Neutron activation analysis for determination of metal ions in biological fluids of patients after CoCrMo arthroplasty

Determination of metals and trace elements in patients with total knee or hip arthroplasty with CoCrMo alloy was performed. Blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were analyzed and compared with samples from healthy people. Levels of Co, Cr as well as Na, Ca, Fe, Zn, Se, Rb, Sb and Br were determined by means of neutron activation analysis. The values of Cr and Co of the blood and urine measurements were elevated in patients with replacement, and according to the statistical analysis, significant differences of the elements Zn, Br, Co and Sb were found in the CSF (p?<?0.05).

     

Automotive disc brake squeal

Disc brake squeal remains an elusive problem in the automotive industry. Since the early 20th century, many investigators have examined the problem with experimental, analytical, and computational techniques, but there is as yet no method to completely suppress disc brake squeal. This paper provides a comprehensive review and bibliography of works on disc brake squeal. In an effort to make this review accessible to a large audience, background sections on vibrations, contact and disc brake systems are also included.     

Cross sections for multi-particle final states at a linear collider

In this paper total cross sections for signals and backgrounds of top- and Higgs-production channels in e ⁺ e^- collisions at a future linear collider are presented. All channels considered are characterized by the emergence of six-particle final states. The calculation takes into account the full set of tree-level amplitudes in each process. Two multi-purpose parton level generators, HELAC/PHEGAS and AMEGIC + + , are used, and their results are found to be in perfect agreement.Received: 26 November 2003, Revised: 15 January 2004, Published online: 3 March 2004     

TheA 1-and the ϕ-meson in QCD

Recently we used a method of stable analytic extrapolation to test whether strictly local duality between the asymptotic and the resonance region, which is believed to be valid in QCD, appears already at the present stage of QCD calculations. Probing the QCD ?-amplitude, we found a prominent bump structure in the resonance region, i.e. a rather direct evidence for the validity of local duality. In the present paper we confirm and extend this result by giving two further applications, theA ₁-meson and the ?-meson. While we do not meet theA ₁, as was to be expected since other sum rules can not separate it from the continuum, too, the extrapolation of the ?-amplitude leads to an enormous bump. Comparing this ?-bump with our ?-bump, we recover at least qualitatively the real proportions.     

Multi-parton cross sections at hadron colliders

We present an alternative method to calculate cross sections for multi-parton scattering processes in the standard model at leading order. The helicity amplitudes are computed using recursion relations in the number of particles, based on the Dyson–Schwinger equations, whereas the summation over colour and helicity configurations is performed by Monte Carlo methods. The computational cost of our algorithm grows asymptotically as 3ⁿ, where n is the number of particles involved in the process, as opposed to the n!-growth of the Feynman diagram approach. Typical results for the total cross section, the differential distributions of the invariant masses and the transverse momenta of the partons are presented and cross checked by explicit summation over colours.     

Unramified forcing preserving the law of double negation

Shoenfield's unramified version of Cohen's forcing is defined in two stages: one which does not preserve double negation and the other which modifies the former so as to preserve double negation. Here we express the unramified forcing, which preserves double negation, in a single stage. Surprisingly enough, the corresponding definition of forcing for equality acquires a rather simple form. In [2] forcing ∥- is expressed in terms of strong forcing \( \Vdash * \) viap∥-Q iffp \( \Vdash * \) ¬ ¬Q for every formulaQ ofZF set theory and every elementp of a partially ordered set (P, ≦). In its turn,p \( \Vdash * \) Q is defined by the following five clauses: (1) $$p \Vdash * a \in biff(\exists c)(\exists q \geqq p)((c,q) \in b \wedge p \Vdash * a = c)$$ (2) $$\begin{gathered} p \Vdash * a \ne biff(\exists c)(\exists q \geqq p)(((c,q) \in a \wedge p \Vdash * c \notin b) \hfill \\ ((c,q) \in b \wedge p \Vdash * c \notin a)) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ (3) $$p \Vdash * \neg Qiff(\forall q)(q \leqq p \to \neg (q \Vdash * Q))$$ (4) $$p \Vdash * (Q \vee S)iff(p \Vdash * Q) \vee (p \Vdash * S)$$ (5) $$p \Vdash * (\exists x)Q(x)iff(\exists b)(p \Vdash * Q(b))$$ .     

The dipole moment, polarizabilities, and first hyperpolarizabilities of HArF. A computational and comparative study

The electronic and vibrational contributions to the dipole moment, polarizabilities, and first hyperpolarizabilities of HArF are reported. These have been computed by using a series of systematically built basis sets and a hierarchy of computational methods. HArF has a very large first hyperpolarizability along the z axis. This has been rationalized by invoking the difference in the electronic structure between the ground and the first excited state. The argon fluorohydride has been recently derived and characterized. The present study provides complementary data for the understanding of the electronic structure of this interesting argon derivative.     

Kinetics of adsorption of the cobalt ions on the "electrolytic solution/gamma-alumina" interface

In the present work we studied, for the first time, the kinetics of adsorption of the Co(H(2)O)(6)(2+) species on the "electrolytic solution/gamma-Al(2)O(3)" interface at pH = 7 and 25 degrees C for a very broad range of Co(II) surface concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 6 theoretical Co(H(2)O)(6)(2+) surface layers. Moreover, we studied the surface dissolution of gamma-alumina in the presence of the Co(H(2)O)(6)(2+) ions in the impregnating solution, the contribution of the Co(II) desorption on the whole deposition process and the deposition isotherm. It was found that under the conditions where the deposition has taken place, the dissolution of the gamma-alumina surface is negligible even in the presence of the Co(H(2)O)(6)(2+) species in the impregnating solution. It was, moreover, inferred that the Co(II) desorption does not participate significantly to the whole deposition process. It was found that the deposition kinetics may be described by the following kinetic expression r(Co,bulk) = k'C(Co,bulk)(2), which relates the rate of disappearance of the Co(H(2)O)(6)(2+) ions from the impregnating solution, r(Co,bulk,) with their concentration C(Co,bulk). This kinetic expression may be derived assuming the following deposition scheme: nS + 2[Co(H(2)O)(6)(2+)] --> S(n) - [Co(H(2)O)(x,x)(<)(6)(2+)](2), where S represents the surface reception sites. The above expressions indicated that two Co(H(2)O)(6)(2+) ions are involved, from the side of the interface, in the reaction with the reception sites. It seems probable that the deposition step involves the simultaneous adsorption and dimerization of the two interfacial Co(H(2)O)(6)(2+) ions through (hydr)oxobridges. On the other hand, the sigmoidal form of the deposition isotherm and the dependence of the apparent rate constant, k', on the interfacial Co(II) concentration suggested that the already deposited Co(II) species may be involved in the reception sites, S, promoting the adsorption and resulting to the formation of multinuclear complexes and Co(II) surface precipitates. Finally, reasonable interface potential values for oxides were determined for the first time using kinetic results.