Performance of various connection system for IBS structure subjected to cyclic load

Nowadays, application of precast constructions is increasing, due to benefit of the industrialized building systems, specially the performance of this type of construction structures when effects of dynamic loads are considered. Precast beam column connection is mostly the critical part in the structures to resist the loads, so that the attention must be paid while designing such connections. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of the precast concrete beam–column connection comparing with the conventional joints. Three-dimensional nonlinear analysis was conducted using finite element method with five beam–column connections under the effect of cyclic load, bearing pad, steel dowel, and steel angle cleat were used to improve the connections performance. The results indicated that the using of steel angle cleat and dowel together and doubling angle cleat have improved the lateral resistance of the precast connections as well as the lateral stiffness and the ability to dissipate damage energy when comparing with the conventional joint performance

Veterinary aid clinic assessments of working ponies in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia: A retrospective study

Working ponies in the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province of Indonesia are relied upon as the principal mode of transport. They have important cultural, logistical and One Health significance for the local community. Given the tropical climate, these ponies face well recognised health and welfare challenges . Parameters relating to the general health and welfare of the ponies were assessed following data analysis of clinical records from three veterinary clinics held in 2018 and 2019. Records relating to 454 clinical examinations of ponies (n=365 stallions) aged between 1 to 25 years (mean 7.59 ± 4.70) were analysed. The mean body condition score (1 to 5 scoring system) across all clinics was 2.89 (±0.49; range 1.5, 4.5), with no significant difference between clinics (P= 0.297). The majority of ponies (84.57%; 95% CI 80.50, 87.92; 307/363) assessed presented with tachypnoea, 37.24% presented with tachycardia (95% CI 32.78, 41.92; 159/427), 14.80% (95% CI 11.10, 19.46; 41/277) recorded rectal temperatures considered hyperthermic (>38.5°C), and 38.0% did not show obvious evidence of sweating (95% CI 32.21, 44.16; 95/250). Ponies examined at the April/May 2019 clinic were more likely to be considered hyperthermic (P=0.009) and/or presented with tachycardia (P<0.001), whereas ponies examined in the November 2019 clinic were more likely to present with tachypnoea (P=0.001). In general, the objective measures of body condition and health indices of these ponies were considered adequate. Some abnormalities relating to prolonged recovery following exercise whilst working were considered likely related to thermoregulatory stress. Parasite burdens were found to be low, no haemoprotozoan parasites were detected and median faecal egg count was zero. Measures to encourage cooling and greater frequent rest periods continued surveillance and monitoring the health of these ponies will result in both enhanced welfare and advances in One Health initiatives

Evaluation of rubberized fibre mortar exposed to elevated temperature using destructive and non-destructive testing

The mechanical properties of concrete containing crumb rubber (CR) as a replacement for fine aggregate have been studied by many researchers. The consequence of these studies indicates that when CR is used as a substitute for fine aggregates in concrete, the properties in the fresh and hardened states are affected. Although the compressive strength of rubberised concrete decreased as the percentage of CR increased, rubberised concrete had better thermal resistivity. Therefore, this paper presents the results of research on the evaluation of conventional compressive strength (fcu) and non-destructive testing (NDT) at high temperatures for lightweight mortar made with CR and oil palm fruit fibre (OPFF). Sixteen mortar mixtures with 0-30% CR and 1-1.5% OPFF as a replacement ratio by weight of aggregate and cement were tested. All samples were subjected to elevated temperatures (ETs) of 200°C, 400°C and 600°C. The results show that both compressive strength and NDT decreased for all samples, especially samples containing 30% CR and exposed to 600°C. Despite this fact, the compressive strength of more than 97% of the samples fell within the range of moderate to structural lightweight concrete

Damage detection for UHPFRC communication tower based on frequency data and particle swarm optimization

Advances in the telecommunication and broadcasting sectors have increased the need for networking equipment of communication towers. Slender structures, such as towers, are sensitive to dynamic loads, such as vibration forces. Therefore, the stability and reliability performance of towers can be maintained effectively through the prompt detection, localization, and quantification of structural damages by obtaining the dynamic frequency response of towers. However, frequency analysis for damaged structures requires long computational procedures and is difficult to perform because of the damages in real structures, particularly in towers. Therefore, this study proposed a correlation factor that can identify the relationship between frequenciesunderhealthy and damaged conditions of ultra high performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) communication towers using particle swarm optimization. The finite element method was implemented to simulate three UHPFRC communication towers, and an experimental test was conducted to validate and verify the developed correlation factor

Unravelling the genetic causes of mosaic islet morphology in congenital hyperinsulinism

Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) causes dysregulated insulin secretion which can lead to life-threatening hypoglycaemia if not effectively managed. CHI can be sub-classified into three distinct groups: diffuse, focal and mosaic pancreatic disease. Whilst the underlying causes of diffuse and focal disease have been widely characterised, the genetic basis of mosaic pancreatic disease is not known. To gain new insights into the underlying disease processes of mosaic-CHI we studied the islet tissue histopathology derived from limited surgical resection from the tail of the pancreas in a patient with CHI. The underlying genetic aetiology was investigated using a combination of high depth next-generation sequencing, microsatellite analysis and p57kip2 immunostaining. Histopathology of the pancreatic tissue confirmed the presence of a defined area associated with marked islet hypertrophy and a cytoarchitecture distinct from focal CHI but compatible with mosaic CHI localised to a discrete region within the pancreas. Analysis of DNA extracted from the lesion identified a de novo mosaic ABCC8 mutation and mosaic paternal uniparental disomy which were not present in leukocyte DNA or the surrounding unaffected pancreatic tissue. This study provides the first description of two independent disease-causing somatic genetic events occurring within the pancreas of an individual with localised mosaic CHI. Our findings increase knowledge of the genetic causes of islet disease and provide further insights into the underlying developmental changes associated with β-cell expansion in CHI

Arylpyrrole and fipronil analogues that inhibit the motility and/or development of Haemonchus contortus in vitro

Due to widespread drug resistance in parasitic nematodes, there is a need to develop new anthelmintics. Given the cost and time involved in developing a new drug, the repurposing of known chemicals can be a promising, alternative approach. In this context, we tested a library (n = 600) of natural product-inspired pesticide analogues against exsheathed third stage-larvae (xL3s) of Haemonchus contortus (barber's pole worm) using a whole-organism, phenotypic screening technique that measures the inhibition of motility and development in treated larvae. In the primary screen, we identified 32 active analogues derived from chemical scaffolds of arylpyrrole or fipronil. The seven most promising compounds, selected based on their anthelmintic activity and/or limited cytotoxicity, are arylpyrroles that reduced the motility of fourth-stage larvae (L4s) with significant potency (IC50 values ranged from 0.04 ± 0.01 μM to 4.25 ± 0.82 μM, and selectivity indices ranged from 10.6 to 412.5). Since the parent structures of the active compounds are uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation, we tested the effect of selected analogues on oxygen consumption in xL3s using the Seahorse XF24 flux analyser. Larvae treated with the test compounds showed a significant increase in oxygen consumption compared with the untreated control, demonstrating their uncoupling activity. Overall, the results of the present study have identified natural product-derived molecules that are worth considering for chemical optimisation as anthelmintic drug leads. Keywords: Arylpyrrole, Fipronil, Haemonchus contortus, Anthelmintic, Drug discover

Deterministic Evolutionary Trajectories Influence Primary Tumor Growth: TRACERx Renal.

The evolutionary features of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have not been systematically studied to date. We analyzed 1,206 primary tumor regions from 101 patients recruited into the multi-center prospective study, TRACERx Renal. We observe up to 30 driver events per tumor and show that subclonal diversification is associated with known prognostic parameters. By resolving the patterns of driver event ordering, co-occurrence, and mutual exclusivity at clone level, we show the deterministic nature of clonal evolution. ccRCC can be grouped into seven evolutionary subtypes, ranging from tumors characterized by early fixation of multiple mutational and copy number drivers and rapid metastases to highly branched tumors with >10 subclonal drivers and extensive parallel evolution associated with attenuated progression. We identify genetic diversity and chromosomal complexity as determinants of patient outcome. Our insights reconcile the variable clinical behavior of ccRCC and suggest evolutionary potential as a biomarker for both intervention and surveillance