Investigation of the Freeze Thaw Durability of Alternative Cementitious Materials

Currently there is little known about the long-term freeze thaw durability of ACMs. There are no established limits for air content or other durability parameters for most ACMs. For ACMs to be used in structural and transportation structures such as roads, buildings, and bridges with long design service lives in climates that experience freezing and thawing, limits and specifications for long-term durability must be determined. The work presented investigates the requirements for different ACMs to achieve satisfactory results in both ASTM C666 and ASTM C672. From this testing recommendations are made for minimum requirements to achieve durable concrete using ACMs.Civil Engineerin

Heterogeneous antiretroviral drug distribution and HIV/SHIV detection in the gut of three species

HIV replication within tissues may increase in response to a reduced exposure to antiretroviral drugs. Traditional approaches to measuring drug concentrations in tissues are unable to characterize a heterogeneous drug distribution. Here, we used mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) to visualize the distribution of six HIV antiretroviral drugs in gut tissue sections from three species (two strains of humanized mice, macaques, and humans). We measured drug concentrations in proximity to CD3+ T cells that are targeted by HIV, as well as expression of HIV or SHIV RNA and expression of the MDR1 drug efflux transporter in gut tissue from HIV-infected humanized mice, SHIV-infected macaques, and HIV-infected humans treated with combination antiretroviral drug therapy. Serial 10-μm sections of snap-frozen ileal and rectal tissue were analyzed by MSI for CD3+ T cells and MDR1 efflux transporter expression by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The tissue slices were analyzed for HIV/SHIV RNA expression by in situ hybridization and for antiretroviral drug concentrations by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The gastrointestinal tissue distribution of the six drugs was heterogeneous. Fifty percent to 60% of CD3+ T cells did not colocalize with detectable drug concentrations in the gut tissue. In all three species, up to 90% of HIV/SHIV RNA was found to be expressed in gut tissue with no exposure to drug. These data suggest that there may be gut regions with little to no exposure to antiretroviral drugs, which may result in low-level HIV replication contributing to HIV persistence

Data for Novel Alternative Cement Binders for Highway Structures and Pavements

The contents of data file include raw data for all the data plots included in the final report titled Novel Alternative Cement Binders for Highway Structures and Pavements. The excel spreadsheets were named based on chapter numbers in the final report.The ubiquity and the necessity of concrete infrastructure prompts innovation in addressing the global challenge of meeting societal needs in the most sustainable and economical ways possible. Increasing the use of non-portland cements or “alternative cementitious materials” (ACMs) is increasingly of interest due to their special properties and to their potential to reduce the environmental footprint of concrete. The special properties of ACMs may vary by material but include rapid setting, rapid strength development, higher ultimate strength, improved dimensional stability and increased durability in aggressive environments. The increased strength and increased durability further contribute to enhanced service life which can help offset initially higher materials costs, and also to enhanced sustainability. In the past, most ACMs have primarily been used in specialty limited applications and some of them have been shown in lab-scale studies to be feasible for the partial or full replacement of traditional portland cements used in concrete. However, there is limited understanding of the scalability of construction with these material systems, their long-term performance and durability in a range of environments, and their structural response when subjected to transportation-relevant loading conditions. This data presents the results from the comprehensive investigation of the applications of these commercially available ACMs in durable and sustainable transportation infrastructure, which include the early-age and long-term material properties as well as complete multi-scale durability investigations.Office of Infrastructure Research & Development, Federal Highway Administration, 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101-2296. Grant number: DRFH61-14-H-000

Novel insights into esophageal diagnostic procedures

The 21st century offers new advances in diagnostic procedures and protocols in the management of esophageal diseases. This review highlights the most recent advances in esophageal diagnostic technologies, including clinical applications of novel endoscopic devices, such as ultrathin endoscopy and confocal laser endomicroscopy for diagnosis and management of Barrett's esophagus; novel parameters and protocols in high-resolution esophageal manometry for the identification and better classification of motility abnormalities; innovative connections between esophageal motility disorder diagnosis and detection of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); impedance–pH testing for detecting the various GERD phenotypes; performance of distensibility testing for better pathophysiological knowledge of the esophagus and other gastrointestinal abnormalities; and a modern view of positron emission tomography scanning in metastatic disease detection in the era of accountability as a model for examining other new technologies. We now have better tools than ever for the detection of esophageal diseases and disorders, and emerging data are helping to define how well these tools change management and provide value to clinicians. This review features novel insights from multidisciplinary perspectives, including both surgical and medical perspectives, into these new tools, and it offers guidance on the use of novel technologies in clinical practice and future directions for research