• International Journal of Highway Engineering
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.71-78
• /
• 2015

PURPOSES: This study set out to investigate the current state of microsurfacing in Texas and compared the results with the current state of the practice nationwide. METHODS: For this study, case studies were extracted from the existing literature and compared with the data obtained both from site visits by the research team and data obtained from a survey by Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) personnel. The successes and failures of microsurfacing are detailed and explanations of different issues are outlined. Forensic studies from Texas are included in the descriptions of those microsurfacings that failed when configured as part of the cape seals. RESULTS : Microsurfacing has been shown to be an effective pavement preservation technique when applied to an appropriate road, at an appropriate timing, and as a remedy for certain issues. The failures experienced in Texas can mostly be attributed to cape seals and an inability to recognize structurally faulty pavement. CONCLUSIONS : When applied to an appropriate road, at an appropriate timing, and as a remedy for certain issues, microsurfacing has been shown to perform well in numerous case studies. The majority of microsurfacing failures are the result of poor project selection, usually involving the treatment being applied to structurally unsound pavement.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.22 no.10
• /
• pp.55-67
• /
• 2006

Modern methods for designing IGM(Intermediate Geomaterial) socketed drilled shafts require knowledge of the compressive strength and modulus of the IGM. However, the weathered IGMs at many sites prohibit the recovery of samples of sufficient length and integrity to test cores in either unconfined or triaxial compression tests. Since rational design procedures usually require values of compressive strength, surrogate methods must be employed to estimate the compressive strength of the IGM. A surrogate method considered in this study was Texas cone penetrometer tests which were performed at several sites in North Central Texas. Correlations of Texas cone penetrometer tests and compressive strengths of cores from these formations are provided in the paper. In order to develop the relationships between Texas cone penetrations and side and base resistance of IGM socketed drilled shafts, three filed load tests were conducted in the same sites. Based on the field study and literature reviews, a design method for IGM socketed drilled shafts using Texas cone penetration test was proposed.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.203-211
• /
• 2015

Maize is the dominant cereal crop produced in the US. One of the main fungal pathogens of maize is Fusarium verticillioides, the causative agent of ear and stalk rots. Significantly, the fungus produces a group of mycotoxins - fumonisins - on infested kernels, which have been linked to various illnesses in humans and animals. Nonetheless, durable resistance against F. verticillioides in maize is not currently available. In Texas, over 2.1 million acres of maize are vulnerable to fumonisin contamination, but understanding of the distribution of toxigenic F. verticillioides in maize-producing areas is currently lacking. Our goal was to investigate the genetic variability of F. verticillioides in Texas with an emphasis on fumonisin trait and geographical distribution. A total of 164 F. verticillioides cultures were isolated from 65 maize-producing counties. DNA from each isolate was extracted and analyzed by PCR for the presence of FUM1- a key fumonisin biosynthesis gene - and mating type genes. Results showed that all isolates are in fact F. verticillioides capable of producing fumonisins with a 1:1 mating-type gene ratio in the population. To further study the genetic diversity of the population, isolates were analyzed using RAPD fingerprinting. Polymorphic markers were identified and the analysis showed no clear correlation between the RAPD profile of the isolates and their corresponding geographical origin. Our data suggest the toxigenic F. verticillioides population in Texas is widely distributed wherever maize is grown. We also hypothesize that the population is fluid, with active movement and genetic recombination occurring in the field.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.12
• /
• pp.5287-5294
• /
• 2016

Background: Breast cancer is a worldwide public health concern and is the most prevalent type of cancer in women in the United States. This study concerned the best fit of statistical probability models on the basis of survival times for nine state cancer registries: California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington. Materials and Methods: A probability random sampling method was applied to select and extract records of 2,000 breast cancer patients from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database for each of the nine state cancer registries used in this study. EasyFit software was utilized to identify the best probability models by using goodness of fit tests, and to estimate parameters for various statistical probability distributions that fit survival data. Results: Statistical analysis for the summary of statistics is reported for each of the states for the years 1973 to 2012. Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Anderson-Darling, and Chi-squared goodness of fit test values were used for survival data, the highest values of goodness of fit statistics being considered indicative of the best fit survival model for each state. Conclusions: It was found that California, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, New Mexico, and Washington followed the Burr probability distribution, while the Dagum probability distribution gave the best fit for Michigan and Utah, and Hawaii followed the Gamma probability distribution. These findings highlight differences between states through selected sociodemographic variables and also demonstrate probability modeling differences in breast cancer survival times. The results of this study can be used to guide healthcare providers and researchers for further investigations into social and environmental factors in order to reduce the occurrence of and mortality due to breast cancer.

• Journal of Korea Game Society
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.101-108
• /
• 2017

This study explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is tremendously developed these days, applies to the game and advances. It analyzes the reality of AI and provides reasonable suggestion in Poker, one of the most popular games. Specifically, this study focuses on Texas Hold'em, the most favored kind in the world among various kinds of Poker games and deals with two AIs, Libratus and DeepStack that have applied to the game. Several news media report the growth of AI, but this study will multi-dimensionally discusses how and why AI works in Poker, the real problems of AI, and suggestions for advancement.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.123-131
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The aim of this study was to characterize the cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) imaging features of central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) of the jawbone. Materials and Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 26 CBCT studies of histologically proven cases of CGCG during a period of 20 years, from 1999 to 2019. Patients' demographic data were recorded, and radiographic features were assessed (location, border, cortication, appearance of the internal structure, locularity, septation, expansion, cortical perforation, effects on surrounding tissue, whether the lesion crossed the midline, and lesion volume). Results: In this study, CGCGs were seen almost twice as often in the mandible than in the maxilla, and 64.7% of mandibular lesions involved the anterior region. Only 26.9% of lesions crossed the midline, a feature that was considered characteristic of CGCG. Furthermore, 65.4% of lesions were unilocular and 34.6% were multilocular. The correlation between a lesion's size and its locularity was statistically significant, and larger lesions showed a multilocular appearance. The mean volume of multilocular lesions was greater than that of unilocular lesions. Conclusion: CGCGs showed variable radiographic features on CBCT, and this imaging modality is highly effective at demonstrating the radiographic spectrum and lesional extent of CGCGs in the jawbone.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.55-57
• /
• 2013

Growing numbers of studies employ cell line-based systematic short interfering RNA (siRNA) screens to study gene functions and to identify drug targets. As multiple sources of variations that are unique to siRNA screens exist, there is a growing demand for a computational tool that generates normalized values and standardized scores. However, only a few tools have been available so far with limited usability. Here, we present siMacro, a fast and easy-to-use Microsoft Office Excel-based tool with a graphic user interface, designed to process single-condition or two-condition synthetic screen datasets. siMacro normalizes position and batch effects, censors outlier samples, and calculates Z-scores and robust Z-scores, with a spreadsheet output of >120,000 samples in under 1 minute.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.17-26
• /
• 2012

Modeling swirling wakes is of considerable interest to wind farm designers. The present work is an attempt to develop a computational tool to understand free, far-wake development behind a single rotating wind turbine. Besides the standard momentum and continuity equations from the boundary layer theory in two dimensions, an additional equation for the conservation of angular momentum is introduced to study axisymmetric swirl effects on wake growth. Turbulence is simulated with two options: the standard ${\kappa}-{\varepsilon}$ model and the Reynolds Stress transport model. A finite volume method is used to discretize the governing equations for mean flow and turbulence quantities. A marching algorithm of expanding grids is employed to enclose the growing far-wake and to solve the equations implicitly at every axial step. Axisymmetric far-wakes with/without swirl are studied at different Reynolds numbers and swirl numbers. Wake characteristics such as wake width, half radius, velocity profiles and pressure profiles are computed. Compared with the results obtained under similar flow conditions using the computational software, FLUENT, this far-wake model shows simplicity with acceptable accuracy, covering large wake regions in far-wake study.

• Research in Mathematical Education
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.127-140
• /
• 2011

"Statistical literacy" is important to be an effective citizen ([Gal, I. (2005). Towards "probability literacy" for all citizens: Building blocks and instructional dilemmas. In: G. A. Jones (Ed.), Exploring probability in school: Challenges for teaching and learning (pp. 39-63). New York: Springer]). Probability and statistics has been connected with real context and can be used to stimulate students' creative abilities. This study aims at identifying the extent that textbooks in three countries include experimental probability concepts and non-routine, open-ended, application and contextual problems. How well textbooks reflect real application situations is important in the sense that students can employ probability concepts when solving real world problems. Results showed that three textbook series did not mention experimental probability. Furthermore, all of text-books had more routine, close-ended, knowing, and non-contextual problems.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.200-210
• /
• 2013

Studying biological networks, such as protein-protein interactions, is key to understanding complex biological activities. Various types of large-scale biological datasets have been collected and analyzed with high-throughput technologies, including DNA microarray, next-generation sequencing, and the two-hybrid screening system, for this purpose. In this review, we focus on network-based approaches that help in understanding biological systems and identifying biological functions. Accordingly, this paper covers two major topics in network biology: reconstruction of gene regulatory networks and network-based applications, including protein function prediction, disease gene prioritization, and network-based genome-wide association study.