bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EGFR isoforms and gene regulation in human endometrial cancer cells
Authors: Albitar Lina , Pickett Gavin , Morgan Marilee , Wilken Jason A , Maihle Nita J , Leslie Kimberly K
Published: June 2010

Background

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) constitute a principal growth-promoting pathway in endometrial cancer cells. Pre-clinical studies were undertaken to compare the expression of EGFR isoforms and the downstream effects of activating or blocking EGFR function in Ishikawa H cells, derived from a moderately differentiated type I endometrioid adenocarcinoma, or in Hec50co cells, derived from a poorly differentiated type II adenocarcinoma with papillary serous sub-differentiation.

Results

We investigated whether EGFR mutations are present in the tyrosine kinase domain (exons 18-22) of EGFR and also whether EGFR isoforms are expressed in the Ishikawa H or Hec50co cell lines. Sequence of the EGFR tyrosine kinase domain proved to be wild type in both cell lines. While both cell lines expressed full-length EGFR (isoform A), EGFR and sEGFR (isoform D) were expressed at significantly lower levels in Hec50co cells compared to Ishikawa H cells. Analysis of gene expression following EGF vs. gefitinib treatment (a small molecule EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor) was performed. Early growth response 1, sphingosine kinase 2, dual specificity phosphatase 6, and glucocorticoid receptor DNA binding factor 1 are members of a cluster of genes downstream of EGFR that are differentially regulated by treatment with EGF compared to gefitinib in Ishikawa H cells, but not in Hec50co cells.

Conclusions

Type I Ishikawa H and type II Hec50co endometrial carcinoma cells both express EGFR and sEGFR, but differ markedly in their responsiveness to the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib. This difference is paralleled by differences in the expression of sEGFR and EGFR, as well as in their transcriptional response following treatment with either EGF or gefitinib. The small cluster of differently regulated genes reported here in these type I vs. type II endometrial cancer-derived cell lines may identify candidate biomarkers useful for predicting sensitivity to EGFR blockade.
Prevalence of chronic complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus in outpatients - a cross-sectional hospital based survey in urban China
Authors: Liu Zhaolan , Fu Chaowei , Wang Weibing , Xu Biao
Published: June 2010

Background

Chronic complications are the major outcome of type 2 diabetes mellitus progress, which reduce the quality of life of patients, incur heavy burdens to the health care system, and increase diabetic mortality. The aims of this study were to describe the prevalence of chronic complications among urban Chinese type 2 diabetic outpatients; and to analyze the associations between chronic complications and patients' demographics, diabetic related clinical characteristics.

Methods

This cross-sectional hospital-based study was carried out in 4 major Chinese cities: - Shanghai, Chengdu, Beijing and Guangzhou. The survey was conducted from March to July in 2007 among 1,524 type 2 diabetic outpatients. The subjects were interviewed face-to-face by trained interviewers using a questionnaire to capture information on demographics, disease presentations and complications. All the subjects were invited to have a HbA1c test free of charge by the standardized method with Bio-Rad Variant II.

Results

Of the 1,524 study subjects, 637 (41.8%) were male, and the mean age was 63.3 ± 10.2 years. At least one chronic complication was diagnosed in 792 individuals (52.0%) of the study subjects; 509 (33.4%) presented with macrovascular complications and 528 (34.7%) with microvascular complications. The prevalence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions, neuropathy, nephropathy, ocular lesions and foot disease were 30.1%, 6.8%, 17.8%, 10.7%, 14.8% and 0.8%, respectively. The prevalence of chronic complications varied between cities, and significantly increased with age and duration of diagnosed diabetes. The mean of HbA1c in diabetic patients with chronic complications was 8.2% ± 1.6% and 63.0% of the subjects with type 2 diabetes related complications had a poor glycemic control with the HbA1c > 7.5%.

Conclusions

Chronic complications are highly prevalent among type 2 diabetic outpatients, the glycemic control of diabetic patients with chronic complications was poor, and future efforts should be directed at intensive blood glucose control, strengthening early diagnosis and improving case management to prevent and minimize the occurrence of complications.
Using a Caesarean Section Classification System based on characteristics of the population as a way of monitoring obstetric practice
Authors: Costa Maria L , Cecatti Jose G , Souza João P , Milanez Helaine M , Gülmezoglu Metin A
Published: June 2010

Objective

to compare the distribution of caesarean rates in the Robson's 10 groups classification in order to see if any change occurred after the implementation of an audit and feedback intervention.Design:cross sectional, before and after an audit and feedback study.Setting: a university hospital in Brazil.

Methods

clinical records of all births during two three months-periods were evaluated. Each case of CS was classified into one of ten mutually exclusive categories according to obstetric characteristics. The proportion of CS in each group was compared in both periods.

Results

total number of deliveries and the high rate of CS were similar in both periods. Group 3 (multiparous excluding previous CS, single, cephalic, ≥ 37 weeks, spontaneous labour) accounted for the largest proportion of deliveries, 28.5 and 26.8% in both periods. Group 1 (nulliparous, single, cephalic, ≥ 37 weeks, spontaneous labour) was the second largest one, while Group 5 (previous caesarean section, single, cephalic, and ≥ 37 weeks) was the third but the largest contributor to CS, accounting for 16.6 and 14.9% among all deliveries in both periods. Groups 2 (nulliparous, single, cephalic, ≥ 37 weeks, induction or CS before labour) and 4 (multiparous excluding previous CS, single, cephalic, ≥ 37 weeks, induction or CS before labour) were less prevalent, however had higher rates of CS. Only in Group 10 (All single, cephalic, ≤ 36 weeks, including previous CS), there was a significant decrease of CS rate from 70.5 to 42.6% between periods.

Conclusion

Robson's classification did not identify any significant change in the pattern of CS rates with the audit and feedback process, but showed to be useful for comparing trends among similar obstetric populations.
Neglected simultaneous bilateral femoral neck fractures secondary to narcotic drug abuse treated by bilateral one-staged hemiarthroplasty: a case report
Authors: Hootkani Alireza , Moradi Ali , Vahedi Ehsan
Published: June 2010

Simultaneous bilateral femoral neck fractures are extremely rare and associated with various conditions. Up to now Most cases had correlations with major trauma, repetitive minor trauma, seizure, parathyroid or renal dysfunction, anti-epileptic medications, seizure, etc. A 28-year-old addict man referred to us with a 10-year history of narcotic drug abuse and history of 8 months bilateral groin pain. He admitted with displaced bilateral femoral neck fracture. Because of long duration of this condition and osteonecrosis revealed on bone scan, one-staged bilateral hip hemiarthroplasty was done. A good function was noted after surgery to 4-month follow up. Up to now, have not be founded in the literature that a case of bilateral femoral neck fracture associated with narcotic drug abuse.

Because of negative effects of opium or smoking on bone tissues, a simple bone pain should aware us about the risk of stress or fatigue fracture.
Bleeding from ruptured hepatic metastases as a cause of syncope in an octogenarian: a case report
Authors: Seetho Ian W , Stinchcombe Simon , Rizeq Mazen M
Published: June 2010

Introduction

Acute hemoperitoneum as a result of hemorrhage from liver metastases is an uncommon but serious condition. The use of appropriate imaging is important in the diagnosis and can have a profound impact on subsequent management. This case is important because the presentation was of recurrent syncopal episodes with an unusual underlying cause. This case highlights the need to consider this diagnosis in the differential in patients presenting with collapse in the acute setting.

Case presentation

We present the case of an 85-year-old Caucasian man who was admitted following a collapse episode and was found to be persistently hypotensive despite aggressive resuscitation. An acute intra-peritoneal bleed originating from hepatic metastases from an unknown primary was identified promptly with computed tomography imaging and was subsequently managed conservatively.

Conclusions

This case aims to convey key teaching points: (A) the need to consider intra-abdominal hemorrhage in the differential diagnosis when assessing patients with collapse; and (B) the use of appropriate imaging such as computed tomography can facilitate a prompt diagnosis and appropriate management steps can then be taken accordingly.
Experimental investigation on micromilling of oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper using tungsten carbide, chemistry vapour deposition, and single-crystal diamond micro tools
Authors: Huo D , Cheng K
Published: June 2010

Insufficient experimental data from various micro tools limit industrial application of the micromilling process. This paper presents an experimental comparative investigation into micromilling of oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper using tungsten carbide (WC), chemistry vapour deposition (CVD) diamond, and single-crystal diamond micromilling tools at a uniform 0.4 mm diameter. The experiments were carried out on an ultra-precision micromilling machine that features high dynamic accurate performance, so that the dynamic effect of the machine tool itself on the cutting process can be reduced to a minimum. Micromachined surface roughness and burr height were characterized using white light interferometry, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a precision surface profiler. The influence of variation of cutting parameters, including cutting speeds, feedrate, and axial depth of cut, on surface roughness and burr formation were analysed. The experimental results show that there exists an optimum feedrate at which best surface roughness can be achieved. Optical quality surface roughness can be achieved with CVD and natural diamond tools by carefully selecting machining conditions, and surface roughness, Ra, of the order of 10 nm can also be obtained when using micromilling using WC tools on the precision micromilling machine.
In vitro incorporation of nonnatural amino acids into protein using tRNACys-derived opal, ochre, and amber suppressor tRNAs
Authors: Gubbens Jacob , Kim Soo Jung , Yang Zhongying , Johnson Arthur E. , Skach William R.
Published: June 2010

Amber suppressor tRNAs are widely used to incorporate nonnatural amino acids into proteins to serve as probes of structure, environment, and function. The utility of this approach would be greatly enhanced if multiple probes could be simultaneously incorporated at different locations in the same protein without other modifications. Toward this end, we have developed amber, opal, and ochre suppressor tRNAs derived from Escherichia coli, and yeast tRNACys that incorporate a chemically modified cysteine residue with high selectivity at the cognate UAG, UGA, and UAA stop codons in an in vitro translation system. These synthetic tRNAs were aminoacylated in vitro, and the labile aminoacyl bond was stabilized by covalently attaching a fluorescent dye to the cysteine sulfhydryl group. Readthrough efficiency (amber > opal > ochre) was substantially improved by eRF1/eRF3 inhibition with an RNA aptamer, thus overcoming an intrinsic hierarchy in stop codon selection that limits UGA and UAA termination suppression in higher eukaryotic translation systems. This approach now allows concurrent incorporation of two different modified amino acids at amber and opal codons with a combined apparent readthrough efficiency of up to 25% when compared with the parent protein lacking a stop codon. As such, it significantly expands the possibilities for incorporating nonnative amino acids for protein structure/function studies.
Small RNA-based silencing strategies for transposons in the process of invading Drosophila species
Authors: Rozhkov Nikolay V. , Aravin Alexei A. , Zelentsova Elena S. , Schostak Natalia G. , Sachidanandam Ravi , McCombie W. Richard , Hannon Gregory J. , Evgen'ev Michael B.
Published: June 2010

Colonization of a host by an active transposon can increase mutation rates or cause sterility, a phenotype termed hybrid dysgenesis. As an example, intercrosses of certain Drosophila virilis strains can produce dysgenic progeny. The Penelope element is present only in a subset of laboratory strains and has been implicated as a causative agent of the dysgenic phenotype. We have also introduced Penelope into Drosophila melanogaster, which are otherwise naive to the element. We have taken advantage of these natural and experimentally induced colonization processes to probe the evolution of small RNA pathways in response to transposon challenge. In both species, Penelope was predominantly targeted by endo-small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) rather than by piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). Although we do observe correlations between Penelope transcription and dysgenesis, we could not correlate differences in maternally deposited Penelope piRNAs with the sterility of progeny. Instead, we found that strains that produced dysgenic progeny differed in their production of piRNAs from clusters in subtelomeric regions, possibly indicating that changes in the overall piRNA repertoire underlie dysgenesis. Considered together, our data reveal unexpected plasticity in small RNA pathways in germ cells, both in the character of their responses to invading transposons and in the piRNA clusters that define their ability to respond to mobile elements.
Artificial grammar learning in animals
Authors: Tauzin Tibor Miklós
Published: June 2010

Jelen cikkben áttekintem az elmúlt másfél évtized összehasonlító pszichológiai mesterséges nyelvtan kísérleteit. Az állatok mesterséges nyelvtan tanulása a statisztikai tanulást, algebrai tanulást és hierarchikus szabálytanulást megcélozva kerül bemutatásra. Ezt követően új modellt javaslok, ami megmagyarázhatja a terület egyes ellentmondásosnak tűnő eredményeit. Amellett érvelek, hogy a szociális fajok szükségszerűen kifinomult kontingenciadetekcióval rendelkeznek, ami lehetővé teszi a számukra, hogy együttjárásokat kövessenek nyomon változatos ingerek közt. Ez a mechanizmus és egy repetíciódetektor, ami az azonos ismétlődő ingerekre érzékeny, kontingenciaprofilokat hoz létre. Ezek segíthetnek felismerni az ismétlődő absztrakt jelzéseket, így algebrai vagy hierarchikus szabályok egy részét.
Hungarian traditions of the empirical creativity research
Authors: Oláh Attila
Published: June 2010

Az előadás bemutatja az empirikus kreativitáskutatás beindulásának nemzetközi előzményeit, motívumait, vezéralakjait és történelmi atmoszféráját. Részletesen elemzi a nemzetközitől lényegesen eltérő hazai állapotokat és áttekinti az 1959 és 2009 közötti kreativitással kapcsolatos hazai empirikus kutatásokat, kiemelten a hazai kreativitáskutatás kezdeteire koncentrálva. Bibliográfiai statisztikára alapozva elemzi az elmúlt 50 év publikációs termését a kreativitás terén.
Talent or practice: where is the contradiction?
Authors: Pléh Csaba
Published: June 2010

A dolgozat áttekinti, hogy az utóbbi évtizedek kreativitáskutatása mit mond a tudományos teljesítmény meghatározóiról. Az áttekintés főként D. Simonton munkáira épít. Az egyik visszatérő mozzanat a megszállott produktivitás szerepe a kiválóságban. A korábbi képpel szemben ma a divergens és konvergens folyamatokat egyaránt hangsúlyozzuk a belső meghatározókat illetően. Számos darwini modell a produkció és szelekció ciklusának elválasztását emeli ki. Fontos szerepet kap a társas kontextus és az elfogadás is. Az életutak elemzése a kulturális és történelmi határhelyzetek szerepét állítja előtérbe, valamint a mentorok jelentőségét.
The psychology of caring for talent
Authors: Gyarmathy Éva
Published: June 2010

A tehetség nem egyszerűen a képességek kiemelkedő volta, hanem sajátos attitűd és viszonyulás, amelynek alapja a kiemelkedő teljesítményekhez vezető szokásostól eltérő észlelést és reakciómódot adó különleges idegrendszer. Olyan eltérés, amely gyakran zavaró a társadalom számára, s így beilleszkedési nehézségeket okoz. Ezért tehetségként legtöbbször az „átlag tehetséget” tudjuk azonosítani, akik kiemelkedő képességekkel rendelkeznek, és csak annyira térnek el az átlagtól, amennyit még a környezet tolerálni képes. A zseniális gondolkodók esetében a szokásos eljárások, legyenek azok vizsgálatok, nevelési módszerek vagy szocializációs hatások, kevésbé működnek, mert ezek az átlagosakra vagy közel átlagosakra méretezettek.
Creativity, psychometrics and thinking
Authors: Zétényi Tamás
Published: June 2010

Az előadás áttekintést ad a kreatív képességek mérésének módszereiről és az elmúlt fél évszázadban elért eredményeiről. Beszámol az agyféltekék funkcionális dominanciájának szerepéről a kreativitás vizsgálatában. Összefüggésbe hozza a standard idegrendszeri hálózatokat a gondolkodással. Az újabb kognitív idegtudományi kutatások eredményei alapján választ próbál adni arra a kérdésre, hogy mit csinál az idegrendszer akkor, amikor „nem csinálunk semmit”, és ez hol történik. Példát ad a perceptuális stílus, a személyiségsajátosságok és a kreatív produkció összefüggéséről. Bemutatja, hogy a REM-szakaszt is tartalmazó alvás hogyan „hasznosítja” a kreativitásfeladat megoldását segítő ingereket az ébredés után.
Creativity and psychopathology in the light of novel neurobiological findings
Authors: Kéri Szabolcs
Published: June 2010

Az „őrült zseni” sztereotípiája kultúránkban időről időre felbukkan nemcsak a közgondolkodásban, hanem művészeti alkotások és életrajzi művek témájaként is. Híres egyéniségek történetei töltik el félelemmel vegyes vonzalommal az embereket, ahogy az eminens talentum mellett feltűnik a lelki szenvedés, a másság és a destruktivitás, amely könnyen átlép a józan ésszel megérthető és megmagyarázható határán. Az utóbbi évtizedben a kreativitás és a pszichopatológia kapcsolatának kutatásában jelentős szemléletváltás következett be: a ritka, diagnosztikus címkékkel felruházott esetek boncolgatása helyett a „tünetek” populációs leírása került előtérbe a szkizotípiás, az affektív vagy az autisztikus vonások tekintetében. Ezek a jelenségek a populációban széles skálán mozognak, egymással átfedést mutatva. A kreatív teljesítmény prediktorainak egyre összetettebb statisztikai feltérképezésén túl az új megközelítés lehetővé teszi azt is, hogy mind a funkcionális agyi lokalizáció, mind a genetikai háttér megértésének tekintetében előrelépés történjen.
The measurement of optimism: the psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT–R)
Authors: Bérdi Márk , Köteles Ferenc
Published: June 2010

AScheierésCarver(1985) által kidolgozott Életszemlélet Teszt (Life Orientation Test, LOT) a vonásoptimizmus mérésére leggyakrabban használt mérőeszköz. Az optimizmus (fizikai) egészségre (úm. testi tünetek száma, gyógyulás sebessége, mortalitás és immunfunkciók) vonatkozó prediktív erejét számos vizsgálatban igazolták. A mérőeszköz eredeti (LOT), majd annak átdolgozott (LOT–R) változatát, valamint az optimizmus konstruktumát azonban sok kritika érte és éri a mai napig, amelyek egy része a mérőeszköz faktorszerkezetét, másik része pedig a vonásoptimizmus diszkriminációs validitását, illetve az úgynevezett harmadik változó problémát érinti. A skála és a fogalom, valamint az azokat ért kritikák rövid bemutatása után ismertetjük a LOT–R magyar változatának validitási, reliabilitási adatait és a feltáró és konfirmatív faktorelemzéssel kapott eredményeket. A teszt hazai változatának reliabilitás- és validitásadatai a külföldi eredményekkel összhangban jónak adódtak. A LOT–R faktorszerkezetére vonatkozó eredmények azonban nem támasztják alá egyértelműen a teszt egy- vagy kétfaktoros modelljét.
The influence of improbable options on the confidence of choice
Authors: Móra László Xavér
Published: June 2010

A hétköznapokban számtalanszor kell különböző alternatívák közt választanunk, miközben nem vagyunk biztosak választásunk helyességében. Bizonytalan helyzetben hozott döntéseinket, választásainkat kísérő szubjektív bizonyosságérzetet időnként verbális címkékkel, máskor százalékokkal fejezzük ki: „tuti biztos”, „talán ez a helyes”, 90% stb.). A kalibrációs kutatások azt vizsgálják, hogy ezek a verbális címkék és százalékok mit fejeznek ki, mi a közük az utólagos beváláshoz. Például 100 olyan helyzetből, amely mellett 90%-os magabiztossággal döntöttünk, valóban 90 körül van-e azok száma, amelyek utólag jó döntésnek / ítéletnek bizonyultak. Jelen kutatásomban azt vizsgáltam, hogy olyan opciók, amelyeket könnyen ki tudnak zárni a döntéshozók, hogyan változtatják meg a „versenyben maradó” opciók közti választás magabiztosságát. Általánosnak látszik az a döntési folyamat, hogy a döntéshozók először az irreális opciókat kizárják, majd a többi reálisnak látszó alternatívát mérlegelik. Vizsgálatom alapján elmondható, hogy az irreális opciók nem nehezítik a döntéshozó helyzetét, és ezáltal nem bizonytalanítják el ítéletalkotásában, hanem éppen ellenkezőleg: magabiztosabbá teszik. Vizsgálatom a kalibrációs elméletek egyikének érvényességét támasztja alá: Eredményeim ellentmondanak a normatív döntéselméletnek, a valószínűségi kalibráció alátámasztás-elméletének (support theory), valamint a szubjektív valószínűségekre vonatkozó ökológiai validitás (ecological validity and probabilistic mental models) elméletének, viszont összhangban vannak az optimista felülkalibráltság elméletével.
Towards the integration of the three approaches to nicotine dependence
Authors: Tombor Ildikó , Urbán Róbert
Published: June 2010

Elsődleges célunk a nikotinfüggést motivációs bázison nyugvó, multidimenzionális konstruktumként leképező Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM-68) mérőeszköz (Piper, Piaseckiés munkatársai, 2004) faktorstruktúrájának igazolása volt. A mintát, legalább heti rendszerességgel dohányzó, magyar felsőoktatási intézményekben tanuló hallgatók alkották (N=243; 81% nő, 19% férfi; életkori átlag: 24,4 év, szórás: 6,86). Az adatgyűjtés módja: a dohányzó személyeket egyetemi évfolyam-előadások alkalmával kértük fel a vizsgálatban való részvételre. Mivel a 13 faktoros elméleti faktorstruktúra az elvártnál rosszabb illeszkedést mutatott, elvégeztük a WISDM-68 explorátoros faktorelemzését. Az így létrejött 8 faktoros struktúra belső megbízhatósága kifejezetten jónak mondható, a skálák Cronbach α-értékei meghaladják a 0,7-et. Elemeztük továbbá ezen skálák kapcsolatát a nikotinfüggés fizikai aspektusát mérő Fagerström Nikotin Dependencia Teszttel (FTND), valamint a depresszív tünetekkel (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression: CES-D). A két mérőeszköz konvergens validitására utalnak a WISDM skálák és az FTND összpontszám között lévő mérsékelt korrelációk. A többváltozós lineáris regressziós modell eredményei alapján az FTND pontszámot a WISDM skálák közül aToleranciaés azAutomatizmushatározta meg. Úgy tűnik, hogy ezek lehetnek a WISDM-ben, melyek a nikotinfüggés mögött meghúzódó motiváció, fizikai függésben megnyilvánuló aspektusait mérik. AToleranciaskála a kilélegzett levegő CO-szintjét is magyarázza. A depresszív tünetekkel a WISDMDohányzás mint megküzdésskálája mérsékelten korrelál. Szignifikáns összefüggés van a WISDM skálákon elért pontszám és a dohányzói státusz között. A megfelelő intervenciós módszerek megtervezéséhez ismernünk kell a dohányzás fenntartásában szerepet játszó motivációs tényezőket, az ebben felmerülő egyéni különbségeket. Eredményeink támogatják azt a feltételezést, mely szerint bizonyos motivációs faktorok eltérő fontossággal szerepelnek az alkalmi vagy könnyű dohányosok, illetve az erős dohányosok esetében.
Documenting New York's Bronx River Parkway, USA
Authors: Davis T.
Published: June 2010

New York's Bronx River Parkway was a seminal development in the history of the modern motorway. Conceived in 1906 and completed in 1925, the parkway was the first public project to provide a large-scale demonstration of the essential components of modern motorway design: strict limitations on access and egress, grade-separated interchanges, flowing horizontal and vertical curvature geared toward safe and pleasurable high-speed travel, and a broad publically owned right-of-way for better control of the roadside environment and greater flexibility in alignment and location. The Bronx River Parkway was embraced by the motoring public, hailed by contemporary design professionals, and celebrated by subsequent historians. In recognition of the parkway's significance, the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) conducted a multi-disciplinary documentation project in 2001. HAER produced large-format photographs, a detailed historical report, and measured and interpretive drawings depicting construction details, development processes, and design concepts. The project was part of a larger effort to document historic American roadways including National Park Service park roads and parkways, Columbia River Highway, Merritt Parkway, Taconic State Parkway, and the Arroyo Seco Parkway/Pasadena Freeway. This documentation can serve as a valuable model for future efforts to document and interpret twentieth century motorways and other civil engineering resources.
Preston By-pass: the first motorway in the UK
Authors: Yeadon H. L.
Published: June 2010

The paper outlines the history of motorways from the early part of the twentieth century, when the internal combustion engine revolutionised road transport. In the UK at that time, there was a great deal of interest in the possibility of constructing roads for use only by motor vehicles. However, due to the opposition of railway companies, no action was taken by successive governments, and Italy led the way by opening the first autostrada in 1924. During the 1930s, systems of motorways were developed in Germany and the USA. World War 2 prevented any positive action in the UK, but professional institutions and the Ministry of Transport continued planning UK transport needs for the post-war period. Lancashire County Council had concerns about congestion and the serious accident record of the A6/A49 north–south route through the county. James Drake, appointed County Surveyor and Bridgemaster in 1945, prepared a road plan with priority given to the building of a 62 mile (99 km) long motorway. In the period of financial restraint then prevailing, the project was to be carried forward by constructing a series of by-passes (with Preston By-pass as the first) that could be linked when finance became available. The scheme was included in the Minister's expanded road programme as an ‘experiment’ for all future motorways. Construction began in 1956 and the motorway was opened in December 1958. The ‘experiment’ was an undoubted success and many important lessons were learned.
The M1: Britain's first inter-urban motorway
Authors: Soper R. H.
Published: June 2010

This article explores the origin and concept of motorways in the UK and looks back over half a century to the 1950s when part of the first inter-urban motorway in England, the M1, was designed and built. The paper describes the steps leading to the start of construction, the route and some aspects of the construction, highlighting some of the differences between this early pioneering work and present-day requirements. In particular, progress in survey methods, means of calculation and construction plant is highlighted. The paper also discusses the types of bridges used in this early scheme, the reasons for their choice and the ways in which they contributed to the very rapid construction for such a large project. Some of the ancillary items required to enable the road to be safely used for over 50 years of increasing traffic loads are also described.
Highway design by highwaymen
Authors: McKay C.
Published: June 2010

This paper presents an outline of the style of work in highway design that prevailed after World War II until approximately the mid-1960s – definitely before the days of computers, hand calculators and total-station surveying.
Two pioneering American roadways
Authors: Harshbarger J. P.
Published: June 2010

This paper discusses the historical background and significance of Delaware's DuPont Highway (1908–23) and New Jersey's Route 1 extension (1923–32). Thomas Coleman du Pont envisioned a multi-modal roadway that was far ahead of its time, including the use of bypasses, a concept previously only used by railroads. The Route 1 extension, which was designed by an engineering team led by William G. Sloan of the New Jersey State Highway Commission, featured the innovative use of economic theories and actual traffic studies to guide the design of one of America's first limited-access motorways. It was planned using economic theories of location adapted from railroad practices.
Autostrade: the Italian interwar achievement
Authors: Chrimes M.
Published: June 2010

Italian motorways were the first limited access highways in the world. This paper narrates their development, describes their essential features, and makes some observations on their significance.
Briefing: Energy from municipal solid waste
Authors: Stephens Denis
Published: June 2010

This briefing focuses on the current status of the generation of energy from municipal solid waste in the UK. It provides an introduction to processes for obtaining energy from municipal solid waste, current regulation, health, global warming, international/European practice, UK practice, planning and approvals, and alternative viewpoints.
Sheffield energy recovery facility pre-construction works
Authors: Stephens Denis , Duval Dominique
Published: June 2010

This paper outlines the reasons for the Sheffield energy recovery facility. It provides a description of the SERF and the site, the tendering phases and the arrangements leading to the signing of the contract for detailed design and construction. It should be of interest to those who are engaged in promoting, tendering for and constructing energy recovery projects in which the principal fuel is municipal solid waste.
Sheffield energy recovery facility and district energy network
Authors: Kirkman Richard , Duval Dominique , Stephens Denis
Published: June 2010

This paper provides output data for the first year of operation of the new Sheffield energy recovery facility. It should be of interest to the energy provision community as a whole, but particularly to those promoting, planning, designing, constructing or operating a renewable electricity and heat energy facility utilising non-recyclable, kerbside-collected, municipal solid waste as fuel. An overview of the location of the facility and the extent of the associated district energy network is provided. Details of the fuel, energy output, emissions and operating data are given.
Waste to energy in the UK: policy and institutional issues
Authors: Jamasb Tooraj , Nepal Rabindra , Kiamil Hande
Published: June 2010

A sustainable waste management policy is necessary to manage the growing stream of municipal solid waste in ecologically sustainable ways. Although landfill has been the dominant form of waste management in the UK there is a need to comply with the European Union landfill directive. Waste to energy (WtE) is a viable waste management option to reduce the reliance on landfills and reap the energy benefits of waste. The first waste-fired power plant was built in the UK in 1885 but several barriers have constrained the use of WtE. This paper assesses the policy and institutional context for the development of WtE in the UK. It discusses how public opinion and choice of technology are important factors in achieving a wider acceptance of WtE in the UK. There is a need to devise coordinated policies on sustainable waste management at the regional and local levels. Furthermore, making all WtE technologies eligible for renewable obligation certificates could support the development of the technology and divert waste from landfills. The absence of efficient heat delivery networks is also a barrier to fulfilling the potential for WtE in the UK.
Centrifuge modelling of geogrid reinforced soil walls subjected to pseudo-static loading
Authors: Izawa J , Kuwano J
Published: June 2010

A study on centrifuge modelling of geogrid reinforced soil walls was carried out through centrifuge tilting table tests. Special attention was focused on the effect of the properties of geogrid and backfill material, and the interaction between geogrid and backfill material on the seismic stability of geogrid reinforced soil walls using different types of model geogrids and backfill materials. As a result, it was found that the seismic stability of geogrid reinforced soil walls is highly influenced by the tensile stiffness of the geogrid and the deformation modulus of the backfill material. The geogrid reinforced soil walls collapsed after clear formation of slip lines in the reinforced area due to failure of the backfill material. The effects of disagreements about similitude in this test series on the behaviour of geogrid reinforced soil walls are discussed with results of centrifuge tilting table tests and stability analyses with the two-wedge method. It was found that the pullout resistance at the displacement corresponding to the failure of geogrid reinforced soil walls should be used in the seismic stability analysis rather than the peak pullout resistance.
Pore-pressure generation in cyclic T-bar tests on clayey soil
Authors: Oliveira J R M S , Almeida M S S
Published: June 2010

A model miniature T-bar penetrometer, designed for in-flight applications at the COPPE geotechnical centrifuge in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, comprises a cylindrical crossbar of 15·2 mm diameter and 112·5 mm long, attached at right angles to the end of a vertical shaft. During penetration, the resistance is measured by a sensitive load cell situated at the vertical shaft immediately above the crossbar. Additionally, a set of two Kulite miniature pore-pressure transducers have been inserted inside the cylindrical crossbar, one at each side of the vertical shaft, facing the bottom part of it. This paper presents a set of cyclic T-bar penetration tests carried out on an artificial clayey soil made of 20% bentonite and 80% kaolin. The generated excess pore pressures are measured at both sides of the bar during the penetration cycles, and compared with values found in the literature. The maximum excess pore pressure, as well as the peak soil resistance, show a significant decrease during soil cyclic penetration. The variations in the excess pore pressure due to the cyclic penetration of the T-bar were also monitored using additional pore-pressure transducers, which were fixed at the bottom of the soil layer. The results were compared with the measurements obtained from the pore-pressure transducers located on the cylindrical crossbar.
Punching shear resistance of flat plate connection under monotonic load
Authors: Cho Y.S. , Seo C.J.
Published: June 2010

This research studies the response of flat plate–column connections consisting of various types of shear reinforcement and steel plate subjected to gravity loadings using structural experiments and numerical analysis in tall buildings. The four test specimens were prepared to model the interior bay flat plate slab–column connections in a typical flat plate slab building. The base specimen has no shear reinforcement, and the other specimens have shear stud rails, shear studs with short steel plates under the slab and on the top portion of the column, and shear studs with long steel plates under the slab and on the top portion of the column. The base specimen failed due to punching shear generated from the gravity loading. The three other types of slab shear reinforcement using stud rails, shear studs with short steel plates and shear studs with long steel plates were shown to be efficient in resisting punching shear in the connections under gravity loading. The specimens containing studs with steel plates showed the most ductile behaviour under the gravity loading. The structural behaviour of the four specimens has been tested using the structural experiment and numerical analysis.
An approach for evaluating the residual strength of fire-exposed RC beams
Authors: Kodur V.K.R. , Dwaikat M.B. , Fike R.S.
Published: June 2010

This paper presents an approach for evaluating the residual strength of fire-exposed reinforced (RC) concrete beams. Data from post-fire residual strength tests on three RC beams are presented. Two of the beams were made of high-strength concrete and the third beam was of normal-strength concrete. Results from the tests indicate that RC beams retain most of their room-temperature flexural capacity after exposure to fire. Data from fire tests and numerical studies are utilised to develop a simplified approach for evaluating the post-fire residual strength of RC beams. The validity of the approach is established by comparing residual strength predictions with measured values obtained from the tests. The paper shows that the proposed approach is capable of predicting the residual strength of fire-exposed RC beams with sufficient accuracy for practical applications.
Subcritical crack propagation under cyclic load of concrete structures
Authors: Barpi F. , Valente S.
Published: June 2010

The safety of cracked concrete dams is fundamentally affected by the mechanical behaviour of the material under cyclic loading conditions. In this case the crack can grow at a lower load level compared to the monotonic case. This phenomenon is called subcritical crack propagation and depends on the mechanical behaviour of the fracture process zone. To assess this phenomenon, a number of experimental tests, where the loading process is based on a first monotonic step (stopped before reaching the peak load), followed by a series of cyclic loading phases until collapse, are examined. The results of numerical analyses appear to be in good agreement with the experimental data obtained in the case of wedge splitting tests.
Prediction of strength of interior HSC column–NSC slab joints
Authors: Lee J.-H. , Yoon Y.-S.
Published: June 2010

This study reports on the structural characteristics of column–slab connections using fibre-reinforced high-strength concrete. Compression tests were performed in this study on two column–slab and two isolated column specimens. For the tests on the column–slab specimens, vertical slab loading was applied to simulate realistic conditions at the column–slab joint. The main parameter investigated was the use of ‘puddled' fibre-reinforced high-strength concrete. This paper also investigates the behaviour of isolated column specimens, without the surrounding slab, to study the transmission of axial loads from the high-strength concrete columns through the column–slab connections. The beneficial effects of the puddled fibre-reinforced high-strength concrete on the transmission of column loads through column–slab connections are demonstrated. In addition, the highly reliable prediction model of the effective concrete compressive strength for interior columns is proposed using an analogy of brick and mortar in brick masonry. The proposed prediction model is verified by comparison with experimental results and various prediction expressions.
Recycled aggregates in concrete: a performance-related approach
Authors: Paine K.A. , Dhir R.K.
Published: June 2010

The relative proportions of the three main constituents within recycled aggregates (unbound stone, crushed concrete and crushed brick) can vary widely and it is generally assumed that, as a result, the performance of concrete containing recycled aggregates can vary significantly. Thus, in order to ensure satisfactory concrete performance, specifications are strict on the composition of recycled aggregates that may be used. However, research has shown that it is possible in many circumstances to use recycled aggregates satisfactorily that do not meet the current specifications in BS 8500-2. A proposed approach, which may encourage wider use of recycled aggregates and promote sustainability, is to base the selection of recycled aggregates on performance-related characteristics that relate the properties of recycled aggregates to concrete performance across the whole range of recycled aggregate quality, independent of constituents and source. To develop this performance-related approach, concrete mixes were cast and tested using combinations of unbound stone, crushed concretes and crushed bricks. From the results, three classes of recycled aggregates have been derived based on Los Angeles coefficient, aggregate absorption, density and drying shrinkage of the combined coarse aggregate. The concept is that the highest quality recycled aggregates will be suitable for high-performance applications, meeting the relevant standards and specifications, while the two lower classes will be more appropriate for lower performance applications. Given this approach, material that is currently not fully specified for use in BS 8500 may be classified and considered for relevant applications. This should remove the main technical barrier that is preventing the uptake of recycled aggregates in concrete, and lead to greater confidence in specifying and using recycled aggregates.
Modular design for high-rise buildings
Authors: Lawson R. M. , Richards J.
Published: June 2010

Modular construction is widely used for residential buildings of four to eight storeys and there is pressure to extend this relatively new form of construction to 12 storeys or more. This paper reviews recent modular technologies, and also presents load tests and the analysis of light steel modular walls in compression. A design method for high-rise modular applications is presented taking account of second-order effects and installation tolerances. For the modular walls tested, it was found that the plasterboard and external sheathing boards effectively prevent minor axis buckling of the C sections, so that failure occurred either by major axis buckling or local crushing of the section. In all cases, the results of the tests on 75 mm and 100 mm deep × 1·6 mm thick C sections exceeded the design resistance to BS 5950-5 by 10 to 40%. However, an eccentricity of 20 mm in load application reduced the failure load by 18 to 36% owing to local crushing of the C section. Tension tests on typical connections between the modules and corridors gave a failure load of 40 kN, which is adequate to transfer wind forces to a braced core and also to provide tying action in the event of loss of support to one corner of a module. Corner posts provide enhanced compression resistance but their buckling resistance is dependent on the sway stiffness of the wall panel. It is also shown that the notional horizontal force approach for steel structures presented in BS 5950-1 should be increased for modular construction.
Moment redistribution in reinforced concrete beams
Authors: Oehlers D. J. , Haskett M. , Ali M. S. Mohamed , Griffith M. C.
Published: June 2010

Structural engineers have long recognised the importance of ductility in the design of reinforced concrete structures and, as a consequence, the importance of the ability of a reinforced concrete member to redistribute moment to give prior warning of failure, adjust the structural response to allow for variations in applied load and column drift, and to absorb energy during earthquake, blast and other dynamic loadings. Quantifying the ability of a member to redistribute moment, which at first sight appears to be a relatively simple problem, has been difficult and the problem is still unresolved as can be seen by the very wide range of permissible moment redistribution values in national standards. In this paper, established techniques of shear friction, partial interaction and rigid body displacement are combined to develop a novel structural mechanics based mathematical model for moment redistribution that can be applied to any member with any material property such as the use of brittle reinforcement.
Shear strength of reinforced concrete slender beams
Authors: Arslan G.
Published: June 2010

During the last four decades many equations have been proposed to estimate the shear strength of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. However, in terms of accuracy and uniformity of the prediction, there is considerable diversity between existing test results and concrete design code requirements and researchers' predictions. In this study, by considering the size effect of RC slender beams without stirrups, a new design expression is proposed for cracking shear strength. The proposed equation and also other eight different code requirements and researchers' predictions are compared with the test results of 249 beams without stirrups. It is found that the proposed equation shows good agreement with regard to existing test results. Thus, the proposed equation is used for the resistance of concrete to obtain the shear strength of RC slender beams with stirrups. The proposed equation is verified by comparing the results of the existing 248 shear tests carried out with RC slender beams with stirrups covering a wide range of beam properties and test methods.
Hydrodynamic modelling in support of flash flood warning
Authors: Cao Z. , Wang X. , Pender G. , Zhang S.
Published: June 2010

A new approach is proposed to determine the distributed threshold rainfall for flash flooding to support practical flood warning. It is built upon a two-dimensional full hydrodynamic model incorporating rainfall, infiltration loss and boundary resistance. Numerical solution of the governing equations of the model is achieved under an operator-splitting framework, the second-order total-variation-diminishing version of the weighted-average-flux method along with the Harten-Lax–van Leer contact wave (HLLC) approximate Riemann solver for the homogeneous equations, and a Runge–Kutta scheme for the ordinary differential equations of the source terms. The applicability of the new approach is demonstrated as applied to real flash flooding-prone areas in Hunan Province, China. The threshold rainfall for flash flooding, resulting from rainfall of durations from 1 h to 6 h, is found to be locally less than 100 mm or even 50 mm. This means a high risk of flash flooding in the local areas, and therefore effective measures are necessary to avoid loss of property and life. The present work should find general application in support of practical flash flood warning in catchments with the necessary topography and soil and geological data available.
Solar radiation estimation in ungauged catchments
Authors: Shamim M. A. , Remesan R. , Han D. , Ghumman A. R.
Published: June 2010

Modelling in ungauged catchments has always been a complicated issue due to scarcity of the requisite data. Therefore, hydrologists have to rely on indirect techniques of estimation. A novel approach is hereby presented for solar radiation estimation in ungauged catchments using readily available datasets of temperature and precipitation. The rationale is that the extraterrestrial radiation is attenuated not only by different atmospheric processes but also by weather phenomena. A comparison of four clear sky radiation models was made and the best model output together with temperature and precipitation data was analysed using the gamma test for best input combination and data length selection. This led to the development of a non-linear artificial neural network model for solar radiation estimation. Results show a good correlation between the observed and estimated values, depicting the usefulness of gamma test in model development. The study is novel in the sense that this is the first time the gamma test has been used for hourly solar radiation estimation in ungauged catchments and hence extends their solar radiation records. Moreover, the regionalisation of the proposed model to other catchments would also aid solar radiation estimation in such catchments.