Free-breathing 3D steady-state free precession coronary MR angiography with radial k-space sampling: comparison with cartesian k-space sampling and cartesian gradient-echo coronary MR angiography--pilot study.

The authors compared radial steady-state free precession (SSFP) coronary magnetic resonance (MR) angiography, cartesian k-space sampling SSFP coronary MR angiography, and gradient-echo coronary MR angiography in 16 healthy adults and four pilot study patients. Standard gradient-echo MR imaging with a T2 preparatory pulse and cartesian k-space sampling was the reference technique. Image quality was compared by using subjective motion artifact level and objective contrast-to-noise ratio and vessel sharpness. Radial SSFP, compared with cartesian SSFP and gradient-echo MR angiography, resulted in reduced motion artifacts and superior vessel sharpness. Cartesian SSFP resulted in increased motion artifacts (P <.05). Contrast-to-noise ratio with radial SSFP was lower than that with cartesian SSFP and similar to that with the reference technique. Radial SSFP coronary MR angiography appears preferable because of improved definition of vessel borders.

Control of Concrete Deterioration Due to Trace Compounds in Deicers, HR-299, 1992

This report describes the research completed under the research contract entitled "Development of a Conductometric Test for Frost Resistance of Concrete" undertaken for the Iowa Highway Research Board. The objective of the project was to develop a test method which can be reasonably and rapidly performed in the laboratory and in the field to predict, with a high degree of certainty, the behavior of concrete subjected to the action of alternate freezing and thawing. The significance of the results obtained, and recommendations for use and the continued development of conductometric testing are presented in this final report. In this project the conductometric evaluation of concrete durability was explored with three different test methods. The test methods and procedures for each type of test as well as presentation of the results obtained and their significance are included in the body of the report. The three test methods were: (1) Conductometric evaluation of the resistance of concrete to rapid freezing and thawing, (2) Conductometric evaluation of the resistance of concrete to natural freezing and thawing, and (3) Conductometric evaluation of the pore size distribution of concrete and its correlation to concrete durability. The report also includes recommendations for the continued development of these test methods.

Dynamic Deflections to Determine Roadway Support Ratings, HR-245, 1983

The Benkelman Beam structural test of flexible pavements was replaced in 1976 by dynamic deflection testing with a model 400 Road Rater. The Road Rater is used to determine structural ratings of flexible pavements. New pavement construction in Iowa has decreased with a corresponding increase of restoration and rehabilitation. A method to determine structural ratings of layered systems and rigid pavements is needed to properly design overlay thickness. The objective of this research was to evaluate the feasibility of using the Road Rater to determine support values of layered systems and rigid pavements. This evaluation was accomplished by correlating the Road Rater with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Thumper, a dynamic deflection testing device. Data were obtained with the Road Rater and Thumper at 411 individual test locations on 39 different structural sections ranging from 10" of PCC pavement and 25" of asphalt pavement to a newly graveled unpaved roadway. A high correlation between a 9000 pound Thumper deflection and the 1185 pound Road Rater deflection was obtained. A Road Rater modification has been completed to provide 2000 pound load inputs. The basin, defined by four sensors spaced at 1 foot intervals, resulting from the 2000 pound loading is being used to develop a graph for determining relative subgrade strengths. Road Rater deflections on rigid pavements are sufficient to support the potential for this technique.

Field Demonstration and Laboratory Evaluation of Foamed Asphalts - Muscatine County, HR-233, 1985

In view of the energy, environmental, and economic advantages of the foamed asphalt process using local aggregates in cold mixes and the promising results from Research Project HR-212, a 4.2-mile section of county road in Muscatine County was built with foamed asphalt and local aggregates during August-September 1983. Extensive laboratory evaluation was carried out on five plant mixes representing foamed mixes used in the nine test sections, a laboratory prepared foamed mix, and a laboratory prepared hot mix similar to Plant Mix 1. The foamed mixes were compacted, cured under 15 curing conditions and tested for bulk specific gravity, Marshall stability at 77° F and at 140° F, cured moisture content, resilient modulus and effects of moisture damage due to freeze-thaw cycles, water soaking, and vacuum saturation. In addition, four sets of 83 core samples were taken at 1 to 15 months and tested for moisture content, specific gravity, Marshall stability, and resilient modulus. In summary, the test road has performed satisfactorily for almost two years. The few early construction problems encountered were to be expected for experimental projects dealing with new materials and technologies. Overall results to date are encouraging and foamed asphalt mixes have proved to have the potential as a viable base material in areas where marginal aggregates are available. It is hoped and expected that performance evaluation of the test sections will be continued and that more foamed asphalt trial projects will be constructed and monitored so that experiences and findings from this project can be verified and mix design criteria can be gradually established. For future foamed asphalt projects it is recommended that anti-stripping additives, such as hydrated lime, be added in view of the potential moisture susceptibility of foamed mixes observed in the laboratory evaluation.

An Evaluation of the Roto-Mill Profiler on Concrete Pavements in Iowa, MLR-76-1, 1976

A new machine, the ROTO-MILL Profiler, became available in early 1976. This machine, manufactured by CMI Corporation of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma provides pavement surface Scarification at a much higher production rate than was previously possible. Iowa had the opportunity to observe and evaluate this machine on two separate sections of primary portland cement concrete pavement in October, 1976. The marked improvement in the profile index and the skid resistance indicates this machine may be considered a viable method for improving rideability and skid resistance of a roadway that is otherwise reasonably sound.

Pavement Evaluation Using the Road Rater Deflection Dish, MLR-89-2, 1989

In recent years the Iowa Department of Transportation has shifted emphasis from the construction of new roads to the maintenance and preservation of existing highways. A need has developed for evaluating pavements structurally to select the correct rehabilitation strategy and to properly design a pavement overlay if necessary. Road Rater non-destructive testing has fulfilled this need and has been used successfully to evaluate pavement and subgrade conditions and to design asphaltic concrete overlays and portland cement concrete overlays. The Iowa Road Rater Design Method has been simplified so that it may be easily understood and used by various individuals who are involved in pavement restoration and management. Road Rater evaluation techniques have worked well to date and have been verified by pavement coring, soils sampling and testing. Void detection testing has also been performed, and results indicate that the Road Rater can be used to locate pavement voids and that Road Rater evaluation techniques are reasonably accurate. The success of Road Rater research and development has made dynamic deflection test data an important pavement management input.

Good practice for dialogue and communication as strategic principle for policing political manifestations in Europe (GODIAC):field study handbook

This handbook describes the peer review methodology that was applied at the GODIAC project fi eld studies1. The peer review evaluation method as initiated by Otto Adang in the Netherlands and further developed in a European football context (Adang & Brown, 2008) involves experienced police offi cers cooperating with researchers to perform observational fi eld studies to identify good practices and learning points for public order management. The handbook builds on the GODIAC seminars and workshops, for the fi eld study members, which took place in September 2010, January 2012 and January 2013. The handbook has been discussed in the project group and in the steering committee. It is primarily written for the GODIAC fi eld study members as background material for understanding the fi eld study process and for clarifying the different responsibilities that enable active participation in the fi eld study. The handbook has been developed during the project period and incorporates learning points and developments of the peer review method. The handbook aims at promoting the use of fi eld studies for evaluation of policing major events.

Development and validation of a gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of ethyl glucuronide in hair and its application to forensic toxicology.

Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is a minor and direct metabolite of ethanol. EtG is incorporated into the growing hair allowing retrospective investigation of chronic alcohol abuse. In this study, we report the development and the validation of a method using gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry (GC-NCI-MS/MS) for the quantification of EtG in hair. EtG was extracted from about 30 mg of hair by aqueous incubation and purified by solid-phase extraction (SPE) using mixed mode extraction cartridges followed by derivation with perfluoropentanoic anhydride (PFPA). The analysis was performed in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode using the transitions m/z 347-->163 (for the quantification) and m/z 347-->119 (for the identification) for EtG, and m/z 352-->163 for EtG-d(5) used as internal standard. For validation, we prepared quality controls (QC) using hair samples taken post mortem from 2 subjects with a known history of alcoholism. These samples were confirmed by a proficiency test with 7 participating laboratories. The assay linearity of EtG was confirmed over the range from 8.4 to 259.4 pg/mg hair, with a coefficient of determination (r(2)) above 0.999. The limit of detection (LOD) was estimated with 3.0 pg/mg. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of the method was fixed at 8.4 pg/mg. Repeatability and intermediate precision (relative standard deviation, RSD%), tested at 4 QC levels, were less than 13.2%. The analytical method was applied to several hair samples obtained from autopsy cases with a history of alcoholism and/or lesions caused by alcohol. EtG concentrations in hair ranged from 60 to 820 pg/mg hair.

Differences in aerobic fitness and lifestyle characteristics in preschoolers according to their weight status and sports club participation.

Objective: This study assesses differences in adiposity, aerobic fitness, and lifestyle characteristics in preschoolers according to their weight status and sports club (SC) participation. Method: As part of the Ballabeina study, 600 randomly selected preschoolers (mean age 5.1 ± 0.6 years; 50.2% girls) were analyzed. Body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance, aerobic fitness by the 20-meter shuttle run test, and physical activity by accelerometers. Eating habits, media use, and SC participation were assessed by questionnaires. Results: Overweight children (Swiss national percentiles) and children not participating in SC had both lower aerobic fitness and higher % body fat compared to their respective counterparts (all p ≤ 0.028). In addition, children not participating in SC were less physically active, had more media use, and ate less healthy compared to children participating in SC (all p ≤ 0.023). Controlling for parental sociocultural determinants attenuated differences in % body fat, in physical activity, and in eating habits. Conclusion: Aerobic fitness differs both according to weight status and SC participation in preschoolers. Furthermore, in view of the many differences in lifestyle behaviors, SC participation at this age could represent a more discriminatory indicator of healthy lifestyle characteristics than weight status.

Iowa DOT Evaluation of the PASCO Road Survey System, HR-539, 1987

The report compares and contrasts the automated PASCO method of pavement evaluation to the manual procedures used by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to evaluate pavement condition. Iowa DOT's use of IJK and BPR roadmeters and manual crack and patch surveys are compared to PASCO's use of 35-mm photography, artificial lighting and hairline projection, tracking wheels and lasers to measure ride, cracking and patching, rut depths, and roughness. The Iowa DOT method provides a Present Serviceability Index (PSI) value and PASCO provides a Maintenance Control Index (MCI). Seven sections of Interstate Highway, county roads and city streets, and one shoulder section were tested with different speeds of data collection, surface types and textures, and stop and start conditions. High correlation of results between the two methods in the measurement of roughness (0.93 for the tracking wheel and 0.84 for the laser method) were recorded. Rut depth correlations of 0.61 and cracking of 0.32 are attributed to PASCO's more comprehensive measurement techniques. A cost analysis of the data provided by both systems indicates that PASCO is capable of providing a comparable result with improved accuracy at a cost of $125-$150 or less per two-lane mile depending on survey mileage. Improved data collection speed, accuracy, and reliability, and a visible record of pavement condition for comparable costs are available. The PASCO system's ability to provide the data required in the Highway Pavement Distress Identification Manual, the Pavement Condition Rating Guide, and the Strategic Highway Research Program Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Studies, is also outlined in the report.

Shoulder pathology: estimating dominant upper-limb activity using 3D kinematic sensors.

Introduction. Quantification of daily upper-limb activity is a key determinant in evaluation of shoulder surgery. For a number of shoulder diseases, problem in performing daily activities have been expressed in terms of upper-limb usage and non-usage. Many instruments measure upper-limb movement but do not focus on the differentiations between the use of left or right shoulder. Several methods have been used to measure it using only accelerometers, pressure sensors or video-based analysis. However, there is no standard or widely used objective measure for upper-limb movement. We report here on an objective method to measure the movement of upper-limb and we examined the use of 3D accelerometers and 3D gyroscopes for that purpose. Methods. We studied 8 subjects with unilateral pathological shoulder (8 rotator cuff disease: 53 years old ± 8) and compared them to 18 control subjects (10 right handed, 8 left handed: 32 years old ± 8, younger than the patient group to be almost sure they don_t have any unrecognized shoulder pathology). The Simple Shoulder Test (SST) and Disabilities of the Arm and Shoulder Score (DASH) questionnaires were completed by each subject. Two modules with 3 miniature capacitive gyroscopes and 3 miniature accelerometers were fixed by a patch on the dorsal side of the distal humerus, and one module with 3 gyroscopes and 3 accelerometers were fixed on the thorax. The subject wore the system during one day (8 hours), at home or wherever he/she went. We used a technique based on the 3D acceleration and the 3D angular velocities from the modules attached on the humerus. Results. As expected, we observed that for the stand and sit postures the right side is more used than the left side for a healthy right-handed person(idem on the left side for a healthy left-handed person). Subjects used their dominant upper-limb 18% more than the non-dominant upper-limb. The measurements on patients in daily life have shown that the patient has used more his non affected and non dominant side during daily activity if the dominant side = affected shoulder. If the dominant side affected shoulder, the difference can be showed only during walking period. Discussion-Conclusion. The technique developed and used allowed the quantification of the difference between dominant and non dominant side, affected and unaffected upper-limb activity. These results were encouraging for future evaluation of patients with shoulder injuries, before and after surgery. The feasibility and patient acceptability of the method using body fixed sensors for ambulatory evaluation of upper limbs kinematics was shown.

Laboratory Performance Evaluation of CIR-Emulsion and its Comparison Against CIR-Foam Test Results from Phase 2, TR-474, 2009

Currently, no standard mix design procedure is available for CIR-emulsion in Iowa. The CIR-foam mix design process developed during the previous phase is applied for CIR-emulsion mixtures with varying emulsified asphalt contents. Dynamic modulus test, dynamic creep test, static creep test and raveling test were conducted to evaluate the short- and long-term performance of CIR-emulsion mixtures at various testing temperatures and loading conditions. A potential benefit of this research is a better understanding of CIR-emulsion material properties in comparison with those of CIR-foam material that would allow for the selection of the most appropriate CIR technology and the type and amount of the optimum stabilization material. Dynamic modulus, flow number and flow time of CIR-emulsion mixtures using CSS- 1h were generally higher than those of HFMS-2p. Flow number and flow time of CIR-emulsion using RAP materials from Story County was higher than those from Clayton County. Flow number and flow time of CIR-emulsion with 0.5% emulsified asphalt was higher than CIR-emulsion with 1.0% or 1.5%. Raveling loss of CIR-emulsion with 1.5% emulsified was significantly less than those with 0.5% and 1.0%. Test results in terms of dynamic modulus, flow number, flow time and raveling loss of CIR-foam mixtures are generally better than those of CIR-emulsion mixtures. Given the limited RAP sources used for this study, it is recommended that the CIR-emulsion mix design procedure should be validated against several RAP sources and emulsion types.

The ADVANCE trial: clarifying the role of perindopril/indapamide fixed-dose combination in the reduction of cardiovascular and renal events in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus exhibit a marked increase in cardiovascular and renal risk. A number of interventional trials have shown that these patients benefit greatly from aggressive BP lowering, especially when the drug regimen comprises an inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin system. The results of the placebo-controlled ADVANCE (Action in Diabetes and Vascular disease: PreterAx and DiamicroN MR Controlled Evaluation) trial, conducted in patients with type 2 diabetes, are exemplary in this respect. The systematic use of a fixed-dose combination containing the ACE inhibitor perindopril and the diuretic indapamide afforded substantial protection against cardiovascular mortality and myocardial infarction, while providing important renoprotection, reducing the development of micro- and macroalbuminuria, and allowing regression of nephropathy. The beneficial effects were obtained regardless of baseline BP and whether or not the patients were receiving antihypertensive therapy.

A treatment planning method for sequentially combining radiopharmaceutical therapy and external radiation therapy.

PURPOSE: Effective cancer treatment generally requires combination therapy. The combination of external beam therapy (XRT) with radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) requires accurate three-dimensional dose calculations to avoid toxicity and evaluate efficacy. We have developed and tested a treatment planning method, using the patient-specific three-dimensional dosimetry package 3D-RD, for sequentially combined RPT/XRT therapy designed to limit toxicity to organs at risk. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The biologic effective dose (BED) was used to translate voxelized RPT absorbed dose (D(RPT)) values into a normalized total dose (or equivalent 2-Gy-fraction XRT absorbed dose), NTD(RPT) map. The BED was calculated numerically using an algorithmic approach, which enabled a more accurate calculation of BED and NTD(RPT). A treatment plan from the combined Samarium-153 and external beam was designed that would deliver a tumoricidal dose while delivering no more than 50 Gy of NTD(sum) to the spinal cord of a patient with a paraspinal tumor. RESULTS: The average voxel NTD(RPT) to tumor from RPT was 22.6 Gy (range, 1-85 Gy); the maximum spinal cord voxel NTD(RPT) from RPT was 6.8 Gy. The combined therapy NTD(sum) to tumor was 71.5 Gy (range, 40-135 Gy) for a maximum voxel spinal cord NTD(sum) equal to the maximum tolerated dose of 50 Gy. CONCLUSIONS: A method that enables real-time treatment planning of combined RPT-XRT has been developed. By implementing a more generalized conversion between the dose values from the two modalities and an activity-based treatment of partial volume effects, the reliability of combination therapy treatment planning has been expanded.

Agronomic performance, chromosomal stability and resistance to velvetbean caterpillar of transgenic soybean expressing cry1Ac gene

The objective of this work was to analyze the agronomic performance and chromosomal stability of transgenic homozygous progenies of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill.], and to confirm the resistance of these plants against Anticarsia gemmatalis. Eleven progenies expressing cry1Ac, hpt and gusA genes were evaluated for agronomic characteristics in relation to the nontransformed parent IAS 5 cultivar. Cytogenetical analysis was carried out on transgenic and nontransgenic plants. Two out of the 11 transgenic progenies were also evaluated, in vitro and in vivo, for resistance to A. gemmatalis. Two negative controls were used in resistance bioassays: a transgenic homozygous line, containing only the gusA reporter gene, and nontransgenic 'IAS 5' plants. The presence of cry1Ac transgene affected neither the development nor the yield of plants. Cytogenetical analysis showed that transgenic plants presented normal karyotype. In detached-leaf bioassay, cry1Ac plants exhibited complete efficacy against A. gemmatalis, whereas negative controls were significantly damaged. Whole-plant feeding assay confirmed a very high protection of cry1Ac against velvetbean caterpillar, while nontransgenic 'IAS 5' plants and homozygous gusA line exhibited 56.5 and 71.5% defoliation, respectively. The presence of cry1Ac transgene doesn't affect the majority of agronomic traits (including yield) of soybean and grants high protection against A. gemmatalis.