bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Composition-induced phase transition in a [Ag2HgI4:0.2AgI] mixed composite system doped with CuI
Authors: Noorussaba  , Ahmad Afaq
Published: August 2010

A novel composite superionic system, [Ag2HgI4:0.2AgI]:xCuI, (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 mol. wt.%), was prepared and [Ag2HgI4:0.2AgI] mixed system was used as the host. Electrical conductivity was measured to study the transition behavior at frequencies of 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 1 kHz, and 10 kHz in the temperature range 90°–170°C by a Gen Rad 1659 RLC Digibridge. Sharp increase in conductivity was observed for β-α phase transitions. As a result of increase in the dopant-to-host ratio, the conductivity of the system exhibited Arrhenius (thermally activated)-type behavior. X-ray powder diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) studies confirmed the doping effect on the transition in the host, the phase transition temperature increased with an increase in the dopant concentration. Activation energies for the system in eV both for the pretransition and post-transition phase transformations are reported. The addition of CuI to [Ag2HgI4:0.2AgI] shifted the phase transition of the host [Ag2HgI4:0.2AgI], due to an interaction between [Ag2HgI4:0.2AgI] and CuI.
Carotid Endarterectomies in Latvia
Authors: Ivanova Patricija , Kikule Ilga , Krievins Dainis , Zvirgzdins Vitalijs , Lietuvietis Edvins , Thor Svetlana , Sprudzans Gatis
Published: August 2010

Carotid Endarterectomies in Latvia

Introduction. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a treatment of choice for significant carotid stenosis, and it has an important role in stroke prophylaxis, that is proved in many trials all over the world. Aim of the study. To evaluate preoperative diagnostic methods, risk factors and co-morbidities, operation results for patients undergoing CEA in Latvia. To analyze used anaesthasia and operation technique in CEA in Latvia. To reflect carotid endarterecomy results that depends from chosen operation technique. Materials and methods. 317 patients were included in the retrospective study from January 1st till December 31st, 2008. Patient charts were evaluated for information about history of disease and other comorbidities, preoperative investigation, operation and early postoperative period followed by protocol. All patients were divided into three groups depending on type of endarterectomy (CEA with primary suture, with patch or eversion CEA). Results. In 59% cases carotid disease were asymptomatic. Computer tomography angiography (CTA) and duplex ultrasound were the most common diagnostic methods to evaluate carotid stenosis. 339 carotid endarterectomies were performed, where CEA with primary suture was used in 56.2% of cases (group 1). There were no significant diferences in patient atherosclerotic risks factors, comorbidities, preoperative investigation methods, time of surgery and complications rate between the groups. Conclusions. In Latvia carotid endarterectomy is carried out mostly in classical conventional tecniques and arteriotomy is being closed with a primary suture.
Clinical, Radiographic and Pathohistological Outcomes of Hydroxyapatite (HAp) Ceramics and Dental Implants in Atrophic Posterior Maxilla
Authors: Salms Girts , Skagers Andrejs , Zigurs Guntis , Locs Janis , Berzina-Cimdina Liga , Feldmane Laila
Published: August 2010

Clinical, Radiographic and Pathohistological Outcomes of Hydroxyapatite (HAp) Ceramics and Dental Implants in Atrophic Posterior Maxilla

Introduction. Implant based prosthodontic rehabilitation of patients with atrophic edentulous posterior maxilla has necessity in reinforcement of alveolar bone using different bone substitutes. It is important to evaluate late outcomes in integration of synthetic HAp as biomaterial in chemical composition close to main natural bone mineral component in elevated maxillary sinus floor and osseointegration of dental implants. Aim of the study. To evaluate clinical and radiological outcomes of one stage maxillary sinus floor augmentation with synthetic HAp granules and dental implant insertion, mineralization degree of residual bone and augmented sinus part, morphological analysis of biopsies from HAp/host tissue hybrid and residual alveolar bone was performed. Materials and methods. One stage maxillary sinus floor elevation with synthetic HAp granules and 147 SEMADOS (BEGO) dental implant insertions in 70 patients were included in this study. Clinical and radiograph analyzes by dental X-rays, digital orthopantomogramms, quantitative radiodensitometry after 3 and 5 years was done. Trephine biopsies of residual alveolar bone and elevated part of maxillary sinus 6 months after implantation was done in 30 cases. Results. During this period 6 implants (4.2%) were lost. We found the decrease of radiodensity in HAp augmentated maxillary sinus area and increase of radiodensity in the area of residual alveolar bone. In biopsies after 6 months biomaterial/host tissue hybrid consisted of small bone trabecules, fibrous tissue and granules of irregular shape without inflammatory cells. Slow degradation of HAp granules by activity of osteoclast like macrophages was observed. Conclusions. Osseointegration was lost in 4.2% of inserted in augmented maxillary sinus implants. Radiodensitometry showed decrease of optical density in augmented sinus part and increase in residual alveolar bone. In biopsies of host tissue/biomaterial hybrid was bone newformation, connective tissue and biodegradation of HAp granules by osteoclast like cells.
Primary Cardiac Tumours in Infancy and Youth in the Small Population: a Seven Year Review
Authors: Elina Teivane , Vita Zidere , Aris Lacis
Published: August 2010

Primary Cardiac Tumours in Infancy and Youth in the Small Population: a Seven Year Review

Introduction. Primary tumours of the heart are rare in fetuses, neonates and children; the incidence varies from 0.003% - 0.08% (4, 6, 9, 10) up to 0.2% in children referred for cardiac examination (3, 15). Rhabdomyoma is the most common cardiac tumour during fetal life (60-75%). Teratoma is less common (14 to 19%) with fibroma, myxoma, hemangioma also being described (3, 4, 6, 10, 16, and 18). Multiple rhabdomyomas are associated with tuberous sclerosis in up to 90-95% of cases (3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, and 16). No previous study was done on this topic in Latvia so our aim was to determine the incidence, the course and the outcome of primary cardiac tumours in children in our small population. Aim of the study. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence of primary cardiac tumours in our paediatric population, to investigate the nature of the pathology, the course and the outcome of the disease in childhood in Latvia and to compare our results with data from the international literature. Materials and methods. We reviewed retrospectively the clinical, echocardiographic, operative, histological and follow-up data on 17 cases of a primary heart tumours detected within the period of January 1, 2000 till December 31, 2006 in the Clinic for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the University Children's Hospital in Riga, Latvia. Results. the incidence of primary heart tumours in the paediatric population in Latvia is 2.4+/-1.4 cases per year. 94% (16) of the primary cardiac tumours in children were benign and 6% (1) malignant. Radical excision performed in all 7 cases of surgical treatment. Rhabdomyomas comprise 47% (n=8) of all the benign tumours with tuberous sclerosis present in 88% of the cases. Conclusions. Most primary cardiac fetal tumours tend to appear in the third trimester of pregnancy, a normal early fetal scan might not rule out cardiac tumours. Relatively often (29% of the cases) the cardiac tumours were an incidental finding. The localization, number and visual appearance of the tumours in echocardiography was indicative of the type of tumour. 41% of the patients with primary cardiac tumours were in need of urgent surgical treatment. Almost all benign primary cardiac tumours were not the cause of death and with the exception of tuberous sclerosis there is good overall prognosis, in the case of malignant primary cardiac tumour the prognosis is poor.
The New Injury Severity Score: Availability in E valuation of Severity of Polytrauma Patients with Orthopaedic Injuries
Authors: Jakusonoka Ruta , Jumtins Andris , Pavare Zane
Published: August 2010

The New Injury Severity Score: Availability in E valuation of Severity of Polytrauma Patients with Orthopaedic Injuries

Significant number of patients with multiple injuries are registered every year in Latvia. In 2009 during seven months 298 patients with multiple trauma are registered. In the most of the cases cause of multiple injuries are road accidents (Health Statistics and Medical Technologies State Agency, Latvia). Using of the simple modification of the Injury Severity Score (ISS) - the New Injury Severity Score (NISS) - makes possibility to better assess the patients with multiple injuries, particularly patients with orthopaedic injuries, predict resources for treatment, the outcome and functional results.
Local Anaesthetics: What Can We Expect More than Pain Relief?
Authors: Golubovska Iveta , Studers Peteris , Vanags Indulis
Published: August 2010

Local Anaesthetics: What Can We Expect More than Pain Relief?

This problem - solving article considers positive and negative non-analgesic actions of local anaesthetics, which may play a significant role in patient morbidity and mortality. Direct impact on inflammatory and immune substances and cells leads to antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating and systemic functions of numerous local anaesthetics. Local anaesthetics used perioperatively locally in continuous infusions or in systemic circulation reach and maintain safe and effective rates, but myotoxic and tissue growth inhibiting effect should be taken in account.
Teenager with Rosette-Forming Glioneural Tumour of the Fourth Ventricle: Case Study of a Rare Tumour
Authors: Apskalne Daina , Bicans Karlis , Gavrilins Dmitrijs
Published: August 2010

Teenager with Rosette-Forming Glioneural Tumour of the Fourth Ventricle: Case Study of a Rare Tumour

We report the case of uncommon rare tumour of the fourth ventricle in young person. This diagnosis is included to WHO classification only in 2007. Tumour was identified by the MR imaging, later on surgically removed with post-operative MRI control scan. Diagnosis-rosette-forming tumour of the fourth ventricle- was confirmed both morphologically and immunohistochemically.
Congenital Long QT Syndrome in an Infant
Authors: Lacis Aris , Lace Inga , Teivane Elina , Knauere Vita , Lubaua Inguna , Bergmane Inta , Ozolins Valts , Smits Lauris , Sikora Normunds
Published: August 2010

Congenital Long QT Syndrome in an Infant

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder of myocardial repolarization characterized by prolonged QT interval on ECG with prevalence close to 1/3000-1/5000. LQTS is characterized by the occurrence of syncopal episodes due to torsades de pointes ventricular tachycardia (VT) and by a high risk for sudden cardiac death among untreated patients (1, 2, 3). In 12% of patients with LQTS, sudden death is the first manifestation of the disease and only in 4% this happens in the first year of life (2). There is consensus that all symptomatic children with LQTS should be treated with β-blockers which are effective in preventing cardiac events and reducing mortality in 70%, but do not protect patients from sudden death completely (1,2,3,4). The prognosis is poor in untreated patients with annual mortality 20% and 10 year mortality up to 50% (1, 2). Here we present a case of relatively rare congenital heart rhythm disorders in an infant which required immediate treatment.
Patient Education Based on Principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for a Patient With Persistent Low Back Pain: A Case Report
Authors: Rundell Sean D. , Davenport Todd E.
Published: August 2010

Study Design

Case report.

Background

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective intervention for patients with persistent pain. Recent research indicates that physical therapists self-perceive a lack of knowledge, skills, and time to provide this intervention. The purpose of this case report is to describe how specific CBT strategies can be integrated with multimodal physical therapist management of a patient with persistent low back pain.

Case Description

The patient was a 70-year-old female with activity limitations of walking, standing, and forward bending. Oswestry Disability Questionnaire score was 19/50 and Fear-Avoidance Belief Questionnaire physical activity subscale was 23/24. The Low Back Activity Confidence Scale revealed 19%, 100%, and 84% for function, symptom self-regulation, and exercise, respectively. CBT-based patient education was provided in combination with manual therapy and exercise. CBT techniques included cognitive restructuring, goal setting, activity pacing, problem-solving strategies, graded exposure, encouraging exposure to pleasant experiences, and maintenance strategies.

Outcomes

The patient was discharged after 7 visits distributed over 21 weeks. Her Oswestry Disability Questionnaire score was reduced 10% and Fear-Avoidance Belief Questionnaire physical activity subscale score reduced 48%. On the Low Back Activity Confidence Scale the patient's scores were 19%, 87%, and 94% for function, symptom self-regulation, and exercise, respectively.

Discussion

This case report describes the use of CBT techniques during patient education by a physical therapist. The patient demonstrated clinically measurable and significant improvements in disability. Improvements in both self-efficacy beliefs related to exercise and activity avoidance beliefs were associated with improvement in disability. Additional research is needed to determine best practices for CBT-based patient education by physical therapists.

Level of Evidence

Therapy, level 4. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2010;40(8):494–501. doi:10.2519/jospt.2010.3264
Changes in brain FDG metabolism induced by acupuncture in healthy volunteers
Authors: Park Moon-Seo , Sunwoo Yun-Young , Jang Kyung-Sool , Han Young-Min , Kim Min-Wook , Maeng Lee-So , Hong Yeon-Pyo , O Joo-Hyun , Chung Yong-An
Published: August 2010

Background: With the aid of newly developed functional brain imaging studies, studies are ongoing to see if acupuncture first acts on specific brain areas to induce effects on the human body.

Purpose: To examine if stimulation at specific acupuncture points changes brain glucose metabolism patterns, including the limbic system and specific brain areas related to the acupuncture effect in healthy volunteers using fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT).

Material and Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers (11 men and 9 women; mean age 49.1±7.3 years, age range 35–62 years) were included. Two sets of PET/CT scans were obtained from each volunteer, with and without stimulation by acupuncture. Two classic acupoints, LR3 (liver meridian) and ST44 (stomach meridian) were tested at the same time, using disposable sterile stainless steel needles. After initial acupuncture, the needle was kept in place without further stimulation. FDG-PET/CT scan of the brain began 45 min after FDG injection (185–222 MBq).

Results: After stimulation of LR3 and ST44 by acupuncture, glucose metabolism in the brain was increased in the left insula (BA 13), bilateral thalami, superior frontal region of the right frontal lobe, and the inferior frontal region of left frontal lobe compared with baseline. On the other hand, glucose metabolism was decreased after acupuncture in the cingulate and parahippocampal (BA 36) regions of the left limbic lobe.

Conclusion: Changes of glucose metabolism in specific brain areas following stimulation by acupuncture on LR3 and ST44 were documented using FDG-PET/CT.
Variations of the ulnar nerve in guyon's canal: in vivo demonstration using ultrasound and 3 T MRI
Authors: Niitsu Mamoru , Kokubo Naomi , Nojima Shoko
Published: August 2010

Background: The clinical importance of Guyon's canal is emphasized due to the various branching patterns of the ulnar nerve. So far, the arborization pattern of the ulnar nerve in Guyon's canal has been investigated mostly by cadaveric studies.

Purpose: To demonstrate anatomic variations of the ulnar nerve in Guyon's canal in vivo by using high definition ultrasound (US) and 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Material and Methods: US imaging and 3 T MRI with an 8-channel coil was applied to 30 hands of 15 volunteers. The main trunk and the branched superficial and deep ulnar nerves, including neural bifurcation or trifurcation, were recognized on US and confirmed by 3 T MR images. The ulnar artery and vein and its branches were traced on color Doppler US and also visualized by MRI. The branching pattern of the ulnar nerve was determined from the inlet to the outlet of Guyon's canal.

Results: Of 30 hands, 21 (70%) revealed bifurcation and 9 (30%) had trifurcation branching pattern of the ulnar nerve. In 16 hands (54%), imaging demonstrated that a single nerve entered the canal and divided into two trunks, one superficial and one deep, then exited the canal. The bifurcation occurred predominantly just after entering the canal inlet. The typical trifurcation pattern indicated that a single trunk entered the canal and divided into two, then one of the two bifurcated, producing a trifurcated pattern with two superficial and one deep bundle. Of 15 participants, symmetrical branching of bilateral hands was identified in 4 cases (27%), whereas 11 (73%) had asymmetrical branching.

Conclusion: US and 3 T MRI readily delineated the branching pattern of the ulnar nerve in Guyon's canal in vivo. Morphological understanding about this neural branching can be informative in presurgical planning and also in diagnosis.
Application of breast MRI for prediction of lymph node metastases – systematic approach using 17 individual descriptors and a dedicated decision tree
Authors: Dietzel Matthias , Baltzer Pascal A. T. , Vag Tibor , Gröschel Tobias , Gajda Mieczyslaw , Camara Oumar , Kaiser Werner A.
Published: August 2010

Background: The presence of lymph node metastases (LNMs) is one of the most important prognostic factors in breast cancer.

Purpose: To correlate a detailed catalog of 17 descriptors in breast MRI (bMRI) with the presence of LNMs and to identify useful combinations of such descriptors for the prediction of LNMs using a dedicated decision tree.

Material and Methods: A standardized protocol and study design was applied in this IRB-approved study (T1-weighted FLASH; 0.1 mmol/kg body weight Gd-DTPA; T2-weighted TSE; histological verification after bMRI). Two experienced radiologists performed prospective evaluation of the previously acquired examination in consensus. In every lesion 17 previously published descriptors were assessed. Subgroups of primary breast cancers with (N+: 97) and without LNM were created (N−: 253). The prevalence and diagnostic accuracy of each descriptor were correlated with the presence of LNM (chi-square test; diagnostic odds ratio/DOR). To identify useful combinations of descriptors for the prediction of LNM a chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision tree was applied.

Results: Seven of 17 descriptors were significantly associated with LNMs. The most accurate were “Skin thickening” ( P < 0.001; DOR 5.9) and “Internal enhancement” ( P < 0.001; DOR ≤13.7). The CHAID decision tree identified useful combinations of descriptors: “Skin thickening” plus “Destruction of nipple line” raised the probability of N+ by 40% ( P< 0.05). In case of absence of “Skin thickening”, “Edema”, and “Irregular margins”, the likelihood of N+ was 0% ( P<0.05).

Conclusion: Our data demonstrate the close association of selected breast MRI descriptors with nodal status. If present, such descriptors can be used – as stand alone or in combination – to accurately predict LNM and to stratify the patient's prognosis.
Impact on image quality and radiation exposure in coronary CT angiography: 100 kVp versus 120 kVp
Authors: Ripsweden Jonaz , Brismar Torkel B. , Holm Jon , Melinder Annika , Mir-Akbari Habib , Nilsson Tage , Nyman Ulf , Rasmussen Elsbeth , Rück Andreas , Cederlund Kerstin
Published: August 2010

Background: The risk of radiation-induced cancer has become a major concern with the increasing use of computed tomography (CT).

Purpose: To compare image quality and radiation doses when decreasing X-ray tube peak kilovoltage (kVp) from 120 to 100 kVp in patients undergoing coronary CT angiography (CCTA).

Material and Methods: Patients referred for evaluation of suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent 64-channel detector CCTA using a tube voltage of either 120 kVp ( n = 46) or 100 kVp ( n = 82). The individual volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were recorded and effective radiation dose was estimated on the basis of DLP. Subjective image quality was assessed by two radiologists on per-patient based consensus. Vascular density and image noise were quantified in the left main coronary artery (LMCA) and proximal ascending aorta (AA). Mean density in the adjacent perivascular tissue was also quantified. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was calculated. Corresponding invasive coronary angiography (ICA) was performed, which constituted the gold standard.

Results: Mean values in the 100/120 kVp cohorts regarding CNR in the LMCA were 12.7/16.0 ( P<0.0001)) and in the AA 13.2/17.2 ( P<0.0001), CTDIvol 34.4/57.4 mGy (a 40% reduction, P<0.0001), DLP 578/1125 mGy × cm ( P<0.0001), and estimated effective dose 9.6/20.2 mSv ( P<0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in subjective image quality between the two cohorts. The sensitivity to detect significant coronary stenoses was 88% (120 kVp) and 84% (100 kVp) and the specificity was 71% (120 kVp) and 74% (100 kVp), respectively.

Conclusion: By reduction of tube voltage from 120 to 100 kVp at CCTA, while keeping all other scanning parameters unchanged, the radiation dose to the patient can be almost halved while keeping the diagnostic image quality at a clinically acceptable level.
Care for the ‘Racially Careless’: Indian Hospitals in the Canadian West, 1920–1950s
Authors: Lux Maureen K.
Published: August 2010

Abstract:

In the 1930s, sanatorium directors and medical bureaucrats warned of the threat to Canadian society of ‘Indian tuberculosis.’ Long-standing government policy aimed to isolate Aboriginal people on reserves and in residential schools, while their access to medical care was limited by government parsimony and community prejudice. Characterized as ‘racially careless’ concerning their own health, Aboriginal bodies were seen as a menace to their neighbours and a danger to the nation. By the 1940s state-run racially segregated Indian hospitals institutionalized Aboriginal people who were not welcome in provincial sanatoria or in the modernizing community hospitals. The opening of the Charles Camsell Indian Hospital in Edmonton in 1946, one of the first acts of the newly created department of National Health and Welfare, was a very public demonstration of the state's commitment to define and promote ‘national health’ by isolating and institutionalizing Aboriginal people.
Sergeant Masumi Mitsui and the Japanese Canadian War Memorial: Intersections of National, Cultural, and Personal Memory
Authors: Dick Lyle
Published: August 2010

Abstract:

For much of the twentieth century, military commemoration operated in a context of pan-Canadian remembrance. This emphasis overlooked the groups outside the mainstream that pursued their own goals through military service and commemoration, which sometimes differed from and challenged the hegemony of national collective memory. A case in point is the Japanese Canadian War Memorial in Vancouver and its intersections with the military service of Masumi Mitsui and other Japanese-Canadian soldiers of the First World War. After the war, the Japanese-Canadian veterans fought for the right to vote in provincial elections, which they eventually secured in 1931, thereby becoming the first Asian Canadians to attain the franchise in British Columbia. The veterans' wartime service could not prevent anti-Japanese-Canadian sentiment before and during the Second World War, leading to the seizure of their properties and their forced removal from the coast. The article foregrounds Mitsui's return to Vancouver in 1985 as the honoured guest in a ceremony to relight the lantern at the Japanese Canadian War Memorial. Drawing on insights of the philosopher of history Walter Benjamin, this history is approached in light of Benjamin's account of storytelling traditions and the ‘now-time’ of historical agency.
War's Long Shadow: Masculinity, Medicine, and the Gendered Politics of Trauma, 1914–1939
Authors: Humphries Mark
Published: August 2010

Abstract:

War is an inherently traumatizing experience, and during the First World War more than 15,000 Canadian soldiers were diagnosed with some form of war-related psychological wounds. Many more went unrecognized. Yet the very act of seeking an escape from the battlefield or applying for a postwar pension for psychological traumas transgressed masculine norms that required men to be aggressive, self-reliant, and un-emotional. Using newly available archival records, contemporary medical periodicals, doctors' notes, and patient interview transcripts, this paper examines two crises that arose from this conflict between idealized masculinity and the emotional reality of war trauma. The first came on the battlefield in 1916 when, in some cases, almost half the soldiers evacuated from the front were said to be suffering from emotional breakdowns. The second came later, during the Great Depression, when a significant number of veterans began to seek compensation for their psychological injuries. In both crises, doctors working in the service of the state constructed trauma as evidence of deviance, in order to parry a larger challenge to masculine ideals. In creating this link between war trauma and deviance, they reinforced a residual conception of welfare that used tests of morals and means to determine who was deserving or undeserving of state assistance. At a time when the Canadian welfare state was being transformed in response to the needs of veterans and their families, doctors' denial that ‘real men’ could legitimately exhibit psychosomatic symptoms in combat meant that thousands of legitimately traumatized veterans were left uncompensated by the state and were constructed as inferior, feminized men.
Implementation of Level-of-Service Component for Performance-Based Road Maintenance Contracts
Authors: Ozbek Mehmet E. , de la Garza Jesus M. , Piñero Juan C.
Published: August 2010

In the performance-based road maintenance setting, the contractor is given the responsibility and flexibility to maintain the roadway system's assets using innovative approaches. Increased control of the contractor and innovative techniques implemented by the contractor should yield a product with a predefined quality. This can be ensured by implementing a systematic performance measurement system composed of performance criteria, performance targets, and protocols for taking the measurements necessary to determine whether the contractor meets such criteria and targets. This performance measurement system should produce appropriate and user-friendly reports that can effectively communicate the results to stakeholders, such as the transportation agency, the contractor, and the traveling public. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has been using a systematic and comprehensive framework to measure the performance of its performance-based road maintenance contractors and to communicate the results effectively to stakeholders. The steps for implementation of the level-of-service effectiveness component of such a framework are presented to illustrate to transportation agencies how the framework works. Although the framework was developed and implemented for VDOT, it can be adopted by any other transportation agency and adapted to meet that agency's own needs.
Equipment Replacement at Departments of Transportation: Prioritization Measures, Software Tools, and Supplementary Data
Authors: Kriett Phillip O. , Mbugua Wilson N. , Kim David S. , Porter J. David
Published: August 2010

In the United States, individual state departments of transportation (DOTs) maintain large fleets of equipment. An important and difficult challenge of managing such a large amount of equipment is deciding when and what equipment to replace. For example, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Fleet Services manages a fleet that in 2008 included approximately 5,000 pieces of active equipment worth $340 to $390 million. Every two years, a fixed budget is available to replace a certain amount of this equipment. ODOT follows a decentralized approach for managing equipment in its fleet by assigning equipment to maintenance crews throughout the state. This project had three main objectives related to improving DOT equipment replacement decisions and processes. The first was to evaluate various measures (computed from available equipment data) that could be used to establish equipment replacement priorities. The second was to modernize and update a software tool used to compute equipment replacement priority rankings and to help manage the equipment replacement process. The third was to design an electronic system that could be used by equipment crews throughout the state to input qualitative equipment data based on actual use of specific equipment. Using simulation, a designed experiment was conducted, and results indicated that replacing the oldest equipment first minimized total costs over time. Additionally, a software tool was developed for ODOT Fleet Services to facilitate equipment replacement decisions, and an electronic process was designed to collect maintenance crew equipment knowledge for future integration into the equipment replacement model.
Matter Element Analysis for Optimal Timing and Preventive Maintenance of Pavements
Authors: Li Qiang , She Xiaohong , Wang Kelvin C. P. , Hall Kevin D.
Published: August 2010

Selecting the appropriate pavement preventive maintenance treatment, together with determining the optimal timing of its placement, is critical to lowering agency costs effectively and improving pavement performance. The objective is to develop a methodology for treatment selection and its optimal timing based on matter element analysis (MEA). MEA methodology aims to solve problems with contradictions, and incompatibilities and pavement preventive maintenance decision making fit into this domain. Using data sets consisting of Specific Pavement Study-3 pavement sections from the Long-Term Pavement Performance database, statistical performance deterioration models for the do-nothing and posttreatment scenarios for four typical preventive treatments (chip seal, slurry seal, crack seal, and thin overlay) are developed. The models capture variations in environment, traffic level, structural condition, and pavement age. The performance indicators are the international roughness index, rutting, and friction number. The posttreatment benefit for each individual indicator and the cost of the treatment are calculated at multiple trial timing scenarios. Integrating the calculated costs and benefits in the MEA as a matter element, the optimal timing for each treatment is determined on the basis of the correlation degree of the matter elements. Consequently, the corresponding benefits and costs at the optimal timing scenarios constitute another matter element. Following the same matter element–based transformation procedure, the appropriate maintenance treatment is selected. A case study is presented to illustrate the proposed procedure. The proposed methodology should be useful both to agencies that already have a preventive maintenance program and to those considering implementation of such a program.
Pavement Preservation: Performance Goal and Its Implications
Authors: Zhang Zhanmin , Jaipuria Sunny , Murphy Michael R. , Sims Tammy , Garza Toribio
Published: August 2010

Preserving the asset value of existing pavement infrastructure requires resources to perform maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) work on the pavement network. The amount of resources required is contingent on the expected level of condition of the pavement network, or the performance goal. A lower performance goal helps reduce the needs for M&R; it will also result in an increase in other costs, such as vehicle operating costs and deferred maintenance costs incurred from losing pavements that were eligible for less expensive treatment options, for example, preventive maintenance. Making an informed decision in setting an appropriate performance goal has always been a challenge to highway engineers and administrators because of the lack of a systematic procedure. A methodological framework is proposed as a rational tool for evaluating the effect of different performance goals on a highway agency's network needs and examining the goals’ implications for overall costs and benefits. This framework is based on a comprehensive consideration of the M&R needs, vehicle operation costs, and deferred maintenance costs incurred during the analysis period. With a comparison of the long-term effects of an agency's performance goals, the benefits of adopting a particular performance goal can be demonstrated. In a case study of the proposed methodological framework, three performance goals were examined for the highway network managed by the Texas Department of Transportation. Conclusions and recommendations drawn from this study are presented.
Optimal Distribution of Rolling Coverage in Multiple Chip Seals
Authors: Lee Jaejun , Kim Y. Richard
Published: August 2010

A study investigated the optimal rolling coverage distribution of different layers of multiple chip seals (double and triple seals). The chip seal samples were fabricated in the field for laboratory testing. The chip seal sections were constructed with the use of two different rolling distributions per seal type (double and triple seals) with no rolling or one rolling for the bottom layer. A 5-ton pneumatic tire roller was used to fabricate these samples in the field. The double seals were composed of granite 78M aggregate for the bottom layer and lightweight aggregate for the top layer. The triple seals were constructed with granite 78M aggregate for both the bottom and middle layers and lightweight aggregate for the top layer using CRS-2 emulsion. The aggregate retention performance was evaluated by the flip-over test, the Vialit test, and the third-scale model mobile loading simulator. It was found that the double seal clearly required rolling for the bottom layer, and the triple seal did not; therefore, the rolling operation may be eliminated for the bottom layer of the triple seal.
Evaluation of Performance and Cost-Effectiveness of Polymer-Modified Chip Seals
Authors: Lee Jaejun , Kim Y. Richard
Published: August 2010

Chip seals provide a durable and functional pavement surface and serve as a highly economical highway maintenance option when constructed properly. Data and literature suggest that chip seal sections constructed with polymer-modified emulsions (PMEs) provide better initial and long-term performance than those with unmodified emulsions and extend the overall service life of pavements. Laboratory test results were used to compare the performance of chip seals constructed with PME (CRS-2L) with those constructed with unmodified emulsion (CRS-2). Both types of emulsion are used to fabricate samples in the laboratory. The overall performance evaluation in the study is based on rutting, bleeding, and aggregate retention performance measured by the third-scale model mobile loading simulator (MMLS3). Results from these MMLS3 tests indicate that, because of improved mechanical properties, the CRS-2L PME enhances chip seal performance to extend the service life of the pavement. Life-cycle cost analysis of two scenarios (one rehabilitation technique that uses chip seal over existing hot-mix asphalt pavement and another that uses chip seal as original construction), indicates that PME becomes a cost-effective solution if the polymer modification can extend the service life of the chip seal from 5 years (typical service life of an unmodified chip seal) to 7 years. The limited laboratory performance test results provide strong evidence that this extension is possible with the CRS-2L PME used in the study.
Threshold Identification and Field Validation of Performance-Based Guidelines to Select Hot-Poured Crack Sealants
Authors: Yang Shih-Hsien , Al-Qadi Imad L. , McGraw Jim , Masson J.-F. , McGhee Kevin M.
Published: August 2010

Hot-poured bituminous crack sealing has been widely accepted as a routine preventative maintenance practice. With proper installation, the sealing is expected to extend pavement service life by 3 to 5 years. However, current specifications for selection of crack sealants correlate poorly with field performance; hence, a set of new testing methods, based on sealant rheological and mechanical properties, was developed recently. Measurements of the mechanical properties of crack sealant at low temperatures are among the criteria introduced as part of the developed performance-based guidelines. The main purpose of this study was to identify and validate the low-temperature selection thresholds for the newly developed performance-based guidelines for selecting hot-poured bituminous crack sealants. In this study, selection criteria for crack sealant bending beam rheometer (CSBBR) and crack sealant direct tension tester (CSDTT) tests were identified. Two performance parameters for CSBBR test were used for the selection criteria: stiffness at 240 s and average creep rate (ACR). Both parameters were identified by comparing laboratory testing results with known sealant field performance, obtained from a long-term study in Canada. The selection criterion for the CSDTT test was extendibility, on the basis of field values reported in the literature. The recommended selection criteria were used to predict the field performance of 12 sealants evaluated by the National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP). Results showed good correlation between the proposed selection thresholds and NTPEP field sealant performance.
Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensing and Integrity Monitoring
Authors: Glisic Branko , Inaudi Daniele
Published: August 2010

Structural health monitoring is a process meant to provide accurate and real-time information concerning structural condition and performance. Needs for structural health monitoring in the past two decades increased rapidly, and these needs stimulated the development of various sensing technologies. Distributed optical-fiber sensing technology has opened new possibilities in structural monitoring. A distributed deformation sensor (sensing cable) is sensitive at each point of its length to strain changes and cracks. Such a sensor practically monitors a one-dimensional strain field and can be installed over the entire length of the monitored structural members (suspension cables, bridge girders, tunnel vaults, dam basis, etc.). Therefore, the sensor provides for integrity monitoring, that is, direct detection, characterization (including recognition, localization, and quantification or rating), and report of local strain changes generated by damage. An integrity monitoring principle for long bridges and tunnels is developed. Various distributed sensing techniques are summarized, and their potential for the use in integrity monitoring is compared. Finally, the first large-scale, actual on-site application is briefly presented.
Failure and Repair of Deck Closure Pour on Interstate 81
Authors: Sprinkel Michael M. , Weyers Richard , Blevins Chris , Ramniceanu Andrei , Weyers Sean A.
Published: August 2010

On April 6, 2009, a 3-ft × 3-ft section of a closure pour in a reinforced concrete deck on Interstate 81 punched through. The deck had been cast in 1992 during a deck replacement project in which each lane and shoulder of the deck was replaced while traffic used an adjacent lane. The center closure pour connected the two new deck placements. An examination of the failed section revealed that a total of 18 #5 rebars were sheared to create the hole in the deck. The epoxy-coated rebars had sustained section loss because of corrosion caused by water and chlorides leaking through the construction joint and a transverse crack. Repair consisted of removing an 8-ft wide section of the deck that spanned between the steel beams along each side of the closure pour over the entire length of the bridge, forming the opening, placing corrosion-resistant reinforcement (ASTM A1035) that spanned between the beams, and placing expansive bridge deck concrete prepared with Type K cement. Four slabs removed from the closure pour area were delivered to the Structures and Materials Research Facility of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University for evaluation. Evaluation methods included chloride contents, concrete resistivities, corrosion potentials, and currents and the electrical indication of the resistance of concrete to chloride penetration. Results are presented from the evaluation of the closure pour failure and the deck repair.
Exploring Adolescents’ Awareness of Diabetes: Using the Free Association Technique
Authors: LeClair Cédée-Anne , Marquis Marie , Villalon Lita , Strychar Irene
Published: August 2010

Purpose: Healthy adolescents’ awareness of diabetes was explored, and gender and grade-level differences in understanding were determined.

Methods: Adolescents without diabetes in grades five, eight, and 10 (n=128) at four New Brunswick schools wrote down all words/expressions that came to mind when they heard the word “diabetes” (i.e., they used the free association technique). Answers were classified into categories using content analysis.

Results: Eighty-eight girls and 40 boys completed the activity (n=44, 52, and 32 in grades five, eight, and 10, respectively). Nine principal categories were identified: 66% of the adolescents cited sugar (e.g., eating too much sugar, not enough sugar), 48% treatment (e.g., needles, injections), 45% the nature of diabetes (e.g., a disease, types of diabetes, heredity), 41% nutrition (e.g., diet, sugar-containing foods, other foods), 38% blood (e.g., too much/not enough sugar in blood), 18% complications (e.g., death), 11% physiological manifestations/ symptoms (e.g., fainting), 6% obesity, and 6% physical activity. No differences were found in category citation frequency between boys and girls and grade levels, except that grade 10 students more frequently cited the categories of treatment, blood, and obesity (p≤0.05).

Conclusions: Students thought of diabetes in terms of sugar and injections. Words related to obesity, prevention, and complications were cited infrequently.
The attempted divorce of James Hamilton, earl of Arran, Governor of Scotland
Authors: Blakeway Amy
Published: August 2010

This article examines the little-known 1544 attempt by James Hamilton, earl of Arran and then Governor of Scotland (future duke of Châtelherault) to divorce his wife, Margaret Douglas, eldest daughter of James Douglas, earl of Morton. It is concluded that Arran's failed divorce does not provide an explanation for his ‘godly fit’ of 1543, and that his actions were not motivated by the desire for an heir. Rather, Arran sought to maintain his children's legitimacy whilst gaining the freedom to take a new wife. The article explores the possibility that in this context, Margaret Douglas's poor mental health may have been a motivating factor behind the divorce attempt. Taking the failed divorce attempt as a starting point, the article moves on to re-consider the subsequent relationship between Arran and his wife's kin. It is argued that the marriage of Margaret's youngest sister, Elizabeth, to James Douglas, the nephew of the earl of Angus and future regent Morton, placed Arran and his brother-in-law in a position of heightened competition. This rivalry over landed interests underscored and exacerbated political tensions between the two men, serving to fuel one of the most potent noble rivalries in sixteenth-century Scotland.
Bloodless Imitations: Lucan's Sea Fight in Holland's Naumachia and May's Continuation
Authors: Runacres Ian
Published: August 2010

This paper examines the debt owed to the description of the sea battle of Massilia in Lucan's Civil War by two seventeenth-century poems, Thomas May's Continuation of Lucan and Abraham Holland's Naumachia. It demonstrates how these poets systematically strip away Lucan's prurient interest in depicting anatomical violence by means of adapted translations of Lucan's original battle scene. The varying emphases of their appropriations of The Civil War are used to examine Lucan's position as a talisman for different poetic, historical, and political interests.
Entropy and Free Energy of a Mobile Loop Based on the Crystal Structures of the Free and Bound Proteins
Authors: Mihailescu Mihail , Meirovitch Hagai
Published: August 2010

A mobile loop changes its conformation from “open” (free enzyme) to “closed” upon ligand binding. The difference in the Helmholtz free energy, ΔFloop between these states sheds light on the mechanism of binding. With our “hypothetical scanning molecular dynamics” (HSMD-TI) method ΔFloop = Ffree − Fbound where Ffree and Fbound are calculated from two MD samples of the free and bound loop states; the contribution of water is obtained by a thermodynamic integration (TI) procedure. In previous work the free and bound loop structures were both attached to the same “template” which was “cut” from the crystal structure of the free protein. Our results for loop 287−290 of AcetylCholineEsterase agree with the experiment, ΔFloop~ −4 kcal/mol if the density of the TIP3P water molecules capping the loop is close to that of bulk water, i.e., Nwater = 140 − 180 waters in a sphere of a 18 Å radius. Here we calculate ΔFloop for the more realistic case, where two templates are “cut” from the crystal structures, 2dfp.pdb (bound) and 2ace.pdb (free), where Nwater = 40 − 160; this requires adding a computationally more demanding (second) TI procedure. While the results for Nwater ≤ 140 are computationally sound, ΔFloop is always positive (18 ± 2 kcal/mol for Nwater = 140). These (disagreeing) results are attributed to the large average B-factor, 41.6 of 2dfp (23.4 Å2 for 2ace). While this conformational uncertainty is an inherent difficulty, the (unstable) results for Nwater = 160 suggest that it might be alleviated by applying different (initial) structural optimizations to each template.
Influence of the Structural Properties of Mesoporous Silica on the Adsorption of Guest Molecules
Authors: Ritter Hanna , Ramm Jan Hinrich , Brühwiler Dominik
Published: August 2010

Amino-functionalized mesoporous silica of different pore sizes and pore system dimensionalities is used as a host material for the inclusion of fluorescein (non-covalent host-guest interaction) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (covalent host-guest interaction). The parameters determining the achievable guest loading depend on the type of host-guest interaction. For covalent interaction, the loading is mainly determined by the accessibility of the adsorption sites, while a more complex situation was encountered in case of non-covalent interactions. In addition to the accessibility of the adsorption sites, an interpretation of the results needs to take into account the confinement of the included guests, as well as the distribution of the adsorption sites.