Prediction of Pavement Response during Freezing and Thawing Using Finite Element Approach

Although elastic multilayer techniques for pavement analysis have become increasingly popular through advances in software and personal computers, the difficulties of such methods in representing dynamic loading, pavement geometry and nonlinear material response are widely recognized as significant. Particularly in cold regions, where pavement materials are subject to seasonal freezing and thawing, nonlinear material behavior cannot be accurately modeled with these methods. However, many of these difficulties can be overcome by using the finite element method. In this study, an initial attempt to implement a commercially available finite element code in an analysis procedure for pavements in seasonal frost areas is presented. The results, compared with data from an extensively instrumented test road, show that surface deflections and the relative change in pavement stiffness, indicated by the subgrade strength index, are predicted very accurately. Although a time lag between maximum measured and predicted surface deflection is observed during thawing, the procedure is found to be promising and further research is warranted.     

Surface patterns in theoretical geography

This paper describes two variants of a dynamic stochastic model for the generation of landforms. We start from simple but not unreasonable assumptions about the stochastic mechanisms and derive the resulting surface pattern structure and several of its statistical and geometric properties. A computer program simulating the model is included, as well as computer-generated diagrams of the resulting height fields in special instances.     

Temperature Calculation of Insulated Steel Columns Exposed to Natural Fire

A method suitable for design purposes has been developed which allows the approximate post-flashover compartment fire temperature to be plotted versus time in one curve, the general natural fire curve; time is then modified or scaled to take into consideration ventilation conditions and wall properties. In the analysis the common assumptions of constant and ventilation controlled combustion, uniform temperature, and wall losses proportional to the thermal inertia are made.The general natural fire curve is given an analytical expression, which is then used to calculate temperature in fire exposed insulated columns by a simple integration procedure. The results are plotted in handy diagrams, and temperatures obtained in columns exposed to natural fires and standard fires according to ISO 834 are compared.     

Putative association between a new polymorphism in exon 3 (Arg109Cys) of the pancreatic colipase gene and type 2 diabetes mellitus in two independent Caucasian study populations

The protein encoded by the pancreatic colipase (CLPS) gene is an essential cofactor needed by pancreatic triglyceride lipase (PNLIP) for efficient dietary lipid hydrolysis. Since the inhibition of lipase activity was shown to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, we tested the hypothesis that genetic variations in the CLPS and PNLIP genes are associated with type 2 diabetes; 47 unrelated subjects were screened for polymorphisms of the CLPS and PNLIP genes. A nested-case control study of 192 incident type 2 diabetes subjects and 384 sex- and age-matched controls taken from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Potsdam Cohort (EPIC) was employed for association studies. The Metabolic Intervention Cohort Kiel (MICK) consisting of 716 males was used for verification. A novel putative functional polymorphism (Arg109Cys) was identified in the CLPS gene. The frequencies of the Arg/Cys genotype were 2.6% in EPIC and 2.2% in MICK study subjects. No homozygotes for the Cys/Cys genotype were found in either study population. Logistic regression analysis showed a statistically significant association of the Arg/Cys genotype with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The odds ratios estimated by the model were 3.75 (95%CI = 1.13-12.49, p = 0.03) in EPIC and 4.86 (95%CI = 1.13-20.95, p = 0.03) in MICK. No comparable associations were found with other traits of the insulin-resistance syndrome (e. g.; body mass index, waist to hip ratio). In conclusion, we obtained evidence in two German Caucasian study populations that the variant of the rare CLPS Arg109Cys polymorphism might contribute to increased susceptibility of type 2 diabetes.     

Facilitator’s Roles in a Videoconference Learning Environment

The paper reports a study of a videoconference-based environment in decentralized university education and factors contributing to the success of teaching and learning in the environment. The focus of the paper is on the role of a person having the formal responsibilities of a technician. An ethnographic study conducted over the course of a year revealed that the contribution of this person far exceeded the scope of formal responsibilities. The person, who was acting in the setting as a facilitator, was found to possess expertise, which was critically important for supporting interaction between remote participants at several levels, such as attention management, time management, acquisition of setting-specific skills, and coordination within a larger institutional context. The findings suggest that supra-situational activities can be important factors for the successful functioning and development of emerging learning environments.This revised version was published online in March 2005 with corrections to the cover date     

The Defense Mechanism Test: A new method for diagnosis and personnel selection.

By throwing TAT pictures on a screen in varying degrees of light intensity, precognitive defence organization was used to screen 412 aviation cadets. Ss drew pictures of what they saw. Protocols were rated. Validity varied by rater. The DMT is likely to increase the validity of the total test battery. (16 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Metal analysis of edible fats and oils by atomic absorption spectrophotometry

Enrichment procedures for trace metal analysis by atomic absorption spectrophotometry have been investigated. The detection limits are primarily determined by the enrichment factor and the accuracies have been found to be roughly the same within the same absorption ranges independent of the method used. One of 28 papers presented at the Symposium, “Metal-Catalyzed Lipid Oxidation,” ISF-AOCS World Congress, Chicago, September 1970.     

Synthesis and Evaluation of New Thiodigalactoside‐Based Chemical Probes to Label Galectin‐3

Light up galectin: Photoprobes based on thiodigalactoside were prepared for galectin‐3, a lectin linked to cancer. The probes contained either benzophenone or acetophenone moieties as the photolabel for covalent attachment to the protein. One particular probe labeled galectin‐3 selectively, even in the presence of cell lysate.