Investigations of Pile Foundations in Brownfields

Brownfields are real estate property with subsurface or surface contamination. The redevelopment of Brownfields is required to clean, improve and protect the environment. Piles foundations are often used in Brownfields to support structures. Regulators are concerned about the environmental safety of pile foundations in Brownfields sites. Piling in Brownfields may lead to transport of contaminants from the contaminated region to the underground aquifers. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the potential for contaminant transport due to pile foundation in Brownfields. This investigation is an extension of previous research conducted at the University of New Orleans and ascertains the potential for contaminant transport from concrete piles of different shape, depth of penetration and method of installation. The results of large scale model tests and Finite Element studies are presented. The investigation indicates the possibility of contamination only in selected cases of piles

Investigations of Pile Foundations in Brownfields

Brownfields are real estate property with subsurface or surface contamination. The redevelopment of Brownfields is required to clean, improve and protect the environment. Piles foundations are often used in Brownfields to support structures. Regulators are concerned about the environmental safety of pile foundations in Brownfields sites. Piling in Brownfields may lead to transport of contaminants from the contaminated region to the underground aquifers. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the potential for contaminant transport due to pile foundation in Brownfields. This investigation is an extension of previous research conducted at the University of New Orleans and ascertains the potential for contaminant transport from concrete piles of different shape, depth of penetration and method of installation. The results of large scale model tests and Finite Element studies are presented. The investigation indicates the possibility of contamination only in selected cases of piles

Identification and analysis of factors affecting thermal shock resistance of ceramic materials in solar receivers

An analysis was conducted of the possible modes of thermal stress failure of brittle ceramics for potential use in point-focussing solar receivers. The pertinent materials properties which control thermal stress resistance were identified for conditions of steady-state and transient heat flow, convective and radiative heat transfer, thermal buckling and thermal fatigue as well as catastrophic crack propagation. Selection rules for materials with optimum thermal stress resistance for a particular thermal environment were identified. Recommendations for materials for particular components were made. The general requirements for a thermal shock testing program quantitatively meaningful for point-focussing solar receivers were outlined. Recommendations for follow-on theoretical analyses were made

Longitudinal association between caesarean section birth and cardio-vascular risk profiles among adolescents in Australia

Objective: To examine the association of cesarean section (C-section) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk biomarkers among Australian children. Methods: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) birth cohort was prospectively followed for body mass index (BMI) trajectory, and then linked with CVD risk indicators of children; waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), blood glucose, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglyceride (TG), fat mass index (FMI) and composite metabolic syndrome (CMetS) score. Multivariable linear regression analysis was done to assess the association of C-sections with CVD risk biomarkers. Results: Of 1,874 study children, 30% had C-sections; the mean age (SD) was 11.50 (0.50) years, and 49% were female. Against the vaginally-born cohort, Caesarean-born children showed a higher Z- score for five of the seven CVD risk indicators in regression analysis; WC (0.15; p=0.003), SBP (0.16; p=0.003), inverse HDL (0.15; p=0.003), FMI (0.12; p=0.004), and CMetS (0.45; p=0.004) score. Children with accelerated BMI trajectory had higher CMetS scores for both the delivery types while the C-section cohort showed statistical association only (1.69; p=0.006) Conclusion: C-section was independently associated with increased CVD risk profiles of children, further increased with high BMI trajectory. Implication for public health: The chronic disease risk of C-sections should be discussed with families to reduce clinically unrequired C-sections

Design and validation of a digital core for wireless communication with RFID-enabled devices

Title from PDF of title page, viewed on December 15, 2011Thesis advisor: Walter D. León-SalasVitaIncludes bibliographic references (p. 109-110)Thesis (M.S.)--School of Computing and Engineering. University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2011A digital core was designed and successfully tested to communicate with RFID-enabled devices. This digital core comprises of a communication block and a control block. The communication block is made up of two blocks, namely, the receiver block and the transmitter block whereas the control block controls the operation of the digital core. VHDL (Very High Speed IC Hardware Description Language) was used to design the digital block according to the ISO15693 standard specified for RFID-enabled devices. The developed VHDL code was successfully simulated and the design was transferred onto a CPLD. A test circuit was developed on a bread board with the CPLD and a commercially available RFID reader was used to successfully communicate with the designed digital core. Then a printed circuit board (PCB) was designed to validate the above design with all components including the CPLD for communication. This PCB meets all the specifications provided for communication by the ISO15693 standard. The developed digital core can be translated into a layout which can be part of an implantable or embedded RFID passive sensors chip.Introduction -- Background -- The digital core - Part-1 -- Results -- Conclusion and future work -- Appendi

In vivo imaging of pyrrole-imidazole polyamides with positron emission tomography

The biodistribution profiles in mice of two pyrrole-imidazole polyamides were determined by PET. Pyrrole-imidazole polyamides are a class of small molecules that can be programmed to bind a broad repertoire of DNA sequences, disrupt transcription factor-DNA interfaces, and modulate gene expression pathways in cell culture experiments. The 18F-radiolabeled polyamides were prepared by oxime ligation between 4-[18F]-fluorobenzaldehyde and a hydroxylamine moiety at the polyamide C terminus. Small animal PET imaging of radiolabeled polyamides administered to mice revealed distinct differences in the biodistribution of a 5-ring β-linked polyamide versus an 8-ring hairpin, which exhibited better overall bioavailability. In vivo imaging of pyrrole-imidazole polyamides by PET is a minimum first step toward the translation of polyamide-based gene regulation from cell culture to small animal studies

Awareness of Dentine Hypersensitivity among General Dental Practitioners in Mumbai, India.

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the perception of dentists in general dental practice on the diagnosis and management of dentine hypersensitivity (DH) as perceived by a randomly selected sample of private dental practitioners in Mumbai. Methods: 500 dentists (Mean age 38-35 years [S.D = 11.3], 114 M: 92 F were randomly selected using the Indian Dental Association membership list and invited to participate in a questionnaire-based survey. Results: 206 private practitioners (GDPs) were included in the final analysis of the data. Most of these respondents [90.2%]) indicated that half of their patients reported problems with DH;78.2% respondents reported that the patients to usually initiated the conversation on DH; and 83.4% indicated that up to 25% of their patients considered DH as a serious problem. A greater part of the respondents (62.2%) reported that the pain due to DH lasted ≤4 weeks. There was an overall awareness regarding the current mechanisms underlying DH, with the majority of dentists (≥66%) reporting inadequate brushing of the teeth as an initiating cause and approximately 50% suggesting periodontal causes amongst the other recorded reasons. The most common management strategy employed by dentists was to prescribe desensitizing agents for home use. Conclusion: The conclusions from the present study were in agreement with the results from previous studies and generally consistent with the current scientific consensus on the management of DH by GDPs

Prevalence and Pattern of Dentine Hypersensitivity in a population of patients at MGM Dental College

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Dentine Hypersensitivity (DH) in an Indian population and to assess the factors associated with this condition. Methods: 4200 subjects were examined in the Out-Patient Department (OPD) at the MGM Dental College, Navi Mumbai City. Patients who complained of dentine hypersensitivity were given the questionnaire to complete, in order to obtain the following information, demographics, dental history, eating habits and DH symptom data, and associated known factors relating to DH. In total 548 questionnaires were completed. Oral examinations assessed DH in participants who reported DH in at least one of their teeth. The subjects also quantified the severity of DH on 10-digit visual analogue scale. The diagnosis of DH was established by a short, sharp pain arising from exposed dentine in response to triple syringe air blast and explorer probe of the tooth surface. Results: The prevalence of self-reported DH was 13%; and that of clinically diagnosed DH was 8.2%. Numerically more males were examined compared to females although there were no differences in the prevalence of DH between the two groups. DH. The peak prevalence of DH was in the 30-39 years age group. Mandibular central incisors and first molars were significantly the most affected teeth. Cold (89.4%) was the most common cause of DH. Those subjects having moderate sensitivity for ≤ 6 months resorted to home remedies of brushing with a desensitizing paste to relieve the problem rather than visit their local dentist. However only 41 (8.8%) of the total participants claimed to have attended a dental practice. Conclusion: The results from the study would suggest that DH is a common prevalent dental condition in India. Although the condition appears to cause a degree of noticeable discomfort, most patients choose to either ignore the condition or simply tolerate it. Therefore, it can be assumed that the condition does not cause a significant effect on the quality of life or life style of the individual complaining of the problem