Construction and Performance Monitoring of Various Asphalt Mixes in Illinois: 2016 Interim Report

series of five experimental projects were constructed to better determine the life-cycle cost and performance of pavement overlays using various levels of asphalt binder replacement (ABR) from use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) and crushed concrete. The ABR varies from 15% to 48% in the experimental sections. The study of these projects prior to construction, during construction, and for a short monitoring period after construction is intended to determine the impact of various pavement conditions, pavement cross-section, mix design, and material properties on the ultimate performance of the hot-mix asphalt (HMA) overlay. This second interim report documents the construction and initial testing of three of the five projects in the study—namely, Washington Street, US 52 (Laraway Road to Gougar Road) and US 52 (Gougar Road to Second Street)—which were constructed in 2015. Distress and profile surveys were conducted before and after construction. Samples were obtained of the HMA surface and binder courses and were tested for basic properties, plus Cantabro, stability/flow, Texas overlay cracking potential, fracture energy, Flexibility Index, fatigue, modulus, creep, and Hamburg rutting. Presented are early performance trends and baseline conditions that future performance can be compared with. Also included in this report is an update of performance on the sections constructed in 2014 and the total recycle asphalt (TRA) sections constructed in 2013.Illinois Department of Transportation, R27-161Ope

Research directions in genetic predispositions to Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

Stevens–Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) is one of the most devastating of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and was, until recently, essentially unpredictable. With the discovery of several risk alleles for drug-induced SJS/TEN and the demonstration of effectiveness of screening in reducing incidence, the stage is set for implementation of preventive strategies in populations at risk. Yet much remains to be learned about this potentially fatal complication of commonly used drugs