Cyclic Performance of Precast Concrete Columns Using Steel Box Connection

© 2017, Iran University of Science and Technology. This paper presents an evaluation on lateral cyclic behaviors of precast concrete columns using a steel box connection through experimental investigation. The test consisted of one monolithic reinforced concrete column as a reference and five precast concrete columns. All specimens had identical dimensions of 0.25 × 0.25 m 2 cross-sectional area and 1.7 m height with a longitudinal reinforcement ratio of 0.0152. Materials used for all specimens were also from the same batch. The study was aimed at understanding the design concept of the steel connecting box and detailing of column reinforcement for avoiding the brittle failure of precast concrete frame buildings. The experimental results show that without premature failure in welding or nut slipping, depending largely on the reinforcement details, the precast system with a steel box connection can be effectively used. Flexural failure mode with a ductile mechanism can be achieved to resemble the monolithic one. With a higher relative stiffness and capacities of the designed connecting box, the precast columns show a higher capacity as the failure section was shifted to an upper level. Hence, it can be said that the proper details of precast concrete columns contain acceptable seismic performances, e.g. ultimate capacity, stiffness, energy dissipation, and capacity degradation under repeated loading

Lessons learned from the eMERGE Network: balancing genomics in discovery and practice

The Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network, established in 2007, is a consortium of academic and integrated health systems conducting discovery and implementation research in translational genomics. Here, we outline the history of the network, highlight major impacts and lessons learned, and present the tools and resources developed for large-scale genomic analyses and translation into a clinical setting. The network developed methods to extract phenotypes from the electronic medical record to perform genome-wide and phenome-wide association studies. Recruited cohorts were clinically sequenced off a custom panel for targeted sequencing of variants and monogenic disease risks and returned to participants to investigate the impact of return of genomic results. After generating a 105,000 participant-imputed genome-wide association study (GWAS) dataset for discovery, the network enrolled and sequenced 24,998 participants. Integration of these results into the medical record and the effects of results on participants provided key lessons to the field. These learned lessons inform genetic research in diverse populations and provide insights into the clinical impact of return and implementation of genomic medicine using the electronic medical record. The lessons produced by the eMERGE Network can be utilized by other consortia as translational genomic medicine research evolves