Finite element analysis and calculation method of residual flexural capacity of post-fire RC beams

Fire tests and subsequent bending tests of fourreinforced concrete (RC) beamswere performed. Based on these tests, the post-fire performance of RCbeams was further studied using finite element simulation through reasonable selection of suitable thermal and thermodynamic parameters of steel and concrete materials. A thermodynamic model of RC beams with three sides under fire was built using finite element analysis(FEA)software ABAQUS. The FEA model was validated with the results of fire tests. Different factors were taken into account for further parametric studies in fire using the proposed FE model.The results show that the main factors affecting the fire resistance of the beamsare the thickness of the concretecover, reinforcement ratio of longitudinal steel,the fire exposure timeandthe fire exposure sides. Based on the strength reduction formula at high temperature of steel and concrete, animproved section method was proposed to develop a calculation formula to calculate the flexural capacity of RC beams after fire. The theoretical calculation method proposed in this paper shows good agreement with FEA results, which can be used to calculate the flexuralcapacity of RC beams after fire

Histopathological and electron microscopic study for different grades of inferior oblique muscle overaction

Momen M Hamdi,1 Golzamine R El-Hawary,1 Nadia G El-Hefnawy,2 Manal I Salman21Ophthalmology Department, 2Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, EgyptPurpose: To correlate between the clinical degree of inferior oblique muscle (IO) overaction and the histopathological changes of the muscle.Settings: Departments of Ophthalmology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.Patients and methods: Biopsies from 12 IO muscles were taken during strabismus surgery for cases of IO muscle overaction. One biopsy from a normal IO was taken as a control. All samples were examined under light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.Results: In light microscopy, all cases showed histopathological changes, in the form of degenerated and regenerating muscle fibers, increased fibrofatty infiltration, and mild variability of muscle fiber size. Hypertrophied nerve bundles also appeared in biopsies from patients with grade II and grade III IO overaction. Endomysial and perimysial fibrosis, mononuclear inflammatory infiltrates, and focal fatty infiltration were seen in biopsies from cases of grade III IO overaction. In electron microscopy, ultrastructural examination revealed an increased number of mitochondria associated with some degree of mitochondrial pleomorphism. Hypercontracted fibers, vacuoles, and fat droplets were also noticed.Conclusion: IO overaction is always accompanied by histopathological changes that differ in severity according to the clinical grading of the overaction. Changes in nerve fibers can also occur in severe cases.Keywords: inferior oblique, electron microscope, overaction, histopathological, muscle fiber

A nonlinear finite element analysis of horizontal elastomerics of revolution

A nonlinear composite finite element analysis of layered elastomeric, initially flat, solids of revolution is presented. The analysis has much lower computational cost compared to discrete or three-dimensional composite analyses. The nonlinearities of the presented theory include large displacements of stiff layers and large displacements and deformations of flexible layers along with the nonlinear material behavior of flexible layers. The finite element technique is; based on the minimum potential energy concept and the Newton-Raphson method is used to solve the resulting nonlinear equation. After the verification of the thoery, a parameter study involving the ratio between the thickness of stiff and flexible layers is presented

Receptor-defined subtypes of breast cancer in indigenous populations in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common female cancer in Africa. Receptor-defined subtypes are a major determinant of treatment options and disease outcomes but there is considerable uncertainty regarding the frequency of poor prognosis estrogen receptor (ER) negative subtypes in Africa. We systematically reviewed publications reporting on the frequency of breast cancer receptor-defined subtypes in indigenous populations in Africa. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Medline, Embase, and Global Health were searched for studies published between 1st January 1980 and 15th April 2014. Reported proportions of ER positive (ER+), progesterone receptor positive (PR+), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive (HER2+) disease were extracted and 95% CI calculated. Random effects meta-analyses were used to pool estimates. Fifty-four studies from North Africa (n=12,284 women with breast cancer) and 26 from sub-Saharan Africa (n=4,737) were eligible. There was marked between-study heterogeneity in the ER+ estimates in both regions (I2>90%), with the majority reporting proportions between 0.40 and 0.80 in North Africa and between 0.20 and 0.70 in sub-Saharan Africa. Similarly, large between-study heterogeneity was observed for PR+ and HER2+ estimates (I2>80%, in all instances). Meta-regression analyses showed that the proportion of ER+ disease was 10% (4%-17%) lower for studies based on archived tumor blocks rather than prospectively collected specimens, and 9% (2%-17%) lower for those with ≥ 40% versus those with <40% grade 3 tumors. For prospectively collected samples, the pooled proportions for ER+ and triple negative tumors were 0.59 (0.56-0.62) and 0.21 (0.17-0.25), respectively, regardless of region. Limitations of the study include the lack of standardized procedures across the various studies; the low methodological quality of many studies in terms of the representativeness of their case series and the quality of the procedures for collection, fixation, and receptor testing; and the possibility that women with breast cancer may have contributed to more than one study. CONCLUSIONS: The published data from the more appropriate prospectively measured specimens are consistent with the majority of breast cancers in Africa being ER+. As no single subtype dominates in the continent availability of receptor testing should be a priority, especially for young women with early stage disease where appropriate receptor-specific treatment modalities offer the greatest potential for reducing years of life lost. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary