the binary systems of 3-methylbutyl ethanoate with each of the three acrylate monomers and negative for the system with styrene. The 3-methylbutyl ethanoate + butyl acrylate system exhibits near-ideal behavior.     

Study of the poisoning of γ-Al2O3 by alkali metals addition

The effect of alkali metal addition to alumina on the acid characteristics and on the isopropanol dehydration capacity was analyzed. It was found that the incidence on the catalytic and acid properties of the alkali metal doped alumina depended on the ionic radii of the added element. Thus, K produces a higher poisoning of the acid function than Na and Li. Catalytic results can be interpreted in terms of a modification of the acid sites distribution by the alkali metal addition, the stronger acid sites being mainly affected.     

Social cognitions as organizers of autonomic and affective responses to social challenge.

Autonomic and affective responses to children were assessed as a function of adult perceptions of interpersonal control. Women (N?=?160) interacted with and provided feedback to computer-simulated children who behaved responsively or unresponsively on a computer game. Women were categorized as low in perceived control (PC) if they attributed high control to children but low control to self over negative events on the Parent Attribution Test. As predicted, low-PC women were maximally reactive to child characteristics, manifesting peak levels of defensive arousal (increased level of heart rate and electrodermal activity) and negative affect with unresponsive children and minimal levels of arousal and negative affect with responsive children. Intermediate response levels were shown by high-PC Ss. We interpreted results as suggesting mediating factors that may operate in dysfunctional interaction patterns previously found for low-PC caregivers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

High school students' perceptions of AIDS risk: Realistic appraisal or motivated denial?

296 9th and 10th graders were asked to indicate their absolute and comparative risk of acquiring AIDS and to complete questionnaire items measuring AIDS-related behaviors and the constructs expected to influence risk judgments. Results indicate Ss used their behaviors as a basis for assessing personal risk in the sense that they perceived higher risk when their behavior was in fact riskier. However, this relation did not hold for those Ss classified as repressors on a repression-sensitization scale; repressors' perceptions of absolute (but not comparative) risk were negatively correlated with degree of behavioral risk. In a secondary analysis, perceived absolute risk emerged as a significant predictor of intention to change AIDS-risk behaviors. Data support a motivational interpretation of perceived invulnerability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The IMB photomultiplier test facility

An automatic system for testing up to 32 photomultiplier tubes (PMs) simultaneously under single photon counting conditions has been used to measure characteristics of more than 2500 PMs for use in the Irvine-Michigan-Brookhaven (IMB) proton decay experiment, 2048 tubes (64 EMI 9834B 8″ diameter, and 1984 EMI 9870B 5″ diameter) were selected for use in the 8000 m³ IMB water Cherenkov detector, now in operation for over a year. The PM test system is described and results of testing are presented along with PM performance in the IMB detector over the last year. In general, we find that the tube characteristics have smaller fluctuations than expected and that the tubes have proven to be reliable under rugged handling and operating conditions. On the basis of our experience, we make suggestions as to new industry standards for PMs to be used in particle counting.     

Author placement in Computer Science: a study based on the careers of ACM Fellows

Scientometrics - The order in which authors of a scientific paper place their names on the byline follows in many research fields some implicit rules. In most fields, the first author is considered...     

Effect of potassium‐based emulsifying salts on the sensory and physicochemical parameters of low‐sodium spreadable processed cheese

The influence of different emulsifying salts (ES) on the physicochemical parameters and sensory qualities of spreadable processed cheese (SPPC) was evaluated. The fat and moisture contents of the SPPC were not affected significantly by varying proportions of ES. The replacement of sodium‐based polyphosphate blends by their monopotassium phosphate counterpart at 25% (w/w) markedly improved the sensory quality of the SPPC (on a weight basis). An SPPC of acceptable quality labelled as a ‘reduced sodium’ product was obtained using a blend of commercial emulsifying salts and monopotassium phosphate (1:1 w/w) added at 1.2% (w/w) of the total formulation weight.