Limit analysis of conical and parabolic domes based on semi-analytical solution

The evaluation of limit loads of masonry domes has received increasing interest especially due to the importance of historical buildings where domes mainly are one of the most relevant structures. The limit design is used to obtain the safety assessment and the design guidance for restoration and transformation toward preservation and reuse of historical heritage. In the following paper, we present a formulation of the limit analysis based on the semi-analytical approach that starts on Melan's theorem. The self-equilibrated Melan's residual is obtained through the discretization of the analytical form of the equilibrium equation of the spherical dome. The procedure provides a finite-dimensional map of the eigenstress of the structure. Furthermore, the superimposition of the elastic solution to actual loads, obtained by finite element calculation, completes the admissible stress evaluation. Such amissible stress is introduced into the maximization algorithm, based on the lower bound theorem, which results in the collapse load. The same approach is used to get the safety assessment under prescribed load that allows checking the safety of prescribed load pattern and geometry

Functionally graded plate fracture analysis using the field boundary element method

This paper describes the Field Boundary Element Method (FBEM) applied to the fracture analysis of a 2D rectangular plate made of Functionally Graded Material (FGM) to calculate Mode I Stress Intensity Factor (SIF). The case study of this Field Boundary Element Method is the transversely isotropic plane plate. Its material presents an exponential variation of the elasticity tensor depending on a scalar function of position, i.e., the elastic tensor results from multiplying a scalar function by a constant taken as a reference. Several examples using a parametric representation of the structural response show the suitability of the method that constitutes a Stress Intensity Factor evaluation of Functionally Graded Materials plane plates even in the case of more complex geometries

Ataque exclusivo.

Infestações do ácaro Calepitrimerus vitis foram verificadas nas últimas safras nos parreirais do Sul do Brasil, entre os meses de dezembro e março. A espécie ataca somente videira e provoca deformações nas folhas, queda prematura e até mesmo atraso no desenvolvimento das plantas. A eliminação de restos de poda durante o inverno é importante esttratégia de controle, porque nesse período as fêmeas ficam alojadas nas reentrâncias dos ramos e no interior das brácteas das gemas

Registro de Tetranychus mexicanus (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae) em mamoeiro (Carica papaya L.) no estado do Acre, Brasil.

Resumo. Foi efetuado o primeiro registro do ácaro Tetranychus mexicanus (McGregor) em mamoeiro no Município de Rio Branco, Acre. Foi detectada a presença de teia, perda de área fotossintetizante, necrose e secamento das folhas das plantas infestadas. Este é o primeiro registro dessa espécie de ácaro no estado do Acre. Abstract. The occurrence of the spider mite Tetranychus mexicanus (McGregor) in papaya plants was reported in the municipality of Rio Branco, Acre state, Brazil. The leaves of the infested plants presented web, loss of photosynthesizing area, necrosis and drying. This is the first record of this species of mite in the Acre State

Expression of angiogenic regulators, VEGF and leptin, is regulated by the EGF/PI3K/STAT3 pathway in colorectal cancer cells.

Abstract Both leptin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are growth and angiogenic cytokines that are upregulated in different types of cancer and have been implicated in neoplastic progression. Here we investigated the molecular mechanism by which leptin and VEGF expression are regulated in colon cancer by epidermal growth factor (EGF). In colon cancer cell line HT-29, EGF induced the binding of signal transducer and activator transcription 3 (STAT3) to STAT3 consensus motifs within the VEGF and leptin promoters and stimulated leptin and VEGF mRNA and protein synthesis. All these EGF effects were significantly blocked when HT-29 cells were treated with an inhibitor of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, LY294002, or with small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting STAT3. Thus, our study identified the EGF/PI3K/STAT3 signaling as an essential pathway regulating VEGF and leptin expression in EGF-responsive colon cancer cells. This suggests that STAT3 pathways might constitute attractive pharmaceutical targets in colon cancer patients where anti-EGF receptor drugs are ineffective

Acarinose da videira no Rio Grande do Sul.

bitstream/item/48495/1/Circular-Tecnica-85.pd

Genetic screening for gynecological cancer: where are we heading?

The landscape of cancer genetics in gynecological oncology is rapidly changing. The traditional family history-based approach has limitations and misses >50% mutation carriers. This is now being replaced by population-based approaches. The need for changing the clinical paradigm from family history-based to population-based BRCA1/BRCA2 testing in Ashkenazi Jews is supported by data that demonstrate population-based BRCA1/BRCA2 testing does not cause psychological harm and is cost effective. This article covers various genetic testing strategies for gynecological cancers, including population-based approaches, panel and direct-to-consumer testing as well as the need for innovative approaches to genetic counseling. Advances in genetic testing technology and computational analytics have facilitated an integrated systems medicine approach, providing increasing potential for population-based genetic testing, risk stratification, and cancer prevention. Genomic information along-with biological/computational tools will be used to deliver predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory (P4) and precision medicine in the future

First insights into the microbiology of three antarctic briny systems of the northern Victoria land

Different polar environments (lakes and glaciers), also in Antarctica, encapsulate brine pools characterized by a unique combination of extreme conditions, mainly in terms of high salinity and low temperature. Since 2014, we have been focusing our attention on the microbiology of brine pockets from three lakes in the Northern Victoria Land (NVL), lying in the Tarn Flat (TF) and Boulder Clay (BC) areas. The microbial communities have been analyzed for community structure by next generation sequencing, extracellular enzyme activities, metabolic potentials, and microbial abundances. In this study, we aim at reconsidering all available data to analyze the influence exerted by environmental parameters on the community composition and activities. Additionally, the prediction of metabolic functions was attempted by the phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt2) tool, highlighting that prokaryotic communities were presumably involved in methane metabolism, aromatic compound biodegradation, and organic compound (proteins, polysaccharides, and phosphates) decomposition. The analyzed cryoenvironments were different in terms of prokaryotic diversity, abundance, and retrieved metabolic pathways. By the analysis of DNA sequences, common operational taxonomic units ranged from 2.2% to 22.0%. The bacterial community was dominated by Bacteroidetes. In both BC and TF brines, sequences of the most thermally tolerant and methanogenic Archaea were detected, some of them related to hyperthermophiles

An Efficient Molecular Dynamics Scheme for the Calculation of Dopant Profiles due to Ion Implantation

We present a highly efficient molecular dynamics scheme for calculating the concentration depth profile of dopants in ion irradiated materials. The scheme incorporates several methods for reducing the computational overhead, plus a rare event algorithm that allows statistically reliable results to be obtained over a range of several orders of magnitude in the dopant concentration. We give examples of using this scheme for calculating concentration profiles of dopants in crystalline silicon. Here we can predict the experimental profile over five orders of magnitude for both channeling and non-channeling implants at energies up to 100s of keV. The scheme has advantages over binary collision approximation (BCA) simulations, in that it does not rely on a large set of empirically fitted parameters. Although our scheme has a greater computational overhead than the BCA, it is far superior in the low ion energy regime, where the BCA scheme becomes invalid.Comment: 17 pages, 21 figures, 2 tables. See: http://bifrost.lanl.gov/~reed

La psichiatria di consultazione e collegamento nell’ospedale generale: l’esperienza perugina

Objective - This study describes the Consultation-Liaison Service of the Perugia University and investigates the significant associations between a many variables of the assessed population. Results - During the time from July 2008 to June 2009, 722 consultations were performed at the general hospital in Perugia. First examinations were 605. Most consultations involved European patients (95,2%) of female gender (56.3%); mean age was 55.77 (SD ± 21.27). Emergencies were 22.5%; one fifth of patients were not informed of having been referred to our service and half of interventions were requested by departments of internal medicine. The primary reasons for the referral were depression (18.6%), unexplained physical symptoms (12.3%) and anxiety (10.4%); most patients were already taking psychotropic medication before our intervention (58.8%).The significant associations are the following: associations between gender and social status (p < 0.01), social condition (p < 0.01), work (p < 0.01) and advice about the need of the consultation (p < 0.05). The area (medical, surgical and specialized area) are related with the advice (p < 0.05), the reason (p < 0.01) and the type of the consultation (p < 0.01), the diagnostic explanations (p < 0.01), the liaison investigations (p < 0.01) and, at last, with the longrange plan after discharge (p < 0.01)