Block shear capacity of bolted connections in cold-reduced steel sheets

This paper examines the mechanisms for block shear failures of bolted connections in steel plates postulated in the design equations specified in the North American, European and Australian steel structures codes. It explains that there is only one feasible mechanism for the limit state of conventional block shear failure, that which involves tensile rupture and shear yielding, irrespective of the steel material ductility. It describes the fundamental shortcomings of various code equations for determining the block shear capacity of a bolted connection. Based on the tensile rupture and shear yielding mechanism, an in-plane shear lag factor, and the active shear resistance planes identified in the present work, this paper proposes a rational equation that is demonstrated to provide more accurate results compared to all the code equations in predicting the block shear capacities of bolted connections in G450 steel sheets subjected to concentric loading. The resistance factor of 0.8 for the proposed equation is computed with respect to the LRFD approach given in the North American specification for the design of cold-formed steel structures

Active Shear Planes in Block Shear Failure of Bolted Connections

In the AISI Specification for the Design of Cold-formed Steel Structural Members 2007, there are two types of shear planes used to determine the resistance of a bolted connection to block shear failure. When the block shear failure occurs by shear yielding and tensile rupture, the shear failure plane is taken to be the gross shear plane. Conversely, when the block shear failure is deemed to occur by simultaneous shear and tensile ruptures, the shear failure plane is assumed to be the net shear plane. Such an approach is not logical since the shear failure planes should be unique irrespective of the block shear failure mechanism. Through finite element analysis presented in this paper, the shear failure plane is shown to be neither the gross nor the net shear plane, and to be midway between the two shear planes assumed in design specifications. This shear failure plane is termed the active shear plane. The veracity of the active shear area is demonstrated in terms of the ability of the resulting block shear equation to predict the governing failure modes of test specimens consistently, in comparison against the equations assuming the gross and the net shear areas

Mapping Obscuration to Reionization with ALMA (MORA): 2 mm Efficiently Selects the Highest-redshift Obscured Galaxies

We present the characteristics of 2 mm selected sources from the largest Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) blank-field contiguous survey conducted to date, the Mapping Obscuration to Reionization with ALMA (MORA) survey covering 184 arcmin2 at 2 mm. Twelve of 13 detections above 5σ are attributed to emission from galaxies, 11 of which are dominated by cold dust emission. These sources have a median redshift of primarily based on optical/near-infrared photometric redshifts with some spectroscopic redshifts, with 77% ± 11% of sources at z > 3 and 38% ± 12% of sources at z > 4. This implies that 2 mm selection is an efficient method for identifying the highest-redshift dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). Lower-redshift DSFGs (z < 3) are far more numerous than those at z > 3 yet are likely to drop out at 2 mm. MORA shows that DSFGs with star formation rates in excess of 300 M ⊙ yr−1 and a relative rarity of ∼10−5 Mpc−3 contribute ∼30% to the integrated star formation rate density at 3 < z < 6. The volume density of 2 mm selected DSFGs is consistent with predictions from some cosmological simulations and is similar to the volume density of their hypothesized descendants: massive, quiescent galaxies at z > 2. Analysis of MORA sources’ spectral energy distributions hint at steeper empirically measured dust emissivity indices than reported in typical literature studies, with . The MORA survey represents an important step in taking census of obscured star formation in the universe’s first few billion years, but larger area 2 mm surveys are needed to more fully characterize this rare population and push to the detection of the universe’s first dusty galaxies

Block Shear Capacity of Bolted Connections in Cold-Reduced Steel Sheets

This paper examines the mechanisms for block shear failures of bolted connections in steel plates postulated in the design equations specified in the North American, European and Australian steel structures codes. It explains that there is only one feasible mechanism for the limit state of conventional block shear failure, that which involves tensile rupture and shear yielding, irrespective of the steel material ductility. It describes the fundamental shortcomings of various code equations for determining the block shear capacity of a bolted connection. Based on the tensile rupture and shear yielding mechanism, an in-plane shear lag factor, and the active shear resistance planes identified in the present work, this paper proposes a rational equation that is demonstrated to provide more accurate results compared to all the code equations in predicting the block shear capacities of bolted connections in G450 steel sheets subjected to concentric loading. The resistance factor of 0.8 for the proposed equation is computed with respect to the LRFD approach given in the North American specification for the design of cold-formed steel structures

Effects of fluoxetine on functional outcomes after acute stroke (FOCUS): a pragmatic, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial

Background Results of small trials indicate that fluoxetine might improve functional outcomes after stroke. The FOCUS trial aimed to provide a precise estimate of these effects. Methods FOCUS was a pragmatic, multicentre, parallel group, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial done at 103 hospitals in the UK. Patients were eligible if they were aged 18 years or older, had a clinical stroke diagnosis, were enrolled and randomly assigned between 2 days and 15 days after onset, and had focal neurological deficits. Patients were randomly allocated fluoxetine 20 mg or matching placebo orally once daily for 6 months via a web-based system by use of a minimisation algorithm. The primary outcome was functional status, measured with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), at 6 months. Patients, carers, health-care staff, and the trial team were masked to treatment allocation. Functional status was assessed at 6 months and 12 months after randomisation. Patients were analysed according to their treatment allocation. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN83290762. Findings Between Sept 10, 2012, and March 31, 2017, 3127 patients were recruited. 1564 patients were allocated fluoxetine and 1563 allocated placebo. mRS data at 6 months were available for 1553 (99·3%) patients in each treatment group. The distribution across mRS categories at 6 months was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (common odds ratio adjusted for minimisation variables 0·951 [95% CI 0·839–1·079]; p=0·439). Patients allocated fluoxetine were less likely than those allocated placebo to develop new depression by 6 months (210 [13·43%] patients vs 269 [17·21%]; difference 3·78% [95% CI 1·26–6·30]; p=0·0033), but they had more bone fractures (45 [2·88%] vs 23 [1·47%]; difference 1·41% [95% CI 0·38–2·43]; p=0·0070). There were no significant differences in any other event at 6 or 12 months. Interpretation Fluoxetine 20 mg given daily for 6 months after acute stroke does not seem to improve functional outcomes. Although the treatment reduced the occurrence of depression, it increased the frequency of bone fractures. These results do not support the routine use of fluoxetine either for the prevention of post-stroke depression or to promote recovery of function. Funding UK Stroke Association and NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme

25th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting: CNS-2016

Abstracts of the 25th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting: CNS-2016 Seogwipo City, Jeju-do, South Korea. 2–7 July 201

25th annual computational neuroscience meeting: CNS-2016

The same neuron may play different functional roles in the neural circuits to which it belongs. For example, neurons in the Tritonia pedal ganglia may participate in variable phases of the swim motor rhythms [1]. While such neuronal functional variability is likely to play a major role the delivery of the functionality of neural systems, it is difficult to study it in most nervous systems. We work on the pyloric rhythm network of the crustacean stomatogastric ganglion (STG) [2]. Typically network models of the STG treat neurons of the same functional type as a single model neuron (e.g. PD neurons), assuming the same conductance parameters for these neurons and implying their synchronous firing [3, 4]. However, simultaneous recording of PD neurons shows differences between the timings of spikes of these neurons. This may indicate functional variability of these neurons. Here we modelled separately the two PD neurons of the STG in a multi-neuron model of the pyloric network. Our neuron models comply with known correlations between conductance parameters of ionic currents. Our results reproduce the experimental finding of increasing spike time distance between spikes originating from the two model PD neurons during their synchronised burst phase. The PD neuron with the larger calcium conductance generates its spikes before the other PD neuron. Larger potassium conductance values in the follower neuron imply longer delays between spikes, see Fig. 17.Neuromodulators change the conductance parameters of neurons and maintain the ratios of these parameters [5]. Our results show that such changes may shift the individual contribution of two PD neurons to the PD-phase of the pyloric rhythm altering their functionality within this rhythm. Our work paves the way towards an accessible experimental and computational framework for the analysis of the mechanisms and impact of functional variability of neurons within the neural circuits to which they belong

Tension capacity of staggered bolted connections in Cold-Reduced Steel Sheets

This paper examines the assumption implicit in Cochrane’s formula that stresses are uniformly distributed across the net section of a staggered bolted connection. The assumption was found to be overoptimistic for connections in steel having low ductility, leading to unconservative estimates for the tension capacity if the in-plane shear lag is not accounted for. The reduction factor of 0.9 specified in the North American specification for cold-formed steel structures partially but not wholly addresses the problems inherent in the code equations. This paper points out that the “simplification” of Cochrane’s original formula into the standard formula used in steel design codes worldwide can lead to additional design capacity that may not be justified. It proposes an equation that accounts for the in-plane shear lag and incorporates Cochrane’s original formula for determining the net section area. The proposed equation is demonstrated through laboratory tests on 74 staggered bolted connection specimens in 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm G450 sheet steel to be more accurate and consistent than the code equations in predicting the net section tension capacity

The @budget of the US Government : fiscal year ending June 30 ..

This paper examines the mechanisms for block shear failure postulated in the design provisions specified in the North American Specification for the Design of Cold-formed Steel Structural Members 2007 and AS/NZS 4600:2005 Coldformed Steel Structures. It explains that there is only one feasible mechanism for the limit state of conventional block shear failure, that which involves shear yielding and tensile rupture. It proposes an equation that provides more accurate results compared to the code equations in predicting the block shear capacities of bolted connections in steels having minimal strain hardening. A resistance factor of 0.8 for the proposed equation is computed with respect to the LRFD approach given in the North American cold-formed steel specification