A Modified Model for Deflection Calculation of Reinforced Concrete Beam with Deformed GFRP Rebar

The authors carried out experimental and analytical research to evaluate the flexural capacity and the moment-deflection relationship of concrete beams reinforced with GFRP bars. The proposed model to predict the effective moment of inertia for R/C beam with GFRP bars was developed empirically, based on Branson’s equation to have better accuracy and a familiar approach to a structural engineer. For better prediction of the moment-deflection relationship until the ultimate strength is reached, a nonlinear parameter (k) was also considered. This parameter was introduced to reduce the effect of the cracked moment of inertia for the reinforced concrete member, including a lower reinforcement ratio and modulus of elasticity of the GFRP bar. In a comparative study using six equations suggested by others, the proposed model showed better agreement with the experimental test results. It was confirmed that the empirical modification based on Branson’s equation was valid for predicting the effective moment of inertia of R/C beams with GFRP bar in this study. To evaluate the generality of the proposed model, a comparative study using previous test results from the literature and the results from this study was carried out. It was found that the proposed model had better accuracy and was a familiar approach to structural engineers to predict and evaluate the deflection behavior

RIDESOURCING IN MANUFACTURING SITES: A FRAMEWORK AND CASE STUDY

With the recent innovations in transportation, ridesourcing services have been proliferating in many countries. There are increasing attempts to apply ridesourcing in the corporate context. Manufacturing companies now install the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) sensors to vehicles to obtain real-time data on the movement of goods and materials. Despite the massive amount of data accumulated, little attention has been paid to exploiting the data for vehicle fleet management (FM). This paper proposes an analytical framework to solve two FM problems: how to group organizational units for vehicle sharing and where to deploy the groups. The framework is then validated with a case study of a Korean shipbuilder. The results indicate that grouping departments with similar spatial patterns can reduce the current fleet

Crowdsourced mapping of unexplored target space of kinase inhibitors

Despite decades of intensive search for compounds that modulate the activity of particular protein targets, a large proportion of the human kinome remains as yet undrugged. Effective approaches are therefore required to map the massive space of unexplored compound-kinase interactions for novel and potent activities. Here, we carry out a crowdsourced benchmarking of predictive algorithms for kinase inhibitor potencies across multiple kinase families tested on unpublished bioactivity data. We find the top-performing predictions are based on various models, including kernel learning, gradient boosting and deep learning, and their ensemble leads to a predictive accuracy exceeding that of single-dose kinase activity assays. We design experiments based on the model predictions and identify unexpected activities even for under-studied kinases, thereby accelerating experimental mapping efforts. The open-source prediction algorithms together with the bioactivities between 95 compounds and 295 kinases provide a resource for benchmarking prediction algorithms and for extending the druggable kinome. The IDG-DREAM Challenge carried out crowdsourced benchmarking of predictive algorithms for kinase inhibitor activities on unpublished data. This study provides a resource to compare emerging algorithms and prioritize new kinase activities to accelerate drug discovery and repurposing efforts

Antagonistic Roles of PhyA and PhyB in Far-Red Light-Dependent Leaf Senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana

Leaf senescence is regulated by diverse developmental and environmental factors to maximize plant fitness. The red to far-red light ratio (R:FR) detected by plant phytochromes is reduced under vegetation shade, thus initiating leaf senescence. However, the role of phytochromes in promoting leaf senescence under FR-enriched conditions is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of phyA and phyB in regulating leaf senescence under FR in Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis). FR enrichment and intermittent FR pulses promoted the senescence of Arabidopsis leaves. Additionally, phyA and phyB mutants showed enhanced and repressed senescence phenotypes in FR, respectively, indicating that phyA and phyB antagonistically regulate FR-dependent leaf senescence. Transcriptomic analysis using phyA and phyB mutants in FR identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in leaf senescence-related processes, such as responses to light, phytohormones, temperature, photosynthesis and defense, showing opposite expression patterns in phyA and phyB mutants. These contrasting expression profiles of DEGs support the antagonism between phyA and phyB in FR-dependent leaf senescence. Among the genes showing antagonistic regulation, we confirmed that the expression of WRKY6, which encodes a senescence-associated transcription factor, was negatively and positively regulated by phyA and phyB, respectively. The wrky6 mutant showed a repressed senescence phenotype compared with the wild type in FR, indicating that WRKY6 plays a positive role in FR-dependent leaf senescence. Our results imply that antagonism between phyA and phyB is involved in fine-tuning leaf senescence under varying FR conditions in Arabidopsis.(c) The Author(s) 2018

Age-associated circadian period changes in Arabidopsis leaves

As most organisms age, their appearance, physiology, and behaviour alters as part of a life history strategy that maximizes their fitness over their lifetime. The passage of time is measured by organisms and is used to modulate these age-related changes. Organisms have an endogenous time measurement system called the circadian clock. This endogenous clock regulates many physiological responses throughout the life history of organisms to enhance their fitness. However, little is known about the relation between ageing and the circadian clock in plants. Here, we investigate the association of leaf ageing with circadian rhythm changes to better understand the regulation of life-history strategy in Arabidopsis. The circadian periods of clock output genes were approximately 1h shorter in older leaves than younger leaves. The periods of the core clock genes were also consistently shorter in older leaves, indicating an effect of ageing on regulation of the circadian period. Shortening of the circadian period with leaf age occurred faster in plants grown under a long photoperiod compared with a short photoperiod. We screened for a regulatory gene that links ageing and the circadian clock among multiple clock gene mutants. Only mutants for the clock oscillator TOC1 did not show a shortened circadian period during leaf ageing, suggesting that TOC1 may link age to changes in the circadian clock period. Our findings suggest that age-related information is incorporated into the regulation of the circadian period and that TOC1 is necessary for this integrative process. © 2016 The Author 2016.

Statistical analysis on the fluence factor of surveillance test data of Korean nuclear power plants

The transition temperature shift (TTS) of the reactor pressure vessel materials is an important factor that determines the lifetime of a nuclear power plant. The prediction of the TTS at the end of a plant’s lifespan is calculated based on the equation of Regulatory Guide 1.99 revision 2 (RG1.99/2) from the US. The fluence factor in the equation was expressed as a power function, and the exponent value was determined by the early surveillance data in the US. Recently, an advanced approach to estimate the TTS was proposed in various countries for nuclear power plants, and Korea is considering the development of a new TTS model. In this study, the TTS trend of the Korean surveillance test results was analyzed using a nonlinear regression model and a mixed-effect model based on the power function. The nonlinear regression model yielded a similar exponent as the power function in the fluence compared with RG1.99/2. The mixed-effect model had a higher value of the exponent and showed superior goodness of fit compared with the nonlinear regression model. Compared with RG1.99/2 and RG1.99/3, the mixed-effect model provided a more accurate prediction of the TTS

Dynamic Hip Screw versus Cannulated Cancellous Screw in Pauwels Type II or Type III Femoral Neck Fracture: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Vertically oriented femoral neck fractures (FNFs) are known to be especially unstable FNFs, and they have a higher associated risk of failure. The dynamic hip screw (DHS) technique and the cannulated cancellous screw (CCS) technique are the two main fixation techniques used in the treatment of FNFs. However, no large clinical study has compared the DHS and CCS techniques in patients with high-shear-angle FNFs. MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched for studies that compared the DHS and CCS techniques for the treatment of Pauwels type II or type III FNF. Pooled analysis was performed to identify differences between the DHS and CCS techniques in Pauwels type II or type III FNF, with a focus on postoperative complications such as fracture nonunion and osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). We included five studies with a total of 252 patients. The DHS technique was used in 96 patients (DHS group), and the CCS technique was used in 156 patients (CCS group). The pooled analysis revealed that the nonunion rate in the CCS group was significantly higher than that in the DHS group (OR = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.11–0.96; p = 0.04, I2 = 0%), but there was no difference in the incidence of ONFH between the groups (OR = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.20–4.73; p = 0.98, I2 = 53%). For vertically oriented FNFs, the DHS technique is more favorable and has a lower risk of fracture nonunion than the CCS technique

How Do Phytochromes Transmit the Light Quality Information to the Circadian Clock in Arabidopsis?

1