Finite Element Analysis of Slab and a Comparative Study with Others Analytical Solution

Slabs are one of the most widely used structural elements. The function of slabs is to resist loads normal to their plane. In many structures, in addition to support transverse load, the slab also forms an integral portion of the structural frame to resist lateral load. Inspite of their widespread use, there has never been a universally accepted method of designing all slabs systems. The paper presents finite element analysis of slabs. The finite element method is chosen as this is more powerful and versatile compared to other numerical methods. A slab element is developed on the basis of conventional slab theory expressed in terms of rectangular co-ordinates and displacement. The element incorporates 20 degree of freedom, namely, normal displacement with its first derivatives along longitudinal and transverse direction respectively and two tangential displacements. A computer program is developed for solution of finite element equations as well as to check rigid body modes and to obtain the results. The results are compared with analytical solution and previously developed finite element solution with the help of a table

The Dietary Components and Feeding Management as Options to Offset Digestive Disturbances in Horses

Equines are faced with digestive disorders derived from abrupt feed changes from mainly forages to high-starch cereal grains. This diet change aimed at meeting the nutritional requirements to optimize the horse's performance causes microbial imbalances in the gut, which results in unintended but inevitable health problems such as colic, diarrhea, gastric ulcer, and laminitis. Several strategies are recommended to control these problems. This review is meant to offer plausible and adoptable solutions to digestive disturbances in equines. High-forage diets seem to be the primary solution. However, there are other options such as feeding horses with alfalfa hay for gut pH modulation and gastric ulcer management, avoidance of the off-feed for long periods within a day especially between 01:00 AM and 09:00 AM, yeast supplementation, feeding equines about 2–3 times a day without increasing the quantity of the daily ration, and dietary fatty acid supplementation such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid to increase insulin sensitivity. Protozoa and faunation seem to be a good modulator of gut pH because they help to control the rate of starch degradation without generating methane in horses because acetogenesis is the main hydrogen sink in equines. An appropriate grain mixture of barley–corn or barley–oat avoids gut pH depression. Furthermore, the use of crop by-products such as soybean hull and pectin are good alternative energy sources for equines. Therefore, the use of some sources of fiber in the diet of equines can replace high-starch cereal grains in equine diets because they are capable of providing the required energy to support the energy demands during work

Het gebruik van ADL-hulpmiddelen door ouderen: een onderzoek naar determinanten en substitutiemogelijkheden

Nederland vergrijst. Het percentage 65-plussers in de Nederlandse bevolking zal aanzienlijk toenemen, van ongeveer 13% nu tot circa 23% in 2040 (De Beer et al., 1995). Aangezien circa 45% van de uitgaven voor gezondheidszorgvoorzieningen (circa /60 miljard in 1995; FOZ 1996') ten goede komt aan mensen van 65 jaar of ouder zullen, bij ongewijzigd beleid, de kosten van de gezondheidszorg stijgen (Huijsman et al., 1994). De toenemende vergrijzing en de daarmee samenhangende stijgende kosten van de gezondheidszorg vormden in de jaren '80 de belangrijkste aanleiding voor de overheid om te besluiten tot een substitutiebeleid (Nota 'Ouderenbeleid'; Tweede Kamer, 1987/1988). Met behulp van dit beleid (zie paragraaf 2.5) wil de overheid bewerkstelligen dat mensen, en ouderen in het bijzonder, zo lang mogelijk zelfstandig thuis blijven wonen. Dit wordt vaak geacht goedkoper te zijn dan een intramurale opname. Bovendien zou het tegemoet komen aan de wens van veel ouderen (Houben, 1985a). Dit substitutiebeleid, de vergrijzing en de toename van het aantal chronisch zieken hebben de druk op de thuiszorg de afgelopen jaren doen toenemen (Groenewegen en Hutten, 1989). Omdat ook in de toekomst het aantal ouderen en chronisch zieken zal stijgen, wordt een groeiend personeelstekort in de zorgsector verwacht (Van Tits en Groot, 1991; Van der Windt, 1991; Swarte, 1995)

Digestion, growth performance and caecal fermentation in growing rabbits fed diets containing foliage of browse trees

[EN] This study aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding dried foliage (leaves and petioles) of Acacia saligna, Leucaena leucocephala or Moringa oleifera on the performance, digestibility, N utilisation, caecal fermentation and microbial profiles in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. One hundred weaned male NZW rabbits weighing 819.2±16.6 g and aged 35±1 d were randomly allocated into 4 groups of 25 rabbits each. Rabbits were fed on pelleted diets containing 70% concentrate mixture and 30% Egyptian berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) hay (Control diet) or one of the other 3 experimental diets, where 50% of berseem hay was replaced with A. saligna (AS), L. leucocephala (LL) or M. oleifera (MO). Compared to Control diet, decreases in dry matter (DM; P=0.004), organic matter (P=0.028), crude protein (CP; P=0.001), neutral detergent fibre (P=0.033) and acid detergent fibre (P=0.011) digestibility were observed with the AS diet. However, DM and CP digestibility were increased by 3% with the MO diet, and N utilisation was decreased (P<0.05) with AS. Rabbits fed AS and LL diets showed decreased (P=0.001) average daily gain by 39 and 7%, respectively vs. Control. Feed conversion was similar in Control and MO rabbits, whereas rabbits fed AS diet ate up to 45% more feed (P=0.002) than Control rabbits to gain one kg of body weight. Caecal ammonia-N was increased (P=0.002) with LL, while acetic acid was decreased (P=0.001) with AS diet vs. other treatments. Caecal E. coli and Lactobacillus spp. bacteria counts were decreased with MO by about 44 and 51%, respectively, vs. Control. In conclusion, under the study conditions, tree foliage from M. oleifera and L. leucocephala are suitable fibrous ingredients to be included up to 150 g/kg in the diets of growing rabbits, and can safely replace 50% of berseem hay in diets of NZW rabbits without any adverse effect on their growth performance. Foliage from M. oleifera had a better potential as a feed for rabbits than that from L. leucocephala. Although foliage from A. saliga may be also used at 150 g/kg in the diets of growing rabbits, this level of inclusion may result in reduced feed digestibility and growth performance.Abu Hafsa, S.; Salem, A.; Hassan, A.; Kholif, A.; Elghandour, M.; Barbabosa, A.; Lopez, S. (2016). Digestion, growth performance and caecal fermentation in growing rabbits fed diets containing foliage of browse trees. World Rabbit Science. 24(4):283-293. doi:10.4995/wrs.2016.4359.SWORD28329324

Lessons learned from experiencing Mavi At Café (Blue Horse Café) during Six years: A qualitative analysis of factors contributing to recovery from the perspective of Schizophrenia patients

Objective: In recent years, the recovery-oriented approaches (along with experiences and thoughts of patients and patient's relatives) have been taken into account for establishing mental health services and policies. This study aims to identify the factors contributing to recovery, as observed from the perspective of schizophrenia patients working at The Blue Horse Café which was founded by the Federation of Schizophrenia Associations. Method: The sample for the study consisted of 24 patients who worked at The Blue Horse Café. A phenomenological approach was used in the study, whereby interviews with patients were analyzed qualitatively. Results: Certain common factors, which were expressed as having contributed to recovery, were identified from the perspective of schizophrenia patients. These factors are: 1-The fact that the setting is informal and welcoming without being constrictive; 2-Predominance of the human element; 3-Hope and encouragement; 4-Being cared about; 5-Being able to reach someone when in need of support; 6-Friendly sharing; 7-Having a purpose, assuming responsibility, and being motivated; and 8-Giving meaning to life. Conclusion: The findings may serve as a stimulus since schizophrenia patients that contribute to recovery give mental health professionals the opportunity to question there need for a change in their professional roles. Additionally, schizophrenia patients that have experienced The Blue Horse Café draw attention to certain points and these points can serve as a guide, especially for establishing the working methods of Community Mental Health Centers

Разработка автоматизированного ИТП жилого здания

Объектом разработки системы является жилой дом с инженерными сетями в микрорайоне «Северный» в Заречном поселении Томского района Томской области. Целью работы является разработка системы мониторинга и управления теплопотреблением здания, которая позволит вести точный учет потребляемой тепловой энергии, регулировать объем потребления в зависимости от текущих погодных условий, обеспечивать экономию энергоресурсов. В результате разработана система, содержащая в себе компоненты, позволяющие производить учет и управление теплопотреблением здания. Причем все данные о работе системы, объемах потребления и параметрах теплоносителя поступают диспетчеру, имеющему возможность отслеживать все параметры системы удаленно.The object of the development of the system is a residential building with engineering services in the neighborhood "North" in Zarechny settlement Tomsk region Tomsk region. The aim is to develop a building heat consumption monitoring and control system that will keep accurate records of heat energy consumption, adjusted consumption, depending on the current weather conditions, to ensure energy saving. As a result, we developed a system, which contains the components to allow for registration and control of heat consumption of the building. Moreover, all data on the system performance, volume and consumption parameters receives coolant controller having the ability to track all system parameters remotely

New System for the Acceleration of the Airflow in Wind Turbines

Background: This patent is based on the wind industry technology called Diffuser Augmented Wind Turbines (DAWTs). This technology consists of a horizontal axis wind turbine, which is housed inside a duct with diverging section in the direction of the free air stream. In this paper, a review of preceding patents related to this technology is carried out. Objective: This paper presents an innovative patent to improve the performance of horizontal axis wind turbines. In particular, this system is aimed at improving the performance of those turbines that otherwise might not be installed due to the low wind resource existing at certain locations. Methods: The most innovative elements of this patent are: (1) the semi-spherical grooves, which are mechanized on the surface of the two diffusers in order to guarantee a more energetic boundary layer; (2) the coaxial diffuser, which is located downwind following the first diffuser in order to increase the suction effect on the air mass close to the inlet; (3) the coaxial rings located around the first diffuser outlet, which are used to deflect the external airflow toward the turbine wake; and (4), the selforientating system to orientate the system by the prevailing wind direction. Results: An application of the patent for increasing the power generated by a horizontal axis wind turbine with three blades is presented. The patent is designed and its performance is evaluated by using a Computational Fluid Dynamics code. The numerical results show that this system rises the airflow going through the rotor of the turbine. Conclusion: The patented device is an original contribution aimed at enabling a more profitable installation of wind turbines in places where the wind resource is insufficient because of the wind shear caused both by the proximity of the earth and the obstacles on the earth surface.This work was supported by the OASIS Research Project that was cofinanced by CDTI (Spanish Science and Innovation Ministry) and developed with the Spanish companies: Iridium, OHL Concesiones, Abertis, Sice, Indra, Dragados, OHL, Geocisa, GMV, Asfaltos Augusta, Hidrofersa, Eipsa, PyG, CPS, AEC and Torre de Comares Arquitectos S.L and 16 research centres. The authors also acknowledge the partial funding with FEDER funds under the Research Project FC-15-GRUPIN14-004. Finally, we also thank Swanson Analysis Inc. for the use of ANSYS University Research programs as well as the Workbench simulation environment

Sport policy convergence: a framework for analysis

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in European Sport Management Quarterly on 30th April 2012, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/16184742.2012.669390The growth in the comparative analysis of sport management processes and policy has led to an increased interest in the concept of convergence. However, the concept is too often treated as unproblematic in definition, measurement and operationalisation. It is argued in this paper that a more effective framework for examining claims of convergence is one that analyses the concept in terms of seven dimensions which can be explored through a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. It is also argued that a deeper understanding of the process of convergence can be gained by operationalising the concept in the context of a selected range of meso-level theories of the policy process or of specific aspects of the process. The proposed analytic framework provides not only a definition of convergence but also the basis for a more nuanced investigation of hypotheses of convergence

Voorkeuren voor hulpverlening : resultaten van een onderzoek onder alleenwonende ouderen

Contains fulltext : 21501___.PDF (publisher's version ) (Open Access