Riemann Surfaces of genus g with an automorphism of order p prime and p>g

The present work completes the classification of the compact Riemann surfaces of genus g with an analytic automorphism of order p (prime number) and p > g. More precisely, we construct a parameteriza- tion space for them, we compute their groups of uniformization and we compute their full automorphism groups. Also, we give affine equations for special cases and some implications on the components of the singular locus of the moduli space of smooth curves of genus g.Comment: 28 pages, 5 figure

Numerical modelling of masonry infill walls in existing steel frames

It is now widely recognised that masonry infill plays an essential role in the seismic behaviour of existing steel buildings; however, there is still a lack of clear guidance on the modelling of masonry infill in the current Eurocode 8-Part 3. Several methods for the numerical modelling of masonry infills have been proposed in literature over the past few decades, which either adopt a detailed approach (micro-model) or a simplified approach (macromodel). In the former case, bricks are individually modelled, taking into account the brickmortar cohesive interface, which is able to provide detailed insights of the behaviour of masonry infills and the frame-wall interaction but usually at a high computational cost. On the other hand, a simplified model can be easily built within finite element software, most of which replace the infill wall panel with one or more equivalent struts in the diagonal direction. It has been demonstrated that the strut models can simulate RC infilled structures’ global response with acceptable accuracy; however, there are still no adequate recommendations for their modelling within steel frames. Besides, these models are generally incapable of capturing the interactions between the infills and the frame members. To this end, the present paper numerically investigates an Abaqus macro-model of the infilled steel frame, which was experimentally tested as part of the recent SERA HITFRAMES project. The preliminary re-sults shows that the different detailing of steel frames could lead to different damage patterns in the infill walls when compared to RC frames. In particular, instead of a single diagonal strut, at most three struts were observed in this study. The results also suggested that the number and geometry of struts could change with increasing displacement demands, hence it might not be appropriate to use the same strut model for infill walls on different floors

Preliminary numerical analysis of the seismic response of steel frames with masonry infills retrofitted by buckling-restrained braces

Existing steel moment-resisting frames in several seismic regions worldwide are often characterised by high vulnerability to earthquakes due to insufficient local and/or global ductility. Nowadays, it is of paramount importance to assess their response under strong motions and provide cost-effective retrofitting strategies. Amongst others, the seismic behaviour of these frames is often strongly affected by the presence of masonry infills which, from one side, if adequately distributed, beneficially contribute to the seismic resistance of the structure providing stiffness and strength to the frame, from the other side often experience a brittle behaviour and are very vulnerable to seismic actions. To this end, the H2020-INFRAIA-SERA project HITFRAMES (i.e., HybrId Testing of an Existing Steel Frame with Infills under Multiple EarthquakeS) experimentally evaluated a case study building representative of non-seismically designed European steel frames with masonry infills and investigated a possible retrofit strategy. This paper takes advantage of the experimental results of the HITFRAMES project to calibrate numerical models in OpenSees of a case study building which is analysed as bare, infilled and retrofitted frame with buckling-restrained braces (BRBs). The impact of masonry infills and BRB-retrofit is investigated by comparing the response of models with different configurations. The numerical results provide some insights on the ability of BRB-retrofit option in protecting not only the steel frames from experiencing critical damage during earthquakes but also the masonry infills and on the importance of using appropriate models for the masonry infills in the assessment procedures

Dynamic response of existing steel frames with masonry infills under multiple earthquakes

Existing steel moment-resisting frames in several seismic regions worldwide are often characterised by high vulnerability to earthquakes due to insufficient local and/or global ductility. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to assess their response under strong motions and provide cost-effective retrofitting remedies. However, the current code-based assessment framework utilized in Europe for assessing existing structures is inadequate and requires improvement, especially to account for the contribution of masonry infills as they significantly influence the seismic response of steel buildings. To this end, the H2020-INFRAIA-SERA project HITFRAMES (i.e., Hybrid Testing of an Existing Steel Frame with Infills under Multiple Earthquakes) aims at experimental evaluation of a case study building representative of non-seismically designed European steel frames. This paper presents the dynamic response analyses of the case study building and serves as a theoretical prediction of the experimental results for HTTFRAMES. The case study building is analysed as a bare, an infilled and a retrofitted frame with buckling restrained braces (BRBs), respectively. It is subjected to the natural seismic sequence recorded during the 2016-2017 Central Italy earthquakes. The modal properties of the case study building are determined first, followed by the investigation of its non-linear dynamic response. The dynamic tests are performed with the earthquake records scaled to different intensity levels to simulate the structural performance under different limit states according to Eurocode 8-Part 3. The impact of masonry infills and BRB-retrofit is also investigated by comparing the response of models with different configurations. It can be concluded that appropriately-designed BRBs are effective in protecting steel frames from experiencing critical damage during earthquakes and reducing significantly the transient and residual drift

Assessment of existing steel frames: Numerical study, pseudo-dynamic testing and influence of masonry infills

Most of existing steel multi-storey frames in Europe have been designed before the introduction of modern seismic design provisions, hence they often exhibit low performance under earthquake loads due to their low lateral resistance and energy dissipation capacity. In addition, such structures often include rigid and brittle masonry infill walls that highly influence their lateral response and distribution of damage pattern. However, current procedures for the assessment of existing steel buildings in Europe, included in the Eurocode 8 – Part 3 (EC8–3), do not provide adequate guidance for the assessment of ‘weak’ steel frame with masonry infill walls. Moreover, most of available modelling approaches of masonry infills formerly developed for reinforced concrete (RC) structures do not properly represent the behaviour of infill walls in steel frames. An improved numerical has to be provided to satisfactorily mimic infill walls' behaviour in steel moment frames. To this end, an experimental and theoretical study was carried out within the framework of HITFRAMES (i.e., HybrId Testing of an Existing Steel Frame with Infills under Multiple EarthquakeS) SERA project. This paper firstly presents the limitations of current EC8–3 by conducting a code-based assessment on a case study steel moment frame using pushover analysis. Three different single strut models, widely used for simulating the presence of masonry infills in RC structures, are considered for the numerical analyses. The paper also presents the results of pseudo-dynamic (PsD) tests performed on a large-scale 3D steel frame with masonry infills. The capability of the different masonry infill models is successively evaluated by comparisons between numerical and experimental results. On the basis of the obtained results, recommendations on how to potentially improve the single strut model for masonry infills surrounded by steel frames are also provided

Improving gene function predictions using independent transcriptional components

The interpretation of high throughput sequencing data is limited by our incomplete functional understanding of coding and non-coding transcripts. Reliably predicting the function of such transcripts can overcome this limitation. Here we report the use of a consensus independent component analysis and guilt-by-association approach to predict over 23,000 functional groups comprised of over 55,000 coding and non-coding transcripts using publicly available transcriptomic profiles. We show that, compared to using Principal Component Analysis, Independent Component Analysis-derived transcriptional components enable more confident functionality predictions, improve predictions when new members are added to the gene sets, and are less affected by gene multi-functionality. Predictions generated using human or mouse transcriptomic data are made available for exploration in a publicly available web portal. Our understanding of the function of many transcripts is still incomplete, limiting the interpretability of transcriptomic data. Here the authors use consensus-independent component analysis, together with a guilt-by-association approach, to improve the prediction of gene function

Loss of caveolin-1 is associated with a decrease in beta cell death in mice on a high fat diet

Indexación: Scopus.Elevated free fatty acids (FFAs) impair beta cell function and reduce beta cell mass as a consequence of the lipotoxicity that occurs in type 2 diabetes (T2D). We previously reported that the membrane protein caveolin-1 (CAV1) sensitizes to palmitate-induced apoptosis in the beta pancreatic cell line MIN6. Thus, our hypothesis was that CAV1 knock-out (CAV1 KO) mice subjected to a high fat diet (HFD) should suffer less damage to beta cells than wild type (WT) mice. Here, we evaluated the in vivo response of beta cells in the pancreatic islets of 8-week-old C57Bl/6J CAV1 KO mice subjected to a control diet (CD, 14% kcal fat) or a HFD (60% kcal fat) for 12 weeks. We observed that CAV1 KO mice were resistant to weight gain when on HFD, although they had high serum cholesterol and FFA levels, impaired glucose tolerance and were insulin resistant. Some of these alterations were also observed in mice on CD. Interestingly, KO mice fed with HFD showed an adaptive response of the pancreatic beta cells and exhibited a significant decrease in beta cell apoptosis in their islets compared to WT mice. These in vivo results suggest that although the CAV1 KO mice are metabolically unhealthy, they adapt better to a HFD than WT mice. To shed light on the possible signaling pathway(s) involved, MIN6 murine beta cells expressing (MIN6 CAV) or not expressing (MIN6 Mock) CAV1 were incubated with the saturated fatty acid palmitate in the presence of mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors. Western blot analysis revealed that CAV1 enhanced palmitate-induced JNK, p38 and ERK phosphorylation in MIN6 CAV1 cells. Moreover, all the MAPK inhibitors partially restored MIN6 viability, but the effect was most notable with the ERK inhibitor. In conclusion, our results suggest that CAV1 KO mice adapted better to a HFD despite their altered metabolic state and that this may at least in part be due to reduced beta cell damage. Moreover, they indicate that the ability of CAV1 to increase sensitivity to FFAs may be mediated by MAPK and particularly ERK activation. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/15/522

Desarrollo infantil en uruguay : una aproximación a sus determinantes

Por último, el estudio efectuado por Katzkowicz y Querejeta (2017) también analiza el efecto de la asistencia escolar en el desarrollo infantil y muestra que la asistencia a centros educativos tiene efectos positivos en las distintas dimensiones del test ASQ-3, los cuales son más pronunciados para los niños pertenecientes a los quintiles de ingresos más altos. A partir de la estrategia empírica utilizada, se observa, en términos generales, qué características de los niños, características socioeconómicas del hogar, variables referentes a las madres durante el embarazo, variables respecto a los recién nacidos y prácticas de crianza, tienen un efecto positivo en los indicadores de ASQ-3 y CBCL para las distintas olas, y al considerar la varia-ción entre olas.The analysis of child development has become extremely important in recent years because of the influence it has throughout people's life cycle. This paper aims to provide evidence on the situation of early childhood in Uruguay by analyzing its characteristics and determinants. In order to carry out this study, a characterization of early childhood is conducted and different econometric models are applied to evaluate the determinants of child development. For this purpose, the ASQ-3 and CBCL tests collected by the National Child Development and Health Survey are used. In general terms, the characteristics of children and socioeconomic characteristics of households, variables referring to mothers during pregnancy and to newborns, and child-rearing practices have a positive effect on development. Early childhood policies are fundamental to contributing to adequate child development

Presidential Election Laws and Multipartism in Latin America

This article examines the interaction between the rules governing presidential elections and multipartism in Latin America. Data from 16 Latin American systems are examined through the use of a multivariate model to gain an understanding of the independent impact of presidential electoral formula (plurality vs. majority), the timing of presidential and legislative elections (concurrent vs. nonconcurrent) and legislative district magnitude on legislative multipartism, and by extension, on the number of relevant political parties operating in the nation. The findings demonstrate the strong and significant impact which formula and timing have on multipartism. They also point to the importance of examining the interaction between elections for different constituent institutions. Finally, they underscore the applicability of Duverger's law to presidential elections.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68710/2/10.1177_106591299404700103.pd