Kerr measurements on single-domain SrRuO3 thin films

We report on the magneto-optical measurements of an epitaxial SrRuO3 film grown on SrTiO3 (0 0 1), which previously was determined to be single domain orientated by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy techniques. Our experiments reveal a large Kerr rotation, which reaches a maximum value of about 0.5° at low temperature. By measuring magnetic hysteresis loops at different temperatures, we determined the temperature dependence of the Kerr rotation in the polar configuration. Values of the anisotropic magnetoresistance ~ 20% have been measured. These values are remarkably higher than those of other metallic oxides such as manganites. This striking difference can be attributed to the strong spin-orbit interaction of the Ru 4d ion in the SrRuO3 compound.

Fourmidable: a database for ant genomics.

BACKGROUND: Fourmidable is an infrastructure to curate and share the emerging genetic, molecular, and functional genomic data and protocols for ants. DESCRIPTION: The Fourmidable assembly pipeline groups nucleotide sequences into clusters before independently assembling each cluster. Subsequently, assembled sequences are annotated via Interproscan and BLAST against general and insect-specific databases. Gene-specific information can be retrieved using gene identifiers, searching for similar sequences or browsing through inferred Gene Ontology annotations. The database will readily scale as ultra-high throughput sequence data and sequences from additional species become available. CONCLUSION: Fourmidable currently houses EST data from two ant species and microarray gene expression data for one of these. Fourmidable is publicly available at http://fourmidable.unil.ch.

Asymmetric reversal in inhomogeneous magnetic heterostructures

Asymmetric magnetization reversal is an unusual phenomenon in antiferromagnet/ferromagnet (AF/FM) exchange biased bilayers. We investigated this phenomenon in a simple model system experimentally and by simulation assuming inhomogeneously distributed interfacial AF moments. The results suggest that the observed asymmetry originates from the intrinsic broken symmetry of the system, which results in local incomplete domain walls parallel to the interface in reversal to negative saturation of the FM. The magneto-optical Kerr effect unambiguously confirms such an asymmetric reversal and a depth-dependent FM domain wall in accord with the magnetometry and simulations.

Impact of stressful life event on the global functioning outcome after an assertive community treatment

Background: Assertive community treatment (ACT) was reported to be an effective treatment to improve global functioning of ultra-high risk (UHR) adolescents. However, the infl uence of stressful life event (SLE) was not extensively studied which represent our objective. Method: The SLE (encompassing adoption, migration, family member's deceased, sexual or physical abuse, etc.) of 20 UHR adolescents, treated with an ACT model, were rated. 10 adolescents having 0 to 1 SLE (mainly parents' divorce; low SLE group) were compared 10 adolescents with 2 to 5 SLE (high SLE group). The adolescents were assessed at baseline and after treatment with the Health of Nation Outcome Scale for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA). The HoNOSCA allowed rating different diffi culties such as behavior, symptoms, disorders and social. Results: First, results on the whole sample indicated signifi cant improvement after ACT (compared to baseline) on the total (P = .04), symptoms (P = .025) and social (P = .009) scores of the HoNOSCA. Second, the improvement on the HoNOSCA's score of the high SLE group were signifi cantly higher for the total (P = .016), symptoms (P = .019) and behavior (P = .033) scores compared to the low SLE group. Discussion/Conclusion: Globally, ACT seems to be an appropriate treatment to enhance global functioning and more specifi cally the social and symptoms diffi culties of UHR adolescents. Additionally, UHR adolescents with a high numbers of SLE were observed to have a better benefi t of the ACT on global, symptoms and behavioral diffi culties.

SARM-S4 and metabolites detection in sports drug testing: a case report.

Recently, pharmaceutical industry developed a new class of therapeutics called Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM) to substitute the synthetic anabolic drugs used in medical treatments. Since the beginning of the anti-doping testing in sports in the 1970s, steroids have been the most frequently detected drugs mainly used for their anabolic properties. The major advantage of SARMs is the reduced androgenic activities which are the main source of side effects following anabolic agents' administration. In 2010, the Swiss laboratory for doping analyses reported the first case of SARMs abuse during in-competition testing. The analytical steps leading to this finding are described in this paper. Screening and confirmation results were obtained based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses. Additional information regarding the SARM S-4 metabolism was investigated by ultra high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UHPLC-QTOF-MS).

Design Guide for Precast UHPC Waffle Deck Panel System, including Connections, June 2013

Abstract: As a part of an innovation project funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highways for LIFE program, a full-depth precast, ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) waffle deck panel and appropriate connections suitable for field implementation of waffle decks were developed. Following a successful full-scale validation test on a unit consisting of two panels with various types of connections under laboratory conditions, the waffle deck was installed successfully on a replacement bridge in Wapello County, Iowa. The subsequent load testing confirmed the desirable performance of the UHPC waffle deck bridge. Using the lessons from the completed project and outcomes from a series of simple and detailed finite element analyses of waffle decks, this report was developed to serve as a guide for broadening the design and installation of the UHPC waffle deck panel in new and existing bridges. Following an introduction to UHPC and waffle deck panels and a summary of completed work, this document presents information on waffle deck design, design of connections, redecking using waffle deck panels, and guidance on precast fabrication, construction, and installation of UHPC waffle deck panels.

Laboratory and Field Testing of an Accelerated Bridge Construction Demonstration Bridge: US Highway 6 Bridge over Keg Creek, RB02-012, 2013

The US Highway 6 Bridge over Keg Creek outside of Council Bluffs, Iowa is a demonstration bridge site chosen to put into practice newly-developed Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) concepts. One of these new concepts is the use of prefabricated high performance concrete (HPC) bridge elements that are connected, in place, utilizing advanced material closure-pours and quick-to-install connection details. The Keg Creek Bridge is the first bridge in the US to utilize moment-resisting ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) joints in negative moment regions over piers. Through laboratory and live load field testing, performance of these transverse joints as well as global bridge behavior is quantified and examined. The effectiveness of the structural performance of the bridge is evaluated to provide guidance for future designs of similar bridges throughout the US.

Concordance among digital gene expression, microarrays, and qPCR when measuring differential expression of microRNAs.

Profiling microRNA (miRNA) expression is of widespread interest given the critical role of miRNAs in many cellular functions. Profiling can be achieved via hybridization-based (microarrays), sequencing-based, or amplification-based (quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, qPCR) technologies. Among these, microarrays face the significant challenge of accurately distinguishing between mature and immature miRNA forms, and different vendors have developed different methods to meet this challenge. Here we measure differential miRNA expression using the Affymetrix, Agilent, and Illumina microarray platforms, as well as qPCR (Applied Biosystems) and ultra high-throughput sequencing (Illumina). We show that the differential expression measurements are more divergent when the three types of microarrays are compared than when the Agilent microarray, qPCR, and sequencing technology measurements are compared, which exhibit a good overall concordance.

Comparative study of the LC-MS/MS and UPLC-MS/MS for the multi-residue analysis of quinolones, penicillins and cephalosporins in cow milk, and validation according to the regulation 2002/657/EC

The aim of this study was to develop and validate an analytical method to simultaneously determine European Union-regulated beta-lactams (penicillins and cephalosporins) and quinolones in cow milk. The procedure involves a new solid phase extraction (SPE) to clean-up and pre-concentrate the three series of antibiotics before analysis by liquid chromatography¿tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography¿tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). LC-MS/MS and UPLC-MS/MS techniques were also compared. The method was validated according to the Directive 2002/657/EC and subsequently applied to 56 samples of raw cow milk supplied by the Laboratori Interprofessional Lleter de Catalunya (ALLIC) (Laboratori Interprofessional Lleter de Catalunya, Control Laboratory Interprofessional of Milk of Catalunya).

Structural Characterization of UHPC Waffle Bridge Deck and Connections, TR-614, 2014

The AASHTO strategic plan in 2005 for bridge engineering identified extending the service life of bridges and accelerating bridge construction as two of the grand challenges in bridge engineering. These challenges have the objective of producing safer and more economical bridges at a faster rate with a minimum service life of 75 years and reduced maintenance cost to serve the country’s infrastructure needs. Previous studies have shown that a prefabricated full-depth precast concrete deck system is an innovative technique that accelerates the rehabilitation process of a bridge deck, extending its service life with reduced user delays and community disruptions and lowering its life-cycle costs. Previous use of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) for bridge applications in the United States has been considered to be efficient and economical because of its superior structural characteristics and durability properties. Full-depth UHPC waffle deck panel systems have been developed over the past three years in Europe and the United States. Subsequently, a single span, 60-ft long and 33-ft wide prototype bridge with full-depth prefabricated UHPC waffle deck panels has been designed and built for a replacement bridge in Wapello County, Iowa. The structural performance characteristics and the constructability of the UHPC waffle deck system and its critical connections were studied through an experimental program at the structural laboratory of Iowa State University (ISU). Two prefabricated full-depth UHPC waffle deck (8 feet by 9 feet 9 inches by 8 inches) panels were connected to 24-ft long precast girders, and the system was tested under service, fatigue, overload, and ultimate loads. Three months after the completion of the bridge with waffle deck system, it was load tested under live loads in February 2012. The measured strain and deflection values were within the acceptable limits, validating the structural performance of the bridge deck. Based on the laboratory test results, observations, field testing of the prototype bridge, and experience gained from the sequence of construction events such as panel fabrication and casting of transverse and longitudinal joints, a prefabricated UHPC waffle deck system is found to be a viable option to achieve the goals of the AASHTO strategic plan.

Developing psychosis and its risk States through the lens of schizotypy.

Starting from the early descriptions of Kraepelin and Bleuler, the construct of schizotypy was developed from observations of aberrations in nonpsychotic family members of schizophrenia patients. In contemporary diagnostic manuals, the positive symptoms of schizotypal personality disorder were included in the ultra high-risk (UHR) criteria 20 years ago, and nowadays are broadly employed in clinical early detection of psychosis. The schizotypy construct, now dissociated from strict familial risk, also informed research on the liability to develop any psychotic disorder, and in particular schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, even outside clinical settings. Against the historical background of schizotypy it is surprising that evidence from longitudinal studies linking schizotypy, UHR, and conversion to psychosis has only recently emerged; and it still remains unclear how schizotypy may be positioned in high-risk research. Following a comprehensive literature search, we review 18 prospective studies on 15 samples examining the evidence for a link between trait schizotypy and conversion to psychosis in 4 different types of samples: general population, clinical risk samples according to UHR and/or basic symptom criteria, genetic (familial) risk, and clinical samples at-risk for a nonpsychotic schizophrenia-spectrum diagnosis. These prospective studies underline the value of schizotypy in high-risk research, but also point to the lack of evidence needed to better define the position of the construct of schizotypy within a developmental psychopathology perspective of emerging psychosis and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Image Analysis of PCC and AC Pavements Using SEM Images, HR-346, 1994

The major objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of image analysis for characterizing air voids in Portland cement Concrete (PCC), voids and constituents of Asphalt Concrete (AC) and aggregate gradation in AC. Images for analysis were obtained from a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Sample preparation techniques are presented that enhance signal differences so that backscattered electron (BSE) imaging, which is sensitive to atomic number changes, can be effectively employed. Work with PCC and AC pavement core samples has shown that the low vacuum scanning electron microscope (LVSEM) is better suited towards rapid analyses. The conventional high vacuum SEM can also be used for AC and PCC analyses but some distortion within the sample matrix will occur. Images with improved resolution can be obtained from scanning electron microscope (SEM) backscatter electron (BSE) micrographs. In a BSE image, voids filled with barium sulfate/resin yield excellent contrast in both PCC and AC. There is a good correlation between percent of air by image analysis and linear traverse.

Design and Performance Verification of UHPC Piles for Deep Foundations, TR-558, 2008

The strategic plan for bridge engineering issued by AASHTO in 2005 identified extending the service life and optimizing structural systems of bridges in the United States as two grand challenges in bridge engineering, with the objective of producing safer bridges that have a minimum service life of 75 years and reduced maintenance cost. Material deterioration was identified as one of the primary challenges to achieving the objective of extended life. In substructural applications (e.g., deep foundations), construction materials such as timber, steel, and concrete are subjected to deterioration due to environmental impacts. Using innovative and new materials for foundation applications makes the AASHTO objective of 75 years service life achievable. Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) with compressive strength of 180 MPa (26,000 psi) and excellent durability has been used in superstructure applications but not in geotechnical and foundation applications. This study explores the use of precast, prestressed UHPC piles in future foundations of bridges and other structures. An H-shaped UHPC section, which is 10-in. (250-mm) deep with weight similar to that of an HP10×57 steel pile, was designed to improve constructability and reduce cost. In this project, instrumented UHPC piles were cast and laboratory and field tests were conducted. Laboratory tests were used to verify the moment-curvature response of UHPC pile section. In the field, two UHPC piles have been successfully driven in glacial till clay soil and load tested under vertical and lateral loads. This report provides a complete set of results for the field investigation conducted on UHPC H-shaped piles. Test results, durability, drivability, and other material advantages over normal concrete and steel indicate that UHPC piles are a viable alternative to achieve the goals of AASHTO strategic plan.

Du traitement précoce des sujets à risque aux risques du traitement précoce. Le dilemme de la prévention des troubles psychotiques [From early treatment of psychosis risk to the risks of early intervention: the dilemma of psychosis prevention].

While the development of early psychosis intervention programs have improved outcome of such disorders, primary prevention strategies are still out of reach. The elaboration, over the last 15 years, of scales and criteria to identify populations at high risk for psychosis is a real progress, but their low specificity is still a major obstacle to their use outside of research projects. For this reason, even if "ultra high risk", subjects present with real psychiatric disorders and sometimes significant decrease in functioning level, the fact that only a small proportion will eventually develop full blown psychosis will probably lead to the rejection of a "psychosis risk syndrom" from the future DSM-V classification.

Image Analysis for the Characterization of Materials for Highway Construction : Phase I, Progress Report, HR-346, 1992

The major objective of this project is to evaluate image analysis for characterizing air voids in Portland cement contract (PCC) and asphalt concrete (AC) and aggregate gradation in asphalt concrete. Phase 1 of this project has concentrated on evaluation and refinement of sample preparation techniques, evaluation of methods and instruments for conducting image analysis, and finally, analysis and comparison of a select portion of samples. Preliminary results suggest a strong correlation between the results obtained from the linear traverse method and image analysis methods for determining percent air voids in concrete. Preliminary work with asphalt samples has shown that damage caused by a high vacuum of the conventional scanning electron microscope (SEM) may too disruptive. Alternative solutions have been explored, including confocal microscopy and low vacuum electron microscopy. Additionally, a conventional high vacuum SEM operating at a marginal operating vacuum may suffice.