Experimental Research on the Behaviour of Combined Web Crippling and Bending of Steel Deck Sections

At an interior support, sections of cold-formed steel are subjected to a concentrated load and a bending moment Existing design rules describing the section failure at an interior support are subject to improvement and are not based on the section\u27s physical failure behaviour. In the last decade, several analytical models have been developed that predict the section ultimate concentrated load and directly include the influence of the bending moment, so that an empirical interaction method is not needed. However, the authors believe that these models are correct only for a concentrated load and a small bending moment In practice large bending moments occur. Therefore, the aim of the current research project is to develop an analytical model for trapezoidal hat sections subjected to a concentrated load and a bending moment as occurring in practice. The development of this model will be based on both experimental and numerical research will be carried out. In this article, a part of the experimental research will be presented

Building social capital through breastfeeding peer support: Insights from an evaluation of a voluntary breastfeeding peer support service in North-West England

Background: Peer support is reported to be a key method to help build social capital in communities. To date there are no studies that describe how this can be achieved through a breastfeeding peer support service. In this paper we present findings from an evaluation of a voluntary model of breastfeeding peer support in North-West England to describe how the service was operationalized and embedded into the community. This study was undertaken from May, 2012 to May, 2013. Methods: Interviews (group or individual) were held with 87 participants: 24 breastfeeding women, 13 peer supporters and 50 health and community professionals. The data contained within 23 monthly monitoring reports (January, 2011 to February 2013) compiled by the voluntary peer support service were also extracted and analysed. Results: Thematic analysis was undertaken using social capital concepts as a theoretical lens. Key findings were identified to resonate with ’bonding’, ‘bridging’ and ‘linking’ forms of social capital. These insights illuminate how the peer support service facilitates ‘bonds’ with its members, and within and between women who access the service; how the service ‘bridges’ with individuals from different interests and backgrounds, and how ‘links’ were forged with those in authority to gain access and reach to women and to promote a breastfeeding culture. Some of the tensions highlighted within the social capital literature were also identified. Conclusions: Horizontal and vertical relationships forged between the peer support service and community members enabled peer support to be embedded into care pathways, helped to promote positive attitudes to breastfeeding and to disseminate knowledge and maximise reach for breastfeeding support across the community. Further effort to engage with those of different ethnic backgrounds and to resolve tensions between peer supporters and health professionals is warranted

Statistical evaluation of a new resistance model for cold-formed stainless steel cross-sections subjected to web crippling

This paper presents a statistical evaluation according to Annex D of EN 1990 (2002) of a new resistance function for web crippling design of cold-formed stainless steel cross-sections. This resistance function was derived by Bock et al. (2013) through the use of carefully validated numerical models with the aim to propose a design expression for stainless steel sections, which are currently designed following the provisions for cold-formed carbon steel sections given in EN 1993-1-3 (2006). Although it was shown that the proposed design equation is appropriate for application to various stainless steels, the statistical uncertainties in material properties that the different types of stainless steels exhibit require an assessment of various partial safety factors. The statistical assessment showed that the proposed resistance function by Bock et al. (2013) requires adjustment to satisfy the safety level set out in EN 1993-1-4 (2006); A recalibration is performed herein. The web crippling design provisions given in EN 1993-1-3 (2006) and SEI/ASCE 8-02 (2002) American standard for application to stainless steel are also statistically evaluated herein. Comparison with test and numerical data showed that the predictions of the recalibrated resistance function are better suited and consistent than existing design provisionsResearch Fund for Coal and Stee

Study protocol: a double blind placebo controlled trial examining the effect of domperidone on the composition of breast milk [NCT00308334]

BACKGROUND: Domperidone, a drug that enhances upper gastric motility, is an anti-dopaminergic medication that also elevates prolactin levels. It has been shown to safely increase the milk supply of lactating women. To date, researchers have analyzed the effects of domperidone on lactating woman with respect to the quantity of their milk production, adverse effects, and drug levels in the breast milk. However, the effect of domperidone on the macronutrient composition of breast milk has not been studied and current guidelines for fortification of human milk for premature infants do not distinguish between those women using or those not using domperidone. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of domperidone (given to lactating mothers of very preterm infants) on the macronutrient composition of breast milk. METHODS/DESIGN: Mothers of infants delivered at less than 31 weeks gestation, who are at least 3 weeks postpartum, and experiencing lactational failure despite non-pharmacological interventions, will be randomized to receive domperidone (10 mg three times daily) or placebo for a 14-day period. Breast milk samples will be obtained the day prior to beginning treatment and on days 4, 7 and 14. The macronutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrate and energy) and macromineral content (calcium, phosphorus and sodium) will be analyzed and compared between the two groups. Additional outcome measures will include milk volumes, serum prolactin levels (measured on days 0, 4, and 10), daily infant weights and breastfeeding rates at 2 weeks post study completion and at discharge. Forty-four participants will be recruited into the study. Analysis will be carried out using the intention to treat approach. DISCUSSION: If domperidone causes significant changes to the nutrient content of breast milk, an alteration in feeding practices for preterm infants may need to be made in order to optimize growth, nutrition and neurodevelopment outcomes

Everybody\u27s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Patented Monkey: Patentability of Cloned Organisms, 16 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 971 (1998)

The advent of patent protection for genetically engineered inventions occurred in 1980 with the landmark Supreme Court decision in Diamond v. Chakrabarty. Following the lead of the Supreme Court, the Patent and Trademark Office ( PTO ), in 1987, issued a new regulatory ruling that expanded the PTO\u27s statutory interpretation of 35 U.S.C. § 101 patentable subject matter to include devices based upon nonnatural occurring manufacture or composition of matter resulting from some level of human intervention in the modification of nonhuman organisms. One year following the PTO proclamation, the first patent for a transgenic animal issue to Professors Leder and Stewart for mammals such as those embodied by a strain of mice carrying an activatable transgene that induces the development of human tumors. Nearly a decade after the issuance of Leder\u27s transgenic mice patent, the scientific and patent communities are presented with cloning, an advance in biotechnology that forces heightened examination of patent protection for biotech devices. The cloned organisms resulting in Dolly the lamb and Gene the bull-calf made headlines in 1997 and continue to evoke debate among scientists, ethicists, and legal scholars. Clones are explored as articles of composition under the patent statutes, and cloned organisms represent a logical scientific advancement in transgenically modified organisms. Therefore, clones should receive such recognition by the PTO and federal courts