Disproportionate collapse of a cable-stayed bridge

The disproportionate collapse of an existing cable-stayed bridge was investigated at the numerical level by employing a validated model from the literature and the applied-element method. An earthquake input was used for the numerical simulations and applied at increasing intensity to assess the bridge response. The role of redundancy in the bridge structural scheme was proved to be a strategic measure for avoiding disproportionate collapse and improving robustness. Therefore, an alternative configuration of the structural scheme was assessed as a possible countermeasure to improve the response of the cable-stayed bridge by providing different loading paths against disproportionate collapse. New redundancy indices that account for the system reserve resources are also introduced

A methodology to quantify debris generation after a seismic event

Seismic damage simulation at the regional scale can potentially provide valuable information that can facilitate decision making, enhance planning for disaster mitigation, and reduce human and economic losses. When an earthquake happens, building damage assessment is one of the important issues in earthquake loss estimation. The amount of debris generated and the effects on related critical infrastructures is also an essential information to evaluate. Indeed, as cascading consequence of debris accumulation, the road network can be interrupted. This entails an overall increase in the average number of people who have difficulty evacuating, with high risk that residents cannot evacuate any areas. This study proposes a method to evaluate the debris affected area and the debris amount as a function of the geometric characteristics and the level of damage of the buildings. The first part of this work is focused on the evaluation of the debris area’s extension by numerical simulations. Comparison of the results with images of real seismic damaged structures allows the validation of the results. Besides, experimental tests on a small shaking table are performed to validate the numerical simulations. A mathematic model based on the results is also proposed

Practice patterns and 90-day treatment-related morbidity in early-stage cervical cancer

To evaluate the impact of the Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) Trial on patterns of care and surgery-related morbidity in early-stage cervical cancer

A simplified method to assess generation of seismic debris for masonry structures

Seismic damage simulation at the regional scale provides valuable information that can facilitate decision making and disaster mitigation, reducing both human and economic losses. Building damage assessment after an earthquake event is one of the crucial activities in seismic loss estimation. The amount of generated debris and the associated effects on critical infrastructures are also essential information to evaluate. Indeed, as cascading consequence of debris accumulation, the road network can be interrupted. This entails an overall increase in the average number of people who have difficulty to evacuate, with a significant risk that some residents cannot evacuate at all. This study presents a methodology to assess the area covered by debris generated by the collapse of masonry buildings as function of the geometric characteristics of the structure. The proposed methodology allows the estimation of debris volume and can provide decision-makers with a tool to explore the community response to a disruptive event, quantifying the performance of critical infrastructure and planning better resilience strategies to minimize losses and recovery time

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pharmacological Strategies and Further Measures for Pain Relief during Hysterosonosalpingography: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies for pain relief in women during contrast-enhanced ultrasound for the assessment of tubal patency and uterine disease, compared with placebo or no intervention. In December 2021, we searched the electronic databases (Pubmed, Embase, Sciencedirect, the Cochrane library and Clinicaltrials.gov) without date restriction: We identified 10 randomized control trials (RCTs) (2098 women) eligible for this systematic review, after applying our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among these, five studies compared the use of painkillers with the placebo, two studies compared different catheter positions in the cervix or in the uterine cavity, and two others considered different temperatures of the contrast medium, as a method to reduce pain. Topical lidocaine applied before the procedure may be associated with effective pain relief during hysterosonography, though the quality of this evidence is low. New echogenic contrast agents and their temperature at 37 °C ensure a less painful procedure. There is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions on the efficacy of other analgesics or strategies