Stiffness Characterization of Cold Recycled Mixtures

AbstractOne of the objectives within the European research project CoRePaSol (supported within the CEDR Transnational Program) was to summarize assessment and research of stiffness modulus of cold recycled mixes determined according to repeated indirect tensile stress test (IT-CY). In most cases the stiffness modulus values were compared to the values of indirect tensile strength (ITS), which is currently the most commonly used characteristic for proving the quality of a cold recycled mix. The first part of experimental measurements was focused on the standard cold recycled mixes, thus mixes whose aggregate skeleton is formed entirely by RAP and which contain either just the bituminous binder (bituminous emulsion or foamed bitumen), or a combination of one of these binders and a hydraulic binder (cement). Later also combinations with other types of recyclable materials were done and tested. Stiffness modulus and in most cases also the indirect tensile strength values were investigated from many points of view, e.g. the effect of different bituminous / hydraulic binder content on these characteristics, time-dependent progress in change of these characteristics, effect of testing temperature or the influence of fines addition on the stiffness modulus value. This paper therefore brings some summarization of the gained experience

DMBT1 (deleted in malignant brain tumors 1)

Review on DMBT1 (deleted in malignant brain tumors 1), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

Serum heart-type fatty acid-binding protein and cerebrospinal fluid tau: Marker candidates for dementia with Lewy bodies

Background: The measurement of biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has gained increasing acceptance in establishing the diagnosis of some neurodegenerative diseases. Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) was recently discovered in CSF and serum of patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Objective: We investigated H-FABP in CSF and serum alone and in combination with CSF tau protein to evaluate these as potential biomarkers for the differentiation between dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: We established H-FABP and tau protein values in a set of 144 persons with DLB (n = 33), Parkinson disease with dementia (PDD; n = 25), AD (n = 35) and nonclemented neurological controls (NNC; n = 51). Additionally, serum H-FABP levels were analyzed in idiopathic Parkinson disease patients without evidence of cognitive decline (n = 45) using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We calculated absolute values of HFABP and tau protein in CSF and serum and established relative ratios between the two to obtain the best possible match for the clinical working diagnosis. Results: Serum HFABP levels were elevated in DLB and PDD patients compared with NNC and AD subjects. To better discriminate between DLB and AD, we calculated the ratio of serum H-FABP to CSF tau protein levels. At the arbitrary chosen cutoff ratio >= 8 this quotient reached a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 66%. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the measurement of CSF tau protein, together with H-FABP quantification in serum and CSF, and the ratio of serum H-FABP to CSF tau protein represent marker candidates for the differentiation between AD and DLB. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

Deglacial records of terrigenous organic matter accumulation off the Yukon and Amur rivers based on lignin phenols and long-chain <i>n</i>-alkanes

Arctic warming and sea level change will lead to widespread permafrost thaw and subsequent mobilization. Sedimentary records of past warming events during the Last Glacial–interglacial transition can be used to study the conditions under which permafrost mobilization occurs and which changes in vegetation on land are associated with such warming. The Amur and Yukon rivers discharging into the Okhotsk and Bering seas, respectively, drain catchments that have been, or remain until today, covered by permafrost. Here we study two marine sediment cores recovered off the mouths of these rivers. We use lignin phenols as biomarkers, which are excellently suited for the reconstruction of terrestrial higher plant vegetation, and compare them with previously published lipid biomarker data. We find that in the Yukon basin, vegetation change and wetland expansion began already in the early deglaciation (ED; 14.6–19 ka). This timing is different from observed changes in the Okhotsk Sea reflecting input from the Amur basin, where wetland expansion and vegetation change occurred later in the Pre-Boreal (PB). In the two basins, angiosperm contribution and wetland extent all reached maxima during the PB, both decreasing and stabilizing after the PB. The permafrost of the Amur basin began to become remobilized in the PB. Retreat of sea ice coupled with increased sea surface temperatures in the Bering Sea during the ED might have promoted early permafrost mobilization. In modern Arctic river systems, lignin and n-alkanes are transported from land to the ocean via different pathways, i.e., surface runoff vs. erosion of deeper deposits, respectively. However, accumulation rates of lignin phenols and lipids are similar in our records, suggesting that under conditions of rapid sea level rise and shelf flooding, both types of terrestrial biomarkers are delivered by the same transport pathway. This finding suggests that the fate of terrigenous organic matter in the Arctic differs on both temporal and spatial scales.</p

Detection and quantification of Aβ−3–40 (APP669‐711) in cerebrospinal fluid

Neurochemical biomarkers can support the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and may facilitate clinical trials. In blood plasma, the ratio of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides Aβ−3– 40/Aβ1–42 can predict cerebral amyloid-β pathology with high accuracy (Nakamura et al., 2018). Whether or not Aβ−3–40 (aka. amyloid precursor protein (APP) 669– 711) is also present in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is not clear. Here, we investigated whether Aβ−3–40 can be detected in CSF and to what extent the CSF Aβ−3–40/Aβ42 ratio is able to differentiate between individuals with or without amyloid-β positron emission tomography (PET) evidence of brain amyloid. The occurrence of Aβ−3–40 in human CSF was assessed by immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry. For quantifying the CSF concentrations of Aβ−3–40 in 23 amyloid PET- negative and 17 amyloid PET- positive subjects, we applied a sandwich-type immunoassay. Our findings provide clear evidence of the presence of Aβ−3–40 and Aβ−3–38 in human CSF. While there was no statistically significant difference in the CSF concentration of Aβ−3–40 between the two diagnostic groups, the CSF Aβ−3–40/Aβ42 ratio was increased in the amyloid PET- positive individuals. We conclude that Aβ−3– 40 appears to be a regular constituent of CSF and may potentially serve to accentuate the selec- tive decrease in CSF Aβ42 in Alzheimer's disease

Photosynthesis dependent acidification of perialgal vacuoles in theParamedum bursaria/Chlorella symbiosis. Visualization by monensin

After treatment with the carboxylic ionophore monensin theChlorella containing perialgal vacuoles of the greenParamecium bursaria swell. TheParamecium cells remain motile at this concentration for at least one day. The swelling is only observed in illuminated cells and can be inhibited by DCMU. We assume that during photosynthesis the perialgal vacuoles are acidified and that monensin exchanges H+ ions against monovalent cations (here K+). In consequence the osmotic value of the vacuoles increases. The proton gradient is believed to drive the transport of maltose from the symbiont into the host. Another but light independent effect of the monensin treatment is the swelling of peripheral alveoles of the ciliates, likewise indicating that the alveolar membrane contains an active proton pump

Particulate and dissolved organic carbon in the Lena Delta – the Arctic Ocean interface

Rapid Arctic warming accelerates permafrost thaw releasing aged organic matter (OM) to inland aquatic ecosystems and ultimately, after transport via estuaries or deltas, to the Arctic Ocean nearshore. Despite the importance of Arctic deltas, their functioning is still poorly studied. Here, we examined seasonal fluctuations and spatial differences in the quantity and composition of OM in the Lena Delta, measuring dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC) concentrations, carbon isotopes (δ13C and Δ14C), and total suspended matter (TSM). We compared deltaic POC to the POC in the Lena River main stem over a ~1600 km transect, from Yakutsk to the Lena Delta. We further examined and compared dynamics of DOC and POC in summer and winter across a ~140 km transect in the Lena Delta. TSM and POC concentrations decreased by 75 % during transit from Yakutsk to the Lena Delta. 18 % of deltaic and 5 % of river main stem POC originated from Yedoma deposits. Thus, despite lower concentrations of POC in the delta, amount of POC from Yedoma deposits in deltaic waters were almost twice as large as in the main stem (0.07 ±0.02 and 0.04 ±0.02 mg L-1, respectively). Deltaic POC was strongly depleted in 13C due to significant phytoplankton contributions (~-68 ±6 %). Strong differences between winter and summer samples in DOC and POC concentrations and their properties in the Lena Delta were also found. Combined analyses of DOC and POC revealed that Pleistocene-aged Yedoma deposits were still actively degrading in winter influencing the quantity and composition of OM of the Lena Delta and exported OC loads. Deltaic processes control the type and amount of OM exported to the Arctic Ocean and require deeper investigations as crucial processes for the riverine and oceans pathways in a warming Arctic