Reliability assessment of the post-limit stiffness and ductility of steel joints

Steel joints must exhibit sufficient ductility for safe structural behaviour. This is especially true for partial-strength steel joints, whereby the nonlinear response of the joint plays an important part in the overall response of the structure. Uncertainty in joint response, particularly beyond the elastic limit of the moment-rotation curve, naturally leads to a probabilistic treatment of the ductility of steel joints. It is the objective of the present paper to compare a direct probabilistic approach with simulation techniques using the Monte-Carlo method both at the component and joint level, in the context of the component method, with the aim of establishing safe limits for the ductile behaviour of the steel joints.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V3T-49Y3H88-1/1/4f6f0c5bb20315bc0dcbec70a68bba8

Evaluación de la calidad del agua superficial de una cuenca urbana de la provincia de Buenos Aires

La calidad del agua superficial es función de las características intrínsecas de los recursos hídricos y su entorno así como de las actividades u ocupación efectiva del territorio que se desarrolla en las cuencas. Su diagnóstico es una estrategia relevante en la planificación y ordenamiento de los usos del suelo y en el establecimiento de medidas estructurales y no estructurales de gestión que tengan como objetivo minimizar el estado de degradación ambiental y mejorar la calidad de vida de la población asociada, en especial en las cuencas de carácter predominantemente urbano. En este marco, los índices de calidad del agua (ICAs), son herramientas de síntesis y de gestión útiles para conocer el estado del recurso, analizar la evolución o tendencias espacio-temporales, eficiencia de programas en ejecución y comunicar de una manera sencilla y de fácil interpretación los resultados obtenidos, entre otros. Los ICAs reducen en su construcción la información correspondiente a una gran cantidad de parámetros físicos, químicos y microbiológicos a un solo valor numérico resultante de la agregación de determinados parámetros seleccionados en base a su representatividad respecto de la calidad del recurso hídrico evaluado. En este trabajo se analizan los valores de calidad del agua superficial registrados en dos períodos de estudio: años 2010 y 2015, en la cuenca del arroyo Conchitas-Plátanos, partidos de Florencio Varela y Berazategui, provincia de Buenos Aires, con el objeto de analizar la evolución espacio - temporal de la calidad del agua superficial, asociar los resultados obtenidos con los usos reales del suelo y proporcionar información útil para facilitar una correcta gestión de los usos del suelo en el marco de la gestión integrada de cuencas.Sección: Hidráulica.Facultad de Ingenierí

Surface water quality of urban basin in the province of Buenos Aires

En este trabajo se analiza la evolución espacio-temporal de la calidad del agua del curso principal de la cuenca del arroyo Conchitas-Plátanos, NE provincia Buenos Aires, y se asocian los resultados obtenidos con los usos reales del territorio. Se seleccionaron parámetros fisicoquímicos y microbiológicos representativos de actividades dominantes, en cinco estaciones de muestreo y en dos períodos (2010 y 2015). Los parámetros se analizaron entre sí y mediante la aplicación del índice de calidad del agua de la National Sanitation Foundation (INSF). Se observa marcada vinculación entre usos del suelo dominantes y calidad del agua superficial. En ambos períodos se registra deterioro significativo de la calidad del agua a partir de cuenca media (mayor industrialización y urbanización). El INSF para ambos años registra valores regular a malo, con tendencia a incremento de valores para 2015 y de disminución de calidad desde cuenca superior a media-inferior.This paper analyzes temporal and spacial evolution of the surface water quality of main course of Conchitas Platanos´s basin, NE Buenos Aires. The results are associated with actual land uses. Physical, chemical and microbiological parameters were selected to represent dominant activities. Five sampling stations and two periods (2010 and 2015) were analyzed. The parameters were analyzed each other and calculated the National Sanitation Foundation water quality index (INSF). It is noted the relationship between dominant land uses and the surface water quality. Both periods register a significant deterioration of the water quality from the middle basin (industrialization and urbanization zone). The INSF register fair to poor values for both years, with increasing trend values for 2015 and decreasing of quality from upstream to downstream.Trabajo publicado en Ulberich, Ana; Cisneros Basualdo, Nicolás; Miranda del Fresno, María Carolina (eds.). I Jornadas Internacionales de Ambiente y III Jornadas Nacionales de Ambiente 2016. Libro de resúmenes extendidos. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la provincia de Buenos Aires, 2016.Facultad de Ingenierí

Surface water quality of urban basin in the province of Buenos Aires

En este trabajo se analiza la evolución espacio-temporal de la calidad del agua del curso principal de la cuenca del arroyo Conchitas-Plátanos, NE provincia Buenos Aires, y se asocian los resultados obtenidos con los usos reales del territorio. Se seleccionaron parámetros fisicoquímicos y microbiológicos representativos de actividades dominantes, en cinco estaciones de muestreo y en dos períodos (2010 y 2015). Los parámetros se analizaron entre sí y mediante la aplicación del índice de calidad del agua de la National Sanitation Foundation (INSF). Se observa marcada vinculación entre usos del suelo dominantes y calidad del agua superficial. En ambos períodos se registra deterioro significativo de la calidad del agua a partir de cuenca media (mayor industrialización y urbanización). El INSF para ambos años registra valores regular a malo, con tendencia a incremento de valores para 2015 y de disminución de calidad desde cuenca superior a media-inferior.This paper analyzes temporal and spacial evolution of the surface water quality of main course of Conchitas Platanos´s basin, NE Buenos Aires. The results are associated with actual land uses. Physical, chemical and microbiological parameters were selected to represent dominant activities. Five sampling stations and two periods (2010 and 2015) were analyzed. The parameters were analyzed each other and calculated the National Sanitation Foundation water quality index (INSF). It is noted the relationship between dominant land uses and the surface water quality. Both periods register a significant deterioration of the water quality from the middle basin (industrialization and urbanization zone). The INSF register fair to poor values for both years, with increasing trend values for 2015 and decreasing of quality from upstream to downstream.Trabajo publicado en Ulberich, Ana; Cisneros Basualdo, Nicolás; Miranda del Fresno, María Carolina (eds.). I Jornadas Internacionales de Ambiente y III Jornadas Nacionales de Ambiente 2016. Libro de resúmenes extendidos. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la provincia de Buenos Aires, 2016.Facultad de Ingenierí

The GO-DACT protocol : a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study to compare the efficacy of golimumab in combination with methotrexate (MTX) versus MTX monotherapy

© 2001-2020 Sociedade Portuguesa de ReumatologiaThe GO-DACT is an investigator-initiated, national, multicentric randomized placebo-controlled double-blinded trial, that assesses dactylitis as primary endpoint. Psoriatic arthritis patients naïve to methotrexate and biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, with at least one active dactylitis, were assigned to golimumab in combination with methotrexate or placebo in combination with methotrexate, for 24 weeks. Both clinical (dactylitis severity score and the Leeds dactylitis index) and imaging (high resolution magnetic resonance imaging), among others, were assessed as outcomes. The main objective of GO-DACT is to provide evidence to improve the treatment algorithm and care of psoriatic arthritis patients with active dactylitis. In this manuscript we describe the GO-DACT protocol and general concepts of the methodology of this trial.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Isolation, absolute configuration and cytotoxic activities of alkaloids from Hippeastrum goianum (Ravenna) Meerow (Amaryllidaceae)

The phytochemical study of Hippeastrum goianum led to the identification of 13 compounds by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Compounds 7-demethoxy-9-O-methylhostasine (1) and 7-deoxi-trans-dihydronarciclasine (2) had their absolute configurations determined by vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). This is the first time that compound 1 is described in the Amaryllidaceae family. The cytotoxicity of all isolated compounds was tested against colorectal carcinoma (HCT 116), breast carcinoma (MCF-7), and non-tumor human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell lines. The half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of compound 2 against each cell line was equivalent to the positive control (doxorubicin), indicating a considerable cytotoxic activity. Keywords: narciclasine; galasine; cytotoxic activity; absolute configuration; vibrational circular dichrois

What do medical students think about their quality of life? A qualitative study

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud Medical education can affect medical students’ physical and mental health as well as their quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess medical students’ perceptions of their quality of life and its relationship with medical education.\ud \ud \ud Methods\ud First- to sixth-year students from six Brazilian medical schools were interviewed using focus groups to explore what medical student’s lives are like, factors related to increases and decreases of their quality of life during medical school, and how they deal with the difficulties in their training.\ud \ud \ud Results\ud Students reported a variety of difficulties and crises during medical school. Factors that were reported to decrease their quality of life included competition, unprepared teachers, excessive activities, and medical school schedules that demanded exclusive dedication. Contact with pain, death and suffering and harsh social realities influence their quality of life, as well as frustrations with the program and insecurity regarding their professional future. The scarcity of time for studying, leisure activities, relationships, and rest was considered the main factor of influence. Among factors that increase quality of life are good teachers, classes with good didactic approaches, active learning methodologies, contact with patients, and efficient time management. Students also reported that meaningful relationships with family members, friends, or teachers increase their quality of life.\ud \ud \ud Conclusion\ud Quality of teachers, curricula, healthy lifestyles related to eating habits, sleep, and physical activity modify medical students’ quality of life. Lack of time due to medical school obligations was a major impact factor. Students affirm their quality of life is influenced by their medical school experiences, but they also reframe their difficulties, herein represented by their poor quality of life, understood as necessary and inherent to the process of becoming doctors

Automated smoother for the numerical decoupling of dynamics models

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Structure identification of dynamic models for complex biological systems is the cornerstone of their reverse engineering. Biochemical Systems Theory (BST) offers a particularly convenient solution because its parameters are kinetic-order coefficients which directly identify the topology of the underlying network of processes. We have previously proposed a numerical decoupling procedure that allows the identification of multivariate dynamic models of complex biological processes. While described here within the context of BST, this procedure has a general applicability to signal extraction. Our original implementation relied on artificial neural networks (ANN), which caused slight, undesirable bias during the smoothing of the time courses. As an alternative, we propose here an adaptation of the Whittaker's smoother and demonstrate its role within a robust, fully automated structure identification procedure.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this report we propose a robust, fully automated solution for signal extraction from time series, which is the prerequisite for the efficient reverse engineering of biological systems models. The Whittaker's smoother is reformulated within the context of information theory and extended by the development of adaptive signal segmentation to account for heterogeneous noise structures. The resulting procedure can be used on arbitrary time series with a nonstationary noise process; it is illustrated here with metabolic profiles obtained from <it>in-vivo </it>NMR experiments. The smoothed solution that is free of parametric bias permits differentiation, which is crucial for the numerical decoupling of systems of differential equations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The method is applicable in signal extraction from time series with nonstationary noise structure and can be applied in the numerical decoupling of system of differential equations into algebraic equations, and thus constitutes a rather general tool for the reverse engineering of mechanistic model descriptions from multivariate experimental time series.</p