Selecting a waste management option using a life-cycle analysis approach

Solid-waste management, and in particular the disposal of used packaging, is currently the subject of much topical debate. This is driven by both consumer and legislative pressures. Consumers see used packaging as a highly visible element of municipal solid waste, complaining of excessive packaging and low levels of recycling. Legislators, perhaps in pandering to the views expressed by consumer bodies, have been active within the CEC and individual Member States by introducing (or proposing) legislation or similar regulatory tools and targets to facilitate a greater diversion of used packaging from disposal by landfill to alternative solid-waste management practices, in particular recycling, which are widely accepted to have a lower impact on the environment. In this paper the relative environmental profiles of pursuing alternative solid-waste management practices to disposal by landfill are explored, focusing not just on solid waste per se but also on associated considerations of energy consumption and emissions, which are invariably overlooked as factors contributing to the environmental impact of solid-waste management practices.     

Synteny mapping of four genes from the short arm of human chromosome 19 to bovine chromosome 7

Four genes on the short arm of human chromosome 19 (HSA 19p) were assigned to bovine chromosome 7 (BTA 7) using a bovine x rodent somatic hybrid cell panel. These four genes were cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), lymphoblastic leukemia derived sequence 1 (LYL1), lysosomal alpha-mannosidase (MANB), and RAS oncogene family member RAB3A. Bovine sequence tagged sites were developed for the four genes and used for screening a bovine x rodent somatic cell panel. All four genes were mapped to bovine synteny group U22 (BTA 7) with a correlation coefficient of 0.901-1.000. This study confirms that the centromeric region of BTA 7 is conserved with HSA 19p.     

Gender and representation in psychotherapy.

Investigated the ways in which patient and therapist gender influence the nature of patients' internalized representations of their therapist and the therapeutic relationship. A sample of 66 patients (29 males) completed the Therapist Representation Inventory (J. D. Geller et al, 1982), a self-report instrument designed to assess discrete properties of evoked representations. Results indicated widespread similarities between male and female patients in terms of the forms with which representations are evoked and the themes embodied in these representations. The differences that emerged suggest that women are more likely to keep their therapists in mind (and for longer periods of time) when working on their problems outside of therapy and that women with male therapists are especially likely to daydream about therapy and acknowledge missing their therapist in between sessions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theoretical and practical aspects of testing potential biomaterialsin vitro

In vitro methods provide a necessary and useful adjunct toin vivo studies in testing potential biomaterials. One of the most important functions is the screening for toxic effects of the biomaterials. The spectrum of changes elicited ranges from cell death to alterations of cell adhesion, proliferation and biosynthetic activity. Such test systems may involve the direct contact of cells with the biomaterials or the use of soluble extracts of the latter. The rapid, cost-effective and highly sensitivein vitro methods have to be weighed against the problem of validity of extrapolation to thein vivo situation. The first step in testing potential biomaterials may be termed general biocompatibility testing and usually involves the use of various cell lines (i.e. transformed cells) which can be easily cultivated and passaged in the laboratory for long periods. Although the latter is convenient and highly sensitive for recognizing and excluding toxic materials at an early stage in the process of toxicity testing, this method cannot be regarded as exhaustive. It is proposed that such screening methods be followed by a secondin vitro phase, in which primary and early passage cells of a type relevant to the proposed application of the medical device are used. This specific biocompatibility testing is an attempt to simulate thein vivo situation as closely as possible. A further component of such a testing scheme involves the use of relevant biological parameters, such as cell adhesion or the production of specific biosynthetic products by the relevant cell type. It is thus possible to construct a spectrum ofin vitro changes, ranging from marked inhibition of growth with frank cell death (not biocompatible) to marked stimulation of relevant growth and other cell biological parameters (biocompatible and bioactive). An expansion ofin vitro testing methods can offer a method to tailor biomaterials for specificin vivo applications. In conclusion, it must be stressed that allin vitro experimentation, whether general of specific, cannot replace the subsequentin vivo testing. Both components are necessary in an adequate scheme for testing potential biomaterials.     

Randomized function evaluation on a ring

LetR be a unidirectional asynchronous ring ofn identical processors each with a single input bit. Letf be any cyclic nonconstant function ofn boolean variables. Moran and Warmuth (1986) prove that anydeterministic algorithm that evaluatesf onR has communication complexity (n logn) bits. They also construct a family of cyclic nonconstant boolean functions that can be evaluated inO(n logn) bits by a deterministic algorithm.This contrasts with the following new results:

Applications of magnetostatic wave technology to EW systems — An assessment

Current magnetostatic wave technology applicable to EW systems is assessed. Some of the developments currently underway with dispersive and non-dispersive delay lines, tunable oscillators and bandpass filters are examined and projected performance three years from now is given. Various EW applications are then described based on these projections. This includes compressive receivers, fast call receivers, phased arrays, scanning receivers, and channelizers. In many instances MSW technology can replace SAW provided further improvements materialize.