An intelligent visualisation and decision support system for decentralised wastewater treatment plants.

Current sanitation concepts of decentralised wastewater treatment and reuse raise the issue of monitoring and maintenance of such systems. To guarantee high quality of the recycled water, systems with high requirements concerning process technology are essential. With increasing numbers of decentralised treatment systems spread over far distances it will become more and more impossible and uneconomic to have expert personnel on site. Therefore, new visualisation and intelligent information systems are necessary. The paper describes the structure and 3D-demonstrations as a base for information visualisation. Up-to-date visualisation techniques, facilitating the cognition of context-adapted information, make it possible to maximise the amount of information presented to the user without overwhelming her or him. Concerning diagnosis and decision support systems in the domain of wastewater treatment, several interesting approaches are presented, estimating their applicability for decentralised wastewater treatment systems. The intelligent decision support system presented here consists of a combined ontology- and case-based reasoning system in addition to a process monitoring system. It is responsible for plausibility checks, error diagnosis, solution proposals, and optimisation suggestions.     

Combined-Stage Sintering Model

By focusing on the similarities between the three stages of sintering, a single equation is derived that quantifies sintering as a continuous process from beginning to end. The microstructure is characterized by two separate parameters representing geometry and scale. The dimensionless geometry parameter, denoted T, comprises five scaling factors that relate specific microstructural featuers (e.g., surface curvature) to the scale (grain diameter). Calculations of T from experimental data show (a) agreement with computer simulations of initial-stage sintering, (b) the effect of surface diffusion on T, and (c) changes in T with microstructural evolution during sintering. Application of the model to the design of firing schedules and the study of microstructural geometry effects on sintering is discussed.     

Varying Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating on the Levitated Dipole Experiment

Plasmas in the Levitated Dipole Experiment (LDX) are formed and sustained currently via two electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) sources: 2.5 kW at 2.45 GHz and 2.5 kW at 6.4 GHz. An important topic being investigated is how varying the ECRH affects the confinement and stability of the plasma. We report the results of using different operational combinations of our RF sources, such as varying the power composition, changing the power levels, and sequencing of the onset time.     

Hot-carrier degradation of submicrometer p-MOSFETs withthermal/LPCVD composite oxide

It is shown that while gate oxides containing thermal/LPCVD composite oxide have lower defect densities than gates using only thermal oxides, they are more susceptible to hot-carrier degradation. The hot-carrier-induced degradation of composite oxides is worse in p-channel MOSFETs than in n-channel MOSFETs. This sensitivity of p-channel MOSFETs is caused by higher electron trapping levels in LPCVD oxides. For 150-Å gate technology, the hot-carrier-degradation resistance of thermal/LPCVD composite gate oxides with a 70-Å or thicker thermal oxide layer approaches that of high-quality pure thermal oxide     

Can radioactive iodine be used in the treatment of diffuse non-toxic goiter?

Traditional treatment modalities of diffuse nontoxic goitre are thyroid hormone suppression or surgery. When treating nodular nontoxic goitre with 131I treatment, a reduction in thyroid volume to about 50% is seen. In the present study we evaluated the effect of 131I treatment in 21 patients treated for a diffuse nontoxic goitre and followed by evaluation of thyroid volume measured by ultrasound. Thyroid volume declined in all patients from median of 66 ml (range 27-160 ml) to 21 ml (9-108 ml) over a year, a reduction of 62%. Three patients developed hypothyroidism in the follow-up period (14%), one of these had a temporary hyperthyroid fase. In conclusion, 131I treatment of diffuse nontoxic goitre reduces thyroid volume by approximately 60% within 12 months. Hypothyroidism developed in 14% during a limited follow-up period.     

Interdisciplinary collaboration and discharge planning communication for elders

The effects of personal characteristics and perceptions of interdisciplinary collaboration on discharge planning communication were examined for nurses, physicians, and social workers in two hospitals. The model for the study explained 61.7% of the variance in discharge planning communication for nurses. For all 142 health professionals, communication openness with social workers, problem solving between nurses and physicians, and collaboration with social workers were important to discharge planning communication. For nurses, communication satisfaction with patients and families also was important.     

The influence of stereoisomerism on the pharmacokinetics of Tc radiopharmaceuticals

The influence of stereoisomerism on the pharmacokinetics of Tc mono-oxo complexes is reviewed. Tc(V) monooxo complexes formed with N/S ligands have four donor groups from the ligands in an equatorial plane; the oxo ligand coordinates in an axial position. Stereoisomerism in Tc (V) mono-oxo complexes can be centered within the ligand (carbon atom in the chelate ring or ligating nitrogen of amine donors) or at the Tc. The metal center becomes chiral when an equatorial ligand has a head and a tail (i.e., the two ends of the ligand differ). All types of stereocenters can produce significantly different pharmacokinetic profiles for individual isomers. Thus, biological evaluation of separated stereoisomers is necessary to identify the optimal sterochemical configuration, particularly for radiopharmaceuticals targeted to receptor molecules with low specificity. Because of interspecies variation, there is ultimately no substitute for human testing. Although it is possible that the increase in non-specific binding of agents incorporating L-vs D-amino acids may more than offset any increased receptor binding, much more information is needed. Stereochemical factors can also lead to unpredictable differences in coordination geometry and thermodynamic preference of a single isomer; thus chemical characterization of stereoisomers continues to be an important component of radiopharmaceutical development.     

Thrombolytic therapy in Missouri hospital emergency departments: compliance with the National Heart Attack Alert Program guidelines

Adhesive interactions between leukocytes and endothelium are required for subsequent leukocyte extravasation toward inflammatory sites. Understanding the possible kinetic expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the middle ear cavity during an inflammatory cascade in vivo may be important for clarifying local immunological responses in otitis media. Two inflammatory models were produced in the rat and involved acute middle ear mucosal and cutaneous inflammation induced after inoculation or intradermal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After intravenous injection of both 125I-labeled anti-VCAM-1 and 131I-labeled control monoclonal antibody (mAb), the kinetic expression of VCAM-1 in the middle ear and skin was assessed by local radionuclide uptake. The biodistribution of an 125I-labeled anti-VCAM-1 mAb as a potential detector of focal inflammation was examined in normal rats. Both inflammatory lesions were characterized by early and sustained (up to 24 h) expression of VCAM-1, with maximal expression at 4 h after LPS stimulation. The kinetics of VCAM-1 expression was similar among the middle ear mucosa or skin specimens studied and different stimulation methods. A similar biodistribution and clearance of radioactivity between 125I-labeled anti-VCAM-1 mAb and 131I- or 99mTc-labeled control mAb were observed. The present result suggest that functional VCAM-1 induced by LPS is expressed in both middle ear tissue and skin lesions and may play a role in the initial stage of inflammatory response produced. Although VCAM-1 upregulation is a very early event in the inflammatory cascade, 125I-labeled anti-VCAM-1 mAb may be useful for the early detection of focal inflammation in the middle ear.