Direct Displacement Based Design of Regular Steel Moment Resisting Frames

AbstractDisplacement Based Design method represents a new approach to performance-based design. This research tries to assess the Direct Displacement Based Design (DDBD) method for regular steel moment resisting frames and develop a reliable design method for them so that they withstand various seismic levels within certain performance levels. For this purpose, regular steel frames with 4, 8, 12, 16 stories are designed based on DDBD approach utilizing displacement spectrum of the Iranian Code of Practice for Seismic Resistant Design of Buildings (Standard No. 2800). In order to evaluate seismic response of the designed structures, a series of non-linear time-history analyses have been performed under different records compatible with Standard No. 2800. All the non-linear analyses were carried out using the fiber-element models developed in Seismostruct computer program. According to the results, inter-story drift profile of the structure which is corresponding to its damage was less than the allowable value in most cases. Also, Maximum displacement profile of the structure along its height is completely matched with the primary assumed design profile. The structures have mostly experienced similar residual drift values under different records. In summary, the method performed quite satisfactorily in terms of story maximum displacements, maximum interstory drifts and story ductility demands, even for tall models

Assessment of building façade performance in-terms of daylighting and associated energy consumption in architectural spaces

This paper examines the effect of vertical and horizontal shading devices on the quality of daylight in buildings and the associated energy saving. Excessive daylight in architectural spaces contributes negatively to the energy consumption in buildings. Blinds and shading devices are good solutions to attenuate the surplus amount of daylight in spaces. Accordingly, this study evaluates the effect of shading devices on the amount of light flux and the associated solar energy in buildings. It estimates the energy consumption attributed to lighting spaces for three common positions of shading devices. Computer simulation strategy was undertaken to correlate the illuminance level in spaces with room geometry and architectural shading elements. The Holophane model for lighting calculations was used to estimate the average illuminance level on workplane and correlate it with the expected saving energy in buildings. The study concluded that there is an optimal orientation for shading devices that keeps the internal illuminance level within the acceptable range with minimum amount of solar heat gain.Keywords: Shading device, Daylight Illuminance, Heat gain, Computer simulation, Energy consumptio

Modelling six sustainable development transformations in Australia and their accelerators, impediments, enablers, and interlinkages

There is an urgent need to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and recent research has identified six critical transformations. It is important to demonstrate how these transformations could be practically accelerated in a national context and what their combined effects would be. Here we bridge national systems modelling with transformation storylines to provide an analysis of a Six Transformations Pathway for Australia. We explore important policies to accelerate progress, synergies and trade-offs, and conditions that determine policy success. We find that implementing policy packages to accelerate each transformation would boost performance on the SDGs by 2030 (+23% above the baseline). Policymakers can maximize transformation synergies through investments in energy decarbonization, resilience, social protection, and sustainable food systems, while managing trade-offs for income and employment. To overcome resistance to transformations, ambitious policy action will need to be underpinned by technological, social, and political enabling conditions

Design of the Protocol Processor for the ROBUS-2 Communication System

The ROBUS-2 Protocol Processor (RPP) is a custom-designed hardware component implementing the functionality of the ROBUS-2 fault-tolerant communication system. The Reliable Optical Bus (ROBUS) is the core communication system of the Scalable Processor-Independent Design for Enhanced Reliability (SPIDER), a general-purpose fault tolerant integrated modular architecture currently under development at NASA Langley Research Center. ROBUS is a time-division multiple access (TDMA) broadcast communication system with medium access control by means of time-indexed communication schedule. ROBUS-2 is a developmental version of the ROBUS providing guaranteed fault-tolerant services to the attached processing elements (PEs), in the presence of a bounded number of faults. These services include message broadcast (Byzantine Agreement), dynamic communication schedule update, time reference (clock synchronization), and distributed diagnosis (group membership). ROBUS also features fault-tolerant startup and restart capabilities. ROBUS-2 tolerates internal as well as PE faults, and incorporates a dynamic self-reconfiguration capability driven by the internal diagnostic system. ROBUS consists of RPPs connected to each other by a lower-level physical communication network. The RPP has a pipelined architecture and the design is parameterized in the behavioral and structural domains. The design of the RPP enables the bus to achieve a PE-message throughput that approaches the available bandwidth at the physical layer

Plan for the Characterization of HIRF Effects on a Fault-Tolerant Computer Communication System

This report presents the plan for the characterization of the effects of high intensity radiated fields on a prototype implementation of a fault-tolerant data communication system. Various configurations of the communication system will be tested. The prototype system is implemented using off-the-shelf devices. The system will be tested in a closed-loop configuration with extensive real-time monitoring. This test is intended to generate data suitable for the design of avionics health management systems, as well as redundancy management mechanisms and policies for robust distributed processing architectures

Design of Test Articles and Monitoring System for the Characterization of HIRF Effects on a Fault-Tolerant Computer Communication System

This report describes the design of the test articles and monitoring systems developed to characterize the response of a fault-tolerant computer communication system when stressed beyond the theoretical limits for guaranteed correct performance. A high-intensity radiated electromagnetic field (HIRF) environment was selected as the means of injecting faults, as such environments are known to have the potential to cause arbitrary and coincident common-mode fault manifestations that can overwhelm redundancy management mechanisms. The monitors generate stimuli for the systems-under-test (SUTs) and collect data in real-time on the internal state and the response at the external interfaces. A real-time health assessment capability was developed to support the automation of the test. A detailed description of the nature and structure of the collected data is included. The goal of the report is to provide insight into the design and operation of these systems, and to serve as a reference document for use in post-test analyses

Algorithm To Architecture Mapping Model (ATAMM) multicomputer operating system functional specification

A functional description of the ATAMM Multicomputer Operating System is presented. ATAMM (Algorithm to Architecture Mapping Model) is a marked graph model which describes the implementation of large grained, decomposed algorithms on data flow architectures. AMOS, the ATAMM Multicomputer Operating System, is an operating system which implements the ATAMM rules. A first generation version of AMOS which was developed for the Advanced Development Module (ADM) is described. A second generation version of AMOS being developed for the Generic VHSIC Spaceborne Computer (GVSC) is also presented

Blood Trace Element Status in Multiple Sclerosis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate whether the blood concentrations of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are associated with those of the healthy control group in terms of trace elements including zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), selenium (Se), and copper (Cu). A comprehensive search was performed in online databases including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science for studies, which have addressed trace elements in MS up to July 23, 2020. The chi-square test and I2 statistic were utilized to evaluate inter-study heterogeneity across the included studies. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and corresponding 95% CI were considered as a pooled effect size (ES). Twenty-seven articles (or 32 studies) with a total sample comprised of 2895 participants (MS patients (n = 1567) and controls (n = 1328)) were included. Pooled results using random-effects model indicated that the levels of Zn (WMD = − 7.83 mcg/dl, 95% CI = − 12.78 to − 2.87, Z = 3.09, P = 0.002), and Fe (WMD = − 13.66 mcg/dl, 95% CI = − 23.13 to − 4.19, Z = 2.83, P = 0.005) were significantly lower in MS patients than in controls. However, it was found that levels of Mn (WMD = 0.03 mcg/dl, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.04, Z = 2.89, P = 0.004) were significantly higher in MS patients. Yet, no significant differences were observed in the levels of Mg, Se, and Cu between both groups. This meta-analysis revealed that the circulating levels of Zn and Fe were significantly lower in MS patients and that Mn level was significantly higher than those in the control group. However, it was found that there was no significant difference between MS patients and controls with regard to levels of Mg, Se, and Cu

Comparing the Effects of Sulfasalazine and Shilajit on Liver Damage Caused by Acetic Acid-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Male Rats

Background and Objective: Liver damage is one of the common complications after ulcerative colitis. The aim of this study is to compare liver protective effects of sulfasalazine and shilajit after ulcerative colitis. Methods: In this experimental intervention study, 49 male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 grams were used in seven groups of 7: sham, ulcerative colitis, oral solution, oral Shilajit, sulfasalazine, rectal solution, and rectal Shilajit. To induce ulcerative colitis, after anesthetizing the animal, 2 cc of acetic acid (4%) was used by rectal administration. Four days after the development of colitis, Shilajit was administered for four days at a dose of 250 mg/kg by gavage and rectal methods. In each group, the levels of liver enzymes (SGPT, SGOT, ALP), direct bilirubin, total, and serum albumin were evaluated eight days after the induction of ulcerative colitis. Findings: Sulfasalazine decreased total bilirubin (0.5967±0.04) and SGOT (113.3±12.7). Administering Shilajit rectally reduced direct bilirubin (0.10±0.02), albumin (3.17±0.2), SGOT (156.2±12.7) and administering Shilajit by gavage reduced SGOT (125.0±12.7), direct bilirubin (0.094±0.02), SGOT (125.0±12.7) and SGPT (93.8±7.5). Conclusion: The results of the study showed that oral administration of Shilajit has more protective effects on liver damage caused by ulcerative colitis than rectal Shilajit, and this result is comparable to sulfasalazine