The rate of left ventricular volume change (dV/dt) is by definition left ventricular ejection rate during systole and filling rate during diastole, and in the absence of valvular regurgitation or intracardiac shunts, is equal to systolic aortic valve flow and diastolic mitral valve flow respectively. A computerized technique for the calculation of instantaneous left ventricular dV/dt from cineangiographically measured left ventricular volume is presented. Curve smoothing was accomplished by passing a second degree polynomial through nine consecutive volume points using the least squares technique. Validity of this technique was demonstrated by the high degree of correlation of systolic dV/dt with instantaneous ascending aortic blood velocity (flow) measured simultaneously with an electromagnetic catheter-tip velocity transducer in ten patients.Peak left ventricular systolic ejection rate (S dV/dt) was calculated from single plane cineangiographically measured left ventricular volumes in 113 adult patients and related to other measures of cardiovascular function. Mean S dV/dt for the group of 29 normal patients was 427 129 cc per second and was not significantly different in patients with coronary artery disease (21), aortic stenosis (13), mitral stenosis (11), or cardiomyopathy (9), but was increased significantly in patients with valvular regurgitation (19). S dV/dt correlates poorly with the ejection fraction and with left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and is not a reliable measure of left ventricular function. The primary determinant of S dV/dt appears to be total left ventricular stroke volume. When S dV/dt is divided by end-diastolic volume (EDV), the resultant S dV/dt/EDV correlates well with peak normalized circumferential fiber shortening rate (r =0.89, P < 0.01) and with ejection fraction (r = 0.69, P <0.01). The correlation coefficient of S dV/dt/EDV with LVEDP was r = 0.36 (P <0.01) and with arterio-venous oxygen difference, r 0.38 (P <0.01). Thus, S dV/dt/ EDV appears to be a measure of ventricular function. S dV/dt occurs in midsystole in normal subjects and in patients with mitral regurgitation and is not delayed in patients with aortic stenosis. The three patients with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis appeared to have characteristic changes in the left ventricular ejection rate curve with an increase in S dV/dt (and especially S dV/dt/EDV), with S dV/dt occurring earlier in systole than normal.

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This paper investigates residential sanitation collection (RSC) pricing under two different service delivery arrangements: (1) the municipal RSC arrangement where municipal employees collect residential refuse, and (2) the contract RSC arrangement where private sector firms, under contract with a municipality, collect residential refuse. The results of the study indicate that municipal RSC prices are significantly higher than contract RSC prices. Furthermore, municipal RSC prices exhibit greater variability than contract RSC prices. These findings suggest that contract pricing is consistent with pricing in a competitive market.

Privatization continues to receive serious consideration at the federal, state, and local government levels. The most frequent reason cited for privatizing services is to reduce the size and cost of government. While many government entities have privatized services, it is often up to academic researchers to determine if the goals of privatization have been realized and to shed light on the organizational and service characteristics that make it more likely that the results of privatizing a particular service will be positive. This paper seeks to provide a background to those researchers interested in examining the privatization of government services. The paper reviews and synthesizes prior privatization research and discusses future research directions.

In 1992, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issues Employers Accounting for Postretirement Benefits Other Than Pensions (SFAS 106). SFAS 106 requires public companies to account for postretirement benefits other than pensions (e.g., health care) on an accrual basis. While SFAS 106 is good accounting, it provides corporations with an excellent excuse to amend or terminate health care coverage for retirees. This paper discusses the economic and social consequences of SFAS 106 as well as the politics of the accounting standard setting process.