Assessment of seismic behavior of a RC precast building

Past earthquakes brought attention to the poor performance of precast reinforced concrete structures. One of the problems observed in those structures is related to the beam-to-column connections. The evaluation of different methodologies for the analysis of beam-to-column connections in industrial buildings is an important aspect that should be studied. The numerical analyses developed allowed the study of the effect that different connection properties have on the frequencies of vibration, members drifts, and seismic coefficients. The connection properties were modeled through a macro-element that considers the friction (between concrete-concrete and concrete-neoprene) and the steel dowels. The results showed that the friction between concrete elements and the consideration of the neoprene in the connection has a small impact on the drifts demands in the columns and seismic coefficient of the analyzed structure; on the other hand, the effect of the steel dowel on the drift demand and seismic coefficient is significant. The comparison of the models with different properties and connections allowed a better understanding of the factors with a higher impact on the results

Poverty, Richness, and Inequality: Evidence for Portugal Using a Housing Comfort Index

With data for Portugal we propose an index of housing comfort based on the Household Budget Survey. This index covers housing and durable goods grouped in two dimensions: basic comfort and complementary comfort. Taking this index as starting point we make two contributions. First we quantify the phenomena of poverty, richness, and inequality in housing comfort. Second, using an ordered probit model, we evaluate the determinants of housing comfort in Portugal. The results show significant rates of poverty (12.41%) and richness (22.03%). The evidence sustains that the differences between households derive mainly from complementary comfort and to a lesser extent from basic comfort items. Inequality in housing comfort, measured by the Gini coefficient, stands at 0.1263. The econometric study reveals that the region of residence of the household and the educational level and labor market state of the household reference person are among the most critical determinant factors of housing comfort

Poverty, Richness, and Inequality: Evidence for Portugal Using a Housing Comfort Index

With data for Portugal we propose an index of housing comfort based on the Household Budget Survey. This index covers housing and durable goods grouped in two dimensions: basic comfort and complementary comfort. Taking this index as starting point we make two contributions. First we quantify the phenomena of poverty, richness, and inequality in housing comfort. Second, using an ordered probit model, we evaluate the determinants of housing comfort in Portugal. The results show significant rates of poverty (12.41%) and richness (22.03%). The evidence sustains that the differences between households derive mainly from complementary comfort and to a lesser extent from basic comfort items. Inequality in housing comfort, measured by the Gini coefficient, stands at 0.1263. The econometric study reveals that the region of residence of the household and the educational level and labor market state of the household reference person are among the most critical determinant factors of housing comfort

On screen experiment showed that becoming a parent for the first time shifted people's priorities from themselves to their infant at 1 year of age

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to the student researchers who helped with the data collection. FUNDING INFORMATION This study was funded by The Center for Music in the Brain, which is funded by the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF 117, awarded to PV). The project was further funded by an European Research Council Consolidator Grant CAREGIVING (no. 615539) to MLK.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

SOBRE A ESCOLA COMO ESPAÇO DE PRECONCEITOS EM REPRESENTAÇÕES NO GÊNERO REPORTAGEM

Neste artigo, apresenta-se uma análise, destacando algumas repercussões possíveis da reportagem intitulada “Vamos combater o preconceito?” publicada na Edição 318 da revista Nova Escola. Cumprimos nosso intento à luz da Teoria das Representações Sociais de Moscovici (1978, 1981, 1984, 1988, 2003) e da Linguística Aplicada enquanto ciência social de estudos da linguagem, especialmente tratando o caráter interdisciplinar das reflexões de Moita Lopes (2006). Os objetivos são a identificação das representações sociais que perpassam os discursos dos entrevistados representados, bem como a análise dos discursos das classes hegemônicas presentes na reportagem. Desse modo, os procedimentos metodológicos utilizados constituem-se na identificação e na análise dos sujeitos em seus papéis sociais e dos discursos enunciados por eles a partir do gênero textual reportagem. Enfim, os papéis sociais indiciam modos de representar a realidade no gênero reportagem, fortalecendo e naturalizando, por vezes,  percepções sobre a escola e os sujeitos que são objetos de preconceito

Primary and secondary scintillation measurements in a Xenon Gas Proportional Scintillation Counter

16 páginas, 10 figuras, 1 tabla.-- El PDF es la versión post-print.-- et al.NEXT is a new experiment to search for neutrinoless double beta decay using a 100 kg radio-pure high-pressure gaseous xenon TPC. The detector requires excellent energy resolution, which can be achieved in a Xe TPC with electroluminescence readout. Hamamatsu R8520-06SEL photomultipliers are good candidates for the scintillation readout. The performance of this photomultiplier, used as VUV photosensor in a gas proportional scintillation counter, was investigated. Initial results for the detection of primary and secondary scintillation produced as a result of the interaction of 5.9 keV X-rays in gaseous xenon, at room temperature and at pressures up to 3 bar, are presented. An energy resolution of 8.0% was obtained for secondary scintillation produced by 5.9 keV X-rays. No significant variation of the primary scintillation was observed for different pressures (1, 2 and 3 bar) and for electric fields up to 0.8 V cm-1 torr-1 in the drift region, demonstrating negligible recombination luminescence. A primary scintillation yield of 81 ± 7 photons was obtained for 5.9 keV X-rays, corresponding to a mean energy of 72 ± 6 eV to produce a primary scintillation photon in xenon.This work was supported by FCT (Portugal) and FEDER through project PTDC/FIS/103860/2008. E.D.C. Freitas acknowledges grant SFRH/BD/46711/2008 from FCT. C.M.B. Monteiro acknowledges grant SFRH/BD/25569/2005 from FCT. M. Ball, J.J. Gómez-Cadenas and N. Yahlali acknowledge the Spanish MICINN for the Consolider-Ingenio grants CSD2008-00037 and CSD2007-00042 and the research grants FPA2009-13697-C04-04 and FPA2009-13697-C04-B23/12. D.R. Nygren acknowledges support by the Director, Office of Science, Office of High Energy Physics, of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC02-05CH11231.Peer reviewe

A TRAJETÓRIA DAS POLÍTICAS DE SEGURANÇA ALIMENTAR E NUTRICIONAL NO BRASIL: ANÁLISE DO CONSUMO DE ALIMENTOS.

O trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar alguns elementos que nortearam as políticas públicas de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional nos anos desde 1970 até os dias atuais, que permitam discutir o papel de iniciativas de segurança alimentar e nutricional e os impactos no consumo o consumo de alimentos da população brasileira. Foram investigadas as pesquisas de órgãos dos governos que evidenciaram a temática da alimentação e da segurança alimentar e analisados dados relativos à situação de consumo de alimentos. As análises desenvolvidas neste trabalho alertam para a grave situação de insegurança alimentar vivenciada por 40% da população brasileira. As tentativas de enfrentamento desta realidade constituem um marco importante, sobretudo no âmbito da institucionalização da segurança alimentar e as definições conceituais para a formulação de políticas públicas sobre esta temática. Identificou-se que a dimensão qualitativa da segurança alimentar tem sido abordada de forma superficial, como também a prática do autoabastecimento familiar que vem sendo substituído pela vinculação do agricultor ao mercado, o que indica a necessidade de se repensar o modelo agrícola e agrário vigente. ----------------------------------------------------The aim of this study is to present some elements which have guided public policies for Feeding and Nutritional Security since 1970 in order to discuss the role of nutritional security initiatives and the impacts on food consumption by the Brazilian population. It were investigated the surveys by governmental organizations that involved feeding and nutritional security, and it were also analyzed data about food consumption. The analyses carried out in this study warn about the critical situation of feeding insecurity faced by 40% of Brazilians. The strategies to overcome this situation are important, mainly the institutionalization and the consolidation of public policy in terms of feeding security. It was concluded that the qualitative dimension of nutritional security has been superficial, and the practice of family auto supplying has been replaced by the farmer participation in the market. It indicates the necessity of rethinking the existent agricultural model.Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional, Políticas Públicas, Consumo alimentar, Agricultura familiar, Feeding and Nutritional Security, Public Policies, Food consumption, Family agriculture, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

WORKING WITH THE PRODUCTION OF MEANINGS IN PORTUGUESELANGUAGE TEACHER TRAINING: ENUNCIATIVE CHOICES FOR DIDACTIZATION

In this article, we socialize work actions arising from an interinstitutional partnership (UESB-UFSJ) at LaTMiW, Laboratory of Textual Mining and/in Work of the language teacher, whose target audience is student teachers/undergraduates, acting teachers and teachers in continuous training. The purpose of this text is to present a set of questions that run through the work of Portuguese teacher training to examples of textual / discursive genres. What begins with the defense of texts as a teaching unit, followed by the choice of a specific text / example, which we call textual mining, turns into the didacticization of various teaching objects. Assuming that the teacher's didactic work is always guided by reference points to which the subjects are exposed to in professional training, we present some didactic actions aimed at teaching language(s) as a dynamic way of understanding the didacticization of genres from contact with the Enunciation Semantics in the Laboratory. The results point to the importance of understanding the enunciation plan as a productive way of working with the mined genres that circulate in LaTMiW. What we validate as a significant initiative in the proposal of didactic aspects is emphasizing, in the work that involves genres, the attention given to the utterances, the enunciation and the production of meanings.Neste artigo, socializamos ações de trabalho advindas de uma parceria interinstitucional (UESB-UFSJ) no LaGaTT, Laboratório de Garimpo Textual e(m) Trabalho do professor de línguas, que tem como público-alvo professores em formação inicial/licenciandos, professores em exercício e professores em formação continuada. O objetivo do presente texto é apresentar um conjunto de questões que perpassam o trabalho de didatização do professor de português de exemplares de gêneros textuais/discursivos. O que se inicia com a defesa de textos como unidade de ensino, seguida da escolha de um determinado texto/exemplar, a que chamamos garimpo textual, para didatização de objetos de ensino diversos. Assumindo que o trabalho didático do professor é sempre orientado por saberes de referência a que os sujeitos estão/são expostos na formação profissional, apresentamos algumas ações didáticas voltadas para o ensino de língua(gens) como uma forma dinâmica de compreender a didatização  dos gêneros textuais/discursivos a partir do  contato com a Semântica da Enunciação no Laboratório. Os resultados apontam para a importância de se compreender o plano enunciativo como um caminho produtivo de trabalho com os gêneros garimpados que circulam no LaGaTT. O que validamos como uma iniciativa significativa em proposta de didatização de aspectos, reivindicando, no trabalho que envolvem os gêneros, o olhar voltado para os enunciados, a enunciação e a produção de sentidos

TEMPERATURE EFFECT ON HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM REACTIONS BETWEEN ETHANOL AND STEAM IN THE PRESENCE OF PD-RU/NB2O5-TIO2 CATALYST

The concern regarding the environment, especially with gases emission by burning fossil fuels, and the increase of energy demand have influenced the development of cleaner and more efficient technologies for energy generation. In this context, studies involving hydrogen and fuel cells are remarkable among future technologies due to its great commercial potential and high energetic efficiency of the process. Theoretically speaking, hydrogen production from biomass or liquids derived from biomass such as ethanol can be considered a carbon emission free process since all the carbon dioxide produced can be recycled by the plants using sun power [1]. Obtaining hydrogen from ethanol might be carried out through catalytic reaction of ethanol steam reforming: (C2H5OH + 3H2O „_ 6H2 + 2CO2) [2-4]. This pathway is extremely attractive and capable of solving many questions involved in hydrogen storage and delivery infrastructure, allowing a well spread production strategy [1]. This work presents an evaluation of performance of the 0.5% Pd-0.5% Ru/Nb2O5-TiO2 catalyst in the reaction between ethanol and steam at temperatures of 573, 648 and 723 K under atmospheric pressure. The catalysts tests were carried out with H2O/C2H5OH molar ratio equals to 10/1 and W/Feth equals to 17.16 (gcat h/mol). The feeding of the reagent mixture was carried out in liquid phase without the presence of inert gases and a packed bed tubular reactor (7g) built in stainless steel (18 cm X 2.1 cm i.d.) was used to obtain the data under closer conditions to the necessary ones for industrial application. Prepared by impregnation from alcoholic solutions of chloride salts precursors of Pd and Ru, the catalyst was characterized by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), textural analysis by adsorption/desorption isotherms of N2 at 77 K, temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and temperature programmed desorption of NH2 (TPD-NH3). The catalytic tests results reveal that the increase in reaction temperature causes the decrease of catalytic activity to ethanol conversion. When the hydrogen production process was carried out at 573 K, it was possibly dominated by reactions of ethanol decomposition and partly of steam reforming reactions and ethanol dehydrogenation. At 648 and 723 K, the efficiency decrease for hydrogen production occurs due to catalytic activity increase for ethanol dehydration and dehydrogenation reactions causing the increase of acetaldehyde and ethane selectivity respectively. Under all temperature conditions evaluated H2, CO2, CH4, CO, C2H4, C2H6, C2H4O, (C2H5)2O and coke, were produced from simultaneous reactions identified as dehydrogenation, dehydration, decomposition and ethanol steam reforming. References [1] H. Song, L. Zhang, R. B. Watson, D. Braden, U. S. Ozkan, Cat. Today 129 (2007) 346. [2] D. R. Sahoo, S. Vajpai, S. Patel, K. K. Pant, Chem. Eng. J. 125 (2007) 139. [3] A. Casanovas, J. Llorca, N. Homs, J. L. G. Fierro, P. R. de la Piscina, J. Mol. Cat. A: Chem. 250 (2006) 44. [4] B. Zhang, X. Tang, Y. Li, W. Cai, Y. Xu, W. Shen, Cat. Commun. 7 (2006) 367