Finite element analysis of trapezoidal web beam to column end plate connection

Most structures especially the conventional steel buildings are usually using the simple design and rigid design methods. However, the actual behaviour is known to fall between these two extreme categories. The use of partial strength connections has been encouraged by studies on the matter. It is proven that it reduces the steel weight in use and thus save the overall construction cost. This project is to analyze the behaviour of trapezoidal web beam profiled to the end plate connection. Comparison between the effect of trapezoidal web beam profiled to end plate connection and stiffener is made to predict the strength, stiffness and rotational capacity of the connections. Previous research shows that the trapezoidal web beam profiled will minimize the need of stiffeners. Six models have been analyzed in this project by using LUSAS 14.0 by various type of beam. The dimension of beam is 150 x 200 x 1600 mm whereas for column is 200 x 200 x 1800 mm. The dimension for the end plate stiffener provided is 95 x 95 x 10 mm. Linear analysis is performed to obtain the deformed mesh, maximum stress and strain under axial load. In addition, a non-linear contact analysis is also done to obtain the relationship of the load-deflection at contact surfaces. The results show that the trapezoidal web beam profiled with end plate stiffener and extended end plate connection provide highest strength compared to others and with least deflection under loads

Electromagnetic and Gravitational Radiation of Graviatoms

Graviatom existence conditions have been found. The graviatoms (quantum systems around mini-black-holes) satisfying these conditions contain the following charged particles: the electron, muon, tau lepton, wino, pion and kaon. Electric dipole and quadrupole and gravitational radiations are calculated for the graviatoms and compared with Hawking's mini-hole radiation.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, 3 tables; accepted in "Astronomical and Astrophysical Transactions

Forecasting the Europe 2020 headline target on education and training. A panel data approach

This analysis aims at proposing simple econometric models that can be used to forecast early leavers from education and training and tertiary education attainment benchmarks up to year 2020. The models are built on the theoretical framework of human capital and optimal schooling decisions and then estimated in a panel setting to better deal with a limited dataset. By looking back at the time period of enrolment and graduation, our approach could be seen as an attempt to identify the determinants that shape the education decisions of young individuals. We construct the forecasts under very simple assumptions about the expected adults’ education attainment and given the determinants of schooling decisions uncovered by our empirical analysis. The forecasts tell us how early school leaving and tertiary education attainment are likely to develop over the next years if nothing changes in terms of policy measures. This very strong assumption provides scope for policy action especially for those countries where the expected developments of model’s determinants are not enough to foresee a positive outcome.JRC.G.3-Econometrics and applied statistic

New Narratives for the European Project

This brief synthesizes doubts about the presently prevailing European Institutions’ narrative, which we will call ‘the received wisdom’. We concentrate on the long-term challenges and plead for more thinking on the allegedly positive relation between innovation, employment and growth in the face of opposing evidence coming from international organizations and academia. We argue that business as usual is not an option to deal with the present inequality and unemployment challenges. We suggest opening up the reflection to different economic paradigms, and to other sources of legitimate knowledge and scholarship, from bio-economics, to social inquiry and to non-neoclassical economics. Foremost, we argue that no progress is possible without reconsideration of normative questions such as ‘what’ do we wish to sustain and for ‘whom’.JRC.DDG.01-Econometrics and applied statistic

Population seeding techniques for Rolling Horizon Evolution in General Video Game Playing

While Monte Carlo Tree Search and closely related methods have dominated General Video Game Playing, recent research has demonstrated the promise of Rolling Horizon Evolutionary Algorithms as an interesting alternative. However, there is little attention paid to population initialization techniques in the setting of general real-time video games. Therefore, this paper proposes the use of population seeding to improve the performance of Rolling Horizon Evolution and presents the results of two methods, One Step Look Ahead and Monte Carlo Tree Search, tested on 20 games of the General Video Game AI corpus with multiple evolution parameter values (population size and individual length). An in-depth analysis is carried out between the results of the seeding methods and the vanilla Rolling Horizon Evolution. In addition, the paper presents a comparison to a Monte Carlo Tree Search algorithm. The results are promising, with seeding able to boost performance significantly over baseline evolution and even match the high level of play obtained by the Monte Carlo Tree Search

Sari Buah Lontar sebagai Pengencer Alami dalam Mempertahankan Kualitas Spermatozoa Babi

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Siwalan Palm Juice as a natural extender for maintaining boar sperm quality. Semen ejaculates collected from three Duroc and Landrace boars were macroscopically (volume, colour, odor, pH and consistency) and microscopically (motility, concentration and abnormality) evaluated. Semen samples fulfilled all criteria for semen characteristic (motility > 70%, concentration 200 x 106 cells /ml and abnormality ≤ 20%). Antibiotics were added in this semen samples. This study used completely randomized design with 6 treated groups, each group repeated three times. K0 (control): fresh semen; K1: Siwalan juice + Landrace boar semen; K2: Coconut water + Landrace boar semen; K3: NaCL + Landrace boar semen; K4: Siwalan juice + Duroc boar semen; K5: Coconut water + Duroc boar semen; K6: NaCL + Duroc boar semen. This semen samples were stored under room temperature at 220C. The result shows that Duroc and Landrace boar spermatozoa can be stored in Siwalan Palm Juice extender for up to 24 hours. It can concluded that Siwalan Juice could be used as one of natural extender for maintaining boar sperm quality under room temperature at 220C

Diversification using assortment of local varieties of red wines

The assortment of winesproduced in Moldova iscurrently dominated by cosmopolitan varieties, mainly of the French. Global wine market study hasshownthat consumers are more attracted to wine-surprise, unknown. In this context many countrie shave resorted to valorisation of indigenous varieties and new varieties of selection. Since ancient times an assortment of vine varieties adapted to local conditions has been created in Moldova. Unfortunately, in the the 40's and 50's of last century, whith the collectivization was emphasized on European varieties spreading, local varieties being forgotten. Takinginto account all mentioned, research of 13 local red varieties for industrial purposes have started. In terms of microvinification according to classical technology, experimental wines were produced, the organoleptic, physico-chemical composition, including content phenolic compounds and anthocyanins profile were determined. Methods for analysis recommended by the OIV were used and the profile of anthocyanins in wine samples studied using high performance liquid chromatography method (HPLC) was determined. The research results showed that the dry red wines made from indigenous varieties are distinguished by different content in phenolic substances and anthocyanins. On the researche basis 4 grape varieties (Feteascæa neagræa, Rara neagræa, Negru de Cæauðseni and Codrinschi) for quality dry red wines producin gwere recommended

Основні напрямки маркетингу і менеджменту в архівній справі

Gondwana breakup since the Jurassic and the northward motion of India toward Eurasia were associated with formation of ocean basins and ophiolite obduction between and onto the Indian and Arabian margins. Here we reconcile marine geophysical data from preserved oceanic basins with the age and location of ophiolites in NW India and SE Arabia and seismic tomography of the mantle below the NW Indian Ocean. The North Somali and proto-Owen basins formed due to 160-133-Ma N-S extension between India and Somalia. Subsequent convergence destroyed part of this crust, simultaneous with the uplift of the Masirah ophiolites. Most of the preserved crust in the Owen Basin may have formed between 84 and 74-Ma, whereas the Mascarene and the Amirante basins accommodated motion between India and Madagascar/East Africa between 85 and circa 60-Ma and 75 and circa 66-Ma, respectively. Between circa 84 and 45-Ma, oblique Arabia-India convergence culminated in ophiolite obduction onto SE Arabia and NW India and formed the Carlsberg slab in the lower mantle below the NW Indian Ocean. The NNE-SSW oriented slab may explain the anomalous bathymetry in the NW Indian Ocean and may be considered a paleolongitudinal constraint for absolute plate motion. NW India-Asia collision occurred at circa 20-Ma deforming the Sulaiman ranges or at 30-Ma if the Hindu Kush slab north of the Afghan block reflects intra-Asian subduction. Our study highlights that the NW India ophiolites have no relationship with India-Asia motion or collision but result from relative India-Africa/Arabia motions instead. Key Points We present a new tectonic model for the evolution of NW Indian Ocean Subducted slab under the Carlsberg Ridge resulted from Arabia-India convergenc

General Video Game for 2 players: Framework and competition

This paper presents a new track of the General Video Game AI competition for generic Artificial Intelligence agents, which features both competitive and cooperative real time stochastic two player games. The aim of the competition is to directly test agents against each other in more complex and dynamic environments, where there is an extra uncertainty in a game, consisting of the behaviour of the other player. The framework, server functionality and general competition setup are analysed and the results of the experiments with several sample controllers are presented. The results indicate that currently Open Loop Monte Carlo Tree Search is the overall leading algorithm on this set of games

Massive vector fields on the Schwarzschild spacetime: quasinormal modes and bound states

We study the propagation of a massive vector or Proca field on the Schwarzschild spacetime. The field equations are reduced to a one-dimensional wave equation for the odd-parity part of the field and two coupled equations for the even-parity part of the field. We use numerical techniques based on solving (scalar or matrix-valued) three-term recurrence relations to compute the spectra of both quasi-normal modes and quasi-bound states, which have no massless analogue, complemented in the latter case by a forward-integration method. We study the radial equations analytically in both the near-horizon and far-field regions and use a matching procedure to compute the associated spectra in the small-mass limit. Finally, we comment on extending our results to the Kerr geometry and its phenomenological relevance for hidden photons arising e.g. in string theory compactifications.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures; minor corrections, to be published in Phys. Rev.