Using Soybean Oil Soapstock for Stabilizing Granular Shoulders

Granular shoulders need to be maintained on a regular basis because edge ruts and pot holes could possibly develop which could pose a safety hazard to vehicles. To stabilize shoulders and reduce the number of necessary maintenance cycles per season, one possible stabilizing agent - acidulated soybean oil soapstock (referred to as soapstock ) is investigated in this research. By the end of the study, researchers were able to determine whether and under what conditions this soapstock could be effective in mitigating edge rutting and pot holes for granular shoulders. In order to achieve this goal, a pilot testing project was conducted for selected problematic shoulders around northern and northeastern Iowa. Soapstock was applied on granular shoulders with monitoring during application and pre-and post-observations. In this thesis, application techniques were documented and percentage of application success was calculated for each treated shoulder section. As a result of this research, it is concluded that Soybean oil soapstock can be an effective stabilizer for granular shoulders under certain conditions. The documented application techniques could be used as the basis for future guidance for applying soapstock or similar products on granular shoulders. In addition, recommendations are made for future research projects that could be conducted to study the effects and sensitivities of possible influence factors listed in this thesis

Civil integrated management and the implementation of CIM-related technologies in the transportation industry

As advanced technologies are adopted in the transportation industry, it is important to investigate how they can be integrated and better utilized to facilitate the success of public transportation agencies. It is also important to devise efficient ways to address the considerable amount of digital data created as these technologies are used. A newly introduced concept – Civil Integrated Management (CIM) – has potential for addressing these issues, because it involves collection, organization, and managed accessibility of accurate data and information throughout the transportation asset lifecycle. CIM is also expected to facilitate the use of various advanced technologies, so the purpose of this dissertation is to further explore the concept of CIM and investigate how it can be implemented to assist with transportation projects and programs. After initial preparation (i.e., conducting literature reviews, consulting with experts, developing questionnaires, and identifying target agencies), two weeks of on-site visits were conducted with seven state transportation agencies to document their insights and practices associated with the CIM concept. Coding strategies were used to analyze the field notes collected from the presentations provided by host agencies and discussions throughout the visits. To further investigate one of the CIM enabling technologies – light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a web-based survey was disseminated to 28 LiDAR professionals; it produced 15 responses. Five phone interviews were also conducted using the Delphi method to develop a LiDAR data utilization workflow for 3D modeling. To investigate another CIM enabling technology – an electronic document management (EDM) system, important data related to EDM practices were extracted from field notes obtained from the CIM on-site visits. Meanwhile, follow-up interviews were conducted with the four transportation agencies identified as leading agencies with respect to EDM, and a video interview was conducted with one additional construction company involved with enterprise-level EDM implementation. As pioneering research on CIM, the results of this dissertation provide transportation agencies and other researchers with an essential roadmap for implementing and refining the CIM concept. The findings and recommendations listed in this dissertation are also expected to assist transportation agencies in better utilizing and integrating various CIM-related technologies into their transportation projects and programs

Case Study on 3D Modeling and AMG Practices

The adoption of 3D modeling and automatic machine guidance (AMG) are becoming more popular in the transportation industry. With a 3D model uploaded to an on-board computer within a piece of heavy construction equipment, operators can easily monitor machine operations with respect to grad and location or engage the machine to produce the proper grade automatically. Thus, it provides great convenience and improved productivity for field workers. AMG and 3D modeling have been identified as enabling technologies for a Civil Integrated Management (CIM) system. When CIM is implemented, an entire transportation agency and stakeholder partners share in the use and development of a common data pool that is accessible to authorized users involved with all phases of a transportation facility life cycle (such as planning, design, construction, maintenance and rehabilitation) and all departments in the agency (Administration, finance, operation and others). The concept of CIM was developed and promoted by the United States Federal Highway Administration in 2013 and was established to make better use of accurate data and information that results from the utilization of advanced technologies and/or tools thus to facilitate more effective decision making for transportation projects. Using the CIM concept and framework, technologies such as 3D modeling and AMG could be more efficiently adopted within the full life cycle of a transportation facility. More importantly, data could be collected and managed systematically in the early phases of a project life cycle so they could be useful for later phases of the facility lifecycle. The purpose of this study is to investigate how CIM system could support autonomous construction and vice versa. During a domestic scan effort, seven state agencies and their contractors collaborated to present their extensive experiences on certain CIM related practices and tools. In particular, the experiences of the agencies that were under investigation regarding 3D modeling and AMG will be addressed in this paper. In addition, the benefits and challenges of using 3D modeling and AMG will also be discussed

Pilot Construction Project for Granular Shoulder Stabilization

Granular shoulders need to be maintained on a regular basis because edge ruts and potholes develop, posing a safety hazard to motorists. The successful mitigation of edge-rut issues for granular shoulders would increase safety and reduce the number of procedures currently required to maintain granular shoulders in Iowa. In addition, better performance of granular shoulders reduces the urgency to pave granular shoulders. Delaying or permanently avoiding paving shoulders where possible allows more flexibility in making investments in the road network. To stabilize shoulders and reduce the number of maintenance cycles necessary per season, one possible stabilizing agent—acidulated soybean oil soapstock—was investigated in this research. A pilot testing project was conducted for selected problematic shoulders in northern and northeastern Iowa. Soapstock was applied on granular shoulders and monitored during application and pre- and post-application. Application techniques were documented and the percentage of application success was calculated for each treated shoulder section. As a result of this research, it was concluded that soybean oil soapstock can be an effective stabilizer for granular shoulders under certain conditions. The researchers also developed draft specifications that could possibly be used to engage a contractor to perform the work using a maintenance-type construction contract. The documented application techniques from this project could be used as guidance for those who want to apply soapstock for stabilizing granular shoulders but might not be familiar with this technique

Seeing the Unheard: dynamics of thin liquid film in holographic ultrasonic field revealed by time-resolved Schlieren imaging

In this study, we introduce a unique approach that employs time-resolved Schlieren imaging to capture and visualize the dynamic changes of a thin liquid (mixture of water, soap and glycerin) film in ultrasonic wave field with high spatial and temporal resolution. By placing a soap film spanning a wire frame vertically in the path of light, we harnessed the vibrations induced by the ultrasonic waves, resulting in remarkable Schlieren imaging patterns. The investigation not only uncovers an unexpected branch flow phenomenon within the film, challenging existing assumptions, but also reveals a fascinating interplay between vortex flow and branch flow. The experiments have revealed a captivating spectrum of dynamic phenomena within the thin liquid films. The observation of small-scale capillary waves, large-scale standing waves, traveling waves, and the intricate fusion of capillary-gravity wave patterns underscores the rich complexity inherent in the interaction between the films and the holographic ultrasonic wave field. These diverse states of film dynamics provide a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between various wave modes and fluid behavior, further enhancing comprehension of this fascinating phenomenon. The ability to visualize the pressure field opens up new avenues for optimizing acoustic levitation techniques, investigating particle behavior, and exploring potential applications in materials science and bioengineering.Comment: 10 pages, 8 page

Selecting Optimal Combination of Data Channels for Semantic Segmentation in City Information Modelling (CIM)

Over the last decade, a 3D reconstruction technique has been developed to present the latest as-is information for various objects and build the city information models. Meanwhile, deep learning based approaches are employed to add semantic information to the models. Studies have proved that the accuracy of the model could be improved by combining multiple data channels (e.g., XYZ, Intensity, D, and RGB). Nevertheless, the redundant data channels in large-scale datasets may cause high computation cost and time during data processing. Few researchers have addressed the question of which combination of channels is optimal in terms of overall accuracy (OA) and mean intersection over union (mIoU). Therefore, a framework is proposed to explore an efficient data fusion approach for semantic segmentation by selecting an optimal combination of data channels. In the framework, a total of 13 channel combinations are investigated to pre-process data and the encoder-to-decoder structure is utilized for network permutations. A case study is carried out to investigate the efficiency of the proposed approach by adopting a city-level benchmark dataset and applying nine networks. It is found that the combination of IRGB channels provide the best OA performance, while IRGBD channels provide the best mIoU performance.</jats:p

Use of Automated Machine Guidance within the Transportation Industry

Automated machine guidance (AMG) links sophisticated design software with construction equipment to direct the operations of construction machinery with a high level of precision, and improve the speed and accuracy of the construction process. AMG technology has the potential to improve the overall quality, safety, and efficiency of transportation project construction. This research project was undertaken to study AMG implementation barriers and develop strategies for effective implementation of AMG technology in construction operations. Early in the research effort, an expert contact group was established to obtain perspectives from agencies, contractors, designers, and equipment manufacturers. An AMG workshop was conducted to develop a list of capabilities that must exist and obstacles that must be overcome to facilitate seamless electronic data transfer—from the initial surveying, to the development of digital terrain models (DTMs), through design and construction, to final inspection and verification. The synthesis from the workshop helped provide a framework and content for completing the research. Summarized here are some of the key findings from this research project.https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/landscapearchitecture_books/1000/thumbnail.jp

PRMT5 is upregulated by B-cell receptor signaling and forms a positive-feedback loop with PI3K/AKT in lymphoma cells

PRMT5, which regulates gene expression by symmetric dimethylation of histones and non-histone target proteins, is overexpressed and plays a pathogenic role in many cancers. In diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the mechanisms of PRMT5 dysregulation and its role in lymphomagenesis remain largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that B cell receptor (BCR) signaling regulates PRMT5 expression in DLBCL cells. Immunohistochemical analysis reveals elevated levels of PRMT5 expression in DLBCL cases and in germinal center (GC) B cells when compared to naive B cells. PRMT5 can be induced in naive B cells by BCR stimulation. We discovered that BTK-NF-κB signaling induces PRMT5 transcription in activated B cell-like (ABC) DLBCL cells while BCR downstream PI3K-AKT-MYC signaling upregulates PRMT5 expression in both ABC and GCB DLBCL cells. PRMT5 inhibition inhibits the growth of DLBCL cells in vitro and patient derived xenografts. Genomic and biochemical analysis demonstrate that PRMT5 promotes cell cycle progression and activates PI3K-AKT signaling, suggesting a feedback regulatory mechanism to enhance cell survival and proliferation. Co-targeting PRMT5 and AKT by their specific inhibitors is lethal to DLBCL cell lines and primary cancer cells. Therefore, this study provides a mechanistic rationale for clinical trials to evaluate PRMT5 and AKT inhibitors for DLBCL