Nonlinear finite element analysis for seismic performance of high-strength concrete beam-column joints with new reinforcement details

Because the factors that affect the behavior of the beam-column joints are complicated, an experimental study alone is not sufficient. Therefore, a nonlinear finite element analysis was conducted to provide better understanding of the performance of the beam-column joints. The authors intend to do the parameter study with nonlinear finite element method after a lot of high-strength concrete beam-column joints have been experimented. In this paper, the analytical model firstly was applied to simulate the experimental joint behavior and the comparison results were very well. Based on this, the parametric analysis of concrete strength on seismic performance of beam-column joints has been conducted.published_or_final_versio

New Terms for the Compact Form of Electroweak Chiral Lagrangian

The compact form of the electroweak chiral Lagrangian is a reformulation of its original form and is expressed in terms of chiral rotated electroweak gauge fields, which is crucial for relating the information of underlying theories to the coefficients of the low-energy effective Lagrangian. However the compact form obtained in previous works is not complete. In this letter we add several new chiral invariant terms to it and discuss the contributions of these terms to the original electroweak chiral Lagrangian.Comment: 3 pages, references adde

Quantum measurement characteristics of double-dot single electron transistor

Owing to a few unique advantages, double-dot single electron transistor has been proposed as an alternative detector for charge states. In this work, we present a further study for its signal-to-noise property, based on a full analysis of the setup configuration symmetry. It is found that the effectiveness of the double-dot detector can approach that of an ideal detector, if the symmetric capacitive coupling is taken into account. The quantum measurement efficiency is also analyzed, by comparing the measurement time with the measurement-induced dephasing time.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Behaviour of plate anchorage in plate-reinforced composite coupling beams

As a new alternative design, plate-reinforced composite (PRC) coupling beam achieves enhanced strength and ductility by embedding a vertical steel plate into a conventionally reinforced concrete (RC) coupling beam. Based on a non-linear finite element model developed in the authors’ previous study, a parametric study presented in this paper has been carried out to investigate the influence of several key parameters on the overall performance of PRC coupling beams. The effects of steel plate geometry, span-to-depth ratio of beams and steel reinforcement ratios at beam spans and in wall regions are quantified. It is found that the anchorage length of the steel plate is primarily controlled by the span-to-depth ratio of the beam. Based on the numerical results, a design curve is proposed for determining the anchorage length of the steel plate. The load-carrying capacity of short PRC coupling beams with high steel ratio is found to be controlled by the steel ratio of wall piers. The maximum shear stress of PRC coupling beams should be limited to 15 MPa.published_or_final_versio

Atomic Layer Deposition of ZnO on Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes and Its Use for Synthesis of CNT-ZnO Heterostructures.

In this article, direct coating of ZnO on PECVD-grown multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is achieved using atomic layer deposition (ALD). Transmission electron microscopy investigation shows that the deposited ZnO shell is continuous and uniform, in contrast to the previously reported particle morphology. The ZnO layer has a good crystalline quality as indicated by Raman and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. We also show that such ZnO layer can be used as seed layer for subsequent hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorods, resulting in branched CNT-inorganic hybrid nanostructures. Potentially, this method can also apply to the fabrication of ZnO-based hybrid nanostructures on other carbon nanomaterials.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

Synoptic-scale precursors of extreme UK summer 3-hourly rainfall

This is the final version. Available on open access from AGU via the DOI in this recordThe synoptic-scale meteorological conditions leading up to the 30 most extreme sub-daily summer rain events for two regions of the UK (north-west and south-east) were examined for the period 1979-2013. Using a recently available, quality controlled, national hourly rain gauge dataset, we were able to identify extreme 3-hour rainfall accumulations that may be indicative of flash flooding. Composites of the state of the atmosphere leading up to these dates were produced to investigate synoptic-scale processes, thus potentially allowing for them to be identified in coarse resolution re-analyses and in climate models. The results show that the two regions have different dominant synoptic-scale conditions leading to extreme 3-hour rainfall, which is thought to be related to the type of rainfall typically experienced in each region. In particular, positive anomalies in mean sea level pressure and the geopotential height at 200hPa over the UK are associated with extreme rainfall in the north-west, where the position of the westerly jet is also important. For the south-east, no clear anomalous synoptic-scale conditions could be identified, however localised moisture sources and unstable air masses were observed in association with extremes. These results indicate the importance of better understanding of both synoptic-scale and thermodynamic drivers of short-duration extreme rainfall, with potential implications in forecasting and flood warning, as well as for understanding the representation of key processes by regional climate models.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)European Research CouncilWolfson FoundationRoyal Societ

Preliminary study of masonry - RC hybrid structure behavior under earthquake loading

Low-rise confined masonry structures are widely used in earthquake-risked rural areas. Most of these structures fail in shear pattern under lateral earthquake loading. In this study, as an improvement for earthquake resistance and post-quake restoration, a masonry – reinforced concrete (RC) hybrid structure, whose working mechanism is different from that of its predecessor, is proposed. The “tie beams” and ‘tie columns”, which function only as confinement in a conventional confined masonry wall structure, now also resist most of the gravity loading, while the wall panels take the rest of it. On the other hand, wall panels in the proposed hybrid structure will absorb most of the energy induced by lateral earthquake loading by the formation of a plastic hinge region in the panel center so that severe damages can be controlled within the wall panel region. To investigate shear behaviors of masonry walls, diagonal compression tests were performed and finite element simulation was utilized to verify the work mechanism of this hybrid structure.postprin

Optimization of a crossing system using mate selection

A simple model based on one single identified quantitative trait locus (QTL) in a two-way crossing system was used to demonstrate the power of mate selection algorithms as a natural means of opportunistic line development for optimization of crossbreeding programs over multiple generations. Mate selection automatically invokes divergent selection in two parental lines for an over-dominant QTL and increased frequency of the favorable allele toward fixation in the sire-line for a fully-dominant QTL. It was concluded that an optimal strategy of line development could be found by mate selection algorithms for a given set of parameters such as genetic model of QTL, breeding objective and initial frequency of the favorable allele in the base populations, etc. The same framework could be used in other scenarios, such as programs involving crossing to exploit breed effects and heterosis. In contrast to classical index selection, this approach to mate selection can optimize long-term responses

Monocyte Subset Recruitment Marker Profile Is Inversely Associated With Blood ApoA1 Levels.

Dyslipidemia promotes development of the atherosclerotic plaques that characterise cardiovascular disease. Plaque progression requires the influx of monocytes into the vessel wall, but whether dyslipidemia is associated with an increased potential of monocytes to extravasate is largely unknown. Here (using flow cytometry) we examined recruitment marker expression on monocytes from generally healthy individuals who differed in lipid profile. Comparisons were made between monocyte subsets, participants and relative to participants' lipid levels. Monocyte subsets differed significantly in their expression of recruitment markers, with highest expression being on either the classical or non-classical subsets. However, these inter-subset differences were largely overshadowed by considerable inter-participant differences with some participants having higher levels of recruitment markers on all three monocyte subsets. Furthermore, when the expression of one recruitment marker was high, so too was that of most of the other markers, with substantial correlations evident between the markers. The inter-participant differences were explained by lipid levels. Most notably, there was a significant inverse correlation for most markers with ApoA1 levels. Our results indicate that dyslipidemia, in particular low levels of ApoA1, is associated with an increased potential of all monocyte subsets to extravasate, and to do so using a wider repertoire of recruitment markers than currently appreciated

JAK2V617F mediates resistance to DNA damage-induced apoptosis by modulating FOXO3A localization and Bcl-xL deamidation.

The JAK2V617F mutation is found in most patients with a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). This gain-of-function mutation dysregulates cytokine signaling and is associated with increased accumulation of DNA damage, a process likely to drive disease evolution. JAK2V617F inhibits NHE-1 upregulation in response to DNA damage and consequently represses Bcl-xL deamidation and apoptosis, thus giving rise to inappropriate cell survival. However, the mechanism whereby NHE-1 expression is inhibited by JAK2V617F is unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells expressing JAK2V617F compromises the NHE-1/Bcl-xL deamidation pathway by repressing NHE-1 upregulation in response to DNA damage. In JAK2V617F-positive cells, increased ROS levels results from aberrant PI3K signaling, which decreases nuclear localization of FOXO3A and decreases catalase expression. Furthermore, when compared with autologous control erythroblasts, clonally derived JAK2V617F-positive erythroblasts from MPN patients displayed increased ROS levels and reduced nuclear FOXO3A. However, in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), FOXO3A is largely localized within the nuclei despite the presence of JAK2V617F mutation, suggesting that JAK2-FOXO signaling has a different effect on progenitors compared with stem cells. Inactivation of FOXO proteins and elevation of intracellular ROS are characteristics common to many cancers, and hence these findings are likely to be of relevance beyond the MPN field.Work in the Green lab is supported by Leukemia and Lymphoma Research, Cancer Research UK, the Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund, the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, the Cambridge Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America. DGK was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Ottawa, ON), and a Lady Tata Memorial Trust International Award for Research in Leukaemia (London, UK). HJP was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Human Frontier Science Program.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://www.nature.com/onc/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/onc2015285a.html