Calculation of sulfide capacities of multicomponent slags

The Reddy-Blander model for the sulfide capacities of slags has been modified for the case of acid slags and to include A1₂O₃ and TiO₂ as components. The model has been extended to calculatea priori sulfide capacities of multicomponent slags, from a knowledge of the thermodynamic activities of the component oxides, with no adjustable parameters. Agreement with measurements is obtained within experimental uncertainty for binary, ternary, and quinary slags involving the components SiO₂-Al₂O₃-TiO₂-CaO-MgO-FeO-MnO over wide ranges of composition. The oxide activities used in the computations are calculated from a database of model parameters obtained by optimizing thermodynamic and phase equilibrium data for oxide systems. Sulfur has now been included in this database. A computing system with automatic access to this and other databases has been developed to permit the calculation of the sulfur content of slags in multicomponent slag/metal/gas/solid equilibria. Formerly Graduate Student with the Centre for Research in Computational Thermochemistry, Ecole Polytechnique.     

Critical evaluation and optimization of the thermodynamic properties and phase diagrams of the MnO-TiO2, MgO-TiO2, FeO-TiO2, Ti2O3-TiO2, Na2O-TiO2, and K2O-TiO2 systems

All available thermodynamic and phase diagram data have been critically assessed for all phases in the MnO-TiO₂, MgO-TiO₂, FeO-TiO₂, Ti₂O₃-TiO₂, Na₂O-TiO₂, and K₂O-TiO₂ systems at 1 bar pressure from 298 K to above the liquidus temperatures. All reliable thermodynamic and phase diagram data have been simultaneously optimized to obtain, for each system, one set of model equations for the Gibbs energy of the liquid slag as a function of composition and temperature and equations for the Gibbs energies of all compounds as functions of temperature. The modified quasichemical model was used for the molten slag phases.     

Novel pseudo-class AB fully differential 3V switched current systemcells

A novel pseudo-class AS low conductance fully differential switched current memory structure with high clock feedthrough (CFT) attenuation, is presented. It is designed with a 3V power supply. An integrator using the proposed structure is also presented with simulation results     

Optimal utilization of computerized cranial tomography and radionuclide brain imaging

The results of computerized cranial tomography and radionuclide brain imaging in 490 patients were compared in relationship to the patients' clinical presentation. In 195 patients with focal neurologic abnormalities, both tests detected most lesions, but computerized cranial tomography was slightly more accurate overall. Results of both studies were normal in 69 percent of 295 patients with nonfocal neurologic presentations, and radionuclide imaging failed to detect lesions in only five patients with nonfocal presentations. These results suggest that radionuclide imaging can be used to accurately screen most patients with nonfocal neurologic presentations. An exception is the patient presenting with dementia, in whom computerized cranial tomography provides details of the anatomy of the ventricular cavities and cerebral cortex. This study demonstrates a continuing role of importance for radionuclide imaging in the evaluation of patients with neurologic disease and provides data to allow a rational approach to the optimum use of both techniques.     

High birthweight as a predictor of prostate cancer risk

In a follow-up study of a cohort of 50-year-old men who were born in 1913 and were living in Gothenburg, Sweden, we found an association between birthweight and prostate cancer. Of 366 men with known birthweight, there were 21 patients with prostate cancer. The incidence is about five times higher in the highest quartile of birthweight than in other birthweight groups. The findings indicate that aspects of the pre- and perinatal period may affect the risk of subsequent prostate cancer.     

Gemfibrozil enhances platelet activity in patients with combined hyperlipoproteinemia

We have examined the pharmacokinetic interaction between isradipine and lovastatin in six male and six female, healthy, normotensive, human subjects after a single dose and after treatment for 5 days. The isradipine plasma concentrations were determined by a radioimmunoassay and the lovastatin serum concentrations by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and by the inhibition of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric-coenzyme reductase activity. We found that the apparent serum concentrations of lovastatin were 4- to 6-fold higher in the reductase-inhibition assay than the GC/MS assay, suggesting that the bulk of the reductase inhibition is due to active metabolites. The peak and the time-to-peak concentrations were unaffected by the treatments, either after the first dose or after continued administration. In male subjects, after repeated doses of isradipine, the lovastatin area under the time-concentration curves (AUCs) decreased by 40% as determined by the GC/MS assay (P < .001) and 20% as determined by the reductase-inhibition assay (P < .0022). In the female subjects, isradipine treatment decreased the lovastatin AUCs as determined by the GC/MS assay, but this was not statistically significant due to a high variance. Furthermore, in the female subjects, isradipine had no effect on the lovastatin AUCs as determined by the reductase-inhibition assay. Because the lovastatin peak and the time-to-peak concentrations were unaffected by isradipine treatment, the decreased lovastatin AUCs were probably not due to altered intestinal absorption. More likely, because lovastatin has a high hepatic clearance, the decreased AUCs seen after isradipine treatment could be due to increases in the clearance of lovastatin secondary to increased hepatic blood flow.     

Quality of life in patients with endocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract: patient and staff perceptions

Myo-inositol (mI) as a precursor in the phosphatidylinositol second messenger system has been reported to be reduced in depression. By means of proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) the mI levels in the frontal brain were investigated in vivo in the present study. Twenty-two patients (mean age: 42.8 +/- 10.7 years) with depressive episodes according to ICD 10 (HAMD score > 17) were compared to 22 healthy subjects (28.0 +/- 5.3 years). Two voxels (30 x 20 x 20 mm3) in the frontal lobes were examined in a Siemens Magnetom SP 4000 at 1.5 T (STEAM sequence: TR = 3500 ms, TE = 55 ms). With the total creatine (Cr) as an internal standard, mI/Cr ratios were calculated to follow the mI levels. In the left frontal lobe, mI/Cr was 0.43 +/- 0.06 in depressive patients and 0.46 +/- 0.07 in healthy subjects; concerning the right frontal lobe, mI/Cr was 0.46 +/- 0.08 and 0.48 +/- 0.06, respectively. There were neither significant differences between the two groups nor between the hemispheres. Since there was a significant positive correlation (R = 0.6) between the age and the mI/Cr in the right frontal lobe of depressed patients, age matched pairs analysis was performed (n = 2 x 10, in each group: nine females, one male, < 40 years). In the right frontal lobe, the patients' mI/Cr of 0.40 +/- 0.05 was now significantly lower than the controls' mI/Cr of 0.45 +/- 0.06. However, most of the patients were on antidepressive medication. Interestingly, it was exactly this group of patients which showed significantly lower mI levels. We regard our investigation as a pilot study which suggests an influence of age and antidepressants on mI levels and should be taken into consideration in further investigations in depressive patients.     

Hardware reliability assurance and field experience in a telecom environment

This paper gives an overview of some methods and procedures used to assure product reliability within Ericsson Telecom AB. The main focus in this paper is on hardware (HW) reliability at board and component level. The evolution of customer–vendor relations over the years is addressed. Some new concepts in complex component reliability assurance are described. Experience from field service is summarized. This information is open and may be subject to change at any time.