Comparison of copper emission rates from wood treated with different preservatives to the environment

This study describes a laboratory method for the estimation of emission from preservative-treated wood in the different situations where emissions could enter the environment for use classes 3 (not in contact with ground) and 4 and 5 (in contact with the ground, fresh water or sea water) according to OECD Guidelines. Samples of scotch pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris L.) were treated with CCA (1% and 2%), ACQ-1900 (3% and 7%), ACQ-2200 (2%), Tanalith E 3491 (2% and 2.8%), and Wolmanit CX-8 (2%).     

Health IT: A Roundtable Discussion with Healthcare Information Technology Executives

Introducing new technology in a healthcare setting is a complex undertaking. In an environment in which accuracy, security, and reliability are critical elements, careful planning is the primary factor in ensuring a successful implementation.     

Meßtechnik zur Charakterisierung von Gas/Flüssigkeits-Reaktoren

Measuring techniques for characterizing gas/liquid reactors . The article considers measuring techniques for the characterization of the phases in gas/liquid reactors. These include the velocity profile and turbulence in the continuous phase as well as holdup, size, and velocity of the dispersed phase. Also, methods for the determination of the specific interfacial area and the volumetric mass transfer coefficients are discussed. Measuring methods have made enormous advances in recent years. In spite of this, there is a lack of reliable methods, especially for use during reactions without disturbing the state of the reactor. It is suspected that probe technique will gradually fall into disuse and more and more attention will be focussed on contractless methods. This calls for further development of ultrasonic methods and methods relying on emission of light.     

Structural Appraisal of the Florentine Gothic Construction System

The nave of Santa Maria Novella, a Dominican church in Florence Italy is representative of a Florentine Gothic system of construction. This system, consisting of domical rib vaults on square nave bays, high side aisles, and crypto-buttressing, differs substantially from the French high Gothic system of even-level-crown rib vaults on rectangular bays, with flying buttresses over relatively low aisles. An investigation into the structural aspects of the Florentine Gothic construction system reveals that the domical vaults increase the longitudinal thrust and reduce the transverse thrust, which may require additional precautions to be taken during construction, but entails a less elaborate buttressing system. The domical vaults are found to perform well structurally, with an absence of tensile stresses, and are more suitable for a square bay. In general, the structural system of the nave of Santa Maria Novella is found to be the product of carefully considered structural design, which may be accepted as an alternative to the French Gothic construction system.     

Contractor Prebid Planning Principles

Planning is an essential function of project management. Yet, many small- and medium-sized contractors do a relatively poor job of operational planning. Better prebid plans will reduce costs, shorten schedules, and improve labor productivity. Unfortunately, the published literature offers little guidance for smaller contractors on what constitutes effective planning. Most papers describe planning as a macrolevel process for owners. Most emphasize scope definition for industrial projects. This paper describes a microlevel planning process for contractors. It consists of eight steps which are: (1) assess contract risks; (2) develop a preliminary execution plan; (3) develop site layout plans; (4) identify the sequences that are essential-to-success; (5) develop detailed operational plans; (6) develop proactive strategies to assure construction input into design; (7) revise the preliminary plan; and (8) communicate and enforce the plan. The entire process is illustrated with a case study project and is fully illustrated with figures which show how to integrate the work of multiple contractors, keep key resources (crews or equipment) fully engaged with no downtime, provide time buffers so the work of follow on crews can be efficiently done, expedite the schedule using multiple work stations and concurrent work, ways to communicate the work plan to the superintendent and foremen, and how to assess the feasibility of various work methods. The steps are easy to understand and implement. They will yield immediate positive results.     

Dynamic Complexity Theory Revisited

Dynamic complexity investigates the required effort to maintain knowledge about a property of a structure under changing operations. This article introduces a refined notion of dynamic problems which takes the initial structure into account. It develops the basic structural complexity notions accordingly. It also shows that the dynamic version of the LOGCFL-complete problem D₂LREACH(acyclic) can be maintained with first-order updates.     

Modeling language acquisition in atypical phenotypes.

An increasing number of connectionist models have been proposed to explain behavioral deficits in developmental disorders. These simulations motivate serious consideration of the theoretical implications of the claim that a developmental disorder fits within the parameter space of a particular computational model of normal development. The authors examine these issues in depth with respect to a series of new simulations investigating past-tense formation in Williams syndrome. This syndrome and the past-tense domain are highly relevant because both have been used to make strong theoretical claims about the processes underlying normal language acquisition. The authors conclude that computational models have great potential to advance psychologists' understanding of developmental deficits because they focus on the developmental process itself as a pivotal causal factor in producing atypical phenotypic outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia and posthepatitis-C liver cirrhosis

Here we are presenting the case of a 70-years-old woman who has hepatic cirrhosis anti-HCV and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, without relevant epidemiologic ascendants or previous transfusions and HBV, HIV negatives. On admission to our hospital she showed signs of autoimmune hemolytic anaemia (AHA) which was confirmed by positive direct Coombs test and an improvement in blood test after corticoid treatment. Having discarded other possible causes such as drugs infectious diseases or essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (CME), we put forward the possible association between AHA and infection by HCV, where AHA was an extrahepatic immunological manifestation of HCV. This fact has never been brought to light in previous medical literature.