BART SFO Extension Aerial Guideways: Using Nonlinear Analysis to Control and Minimize Seismic Damage

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is extending service from the existing southern terminus of BART, at Colma Station, to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), a distance of 14 km (8.7 mi). Included in this project are approximately 1.93 km (1.2 mi) of aerial guideways. Design criteria required preliminary sizing of guideway columns by using the response spectrum analysis method. Final design required using nonlinear time-history analysis to verify that strains in column reinforcement and concrete did not exceed 60% of allowable ultimate strain. Analysis of the BART guideways by both the response spectrum and time-history methods provides an opportunity to compare the two methods of analysis. Analysis results show that comparable results can be obtained from the two methods under some combinations of structure stiffness and strength. However, wide divergence between the two methods also can occur for other combinations of structure strength and stiffness. Nonlinear modeling also determined that the continuously welded rails with direct fixation fasteners used for the track system on the guideways distribute longitudinal seismic forces and can serve as an effective restraining device across bridge expansion joints.     

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators

The electrical design challenges for implantable defibrillators are discussed based on the following criteria: device evolution, system architecture, therapy delivery, mid heart activity sensing circuits. The discussion includes the incidence of sudden cardiac death and the clinical requirements of device hardware. System architecture includes the three dependent entities that define the system mid the functional components of the implanted device     

In Vitro Investigations Into Enhancement of tPA Bioavailability in Whole Blood Clots Using Pulsed–High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Exposures

Investigations were carried out on the manner by which pulsed–high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) enhances the effectiveness of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in whole blood clots, in vitro. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) of the surface of the clots showed that the exposures increased exposed fibrin, as well as the number of openings to more interior regions. These findings were supported by fluorescent antibody labeling of tPA in frozen sections of clots treated post-HIFU. Here, improved accumulation at the surface and penetration of the tPA into the clots were observed in those treated with HIFU. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching was also performed, indicating that the diffusion coefficient increased 6.3-fold for fluorescently labeled dextrans, comparable in size to tPA, in the HIFU-treated clots. Improved understanding of the manner by which pulsed--HIFU exposures can improve the effectiveness of thrombolytics will help optimize the exposures for this application and potentially facilitate translation to the clinic.      

Yield,characteristics and composition of oil- Type hybrid sunflower seed grown in north dakota

Oil-type sunflower seed hybrids grown in North Dakota were evaluated for yield, seed characteristics and composition. The study consisted of 74 hybrids grown at Casselton, ND, during 1981. Mean analytical values were: yield (x = 2047 kg/hectare), seed weight (x = 9.9 g/200 seed), test weight (x = 40.3 kg/hectare), hull (x = 26.7%), embryo (x =73.7%), oil (x = 45.3%), protein (x = 20.8%), ash (x = 3.5%), lysine (x = 4.5 g/100 g protein) and chlorogenic acid (x = 2.0%). Increasing the lysine content of hybrid sunflower protein appears to have possibilities for further study. The mean chlorogenic acid content was slightly lower than levels previously reported.     

Starch digestibility of foods: a nutritional perspective

Dietary starch varies greatly in digestibility and its effects on the utilization of other nutrients. The variation appears to be due to differences in starch components and their crystallinity. Processing treatments, storage conditions, chemical modification, and genetic breeding influence the digestibility of starch. Cereal starches are generally more digestible than root/tuber and legume starches. Although cooking often significantly improves the digestibility of poor and intermediately digestible starches, some foods such as bananas with starches of these types are consumed uncooked. The efficient digestion of starch is especially important to specific groups of people such as infants under 6 months of age. Ruminants must also be provided with highly digestible starch to assure maximum production efficiency. Poor digestibility of starch may have negative effects on the utilization of protein and minerals but is likely to have positive effects on the availability of certain vitamins. Decreases in the rate of starch digestion may have therapeutic application. Most clinical studies have reported that starch blockers do not elicit a significant decrease in the digestion of starch in humans. Much remains to be learned, clarified, and understood about starch digestion and its effects on diabetes and weight control.     

Generalizability of MBA degree and socioeconomic effects on business school graduates' salaries.

Tested the generalizability of findings reported by J. Pfeffer (see record 1978-26287-001) by examining the determinants of starting and current salaries for 314 graduates (mean age 29 yrs) from the business schools of 3 large state universities. Results support Pfeffer's conclusion that a master's in business administration (MBA) is particularly useful for persons not coming from the highest socioeconomic backgrounds. A variety of factors identified by Pfeffer were controlled for, and the possession of the MBA degree was positively related to starting salary irrespective of socioeconomic origin but was positively related to current salary only for those not coming from upper-middle and upper-class backgrounds. Current salary sex differences only were observed for Ss from upper-class socioeconomic backgrounds. This was attributable to a salary advantage possessed by upper middle- and upper-class males. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Situation specificity of behavior and assessment center validation strategies: A rejoinder to Neidig and Neidig.

Responds to R. D. Neidig and P. J. Neidig's (see record 1984-13649-001) criticism of the present authors' (see record 1982-31460-001) conclusion that the failure to find consistency of assessment center dimension ratings across exercises constitutes a threat to the use of content validity to show job relatedness. The present authors contend that situational differences support the argument that the assessor judgment process is too complex to be justified on content-validity grounds alone. A reconceptualization of assessment centers is offered that relies on identifying critical managerial roles, designing exercises to simulate these roles, and evaluating effectiveness in each exercise. The conditions under which content validity is appropriate for showing the job relatedness of this type of center are specified. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Curative treatment of clinical stage II endometrial carcinoma

In a retrospective study of 54 patients we compared three treatment policies of clinical stage II endometrial carcinoma: One group of patients (n = 29) was surgically staged with histological examination made at surgery and treated by abdominal total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. In case of cervical infiltration by tumour, a pelvic node sampling was added. The second group was treated by radical hysterectomy (n = 9) and the third group of patients (n = 16) was treated by abdominal total hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy only. The median follow-up time was 68 months. The overall five year-survival was 64%. The overall five year-survival rates according to surgical procedure were not significantly different. The survival curves were significantly different from each other as were those according to surgical stage and age. In a multivariant analysis stage, grading and age proved to have an independent relation with the survival rate whereas type of surgical procedure, depth of myometrial infiltration and type of radiotherapy had no influence on survival. Intraoperative histological staging allows adaption of treatment to the true stage, thus minimising treatment-related morbidity.     

ATM‐based multimedia communication via NGSO‐satellites

Future broadband satellite networks for multimedia will be seamlessly integrated into terrestrial broadband networks which often use asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and recently also the less complex multi protocol label switching (MPLS) technique as transmission and switching protocol. In light of this, future broadband satellite networks may adopt the ATM transmission scheme and implement ATM or ATM‐like switches on board the satellites. However, as compared to communication in fixed networks, satellite communication is characterized by special constraints (e.g. signal delay, channel quality, dynamic network topology) that require novel ATM‐based communication technology for satellite systems. This paper presents results from the ATM‐Sat project that aims to complete this technically challenging and important R&D task in the cooperation between DLR, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft and Tesat‐Spacecom. In brief the following aspects have been addressed in the ATM‐Sat project:

• development of the concept and communication technology for a multimedia satellite system with,
  • non‐geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellites;
  • inter satellite links (ISLs);
  • on‐board ATM switching;
  • fixed and mobile terminals;
• verification of the developed communication technology with a demonstrator.

In particular the ATM‐Sat R&D tasks cover the system and protocol architecture, on‐board processing, ISL routing, up/downlink and on board ATM resource management (including medium access control), error control, IP over satellite‐ATM, and active intelligent antennas. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PRESS-based proton single-voxel spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging with very short echo times using asymmetric RF pulses

Modified point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) sequences for single voxel spetroscopy (MRS) and spectroscopic imaging (SI) with very short echo time (T _E ) are described using asymmetric radio-frequency (RF) pulses as well as an optimized design and timing of the PRESS sequence. The proposed sequences were implemented on a standard 4.7 T imaging system yielding a T _E of 6.0 ms only. Simulations and experimental data measured on phantoms and the rat brain in vivo are presented for MRS and SI showing a high signal-to-noise ratio and hardly any phase distortions caused by J-coupling.