Shear critical R/C columns under increasing axial load

Structural elements in old reinforced concrete (R/C) frame buildings are often prone to shear or flexure-shear failure, which can eventually lead to loss of axial load capacity of vertical elements and initiate vertical progressive collapse of a building. An experimental investigation of shear and flexure-shear critical R/C elements subjected to increasing axial load is reported herein. The focus is on the effect of vertical load redistribution from axially failing columns on the non-linear (pre- and post-peak) response of neighboring shear-dominated members. The test results along with an analysis of the recorded deformation, strength, stiffness and energy dissipation characteristics shed light on the performance of sub-standard columns under constant and increasing axial load subsequent, or just prior, to failing in shear, thus providing useful insights into the assessment of existing R/C structures

Neutron spin resonance as a probe of superconducting gap anisotropy in partially detwinned electron underdoped NaFe0.985_{0.985}Co0.015_{0.015}As

We use inelastic neutron scattering (INS) to study the spin excitations in partially detwinned NaFe$_{0.985}$Co$_{0.015}$As which has coexisting static antiferromagnetic (AF) order and superconductivity ($T_c=15$ K, $T_N=30$ K). In previous INS work on a twinned sample, spin excitations form a dispersive sharp resonance near $E_{r1}=3.25$ meV and a broad dispersionless mode at $E_{r1}=6$ meV at the AF ordering wave vector ${\bf Q}_{\rm AF}={\bf Q}_1=(1,0)$ and its twinned domain ${\bf Q}_2=(0,1)$. For partially detwinned NaFe$_{0.985}$Co$_{0.015}$As with the static AF order mostly occurring at ${\bf Q}_{\rm AF}=(1,0)$, we still find a double resonance at both wave vectors with similar intensity. Since ${\bf Q}_1=(1,0)$ characterizes the explicit breaking of the spin rotational symmetry associated with the AF order, these results indicate that the double resonance cannot be due to the static and fluctuating AF orders, but originate from the superconducting gap anisotropy.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures; PRB, 2015 (the correct final version is now used

Function and postnatal changes of dural afferent fibers expressing TRPM8 channels

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies have identified TRPM8 (transient receptor potential melastatin 8) as one of the susceptibility genes for common migraine. Here, we investigated the postnatal changes of TRPM8-expressing dural afferent fibers as well as the function of dural TRPM8 channels in mice. RESULTS: First, we quantified the density and the number of axonal branches of TRPM8-expressing fibers in the dura of mice expressing farnesylated enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFPf) from one TRPM8 allele between postnatal day 2 (P2) to adulthood. The number of axonal branches on individual dural EGFP-positive fibers was decreased by 30% between P2 and P11. The density of dural EGFP-positive fibers was subsequently reduced by 50% between P16 and P21. Conversely, the density and the number of branches of axons expressing calcitonin gene-related peptide remained stable in postnatal mouse dura. The density of TRPM8-expressing fibers innervating the mouse cornea epithelium was significantly increased from P2 to adulthood. Next, we tested the function of dural TRPM8 channels in adult mice and found that TRPM8 agonist menthol effectively inhibited the nocifensive behavior evoked by dural application of inflammatory mediators. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the TRPM8-expressing dural afferent fibers undergo cell- and target tissue-specific axonal pruning during postnatal development. Activation of dural TRPM8 channels decreases meningeal irritation-evoked nocifensive behavior in adult mice. This provides a framework to further explore the role of postnatal changes of TRPM8-expressing dural afferents in the pathophysiology of pediatric and adult migraine. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12990-015-0043-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

2011-2012 Philharmonia in Concert at Boca West

https://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_philharmonia/1063/thumbnail.jp

Bonding universal dental adhesive to developmentally hypomineralised enamel

Previously referred to as “cheese molars”, “dysmineralised permanent first molars”, “idiopathic hypomineralisation” and “non-fluoride hypomineralisation”, the term “Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation” (MIH) was first introduced by Weerheijm and colleagues in 2001 to describe the characteristic clinical appearance of demarcated opacities, altered translucency, and qualitative defects within dental enamel. A developmental dental defect of systemic origin, MIH invariably affects one to four first permanent molars with or without involvement of the permanent incisors. With global prevalence rates ranging from 0.48% to 40.2%, it is a common condition that affects approximately one in six children in New Zealand. Despite extensive research efforts, the aetiology and clinical management of MIH remain indeterminate. As MIH-affected teeth have compromised chemomechanical properties, restorative treatment outcomes are often unpredictable, thus requiring multiple re-interventions over the years. The debilitating sequelae and negative impact of MIH on children have been well documented in the literature; therefore, the overarching drive of this research is to alleviate the healthcare burden of MIH on affected individuals. The first study was an in vitro experiment that investigated the effect of a pretreatment protocol involving the concurrent use of a papain-based deproteinising agent (Papacarie Duo gel) and a contemporary universal dental adhesive resin (3M ESPE Scotchbond Universal Adhesive) on the microshear bond strength of resin composite to hypomineralised enamel. The three primary hypotheses tested were: (1) there would be a difference in bond strength between normal enamel and hypomineralised enamel, (2) deproteinising pretreatment with Papacarie Duo gel would increase the bond strength to resin composite, and (3) there would be a difference in bond strength between etch-and-rinse mode and self-etch mode of Scotchbond Universal Adhesive. After assessing and confirming the eligibility of each participant, extracted first permanent molars with a known clinical diagnosis of MIH were collected from Paediatric dental specialists across New Zealand over a 13-month period. Upon receipt, the teeth were cleaned, stored, sectioned and prepared in accordance with the approved research methodology. A total of 88 clinically sound “normal” enamel specimens, and 96 hypomineralised enamel (48 creamy/white, 48 yellow/brown) specimens were included in both studies. Following the MIH judgment criteria (EAPD 2003), two independent examiners visually inspected and identified the specimens, which were subsequently randomised and allocated into one of the eight experimental groups. The results supported both hypotheses and established the conclusive facts that the application of Scotchbond Universal Adhesive in etch-and-rinse mode and the pretreatment of hypomineralised enamel with Papacarie Duo gel led to a marked increase in microshear bond strength values. Analysis of failure modes under scanning electron microscope further reaffirmed the research findings. The second study was another in vitro experiment which evaluated the surface morphology and nanotopography of 8 representative normal enamel and 16 hypomineralised enamel (8 creamy/white, 8 yellow/brown) specimens. Following the protocol of their respective experimental groups, the enamel specimens were pretreated with different etching modes (i.e., etch-and-rinse or self-etch) of 3M ESPE Scotchbond Universal Adhesive and/or Papacarie Due gel. The investigation involved the quantitative measurement of surface roughness using atomic force microscopy as well as the qualitative examination of enamel surface aberrations under scanning electron microscopy. The two hypotheses tested were (1) deproteinising pretreatment using Papacarie Due gel would lead to qualitative and quantitative changes on the enamel surfaces of all substrates, and (2) there would be morphological and topographic differences between phosphoric acid etching and Scotchbond Universal Adhesive when applied in SE mode. In spite of limited data, the results supported the hypothesis. Yellow/brown hypomineralised enamel recorded higher surface roughness values than their normal enamel and creamy/white hypomineralised enamel counterparts due to microscopic post-eruptive breakdown of enamel that was not readily discernible. In addition, the deproteinisation of hypomineralised enamel with Papacarie Duo gel followed by acid etching with 37% phosphoric acid produced uniform etching patterns that were comparable to those of normal enamel. Consolidating the findings from these two studies, it is evident that Papacarie Duo gel and acid etching (i.e., etch-and-rinse mode) are two independent factors that have a profound effect on the in vitro bonding efficacy of hypomineralised enamel to resin-based universal dental adhesives. Although further investigations are warranted, it is expected that the integration of these dental materials into the clinical management of MIH will lead to favourable treatment outcomes. This is in line with the overriding purpose of the research project – to determine a pretreatment protocol that has the potential to reduce the likelihood of traumatic dental experiences and ultimately, improve the quality of life of affected children and families

A Women in Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics Course

Increasing women\u27s participation is a concern in disciplines beyondphysics. As part of our Mathematics, Physics, Computer ScienceResearch Scholars (MapCores) program, we teach a women in scienceclass covering these three areas. Our course is a special version ofour college\u27s first year seminar, which is a course designed toprepare our students to read, write, and speak at a college-level. Westructure our FYS to promote academic confidence and interest in ourdisciplines for the women in MapCores. It covers not only contributionsthat women have made and barriers that women face in thesedisciplines, but also research frontiers and science policy issues inthese disciplines. While the women in MapCores find covering thesetopics beneficial, the most important benefit of the course is the supportive cohort that develops from it

Exact minimax entropy models of large-scale neuronal activity

In the brain, fine-scale correlations combine to produce macroscopic patterns of activity. However, as experiments record from larger and larger populations, we approach a fundamental bottleneck: the number of correlations one would like to include in a model grows larger than the available data. In this undersampled regime, one must focus on a sparse subset of correlations; the optimal choice contains the maximum information about patterns of activity or, equivalently, minimizes the entropy of the inferred maximum entropy model. Applying this ``minimax entropy" principle is generally intractable, but here we present an exact and scalable solution for pairwise correlations that combine to form a tree (a network without loops). Applying our method to over one thousand neurons in the mouse hippocampus, we find that the optimal tree of correlations reduces our uncertainty about the population activity by 14% (over 50 times more than a random tree). Despite containing only 0.1% of all pairwise correlations, this minimax entropy model accurately predicts the observed large-scale synchrony in neural activity and becomes even more accurate as the population grows. The inferred Ising model is almost entirely ferromagnetic (with positive interactions) and exhibits signatures of thermodynamic criticality. These results suggest that a sparse backbone of excitatory interactions may play an important role in driving collective neuronal activity.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure

2011-2012 Lynn Philharmonia No. 3

2011 Concerto Competition Winners December 3, 2011 at 7:30 PM and December 4, 2011 at 4:00 PM Bruce Polay, guest conductor ; Heqing Huang, piano ; Doniyor Zuparov, cello ; Chun Yu Tsai, marimba ; Anastasiya Timofeeva, piano Overture to Rienzi / Richard Wagner -- Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, op. 15 / Ludwig van Beethoven -- Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, op. 107 / Dmitri Shostakovich -- Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra / Emmanuel Séjourné -- Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, op. 23 / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 2011-2012 Philharmonia Season Programhttps://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_philharmonia/1021/thumbnail.jp