Homeomorphic Embedding for Online Termination of Symbolic Methods

Well-quasi orders in general, and homeomorphic embedding in particular, have gained popularity to ensure the termination of techniques for program analysis, specialisation, transformation, and verification. In this paper we survey and discuss this use of homeomorphic embedding and clarify the advantages of such an approach over one using well-founded orders. We also discuss various extensions of the homeomorphic embedding relation. We conclude with a study of homeomorphic embedding in the context of metaprogramming, presenting some new (positive and negative) results and open problems

Routine activities and proactive police activity: a macro-scale analysis of police searches in London and New York City

This paper explored how city-level changes in routine activities were associated with changes in frequencies of police searches using six years of police records from the London Metropolitan Police Service and the New York City Police Department. Routine activities were operationalised through selecting events that potentially impacted on (a) the street population, (b) the frequency of crime or (c) the level of police activity. OLS regression results indicated that routine activity variables (e.g. day of the week, periods of high demand for police service) can explain a large proportion of the variance in search frequency throughout the year. A complex set of results emerged, revealing cross-national dissimilarities and the differential impact of certain activities (e.g. public holidays). Importantly, temporal frequencies in searches are not reducible to associations between searches and recorded street crime, nor changes in on-street population. Based on the routine activity approach, a theoretical police-action model is proposed

Integral Abutment Bridges under Thermal Loading: Field Monitoring and Analysis

Integral abutment bridges (IABs) have gained popularity throughout the United States due to their low construction and maintenance costs. Previous research on IABs has been heavily focused on substructure performance, leaving a need for better understanding of IAB superstructure behavior and interdependent effects. This report presents findings of a field monitoring program for two Illinois IABs (which supplements findings from a parametric study portion of the overall project that are summarized in a previous volume). The field monitoring program included collecting data about (i) global bridge movements; (ii) pile, deck, girder, and approach-slab strains; and (iii) rotations at different abutment interfaces. Field results have been compared to finite-element models of each bridge in order to provide further insight into IAB behavior. Field monitoring results corroborated that IAB longitudinal expansion and contraction is somewhat less than theoretical free expansion and contraction, and is influenced by bridge skew as well. Significant girder stresses were observed, particularly at the girder bottom flange, which should be considered in design. Pile strain values indicate there is likely some reserve pile-deformation capacity typically available.IDOT-R27-115Ope

Use of SMS texts for facilitating access to online alcohol interventions: a feasibility study

A41 Use of SMS texts for facilitating access to online alcohol interventions: a feasibility study In: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice 2017, 12(Suppl 1): A4

Performance Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Structural Walls for Seismic Loads

New performance evaluation techniques have recently been developed. As part of the SAC Joint Venture, FEMA-355F describes a new state-of-the-art method for the performance prediction of steel moment-frame buildings excited by earthquake ground motions. That report also presents various performance issues and the basis used for performance evaluation. The goal of this study is to assess the performance of reinforced concrete shear wall buildings designed under current codes and standards of practice and to propose a rational procedure for determining the Response Modification Factor, R. The assessment is based on the performance based evaluation framework from the SAC project. Various parameters needed to be newly derived for RC shear wall buildings because the object of the SAC project was the steel moment-frame building. The floor plans for prototype buildings were selected, and the buildings were each designed for 3-, 9-, and 12-stories. The prototype buildings consist of RC shear walls for lateral load resistance and a flat plate floor system for gravity loads. A reliable analytical model for an RC shear wall was developed for inelastic dynamic analysis based on tests and analytical results. As the basis of performance, the global and local collapses for the prototype buildings have been defined. Global collapse was defined as the failure of shear walls or the failure of the columns in the flat plate system, as determined by a Damage Index. The median drift demands and capacities and the randomness and uncertainty factor for each building height were determined for the performance assessment. The performance of each building was evaluated by calculating the confidence level. The results showed a good performance of RC shear wall buildings designed by current provisions. As a result, the buildings were redesigned using higher R-values, and the performance evaluation procedure was repeated until the desired confidence level was attained