Use of gasification residues in aerated autoclaved concrete

Two fine-grained residues produced by gasification of wastes were tested for their suitability in aerated autoclaved concrete (AAC). AAC typically has additional aluminium powder added to the raw ingredients to facilitate the formation of small gas bubbles which provide a low-density product. Both gasification residues had high amounts of metallic aluminium and thus were well suited for this application. Studies were conducted to determine whether the residue addition would eliminate the need for the extra aluminium powder for creating air voids. Simultaneously, the residues replaced some of the aggregate ground in the process, thus enabling savings in energy consumption. Initial laboratory tests determined how much residue could be added and what type of concrete mixture proportioning was needed. Multiple properties were tested on AAC with 10% residue addition, with and without the additional aluminium powder. After laboratory investigations, full-scale tests were done at the Siporex AAC factory in Finland. These tests revealed that the residues offer a promising resource for economic production of AAC without detrimental effects to the final products.     

The role of luteinizing hormone-beta gene polymorphism in the onset and progression of puberty in healthy boys

An immunologically anomalous LH with two point mutations in its beta-subunit gene (Trp8Arg and Ile15Thr) has recently been described. This polymorphism is common in Finland; 28% of the population are homo- or heterozygous for the variant allele. To assess the effect of the LH variant on LH action, we correlated its presence in a group of 49 healthy boys with the onset and progression of puberty. This group was followed-up longitudinally from a mean age of 11.7 +/- 0.1 yr for 3 yr at 3-month intervals. In addition, we studied the prevalence of the variant LH in boys with constitutional pubertal delay (testicular volume < or = 4 mL after 13.5 yr of age). The LH beta gene status of each subject in this study was judged from a single venous blood sample using two immunofluorometric LH assays with different combinations of monoclonal antibodies: one detecting both the variant and wild-type LH, and the other detecting only wild-type hormone. Of the boys with pubertal onset at a normal age, 36 (74%) were homozygous for the wild-type LH beta allele, 12 (24%) were heterozygous, and 1 (2%) was homozygous for the variant LH beta allele. Clear differences in pubertal parameters were found between the boys with normal and mutated (homo- or heterozygous) LH genotypes. During the follow-up, the boys with the mutated genotype had smaller testicular volumes (P < 0.03), were shorter (P < 0.02), had slower growth rates (P < 0.04), and had lower serum insulin-like growth factor I-binding protein-3 levels (P < 0.03) than the boys with the normal LH genotype. In the boys with delayed onset of puberty, the frequency of the variant LH beta allele did not differ from that in the reference population, indicating that the variant LH is not associated with conditions due to disturbed control of the reactivation of GnRH secretion. We conclude that during the progression of puberty, the variant LH may be less active in stimulating testicular growth than wild-type LH. Thus, the gene may affect tempo, contributing to the wide normal variation in pubertal progression in healthy boys. Our results also suggest that the variant LH not only affects the course of puberty, but is already involved in the regulation of the GH-insulin-like growth factor I axis during childhood.     

Neutrophil and asbestos fiber-induced cytotoxicity in cultured human mesothelial and bronchial epithelial cells

This study investigates reactive oxygen species generation and oxidant-related cytotoxicity induced by amosite asbestos fibers and polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) in human mesothelial cells and human bronchial epithelial cells in vitro. Transformed human pleural mesothelial cells (MET 5A) and bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS 2B) were treated with amosite (2 micrograms/cm2) for 48 h. After 24 h of incubation, the cells were exposed for 1 h to nonactivated or amosite (50 micrograms) activated PMNs, washed, and incubated for another 23 h. Reactive oxygen species generation by the PMNs and the target cells was measured by chemiluminescence. Cell injury was assessed by cellular adenine nucleotide depletion, extracellular release of nucleotides, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Amosite-activated (but also to a lesser degree nonactivated) PMNs released substantial amounts of reactive oxygen metabolites, whereas the chemiluminescence of amosite-exposed mesothelial cells and epithelial cells did not differ from the background. Amosite treatment (48 h) of the target cells did not change intracellular adenine nucleotides (ATP, ADP, AMP) or nucleotide catabolite products (xanthine, hypoxanthine, and uric acid). When the target cells were exposed to nonactivated PMNs, significant adenine nucleotide depletion and nucleotide catabolite accumulation was observed in mesothelial cells only. In separate experiments, when the target cells were exposed to amosite-activated PMNs, the target cell injury was further potentiated compared with the amosite treatment alone or exposure to nonactivated PMNs. In conclusion, this study suggests the importance of inflammatory cell-derived free radicals in the development of amosite-induced mesothelial cell injury.     

Assessment of the bovine tuberculosis elimination protocol in the United States

In this study, we analyzed the performance of the USDA's bovine tuberculosis (bTB) elimination protocol in a 1,000-cow closed dairy herd using an agent-based simulation model under different levels of initial bTB infection. We followed the bTB test sensitivity and specificity values used by the USDA in its model assessment. We estimated the net present value over a 20-yr horizon for a bTB-free milking herd and for bTB-infected herds following the USDA protocol. We estimated the expected time to identify the infection in the herd once it is introduced, its elimination time, the reproductive number (R₀), and effective reproduction number (R_e) under the USDA protocol. The optimal number of consecutive negative whole-herd tests (WHT) needed to declare a herd bTB-free with a 95% confidence under different bTB prevalence levels was derived. Our results support the minimum number of consecutive negative WHT required by the USDA protocol to declare a herd bTB-free; however, the number of consecutive negative WHT needed to eliminate bTB in a herd depends on the sensitivity and specificity of the tests. The robustness of the protocol was analyzed under conservative bTB test parameters from the literature. The cost of implementing the USDA protocol when 1 infected heifer is introduced in a 1,000-cow dairy herd is about $1,523,161. The average time until detection and the time required to eliminate bTB-infected animals from the herd, after 1 occult animal is introduced in the herd, were 735 and 119 d, respectively.     

Advanced analysis methods for 3G cellular networks

The operation and maintenance of the third generation (3G) mobile networks will be challenging. These networks will be strongly service driven, and this approach differs significantly from the traditional speech dominated in the second generation (2G) approach. Compared to 2G, in 3G, the mobile cells interact and interfere with each other more, they have hundreds of adjustable parameters, and they monitor and record data related to several hundreds of different variables in each cell. This paper shows that a neural network algorithm called the self-organizing map, together with a conventional clustering method like the k-means, can effectively be used to simplify and focus network analysis. It is shown that these algorithms help in visualizing and grouping similarly behaving cells. Thus, it is easier for a human expert to discern different states of the network. This makes it possible to perform faster and more efficient troubleshooting and optimization of the parameters of the cells. The presented methods are applicable for different radio access network technologies.     

Nonenzymatic Browning Kinetics in Low-moisture Food Systems as Affected by Matrix Composition and Crystallization

ABSTRACT: Nonenzymatic browning (NEB) in lactose, trehalose, and lactose/trehalose food model systems containing L-lysine and D-xylose (5% w/w) as reactants was studied at 4 different relative vapor pressure (RVP) (33.2%, 44.1%, 54.5%, 65.6%) environments at room temperature. Sorption isotherms of model systems were determined gravimetrically, and data were modeled using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Guggenheim-Anderson-deBoer (GAB) models. Glass transition, T_g , was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). NEB was followed spectrophotometrically. Although the 3 model systems showed similar glass transition behavior, different crystallization properties were observed from loss of sorbed water. Mixtures of trehalose and lactose showed delayed crystallization of component sugars. The NEB rate was affected by sugar composition. At a low RVP (33.1%) environment, the NEB rate in trehalose system was higher than in the lactose/trehalose system, and the NEB rate in lactose system was the lowest. The NEB rate in different models seemed to be affected by component crystallization. The highest extent of browning in the trehalose matrix system seemed to be related to the formation of trehalose crystals in the system after crystallization at high RVP. The results indicated that the composition of the carbohydrate-based low-moisture real food systems should be considered in controlling NEB reaction.     

Multi-temporal JERS SAR data in boreal forest biomass mapping

Multi-temporal JERS SAR data were studied for forest biomass mapping. The study site was located in South-eastern Finland in Ruokolahti. Pre-processing of JERS SAR data included ortho-rectification and radiometric normalization of topographic effects.In single-date regression analysis between backscatter amplitude and stem volume, summer scenes from July to October produced correlation coefficients (r) between 0.63 and 0.81. Backscatter level and the slope of the (linear) regression line were stable from scene to scene. Winter scenes acquired in very cold and dry winter conditions had a very low correlation. One winter scene acquired in conditions where snow is not completely frozen produced a correlation coefficient similar to summer scenes.Multivariate regression analysis with a 6-date JERS SAR dataset produced correlation coefficient of 0.85. A combined JERS-optical regression analysis improved the correlation coefficient to 0.89 and also alleviated the saturation, which affects both SAR and optical data.The stability of the regression results in summer scenes suggests that a simple constant model could be used in wide-area forest biomass mapping if accuracy requirements are low and if biomass estimates are aggregated to large areal units.     

Transport architecture evolution in UMTS/IMT‐2000 cellular networks

Mobile evolution from the second generation (2G) to the third generation (3G) raises several important questions for operators and manufacturers. How to ensure that the old and current investments can still be utilized in the future? What is the optimum architecture? ATM or IP? Voice or data? There is no single correct answer to these questions, as it all depends on individual cases. In this paper, we discuss the transport architecture evolution for the universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS)/international mobile telecommunications—year 2000 (IMT‐2000), or 3G cellular networks and interworking aspects between 2G and 3G cellular networks. The interfaces between access nodes in a cellular network and the changes incorporated to support packet data services are described. Emerging services such as mobile data, virtual private networks (VPN) and location aware networking are described. Role of ATM and IP in this new transport architecture is presented. Control and data plane interworking issues between different transport technologies are described. The new ATM standard, ATM adaptation layer type 2 (AAL2) and its applicability for transporting compressed speech in an ATM based cellular network is described. A similar approach in IP, multiplexing in real‐time transport protocol (RTP) payload to transport compressed speech on selective interfaces of 3G network, is introduced. Transport network architecture evolution within four different scenarios is evaluated. Special interest is focused on the protocol stacks and flexible layered solutions that allow smooth migration from one transport technology to another. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.