Experimental investigation on continuous reinforced SCC deep beams and Comparisons with Code provisions and models

YesThe test results on eight two-span deep beams made of self-compacting concrete (SCC) are presented and discussed in this paper. The main parameters investigated were the shear span-to-depth ratio, and the amount and configuration of steel reinforcement. All beams failed due to a major diagonal crack formed between the applied mid-span load and the intermediate support separating the beam into two blocks: the first one rotated around the end support leaving the other block resting on the other two supports. Both concrete compressive strength and web reinforcement had a major effect in controlling the shear capacity of the beams tested. For the shear span-to-depth ratio considered, the vertical web reinforcement had more influence on the shear capacity of the specimens than the horizontal web reinforcement. The shear provisions of the ACI 318M-11 are unconservative for most of the beams tested. Comparisons of test results with the strut-and-tie model (STM) suggested by ACI 318M-11, EC2 and CSA23.4-04 showed that the predictions are reasonable for continuous deep beams made with low and medium compressive strength. Although the equation suggested by ACI 318M-11 is very simple, its prediction is more accurate than the STM suggested by different design codes.This research investigation was funded by the Higher Education Ministry in The Libyan Government

Chromosome painting among Proboscidea, Hyracoidea and Sirenia: support for Paenungulata (Afrotheria, Mammalia) but not Tethytheria

Despite marked improvements in the interpretation of systematic relationships within Eutheria, particular nodes, including Paenungulata (Hyracoidea, Sirenia and Proboscidea), remain ambiguous. The combination of a rapid radiation, a deep divergence and an extensive morphological diversification has resulted in a limited phylogenetic signal confounding resolution within this clade both at the morphological and nucleotide levels. Cross-species chromosome painting was used to delineate regions of homology between Loxodonta africana (2n=56), Procavia capensis (2n=54), Trichechus manatus latirostris (2n=48) and an outgroup taxon, the aardvark (Orycteropus afer, 2n=20). Changes specific to each lineage were identified and although the presence of a minimum of 11 synapomorphies confirmed the monophyly of Paenungulata, no change characterizing intrapaenungulate relationships was evident. The reconstruction of an ancestral paenungulate karyotype and the estimation of rates of chromosomal evolution indicate a reduced rate of genomic repatterning following the paenungulate radiation. In comparison to data available for other mammalian taxa, the paenungulate rate of chromosomal evolution is slow to moderate. As a consequence, the absence of a chromosomal character uniting two paenungulates (at the level of resolution characterized in this study) may be due to a reduced rate of chromosomal change relative to the length of time separating successive divergence events

Solitons of two-component Bose-Einstein condensates modulated in space and time

In this paper we present soliton solutions of two coupled nonlinear Schodinger equations modulated in the bspace and time. The approach allows us to obatin solitons with large variety of solutions depending on the nonlinearity and the potential profiles. As examples we show three cases with soliton solution in such system, one of them with potential varying between repulsive and attractive behavior and the others with nonlinearity localized and delocalized, respectively.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figure

Controlling Statistical Properties of a Cooper Pair Box Interacting with a Nanomechanical Resonator

We investigate the quantum entropy, its power spectrum, and the excitation inversion of a Cooper pair box interacting with a nanomechanical resonator, the first initially prepared in its excited state, the second prepared in a "cat"-state. The method uses the Jaynes-Cummings model with damping, with different decay rates of the Cooper pair box and distinct detuning conditions, including time dependent detunings. Concerning the entropy, it is found that the time dependent detuning turns the entanglement more stable in comparison with previous results in literature. With respect to the Cooper pair box excitation inversion, while the presence of detuning destroys the its collapses and revivals, it is shown that with a convenient time dependent detuning one recovers such events in a nice way.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figure

Physical and electrical characteristics of EDM debris

AbstractIn EDM, debris plays a key role in the electrical conditions of the discharge gap prior to each spark. Despite this, analysis of debris at all length-scales has not yet been performed, and therefore the nature of debris produced by electrical discharge processes is not fully understood. In this study debris created by the machining of two electrode materials set as negative polarity, silicon and titanium carbide, was centrifuged and imaged using SEM and TEM. From this analysis it was shown that electrode debris is 1nm or lower and up to 10μm in size. Population analysis of the particle size distribution was used to inform an electric field model based on a lattice Boltzmann method framework, simulating the effect of the presence of such debris on the electric field strength. This method is shown to be able to capture the local variation of the electric field and predict qualitatively the correct trend of the electric field strength increasing against the debris concentration. Such data is important for prediction and control of discharge gap size, as well as understanding the impact of a build-up of debris on uncontrolled sparking

Development of an estimation model for the evaluation of the energy requirement of dilute acid pretreatments of biomass

This study aims to develop a mathematical model to evaluate the energy required by pretreatment processes used in the production of second generation ethanol. A dilute acid pretreatment process reported by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was selected as an example for the model's development. The energy demand of the pretreatment process was evaluated by considering the change of internal energy of the substances, the reaction energy, the heat lost and the work done to/by the system based on a number of simplifying assumptions. Sensitivity analyses were performed on the solid loading rate, temperature, acid concentration and water evaporation rate. The results from the sensitivity analyses established that the solids loading rate had the most significant impact on the energy demand. The model was then verified with data from the NREL benchmark process. Application of this model on other dilute acid pretreatment processes reported in the literature illustrated that although similar sugar yields were reported by several studies, the energy required by the different pretreatments varied significantly

Genetic and functional interaction network analysis reveals global enrichment of regulatory T cell genes influencing basal cell carcinoma susceptibility

Published online: 06 February 2021BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin is the most common form of human cancer, with more than 90% of tumours presenting with clear genetic activation of the Hedgehog pathway. However, polygenic risk factors affecting mechanisms such as DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoints or which modulate the tumour microenvironment or host immune system play significant roles in determining whether genetic mutations culminate in BCC development. We set out to define background genetic factors that play a role in influencing BCC susceptibility via promoting or suppressing the effects of oncogenic drivers of BCC. METHODS: We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on 17,416 cases and 375,455 controls. We subsequently performed statistical analysis by integrating data from population-based genetic studies of multi-omics data, including blood- and skin-specific expression quantitative trait loci and methylation quantitative trait loci, thereby defining a list of functionally relevant candidate BCC susceptibility genes from our GWAS loci. We also constructed a local GWAS functional interaction network (consisting of GWAS nearest genes) and another functional interaction network, consisting specifically of candidate BCC susceptibility genes. RESULTS: A total of 71 GWAS loci and 46 functional candidate BCC susceptibility genes were identified. Increased risk of BCC was associated with the decreased expression of 26 susceptibility genes and increased expression of 20 susceptibility genes. Pathway analysis of the functional candidate gene regulatory network revealed strong enrichment for cell cycle, cell death, and immune regulation processes, with a global enrichment of genes and proteins linked to TReg cell biology. CONCLUSIONS: Our genome-wide association analyses and functional interaction network analysis reveal an enrichment of risk variants that function in an immunosuppressive regulatory network, likely hindering cancer immune surveillance and effective antitumour immunity.Christelle Adolphe, Angli Xue, Atefeh Taherian Fard, Laura A. Genovesi, Jian Yang and Brandon J. Wainwrigh

Correntropy: Implications of nonGaussianity for the moment expansion and deconvolution

Accepted versio

Electron interference and entanglement in coupled 1D systems with noise

We estimate the role of noise in the formation of entanglement and in the appearance of single- and two-electron interference in systems of coupled one-dimensional channels semiconductors. Two cases are considered: a single-particle interferometer and a two-particle interferometer exploiting Coulomb interaction. In both of them, environmental noise yields a randomization of the carrier phases. Our results assess how that the complementarity relation linking single-particle behavior to nonlocal quantities, such as entanglement and environment-induced decoherence, acts in electron interferometry. We show that, in a experimental implementation of the setups examined, one- and two-electron detection probability at the output drains can be used to evaluate the decoherence phenomena and the degree of entanglement.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. v2: added some references and corrected tex

Neutron Structure Function and A=3 Mirror Nuclei

We investigate deep inelastic scattering from He-3 and H-3 within a conventional convolution treatment of binding and Fermi motion effects. Using realistic Faddeev wave functions together with a nucleon spectral function, we demonstrate that the free neutron structure function can be extracted in deep-inelastic scattering from A=3 mirror nuclei, with nuclear effects canceling to within 2% for x < 0.85.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, version to appear in Phys. Lett.