bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ficolin-1 is present in a highly mobilizable subset of human neutrophil granules and associates with the cell surface after stimulation with fMLP
Authors: Rørvig Sara , Honore Christian , Larsson Lars-Inge , Ohlsson Sophie , Pedersen Corinna C , Jacobsen Lars C , Cowland Jack B , Garred Peter , Borregaard Niels
Published: September 2009

Ficolin-1 is present in gelatinase granules and also in a previously unknown highly mobilizable subset of granules; once released, ficolin-1 binds to the neutrophil surface.

Ficolins are soluble molecules that bind carbohydrate present on the surface of microorganisms and function as recognition molecules in the lectin complement pathway. Three ficolins have been identified in humans: ficolin-1, ficolin-2, and ficolin-3. Ficolin-1 is synthesized in monocytes and type II alveolar epithelial cells. Ficolin-1 has been shown to be present in secretory granules of human neutrophils, but it is not known which subset of the neutrophils’ secretory granules harbors ficolin-1. To determine the exact subcellular localization of ficolin-1 in neutrophils, recombinant ficolin-1 was expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells and used for generation of polyclonal antibodies. This allowed detection of ficolin-1 in subcellular fractions of human neutrophils by ELISA, by Western blotting, and by immunohistochemistry. Real-time PCR examination of normal human bone marrow showed FCN1 gene expression largely in myelocytes, metamyelocytes, and band cells with a profile quite similar to that of gelatinase. In accordance with this, biosynthesis studies of neutrophils precursor cells showed that ficolin-1 was primarily synthesized in myelocytes, metamyelocytes, and band cells. Immunohistochemistry and subcellular fractionation demonstrated that ficolin-1 is primarily localized in gelatinase granules but also in highly exocytosable gelatinase-poor granules, not described previously. Ficolin-1 is released from neutrophil granules by stimulation with fMLP or PMA, and the majority becomes associated with the surface membrane of the cells and can be detected by flow cytometry. Our studies show that neutrophils are a major source of ficolin-1, which can be readily exocytosed by stimulation.
Age-related faecal calprotectin, lactoferrin and tumour M2-PK concentrations in healthy volunteers
Authors: Joshi Shilpa , Lewis Stephen J , Creanor Siobhan , Ayling Ruth M
Published: September 2009

Objective

Measurement of the faecal markers calprotectin, lactoferrin and tumour M2-PK has been reported to be useful in the diagnosis and management of a range of gastrointestinal disorders in both children and adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the requirement for age-related reference ranges.

Methods

Faecal samples were obtained from 132 healthy subjects and analysis of calprotectin, lactoferrin and tumour M2-PK performed using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

In the healthy subjects median concentrations were as follows: for calprotectin – 2–9 y, 34 μg/g, 10–59 y, 22 μg/g and ≥60 y, 27 μg/g; for lactoferrin – 2–9 y, 2.2 μg/g, ≥10 y, 0.5 μg/g; and for tumour M2-PK all subjects <1 U/mL. Significant differences between age groups for different markers resulted in the following age-related reference ranges: calprotectin – 2–9 y, <166 μg/g, 10–59 y, <51 μg/g, ≥60 y, <112 μg/g; lactoferrin – 2–9 y, <29 μg/g, ≥10 y <4.6 μg/g.

Conclusion

In healthy individuals, we found there to be variation in the faecal inflammatory markers calprotectin and lactoferrin with age. For both calprotectin and lactoferrin children aged 2–9 y had significantly higher concentrations than subjects aged ≥10 y. For calprotectin but not lactoferrin, adults ≥60 years had a higher concentration than those aged 10–59 y. There was no change with age in the metabolomic marker faecal tumour M2-PK in healthy subjects. The knowledge of age-related reference ranges in healthy subjects is important to fully interpret changes in gastrointestinal disease.
Reducing risk and improving quality of patient care in hospital: the contribution of standardized medical records
Authors: Bridgelal Ram Mala , Carpenter Iain , Williams John
Published: September 2009

This paper addresses a range of factors in relation to the medical record and reports on a project led by the Health Informatics Unit of the Royal College of Physicians of London. It includes discussion on the need to improve the quality of the information documented, the benefits of standardizing the medical record and describes a recently completed project developing national standards for structure and content of hospital admission records, and handover and discharge documentation. It does not address the implementation of these standards in an electronic environment.
Medicolegal aspects of reproductive medicine
Authors: Ledger William L
Published: September 2009

This paper is a review of current techniques and best practice in reproductive medicine, including preimplantation genetic diagnosis and embryo freezing, and management of pregnancy after in vitro fertilization. It discusses medicolegal aspects that can arise from failure to follow best practice including ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and mistakes occurring in the embryology laboratory.
Substandard testing for Down's syndrome, and legal ramifications
Authors: Rawson Edwina
Published: September 2009

The majority of women in the UK choose to be screened antenatally for the genetic condition Down's syndrome. However, the majority of these women are not given the test for Down's that has been recommended by the NHS. The recommended test is the most accurate and has other benefits, and should be readily available on the NHS to all women. Providing tests that are less accurate regrettably leads to more babies miscarrying and the risk of Down's being missed. This article aims to raise awareness of the problem and to consider the medicolegal issues.
Three-way RNA junctions with remote tertiary contacts: A recurrent and highly versatile fold
Authors: Peña Marcos de la , Dufour David , Gallego José
Published: September 2009

Three-way junction RNAs adopt a recurrent Y shape when two of the helices form a coaxial stack and the third helix establishes one or more tertiary contacts several base pairs away from the junction. In this review, the structure, distribution, and functional relevance of these motifs are examined. Structurally, the folds exhibit conserved junction topologies, and the distal tertiary interactions play a crucial role in determining the final shape of the structures. The junctions and remote tertiary contacts behave as flexible hinge motifs that respond to changes in the other region, providing these folds with switching mechanisms that have been shown to be functionally useful in a variety of contexts. In addition, the juxtaposition of RNA domains at the junction and at the distal tertiary complexes enables the RNA helices to adopt unusual conformations that are frequently used by proteins, RNA molecules, and antibiotics as platforms for specific binding. As a consequence of these properties, Y-shaped junctions are widely distributed in all kingdoms of life, having been observed in small naked RNAs such as riboswitches and ribozymes or embedded in complex ribonucleoprotein systems like ribosomal RNAs, RNase P, or the signal recognition particle. In all cases, the folds were found to play an essential role for the functioning or assembly of the RNA or ribonucleoprotein systems that contain them.
Monitoring of self‐generated speech in adolescents with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
Authors: Debbané Martin , Van der Linden Martial , Glaser Bronwyn , Eliez Stephan
Published: September 2009

Objectives. The present report examines the monitoring of self‐generated speech in adolescents with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), a neurogenetic disorder associated with very high risk for psychosis.

Design. Between‐participant group design.

Methods. In this study, 20 adolescents with 22q11DS, 19 age‐ and IQ‐matched controls, and 19 typically developing adolescents were enrolled. Participants completed a speech‐monitoring task, in which they were asked to silently or overtly read a series of word and non‐word items. Subjects then filled out a recognition sheet containing studied and novel items. They were asked to identify the previously studied item, and to attribute the reading condition (silent vs. overt) under which each recognized item was encoded.

Results. Adolescents with 22q11DS commit more external attribution errors compared to both control groups, by exhibiting an increased tendency to report silently read items as though they had been read overtly. Further, results suggest that increased cognitive effort exacerbates the external attribution tendency in adolescents with 22q11DS. Increased internal attributions were also observed in the IQcontrol and 22q11DS groups in comparison to typically developing adolescents.

Conclusions. Similarly to adult individuals exhibiting positive symptoms of psychosis, adolescents with 22q11DS exhibit an external attribution bias for inner speech. This bias seems to be exacerbated by increased cognitive effort, suggesting a failure to recollect information pertaining to cognitive operations during self‐monitoring. Cognitive biases associated to schizophrenia may be detected in adolescents at very high risk for psychosis. These observations provide further evidence for the presence of an external attribution bias along the clinical continuum of psychosis vulnerability.
Comparison of Urinary Albumin Quantification by Immunoturbidimetry, Competitive Immunoassay, and Protein-Cleavage Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Seegmiller Jesse C , Sviridov Denis , Larson Timothy S , Borland Timothy M , Hortin Glen L , Lieske John C
Published: September 2009

Background: Increased urinary albumin excretion is a well-documented diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for renal disease. Urinary albumin is typically measured in clinical settings by immunoassay methods. However, neither a reference method nor a urine albumin calibration reference material is currently available.

Methods: We quantified urinary albumin in patient samples by using 3 commercially available reagent systems: DiaSorin SPQ™ and Beckman Coulter LX® 20 (immunoturbidimetric), and Siemens Immulite® (competitive immunoassay). Results were compared to values obtained by protein-cleavage liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Results: In general, results from the 3 immunoassays agreed with results from LC-MS/MS. However, the SPQ results showed a negative bias across all ranges of albuminuria [(0–200 mg/L, y = 0.91x – 3.74 (CI 0.86–0.96); > 200 mg/L, y = 0.88x – 40.30 (CI 0.76–1.00)], whereas the LX 20 showed minimal bias in the 0–200 mg/L range [y = 0.97x − 88 (CI 0.92–1.02)] and the Immulite assay showed positive bias in the 0–200 mg/L range [y = 1.15x – 4.38 (CI 1.09–1.20)].

Conclusions: These results showed a reasonable quantification of urinary albumin by representative polyclonal and monoclonal immunoassays compared to an LC-MS/MS assay. In addition, the results do not suggest the presence of nonimmunoreactive albumin in urine. However, differences in analytic performance between assays support the need for a reference calibration material and reference method to standardize clinical laboratory measurements of urinary albumin.
Generalized S-space-forms with two structure vector fields
Authors: Carriazo Alfonso , Fernández Luis M. , Fuentes Ana M.
Published: September 2009

We introduce and study generalized S-space-forms with two structure vector fields. We also present several examples of these manifolds such as certain hypersurfaces of Sasakianspace-forms, principal toroidal bundles and warped products. Moreover, we investigate generalized S-space-forms endowed with an additional structure and we obtain some obstructions for them to be S-manifolds.
The Practical Application of a Flatbed Scanner for Air-Void Characterization of Hardened Concrete
Authors: Peterson Karl , Sutter Lawrence , Radlinski Mateusz
Published: September 2009

Over the past 30 years, with the advent of computers and digital imaging, many automated systems have been introduced for the purpose of air-void characterization. The majority of the systems employs a contrast-enhancement procedure where a polished cross-section of concrete is darkened with paint, and white powder is forced into the depressions left by air-voids. The system described here follows the same approach and uses a flatbed scanner to collect a single digital image of the entire sample. For all of the systems based on contrast enhancement, the first step is to select a threshold level. Image pixels brighter than the threshold level represent air and image pixels darker than the threshold level represent non-air (i.e., paste or aggregate). Further digital processing steps may be employed but the initial selection of threshold level exerts a strong influence on whether a pixel in the final data set is classified as air or non-air. A systematic approach for threshold determination has been proposed based on an iterative procedure that compares automatically determined air-void parameters to manually determined air-void parameters from a set of training specimens. The calibration procedure finds a single optimum threshold level for the automated system that is to be used for all subsequent analyses. The approach was tested on a population of 88 specimens with manually determined air-void parameters, with the goal of determining an appropriate value for the number of training specimens.
Development of a New Test Facility to Examine Reinforced Concrete Panels Under Uniaxial and Biaxial Direct Tension
Authors: Sabrah T. B. , Marzouk H. , Hussein A.
Published: September 2009

There is a definite and growing interest in using fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) reinforcing bars as an alternative for traditional steel in several structural applications. Nevertheless, little information is available about the behavior of FRP reinforced concrete (RC) members subjected to direct tension. Testing concrete members subjected to direct tension is considered an important approach in understanding important features of concrete, such as cracking characteristics, stress-strain relationships, etc. These features have been considered an important design aspect of FRP-RC. This paper presents a new experimental technique that can be used to test both FRP- and steel-RC panels under uniaxial and biaxial direct tension. A new testing facility is designed and constructed at Memorial University of Newfoundland. The testing facility is specially designed to test RC panels subjected to direct tension. The tension loads can be applied in either a uniaxial or biaxial direction. The unique aspect of this test setup is that it can accommodate FRP reinforcing bars. FRP reinforcing bars have a major problem of gripping under a tension load. Several research workers have developed elaborate and expensive techniques to provide adequate grip for FRP bars by using steel pipes and epoxy injection. The proposed design provides a simple solution to the gripping problem and can accommodate different specimen sizes, bar diameters, various bar spacing, and loading conditions. This paper presents the design, details, construction stages, and testing capabilities of this new testing facility. Descriptions of the experimental equipment, the instrumentation, and the data acquisition system are provided. The paper also presents a sample of the test results of a recent experimental investigation that has been carried out on concrete panels reinforced with steel and glass-FRP (GFRP) bars. Test results demonstrate that the testing facility is successfully capable in overcoming the difficulties of testing RC panels under direct tension. The test results also show significant differences in behavior between steel and GFRP-RC panels with respect to cracking characteristics, stress-strain relations, and failure loads.
Specifying Historic Materials: The Use of Lime
Authors: Sickels-Taves LB , Sheehan MS
Published: September 2009

Despite technological advances of the 21st century, mortars and stuccos for masonry restoration projects continue to be specified using portland cement. Without standards or codes specifically designed for historic buildings, owners and contractors often unknowingly incorporate incompatible materials into historic repairs. Using recent restoration projects in the United States and Hungary as case studies, this paper focuses on the need for mortar and stucco standards specifically oriented towards the specification of mortars and stuccos for historical structures, the practical reasoning behind this need, and the historical documentation that supports this premise. In particular, the critical importance and potential applications of lime are addressed. Past and present repairs using cement and lime, why they differ, and the effect they have had will be addressed. The structures these studies focus on predate portland cement's existence and are historical precedents for the use of lime mortars and stuccos. Finally, current ASTM specification efforts related to lime mortars are reviewed, and further development in this area is encouraged.
Investigation of the Rheology and Microstructure of Hydrated Lime and Sand for Mortars
Authors: Abell AB , Nichols JM
Published: September 2009

This paper presents the investigation and characterization of Type S hydrated lime in aged solutions with sand and with subsequent addition of Portland cement. The plastic mortar workability and flow as prescribed by ASTM Standards C207 and C270, the rheological properties, the microstructure of the lime-sand slurries, and the hardened microstructure and properties as prescribed by ASTM Standard C109/C 109Mhave been analyzed to identify the optimal relation of lime hydration product form to sand and the implications to selection of materials or manufacture of a hydrated lime type for constructability and performance.
High Pozzolan Mortars and Stuccos
Authors: Nordmeyer DH
Published: September 2009

The Romans introduced and used pozzolanic mortars and cements. In recent years pozzolans are again being used, especially in concrete. With the modifications of ASTM C 270 to include C 595 and C 1157 cements, pozzolans are becoming more common in cement-lime mixes. Failures have been reported in fly ash modified mortars and stuccos, and specifications have been written that limit the amount of fly ash that can be added to a mortar. By combining expertise in masonry with expertise in pozzolans, we have worked with masons and plasterers to develop a line of high-pozzolan masonry cements, mortar cements, and plastic (stucco) cements. Mortars made from these cements exhibit excellent workability, water retention, resistance to the penetration of water, and bond strength. As a side benefit these mortars appear to be more acid resistant than cement/lime mortar or masonry cement mortar tested at our lab. This paper reviews the process of developing the cements and provides test data to demonstrate that they exceed current specifications.
Emley Plasticity Testing: First Steps to a Precision and Bias Statement
Authors: Godbey RJ , Thomson ML
Published: September 2009

Plasticity is an important physical property of masonry mortar and stucco (plaster). Quality workmanship and economic use of materials by masons and plasterers requires highly plastic mortar and stucco. Hydrated lime enhances the plasticity of masonry mortar and stucco by providing excellent water retention and workability.

In 1919, after nearly 10 years of work, chemist Warren Emley developed a method to quantify plasticity. In essence, plasticity testing as developed by Emley quantifies the quality of lime in terms of water retention and workability. Nearly 100 years later, the measurement of plasticity continues to be definitive in ASTM Specification for Finishing Hydrated Lime (C206) and ASTM Specification for Hydrated Lime for Masonry Purposes (C207) utilizing procedures and apparatus outlined in ASTM Test Methods for Physical Testing of Quicklime, Hydrated Lime, and Limestone (C110). This paper reviews the history of the plasticity test method, laboratory methods, instrument nuances, and the need to establish ASTM precision and bias statements for the test method.
A traditional vertical batch lime kiln: thermal profile and quicklime characteristics
Authors: Hughes JJ , Swift DS , Bartos PMJ , Banfill PFG
Published: September 2009

Full scale calcination of high calcium limestone using traditional methods was performed in the batch process Experimental Lime Kiln (ELK). The ELK is equipped to monitor temperature, air flow and gas compositions and also has significant insulation to ensure minimum lateral energy loss during burning. Internal kiln wall temperatures of up to 550°C, and kiln core temperatures of 850°C, within the range of calcium carbonate disassociation have been achieved for several hours with predictable temperature/time gradients. A mixed feed solid fuel : stone ratio of 1:9 was employed resulting in limestone conversion to quicklime of 75% ± 9. The heat balance efficiency is approximately 45%. However, this may not be a useful indicator of overall efficiency of binder production, especially in a open-top batch process traditional kiln. The hydration behaviour of the low-temperature traditional quicklime is more varied than high-temperature commercially produced quicklime, made from the same stone. The low temperature material hydrates more slowly, reaches a lower temperature and maintains a peak temperature plateau for longer than the high-temperature quicklime. The traditional quicklime also produces as much as 50% non-hydrated residue during the tests. This suggests an origin for “lime inclusion” texture in historic mortars. Mortars produced using traditional hot mixing processes are petrographically similar to historic mortars. The recognition of distinctive quicklime microstructures may also provide a diagnostic tool for quality control in small-scale traditional lime production.
Pozzolan-Lime Mortar: Limitations of ASTM C593
Authors: Thomson ML
Published: September 2009

Alone, neither a pozzolan nor hydrated lime is capable of setting under water. They are not hydraulic. When combined and mixed with water, however, the resulting reaction products are hydraulic. There is a renewed interest in pozzolan-lime binders, in particular for historic masonry. ASTM C593 provides a limited resource in defining suitable pozzolans to be used with lime for masonry mortars and exterior plasters. One of its limitations is that the specified pozzolan-lime weight ratio is not representative of a traditional volumetric ratio of one volume part binder to three volume parts sand. In addition, the standard requires accelerated curing, which is unrealistic for pozzolan-lime mortar.

Preliminary results indicate that using specific ratios of pozzolan to lime and a vapor curing regime, as required by ASTM C593, does not necessarily promote the optimum pozzolanic reaction as tested by compressive strength. Results from ASTM C593 therefore do not represent the expected field behavior of pozzolan-lime mortars. The requirements of that standard should be modified with respect to pozzolan-lime ratios and curing conditions.
Variability In Brick Unit Test Results
Authors: Galitz CL
Published: September 2009

For centuries, brick masonry has been used as a structural and non-structural material, with requirements for strength and other properties often specific to a particular project. To determine these properties, various ASTM and other test methods have been standardized and incorporated into building codes and project documents. The results of standardized testing are typically used as verification that a particular brick meets the property requirements of a particular project. Unfortunately, there is a high degree of variability in some test results. This is due to a combination of variations in actual material properties and variations in the way a particular test method is performed from laboratory to laboratory and operator to operator.

This paper reports statistical analyses of previously published and unpublished test results for compressive strength, IRA, absorption, and other properties of various brick tested at a number of laboratories in the United States. Variability in the results is quantified and statistical significance of the variations presented. Recommendations for modifications to standardized tests, including the number of specimens tested as a sample is also presented. Topics including precision, bias, and sampling methods are discussed as they relate to the testing methods and results presented.
Predicting the Freeze-Thaw Durability of Bricks Based on Residual Expansion
Authors: Seaverson EJ , Brosnan DA , Frederic JC , Sanders JP
Published: September 2009

The response of saturated brick masonry units to internal freezing water was studied in an attempt to improve the accuracy of freeze-thaw durability predictions currently described in ASTM C 67. Cryogenic dilatometry was employed to study the change in length, or response, of water-saturated brick during freeze-thaw cycles. In all cases, a permanent, or residual, expansion was observed.

Residual expansion varied from approximately 0.01% to 0.08% for different commercially available brick for a single freeze-thaw cycle. No strong correlation was found between residual expansion and physical properties cited in current ASTM specifications.

Research on lab-fired extruded brick showed that the amount of residual expansion is related to the “maturity,” or amount of “heat work” expended, in firing of the brick. Comparison of lab- and plant-fired brick with similar water adsorption values yielded considerable differences in residual expansion, reflecting a lack of correlation between physical properties and durability.

Residual expansion may be a quantitative index reflecting the freeze-thaw durability of brick, and may result in a more definitive and faster test procedure than that described in ASTM C 67.
Inter-Laboratory Study to Establish the Precision and Bias of Bond-Wrench Testing under ASTM C 1329 and C 1357
Authors: Holser PJ , Klingner RE , Melander JM
Published: September 2009

Under the auspices of ASTM Committee C-01, an inter-laboratory study (ILS) was conducted to determine precision and bias for bond-wrench testing carried out under the requirements of ASTM C 1329-98 (“Standard Specification for Mortar Cement”) and ASTM C 1357-98a (“Standard Test Methods for Evaluating Masonry Bond Strength”). The study involved 3 mortars, 15 laboratories and 17 sets of data. Using the statistical analysis procedures of ASTM E 691-99 (“Standard Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method”) and the computer software developed to carry out those procedures, values of intra-laboratory repeatability, r, and inter-laboratory reproducibility, R, were developed. Normalized repeatability decreases from about 30% of the mean tensile bond strength with the least restricted data subsets, to about 20% of the mean tensile bond strength with the most restricted data subsets. Normalized reproducibility decreases from about 60% of the mean tensile bond strength with the least restricted data subsets, to about 40% of the mean tensile bond strength with the most restricted data subsets. Potential factors contributing to repeatability and reproducibility are discussed.
Increasing the Cost-Effectiveness of Interlaboratory Studies and Routine Comparative Testing: A Practical Example Involving Masonry Bond Strength
Authors: Walloch CT , Press PJ , Klingner RE , Thomas RD
Published: September 2009

Under the auspices of ASTM Committee C01 on Cement, an interlaboratory study was conducted to determine precision and bias for bond-wrench testing carried out under the requirements of ASTM Specification for Mortar Cement (C 1329-98) and ASTM Test Methods for Evaluating Masonry Bond Strength (C1357-98a). Another paper at this symposium [1] describes in detail that interlaboratory study and the results of the corresponding analysis for precision and bias. One objective of that analysis is to determine a “repeatability limit,” r, and a “reproducibility limit,” R. The repeatability limit quantifies what is commonly called the “within-lab variability,” whereas the reproducibility limit quantifies what is commonly called the “lab-to-lab variability.” The goal of this paper is to take the data from that interlaboratory study and analyze in more detail the possible sources of within-lab variability, including batch-to-batch, prism-to-prism, and bond-to-bond variability. This detailed analysis enables the rediction of variability for different test protocols (that is, with different numbers of batches, prisms and bonds). It also enables the prediction of how much time each test protocol would take to complete, which is directly related to the cost of testing. Finally, by comparing the probable variability and probable cost of each test protocol, it is possible to identify those test protocols that are most cost-effective for routine comparison of two mortars. This type of analysis is also useful in setting up other interlaboratory studies and interpreting their results.
Air Barriers for Masonry Walls
Authors: Grimm CT
Published: September 2009

This paper discusses prevention of interstitial condensation in masonry walls due to infiltration of warm moist air into air-conditioned buildings in summer and exfiltration of warm moist air in winter. The following aspects of the problem are discussed: air pressure differentials due to wind, stack effect, and mechanical ventilation; air leakage, modes, and test methods; climate effects; air barriers, insulation materials, and their placement in cavity walls, veneer walls, and single wythe walls; methods for sealing cracks and joints; and building code requirements. Thirty-one references are cited.
Confirmation of Anomalous Diffusion in Non-saturated Porous Building Materials by a New Capillary Rise Absorption Test
Authors: Küntz M , Lavallée P , Chevalier J , Riopelle P , Goyer M
Published: September 2009

A new one-dimensional capillary rise absorption test by direct weighing is presented in this note. The motivation is to obtain more accurate cumulative infiltration measurements in order to test the validity of a new theoretical description of the absorption process recently introduced in [1]. While in most of the technical specifications, weighing is generally carried out manually and requires to remove the specimen from water at intervals, the new apparatus allows a continuous automatic weighing of the specimen during water absorption. The typical performance of the experimental set-up is one measure per second with an accuracy of 0.01 g. Preliminary tests were conducted on four specimens of common red fired-clay bricks. The adjacent sides of the specimens were previously sealed with paraffin to prevent water infiltration from lateral faces of the material: this guarantees that the absorption process actually remains unidirectional. Whereas the amount of absorbed water is expected to increase as t1/2 (with t the elapsed wetting time) according to the standard unsaturated flow theory, the cumulative infiltration (I) was found to systematically deviate from the simple t1/2 relation. It is shown that absorption in brick scales as tα with 0.57 ≤ α ≤ 0.59 (i.e. larger than 1/2), as previously predicted in [1]. This implies that the long-time predictions of both the amount and the penetration depth of absorbed water based on the classical t1/2 relation are generally underestimated. Because this may also apply to the many deleterious chemical agents mediated by water, the consequences of water infiltration on the durability of building materials may also be dramatically underestimated. We suggest that the ASTM technical specifications for water absorption measurements should be reexamined at the light of these new results. The experimental procedure should be improved to increase the number and accuracy of cumulative infiltration data, especially at short times, to allow more reliable estimates of the absorption properties of porous building materials.
Part 1: Presentation of Data
Authors: Passano RF , Dodge HF , Holman AC , MacKenzie JT
Published: September 2009

Bearing in mind that no rules can be laid down to which no exceptions can be found, the committee believes that if the recommendations below are followed, the presentations will contain the essential information for a majority of the uses made of A.S.T.M. data. Recommendations for Presentation of Data.—Given a set of n observations of a single variable obtained under the same essential conditions: 1. Present as a minimum, the average, the standard deviation, and the number of observations. Always state the number of observations. 2. If the number of observations is large and if it is desired to give information regarding the shape of the distribution, present also the value of the skewness k, or present a grouped frequency distribution. 3. If the data were not obtained under controlled conditions and it is desired to give information regarding the extreme observed effects of assignable causes, present the values of the maximum and minimum observations in addition to the average, the standard deviation, and the number of observations. 4. Present as much evidence as possible that the data were obtained under controlled conditions. 5. Present relevant information on precisely (a) the field within which the measurements are supposed to hold and (b) the conditions under which they were made.
Part 2: Presenting ± Limits of Uncertainty of an Observed Average
Authors: Passano RF , Dodge HF , Holman AC , MacKenzie JT
Published: September 2009

This Part 2 of the Manual discusses the problem of presenting ± limits to indicate the uncertainty of the average of a number of observations obtained under the same essential conditions, and suggests a form of presentation for use in A.S.T.M. reports and publications where needed.
Florida Skid Correlation Study of 1967 Skid Testing with Automobiles
Authors: Rizenbergs R. L.
Published: September 2009

The inclusion of automobiles in the Florida skid correlation study was prompted by the recognition of the following needs: 1) to compare stopping-distance measurements obtained with different instrumentation, 2) to suggest a standard method of stopping-distance testing, 3) to relate skid-resistance measurements of trailer-type testers with stopping distances of automobiles, and 4) to explore other skid-resistance measurement techniques using an automobile.

The vehicles were all full-size automobiles. Each vehicle was instrumented to measure a distance from a predetermined pressure in the brake hydraulic system to where the vehicle came to rest. Stopping distance in most of the automobiles was read directly from summating counters. Two of the automobiles were equipped with strip-chart recorders to measure distance, velocity and deceleration during the skid.

The measured stopping distances displayed minor differences between automobiles regardless of the instrumentation. The primary cause of variation in the test results was attributed to the inability of the driver to apply brakes at the prescribed test velocity. Lag between brake application and wheel lock and errors in the distance-measurement instrumentation were of secondary concern.

The stopping-distance data were correlated with the trailer-measured skid resistances for several velocities. Approximate stopping distance, therefore, can be predicted from trailer tests, or vice versa.

The results of the stopping-distance tests were sufficiently encouraging to consider standarization. Adoption of a standard method of test would serve several useful purposes. The principal benefits would be derived from having a reliable, alternate method of skid testing and references to “stopping distance” of automobiles would acquire a uniform understanding of the measurement and, therefore, common usage of the term.
The Cornering Capacity of Studded Tires
Authors: Whitehurst E. A.
Published: September 2009

Tests of individual tires on a special cornering trailer show that studded tires, even when worn, have materially larger cornering capacity than do new tires without studs. When mounted on an automobile, however, this increased effectiveness is not realized if the studded tires are mounted on the rear wheels only. When studded tires are placed on all four wheels the cornering capacity of the vehicle, as measured by developed lateral coefficient of friction, may be increased by 50 to 60 per cent.
Performance Characteristics of the Askarels
Authors: Clark F. M.
Published: September 2009

Mineral oil has traditionally occupied a prominent place in the field of liquid insulants. It has been applied with success in numerous types of electrical apparatus covering a wide range of voltage ratings. It has served as a dielectric and coolant liquid in transformers and regulators, as the arc interrupting medium in switches and as the impregnant in electric cables and capacitors. Each of these applications presents its own requirements. About each have been developed laboratory methods of quality control. Running through all of its multitude of electrical applications, however, have been those problems associated with the oxidation of mineral oil. This oxidation in transformer use leads ultimately to sludge precipitation; the formation of which presents both a thermal and dielectric hazard. In cables and capacitors, oxidation of the oil results in increased dielectric loss and the possibility of dielectric failure from purely pyroelectric causes. The introduction of the askarel type of dielectric liquid eliminates these problems of oxidation which are inevitably associated with the use of mineral oil.
Accelerated Corrosion Testing of Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel Weldments
Authors: Bloom F K , Carruthers M E
Published: September 2009

Accelerated corrosion tests on metal-arc welded specimens of 0.06 per cent carbon and 0.03 per cent maximum carbon chromium-nickel stainless steel were conducted in hot nitric-hydrofluoric acids, boiling 65 per cent nitric acid and boiling copper sulfate-sulfuric acid solution. The results are compared with field experience with a welded pickling tank where both types of alloys were used.

The three common corrosion tests differ markedly in their attack on weld heat-affected zones. The nitric-hydrofluoric acid test appears to be the most severe criterion of susceptibility to weld decay.

Service results, where the corrosive conditions were severe, compared well with laboratory tests and confirmed the fact that the 0.03 per cent maximum carbon alloys are free from harmful carbide precipitation in the as-welded condition.
Influence of Carbon and Molybdenum on the Intergranular Corrosion Resistance of Austenitic Chromium-nickel Steels with and without Columbium
Authors: Binder W O , Brown C M
Published: September 2009

Comparative intergranular corrosion tests have been made on five types of 18-8 steel containing 0.06 and 0.03 per cent maximum carbon, including the molybdenum and molybdenum-columbium variations, to gain a better understanding of their corrosion behavior. The data show that the increased corrosion rate noted in boiling 65 per cent nitric acid must be ascribed to a phase formation other than chromium carbide precipitation when molybdenum is present in steels containing about 0.03 per cent carbon or sufficient columbium to combine with all the carbon.

A study of steels containing 0.01 per cent maximum carbon indicates that the phase is sigma.

The phase has been found to be most damaging to corrosion during its formative period when it exists as an envelope of fine particles around the austenite grains. Although the steel in this condition is subject to intergranular attack by strong nitric acid, it is resistant to such media as boiling acidified copper sulfate, mixed nitric-hydrofluoric acids, and air-free sulfuric acid. Prolonged heating at 750 C., which coalesces the particles, restores the resistance of the steel to intergranular attack in nitric acid.

Of the two causes of intergranular corrosion noted in the molybdenum-bearing 18-8 steels, the precipitation of chromium carbide appears to be the more dangerous. It has produced susceptibility to intergranular attack in both reducing acids and oxidizing acids, whereas the effect of the intermetallic compound has been observed only in nitric acid.

The nitric acid test reveals both types of intergranular attack. To distinguish between these two causes in assessing the molybdenum steels for service, the nitric acid test should be supplemented with at least one other intergranular corrosion test to insure that a high corrosion rate in nitric acid does not prejudice the use of the steels in reducing acid media, if the attack is due to the formation of the sigma phase.
Comparative Corrosion Resistance of Stainless Steels in Various Acids
Authors: Mears R B , Larrabee C P , Fetner C J
Published: September 2009

The corrosion resistances of several grades of austenitic stainless steels were determined in the boiling nitric acid test (Huey test) and compared with the corrosion resistances of these same steels in sulfuric acid solutions. Steels showing the least corrosion resistance in the nitric acid test generally proved to be the most resistant to sulfuric acid. Specimens of types 304 and 316 stainless steel in both the annealed and sensitized conditions also were exposed to the boiling nitric acid test and to boiling solutions of lactic, phosphoric, and acetic acids. The type 316 steel proved to be less resistant to nitric acid, but in most cases was definitely more resistant to the other boiling acids than the type 304 steel. However, microscopic examination indicated that the types of attack which developed in the annealed or sensitized types 304 and 316 specimens in the boiling nitric acid test were qualitatively similar to the types of attack which developed in similar specimens in the other boiling acids, provided any attack developed.
Developments and Trends in Lightweight Composite Construction
Authors: Markwardt L.J.
Published: September 2009

This paper was prepared by Mr. Markwardt for presentation at several ASTM district meetings as well as the Symposium on Structural Sandwich Construction of the Fifty-fourth Annual Meeting. Because it presents a broad, over-all view of this new field of composite structural materials, it is included with the more specialized technical papers, including those by other members of the Forest Products Laboratory, which are: Sandwich Construction in the Elastic Range, by H. W. March; Strength of Sandwich Construction, by C. B. Norris; and Fabrication Techniques for Structural Sandwich Construction, by B. G. Heebink.
Strength of Sandwich Construction
Authors: Norris Charles B.
Published: September 2009

A number of modes of failure peculiar to sandwich construction are described, and their relations to allowable stresses and allowable loads are discussed. For purposes of simplicity and brevity, the discussion is limited to strips of sandwich construction loaded as beams or columns.
Compressive and Torsional Instability of Sandwich Cylinders
Authors: Gerard George
Published: September 2009

A review of a theoretical and experimental program on the buckling behavior of sandwich cylinders is presented. The two types of instability which can occur for a sandwich element are considered. One type involves buckling of the sandwich element as a unit and the other is concerned with the buckling of the faces upon the core which is commonly referred to as wrinkling. Both types are considered theoretically for the sandwich cylinder under compressive and torsional loadings. Experimental data on buckling loads and buckle patterns are offered to substantiate the theoretical results.
Planning and Interpretation of Fatigue Tests
Authors: Freudenthal Alfred M.
Published: September 2009

The significance of the scatter of results of fatigue tests and the inadequacy of the conventional procedures of their planning and interpretation is discussed. An attempt is made to derive the cumulative frequency distribution function P(N) of the fatigue life, N, at any particular stress amplitude, S, from considerations of statistical theory, which, as a first approximation, leads to a logarithmic-normal distribution function of N.

Results of rotating-beam and reversed torsion-fatigue tests performed on steel, aluminum, and copper, when represented on logarithmic-normal probability paper, are shown to approximate the theoretically derived distribution. From the so plotted cumulative distributions P(N) of the fatigue life of aluminum at a number of stress amplitudes, S, a complete, three-dimensional S-N-P relation is obtained.
Statistical Analysis of Fatigue Data
Authors: Plunkett Robert
Published: September 2009

It is commonly assumed in analysing fatigue data that there is a definite functional relationship between life in number of cycles and stress level. However, as has been pointed out several times (1, 2), an examination of the data shows considerable scatter. Even with carefully prepared smooth specimens, all from the same heat of steel, treated in the same manner and tested in the same laboratory, a range of 2 to 1 in number of cycles for failure at the same stress level is normal (1) and a range of 10 to 1 is not unusual (2). If the specimens are tested by different laboratories, slightly varying techniques will introduce further scatter (3).
Electrical Insulating Gases: Hexafluoroethane and Octafluorocyclobutane
Authors: Coyner E. C. , Hanesian D.
Published: September 2009

Properties of these gases are discussed with particular reference to their applicability as dielectrics. Physical properties — boiling point (dew point), freezing point, critical temperature, critical pressure, specific heat, thermal conductivity, viscosity, density — and natural convective heat transfer characteristics are discussed. Data on dielectric strength and corona inception voltages as determined in various field configurations and at various gas pressures are presented. Results of tests on the thermal stability of these gases in the presence of various materials of construction used in electrical apparatus are reported.
Fluorocarbon Gases and Volatile Liquids: Properties and Applications
Authors: Sargent J. W. , LaZerte J. D.
Published: September 2009

The fluorocarbon family of compounds ranges from low-boiling gases such as CF4, C2F6, and C3F8 to relatively high-boiling liquids such as C8F16, cyclic C8F18O, and (C4F9)3N. All these fluorocarbons possess the desirable features of being nonflammable and nonexplosive. The outstanding thermal, chemical, and electrical stability of these molecules allow them to be used under a wide variety of operating conditions. Data are presented on the properties of the gases, the liquids, and the vapors of the liquids. Physical properties, thermal stability, electrical properties, heat transfer characteristics, and compatibility with materials of construction are discussed. The unique properties of the fluorocarbons have been used to achieve important improvements in a variety of instruments and devices in the elctrical-electronic, aerospace, chemical, and communications industries. The ability to “tailor-make” a controlled atmosphere for devices has led to designs which extend operational and environmental limits, increase power levels, and permit miniaturization. Applications in equipment such as transformers, microwave tubes, high-voltage power supplies, choppers, transistors, and rectifiers are discussed.