Analytical simulation of weld effects in creep range

The inelastic analysis procedure used to investigate the effect of welding on the creep rupture strength of a typical Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) nozzle is discussed. The current study is part of an overall experimental and analytical investigation to verify the inelastic analysis procedure now being used to design LMFBR structural components operating at elevated temperatures. Two important weld effects included in the numerical analysis are: (1) the residual stress introduced in the fabrication process; and (2) the time-independent and the time-dependent material property variations. Finite element inelastic analysis was performed on a CRAY-1S computer using the ABAQUS program with the constitutive equations developed for the design of LMFBR structural components. The predicted peak weld residual stresses relax by as much as 40% during elevated temperature operation, and their effect on creep-rupture cracking of the nozzle is considered of secondary importance

Summary of FDIC v. Rhodes, 130 Nev. Adv. Op. 8

The Court determined that (1) 12 U.S.C. § 1821(d)(14)(A) (the “FDIC extender statute”)[1] preempts any similarly applicable state law, in this case NRS 40.4055(1)[2]; and (2) the Court refused to adopt a rule that a state statute of repose cannot be preempted by federal law. [1] “Under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA),…the [FDIC] acts as a conservator or receiver for failed financial institutions. 12 U.S.C. § 1821(d)(2)(A) (2012). FIRREA extends the time period for the FDIC, in its capacity as the failed institution\u27s conservator or receiver, to bring a contract claim that has otherwise been barred by a state statutory time limitation: [T]he applicable statute of limitations with regard to any action brought by [the FDIC] as conservator or receiver shall be- (i) in the case of any contract claim, the longer of— (I) the 6-year period beginning on the date the claim accrues; or (II) the period applicable under State law. 12 U.S.C. § 1821(d)(14)(A) (2012)” [2] “Nevada provides for a shorter six-month time limitation for deficiency judgment actions under NRS 40.455(1), which states that upon application of the judgment creditor or the beneficiary of the deed of trust within 6 months after the date of the foreclosure sale or the trustee\u27s sale held pursuant to NRS 107.080, respectively, and after the required hearing, the court shall award a deficiency judgment to the judgment creditor or the beneficiary of the deed of trust. . .

Tests on puddle and fillet weld connections

INTRODUCTION The purpose of the present investigation has been to study the behavior of symmetrically welded connections having different weld configurations. As shown in Fig. la, the specimens were fabricated by butting two plates (CP) which were connected by welding cover plates AB and CD on two sides of CP. The fabricator supplied different types of welded connection specimens, sketched in Figs. la to If. A total of 115 specimens were tested in tension under monotonically increasing static load. Basic variables considered in the design were: (a) thickness and the shape of the cover plates, and (b) weld size and its configuration. The cover plates were either flat sheet steel or channel sections. Three different thicknesses considered for the cover plates were 12 gage (0.108 inch), 18 gage (0.051 inch) galvanized ASTM A446 Grade A steel, and 28 gage (0.018 inch) galvanized ASTM A446 Grade E steel. Two basic weld configurations investigated were: (a) Puddle Welds, and (b) Fillet Welds. Varying the cover plate and weld configurations, 35 different types of connection specimens were fabricated for the present investigation. Most of the specimens had two 7/16 thick hot rolled plates CP, which were not considered as variables in the design of connection specimens. These plates were given a red oxide primer coat before welding cover plates on it. The connected plates (CP) were stronger than the cover plates, AB and CD, hence the connection failure was expected to be in the weld or in the cover plates. Therefore, in the subsequent discussion, plate failure will imply cover plate failure. Other researchers had indicated that it is difficult to weld a galvanized steel plate; therefore in this investigation, galvanized steel cover plates were used instead of regular painted steel. However, no weld defects were observed in the connection specimens

Influence of ductility on the structural behavior of light-gage cold-formed steel members

Ductility parameters defined in the second progress report were previously obtained by conducting tension coupon tests on specially produced A and S steels. In this report, tension coupon test results are presented for a 20 gage commercial low ductility steel, i.e. an ASTM Grade E steel, herein designated as steel B. Its behavior is compared with that of the specially rolled A and S steels to test the validity of conclusions arrived at in the second progress report. Test programs were set up to study the behavior of B steel under static tension loading, one program for single bolted connections and another for rectangular plates with holes. Here again the behavior of B steel is compared with A and S steels. A few connection tests were conducted on fully annealed A steel specimens to compare their behavior with low ductility A steel specimens. In Appendix B the processing and metallurgical history for A, B and S steels is given

Long Covid symptoms and diagnosis in primary care: A cohort study using structured and unstructured data in The Health Improvement Network primary care database

BACKGROUND: Long Covid is a widely recognised consequence of COVID-19 infection, but little is known about the burden of symptoms that patients present with in primary care, as these are typically recorded only in free text clinical notes. AIMS: To compare symptoms in patients with and without a history of COVID-19, and investigate symptoms associated with a Long Covid diagnosis. METHODS: We used primary care electronic health record data until the end of December 2020 from The Health Improvement Network (THIN), a Cegedim database. We included adults registered with participating practices in England, Scotland or Wales. We extracted information about 89 symptoms and 'Long Covid' diagnoses from free text using natural language processing. We calculated hazard ratios (adjusted for age, sex, baseline medical conditions and prior symptoms) for each symptom from 12 weeks after the COVID-19 diagnosis. RESULTS: We compared 11,015 patients with confirmed COVID-19 and 18,098 unexposed controls. Only 20% of symptom records were coded, with 80% in free text. A wide range of symptoms were associated with COVID-19 at least 12 weeks post-infection, with strongest associations for fatigue (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 3.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.87, 4.17), shortness of breath (aHR 2.89, 95% CI 2.48, 3.36), palpitations (aHR 2.59, 95% CI 1.86, 3.60), and phlegm (aHR 2.43, 95% CI 1.65, 3.59). However, a limited subset of symptoms were recorded within 7 days prior to a Long Covid diagnosis in more than 20% of cases: shortness of breath, chest pain, pain, fatigue, cough, and anxiety / depression. CONCLUSIONS: Numerous symptoms are reported to primary care at least 12 weeks after COVID-19 infection, but only a subset are commonly associated with a GP diagnosis of Long Covid

Unplanned readmissions after hospital discharge among patients identified as being at high risk for readmission using a validated predictive algorithm

BACKGROUND: Unplanned hospital readmissions are common, expensive and often preventable. Strategies designed to reduce readmissions should target patients at high risk. The purpose of this study was to describe medical patients identified using a recently published and validated algorithm (the LACE index) as being at high risk for readmission and to examine their actual hospital readmission rates. METHODS: We used population-based administrative data to identify adult medical patients discharged alive from 6 hospitals in Toronto, Canada, during 2007. A LACE index score of 10 or higher was used to identify patients at high risk for readmission. We described patient and hospitalization characteristics among both the high-risk and low-risk groups as well as the 30-day readmission rates. RESULTS: Of 26 045 patients, 12.6% were readmitted to hospital within 30 days and 20.9% were readmitted within 90 days of discharge. High-risk patients (LACE ≥ 10) accounted for 34.0% of the sample but 51.7% of the patients who were readmitted within 30 days. High-risk patients were readmitted with twice the frequency as other patients, had longer lengths of stay and were more likely to die during the readmission. INTERPRETATION: Using a LACE index score of 10, we identified patients with a high rate of readmission who may benefit from improved post-discharge care. Our findings suggest that the LACE index is a potentially useful tool for decision-makers interested in identifying appropriate patients for post-discharge interventions

The 72-Hour WEBT Microvariability Observation of Blazar S5 0716+714 in 2009

Context. The international whole earth blazar telescope (WEBT) consortium planned and carried out three days of intensive micro-variability observations of S5 0716+714 from February 22, 2009 to February 25, 2009. This object was chosen due to its bright apparent magnitude range, its high declination, and its very large duty cycle for micro-variations. Aims. We report here on the long continuous optical micro-variability light curve of 0716+714 obtained during the multi-site observing campaign during which the Blazar showed almost constant variability over a 0.5 magnitude range. The resulting light curve is presented here for the first time. Observations from participating observatories were corrected for instrumental differences and combined to construct the overall smoothed light curve. Methods. Thirty-six observatories in sixteen countries participated in this continuous monitoring program and twenty of them submitted data for compilation into a continuous light curve. The light curve was analyzed using several techniques including Fourier transform, Wavelet and noise analysis techniques. Those results led us to model the light curve by attributing the variations to a series of synchrotron pulses. Results. We have interpreted the observed microvariations in this extended light curve in terms of a new model consisting of individual stochastic pulses due to cells in a turbulent jet which are energized by a passing shock and cool by means of synchrotron emission. We obtained an excellent fit to the 72-hour light curve with the synchrotron pulse model