The Age of Onset of Alcohol Use Disorders

Individuals with an alcohol use disorder account for around half of all the alcohol-related harm in developed societies and contribute to around 4% of global disease burden. In the USA, around 18% of men and 10% of women met DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder in the past year. This chapter summarizes what we know about cultural, environmental and genetic factors associated with age of alcohol onset patterns and what remains to be understood. It examines factors associated with alcohol use initiation and the relationship between onset, severity of alcohol use disorders and individual functioning. It assesses patterns of early and late alcohol use as possible clinical markers for more effective treatment and prevention approaches. Evidence on the effectiveness of public policies to delay age of onset is reviewed. The existing evidence is considered in light of methodological challenges in age of onset research, particularly in establishing a possible causal role for early onset of drinking in risk of developing alcohol use disorders

Maintenance Actions to Address Fatigue Cracking in Steel Bridge Structures: Proposed Guidelines and Commentary

This document provides guidelines for the maintenance actions to address fatigue cracking and details at risk of constraint-induced fracture (CIF) in steel bridges. It is a synthesis of best practices from published literature, project reports, past and ongoing research projects, as well as input from industry professionals gathered through a web-based survey. Intended to be a very practical reference text, it is written with everyone in mind from a maintenance contractor to an asset manager and design engineer, providing detailed descriptions of the driving causes of fatigue cracking and CIF in steel bridges and accepted methods for repair or retrofit. A number of case studies are discussed giving context for the different detail susceptibilities and utilizing a mixture of real-world and rendered images to illustrate the problems and solutions. For each case, a suggested sequence of steps is also provided as a ‘‘how-to.’

Synthesis of neutral nickel catalysts for ethylene polymerization – the influence of ligand size on catalyst stability

A facile synthesis of nickel salicylaldimine complexes with labile dissociating ligands is described. In addition to producing highly active ethylene polymerization catalysts, important insights into the effect of ligand size on catalyst stability and information on the mechanism of polymerization are provided

Plans for the first balloon flight of the gamma-ray polarimeter experiment (GRAPE)

We have developed a design for a hard X-ray polarimeter operating in the energy range from 50 to 500 keV. This modular design, known as GRAPE (Gamma-Ray Polarimeter Experiment), has been successfully demonstrated in the lab using partially polarized gamma-ray sources and using fully polarized photon beams at Argonne National Laboratory. In June of 2007, a GRAPE engineering model, consisting of a single detector module, was flown on a high altitude balloon flight to further demonstrate the design and to collect background data. We are currently preparing a much larger balloon payload for a flight in the fall of 2011. Using a large (16-element) array of detector modules, this payload is being designed to search for polarization from known point sources of radiation, namely the Crab and Cygnus X-1. This first flight will not only provide a scientific demonstration of the GRAPE design (by measuring polarization from the Crab nebula), it will also lay the foundation for subsequent long duration balloon flights that will be designed for studying polarization from gamma-ray bursts and solar flares. Here we shall present data from calibration of the first flight module detectors, review the latest payload design and update the predicted polarization sensitivity for both the initial continental US balloon flight and the subsequent long-duration balloon flights

GRAPE: a balloon-borne gamma-ray polarimeter

The Gamma-RAy Polarimeter Experiment (GRAPE) is a concept for an astronomical hard X-ray Compton polarimeter operating in the 50 - 500 keV energy band. The instrument has been optimized for wide-field polarization measurements of transient outbursts from energetic astrophysical objects such as gamma-ray bursts and solar flares. The GRAPE instrument is composed of identical modules, each of which consists of an array of scintillator elements read out by a multi-anode photomultiplier tube (MAPMT). Incident photons Compton scatter in plastic scintillator elements and are subsequently absorbed in inorganic scintillator elements; a net polarization signal is revealed by a characteristic asymmetry in the azimuthal scattering angles. We have constructed a prototype GRAPE module that has been calibrated at a polarized hard X-ray beam and flown on an engineering balloon test flight. A full-scale scientific balloon payload, consisting of up to 36 modules, is currently under development. The first flight, a one-day flight scheduled for 2011, will verify the expected scientific performance with a pointed observation of the Crab Nebula. We will then propose long-duration balloon flights to observe gamma-ray bursts and solar flares

Laboratory Testing of Railroad Flatcars for Use as Highway Bridges on Low-Volume Roads to Determine Ultimate Strength and Redundancy

Railroad flatcars (RRFCs) are a convenient option to replace existing deteriorating bridge structures on low-volume roads. They are typically used as the bridge superstructure by placing two or more flatcars side-by-side to achieve the desired bridge width. Utilizing RRFCs as a bridge allows for rapid construction and greater cost savings compared to traditional practices. These benefits make them an attractive solution for rural communities in Indiana, as well as other states. Uncertainty remains about the response under higher loads than could be easily achieved in the field and the level of redundancy of railroad flatcar bridges. Using RRFCs as bridges becomes less economical for counties if they do not display adequate load-path redundancy and are labeled “fracture critical.” If labeled as such, life-cycle costs would rise due to the requirement of an arms-length inspection for each 24 month inspection period. Laboratory testing of a RRFC bridge with two flatcars placed side-by-side allowed for experimental testing under higher loads, as well as increased amounts of instrumentation to better understand the behavior of the RRFCs. As a result of the experimental data, load rating guidelines were developed for RRFC bridges constructed with a fully composite concrete deck. The research also focused on the level of system redundancy in a RRFC bridge after failure of one of the two main box girders. Procedures were developed to estimate whether the remaining longitudinal members provide sufficient available capacity to carry traffic loads