Assessing the Integrity of Spillway Foundations

The erosion under a spillway can be a long-term issue that threatens the structural integrity of a water reservoir. The spillway under investigation was suspected to be defective after it had been commissioned in 1987 (Figure 1). Potholes and subsurface cavities were confirmed in the safety assessment using various NDT techniques including ground penetrating radar and impact echo. The GPR inspection was able to differentiate the intact region from the cavities under concrete slabs (Figure 2). The impact echo results and associated analyses provided further evidence of inferior condition in the soil under the concrete slabs. The engineering team designed and executed the repair project based on the conclusion of the integrity assessment. Subsequent GPR inspection has been performed so as to monitor the integrity of the spillway in a period of 18 months following the repair

The study on SFLAB GanedenBC30 viability on baking products during storage

AbstractFor understanding Bacillus coagulans, GanedenBC30 was used in different ways to added in raw dough and examine their viability after baking. Eight different baking products: (1) chrysanthemum cookies, (2) egg pastry cakes, (3) mooncakes, (4) muffins, (5) polo breads, (6) soda cookies, (7) sponge cakes, and (8) toasts were made from 0.5% GanedenBC30 added to their dough in two ways: (a) flour powder or (b) egg yolk. Then the (a) pH value, (b) titratable acidity, (c) GanedenBC30 counts, and (d) viability GanedenBC30 of eight different baking products were determined after storing at 4oC for 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 days, or 25oC for 0, 3, 6 days. The eight types of raw dough had relatively lower pH values and rise after baking. The titratable acidity of the eight types of dough was relatively higher, and declined after baking. However, the pH value and titratable acidity of the eight baking products remained the same after 9 days at 4oC. On the other hand, the GanedenBC30 counts in the eight baking products were less than their raw dough GanedenBC30 levels. For storage at both 4 and 25oC, the results show the GanedenBC30 viability of baking products decreased with storage days. The dough made by flour powder and baking showed higher GanedenBC30 viability than by egg yolk. GanedenBC30 are good candidates for baking product use, both in lactic acid production and probiotic preparations

Expression of Wnt5a alternative promoters A and B during cancer progression and cellular differentiation

WNT5A is a secreted glycoprotein that plays an important role in cellular differentiation, cell homeostasis and development. It is also misregulated in numerous cancer cell types. The Wnt5a gene generates multiple transcripts from distinct promoters and alternative splicing, leading to different protein isoforms. Currently, little is known regarding the regulation of the Wnt5a alternative promoters. The goal of this study was to characterize the expression of Wnt5a alternative promoters A and B during differentiation and cellular transformation. TaqMan primer-probe sets, specific to promoter A and promoter B derived transcripts, were designed and characterized. The level of promoter A and B specific transcripts were determined in normal human osteoblasts and the osteosarcoma cell line, SaOS-2, as a model for cancer progression. The level of promoter A and B transcripts were nearly equal in osteoblasts cells. In contrast, there was a dramatic decrease in promoter B transcripts in osteosarcoma cells and an increase of 3.5 fold in promoter A transcripts, giving an A to B ratio of 2320 to 1. Wnt5a promoter A and promoter B luciferase reporter constructs were transfected into osteosarcoma cells. Promoter A and promoter B activities were found to be nearly equal, suggesting that the lower level of promoter B transcripts in osteosarcoma cells is not due to altered levels of transcription factors. Promoter A and promoter B specific transcripts were assayed in 3T3-L1 mouse fibroblasts, as a model for differentiation, in the following stages: exponential preadipocytes (EX PA), confluent preadipocytes (CON PA), two days after MDI treatment (D2 Post MDI) and in mature differentiated adipocytes (Diff AD). In EX PA and CON PA cells, both promoter A and promoter B transcripts increased followed by decreased transcript levels in D2 Post MDI cells. While promoter A transcripts slightly increased in Diff AD, promoter B transcript levels remained at a low level. Overall, these results suggest that Wnt5a promoter A and promoter B are differentially regulated

Investigaciones sobre educación estocástica en primaria en el Acta Latinoamericana de Matemática Educativa (1998-2018)

En este trabajo se presentan los resultados preliminares de un estudio bibliométrico, de nivel descriptivo, en que se analizaron los artículos publicados en el Acta Latinoamericana de Matemática Educativa sobre estadística y/o probabilidad en Educación Primaria, entre los años 1998 y 2018. Para esto, se identifican aquellos trabajos sobre Educación Estocástica de nivel primario, considerando las siguientes unidades de análisis: tema tratado, producción por año, autores (cantidad, sexo, institución y país de procedencia), palabras clave y citas Google Académico. El estudio permite observar la escasa cantidad de trabajos en relación con esta temática y su discontinuidad durante ese periodo. resultados

Disordered Fe vacancies and superconductivity in potassium-intercalated iron selenide (K2-xFe4+ySe5)

The parent compound of an unconventional superconductor must contain unusual correlated electronic and magnetic properties of its own. In the high-Tc potassium intercalated FeSe, there has been significant debate regarding what the exact parent compound is. Our studies unambiguously show that the Fe-vacancy ordered K2Fe4Se5 is the magnetic, Mott insulating parent compound of the superconducting state. Non-superconducting K2Fe4Se5 becomes a superconductor after high temperature annealing, and the overall picture indicates that superconductivity in K2-xFe4+ySe5 originates from the Fe-vacancy order to disorder transition. Thus, the long pending question whether magnetic and superconducting state are competing or cooperating for cuprate superconductors may also apply to the Fe-chalcogenide superconductors. It is believed that the iron selenides and related compounds will provide essential information to understand the origin of superconductivity in the iron-based superconductors, and possibly to the superconducting cuprates