bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence of bacteremia following upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy in healthy dogs before, during, and after treatment with omeprazole
Authors: Jones Katherine R. , Maddox Carol W. , Ridgway Marcella D. , Clark-Price Stuart C. , Dossin Olivier
Published: January 2013

Objective—To determine the incidence of bacteremia, as detected by routine methods for bacterial culture of blood samples, following routine endoscopic biopsy of the stomach and duodenum in healthy research dogs and to determine whether treatment with omeprazole administration affected the incidence of bacteremia.

Animals—8 healthy purpose-bred research dogs.

Procedures—All dogs underwent gastroduodenoscopy with biopsy at 4 points: twice prior to treatment with omeprazole, once following 15 days of omeprazole treatment (20 mg, PO, q 12 h), and once 14 days after treatment ceased. Dogs had a mean ± SD body weight of 18.6 ± 2.0 kg. Blood samples were aseptically obtained at 3 points during each procedure (before, immediately following, and 24 hours after endoscopy), and routine aerobic and anaerobic bacterial culture of blood was performed.

Results—96 cultures were attempted for each culture method, yielding positive results of aerobic culture for 2 dogs at separate time points and no positive results of anaerobic culture.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Routine gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsy in healthy dogs did not result in a detectable bacteremia in most dogs. Treatment with the gastric acid–suppressing medication omeprazole did not affect the incidence of bacteremia as detected via standard techniques.
Evaluation of metaphylactic RNA interference to prevent equine herpesvirus type 1 infection in experimental herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy in horses
Authors: Perkins Gillian A. , Van de Walle Gerlinde R. , Pusterla Nicola , Erb Hollis N. , Osterrieder Nikolaus
Published: January 2013

Objective—To evaluate metaphylactic RNA interference to prevent equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection in experimental herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy in horses and to determine whether horses infected with a neuropathogenic strain of the virus that develop equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) have differences in viremia.

Animals—13 seronegative horses.

Procedures—EHV-1 strain Ab4 was administered intranasally on day 0, and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs [EHV-1 specific siRNAs {n = 7} or an irrelevant siRNA {6}]) were administered intranasally 24 hours before and 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours after infection. Physical and neurologic examinations, nasal swab specimens, and blood samples were collected for virus isolation and quantitative PCR assay. Data from the study were combined with data from a previous study of 14 horses.

Results—No significant difference was detected in clinical variables, viremia, or detection of EHV-1 in nasal swab specimens of horses treated with the EHV-1 targeted siRNAs (sigB3-siOri2) versus controls. No significant differences in viremia were detected between horses that developed EHM and those that did not.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Administration of siRNAs targeted against EHV-1 around the time of EHV-1 infection was not protective with this experimental design. Horses infected with the neuropathogenic EHV-1 strain Ab4 that developed EHM did not have a more pronounced viremia.
Effects of a topically applied 2% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol ophthalmic solution on intraocular pressure and aqueous humor flow rate in clinically normal dogs
Authors: Fischer Kristin M. , Ward Daniel A. , Hendrix Diane V. H.
Published: January 2013

Objective—To determine the effects of topically applied 2% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ophthalmic solution on aqueous humor flow rate (AHFR) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in clinically normal dogs.

Animals—21 clinically normal dogs.

Procedures—A randomized longitudinal crossover design was used. Following acquisition of baseline IOP (morning and evening) and AHFR (afternoon only) data, dogs were randomly assigned to 2 treatment groups and received 1 drop of either 2% THC solution or a control treatment (olive oil vehicle) to 1 randomly selected eye every 12 hours for 9 doses. The IOPs and AHFRs were reassessed after the final treatment. Following a washout period of ≥ 7 days, dogs were administered the alternate treatment in the same eye, and measurements were repeated.

Results—Mean ± SD IOPs in the morning were 15.86 ± 2.48 mm Hg at baseline, 12.54 ± 3.18 mm Hg after THC treatment, and 13.88 ± 3.28 mm Hg after control treatment. Mean ± SD IOPs in the evening were 13.69 ± 3.36 mm Hg at baseline, 11.69 ± 3.94 mm Hg after THC treatment, and 12.13 ± 2.99 mm Hg after control treatment. Mean IOPs were significantly decreased from baseline after administration of THC solution but not the control treatment. Changes in IOP varied substantially among individual dogs. Mean ± SD AHFRs were not significantly different from baseline for either treatment.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Topical application of 2% THC ophthalmic solution resulted in moderate reduction of mean IOP in clinically normal dogs. Further research is needed to determine efficacy in dogs with glaucoma.
Effects of topical ocular administration of high doses of human recombinant interferon alpha-2b and feline recombinant interferon omega on naturally occurring viral keratoconjunctivitis in cats
Authors: Slack Jessica M. , Stiles Jean , Leutenegger Christian M. , Moore George E. , Pogranichniy Roman M.
Published: January 2013

Objective—To determine whether 14-day topical ocular administration of high doses of feline recombinant interferon omega (FelFN) or human recombinant interferon alpha-2b (HulFN) solution improves clinical disease and decreases virus shedding in cats with naturally acquired viral keratoconjunctivitis.

Animals—36 cats with upper respiratory tract disease and ocular involvement.

Procedures—Cats received 1 drop of FelFN solution (1 × 106 U/mL), HulFN solution (1 × 106 U/mL), or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (12 cats/group) in each eye twice daily for 14 days (beginning day 1). Oropharyngeal and conjunctival swab samples were collected from each cat before (day 0) and on day 14 of treatment for virus isolation (VI) and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) testing to detect feline herpesvirus-1 and feline calicivirus. Subjective clinical scores were recorded on days 0, 3, 7, 10, and 14.

Results—The number of cats for which feline herpesvirus-1 was detected via VI or RT-qPCR assay was generally (albeit not always significantly) lower on day 14, compared with day 0 findings; however, findings on days 0 or 14 did not differ among groups. The number of cats for which feline calicivirus was detected via VI or RT-qPCR assay did not differ significantly between days 0 and 14 for any group. Clinical scores significantly decreased over the 14-day period but did not differ among groups.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—In cats with naturally occurring viral keratoconjunctivitis, bilateral ocular administration of high doses of FelFN or HulFN twice daily for 14 days did not improve clinical disease or virus shedding, compared with treatment with saline solution.
Evaluation of mass spectrometry of urinary proteins and peptides as biomarkers for cats at risk of developing azotemia
Authors: Jepson Rosanne E. , Coulton Gary R. , Cowan Matthew L. , Markwell Peter , Syme Harriet M. , Elliott Jonathan
Published: January 2013

Objective—To evaluate proteomic delineation of feline urine by mass spectrometry as a method for identifying biomarkers in cats at risk of developing azotemia.

Samples—Urine samples from geriatric cats (> 9 years old) with chronic kidney disease and nonazotemic cats that either remained nonazotemic (n = 10) or developed azotemia (10) within 1 year.

Procedures—Optimization studies with pooled urine were performed to facilitate the use of surface enhanced laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) for analysis of the urinary proteome of cats. Urine samples from nonazotemic cats at entry to the study were analyzed via SELDI-TOF-MS with weak cation exchange and strong anion exchange arrays. Spectral data were compared to identify biomarkers for development of azotemia.

Results—Low protein concentration in feline urine precluded direct application to array surfaces, and a buffer exchange and concentration step was required prior to SELDI-TOF-MS analysis. Three preparation conditions by use of weak cation and strong anion exchange arrays were selected on the basis of optimization studies for detection of biomarkers. Eight potential biomarkers with an m/z of 2,822, 9,886, 10,033, 10,151, 10,234, 11,653, 4,421, and 9,505 were delineated.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—SELDI-TOF-MS can be used to detect urinary low-molecular weight peptides and proteins that may represent biomarkers for early detection of renal damage. Further study is required to purify and identify potential biomarkers before their use in a clinical setting.
Outcome evaluation of a thoracoscopic pericardial window procedure or subtotal pericardectomy via thoracotomy for the treatment of pericardial effusion in dogs
Authors: Case J. Brad , Maxwell Mac , Aman Anna , Monnet Eric L.
Published: January 2013

Objective—To evaluate the disease-free interval (DFI) and median survival time (MST) in dogs with idiopathic and neoplastic pericardial effusion surgically treated by a thoracoscopic pericardial window procedure or subtotal pericardectomy via thoracotomy and to compare DFI and MST in dogs with and without a mass on preoperative echocardiography that underwent either surgical technique.

Design—Retrospective cohort study.

Animals—58 dogs with pericardial effusion.

Procedures—Medical records between 1985 and 2010 were evaluated. Dogs were included in the study if they had confirmed pericardial effusion and underwent a thoracoscopic pericardial window procedure or subtotal pericardectomy via thoracotomy.

Results—Clinical signs of dogs at initial evaluation were similar, with the exception of lethargy, between dogs treated by subtotal pericardectomy via thoracotomy or the pericardial window procedure. Dogs with idiopathic pericardial effusion that underwent the thoracoscopic pericardial window procedure had significantly shorter DFI and MST than did those treated by subtotal pericardectomy via thoracotomy. For neoplastic pericardial effusion, DFI and MST were not significantly different between dogs treated with either surgical technique.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Dogs with idiopathic pericardial effusion treated with a subtotal pericardectomy via thoracotomy had a significantly longer DFI and MST, compared with dogs treated by the thoracoscopic pericardial window procedure. This difference in outcome may be related to inaccuracy of the initial diagnosis or ineffectiveness of the pericardial window to palliate the signs of idiopathic pericardial effusion long term.
Effects of postanesthetic sedation with romifidine or xylazine on quality of recovery from isoflurane anesthesia in horses
Authors: Woodhouse Kerry J. , Brosnan Robert J. , Nguyen Kyvan Q. , Moniz Gale W. , Galuppo Larry D.
Published: January 2013

Objective—To test the hypothesis that postanesthetic sedation with romifidine would dose-dependently improve recovery quality of recovery from isoflurane anesthesia in horses more than postanesthetic sedation with xylazine.

Design—Prospective, randomized, blinded clinical trial.

Animals—101 healthy adult horses examined at the University of California-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from 2007 to 2009.

Procedures—Horses were sedated with xylazine, and anesthesia was induced with guaifenesin, diazepam, and ketamine via a standardized drug protocol. Anesthesia for surgical or diagnostic procedures was maintained with isoflurane in oxygen for 1 to 4 hours. At the end of anesthesia, horses were moved to a padded stall for recovery. Once the breathing circuit was disconnected and the patient was spontaneously breathing, either xylazine (100 or 200 μg/kg [45 or 91 μg/lb]) or romifidine (10 or 20 μg/kg [4.5 or 9.1 μg/lb]) was administered IV. Objective patient, surgical, and anesthesia data were recorded. Subjective visual analog scale (VAS) scores of recovery quality were assigned by a single individual who was unaware of the treatment received. A stepwise linear regression model was used to correlate patient and procedure factors with the VAS score.

Results—Painful procedures, longer anesthesia times, and the Arabian horse breed were associated with poorer VAS scores. Adjustment for these factors revealed an improved VAS recovery score associated with the use of a romifidine dose of 20 μg/kg.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—In healthy adult horses anesthetized with isoflurane for > 1 hour, the results of this study supported the use of 20 μg of romifidine/kg, IV, rather than lower romifidine doses or xylazine, for postanesthetic sedation to improve recovery quality.
Treatment of effluents from a membrane bioreactor by nanofiltration using tubular membranes
Authors: Karakulski Krzysztof , Gryta Marek , Bastrzyk Justyna
Published: January 2013

Production of bioproducts is associated with the generation of considerable amounts of effluents from the bioreactors used. Application of the nanofiltration process was proposed for the treatment of these effluents in order to separate both inorganic and organic solutes. Composition of the fermentation broth precludes the utilization of traditional spiral-wound modules (high turbidity) for the solutes separation in the NF process. The tubular module with AFC30 membranes applied in this work enables such a possibility. Transport and separation characteristics of the NF membrane were determined for the reference solutions containing components present in the effluents generated during the fermentation of glycerol with the use of bacteria.
Kinetics of thermal decomposition of aseptic packages
Authors: Haydary Juma , Susa Dalibor
Published: January 2013

Kinetics of thermal decomposition of aseptic packages (e.g. Tetrapak cartons) and pyrolysis of this waste in a laboratory flow reactor was studied. Three different models for the calculation of the reaction rate and the determination of apparent kinetic parameters of thermal decomposition were used. The first method assumes a two stage thermal decomposition and the kinetic parameters were determined by fitting a derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) curve to experimentally determined thermogravimetric data of whole aseptic cartons. The second method uses kinetic parameters determined by fitting DTG curves to thermogravimetric data of individual components of aseptic packages. The last method was a multi-curve isoconversion method assuming a change of kinetic parameters with the increasing conversion. All types of the determined kinetic parameters were used in a mathematical model for thermal decomposition of mini briquettes made from aseptic packages at the temperature of 650°C. The model calculated also the heat conduction in the particles and it was verified by an independent set of experiments conducted in a laboratory screw type flow reactor.
A new, fully validated and interpreted quantitative structure-activity relationship model of p-aminosalicylic acid derivatives as neuraminidase inhibitors
Authors: Hartmman Ana , Jornada Daniela , Melo Eduardo
Published: January 2013

A multivariate QSAR study with a set of 34 p-aminosalicylic acid derivatives, described as neuraminidase inhibitors of the H1N1 viruses, is presented in this work. The variable selection was performed with the Ordered Predictors Selection (OPS) algorithm and the model was built with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression method. Leave-N-out cross-validation and y-randomization tests showed that the model was robust and free from chance correlation. The external predictive ability was superior to the 3D-QSAR model previously published. Moreover, it was possible to perform a mechanistic interpretation, where the descriptors referred directly to the mechanism of interaction with the neuraminidase.
Effect of ionic liquid on polyaniline chemically synthesised under falling-pH conditions
Authors: Krishna Anurag , Laslau Cosmin , Waterhouse Geoffrey , Zujovic Zoran , Travas-Sejdic Jadranka
Published: January 2013

This study investigates the effect of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride ([bmim]Cl) on the morphological, structural, and electronic properties of polyaniline (PANI) products synthesised by the falling-pH method. Products were characterised by SEM, FT-IR, UVVIS, N2-physisorption, and conductivity measurements. The [bmim]Cl addition strongly influenced the PANI morphology, specific surface area, porosity, and conductivity. Depending on the [bmim]Cl: ANI ratio and the synthesis pH, a wide range of PANI nanostructures could be prepared, with rod-like, and fibre-like elongated structures being the dominant morphology under most experimental conditions. Samples prepared in the presence of [bmim]Cl exhibit specific areas of ca 22–35 m2 g−1. The conductivity of the final products depends on the [bmim]Cl: ANI ratio. Temperature dependence of conductivity in the temperature range from 77 K to 300 K was also studied.
New Warping and Differential Drying Shrinkage Models for Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements Derived with Nonlinear Shrinkage Distribution
Authors: Lederle Rita E. , Hiller Jacob E.
Published: January 2013

Warping can be quantified by the equivalent temperature difference required to deform a theoretically flat slab to the same shape as the actual slab. In the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), the current warping model for jointed concrete pavements uses a triangular shrinkage distribution within the shrinkage zone near the surface of the slab as well as modification factors to account for ambient relative humidity (RH) and the amount of total shrinkage that is expected to be reversible. The current warping model was evaluated and found to predict improbable values. A new warping model based on an assumed nonlinear shrinkage distribution that followed the curve described by one-quarter of an ellipse was proposed. The elliptical shrinkage distribution was found to agree well with predicted moisture distributions through the depth of the slab at various locations around the United States. A new factor accounted for the fact that only drying shrinkage contributed to warping, and changes were made to the RH adjustment factor. The proposed model was derived from plate theory, rather than beam theory, to account for the two-way bending behavior of a slab. Only parameters that were currently inputs in the MEPDG were required for the new proposed warping model. With slight modification, the model could be used to predict differential drying shrinkage levels in jointed concrete pavements.
Improved Mechanistic–Empirical Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement Design Approach with Modified Punchout Model
Authors: Jung Youn su , Zollinger Dan G. , Ehsanul Bari M.
Published: January 2013

The Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) makes available a mechanistic–empirical punchout prediction tool based on a comprehensive analysis of many design factors in continuously reinforced concrete (CRC) pavement. The punchout model is based on the idea that accumulated fatigue damage induces longitudinal cracking between two narrowly placed transverse cracks as a result of repeated loading, diminished load transfer, loss of support, and environmental stresses. Most factors are considered directly in the punchout prediction except those related to subbase support. For instance, stiffer support conditions reduce deflection, with smaller interfacial shear stresses than subbase shear strength as a result, and thus lower erosion. However, the MEPDG predicts a higher rate of punchouts with increasing k-value because a punchout is assumed to be analogous to longitudinal fatigue cracking. The unfortunate consequence of this assumption is that the predicted rate of punchout might increase as a result of greater curling and warping stresses because of stiffer sublayers or higher k-value situations. The probability of erosion was included to counteract this effect on punchout predictions. A modified mechanistic–empirical CRC pavement design approach is described in terms of a modified punchout model, subbase erosion model, and an enhanced traffic equivalency model. The modified design approach includes expressions for fatigue distress similar to those in the MEPDG. The design also considers partial-depth punchout distress as part of the assessment of punchout distress.
Evaluating the Effect of Concrete Slab Curling on Joint Load Transfer Responses
Authors: Byrum Christopher R. , Ye Dan
Published: January 2013

Past and current rigid pavement thickness design procedures used by the FAA use single-slab free-edge loading stress analysis as the basis of design. The FAA's rigid pavement design methods have assumed a 25% reduction in free-edge bending stress to account for the ability of properly designed joints to transfer load from slab to slab and reduce bending stress from heavy wheel loads. This percentage of reduction is actually changing continuously as a function of slab temperature, joint type, pavement age, and traffic. A systematic procedure is used to evaluate the joint load transfer percentage of stress reduction factor in greater detail with falling weight deflectometer (FWD) measurements, slab curvature measurements, and finite element method (FEM) structural analysis. Field measurements of joint stiffness and slab curling are presented and compared with FEM simulations calibrated to reproduce field measurements. With the use of calibrated FEM models, the full range of expected load transfer percentages is demonstrated for single-wheel loads, two-wheel gears, and four-wheel gears for a wide range of possible joint stiffness values. Top-down and bottom-up slab cracking stresses are compared. Slab curling measured from test sites is compared with slab curling calculated from FEM models. The calibration of an FEM model to reproduce detailed site measurements of joint stiffness, load transfer efficiency, and slab curvature combined is demonstrated.
Concrete Pavement Joint Diagnostics with Ultrasonic Tomography
Authors: Hoegh Kyle , Khazanovich Lev , Yu H. Thomas
Published: January 2013

An important issue in extending the life of jointed plain concrete pavement is the proper construction and maintenance of transverse joints. The capabilities of an ultrasonic tomography device in providing information essential to joint rehabilitation decisions as well as the quality control of rehabilitation construction are presented. Testing was conducted at various partial-depth repair locations of a recently repaired in-service highway to determine the presence and extent of debonding between the partial-depth repair and the existing concrete. Testing also was conducted at the Minnesota Road Research Facility to evaluate the subsurface condition along various transverse joints. Real-time diagnosis with the intensity-based signals of the synthetic aperture focusing technique was successful in pinpointing the location of debonded concrete interfaces within partial-depth repairs. Ultrasonic tomography testing also showed the capability of identifying that a joint is in need of repair and subsequently diagnosing the extent of subsurface deterioration throughout the joint.
Joint Load Transfer and Support Considerations for Jointed Precast Concrete Pavements
Authors: Tayabji Shiraz , Ye Dan , Buch Neeraj
Published: January 2013

Many agencies recently have started investigating strategies for pavement rehabilitation and reconstruction that are faster to implement and can produce longer-lasting pavements than previous strategies. Most highway agencies no longer consider expedient rehabilitation that results in a shorter pavement lifespan acceptable. One promising alternative rehabilitation strategy is the effective use of modular pavement technologies, principally precast concrete pavement (PCP) systems, which provide for the rapid repair and rehabilitation of pavements and also result in durable, long-lasting pavements. Rapid construction techniques can significantly minimize the impact on the driving public because lane closures and traffic congestion are minimized. Road user and worker safety also are improved by reduced road users’ and workers’ exposure to construction traffic. The renewal focus area under Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP 2) emphasizes the need to complete highway pavement projects rapidly, with minimal disruption to highway users and local communities, and to produce pavements that are long lasting. One goal of this focus area includes applying new methods and materials to preserve, rehabilitate, and reconstruct roadways. The effective use of PCP technologies for rapid repair, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of pavements addresses this goal. One of the projects funded under SHRP 2 is Project R05, Modular Pavement Technology. The objective of Project R05 was to develop better guidance for use by highway agencies to design, construct, install, maintain, and evaluate modular pavement systems, principally PCP systems. Findings related to joint load transfer and support considerations for jointed PCP from the Project R05 study are presented.
Development of Mechanistic–Empirical Design Procedure for Fully Permeable Pavement under Heavy Traffic
Authors: Li Hui , Jones David , Harvey John
Published: January 2013

Fully permeable pavements are those in which all layers are intended to be permeable and the pavement structure serves as a reservoir to store water during storm periods to minimize the adverse effects of stormwater runoff. Fully permeable pavements are currently used primarily for light traffic (e.g., parking lots that only allow cars, not trucks). The development of fully permeable pavement designs as a potential best management practice for stormwater management in areas that carry heavy truck traffic is of significant interest. Results are presented from one phase of a project to develop mechanistic–empirical design procedures for fully permeable pavement designs that will carry heavy vehicles operating primarily at slow speeds (e.g., in maintenance yards, parking lots, streets, and highway shoulders). Mechanistic–empirical computer modeling of the structural designs was performed for three types of surface material (open-graded asphalt, open-graded concrete, and concrete slabs with cast drainage), considering different traffic loading based on typical California highway truck traffic, different traffic speeds, and several typical California climate regions, as well as materials properties developed from laboratory testing. A preliminary design method and preliminary design charts that considered both hydraulic and structural performance were developed; some examples of their use are provided. The mechanistic–empirical approach used in this project for the development of fully permeable pavement designs could increase the speed of development and implementation of this technology.
Method for Evaluating Implications of Climate Change for Design and Performance of Flexible Pavements
Authors: Meagher William , Daniel Jo Sias , Jacobs Jennifer , Linder Ernst
Published: January 2013

A method to assess the impacts of forecasted climate change on pavement deterioration is presented. Traditional methods of pavement design use historic climate data and assume that climate is stationary with time. Climate change challenges this assumption of stationarity (i.e., natural driving forces of engineering have a variability described by a time-invariant probability density function). Therefore, the use of historic climate data is insufficient for the prediction of climate conditions. The focus is on the preparation and the use of climate model data sets as inputs to the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) model to simulate flexible pavement performance and deterioration over time. The method is illustrated with a case study that uses future climate model temperature data from three North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program scenarios at four sites across New England. Pavement distress predicted with future temperature scenarios is compared with that from MEPDG temperature data. Application of the method demonstrates the importance of matching the overlapping periods before using climate forecast output in the MEPDG. Although the simulated impact of future temperature changes on pavement performance was negligible for alligator cracking at the four study sites, asphalt concrete rutting differences were great enough to warrant additional consideration and to suggest that climate change and variability in future climate scenarios could affect pavement design and evaluation. The proposed method can be used to evaluate the impact of other climate variables alone or in combination. The method also can readily use new climate model output and be adapted for new downscaling methods.
Reliability-Based Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design with Statistical Methods
Authors: Hall Kevin D. , Xiao Danny X. , Pohl Edward A. , Wang Kelvin C. P.
Published: January 2013

“Reliability,” as defined in the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), is an aggregated indicator defined as the probability that each of the key performance measures will be less than a selected critical level over the design period. Being such a complex system, the MEPDG—which is not a single closed-form design equation—cannot depend on classic reliability methods. Monte Carlo simulation is suitable for a robust reliability analysis but is impractical because of the extensive computation time required for any reasonable analysis with the MEPDG. The development of surrogate models for performance predictions becomes an option to represent the comprehensive modeling capability of the MEPDG efficiently. Improvements to the MEPDG reliability model based on several statistical methods are described. Five tasks are detailed. First, the MEPDG is calibrated to local conditions to reduce potential bias and variation from the national calibration. Then, risk analysis and screen analysis are conducted to determine the significant variables to include in surrogate models. Next, a comprehensive experimental design effectively plans MEPDG simulations. Then, response surface models of MEPDG are built through regression analysis. Finally, probabilistic design is achieved by Monte Carlo simulation. The result of these efforts is a state-specific MEPDG-based probabilistic pavement design tool kit named ReliME. This framework provides engineers more flexibility in data acquisition, design alternatives, optimization, and quality control. The framework's successful application in Arkansas could easily be used in other states and incorporated into future mechanistic–empirical pavement design software.
Load and Resistance Factors and Design Parameter Offsets for Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide
Authors: McInvale Howard D. , Retherford Jennifer Q. , McDonald Mark P.
Published: January 2013

An approach to developing load and resistance factors and design parameter offsets for inputs to the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) is provided for the purpose of ensuring, with a high level of probability, that the MEPDG-predicted distress at any level of reliability does not exceed a given threshold. In the proposed approach, the two most significant sources of uncertainty in pavement design—input variability and model prediction error—are handled separately. The proposed method involves four major steps: experimental design, surrogate model estimation, model verification, and calculation of load and resistance factors and design offsets with the inverse first-order reliability method. The proposed method allows pavement engineers to account for uncertainty in loading and resistance parameters in a similar manner to the load and resistance factor design provisions of the American Institute of Steel Construction's Steel Construction Manual and the American Concrete Institute's ACI 318: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete. The proposed methods are illustrated for a typical flexible pavement.
Performance Measures for Adaptive Signal Control: Case Study of System-in-the-Loop Simulation
Authors: Day Christopher M. , Ernst Joseph M. , Brennan Thomas M. , Chou Chih-Sheng , Hainen Alexander M. , Remias Stephen M. , Nichols Andrew , Griggs Brian D. , Bullock Darcy M.
Published: January 2013

The simulation of local signal controllers has become increasingly sophisticated in recent years and has been paralleled by improvements in the integration of adaptive systems into simulation. This paper describes and demonstrates an emerging methodology for the evaluation of adaptive signal control that is termed “system-in-the-loop simulation.” This methodology extends existing software-in-the-loop simulation by linking virtualized traffic controllers with real-world adaptive-control systems. In addition, the authors propose an analysis methodology that fuses data on simulated probe vehicles with data on high-resolution controller events. Through this data fusion, traditional measures of simulation performance such as delay can be enhanced with operational measures of performance that characterize quality of progression and capacity utilization. In addition, adaptive-control performance can be characterized in relation to overall impact on traveler delay and also described in terms that are meaningful for improvement of control schemes. An example case study is presented: the ACS-Lite adaptive system was tested on a 19-intersection system in Morgantown, West Virginia, under a special-event scenario. Free, fully actuated control was compared with traditional time-of-day and traffic-responsive control both with and without the use of the adaptive-control system ACS-Lite. Overall delay results are presented and contrasted with more detailed analysis of event-based performance measures at a single intersection and on a networkwide basis.
Prediction of Red-Light Running on Basis of Inductive-Loop Detectors for Dynamic All-Red Extension
Authors: Wang Lanjun , Zhang Liping , Zhou Kun , Zhang Wei-Bin , Wang Xiqin
Published: January 2013

Dynamic all-red extension (DARE) has recently been reported as a countermeasure to safety hazards caused by red-light running (RLR). DARE dynamically extends an all-red interval by a few seconds when detection has determined that an RLR hazard has a high probability of occurring. Previous studies of RLR prediction methods were usually based on high-quality sensors for vehicle detection. This study addresses the issues of (a) the feasibility of the use of existing configurations of inductive-loop detectors (ILDs) for RLR prediction and (b) the achievable performance of ILDs in this capacity. One challenging problem is the limited resolution and type of measurements that ILDs can provide. To overcome this problem, an innovative set of driver behavior parameters was developed, and two arrival time estimators with car-following characteristics were designed to realize the prediction of RLR. The empirical data from the field intersection were used to validate the performance of the RLR predictors. The results showed that a reasonable prediction of RLR could be achieved for an operational DARE from existing ILD vehicle detection systems that contain at least two ILDs: the advance loop closest to the stop bar and the leading presence loop.
Barrier-Free Ring Structures and Pedestrian Overlaps in Signalized Intersection Control
Authors: Furth Peter G. , Muller Theo H. J. , Salomons Maria , Bertulis Tomas A. , Koonce Peter J.
Published: January 2013

Compared with the ring-barrier framework used for ring structures (or phasing plans) in signalized control of intersections in the United States, the Dutch framework has no explicit barriers, but only a requirement to respect pairwise conflicts. This paper describes how ring structures can be modeled with pairwise conflicts as a starting point. Modeling techniques were extended to account for offset constraints such as leading pedestrian intervals in which the start or end of one traffic movement was constrained by the start or end of another one that was otherwise compatible. One practical drawback of the more flexible Dutch framework is that it permits so many more possible ring structures that it can be prohibitive to evaluate them all manually. Therefore, this paper describes VRIGEN, an automated method that overcomes this drawback by identifying and evaluating all possible ring structures. Finally, this paper presents several examples in which barrier-free ring designs allow signals to cycle more quickly and efficiently, with improvements in safety and delay for pedestrians and bicyclists. Most of these examples feature pedestrian phases that are allowed to overlap while their parent vehicular phases are not.
Development and Evaluation of Algorithm for Resolution of Conflicting Transit Signal Priority Requests
Authors: Zlatkovic Milan , Stevanovic Aleksandar , Martin Peter T.
Published: January 2013

The goal of this study was the development and evaluation of an algorithm for resolving conflicting requests for transit signal priority (TSP). This algorithm was designed to work with actual traffic controllers without the need for new hardware or software installations. The algorithm was tested in VISSIM microsimulation and ASC/3 software-in-the-loop controllers on an intersection that will be upgraded to serve two conflicting bus rapid transit (BRT) lines. The ASC/3 logic processor was used to control built-in TSPs in the case of conflicting requests and to develop custom-TSP strategies that would not rely on built-in TSP. Custom TSP provides a much higher level of TSP for transit vehicles than built-in TSP, and it creates opportunities for more adaptable TSP control. The results showed that the widely used first-come, first-served policy for resolution of conflicting TSP requests was not the best solution. Such a policy could perform worse than a policy that provided no priority. For the analyzed intersection, the first-come, first-served option even increased BRT delays by 13% more than did the no-TSP option. The presented algorithm can help resolve the problem of the conflicting TSP requests. The algorithm worked best when combined with several TSP strategies. For the custom-TSP strategies, the application of the algorithm reduced BRT delays by more than 30%, with minimal impact on vehicular traffic. The algorithm shows promising results, and with small upgrades, it can be applied to any type of TSP.
Factors Influencing Effectiveness of Transit Signal Priority and Late-Bus Recovery at Signalized-Intersection Level
Authors: Albright Eric , Figliozzi Miguel
Published: January 2013

Transit priority systems have the potential to improve transit performance and address capacity constraints by giving priority to transit movements over other traffic. This research focused on the effectiveness of conditional transit priority or the manipulation of traffic signal timing plans to reduce delay of late transit buses. The integration of two transportation subsystems—traffic signals and public transit systems—was studied. These subsystems interact along a congested corridor where they share a common roadway infrastructure and transit signal priority (TSP) regulates the interaction between traffic signals, passenger traffic, and buses. Previous research has focused on the evaluation of bus TSP performance at the route level. In practice, it is important to understand not only TSP performance at the route level but also the impact of TSP at the level of the traffic signal intersection (e.g., to allow progression in major cross streets). TSP can significantly improve performance at specific intersections, even though at the route level TSP shows a more modest impact. This study proposed the integration of several data sets such as bus scheduling and location, passenger flows, and TSP requests to evaluate schedule adherence at the stop level and TSP performance at the level of the signalized intersection. A congested arterial corridor was analyzed and regression analysis was used to determine the key factors that affect bus travel time and schedule recovery for late buses. TSP was found to be most effective at lower-volume intersections where queuing was less problematic. Implications of the findings are analyzed and discussed.
Normal modes of a coupled ice-shelf/sub-ice-shelf cavity system
Authors: Sergienko Olga V.
Published: January 2013

Ice shelves and ice tongues are dynamically coupled to their cavities. Here we compute normal modes (eigenfrequencies and eigenfunctions) of this coupled system using a thin-plate approximation for the ice shelf and potential water flow in the ice-shelf cavity. Our results show that normal modes depend not only on the ice-shelf parameters (length, thickness, Young’s modulus, etc.) but also on the cavity depth. The dominant eigenmodes are higher for ice shelves floating over deeper cavities; they are also higher for shorter ice shelves and ice tongues (<50 km long). The higheigenfrequency eigenmodes are primarily controlled by the ice flexure and have similar periods to sea swell. These results suggest that both long ocean waves with periods of 100–400 s and shorter sea swell with periods of 10–20 s can have strong impacts on relatively short ice shelves and ice tongues by exciting oscillations with their eigenfrequencies, which can lead to iceberg calving and, in some circumstances, ice-shelf disintegration.
Allergens as risk factors for bronchial asthma
Authors: Uddin MN
Published: January 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jafmc.v8i1.13529 JAFMC Vol.8(1) 2012 pp.01
Allergen skin test reactivity in adult bronchial asthmatic patients
Authors: Parveen T , Nargis W , Choudhury AMAR , Karim R , Begum N
Published: January 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jafmc.v8i1.13530 JAFMC Vol.8(1) 2012 pp.02-05
Stressful life events among patients with dissociative and somatoform disorder
Authors: Tabassum R , Haque M , Chowdhury SH
Published: January 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jafmc.v8i1.13532 JAFMC Vol.8(1) 2012 pp.09-14
Comparative study between efficacy of magnesium sulphate and lignocaine in attenuating haemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation
Authors: Hossain MPA , Islam MS , Chowdhury MH , Ahmed M , Haque M , Aleem MA , Chowdhury JP
Published: January 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jafmc.v8i1.13533 JAFMC Vol.8(1) 2012 pp.15-19
Evaluation of Ketofol (Ketamine Propofol combination) as total intravenous anaesthetic for burn dressing in adult patient
Authors: Samad MA , Islam MS , Ahmed M , Maruf AA
Published: January 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jafmc.v8i1.13534 JAFMC Vol.8(1) 2012 pp.20-24
Case Reports on Pseudocyesis
Authors: Kamal AHMKM , Rahman W , Laila L , Hakim N
Published: January 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jafmc.v8i1.13542 JAFMC Vol.8(1) 2012 pp.56-58
Direct Electron Acceleration with Radially Polarized Laser Beams
Authors: Varin Charles , Payeur Stéphane , Marceau Vincent , Fourmaux Sylvain , April Alexandre , Schmidt Bruno , Fortin Pierre-Louis , Thiré Nicolas , Brabec Thomas , Légaré François , Kieffer Jean-Claude , Piché Michel
Published: January 2013

In the past years, there has been a growing interest in innovative applications of radially polarized laser beams. Among them, the particular field of laser-driven electron acceleration has received much attention. Recent developments in high-power infrared laser sources at the INRS Advanced Laser Light Source (Varennes, Qc, Canada) allowed the experimental observation of a quasi-monoenergetic 23-keV electron beam produced by a radially polarized laser pulse tightly focused into a low density gas. Theoretical analyses suggest that the production of collimated attosecond electron pulses is within reach of the actual technology. Such an ultrashort electron pulse source would be a unique tool for fundamental and applied research. In this paper, we propose an overview of this emerging topic and expose some of the challenges to meet in the future.
Nash Implementation in an Allocation Problem with Single-Dipped Preferences
Authors: Doghmi Ahmed
Published: January 2013

In this paper, we study the Nash implementation in an allocation problem with single-dipped preferences. We show that, with at least three agents, Maskin monotonicity is necessary and sufficient for implementation. We examine the implementability of various social choice correspondences (SCCs) in this environment, and prove that some well-known SCCs are Maskin monotonic ( but they do not satisfy no-veto power) and hence Nash implementable.
Childhood Mortality Due to Unintentional Injuries in Japan, 2000–2009
Authors: Sekii Hideaki , Ohtsu Tadahiro , Shirasawa Takako , Ochiai Hirotaka , Shimizu Takaya , Kokaze Akatsuki
Published: January 2013

This study examined deaths due to unintentional injuries among children in Japan to identify the age groups and sexes at most risk, and the types of injuries, so that effective forms of targeted intervention can be devised. Among children aged 0–14 years, deaths whose underlying causes had been classified under code V01-X59 of the ICD-10 were defined as deaths of children caused by unintentional injuries. Using data from the Vital Statistics 2000–2009 for analysis, we examined the changes in mortality and trends in terms of sex, age, and cause of death. Mortality decreased by 46.2%, from 933 in 2000 to 502 in 2009. The mortality rate among children aged 1–4 years decreased by almost half. The total number of deaths during this decade was 7,362 (boys: 4,690, girls: 2,672). Among the causes of death, the majority were due to “transport accidents”, followed by “other accidental threats to breathing”, and “accidental drowning and submersion”. The characteristics observed in terms of sex, age, and cause of death—that is, deaths from suffocation among infants aged less than 1 year, drowning deaths among boys, and transport accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists—must be addressed as targets for future intervention.
Green Approach—Multicomponent Production of Boron—Containing Hantzsch and Biginelli Esters
Authors: Martínez Joel , Romero-Vega Stephany , Abeja-Cruz Rita , Álvarez-Toledano Cecilio , Miranda René
Published: January 2013

Multicomponent reactions are excellent methods that meet the requirements of green chemistry, by reducing the number of steps, and consequently reducing purification requirements. Accordingly, in this work, 11 novel hybrid-boron-containing molecules, namely eight 1,4-dihydropyridines and three 3,4-dihydropyrimidinones, derived from formylphenylboronic acids (ortho, meta and para), were obtained using a green approach, involving H-4CR and B-3CR practices, in the presence of ethanol, which is a green solvent, and using three comparatively different modes of activation (mantle heating, yield 3%–7% in 24 h, Infrared Radiation (IR) irradiation, yield 12%–17% in 12 h, and microwave irradiation, yield 18%–80%, requiring very low reaction times of 0.25–0.33 h). In addition, as a green-approach is offered, a convenient analysis, of the 12 green chemistry principles for the overall procedure was performed. Finally, since all the products are new, characterizations were carried out using common analytic procedures (1H, 11B, and 13C NMR, FAB+MS, HRMS, and IR). The accurate mass data of unexpected ions related to interactions between thioglycerol and the expected products, in the FAB+-mode, enabled unequivocal characterization of the target molecules.