S01RS SGR No. 11 (Exec Trans)

A RESOLUTION To support the recommendation of the Executive Transportation Committee to the LSU Board of Supervisors and the University Administration to increase the Mass Transit System fee to meet current costs

Purlin Design to AISI LRFD Using Rational Buckling Analysis

The latest edition of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members was published in 1996 (AISI, 1996). Design rules are presented in both allowable stress design (ASD) and load and resistance factor design (LRFD) formats. The LRFD rules of the latest AISI Specification form the basis of the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4600:1996 Cold-Formed Steel Structures (SA/SNZ, 1996), which was published in late 1996 and supersedes the corresponding Australian permissible stress Standard AS 1538-1988. One of the main applications of cold-formed steel is purlins and girts in metal roof and wall systems. The design rules for these structural members have been refined over the years and procedures are now available which allow the effects of the sheeting restraint, lapped regions, and height of load application to be incorporated. Nevertheless, unlike AS/NZS 4600: 1996, the AISI Specification does not explicitly allow the use of advanced numerical techniques such as rational elastic buckling analyses within Clause C3 .1.2 to improve the accuracy and reliability of the design procedures. This paper summarises the existing two approaches to puriin design (herein termed the C-factor approach and the R-factor approach) in the AISI Specification, and presents a third approach based on the use of elastic rational buckling analysis to determine the lateral buckling strength of the purlin system. The relative merits and drawbacks of each approach are discussed. The importance of distortional buckling as a failure mode to be considered (currently neglected in the AISI Specification but included in AS/NZS 4600:1996) is also highlighted. The ultimate load capacities computed using the various design models are compared with test results obtained from vacuum rig testing at the University of Sydney over a period of more than 10 years. The use of rational elastic buckling analysis in conjunction with the existing AISI beam strength curve is found to be effective as a means of assessing the lateral buckling strength of puriin systems

Some topographical changes associated with silicone hydrogel contact lenses may be due to inverted lenses

Purpose: It is possible that many reports of topographical and refractive changes associated with silicone hydrogel contact lens wear are the result of inadvertent wearing of inverted lenses. We wished to investigate differences in subjective, topographic, and refractive impact of wearing inverted silicone hydrogel lenses in comparison to wearing lenses in the normal (non-inverted) configuration. Methods: Baseline uncorrected visual acuity and topographical maps were taken for 14 subjects, and a comfort survey was completed for each. The subjects were then fit with Focus Night & Day (Ciba Vision) silicone hydrogel contact lenses; one of the two lenses was inverted on each subject, as determined by a randomized, masked schedule. Lenses were removed after 12 hours that included overnight wear. Acuities, topographical maps and the comfort survey were then repeated. Results: Significant change was noted from baseline for both lens conditions for acuities (p\u3c0.01) and the topographical maps (p\u3c0.05). The comfort of the two lenses did not significantly differ. Although the topographical maps were often distinctly different in appearance for the two conditions, numerical differences were small. Conclusions: Subjects\u27 inability to distinguish inverted from non-inverted lens comfort supports the suggestion that silicone hydrogel lenses may in fact often be worn insideout. Topographic changes occur with the lenses whether inverted or not, although the appearance of the maps are noticeably different. A potential exists for corneal reshaping with silicone hydrogel lenses

Population Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Modeling of Depot Testosterone Cypionate in Healthy Male Subjects

A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was conducted to investigate long-term abuse effects of testosterone cypionate (TC). Thirty-one healthy men were randomized into a dose group of 100, 250, or 500 mg/wk and received 14 weekly injections of TC. A pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model was developed to characterize testosterone concentrations and link exposure to change in luteinizing hormone and spermatogenesis following long-term TC administration. A linear one-compartment model best described the concentration-time profile of total testosterone. The population mean estimates for testosterone were 2.6 kL/day for clearance and 14.4 kL for volume of distribution. Weight, albumin, and their changes from baseline were identified as significant covariates for testosterone. The estimated potency of total testosterone (tT) with respect to suppression of luteinizing hormone (LH) synthesis was 9.33 ng/mL. Simulation based on the indirect response model suggests the suppression of endogenous testosterone secretion, LH synthesis, and spermatogenesis was more severe and of greater duration in the 250 mg and the 500 mg dose groups

Perceptual Style, Field Dependence, and Accident Involvement

It was hypothesized that field dependence and attention measures would differentiate accident-loaded and accident-free employees of a petroleum services company. Analysis of variance revealed main effects and a three-way interaction for the Rod-and-Frame Test. Main effects occurred for the Attention-Diagnostic Method and Embedded- Figures Test. No differences occurred for the Closure Test. Regression analysis produced an R (76) = .41, p < .01, with the Attention-Diagnostic Method contributing more to prediction. Equality-symmetry violations occurred in the data. Cautious interpretation was advised because of the assumption violations. The accident-loaded subjects produced consistently greater performance variances, which suggested general performance characteristics in several respects. Future research should be longitudinal-predictive, oriented from Kerr 's complementary safety theories

Pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of a single co-administered dose of diethylcarbamazine, albendazole and ivermectin in adults with and without Wuchereria bancrofti infection in Cote d\u27Ivoire

BackgroundA single co-administered dose of ivermectin (IVM) plus diethylcarbamazine (DEC) plus albendazole (ALB), or triple-drug therapy, was recently found to be more effective for clearing microfilariae (Mf) than standard DEC plus ALB currently used for mass drug administration programs for lymphatic filariasis (LF) outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Triple-drug therapy has not been previously tested in LF-uninfected individuals from Africa. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and efficacy of triple-drug therapy in people with and without Wuchereria bancrofti infection in West Africa.MethodsIn this open-label cohort study, treatment-naïve microfilaremic (>50 mf/mL, n = 32) and uninfected (circulating filarial antigen negative, n = 24) adults residing in Agboville district, Côte d’Ivoire, were treated with a single dose of IVM plus DEC plus ALB, and evaluated for adverse events (AEs) until 7 days post treatment. Drug levels were assessed by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Persons responsible for assessing AEs were blinded to participants’ infection status.FindingsThere was no difference in AUC0-inf or Cmax between LF-infected and uninfected participants (P>0.05 for all comparisons). All subjects experienced mild AEs; 28% and 25% of infected and uninfected participants experienced grade 2 AEs, respectively. There were no severe or serious adverse events. Only fever (16 of 32 versus 4 of 24, PConclusionsModerate to heavy W. bancrofti infection did not affect PK parameters for IVM, DEC or ALB following a single co-administered dose of these drugs compared to uninfected individuals. The drugs were well tolerated. This study confirmed the efficacy of the triple-drug therapy for clearing W. bancrofti Mf and has added important information to support the use of this regimen in LF elimination programs in areas of Africa without co-endemic onchocerciasis or loiasis.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02845713.</div

Stone-Wales Transformation Paths in Fullerene C60

The mechanisms of formation of a metastable defect isomer of fullerene C60 due to the Stone-Wales transformation are theoretically studied. It is demonstrated that the paths of the "dynamic" Stone-Wales transformation at a high sufficient for overcoming potential barriers) temperature can differ from the two "adiabatic" transformation paths discussed in the literature. This behavior is due to the presence of a great near-flat segment of the potential-energy surface in the neighborhood of metastable states. Besides, the sequence of rupture and formation of interatomic bonds is other than that in the case of the adiabatictransformation.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Knockout of ERK5 causes multiple defects in placental and embryonic development

BACKGROUD: ERK5 is a member of the mitogen activated protein kinase family activated by certain mitogenic or stressful stimuli in cells, but whose physiological role is largely unclear. RESULTS: To help determine the function of ERK5 we have used gene targeting to inactivate this gene in mice. Here we report that ERK5 knockout mice die at approximately E10.5. In situ hybridisation for ERK5, and its upstream activator MKK5, showed strong expression in the head and trunk of the embryo at this stage of development. Between E9.5 and E10.5, multiple developmental problems are seen in the ERK5-/- embryos, including an increase in apoptosis in the cephalic mesenchyme tissue, abnormalities in the hind gut, as well as problems in vascular remodelling, cardiac development and placental defects. CONCLUSION: Erk5 is essential for early embryonic development, and is required for normal development of the vascular system and cell survival

Instantaneous Normal Mode analysis of liquid HF

We present an Instantaneous Normal Modes analysis of liquid HF aimed to clarify the origin of peculiar dynamical properties which are supposed to stem from the arrangement of molecules in linear hydrogen-bonded network. The present study shows that this approach is an unique tool for the understanding of the spectral features revealed in the analysis of both single molecule and collective quantities. For the system under investigation we demonstrate the relevance of hydrogen-bonding ``stretching'' and fast librational motion in the interpretation of these features.Comment: REVTeX, 7 pages, 5 eps figures included. Minor changes in the text and in a figure. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let