The basis for ductility evaluation in SFRC structures in MC2020: An investigation on slabs and shallow beams

The paper presents a synthesis of an extensive experimental campaign on linear and two-dimensional steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) structural elements carried out to check the ductility requirements aimed at guaranteeing limit analysis approaches for the computation of ultimate load-bearing capacity of SFRC structures; special attention is devoted to the role of the degree of redundancy of the structure. In particular, full-scale shallow beams and slabs reinforced with steel fibers (with or without conventional longitudinal reinforcement) were tested in two different laboratories: the Politecnico di Milano (PoliMI) and the University of Brescia (UniBS). In this experimental campaign, two different fiber contents and fiber types were considered. The experimental investigation, carried out within the activities to support Annex L of Eurocode 2, was fundamental also for developing the design rules included in the fib Model Code 2020 and allowed to formulate conclusions regarding optimization of the mix design, ductility, and design prediction at the ultimate capacity

Update on the distribution of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Misiones, Argentina

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus, Diptera: Culicidae) has spread rapidly in the last 30 years from its native region in Southeast Asia. In Argentina, studies on its potential distribution suggest that this species could be found in temperate zones of the province of Buenos Aires. However, since its initial detection in 1998 Ae. albopictus is bounded to the subtropical province of Misiones. To evaluate the presence and abundance of Ae. albopictus in the Northeast of Argentina, we preliminarily evaluated the presence of this vector by analyzing its presence in tires of 20 cities belonging to the province of Misiones and four cities in Northern Corrientes, and then performed an evaluation of the vector in the towns where the vector was detected. Aedes albopictus was present only in two cities of Misiones: Eldorado and Colonia Aurora. Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus accounted for 86% of the individuals collected in the domiciles of both towns. In Colonia Aurora both species were in similar abundances suggesting a co-dominance. The present study extends the austral distribution of Ae. albopictus in Argentina to the city of Colonia Aurora where the highest abundance recorded in Argentina was detected. Nevertheless, the reasons of its bounded distribution in the region are not known

DIFFERENCES IN THE FREQUENCY OF MYOELECTRIC ACTIVATION OF LOWER LIMBS BETWEEN SINGLE AND DOUBLE LEG LANDINGS IN MALES

The frequency of myoelectric activation seems to be related to the recruitment of different motor units (Wakeling, 2009). Fast muscle fibers are responsible to the production of higher forces related to the slow fibers (Wakeling, 2009). Therefore, the pattern of activation of some muscles could be associated to the risk of injuries (Bealieau et al., 2008). However, it is not well described whether the muscular activation, in the time-frequency domain, used by males in tasks with different mechanical stresses would truly be related to the strategies of protection of the ACL. The aim of this research was to compare the instantaneous median frequency (IMF) of the EMG signal of lower limbs muscles between different landing tasks in males

Possible biotic interactions that are affecting the presence of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Misiones, Argentina

In Argentina, despite local Aedes albopictus presents a certain degree of egg dormancy that would allow to be present at temperate latitudes its distribution is limited to two provinces with a subtropical climate: Misiones and Corrientes. Therefore, it is possible that other factors are limiting the expansion of this vector. To evaluate possible interactions that are affecting population and spread of this specie, we sampled artificial breeding site in Eldorado (urban environment) and Colonia Aurora (rural environment), Misiones province, in October 2015, April and November 2016 and April 2017.Para acceder a la videoconferencia completa, hacer clic en "Enlace externo".Sociedad Latinoamericana de Ecología de Vectore

Diversity, abundance, and presence of mosquito vectors of yellow fever in Northeast of Corrientes province

Yellow fever is currently increasing in importance in Argentina due to outbreaks in neighboring countries such as Brazil and Paraguay that cover a great part of the Misiones and Corrientes border. Due to several epizootic events in the south of Brazil between 2020 and 2021, in March and April 2021, we perform a mosquito survey to evaluate abundance and distributions of species vectors of Yellow fever virus (YFV) in several selvatic locations with presence of monkey Alouatta caraya in Northeast of Corrientes province: Las Marias, Tají Poty, Garabi, Garruchos, San Carlos, Colonia Liebig and near the Chimiray stream.Para acceder a la videoconferencia completa, hacer clic en "Enlace externo".Sociedad Latinoamericana de Ecología de Vectore

Physicians’ Perceptions of Clinical Utility of a Digital Health Tool for Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Monitoring in Real-Life Hematology Practice. Evidence From the GIMEMA-ALLIANCE Platform

Digital health tools are increasingly being used in cancer care and may include electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) monitoring systems. We examined physicians’ perceptions of usability and clinical utility of a digital health tool (GIMEMA-ALLIANCE platform) for ePRO monitoring in the real-life practice of patients with hematologic malignancies. This tool allows for the collection and assessment of ePROs with real-time graphical presentation of results to medical staff. Based on a predefined algorithm, automated alerts are sent to medical staff. Participating hematologists completed an online survey on their experience with the platform. Of the 201 patients invited to participate between December 2020 and June 2021 (cut-off date for current analysis), 180 (90%) agreed to enter the platform and had a median age of 57 years. Twenty-three hematologists with a median age of 42 years and an average of 17 years of experience in clinical practice were surveyed. All hematologists agreed or strongly agreed that the platform was easy to use, and 87%, agreed or strongly agreed that ePROs data were useful to enhance communication with their patients. The majority of physicians (78%) accessed the platform at least once per month to consult the symptom and health status profile of their patients. The frequency of access was independent of physician sex (p=0.393) and years of experience in clinical practice (p=0.404). In conclusion, our preliminary results support the clinical utility, from the perspective of the treating hematologist, of integrating ePROs into the routine cancer care of patients with hematologic malignancies

Determinants of frontline tyrosine kinase inhibitor choice for patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia: A study from the Registro Italiano LMC and Campus CML

BackgroundImatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib are tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) approved in Italy for frontline treatment of chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML). The choice of TKI is based on a combined evaluation of the patient's and the disease characteristics. The aim of this study was to analyze the use of frontline TKI therapy in an unselected cohort of Italian patients with CP-CML to correlate the choice with the patient's features. MethodsA total of 1967 patients with CP-CML diagnosed between 2012 and 2019 at 36 centers throughout Italy were retrospectively evaluated; 1089 patients (55.4%) received imatinib and 878 patients (44.6%) received a second-generation (2G) TKI. ResultsSecond-generation TKIs were chosen for most patients aged <45 years (69.2%), whereas imatinib was used in 76.7% of patients aged >65 years (p < .001). There was a predominant use of imatinib in intermediate/high European long-term survival risk patients (60.0%/66.0% vs. 49.7% in low-risk patients) and a limited use of 2G-TKIs in patients with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, previous neoplasms, ischemic heart disease, or stroke and in those with >3 concomitant drugs. We observed a greater use of imatinib (61.1%) in patients diagnosed in 2018-2019 compared to 2012-2017 (53.2%; p = .002). In multivariable analysis, factors correlated with imatinib use were age > 65 years, spleen size, the presence of comorbidities, and & GE;3 concomitant medications. ConclusionsThis observational study of almost 2000 cases of CML shows that imatinib is the frontline drug of choice in 55% of Italian patients with CP-CML, with 2G-TKIs prevalently used in younger patients and in those with no concomitant clinical conditions. Introduction of the generic formulation in 2018 seems to have fostered imatinib use

Influence of fiber orientation and structural-integrity reinforcement on the flexural behavior of elevated slabs

In the last decades, research works regarding the behavior of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (FRC) showed that the use of fibers enhances the mechanical behavior of Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures both at Serviceability Limit State (SLS) and Ultimate Limit State (ULS). It is also well recognized that the design of these elements should take into consideration fiber orientation since the residual properties of the material can be different depending on the fiber inclination with respect to the cracking plane. This article presents the results of an experimental program aimed at evaluating the influence of fiber orientation on the flexural response of elevated slabs. Both Vibrated Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (VFRC) and Self-Compacting Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (SCFRC) were analyzed. Seven elevated slabs (250 × 250 × 15 cm) were cast following the most common casting process adopted in practice by using VFRC (2 specimens), SCFRC (4 specimens) and plain concrete (1 specimen). The post-cracking mechanical properties evaluated by three-point bending tests on 192 notched beams sawn from three FRC slabs showed that, for a given fiber type and amount, the fiber orientation in slabs was comparable varying both concrete workability and casting procedure. The structural behavior of the remaining four slabs was studied both by experimental tests and numerical analyses. The slabs were simply supported at the corners and subjected to center-point loading. Results showed that the response in flexure was related to the average residual properties obtained from small beams sawn from slabs. Finally, the importance of having a structural-integrity reinforcement in FRC elevated slabs under flexure was also underlined by the numerical study

Effects of pitting corrosion on the mechanical behavior of Tempcore steel bars

La corrosione delle barre di armatura è uno dei principali meccanismi di degrado delle strutture in calcestruzzo armato (CA) e la valutazione del comportamento meccanico di strutture già soggette alla corrosione è diventato un compito di primaria importanza. Tali strutture vengono generalmente costruite con barre Tempcore, caratterizzate da una microstruttura composta da tre costituenti strutturali: un anello esterno di martensite, la zona di transizione in bainite e il nocciolo centrale in Perlite/Ferrite. Questo articolo studia il comportamento meccanico di questa tipologia di barre soggette a corrosione. Sono infatti state studiate delle barre estratte da dei provini fessurati in calcestruzzo armato che sono stati sottoposti a cicli di asciutto-bagnato (con cloruro di sodio al 5%) per 280 giorni. Questo processo di corrosione ha portato ad avere una profondità di pit che ha interessato sia lo strato di martensite che la zona di transizione di bainite