Análisis no-lineal de nudos de concreto sin refuerzo.

Introduction- Reinforced Concrete Frames (RCF) constitute a significant portion of the building stock in areas with seismic hazard. Many older buildings of this type were designed and constructed with little or no consideration of lateral load effects. When not properly designed, the Beam-Column Joints (BCJ) can be the weak links in the RCF. Unreinforced BCJ are still quite prevalent in older-type construction especially in Asia and Latin America. The unreinforced BCJ are key components that have a significant impact on the structure’s behavior of RCF. Regarding the analytical approaches applicable to BCJ, the approaches range from simplified to more elaborate and phenomenological-oriented. Unfortunately, most of them lack of simplicity, numerical stability and practicality to robustly evaluate the performance of unreinforced BCJ. This paper presents an analytical approach to modeling unreinforced BCJ. Objective- The aim of this paper is to present a modified modeling approach to simulate the nonlinear behavior of unreinforced BCJ in RCF structures. Method- The approach presented is based on the model presented in [1]. The model was modified to follow the same nomenclature of the [2]. In the proposed approach, the BCJ subassembly is represented by (1) a set of rigid links placed in cross-shape are used to represent the joint geometry, (2) a zero-length element with an empirical quad-backbone curve, placed at the middle point of the rigid links, to represent the joint shear behavior, and (3) columns and beams elements modeled with fiber formulation and five integration points to capture the material nonlinearity of the elements that frame into the joint. The approach was implemented in the OpenSEES platform, and this was validated with 13 test results of unreinforced BCJ documented in the literature. Results- The proposed modelling approach can satisfactorily predict the joint shear capacity. A 2% difference and a standard deviation of about 11% were obtained when compared to 13 test results of unreinforced BCJ documented in the literature. In terms of cyclic behavior, the proposed modelling approach shown to adequately capture the initial stiffness, strength degradation, reloading stiffness, pre-capping, and post-capping capacity. Conclusions- The method proposed presents satisfactory agreement with the test results analyzed. Taking into account the minor modifications applied to the proposed method and the uncertainties associated with the materials, test measurements, test setup, and the tolerances, the proposed method can satisfactorily predict the unreinforced BCJ shear capacity in RCF structures. It is assumed that the procedures presented here will contribute in the incorporation of the unreinforced BCJ flexibility when modeling older-type RCF construction in a pragmatic manner.Introducción- El Sistema estructural Pórticos de Concreto Reforzado (PCR) constituye una parte significativa del inventario de edificaciones en zonas sísmicamente activas en el mundo. Muchas de las edificaciones construidas antes de la década de los 80’s fueron diseñadas y construidas con poca, o ninguna consideración de cargas sísmicas. Cuando el nudo de concreto reforzado no se ha diseñado competentemente puede convertirse en el eslabón débil del sistemas de PCR. La presencia de nudos sin refuerzo, aun es común en países emergentes localizados en Asia y América Latina. Los nudos tienen un impacto significativo en el comportamiento de PCR. Las metodologías relacionadas con el análisis de nudos de concreto pueden catalogarse como aproximadas, o muy complejas, o de enfoque fenomenológico. Desafortunadamente la mayoría de ellas carece de la simplicidad, estabilidad, y practicidad requerida para evaluar el comportamiento de los nudos en PCR.  Este artículo presenta una alternativa analítica aplicable a este tipo de elementos estructurales. Objetivo- El propósito del presente artículo es presentar un método analítico modificado aplicable al análisis no lineal de nudos no reforzados en estructuras de PCR. Metodología- El método presentado se basa en el trabajo analítico y experimental encontrado en [1], el cual es modificado para seguir exactamente la nomenclatura de [2]. En el modelo analítico, el nudo es representado a través de: (1) elementos rígidos en cruz para idealizar la geometría del nudo, (2) un resorte rotacional con una curva empírica de comportamiento tetra-lineal localizado en la mitad de los elementos rígidos para representar el comportamiento en cortante del nudo, y (3) las vigas y columnas que llegan al nudos, son modeladas con análisis seccional basado en fibras, con 5 puntos de integración; con la finalidad de incorporar el comportamiento no-lineal de los elementos que llegan al nudo. El modelo propuesto fue implementado en la plataforma OpenSEES y al mismo tiempo se validó con el resultado de 13 ensayos de laboratorio encontrados en la literatura de nudos carentes de acero de refuerzo. Resultados- El modelo propuesto puede capturar adecuadamente la capacidad a cortante del nudo. Al comparar los resultados analíticos con 13 resultados de nudos de concreto encontrados en la literatura, se encontró una diferencia en la capacidad del 2% con una desviación estándar del 11%. En relación al comportamiento del nudo ante carga cíclica se observó que se captura en forma adecuada: la rigidez inicial, resistencia, degradación de la resistencia, rigidez de recarga y capacidad antes y después del pico de resistencia. Conclusiones- El método propuesto presenta una adecuada correlación con los resultados de laboratorio estudiados. La metodología propuesta competentemente captura la capacidad del nudo a cortante, a pesar de las modificaciones incorporadas, sin mencionar las incertidumbres asociadas a los materiales, resultados de laboratorio, y tolerancias. Se espera que el procedimiento presentado en el presente documento contribuya, de una forma práctica, en la incorporación de la flexibilidad del nudo en PCR diseñados primariamente para cargas gravitacionales

Patients' Desire for Psychological Support When Receiving a Cancer Diagnostic

Cancer patients; Mood disorders; Psychological supportPacients amb càncer; Trastorns de l'estat d'ànim; Suport psicològicPacientes con cáncer; Trastornos del estado de ánimo; Apoyo psicológicoBackground: Factors related to the desire of receiving psychological help in cancer patients are not well known. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of patients who would ask for psychological assistance in the first weeks following diagnosis, and to identify their psychosocial and disease-related profile. Method: This cross-sectional study assessed 229 consecutive cancer outpatients at a visit with their oncologist to be informed about the treatment they will receive. Disease-related and medical characteristics were assessed, and patients were asked about their mood states, levels of self-efficacy, and difficulties coping with the disease. Finally, patients were asked about their desire to receive psychological assistance. Results: Only 20% of patients expressed a desire for psychological help. These patients were lower in age and had previous history of mood disorders and reported higher discouragement and coping difficulties. These variables explained 30.6% of variance. Conclusions: Although psycho-oncologists can provide helpful interventions, the percentage of patients interested in receiving psychological assistance in this study is low. Although further studies are needed, results from this study suggest methods that could easily be used by oncologists and nurses to identify patients who would like to receive psychological support

Appropriate Sanitation And Integrated Coastal Management: An Ecologically-Based Human Waste Treatment System For Coastal Settlements On The Bahia De Navidad, Jalisoc State, Mexico

In this paper we present an overview of the global sanitation crisis and how it increasingly affects the planet\u27s heavily populated coastal zone. We note that the scarcity of water in many nations that do not have adequate sanitation infrastructure will forever preclude their adoption of the Western standard. We investigate alternatives to, in our view, a vastly wasteful conventional flush-and-discharge system, and how better engineered solutions can save water, enrich soil and contribute to the mitigation of global warming. Finally, we describe how this technology is being used in an integrated coastal zone management project on Mexico\u27s Pacific Coast in an effort to protect the richness of the area\u27s ocean bay and adjacent estuary, restore its freshwater lagoon and provide a model for other coastal areas likely to experience explosive tourism-generated growth in the future

Appropriate Sanitation And Integrated Coastal Management: An Ecologically-Based Human Waste Treatment System For Coastal Settlements On The Bahia De Navidad, Jalisoc State, Mexico

In this paper we present an overview of the global sanitation crisis and how it increasingly affects the planet\u27s heavily populated coastal zone. We note that the scarcity of water in many nations that do not have adequate sanitation infrastructure will forever preclude their adoption of the Western standard. We investigate alternatives to, in our view, a vastly wasteful conventional flush-and-discharge system, and how better engineered solutions can save water, enrich soil and contribute to the mitigation of global warming. Finally, we describe how this technology is being used in an integrated coastal zone management project on Mexico\u27s Pacific Coast in an effort to protect the richness of the area\u27s ocean bay and adjacent estuary, restore its freshwater lagoon and provide a model for other coastal areas likely to experience explosive tourism-generated growth in the future

THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN DECLARED VALUES AND REAL ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR OF COMPANIES (ESTONIAN CASE)

Many corporations present their corporate values, mission and executive principles on their website or in the public manifesto. During the recent years, describing and presenting the values of a company to the public and taking part in social reporting seems to be a growing trend in Estonia. In reality, the declared values oftentimes do not work and the actual managerial decisions are not influenced by the values or mission declared.The aim of this paper is to describe how organizations express their values and to analyse does how the behaviour of manages are cconsistent with the declared values. Through media monitoring the authors find out is there any discrepancies between declared values and real ethically responsible behaviour.The issue gained momentum after several companies, which had recently won high places in competitions responsible and sustainable business in Estonia, started suffering growing criticism from the media.To avoid contradictions between real behaviour and declared values the authors suggest ethics audit as solution

Análisis no-lineal de nudos de concreto sin refuerzo.

Introduction- Reinforced Concrete Frames (RCF) constitute a significant portion of the building stock in areas with seismic hazard. Many older buildings of this type were designed and constructed with little or no consideration of lateral load effects. When not properly designed, the Beam-Column Joints (BCJ) can be the weak links in the RCF. Unreinforced BCJ are still quite prevalent in older-type construction especially in Asia and Latin America. The unreinforced BCJ are key components that have a significant impact on the structure’s behavior of RCF. Regarding the analytical approaches applicable to BCJ, the approaches range from simplified to more elaborate and phenomenological-oriented. Unfortunately, most of them lack of simplicity, numerical stability and practicality to robustly evaluate the performance of unreinforced BCJ. This paper presents an analytical approach to modeling unreinforced BCJ. Objective- The aim of this paper is to present a modified modeling approach to simulate the nonlinear behavior of unreinforced BCJ in RCF structures. Method- The approach presented is based on the model presented in [1]. The model was modified to follow the same nomenclature of the [2]. In the proposed approach, the BCJ subassembly is represented by (1) a set of rigid links placed in cross-shape are used to represent the joint geometry, (2) a zero-length element with an empirical quad-backbone curve, placed at the middle point of the rigid links, to represent the joint shear behavior, and (3) columns and beams elements modeled with fiber formulation and five integration points to capture the material nonlinearity of the elements that frame into the joint. The approach was implemented in the OpenSEES platform, and this was validated with 13 test results of unreinforced BCJ documented in the literature. Results- The proposed modelling approach can satisfactorily predict the joint shear capacity. A 2% difference and a standard deviation of about 11% were obtained when compared to 13 test results of unreinforced BCJ documented in the literature. In terms of cyclic behavior, the proposed modelling approach shown to adequately capture the initial stiffness, strength degradation, reloading stiffness, pre-capping, and post-capping capacity. Conclusions- The method proposed presents satisfactory agreement with the test results analyzed. Taking into account the minor modifications applied to the proposed method and the uncertainties associated with the materials, test measurements, test setup, and the tolerances, the proposed method can satisfactorily predict the unreinforced BCJ shear capacity in RCF structures. It is assumed that the procedures presented here will contribute in the incorporation of the unreinforced BCJ flexibility when modeling older-type RCF construction in a pragmatic manner.Introducción- El Sistema estructural Pórticos de Concreto Reforzado (PCR) constituye una parte significativa del inventario de edificaciones en zonas sísmicamente activas en el mundo. Muchas de las edificaciones construidas antes de la década de los 80’s fueron diseñadas y construidas con poca, o ninguna consideración de cargas sísmicas. Cuando el nudo de concreto reforzado no se ha diseñado competentemente puede convertirse en el eslabón débil del sistemas de PCR. La presencia de nudos sin refuerzo, aun es común en países emergentes localizados en Asia y América Latina. Los nudos tienen un impacto significativo en el comportamiento de PCR. Las metodologías relacionadas con el análisis de nudos de concreto pueden catalogarse como aproximadas, o muy complejas, o de enfoque fenomenológico. Desafortunadamente la mayoría de ellas carece de la simplicidad, estabilidad, y practicidad requerida para evaluar el comportamiento de los nudos en PCR.  Este artículo presenta una alternativa analítica aplicable a este tipo de elementos estructurales. Objetivo- El propósito del presente artículo es presentar un método analítico modificado aplicable al análisis no lineal de nudos no reforzados en estructuras de PCR. Metodología- El método presentado se basa en el trabajo analítico y experimental encontrado en [1], el cual es modificado para seguir exactamente la nomenclatura de [2]. En el modelo analítico, el nudo es representado a través de: (1) elementos rígidos en cruz para idealizar la geometría del nudo, (2) un resorte rotacional con una curva empírica de comportamiento tetra-lineal localizado en la mitad de los elementos rígidos para representar el comportamiento en cortante del nudo, y (3) las vigas y columnas que llegan al nudos, son modeladas con análisis seccional basado en fibras, con 5 puntos de integración; con la finalidad de incorporar el comportamiento no-lineal de los elementos que llegan al nudo. El modelo propuesto fue implementado en la plataforma OpenSEES y al mismo tiempo se validó con el resultado de 13 ensayos de laboratorio encontrados en la literatura de nudos carentes de acero de refuerzo. Resultados- El modelo propuesto puede capturar adecuadamente la capacidad a cortante del nudo. Al comparar los resultados analíticos con 13 resultados de nudos de concreto encontrados en la literatura, se encontró una diferencia en la capacidad del 2% con una desviación estándar del 11%. En relación al comportamiento del nudo ante carga cíclica se observó que se captura en forma adecuada: la rigidez inicial, resistencia, degradación de la resistencia, rigidez de recarga y capacidad antes y después del pico de resistencia. Conclusiones- El método propuesto presenta una adecuada correlación con los resultados de laboratorio estudiados. La metodología propuesta competentemente captura la capacidad del nudo a cortante, a pesar de las modificaciones incorporadas, sin mencionar las incertidumbres asociadas a los materiales, resultados de laboratorio, y tolerancias. Se espera que el procedimiento presentado en el presente documento contribuya, de una forma práctica, en la incorporación de la flexibilidad del nudo en PCR diseñados primariamente para cargas gravitacionales

Physical restraint in older people: A statement from the early career network of the international psychogeriatric association

The International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) has expressed significant concerns over the use of physical restraints in older people across diverse aged care settings. Following an extensive analysis of the available literature, the IPA\u27s Early Career Network (ECN) has formulated a collection of evidence-based recommendations aimed at guiding the use of physical restraints within various care contexts and demographic groups. Physical restraints not only infringe upon human rights but also raise significant safety concerns that adversely impact the physical, psychological, social, and functional well-being of older adults. Furthermore, their effectiveness in geriatric settings remains inadequate. Given these considerations, the IPA and its ECN firmly assert that the use of physical restraints should only be considered as a final recourse in the care of older people

Properties of a method of fundamental solutions for the parabolic heat equation

We show that a set of fundamental solutions to the parabolic heat equation, with each element in the set corresponding to a point source located on a given surface with the number of source points being dense on this surface, constitute a linearly independent and dense set with respect to the standard inner product of square integrable functions, both on lateral- and time-boundaries. This result leads naturally to a method of numerically approximating solutions to the parabolic heat equation denoted a method of fundamental solutions (MFS). A discussion around convergence of such an approximation is included