Numerical simulation of the road bus structure submitted a offset frontal impact against a rigid wall

Neste trabalho se apresenta um estudo paramétrico do impacto semifrontal em um ônibus, no qual se avalia independentemente a influência de cada variável envolvida neste tipo acidente. O cenário de impacto semifrontal é sem dúvida um dos mais severos acidentes envolvendo ônibus, pois parte da lateral do ônibus é totalmente danificada, podendo deixar um elevado número de vítimas. A simulação numérica utiliza um modelo de análise explícita formado por elementos de vigas que utiliza uma lei constitutiva elasto‐plástica, a qual leva em conta a influência da taxa de deformação. Com este modelo se realiza um estudo paramétrico das variáveis globais que permitem caracterizar este tipo de cenário. Também são avaliados de forma qualitativa acidentes deste tipo acontecidos nas estradas brasileiras. A discussão dos resultados é finalmente apresentada e serve como um primeiro passo na busca de melhorias a serem introduzidas nas estruturas dos ônibus, objetivando minimizar os danos.This paper presents a parametric study of the offset frontal impact on a bus, in which is assessed independently an influence of each variable involved in this accident type. The scenario of offset frontal impact is surely one of the most severe accidents involving buses, once the same has part of your lateral totally damaged and can leave a large number of victims. The numerical simulation model uses an explicit analysis formed by beams elements which uses elastic‐plastic constitutive law, which takes into account the influence of strain rate. With this model a parametric study of global variables that can characterize this type of scenario is realized. Also are evaluated qualitatively real accidents happened on Brazilian roads. The discussion is finally presented, and serves as a first step in the search for improvements to be made to the structures of the bus, aiming to minimize the damage.Peer Reviewe

Formation of spin and charge ordering in the extended Hubbard model during a finite-time quantum quench

We investigate the formation of charge and spin ordering by starting from a non-interacting state and studying how it evolves in time under a Hamiltonian with finite electronic interactions. We consider the one-dimensional, half-filled extended Hubbard model, which we solve within time-dependent density matrix renormalization group. By employing linear finite-time quenches in the onsite and nearest-neighbor interactions, we find the existence of impulse, intermediate, and adiabatic regimes of time evolution. For the quenches we analyze, we observe that the adiabatic regime is reached with distinct ramping time scales depending on whether the charge density wave (CDW) or the spin density wave (SDW) is formed. The former needs to be slower than the latter to prevent entangled excited states from being accessed during the quench. More interestingly, in the intermediate regime, we observe an enhancement of the entanglement entropy with respect to its initial value, which precedes the formation of the CDW ordering; a similar enhancement is not seen in the quench towards SDW. Our findings also show that the breaking of the system integrability, by turning on the nearest-neighbor interactions, does not give rise to significant changes in the non-equilibrium behavior within the adiabatic approximation

Seven Years of ACTS Technology Verification Experiments Reviewed

The Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) was designed to achieve a 99.5-percent system availability rate and signals with less than one error in 10(exp 7) bits throughout the continental United States. To accomplish such a high rate of system availability, ACTS uses multiple narrow hopping beams and very small aperture terminal (VSAT) technology. In addition, ACTS uses an adaptive rain fade compensation protocol to reduce the negative effects of propagation on the system. To enhance knowledge on how propagation and system variances affect system availability, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field performed technology verification experiments over a 7-yr period (from September 1993 to the present). These experiments include T1VSAT System Availability, Statistical Rain Fade Compensation Characterization, Statistical Characterization of Ka-Band Propagation Effects on Communication Link Performance, and Multibeam Antenna Performance

Acid and enzymatic hydrolysis of the residue from Castor Bean (Ricinus communis L.) oil extraction for ethanol production: detoxification and biodiesel process integration

The starch hydrolysis process of Castor Bean Cake by (CBC) acid or enzymatic combination of alpha-amylase, glucoamylase and pullulanase was evaluated and followed by fermentation. The chemical hydrolysis resulted in 27.3 g L-1 of sugars with 33.4% of hydrolysis efficiency. The generated hydrolyzate was fermented yielding 11 g L-1 of ethanol (Y P/S=0.48 g g-1). The best enzymatic hydrolysis condition was as follows (per gram of CBC): 200 µL of a-amylase, at 90 ºC; 200 µL of glucoamylase and 100 µL of pullulanase, both at 60 °C, which yielded 75 g L-1 of total reducing sugars corresponding to 91.4 % of hydrolysis efficiency. These sugars were subsequently converted to 34.5 g L-1 of ethanol. The acid hydrolysis process was also capable to allow the detoxification of the Castor Bean Cake

Low prevalence of renal, cardiac, pulmonary, and neurological extra-articular clinical manifestations in spondyloarthritis: analysis of the Brazilian Registry of Spondyloarthritis

OBJECTIVE: To describe the extra-articular manifestations (cardiac, renal, pulmonary, and neurological), usually not related to spondyloarthritis (SpA), in a large cohort of Brazilian patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 1,472 patients diagnosed with SpA and cared for at 29 health care centers distributed in the five major geographic regions in the country, participating in the Brazilian Registry of Spondyloarthritis (BRS). All patients were assessed for the prevalence of major extra-articular manifestations (cardiac, renal, pulmonary, and neurological), classified according to the diagnosis [ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), reactive arthritis (ReA), arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), undifferentiated spondyloarthritis (uSpA), and juvenile SpA], and according to the clinical presentation (axial, peripheral, mixed, and enthesitis). RESULTS: Of the patients with SpA assessed, 963 had AS, 271 PsA, 49 ReA, 48 arthritis associated with IBD, 98 uSpA, and 43 juvenile SpA. Cardiac involvement was reported in 44 patients (3.0%), pulmonary involvement in 19 (1.3%), renal involvement in 17 (1.2%), and neurological involvement in 13 patients (0.9%). Most patients with visceral involvement had AS or PsA, and the mixed (axial + peripheral) and/or predominantly axial clinical form. CONCLUSION: Cardiac, renal, pulmonary, and neurological extra-articular manifestations are quite infrequent in SpA, ranging from 0.9% to 3% in this large Brazilian cohort, and affected predominantly patients with AS and PsA.OBJETIVO: Descrever as manifestações extra-articulares (cardíacas, renais, pulmonares e neurológicas) geralmente não relacionadas às espondiloartrites (EpA) em uma grande coorte de pacientes brasileiros. MÉTODOS: Este estudo retrospectivo analisou 1.472 pacientes com o diagnóstico de EpA atendidos em 29 centros distribuídos pelas cinco principais regiões geográficas do Brasil, integrantes do Registro Brasileiro de Espondiloartrites. Todos os pacientes foram avaliados para a prevalência das principais manifestações extra-articulares (cardíacas, renais, pulmonares e neurológicas), divididas por diagnóstico [espondilite anquilosante (EA), artrite psoriásica (AP), artrite reativa (ARe), artrite associada a doença inflamatória intestinal (DII), EpA indiferenciada (EI) e EpA juvenil] e por forma clínica (axial, periférica, mista e entesítica). RESULTADOS: Dentre os pacientes avaliados com EpA, 963 apresentavam EA, 271 AP, 49 ARe, 48 artrite associada a DII, 98 EI e 43 EpA juvenil. Acometimento cardíaco foi observado em 44 pacientes (3,0%), seguido por acometimento pulmonar em 19 (1,3%), renal em 17 (1,2%) e neurológico em 13 pacientes (0,9%). A maioria dos casos de acometimento visceral ocorreu nos pacientes com EA ou AP e naqueles com forma clínica mista (axial e periférica) e/ou predominantemente axial. CONCLUSÃO: As manifestações extra-articulares cardíacas, renais, pulmonares e neurológicas são muito pouco frequentes nas EpA, variando de 0,9%-3% nesta grande coorte brasileira, estando mais associadas a EA e AP.37938

Quality of life in spondyloarthritis : analysis of a large Brazilian cohort

Objetivo: analisar as variáveis demográficas e clínicas associadas à diminuição da qualidade de vida em uma grande coorte brasileira de pacientes com espondiloartrite (EpA). Métodos: Foi aplicado um protocolo de pesquisa único a 1.465 pacientes brasileiros classificados como tendo EpA de acordo com os critérios do European Spondyloarthropaties Study Group (ESSG), atendidos em 29 centros de referência em reumatologia do Brasil. Foram registradas as variáveis clínicas e demográficas. A qualidade de vida foi analisada por meio do questionário Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL). Resultados: A pontuação média do ASQoL foi de 7,74 (+ 5,39). Ao analisar doenças específicas no grupo de EpA, as pontuações do ASQoL não apresentaram diferença estatisticamente significativa. Os dados demográficos mostraram piores escores de ASQoL associados ao gênero feminino (p = 0,014) e etnia negra (p < 0,001). Quanto aos sintomas clínicos, a dor na região glútea (p = 0,032), a dor cervical (p < 0,001) e a dor no quadril (p = 0,001), estiveram estatisticamente associadas a piores escores no ASQoL. O uso contínuo de fármacos anti-inflamatórios não esteroides (p < 0,001) e agentes biológicos (p = 0,044) esteve associado a escores mais elevados de ASQoL, enquanto outros medicamentos não interferiram nos escores do ASQoL. Conclusão: Nesta grande série de pacientes com EpA, o sexo feminino e a etnia negra, bem como sintomas predominantemente axiais, estiveram associados a uma qualidade de vida reduzida.Objective: to analyze quality of life and demographic and clinical variables associated to its impairment in a large Brazilian cohort of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). Methods: A common protocol of investigation was applied to 1465 Brazilian patients classified as SpA according to the European Spondyloarthropaties Study Group (ESSG) criteria, attended at 29 reference centers for Rheumatology in Brazil. Clinical and demographic variables were recorded. Quality of life was analyzed through the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) questionnaire. Results: The mean ASQoL score was 7.74 (± 5.39). When analyzing the specific diseases in the SpA group, the ASQoL scores did not present statistical significance. Demographic data showed worse scores of ASQoL associated with female gender (p = 0.014) and African-Brazilian ethnicity (p < 0.001). Regarding clinical symptoms, buttock pain (p = 0.032), cervical pain (p < 0.001) and hip pain (p = 0.001), were statistically associated with worse scores of ASQoL. Continuous use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (p < 0.001) and biologic agents (p = 0.044) were associated with higher scores of ASQoL, while the other medications did not interfere with the ASQoL scores. Conclusion: In this large series of patients with SpA, female gender and African-Brazilian ethnicity, as well as predominant axial symptoms, were associated with impaired quality of life