Loss of Prestress, Camber, and Deflection of Non-Composite and Composite Structures Using Different Weight Concretes, HR-137, 1970

General equations are presented for predicting loss of prestress and camber of both composite and non- composite prestressed concrete structures. Continuous time functins of all parameters needed to solve the equations are given, and sample results included. Computed prestress loss and camber are compared with experimental data for normal weight and lightweight concrete. Methods are also presented for predicting the effect of non-prestressed tension steel in reducing time-dependent loss of prestress and camber, and for the determination of short-time deflections of uncracked and cracked prestressed members. Comparisons with experimental results are indicated for these partially prestressed methods.

Stereoselective Acetate Aldol Reactions From Metal Enolates

This review deals with metal enolate-mediated stereoselective acetate aldol reactions. It summarizes recent advances on aldol additions of unsubstituted metal enolates from chiral auxiliaries, stoichiometric and catalytic Lewis acids, or acting in substrate- controlled reactions, which provide stereocontrolled aldol transformations that allow the efficient synthesis of structurally complex natural products.

L'exploitation des ressources végétales dans les Pyrénées orientales durant l'holocène: analyse anthracologique des structures d'élevage, de four et de charbonnières dans l'Alt Urgell (Chaîne du Cadí) et la Vallée du Madriu (Andorre)

Dans ce travail, nous présentons le résultat des recherches anthracologiques réalisées sur des sites archéologiques de haute montagne dans les Pyrénées orientales. Cette recherche s’insère dans un projet d’archéologie du paysage. Les zones d’étude se situent dans les Pré-Pyrénées sur le versant méridional de la chaîne du Cadí (vallée de la Vansa, Alt Urgell), et dans la vallée du Madriu, située dans les Pyrénées axiales, en Andorre. Le but principal de l’analyse anthracologique a été de connaître et comprendre la dynamique et la relation qui unissent les populations qui ont occupé ces vallées avec le milieu forestier de haute montagne. Les échantillons ont été récupérés sur des structures archéologiques associés à l’exploitation forestière (charbonnières, fours pour la fabrication de résine), au pastoralisme (cabanes et enclos) et à l’exploitation minière-métallurgique (four de grillage), avec une chronologie qui débute au Néolithique Ancien et finit à l’époque moderne et contemporaine (XVIII-XIXe siècles). Les résultats indiquent une variabilité taxonomique pauvre avec la présence majoritaire du Pinus et la présence ponctuelle d’autres espèces arbustives (Ericaceae et Juniperus) et arborées, comme Betula alba ou Abies alba. Différentes formations végétales de haute montagne ont été identifiées, selon leur localisation en versant ensoleillé ou ombragé, ainsi que leur altitude. Les résultats montrent des traces d’exploitation forestière dès le Néolithique Ancien, une intensification des activités à l’Antiquité, même si l’impact anthropique majeur correspond à l’activité de charbonnage d’époque moderne.

The Dutung-Thaktote extensional fault zone and nappe structures documented by illite crystallinity and clay-mineral paragenesis in the Tethys Himalaya between Spiti river and Tso Morari, NW India

Numerous measurements by XRD of the Scherrer width at half-peak height (001 reflection of illite), coupled with analyses of clay-size assemblages, provide evidence for strong variations in the conditions of low temperature metamorphism in the Tethyan Himalaya metasediments between the Spiti river and the Tso Morari. Three sectors can be distinguished along the Spiti river-Tso Morari transect. In the SW, the Takling and Parang La area is characterised by a metamorphism around anchizone-epizone boundary conditions. Further north, in the Dutung area, the metamorphic grade abruptly decreases to weak diagenesis, with the presence of mixed-layered clay phases. At the end of the profile towards the NE, a progressive metamorphic increase up to greenschist facies is recorded, marked by the appearance of biotite and chloritoid. The combination of these data with the structural. observations permits to propose that a nappe stack has been crosscut by the younger Dutung-Thaktote extensional fault zone (DTFZ). The change in metamorphism across this zone helps to assess the displacements which occurred during synorogenic extension. In the SW and NE parts of the studied transect, a burial of 12 km has been estimated, assuming a geothermal gradient of 25 degrees C/km. In the SW part, this burial is due to the juxtaposition of the Shikar Beh and Mata nappes and in the NE part, solely to burial beneath the Mata nappe. In the central part of the profile, the effect of the DTFZ is to bring down diagenetic sediments in-between the two aforesaid metamorphic zones. The offset along the Dutung-Thaktote normal faults is estimated at 16 km.

Structural, metamorphic and geochronological relations between the Zanskar Shear Zone and the Miyar Shear Zone (NW Indian Himalaya): Evidence for two distinct tectonic structures and implications for the evolution of the High Himalayan Crystalline of Zanskar

The geologic structures and metamorphic zonation of the northwestern Indian Himalaya contrast significantly with those in the central and eastern parts of the range, where the high-grade metamorphic rocks of the High Himalayan Crystalline (HHC) thrust southward over the weakly metamorphosed sediments of the Lesser Himalaya along the Main Central Thrust (MCT). Indeed, the hanging wall of the MCT in the NW Himalaya mainly consists of the greenschist facies metasediments of the Chamba zone, whereas HHC high-grade rocks are exposed more internally in the range as a large-scale dome called the Gianbul dome. This Gianbul dome is bounded by two oppositely directed shear zones, the NE-dipping Zanskar Shear Zone (ZSZ) on the northern flank and the SW-dipping Miyar Shear Zone (MSZ) on the southern limb. Current models for the emplacement of the HHC in NW India as a dome structure differ mainly in terms of the roles played by both the ZSZ and the MSZ during the tectonothermal evolution of the HHC. In both the channel flow model and wedge extrusion model, the ZSZ acts as a backstop normal fault along which the high-grade metamorphic rocks of the HHC of Zanskar are exhumed. In contrast, the recently proposed tectonic wedging model argues that the ZSZ and the MSZ correspond to one single detachment system that operates as a subhorizontal backthrust off of the MCT. Thus, the kinematic evolution of the two shear zones, the ZSZ and the MSZ, and their structural, metamorphic and chronological relations appear to be diagnostic features for discriminating the different models. In this paper, structural, metamorphic and geochronological data demonstrate that the MSZ and the ZSZ experienced two distinct kinematic evolutions. As such, the data presented in this paper rule out the hypothesis that the MSZ and the ZSZ constitute one single detachment system, as postulated by the tectonic wedging model. Structural, metamorphic and geochronological data are used to present an alternative tectonic model for the large-scale doming in the NW Indian Himalaya involving early NE-directed tectonics, weakness in the upper crust, reduced erosion at the orogenic front and rapid exhumation along both the ZSZ and the MSZ.

Profile Following for Inspection of Underwater Structures

We present a seabed profile estimation and following method for close proximity inspection of 3D underwater structures using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The presented method is used to determine a path allowing the AUV to pass its sensors over all points of the target structure, which is known as coverage path planning. Our profile following method goes beyond traditional seabed following at a safe altitude and exploits hovering capabilities of recent AUV developments. A range sonar is used to incrementally construct a local probabilistic map representation of the environment and estimates of the local profile are obtained via linear regression. Two behavior-based controllers use these estimates to perform horizontal and vertical profile following. We build upon these tools to address coverage path planning for 3D underwater structures using a (potentially inaccurate) prior map and following cross-section profiles of the target structure. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated using the GIRONA 500 AUV both in simulation using synthetic and real-world bathymetric data and in pool trials

Characterization of phosphate structures in biochar from swine bones

The objective of this work was to develop an alternative methodology to study and characterize the phosphate crystalline properties, directly associated with solubility and plant availability, in biochar from swine bones. Some phosphate symmetry properties of pyrolyzed swine bones were established, using solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, principal component analysis, and multivariate curve resolution analysis, on four pyrolyzed samples at different carbonization intensities. Increasing carbonization parameters (temperature or residence time) generates diverse phosphate structures, increasing their symmetry and decreasing the crossed polarizability of the pair ¹H-31P, producing phosphates with, probably, lower solubility than the ones produced at lower carbonization intensity. Additionally, a new methodology is being developed to study and characterize phosphate crystalline properties directly associated with phosphate solubility and availability to plants.

Ultrastructural analysis of neuronal plasticity in the adult mouse

ABSTRACT Adult neuronal plasticity is a term that corresponds to a set of biological mechanisms allowing a neuronal circuit to respond and adapt to modifications of the received inputs. Mystacial whiskers of the mouse are the starting point of a major sensory pathway that provides the animal with information from its immediate environment. Through whisking, information is gathered that allows the animal to orientate itself and to recognize objects. This sensory system is crucial for nocturnal behaviour during which vision is not of much use. Sensory information of the whiskers are sent via brainstem and thalamus to the primary somatosensory area (S1) of the cerebral cortex in a strictly topological manner. Cell bodies in the layer N of S 1 are arranged in ring forming structures called barrels. As such, each barrel corresponds to the cortical representation in layer IV of a single whisker follicle. This histological feature allows to identify with uttermost precision the part of the cortex devoted to a given whisker and to study modifications induced by different experimental conditions. The condition used in the studies of my thesis is the passive stimulation of one whisker in the adult mouse for a period of 24 hours. It is performed by glueing a piece of metal on one whisker and placing the awake animal in a cage surrounded by an electromagnetic coil that generates magnetic field burst inducing whisker movement at a given frequency during 24 hours. I analysed the ultrastructure of the barrel corresponding the stimulated whisker using serial sections electron microscopy and computer-based three-dimensional reconstructions; analysis of neighbouring, unstimulated barrels as well as those from unstimulated mice served as control. The following elements were structurally analyzed: the spiny dendrites, the axons of excitatory as well as inhibitory cells, their connections via synapses and the astrocytic processes. The density of synapses and spines is upregulated in a barrel corresponding to a stimulated whisker. This upregulation is absent in the BDNF heterozygote mice, indicating that a certain level of activity-dependent released BDNF is required for synaptogenesis in the adult cerebral cortex. Synpaptogenesis is correlated with a modification of the astrocytes that place themselves in closer vicinity of the excitatory synapses on spines. Biochemical analysis revealed that the astrocytes upregulate the expression of transporters by which they internalise glutamate, the neurotransmitter responsible for the excitatory response of cortical neurons. In the final part of my thesis, I show that synaptogenesis in the stimulated barrel is due to the increase in the size of excitatory axonal boutons that become more frequently multisynaptic, whereas the inhibitory axons do not change their morphology but form more synapses with spines apposed to them. Taken together, my thesis demonstrates that all the cellular elements present in the neuronal tissue of the adult brain contribute to activity-dependent cortical plasticity and form part of a mechanism by which the animal responds to a modified sensory experience. Throughout life, the neuronal circuit keeps the faculty to adapt its function. These adaptations are partially transitory but some aspects remain and could be the structural basis of a memory trace in the cortical circuit. RESUME La plasticité neuronale chez l'adulte désigne un ensemble de mécanismes biologiques qui permettent aux circuits neuronaux de répondre et de s'adapter aux modifications des stimulations reçues. Les vibrisses des souris sont un système crucial fournissant des informations sensorielles au sujet de l'environnement de l'animal. L'information sensorielle collectée par les vibrisses est envoyée via le tronc cérébral et le thalamus à l'aire sensorielle primaire (S 1) du cortex cérébral en respectant strictement la somatotopie. Les corps cellulaires dans la couche IV de S 1 sont organisés en anneaux délimitant des structures nommées tonneaux. Chaque tonneau reçoit l'information d'une seule vibrisse et l'arrangement des tonneaux dans le cortex correspond à l'arrangement des vibrisses sur le museau de la souris. Cette particularité histologique permet de sélectionner avec certitude la partie du cortex dévolue à une vibrisse et de l'étudier dans diverses conditions. Le paradigme expérimental utilisé dans cette thèse est la stimulation passive d'une seule vibrisse durant 24 heures. Pour ce faire, un petit morceau de métal est collé sur une vibrisse et la souris est placée dans une cage entourée d'une bobine électromagnétique générant un champ qui fait vibrer le morceau de métal durant 24 heures. Nous analysons l'ultrastructure du cortex cérébral à l'aide de la microscopie électronique et des coupes sériées permettant la reconstruction tridimensionnelle à l'aide de logiciels informatiques. Nous observons les modifications des structures présentes : les dendrites épineuses, les axones des cellules excitatrices et inhibitrices, leurs connections par des synapses et les astrocytes. Le nombre de synapses et d'épines est augmenté dans un tonneau correspondant à une vibrisse stimulée 24 heures. Basé sur cela, nous montrons dans ces travaux que cette réponse n'est pas observée dans des souris hétérozygotes BDNF+/-. Cette neurotrophine sécrétée en fonction de l'activité neuronale est donc nécessaire pour la synaptogenèse. La synaptogenèse est accompagnée d'une modification des astrocytes qui se rapprochent des synapses excitatrices au niveau des épines dendritiques. Ils expriment également plus de transporteurs chargés d'internaliser le glutamate, le neurotransmetteur responsable de la réponse excitatrice des neurones. Nous montrons aussi que les axones excitateurs deviennent plus larges et forment plus de boutons multi-synaptiques à la suite de la stimulation tandis que les axones inhibiteurs ne changent pas de morphologie mais forment plus de synapses avec des épines apposées à leur membrane. Tous les éléments analysés dans le cerveau adulte ont maintenu la capacité de réagir aux modifications de l'activité neuronale et répondent aux modifications de l'activité permettant une constante adaptation à de nouveaux environnements durant la vie. Les circuits neuronaux gardent la capacité de créer de nouvelles synapses. Ces adaptations peuvent être des réponses transitoires aux stimuli mais peuvent aussi laisser une trace mnésique dans les circuits.

Survival of zirconia- and metal-supported fixed dental prostheses: a systematic review

Purpose: The aim of this review was to systematically evaluate and compare the frequency of veneer chipping and core fracture of zirconia fixed dental prostheses (FOPS) and porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) FDPs and determine possible influencing factors. Materials and Methods: The SCOPUS database and International Association of Dental Research abstracts were searched for clinical studies involving zirconia and PFM FDPs. Furthermore, studies that were integrated into systematic reviews on PFM FDPs were also evaluated. The principle investigators of any clinical studies on zirconia FDPs were contacted to provide additional information. Based on the available information for each FOP, a data file was constructed. Veneer chipping was divided into three grades (grade 1 = polishing, grade 2 = repair, grade 3 = replacement). To assess the frequency of veneer chipping and possible influencing factors, a piecewise exponential model was used to adjust for a study effect. Results: None of the studies on PFM FDPs (reviews and additional searching) sufficiently satisfied the criteria of this review to be included. Thirteen clinical studies on zirconia FDPs and two studies that investigated both zirconia and PFM FDPs were identified. These studies involved 664 zirconia and 134 PFM FDPs at baseline. Follow-up data were available for 595 zirconia and 127 PFM FDPs. The mean observation period was approximately 3 years for both groups. The frequency of core fracture was less than 1% in the zirconia group and 0% in the PFM group. When all studies were included, 142 veneer chippings were recorded for zirconia FDPs (24%) and 43 for PFM FDPs (34%). However, the studies differed extensively with regard to veneer chipping of zirconia: 85% of all chippings occurred in 4 studies, and 43% of all chippings included zirconia FDPs. If only studies that evaluated both types of core materials were included, the frequency of chipping was 54% for the zirconia-supported FDPs and 34% for PFM FDPs. When adjusting the survival rate for the study effect, the difference between zirconia and PFM FDPs was statistically significant for all grades of chippings (P = .001), as well as for chipping grade 3 (P = .02). If all grades of veneer chippings were taken into account, the survival of PFM FDPs was 97%, while the survival rate of the zirconia FDPs was 90% after 3 years for a typical study. For both PFM and zirconia FDPs, the frequency of grades 1 and 2 veneer chippings was considerably higher than grade 3. Veneer chipping was significantly less frequent in pressed materials than in hand-layered materials, both for zirconia and PFM FDPs (P = .04). Conclusions: Since the frequency of veneer chipping was significantly higher in the zirconia FDPs than PFM FDPs, and as refined processing procedures have started to yield better results in the laboratory, new clinical studies with these new procedures must confirm whether the frequency of veneer chipping can be reduced to the level of PFM. Int J Prosthodont 2010;23:493-502

General electromagnetic simulation tool to predict the microwave nonlinear response of planar, arbitrarily-shaped HTS structures

This work describes a simulation tool being developed at UPC to predict the microwave nonlinear behavior of planar superconducting structures with very few restrictions on the geometry of the planar layout. The software is intended to be applicable to most structures used in planar HTS circuits, including line, patch, and quasi-lumped microstrip resonators. The tool combines Method of Moments (MoM) algorithms for general electromagnetic simulation with Harmonic Balance algorithms to take into account the nonlinearities in the HTS material. The Method of Moments code is based on discretization of the Electric Field Integral Equation in Rao, Wilton and Glisson Basis Functions. The multilayer dyadic Green's function is used with Sommerfeld integral formulation. The Harmonic Balance algorithm has been adapted to this application where the nonlinearity is distributed and where compatibility with the MoM algorithm is required. Tests of the algorithm in TM010 disk resonators agree with closed-form equations for both the fundamental and third-order intermodulation currents. Simulations of hairpin resonators show good qualitative agreement with previously published results, but it is found that a finer meshing would be necessary to get correct quantitative results. Possible improvements are suggested.

Metal leaching from a limestone quarry minesoil made with thermally-dried sewage sludge

Peer Reviewed

Logistics Management in China's Development Zones - Finnish Metal Industry Perspective

Alikehittynyt infrastruktuuri, tiukat säädökset ja säädösten tulkitseminen, sekä monimutkaiset verotuskäytännöt ovat aiheuttaneet ongelmia suomalaisille Alikehittynyt infrastruktuuri, tiukat säädökset ja säädösten tulkitseminen, sekä monimutkaiset verotuskäytännöt ovat aiheuttaneet ongelmia suomalaisille yrityksille Kiinassa. Tutkimuksen perusteella yritykset eivät pysty vaikuttamaan infrastruktuurin kehittymiseen tai säädösten implementointiin, mutta ylläpitämällä suhteita ja valitsemalla oikeat partnerit yritykset pystyvät hallitsemaan ongelma-alueitaan. Etenkin ulkomaalaisille yrityksille oikean logistiikkaoperaattorin valinta on tärkeätä ja huomioon ottaen palvelutason, kulttuuritaustan sekä kansainväliset operaatiot on ulkomaalaisten yritysten tehokkaampaa käyttää kansainvälisiä operaattoreita kuin paikallisia toimijoita, jotkaovat usein halvempia, mutta eivät pysty toimimaan kansainvälisellä tasolla. Vientiin keskittyneiden yritysten tulisi sijoittua vapaakauppa-alueille tai vientiin painottuneille teollisuusalueille. Kyseisillä alueilla liiketoiminta mannermaahan on rajoitettu, eivätkä alueet täten sovellu yrityksille, jotka ovat keskittyneet Kiinan markkinoille. Paikallisesti operoivien yritysten tulisi sijoittua normaaleihin teollisuuspuistoihin ja käyttää tullin valvomia varastoja tukemaan kansainvälisiä toimintojaan.Tulisi myös muistaa etteivät kiinalaiset teollisuuspuistot täytä kansainvälisiä kriteerejä, joten säädöksiin on tärkeätä tutustua huolella jamielipiteitä kerätä toisilta yrityksiltä. Kiinassa merkittävimmät logistiikkaongelmat ilmenevät tuonnin ja viennin yhteydessä, jolloin säädökset ja toimintamallit ovat kontrolloidumpia. Etenkin tullaus- ja arvonlisävero ongelmat liittyvät kiinteästi tuonti- ja vientiprosessiin. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittivat, että tullausprosessi tehostuu yhteistyön ja koulutuksen kautta, mutta arvonlisäverosta aiheutuvien kustannusten minimointi vaatii logistiikkapuistojen käyttöä. Mikäli asiakas haluaa tehdä tullauksen kotiprovinssissaan tai yritys tekee kauppaa ALV -vapautettujen yritysten kanssa, tulisi logistiikkapuistojen käyttöä lisätä. Käytettäessä logistiikkapuistoja yritykset välttävät tuotteiden kuljetukset Hongkongiin jatakaisin säästäen huomattavasti kustannuksissa ja toimitusajoissa. Logistiikkapuistoja on myös mahdollista käyttää ratkaisuna kasvaviin ja viivästyviin ALV palautuksiin. Tutkimuksen tulosten mukaan toimintaympäristö ja vientipainotteinen valmistus ohjaavat 3PL yritysten valintaa ja vaihtoehtoisten logistiikkapalvelujen implementointia. Etabloiduttaessavapaakauppa-alueille vientiin ja tuontiin liittyvät ongelmatekijät vahvistuvat sekä rajoitukset kiinan liiketoimintaan kasvavat, mikä tekee yhteistyönkansainvälisten logistiikkaoperaattoreiden kanssa välttämättömäksi ja kannustaa hyödyntämään logistiikkapuistoja.

A support system for evaluating a suitable joining method in the production of sheet metal goods

This report illustrates a comparative study of various joining methods involved in sheet metal production. In this report it shows the selection of joining methods, which includes comparing the advantages and disadvantages of a method over the other ones and choosing the best method for joining. On the basis of various joining process from references, a table is generated containing set of criterion that helps in evaluation of various sheet metal joining processes and in selecting the most suitable process for a particular product. Three products are selected and a comprehensive study of the joining methods is analyzed with the help of various parameters. The table thus is the main part of the analysis process of this study and can be advanced with the beneficial results. It helps in a better and easy understanding and comparing the various methods, which provides the foundation of this study and analysis. The suitability of the joining method for various types of cases of different sheet metal products can be tested with the help of this table. The sections of the created table display the requirements of manufacturing. The important factor has been considered and given focus in the table, as how the usage of these parameters is important in percentages according to particular or individual case. The analysis of the methods can be extended or altered by changing the parameters according to the constraint. The use of this table is demonstrated by pertaining the cases from sheet metal production.