Testing the untestable: The CJEU’s decision in Case C-473/16, F v Bevándorlási és Állampolgársági Hivatal. EDAL – European Database of Asylum Law [weblog article, 28 June 2018]

Commentary on judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union on case F v Bevándorlási és Állampolgársági Hivatal, relating to credibility assessment and means of evidence in asylum cases involving sexual orientation

Tell me what you see and I’ll tell you if you’re gay: analysing the advocate general’s opinion in case C-473/16, F v Bevándorlási és Állampolgársági Hivatal

Hungary has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons for quite a while. From legislation targeting ‘foreign-operating universities’ to border walls to keep refugees from entering Hungarian territory, the populist right-wing government of Viktor Orban has been sparking outrage in many sectors of Hungarian society, and the European institutions. The most recent reason for alarm again relates to migration and refugees, an area of widespread criticism of Hungarian authorities. Building on extremely hostile policies towards refugees that have been admonished by both the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Hungarian authorities now intend to resort to highly dubious means to assess the applications of individuals claiming asylum on grounds related to their sexual orientation. It was already public knowledge that this category of claimants was subjected to poor treatment by the Hungarian authorities, but recent events suggest that the authorities have reached a new low

No-bodies: law, raciality and violence

Quando é que se tornou uma trivialidade – mais do que uma evidência, mas ainda não uma “verdade” óbvia – o fato de que um número considerável (cuja dimensão talvez nunca seja conhecida) de jovens do sexo masculino e do sexo feminino sucumbe como sujeitos da violência infringida para preservação da lei? Neste artigo, esse questionamento guia uma reflexão acerca de uma dimensão da existência global contemporânea que deveria se tornar tema da teoria política. Descreve-se, aqui, um cenário político no qual os braços do Estado – a polícia e o Exército – empregam total violência como tática de regulação. Mais especificamente, faz-se uma leitura das ocupações empreendidas pelo Estado nas regiões economicamente desfavorecidas – onde os traficantes de drogas competem para instituir a “lei do lugar” – como representações de um tipo diferente de contrato de fundação, significantes da violência racial. Nessa abordagem do cenário político (ético-jurídico), os corpos mortos dos adolescentes negros e mulatos contam não como baixas de guerras urbanas, mas como significantes do horizonte da morte, pois a existência dos sujeitos raciais subalternos resultantes das ferramentas da racialidade (diferença racial e cultura) se revela em territórios onde o Estado atua apenas em nome da sua própria preservação

A model for the nonlinear, time-dependent and strengthening analysis of shear critical frame concrete structures

Nonlinear fibre beam models, due to its intrinsic simplicity and computational efficiency, are often an adequate alternative to the complex nonlinear plane and solid FE models for the assessment of entire frame structures. Nevertheless, simulations of structural concrete members undergoing relevant shear stresses cannot be performed by these models, as nonlinear shear effects and shear-bending interaction are neglected. In turn, the presence of shear stresses in cracked reinforced concrete (RC) elements leads to a rather complex resistant mechanism which numerical modelling is neither straightforward nor clearly established. Within this problematic, the formulation proposed in this thesis is an upgrade version of an existent flexural fibre beam model for the time-dependent analysis of segmentally constructed RC frames by taking into account the shear effects. The model is devised for the analysis of 2D RC and prestressed frame elements under combined axial, bending and shear forces. Shear-bending interaction is taken into account by means of a hybrid kinematic/force-based sectional approach. The key characteristics of the proposed model are: (i) at the material level RC is simulated through a smeared cracked approach with rotating cracks; (ii) at the fibre level an iterative procedure guarantees equilibrium between concrete and transversal reinforcement, allowing to compute the biaxial stress-strain state of each fibre; (iii) at the section level a uniform shear stress flow is assumed in order to estimate the internal shear stress-strain distribution and (iv) at the element level, the Timoshenko beam theory takes into account the deformation due to shear. As a result, the relevant attributes of the proposed formulation can be resumed as: (i) its capability for considering shear effects in both service and ultimate levels; (ii) the time step-by-step solution procedure enables taking into account the time-dependent response due to creep and shrinkage of concrete, temperature variations and relaxation of prestressing steel considering the multiaxial stress-strain state of the fibres and; (iii) the sequential type of analysis allows capturing the strengthening effects, accounting for the state of the structure prior to the intervention. The model is validated through experimental tests available in the literature, as well as through an experimental campaign carried out by the author. Accordingly, the capacity of the model to efficiently reproduce the behaviour of shear critical beams is demonstrated. The importance of including shear-bending interaction in the numerical analysis is underlined by comparing the results with the ones provided by the pure flexural basis model. The influence of transversal stresses on the time-dependent response of shear and bending dominant beams is also studied with the proposed model. Considering shear effects in modelling the time-dependent response of diagonally cracked RC and prestressed beams is found to be relevant. The proposed model is successfully used to predict the experimental results of a shear damaged and subsequently strengthened RC beam, available in the literature. An alternative strengthening solution for the damaged beam based on post-tensioned stirrups is numerically analysed. This technique showed to be effective to avoid brittle shear failure allowing for the development of all the flexural capacity of the repaired beam. The importance of considering previous damage in the numerical assessment of strengthened RC beams is revealed. Finally, the response of a dismantled prestressed concrete bridge, with deficient shear resistance, submitted to full-scale tests is successfully simulated with the proposed model. In addition, different strengthening proposals based on post-tensioning measures are studied for this bridge. In this manner, the capacity of the model to determine the safety of existent structures and to analyse the performance of strengthening measures is demonstrated.Los modelos de vigas, debido a su simplicidad inherente y eficiencia computacional, pueden ser alternativas adecuadas a complejos modelos de elementos finitos planos y sólidos. Sin embargo, el comportamiento de elementos estructurales de hormigón sometidos a fuertes esfuerzos cortantes, no pueden ser correctamente simulado mediante estos modelos, ya que no consideran los efectos no lineales del cortante y la interacción cortante-flexión. A su vez, la presencia del cortante en el hormigón armado fisurado da lugar a un complejo mecanismo resistente cuya modelización no está aún claramente definida. En esta tesis si propone un modelo de vigas que considera la no linealidad y el comportamiento paso-a-paso en el tiempo de estructuras porticadas de hormigón construidas evolutivamente teniendo en cuenta los efectos del cortante. El modelo se basa en una formulación existente de flexión y está concebido para el análisis de estructuras planas porticadas de hormigón armado (HA) y pretensado sometido a la acción combinada del esfuerzo axil, flexión y cortante. La interacción cortante-flexión si consigue mediante una formulación seccional basada en suposiciones mixtas de cinemática y fuerza. Las características clave del modelo son: (i) a nivel del material el HA se simula mediante una aproximación de fisuración distribuida rotacional; (ii) a nivel de la fibra un procedimiento iterativo garantiza el equilibrio entre el hormigón y la armadura transversal, permitiendo calcular el estado biaxial de tensiones y deformaciones en cada fibra; (iii) a nivel de la sección un patrón de tensiones tangenciales constantes estima la distribución interna de tensiones y deformaciones de cortante y (iv) a nivel del elemento se aplicada la formulación del elemento de viga Timoshenko. De este modo, los aspectos relevantes de la formulación propuesta se resumen en: (i) su capacidad para considerar los efectos del cortante en estados de servicio y últimos; (ii) el procedimiento paso-a-paso en el tiempo permite tener en cuenta la respuesta diferida debido a fluencia y retracción del hormigón, variaciones de temperatura y relajación del pretensado considerando el estado multiaxial de tensiones y deformaciones en las fibras y; (iii) el análisis secuencial permite evaluar los efectos del refuerzo teniendo en cuenta el estado de la estructura antes de la intervención El modelo se valida mediante ensayos experimentales disponibles en la literatura, así como, a través de una campaña experimental realizada por la autora, demostrando su capacidad para reproducir la respuesta de vigas críticas a cortante. La importancia de incluir la interacción cortante-flexión en el análisis numérico es destacada por medio de la comparación de los resultados con los proporcionados por el modelo básico de flexión. Con el modelo propuesto se estudia la influencia del cortante en la respuesta diferida de vigas dominadas por cortante y flexión. La consideración de los efectos del cortante es relevante en la modelación de la respuesta diferida de vigas de HA con fisuras diagonales y en vigas pretensadas. El modelo propuesto se compara con éxito con los resultados experimentales de una viga dañada a cortante y posteriormente reforzada mediante un recrecido de hormigón y armadura transversal. Adicionalmente, se analiza numéricamente otra solución alternativa de refuerzo basada en estribos pretensados. La importancia de considerar el daño previo de la viga reforzada queda demostrada en la evaluación numérica. Finalmente, se simula la respuesta de un puente pretensado desmantelado con deficiente resistencia a cortante y sometido a ensayos de carga a larga-escala. Son también estudiadas diferentes propuestas de refuerzo basadas en soluciones de pos-tensado. De este modo, se demuestra la capacidad del modelo para determinar la seguridad de estructuras existentes y analizar la eficiencia de las medidas de refuerzo

Influence of time-dependent restrained strains in the shear response of RC frames

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1617/s11527-016-0875-8Time-dependent strains, when restrained, can lead to important tensile forces and damage, affecting, among other aspects, the shear response and ultimate load carrying capacity of shear-critical RC frames. This paper presents a detailed study of this problematic by means of an extension of a shear-sensitive fibre beam model to time dependent behaviour of concrete. The model is firstly validated with experimental tests on diagonally pre-cracked beams under sustained loads. From these analyses, the contributions of shear distortions and bending curvatures to the total long-term deflection of the beams are discerned. Afterwards, the model is applied to study the influence of restraining strains due to long-term creep and shrinkage in the service and ultimate shear response of frames. In contrast with flexural resistant mechanisms, delayed strains may influence the latter shear resistance of integral structures by reducing the concrete contribution to shear resistance and leading to a sooner activation of the transversal reinforcement. These aspects can be relevant in assessing existing structures and this model, due to its relative simplicity, can be advantageous for practical applications.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Control de infección relacionada con catéter venoso central impregnado con antisépticos: revisión integradora

O uso de cateter venoso central é apontado como um dos principais fatores para infecção da corrente sanguínea. Objetiva-se, neste estudo, buscar evidências científicas sobre o controle de infecção relacionada ao cateter venoso central impregnado com antissépticos utilizado em pacientes adultos hospitalizados. Para seleção dos estudos, foram utilizadas as bases de dados LILACS, CINAHL e MEDLINE. Totalizaram-se nove artigos por meio da revisão integrativa da literatura. As publicações acerca da utilização de cateteres impregnados com antissépticos mostraram diferença estatisticamente significante quanto à redução da colonização microbiana. Entretanto, apenas um estudo demonstrou redução na ocorrência da infecção. Diante das análises dos estudos, há necessidade de pesquisas adicionais em diferentes populações de pacientes com a finalidade de efetuar generalizações.The use of central venous catheter is pointed out as a risk factor to blood stream infection. The objective of this study was to reach scientific evidence on infection control related to central venous catheter impregnated with antiseptics, used in hospitalized adult patients. Studies were selected from the LILACS, CINAHL and MEDLINE databases. Nine articles were selected by means of integrative literature review. The publications on the use of catheters impregnated with antiseptics showed statistically significant differences regarding the reduction of microbial colonization; however, only one study showed reduction in the occurrence of infection. The analysis of the studies revealed there is a need for further research in different patient populations in order to obtain general conclusions.El uso de catéter venoso central es señalado como uno de los principales factores de infección de la corriente sanguínea. El estudio objetiva buscar evidencias científicas sobre control de infección relacionada con catéter venoso central impregnado con antisépticos utilizado en pacientes adultos hospitalizados. Para seleccionar estudios se utilizaron las bases de datos LILACS, CINAHL y MEDLINE. Se totalizaron 9 artículos mediante revisión integradora de literatura. Las publicaciones referidas a utilización de catéteres impregnados con antisépticos mostraron diferencias estadísticamente significantes en lo referente a reducción de colonización microbiana, mientras apenas un estudio demostró reducción de ocurrencia de infección. Ante el análisis de los estudios, existe necesidad de investigaciones adicionales en diferentes poblaciones de pacientes con la finalidad de efectuar generalizaciones

Analysis of FRP shear strengthening solutions for reinforced concrete beams considering debonding failure

In this paper, a fiber beam model previously developed by the authors for the nonlinear analysis of strengthened elements, including the effects of shear, is used to predict the response of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened in shear with fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) sheets. In the previous version of the model, debonding failure of FRP was not included; hence, its application was limited to the simulation of wrapped configurations. The model is now extended to account for debonding failure in order to allow for its application to beams strengthened with U-shaped and side-bonded configurations. Existing experimental tests on RC beams strengthened in shear by FRP sheets in both wrapped and U-shaped configurations were numerically simulated. The model reproduces, with reasonable accuracy, the experimental failure loads, the load-deflection behavior, and the strains in FRP and stirrups with increasing load. The advantages of this proposal are related with the simplicity and straightforwardness of the beam models to be applied in practical engineering problems.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

A Modelagem Matemática Aplicada às Questões Ambientais: Uma abordagem didática no estudo da precipitação pluviométrica e da vazão de rios

A presente pesquisa tem como meta usar a modelagem matemática como uma estratégia para abordagem de problemas do meio ambiente, empregando conteúdos matemáticos e estatísticos, além dos recursos da informática, para identificar possíveis tendências nos índices de precipitações pluviométricas e de vazões em alguns rios distribuídos pelo Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Para tanto, emprega-se a estatística paramétrica com aplicação da análise de regressão, além da estatística não paramétrica por meio dos testes de Mann-Kendall e de Pettitt. Todas as atividades foram desenvolvidas em um ambiente extra-classe com a participação de um grupo de estudantes universitários. Ao longo do desenvolvimento da pesquisa surgiram várias questões, gerando discussões e reflexões a respeito dos conteúdos utilizados, implicando em interpretações relacionadas aos problemas ambientais