In-vivo range verification analysis with in-beam PET data for patients treated with proton therapy at CNAO

Morphological changes that may arise through a treatment course are probably one of the most significant sources of range uncertainty in proton therapy. Non-invasive in-vivo treatment monitoring is useful to increase treatment quality. The INSIDE in-beam Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner performs in-vivo range monitoring in proton and carbon therapy treatments at the National Center of Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO). It is currently in a clinical trial (ID: NCT03662373) and has acquired in-beam PET data during the treatment of various patients. In this work we analyze the in-beam PET (IB-PET) data of eight patients treated with proton therapy at CNAO. The goal of the analysis is twofold. First, we assess the level of experimental fluctuations in inter-fractional range differences (sensitivity) of the INSIDE PET system by studying patients without morphological changes. Second, we use the obtained results to see whether we can observe anomalously large range variations in patients where morphological changes have occurred. The sensitivity of the INSIDE IB-PET scanner was quantified as the standard deviation of the range difference distributions observed for six patients that did not show morphological changes. Inter-fractional range variations with respect to a reference distribution were estimated using the Most-Likely-Shift (MLS) method. To establish the efficacy of this method, we made a comparison with the Beam's Eye View (BEV) method. For patients showing no morphological changes in the control CT the average range variation standard deviation was found to be 2.5 mm with the MLS method and 2.3 mm with the BEV method. On the other hand, for patients where some small anatomical changes occurred, we found larger standard deviation values. In these patients we evaluated where anomalous range differences were found and compared them with the CT. We found that the identified regions were mostly in agreement with the morphological changes seen in the CT scan

Out-of-plane instability of thin reinforced concrete walls under seismic loading

Out of plane instability of reinforced concrete walls is a failure mechanism observed rather recently following the earthquakes in Chile (2010) and New Zealand (2011). Global out of plane instability is a phenomenon that may occur in thin walls, subjected to in plane cyclic loading, which develop large out of plane deformations over the storey height. Past experimental efforts to study this phenomenon focussed on thin members with two layers of longitudinal reinforcement. Hence, also the phenomenological models proposed in literature were mainly based on experimental evidence from double layered members. However, a constructive boom in Latin America, together with an elevated cost of materials, has led over the last fifteen years to the massive construction of reinforced concrete buildings in which the shear walls are very thin and have a single layer of reinforcement. Given the lack of experimental data on single layered members made it questionable whether the mechanism develops as in double layered members, and if the existing models are capable to reproduce the response. In view of the above, the present thesis has the two following goals: (i) Provide new experimental insight on the out of plane instability of members with a single layer of reinforcement; (ii) Develop and validate numerical and mechanical tools to simulate and assess the vulnerability of thin walls to out of plane buckling. The experimental findings obtained from two experimental programs, on thin walls and isolated wall boundary elements respectively, are presented. The importance of the maximum (or critical) tensile strain experienced by the member to trigger instability, which was already identified in the past, is supported by the experimental results. Nevertheless, discrepancies from the usual hypotheses assumed for members with two layers of reinforcement are pinpointed, in particular with respect to the buckling height involved in the deformation, and to the magnitude of the axial force at onset of out of plane instability. Moreover, the crucial role played by the crack pattern is discussed, and an innovative failure criteria based on a three hinge mechanism related to the compressive strains attained in the cracks is identified. Finally, also the adverse effect of an imposed out of plane displacement at the top is also addressed. For a more thorough understanding of the phenomenon, and with the intent of developing simple methods to calculate the critical tensile strain triggering out of plane failure, numerical models are developed and validated against experimental results. The simulations allowed identifying important differences between the isolated boundary element and the wall behaviour, in particular with respect to the vertical displacement profile along the height. On the basis of the numerical findings, an improved boundary element model, rather simple to use for assessment and design, is presented. Finally, building on the experimental and numerical findings, a new mechanical is proposed. The model is in principle developed for members with one layer of reinforcement, but it is shown how it can be extended to double layered members. The mechanical model sets apart from existing ones as it assumes different curvature and vertical displacement profiles along the entire storey height, it accounts for axial forces lower than yielding in compression, and it allows to consider various boundary conditions

A ética profissional: as percepções dos profissionais da contabilidade atuantes em Sombrio - SC

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso, apresentado para obtenção do grau de Bacharel no curso de Ciências Contábeis da Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, UNESC.Diante de fatos que apontam fraudes corrupção e atitudes antiéticas na sociedade, é necessário entender a importância da ética no meio profissional. Assim a presente pesquisa buscou verificar os elementos do Código de Ética Profissional que podem contribuir para a valorização do Contador atuante no município de Sombrio- SC. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de caráter bibliográfico e descritiva realizada por meio de questionário, para a coleta de dados utilizou-se uma abordagem de pesquisa qualitativo. Desta forma a pesquisa realizada atendeu seu objetivo, e como resultado destaca-se o conhecimento dos profissionais da contabilidade sobre a importância da ética na profissão contábil. Conclui-se com a pesquisa que os contadores demonstram conhecer os preceitos ético-disciplinares que regem a profissão contábil, sobre tudo o Código de Ética do Profissional

Proyecto de grado Mi Tutor

TESIS PARA OPTAR AL GRADO DE MAGÍSTER EN ADMINISTRACIÓN - MBAAndrea Quintero [Parte I] , Angelica Rosso [Parte II]Mi tutor es una compañía dedicada al servicio de tutorías online o presenciales en estudiantes que requieren apoyo para su aprendizaje. Los principales motivadores al momento de la apertura de la academia de tutorías era brindar servicios diferenciados como son: La flexibilidad a que el usuario decidiese donde tomar las clases y en el horario de su preferencia, una metodología de enseñanza personalizada la cual bajo un análisis de perfil al usuario previo a su inscripción Mi Tutor se podía determinar el método que más le aplica como el multimodal, lectura, kinésico, audiovisual y por ultimo un servicio postventa que establece indicadores como es el buen resultado del estudiante en sus exámenes que en caso el resultado fue negativo se le brinda una clase gratuita de afianzamiento. Las dificultades principales que se observan en el mercado educativo son estudiantes que dan clases en salones de 30 alumnos, jornadas de trabajo superior a las 7 horas y profesores no especializados en las materias que le están impartiendo, adicional padres de familia que dedican 3 horas de estudio en conjunto con el estudiante para asegurar que el alumno pueda sacar buenas calificaciones. Entendiendo estas necesidades de mercado la empresa ve como gran oportunidad la apertura de una academia de tutorías que le permita a los estudiantes reforzar su aprendizaje y ayudar a los padres a no implementar largas jornadas de estudio en conjunto con sus hijos. El mercado objetivo esta enfocado en los estudiantes de colegios privados ciudad metropolitana de Panamá específicamente en un 25% o 13,250 alumnos. Para el año uno se estima impactar 1,979 estudiantes o el 5% para el año cuatro finalizar con un 95% del mercado de estudiantes que toman tutorías en Panamá. El precio promedio por 1 hora de tutoría son 15 usd en donde el proyecto total genera un VAN de 196k para los siguientes 4 años y con una rentabilidad esperada TIR de 101.4%

Progetto concettuale di una copertura mobile di grande luce con schema ad origami

Il lavoro presenta uno studio applicativo degli schemi strutturali cosiddetti \u201crigid-foldable origami\u201d. L\u2019applicazione riguarda il progetto concettuale di una copertura mobile in acciaio per un impianto sportivo e trae origine da precedenti studi riguardanti la ricerca delle forme strutturali, le strutture a geometria variabile e le strutture dispiegabili ed adattive. Nel lavoro sono illustrati gli aspetti teorici fondamentali delle strutture a geometria variabile, ed in particolare degli origami, e le soluzioni tecniche che sono state individuate per la potenziale realizzazione di un caso di studio consistente nella copertura del Velodromo Maspes-Vigorelli di Milano, recentemente oggetto di un concorso di progettazione

Numerical simulation of instability of thin reinforced concrete walls using beam elements under tension-compression

The increasing demand for housing in Colombia and several neighboring countries, together with the large relative cost of the materials, has prompted city administrations to build thin reinforced concrete (RC) wall buildings with a single layer of reinforcement. Such members may experience instability and large out-of-plane deformations under seismic action. The existing models idealize the wall boundary element as an equivalent column subjected to cyclic tensile-compressive loading, and past studies have identified the maximum tensile strain applied to the member as the governing parameter which triggers the out-of-plane deformation. The influence of the wall thickness, the reinforcement eccentricity, and the loading protocol, remain largely unaddressed. This paper presents, for the first time, the initial results of the application of a beam-column model — using distributed plasticity and section fibre discretization — to study the above mentioned variables and the influence of boundary conditions, among other aspects