Using damage mechanics to model a four story RC framed structure submitted to earthquake loading

A simplified model is proposed to simulate the nonlinear behavior of a four-story full-scalereinforced concrete framed structure subjected to severe dynamic loading. The structure has been testedpseudodynamically in the European Laboratory for Structural Assessment (ELSA) at the Joint ResearchCenter of the European Commission. The proposed model uses 2D multi layered Bernoulli beam elementsand uniaxial constitutive laws based on damage mechanics and plasticity. Comparison with theexperimental results shows the efficiency of the approach

Design and implementation of the OFELIA FP7 facility: The European OpenFlow testbed

The growth of the Internet in terms of number of devices, the number of networks associated to each device and the mobility of devices and users makes the operation and management of the Internet network infrastructure a very complex challenge. In order to address this challenge, innovative solutions and ideas must be tested and evaluated in real network environments and not only based on simulations or laboratory setups. OFELIA is an European FP7 project and its main objective is to address the aforementioned challenge by building and operating a multi-layer, multi-technology and geographically distributed Future Internet testbed facility, where the network itself is precisely controlled and programmed by the experimenter using the emerging OpenFlow technology. This paper reports on the work done during the first half of the project, the lessons learned as well as the key advantages of the OFELIA facility for developing and testing new networking ideas. An overview on the challenges that have been faced on the design and implementation of the testbed facility is described, including the OFELIA Control Framework testbed management software. In addition, early operational experience of the facility since it was opened to the general public, providing five different testbeds or islands, is described

OpenCache:leveraging SDN to demonstrate a customisable and configurable cache

Efficient content delivery is a constantly evolving challenge on the modern Internet. Reducing the impact of duplicate deliveries of identical content is a key factor in reducing congestion and transit costs for smaller networks. This work leverages SDN concepts and mechanisms in order to transparently store and deliver content from a local cache to the client, thus lightening the load on the WAN and relieving the necessity for urgent network capacity upgrades. An open interface to the cache presents owners with new possibilities for cache control and maintenance. This demonstration showcases a prototype implementation in action on a large-scale OpenFlow testbed deployed across Europe

Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure is a rare hepatic emergent situation that affects primarily young people and has often a catastrophic or even fatal outcome. Definition of acute liver failure has not reached a universal consensus and the interval between the appearance of jaundice and hepatic encephalopathy for the establishment of the acute failure is a matter of debate. Among the wide variety of causes, acetaminophen intoxication in western societies and viral hepatitis in the developing countries rank at the top of the etiology list. Identification of the clinical appearance and initial management for the stabilization of the patient are of vital significance. Further advanced therapies, that require intensive care unit, should be offered. The hallmark of treatment for selected patients can be orthotopic liver transplantation. Apart from well-established treatments, novel therapies like hepatocyte or stem cell transplantation, additional new therapeutic strategies targeting acetaminophen intoxication and/or hepatic encephalopathy are mainly experimental, and some of them do not belong, yet, to clinical practice. For clinicians, it is substantial to have the alertness to timely identify the patient and transfer them to a specialized center, where more treatment opportunities are available. © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved