bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE SCOPE OF APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW TO NON-INTERNATIONAL ARMED CONFLICTS
Authors: Londoño Camargo Tatiana
Published: December 2015

Desde el momento de la expedición de los Convenios de Ginebra de 1949, ha existido una confusión latente entre los Estados que atraviesan situaciones de violencia interna acerca de si existen o no conflictos armados no-internacionales en sus territorios nacionales, dado que ni el Artículo 3 Común a los Convenios ni el Protocolo Adicional II de 1977 definen qué es un conflicto. Por tanto, este documento investigativo busca aclarar mediante el análisis de la legislación, jurisprudencia y doctrina vigentes este asunto, delimitando cuál es el margen de aplicación del Derecho Internacional Humanitario a los conflictos armados no-internacionales. Posteriormente, se busca aclarar otro interrogante común: ¿el Derecho Internacional Humanitario aplica exclusivamente a los Estados Parte, o aplica también de manera directa a los agentes no estatales? Finalmente, este documento busca proponer muy brevemente, una solución plausible a la problemática de la confusión que una ausencia de definición clara sobre conflicto armado plantea, en detrimento claro de la protección que en los conflictos debe brindárseles en todo momento a los hors de combat o población protegida.
BRASIL Y CHILE: DIVERSAS ESTRATEGIAS DE INTEGRACIÓN COMERCIAL, DIFERENTES LEYES Y POLÍTICAS DE PROPIEDAD INDUSTRIAL
Authors: Binimelis-Espinoza Helder
Published: December 2015

En la actualidad, hay una doble tendencia en materia de propiedad intelectual. Por una parte, un giro desde una lógica del derecho a una comercial, en la medida en que los acuerdos internacionales de propiedad intelectual se firman como “anexos” de acuerdos y tratados internacionales, y no como acuerdos legales autónomos. Por otra parte, una tendencia a la homogeneización de las leyes de propiedad intelectual orientadas a una mayor rigurosidad en plazos de protección y sanciones legales, sin tomar en cuenta las diferencias de países con estructuras productivas diversas, y sin evaluar el impacto de la propiedad intelectual en procesos de desarrollo. A partir de la observación de los casos de Brasil y Chile (acuerdos comerciales internacionales, leyes y políticas de propiedad industrial), se ofrece un contraste a estas tendencias, partiendo del supuesto de que diferentes estrategias internacionales de integración generan marcos legales y políticas públicas de propiedad industrial significativamente diferentes. A partir de la comparación, se concluye que poseer mayor autonomía internacional permite generar leyes y políticas de la propiedad intelectual que se convierten en un instrumento para el desarrollo.
EL CONTRATO DE GESTIÓN DE LOS REPRESENTANTES DE LOS ARTISTAS INTÉRPRETES Y EJECUTANTES MUSICALES. UN ESTUDIO DESDE EL ORDENAMIENTO JURÍDICO CUBANO
Authors: Ordelin-Font Jorge Luis
Published: December 2015

La institución de la representación voluntaria tiene su causa en el propósito
subyacente en la relación de gestión. Su concreción en el ámbito de la interpretación y ejecución musical queda configurada a partir del contrato de gestión que se establece entre el artista y el representante, figura contractual en la que confluyen las peculiaridades del régimen jurídico de la representación voluntaria y de la protección de los artistas intérpretes y ejecutantes. El contrato de gestión de los representantes musicales es aquel contrato por medio del cual el representante se obliga a prestar servicios de colaboración por cuenta del artista, que sean imprescindibles para la circulación de la interpretación o ejecución, como producto cultural, a los que el artista no se puede dedicar y tampoco quiere, por estar inmerso en el proceso creativo. Este contrato es atípico, consensual, bilateral dado su onerosidad, aunque nada obsta para que sea gratuito, de duración prolongada. Sustentado en los principios de exclusividad, confianza mutua y lealtad recíproca.
EL PAPEL DE LAS AUTORIDADES TERRITORIALES EN LA DEFINICIÓN DE ZONAS EXCLUSIÓN O RESTRICCIÓN MINERA
Authors: Güiza-Suárez Leonardo , Rodríguez-Barajas Cristhian David
Published: December 2015

El desarrollo de la actividad minera genera tensiones entre los intereses del nivel central del Estado y las entidades territoriales locales sobre las que recaen las consecuencias ambientales, sociales y culturales de la extracción. Esto ha traído un debate jurídico sobre la prevalencia entre los principios del Estado unitario y la utilidad pública e interés social de la industria minera de una parte y, de otra, la autonomía territorial y la utilidad pública e interés social del medio ambiente. Este artículo de reflexión esclarece el papel que desempeñan las entidades territoriales en la adopción de decisiones relacionadas con la actividad minera, a partir del análisis de los desarrollos reglamentarios, legales, constitucionales y jurisprudenciales sobre la materia. Esto evidencia que las autoridades territoriales cuentan con varias herramientas jurídicas que les permiten y en algunos casos les imponen el deber de participar de manera activa y eficaz en la adopción de autorizaciones para llevar a cabo las actividades mineras en su jurisdicción, lo cual se ajusta con los principios de
coordinación, concurrencia y subsidiariedad.
Scaling of Gas Diffusion Into Limited Partial Cavities
Authors: Lee In-ho , Mäkiharju Simo A. , Ganesh Harish , Ceccio Steven L.
Published: December 2015

Bubbles populations in the wake of a partial cavity resulting from gas diffusion were measured to determine the noncondensable gas flux into the cavity. The diffusion rate is related to the dissolved gas content, the local cavity pressure, and the flow within and around the cavity. The measurements are used to revisit various scaling relationships for the gas diffusion, and it is found that traditional scaling that assumes the presence of a gas pocket overpredicts the gas diffusion. A new scaling based on diffusion into the low void fraction bubbly mixture within the partial cavity is proposed, and it is shown to adequately scale the observed production of gas bubbles for dissolved air saturation from 30% to 70% at 1 atm, limited cavities on the order of 0.3–3 cm in length at a freestream speed of 8 m/s (σ = 2.3–3.3 and Reynolds number based on the cavity length of order 105).
Effects of Submergence on Low and Moderate Reynolds Number Free-Surface Flow Around a Matrix of Cubes
Authors: Ikram Z. , Avital E. J. , Williams J. J. R.
Published: December 2015

The effect of reducing submergence depth at a low and moderate Reynolds number flow is investigated using large eddy simulation (LES) around a matrix of cubes. The submerged body is modeled using an immersed boundary method, while the free-surface is accounted for using a moving mesh. Results show that for reducing the submergence depth, the forces acting on the cube reduce as the force variation increased. Variation in depth is also found to influence the level of damping and redistribution of turbulence near the free-surface boundary. Both submergence depth and Reynolds number are also found to influence the dominant free-surface signature and shedding frequencies from the cube. In the interobstacle region (IOR), the variation of Reynolds number and submergence depth is found to have little effect.
Investigation of the Predicting Ability of Single-Phase Chemical Equilibrium Modeling Applied to Circulating Fluidized Bed Coal Gasification
Authors: Kaya Ekin , Köksal Murat
Published: December 2015

In this study, a nonstoichiometric single-phase chemical equilibrium model was developed to simulate atmospheric circulating fluidized bed (CFB) coal gasifiers in reference to the available experimental and simulation data. In the literature, since the single-phase model assumes complete conversion of the solid particles to gas phase, the predictions for the resulting products of the gasifiers considerably deviate from the measured product concentrations. Two different model modifications for carbon conversion and temperature to improve the model results were tested. Particularly, carbon conversion modification has been found to improve the predictive ability significantly. The main reasons of the inaccuracy in the tested cases as well as the performance of some other modifications (quasi-equilibrium approach, empirical correlation for carbon conversion, etc.) were also discussed in comparison with the literature data. An alternative mathematical procedure that simplifies the formulation and numerical implementation was suggested as well.
Design Optimization of Dynamically Coupled Actuated Butterfly Valves Subject to a Sudden Contraction
Authors: Naseradinmousavi Peiman , Krstić Miroslav , Nataraj C.
Published: December 2015

In this effort, we present novel nonlinear modeling of two solenoid actuated butterfly valves subject to a sudden contraction and then develop an optimal configuration in the presence of highly coupled nonlinear dynamics. The valves are used in the so-called smart systems employed in a wide range of applications including bioengineering, medicine, and engineering fields. Typically, thousands of the actuated valves operate together to regulate the amount of flow and also to avoid probable catastrophic disasters which have been observed in practice. We focus on minimizing the amount of energy used in the system as one of the most critical design criteria to yield an efficient operation. We optimize the actuation subsystems interacting with the highly nonlinear flow loads in order to minimize the amount of energy consumed. The contribution of this work is the inclusion of coupled nonlinearities of electromechanical valve systems to optimize the actuation units. Stochastic, heuristic, and gradient based algorithms are utilized in seeking the optimal design of two sets. The results indicate that substantial amount of energy can be saved by an intelligent design that helps select parameters carefully and also uses flow torques to augment the closing efforts.
Gas-Enabled Resonance and Rectified Motion of a Piston in a Vibrated Housing Filled With a Viscous Liquid
Authors: Romero L. A. , Torczynski J. R. , Clausen J. R. , O'Hern T. J. , Benavides G. L.
Published: December 2015

We show how introducing a small amount of gas can completely change the motion of a solid object in a viscous liquid during vibration. We analyze an idealized system exhibiting this behavior: a piston in a liquid-filled housing with narrow gaps between piston and housing surfaces that depend on the piston position. Recent experiments have shown that vibration causes some gas to move below the piston and the piston to subsequently move downward against its supporting spring. We analyze the analogous but simpler situation in which the gas regions are replaced by bellows with similar pressure–volume relationships. We show that the spring formed by these bellows (analogous to the pneumatic spring formed by the gas regions) enables the piston and the liquid to oscillate in a mode with low damping and a strong resonance. We further show that, near this resonance, the dependence of the gap geometry on the piston position produces a large rectified (net) force on the piston. This force can be much larger than the piston weight and tends to move the piston in the direction that decreases the flow resistance of the gap geometry.
Inertia Damper Using MR Fluid With Spiraled By-Pass Pipe
Authors: Matsuoka Taichi , Yamano Shoma , Hiramoto Kazuhiko , Sunakoda Katsuaki , Abe Naoto , Lin Pei-Yang
Published: December 2015

Authors develop a unique type damper using MR fluid in order to obtain a series inertia effect for vibration suppression. The damper consists of a cylinder, a piston, and a long by-pass pipe. A rectangular gap is spirally formed at outer side of the cylinder as like a long by-pass pipe, and covered with an outer cylinder by interference fitting. Series inertia effect is caused by quickly movement of the fluid inside the by-pass pipe, and proportional to a length, density, and a ratio of cross sectional areas between the cylinder and the by-pass pipe. It is obvious from former study that not only a resonance frequency can be shifted toward low frequency, but also vibration can be cut off at an anti-resonance frequency by series inertia effect. The test damper is manufactured, and dynamic properties are investigated when it is subjected to sinusoidal wave. Force and Displacement curves are measured, and compared with theoretical results. Seismic vibration tests using 3-story benchmark structure with the damper installed are carried out. The effect of vibration suppression is evaluated, and the validity of the inertia effect is confirmed experimentally.
Simplified Rocking Model of Unanchored Cylindrical Tank Including Baseplate Uplift and Cross Sectional Deformation of Tank Shell due to Seismic Load
Authors: Kobayashi Nobuyuki , Tashita Toshiki , Takizawa Sho , Taniguchi Tomoyo
Published: December 2015

This study presents a simplified estimation method on the rocking behavior of the unanchored cylindrical liquid storage tank of which baseplate uplifts partially from its soil foundation and of which shell plate distorts its circular cross-section due to the horizontal seismic loads. Since the vertical reaction force distribution along the bottom end of shell plate, which yields resistant moment against the overturning moment due to the horizontal seismic load, deflects from sinusoidal when its baseplate uplifts partially. The out-of-plane deformation is induced in the shell plate of tank due to the axial force in the shell plate of higher harmonic number than the sinusoidal mode because of the partially uplifting of the base plate. This feature brings the vertical displacement along the bottom of shell plate redistribution, and it affects the buckling strength at the compression side of the shell plate and the bending strength at the uplifting side of the joint between the cylindrical shell plate and the baseplate. To take such a rocking behavior into account, the vertical reaction force distribution acting on the bottom of the shell plate is expanded with Fourier series and the out-of-plane deformation of shell plate is derived by the membrane theory of shell for each coefficient of Fourier series. Numerical results of tank deformations calculated by the present method are compared with those obtained by a commercial FEM code.
Semi-Active Control of Structural Systems With an Output Emulation Method Based on a Quadratic Error Function
Authors: Hiramoto Kazuhiko , Matsuoka Taichi , Sunakoda Katsuaki
Published: December 2015

A semi-active control method based on a controlled output of a targeted active control law is proposed in the study. As a conventional method, a semi-active control law based on the targeted active control input, e.g., a clipped optimal control and its related methods, is widely used for the vibration control of structural systems. In the present study, on the other hand, the controlled output of the targeted active control law is used as the reference of the semi-active control. The semi-active control strategy is referred to as “output emulation approach” and the authors showed a method based on the output emulation approach based on the predicted controlled output by assuming the targeted active control as the LQ optimal control law in the previous study. In this paper, a new output emulation semi-active control method with a quadratic error function between the controlled output signal of the semi-active control system and that of the targeted active control system. The semi-active control law minimizing the quadratic error function is obtained as a bang-bang type switching of the variable damping coefficient of the semi-active control device. The targeted active control law is defined as a state-space control with a constraint on the closed-loop pole placement. Design parameters to determine the region of the pole placement of the targeted active control system are adjusted so that the semi-active control based on the proposed output emulation approach is optimized. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is shown with a simulation example.
Effects of Soil-Structure Interaction on the Response of a Structure With Tuned Mass Dampers
Authors: Tsai Chong-Shien , Chen Hui-Chen
Published: December 2015

This paper aims at examining the effects of soil-structure interaction (SSI) on the response of a structure which is equipped with multiple tuned mass dampers (MTMD) and founded on multiple soil layers overlying bedrock. Closed-form solutions have been obtained for the entire system, which consists of a shear beam type superstructure, multiple tuned mass dampers, and multiple soil layers overlying bedrock, while subjected to ground motion. The proposed formulations simplify the problem in terms of well-known frequency ratios, mechanical impedance and mass ratio, which can take into account the effects of SSI, mass ratio of the MTMD at each excitation frequency and damping ratio in the entire system. These formulations are capable of explicitly interpreting the major dynamic behavior of a structure equipped with multiple tuned mass dampers and interacting with the multiple soil layers overlying bed rock. The SSI effects on the dynamic response of a tuned-mass-damped structure as a result of multiple soil layers overlying bedrock were extensively investigated through a series of parametric studies.
Effects of Connecting Damper on Rocking Motion of Multiple Cabinets Subjected to Seismic Excitation
Authors: Ito Tomohiro , Kihara Takatsugu , Shintani Atsuhiko , Nakagawa Chihiro
Published: December 2015

In various industrial plants such as thermal power plants, nuclear power plants and chemical plants, numerous cabinets are used for storing the electronic circuits and devices used for controlling the plants. These cabinets are very important for maintaining stable plant operation. Some of these cabinets are simply placed on the floor as free-standing structures, and in many cases, they cannot be connected to the floor using bolts or other means for various reasons. Thus, if these cabinets are subjected to very strong seismic excitations, they will experience very large rocking motions. In the worst case, they will overturn, and the installed electronic circuits or devices will collapse which will cause a loss of plant control and could result in significant accidents. Thus, rocking motion suppression methods have been proposed for these free-standing structures. The authors have also been investigating a method that utilizes a gyro system. Connecting adjacent buildings by damping devices is a well-known architectural mitigation method that is very effective at mitigating their seismic response. The effectiveness of this method was confirmed during the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

In this paper, we apply the above-mentioned connecting method to free-standing cabinets in order to suppress rocking motion. There are various types of connecting devices, such as a viscous damper. In this paper, considering the characteristics of these dampers, an elasto-plastic damper is adopted as a connecting device. Analytical models of the rocking motions of control cabinets are established, and the connecting devices are expressed as dampers with a bilinear-type force-displacement characteristic. The rocking motions of the cabinets are analyzed for sinusoidal and seismic excitations by changing the aspect ratio of the cabinets, along with the yield force in the bilinear hysteretic curve. The effects of connecting devices and various parameters are evaluated and discussed in comparison with the rocking motion of a single cabinet.

It is found that the proposed connecting method is very effective in suppressing the rocking motion of the free-standing cabinets subjected to base excitations when the hysteretic characteristics are properly adjusted.
Study on Dynamic Alternating Load on Piping Seismic Response
Authors: Kai Satoru , Otani Akihito
Published: December 2015

An inertia force resulting from excitation of a structure exposed to ground motion due to an earthquake excites the structure excited and generates a seismic force on the structure. The handling of seismic forces has been being discussed in terms of how the seismic force on a piping controls the deformation of the piping, load-controlled or displacement-controlled. A seismic design code for nuclear facilities applied in Japan qualifies this kind of seismic forces as primary stress components which shall be limited to prevent any plastic collapse, on the assumption that the seismic force mainly consists of load-controlled loads and the deformation due to earthquakes is caused by the loads.

On the other hand, theoretically, an inertia force generated from response acceleration under harmonic vibration condition of a structure tends to oppose a response displacement of the structure. Since the inertia force produced from the response acceleration counteracts the response displacement, it is assumed that unstable failures represented by plastic collapse are hardly broken out on such a condition. To figure out the tendency between those forces, several time history analysis using simplified piping models, the vibration characteristic of which were arranged to have various specified natural frequency and specified damping ratio, were performed and the relationship between the element forces which result from response displacements and the inertia forces due to response accelerations have been investigated.

The result of this investigation is expected to be useful to improve current seismic design methodology in the future.
Optimal Passive Control of Adjacent Structures Using Viscous Devices
Authors: Paolacci Fabrizio , Uckan Eren
Published: December 2015

This paper investigates the optimal vibration control of two adjacent shear beam structures coupled with horizontally oriented viscous dampers. A design methodology that is valid for two-degrees of freedom models is extended to account for multi degree of freedom structures. The response of the coupled model due to linearly filtered white noise base motions is calculated and the effectiveness of the proposed methodology is validated by performing a parametric study. The optimal response of the structures with different coupling locations along the height and damping coefficients, are considered.
Study on Seismic Safety Improvement of Hanging Type Mechanical Structure in Industrial Facilities During Long Duration Earthquake
Authors: Furuya Osamu , Yoshida Kazuhiro , Asaoka Sho , Ogata Keiji , Niiyama Nobuhiro
Published: December 2015

A lot of seismic damages of hanging type mechanical structure in industrial facilities were occurred in Great East Japan Earthquake, and the industrial functions stopped at many facilities. Moreover, fallen damage of mechanical structures from a hanging in architectural structure and the falling off of some elements in mechanical structures caused a secondary damage such as severed evacuation route. This study has been carried out to upgrade the seismic safety improvement of hanging type mechanical structure in several industrial and plant facilities from analytical and experimental approaches. In this paper, the experimental result in shaking table test is shown to investigate fallen mechanism of hanging type mechanical structure, and analytical results using nonlinear model with hysteresis damping is described. Furthermore, the evaluation of damage mechanism based on low cycle fatigue damage is conducted.
An Experimental Study on Basic Characteristics of a Magneto-Rheological Grease Damper
Authors: Sato Yusuke , Sodeyama Hiroshi , Hayama Makoto , Morishita Shin
Published: December 2015

As one of the semi-active vibration control devices for mechanical or civil structures, magneto-rheological fluid dampers have been enthusiastically studied and developed since the 1990s. A new magneto-rheological material for such dampers has been developed to provide a practical solution to the significant common drawback of sedimentation of ferromagnetic fine particles in the fluid. Industrial grease is used as the dispersion medium in this material. The thickener to be added in the grease to control the rheological properties seems to prevent separation of the particles from the dispersion medium. Several performance tests were carried out with a proto-type of the damper with the newly developed magneto-rheological grease, namely, the magneto-rheological grease damper. Based on the test results, the energy dissipation capabilities of the damper and the basic characteristics of the magneto-rheological grease were verified to provide semi-active vibration control. Moreover, the analytically-derived design formulae for the damper were improved on the basis of the test results.
Tsunami Damage to Oil Storage Tanks in the MW9.0 2011 Tohoku, Japan Earthquake
Authors: Hatayama Ken
Published: December 2015

The Mw9.0 2011 Tohoku, Japan earthquake tsunami damaged 418 oil storage tanks located along the Pacific coast of the Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Kanto Districts of Japan. A wide variety of damage was observed, including movement and deformation of the tank body, scouring of the tank base and ground, and movement or structural fracture of the pipe. In total, 157 of the 418 tanks were moved by the tsunami. By comparing the severity of damage with the inundation depth of the tsunami experienced by the oil storage tank, a fragility curve projecting the damage rate for plumbing is presented, and a rough but easy-to-use method of predicting tsunami damage to an oil storage tank from a given inundation depth is also presented: (i) for inundation depths of 2–5 m, tanks suffer damage to their plumbing, and small tanks (capacity < 100 m3) and empty larger tanks may be moved; (ii) for inundation depths of greater than 5 m, most tanks are moved. The validity of the previously-proposed tsunami tank-movement prediction method is first examined. A comparison of the method’s predictions with the actual damage data from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake tsunami indicates a high hit rate of 76%.
A Simplified Analysis Method for Elasto-Plastic Seismic Response Using the Energy Balance Equation of a Maximum Hysteresis Loop
Authors: Nakamura Gaku , Okuda Yukihiko , Ebato Shoichi , Niwa Hiroshi , Iijima Tadashi , Hirai Takamasa , Inagaki Katsuhisa
Published: December 2015

With increasing magnitude of design earthquake ground motions, it is necessary to develop methods of evaluating the seismic safety margin that are more exact than the current methods. However, a standard nonlinear analysis method requires step by step calculations of the numerical time integration scheme to obtain the seismic response. The authors present a new simplified analysis method of elasto-plastic seismic response. The proposed method is formulated by the energy balance between the input energy and the dissipated energy of an equivalent single degree of freedom model for actual equipment. Assuming the harmonic resonance of the single degree of freedom model, the maximum displacement response can be estimated conservatively. To verify the proposed method, static tests and vibration tests with cantilever-type specimens were performed. The vibration tests were conducted with sine, sweep down sine and random waves to verify the conservativeness of the proposed method. Comparisons of the maximum displacement between the tests and the proposed method show the conservative estimation of the displacement by the proposed method.
Structure Response and Clipping Factor Variabilities Using Probabilistic In-Structure Response Spectra for Functional Seismic Fragility Evaluation of Equipment
Authors: Samuelson-Sanford Cameron B. , Grant Frederic F. , Hashimoto Philip S. , Bayraktarli Yahya Y.
Published: December 2015

For seismic probabilistic safety assessment of nuclear power plants (NPPs), test-based seismic fragilities for equipment can be developed using the results of dynamic testing. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) TR-103959 [1] formulates test-based equipment fragilities by comparing broadband test response spectra (TRS) to broadband demand spectra. Alternatively, broadband capacity spectra based on earthquake experience can be compared to broadband demand spectra to develop seismic fragilities for equipment that meet the screening criteria of EPRI NP-6041-SL [2].

In-structure demand spectra can exhibit narrow spectral peaks. A clipping factor recommended by EPRI TR-103959 [1] is typically used to clip these peaks to obtain median broadband demand spectra for comparison to broadband TRS. Similarly, a clipping factor recommended by EPRI NP-6041-SL [2] is typically used to obtain conservative deterministic broadband demand spectra for seismic margin assessment.

Four methods are investigated to assess their applicability for estimating clipping factor variability and structure response variability from probabilistic in-structure response spectra (ISRS) with narrow spectral peaks. Probabilistic ISRS at a given structural degree of freedom (DOF) are obtained from thirty simulations by the Latin Hypercube Sampling method. The most rigorous method involves independently clipping each of the thirty probabilistic ISRS. Structure response and clipping factor variabilities are calculated based on statistical analyses of the thirty clipped ISRS.

The other three methods are simplified alternatives to the more rigorous method and require less quantification effort. They involve calculating the median and 84th percentile non-exceedance probability (NEP) ISRS from the thirty unclipped ISRS. The clipping factors and associated clipping factor and structural response variabilities are calculated following the guidance of EPRI TR-103959 [1] and EPRI NP-6041-SL [2].

The results of the four methods are compared, and recommendations for determining the total variability due to structure response and peak clipping are developed. Two approaches that take the lesser combined variability for structure response and clipping from two methods are found to reasonably approximate the more rigorous method.
Performance-Based Design of Buried Steel Pipes at Fault Crossings
Authors: Akbas Bulent , O’Rourke Michael , Uckan Eren , Shen Jashue , Caglar Merve
Published: December 2015

Buried steel pipes are commonly used in oil and gas industry for transmitting hydrocarbon products. Fault crossing is considered as one of the most important extreme events. Buried steel pipes are more vulnerable to compressive strains as compared to tensile strains. Therefore, the orientation angle of the pipe with respect to the fault should be arranged in such a way so as to promote net tension in the pipe.

In this study, a numerical study is carried out on a simplified numerical model to determine the seismic demand on steel pipes at fault crossings. The proposed model permits plastic hinge formation in the pipe due to incrementally applied fault movements, allow determining the critical length of the pipeline and measure strains developed on the tension and compression sides in the pipe. Based on the analyses carried out on the simple model and previous studies, two performance levels are defined for pipelines; namely, fully functional and partially functional.
Rocking Vibration of Rigid Block Under Horizontal Harmonic Excitation With Noise
Authors: Jeong ManYong
Published: December 2015

This study deals with the rocking behavior of a rigid block subjected to horizontal harmonic excitations with minute fluctuation. Nonlinear rocking behaviors may be often accompanied by minute changes of rocking system parameters, such as friction and restitution coefficients, depending on contact conditions between the block and the base. In this paper, the minute fluctuation of excitation amplitude is imitated by random numbers with normal probability distribution and the fluctuation range is adjusted by their standard deviation. Analytical results in our previous studies have shown that rocking responses are very sensitive to small changes of friction coefficients and noise included in the excitation and the distribution of rocking response is greatly affected by the effects. Nonrecurring rocking responses observed in our previous experimental works have been reproduced by simulation considering minute fluctuation of excitation amplitude. Minute changes of excitation amplitude make the rocking response unstable and aperiodic, and distribution of rocking responses is also massively changed by adding the excitation noise.
Experimental validation of a topology optimized acoustic cavity
Authors: Christiansen Rasmus E. , Sigmund Ole , Fernandez-Grande Efren
Published: December 2015

This paper presents the experimental validation of an acoustic cavity designed using topology optimization with the goal of minimizing the sound pressure locally for monochromatic excitation. The presented results show good agreement between simulations and measurements. The effect of damping, errors in the production of the cavity, and variations in operating frequency is discussed and the importance of taking these factors into account in the modeling process is highlighted.
Health economic burden that wounds impose on the National Health Service in the UK
Authors: Guest Julian F , Ayoub Nadia , McIlwraith Tracey , Uchegbu Ijeoma , Gerrish Alyson , Weidlich Diana , Vowden Kathryn , Vowden Peter
Published: December 2015

Objective

To estimate the prevalence of wounds managed by the UK's National Health Service (NHS) in 2012/2013 and the annual levels of healthcare resource use attributable to their management and corresponding costs.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort analysis of the records of patients in The Health Improvement Network (THIN) Database. Records of 1000 adult patients who had a wound in 2012/2013 (cases) were randomly selected and matched with 1000 patients with no history of a wound (controls). Patients’ characteristics, wound-related health outcomes and all healthcare resource use were quantified and the total NHS cost of patient management was estimated at 2013/2014 prices.

Results

Patients’ mean age was 69.0 years and 45% were male. 76% of patients presented with a new wound in the study year and 61% of wounds healed during the study year. Nutritional deficiency (OR 0.53; p<0.001) and diabetes (OR 0.65; p<0.001) were independent risk factors for non-healing. There were an estimated 2.2 million wounds managed by the NHS in 2012/2013. Annual levels of resource use attributable to managing these wounds and associated comorbidities included 18.6 million practice nurse visits, 10.9 million community nurse visits, 7.7 million GP visits and 3.4 million hospital outpatient visits. The annual NHS cost of managing these wounds and associated comorbidities was £5.3 billion. This was reduced to between £5.1 and £4.5 billion after adjusting for comorbidities.

Conclusions

Real world evidence highlights wound management is predominantly a nurse-led discipline. Approximately 30% of wounds lacked a differential diagnosis, indicative of practical difficulties experienced by non-specialist clinicians. Wounds impose a substantial health economic burden on the UK's NHS, comparable to that of managing obesity (£5.0 billion). Clinical and economic benefits could accrue from improved systems of care and an increased awareness of the impact that wounds impose on patients and the NHS.
Protocol of the adaptive study of IL-2 dose frequency on regulatory T cells in type 1 diabetes (DILfrequency): a mechanistic, non-randomised, repeat dose, open-label, response-adaptive study
Authors: Truman Lucy A , Pekalski Marcin L , Kareclas Paula , Evangelou Marina , Walker Neil M , Howlett James , Mander Adrian P , Kennet Jane , Wicker Linda S , Bond Simon , Todd John A , Waldron-Lynch Frank
Published: December 2015

Introduction

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is caused by autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing β cells in the pancreatic islets, leading to insulinopenia and hyperglycaemia. Genetic analyses indicate that alterations of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) pathway mediating immune activation and tolerance predispose to T1D, specifically the polymorphic expression of the IL-2 receptor-α chain (CD25) on T lymphocytes. Replacement of physiological doses of IL-2 could restore self-tolerance and prevent further autoimmunity by enhancing the function of CD4+T regulatory cells (Tregs) to limit the activation of auto reactive T effector cells (Teffs). In this experimental medicine study, we use an adaptive trial design to determine the optimal dosing regimen for IL-2 to improve Treg function while limiting activation of Teffs in participants with T1D.

Methods and analysis

TheAdaptive study ofIL-2 dosefrequencyon Tregs in type 1 diabetes(DILfrequency) is a mechanistic, non-randomised, repeat dose open-label, response-adaptive study of 36 participants with T1D. The objective is to establish the optimal dose and frequency of ultra-low dose IL-2: to increase Treg frequency within the physiological range, to increase CD25 expression on Tregs, without increasing CD4+Teffs. DILfrequency has an initial learning phase where 12 participants are allocated to six different doses and frequencies followed by an interim statistical analysis. After analysis of the learning phase, the Dose and Frequency Committee will select the optimal targets for Treg frequency, Treg CD25 expression and Teff frequency. Three groups of eight participants will be treated consecutively in the confirming phase. Each dose and frequency selected will be based on statistical analysis of all data collected from the previous groups.

Ethics

Ethical approval for DILfrequency was granted on 12 August 2014.

Results

The results of this study will be reported, through peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations and an internal organisational report.

Trial registration numbers

NCT02265809,ISRCTN40319192, CRN17571.
Do US thyroid cancer incidence rates increase with socioeconomic status among people with health insurance? An observational study using SEER population-based data
Authors: Altekruse Sean , Das Anita , Cho Hyunsoon , Petkov Valentina , Yu Mandi
Published: December 2015

Objectives

The US thyroid cancer incidence rates are rising while mortality remains stable. Trends are driven by papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), the predominant cancer subtype which has a very good prognosis. We hypothesised that health insurance and high census tract socioeconomic status (SES) are associated with PTC risk.

Design

Relationships between thyroid cancer incidence, insurance and census tract SES during 2007–2010 were examined in population-based cancer registries. Cases were stratified by tumour histology, size and demography.

Setting

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries covering 30% of the US population.

Results

PTCs accounted for 88% of incident thyroid cancer cases. Small PTCs (≤2 cm) accounted for 60% of cases. Unlike non-PTC cases, the majority of those diagnosed with PTC were <50 years of age and had ≤2 cm tumours. Rate ratios (RR) of PTC diagnoses increased monotonically with SES among fully insured cases. The effect was strongest for small PTCs, high-SES versus low-SES quintile RR=2.7, 95% CI 2.6 to 2.9, two-sided trend test p<0.0001. For small PTC cases with insurance, the monotonic increase in incidence rates with rising SES persisted among cases younger than 50 years of age (RR=3.3, 95% CI 3.0 to 3.5), women (RR=2.6, 95% CI 2.5 to 2.8) and Caucasians (RR=2.5, 95% CI 2.4 to 2.7). Among the less than fully insured, rates generally decreased with increasing SES.

Conclusions

The >2.5-fold increase in risk of PTC diagnosis among insured individuals associated with high SES may be informative with respect to the contemporary issue of PTC overdiagnosis.
Ciprofloxacin DPI: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase IIb efficacy and safety study on cystic fibrosis
Authors: Dorkin Henry L , Staab Doris , Operschall Elisabeth , Alder Jeff , Criollo Margarita
Published: December 2015

Background

Treatment of infective bronchitis involvingPseudomonas aeruginosais a cornerstone of care in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This phase IIb, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessed the efficacy and safety of ciprofloxacin dry powder for inhalation (DPI) in this population.

Methods

Patients with CF, ≥12 years of age (N=286), were randomised to ciprofloxacin DPI (32.5 mg (n=93) or 48.75 mg (n=93)), or corresponding placebo (32.5 mg, n=65; 48.75 mg, n=35) twice daily for 28 days. The primary objective was the change in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) from baseline (day 0) to end of treatment (day 29) in the intent-to-treat population for ciprofloxacin DPI compared with the corresponding placebo group.

Results

The primary effectiveness objective was not met; there were no significant differences in change in FEV1 between ciprofloxacin DPI and the corresponding placebo group for either dose (p=0.154). However, in pooled analyses, FEV1 decline from baseline to treatment end was significantly lower with ciprofloxacin DPI than with placebo (pooled data; p=0.02). Ciprofloxacin DPI showed positive effects on sputum bacterial load and quality of life, but these effects were not maintained at the 4-week follow-up. Ciprofloxacin DPI was well tolerated and there were no significant differences in type/incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events by treatment group (p=0.115).

Conclusions

Further investigations are needed to determine the full scope of the beneficial effects of ciprofloxacin DPI for patients with CF.

Trial registration number

Clinicaltrials.govNCT00645788; EudraCT 2008-008314-40.
Selective estrogen receptor modulators and betulinic acid act synergistically to target ERα and SP1 transcription factor dependent Pygopus expression in breast cancer
Authors: Tzenov Youlian R , Andrews Phillip , Voisey Kim , Gai Luis , Carter Beverley , Whelan Kathryn , Popadiuk Catherine , Kao Kenneth R
Published: December 2015

Aims

Estrogen and progesterone hormone receptor (ER and PR) expression in invasive breast cancer predicts response to hormone disruptive therapy.Pygopus2 (hPYGO2) encodes a chromatin remodelling protein important for breast cancer growth and cell cycle progression. The aims of this study were to determine the mechanism of expression of hPYGO2in breast cancer and to examine how this expression is affected therapeutically.

Methods

hPYGO2 and ER protein expression was examined in a breast tumour microarray by immunohistochemistry. hPYGO2 RNA and protein expression was examined in ER+ and ER− breast cancer cell lines in the presence of selective estrogen hormone receptor modulator drugs and the specificity protein-1 (SP1) inhibitor, betulinic acid (BA). The effects of these drugs on the ability for ER and SP1 to bind the hPYGO2promoter and affect cell cycle progression were studied using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays.

Results

hPYGO2 was expressed in seven of eight lines and in nuclei of 98% of 65 breast tumours, including 3 Ductal carcinoma in situ and 62 invasive specimens representing ER-negative (22%) and ER-positive (78%) cases. Treatment with either 4-Hydroxytamoxifen (OHT) or fulvestrant reduced hPYGO2 mRNA 10-fold and protein 5–10-fold within 4 h. Promoter analysis indicated an ER/SP1 binding site at nt −225 to −531 of hPYGO2. SP1 RNA interference and BA reduced hPYGO2 protein and RNA expression by fivefold in both ER- and ER+ cells. Further attenuation was achieved by combining BA and 4-OHT resulting in eightfold reduction in cell growth.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal a mechanistic link between hormone signalling and the growth transcriptional programme. The activation of its expression by ERα and/or SP1 suggests hPYGO2 as a theranostic target for hormone therapy responsive and refractory breast cancer.
Locally rotationally symmetric Bianchi type I massive string cosmological model with vacuum energy density and magnetic field in general relativity
Authors: Bali Raj , Singh Swati
Published: December 2015

A locally rotationally symmetric (LRS) Bianchi type I massive string cosmological model with vacuum energy density (Λ) and magnetic field is investigated. To get a deterministic model of the universe, we assume that shear (σ) is proportional to expansion (θ) and Λ ∼ 1/R2 as considered by Chen and Wu (Phys. Rev. D, 41, 695 (1990)) where R is a scale factor. We find that the total energy density (ρ), the particle density ρp decreases with time. The strong energy conditions as given by Hawking and Ellis (The large scale structure of space–time. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. p. 88. (1974)) are satisfied. The vacuum energy density decreases with time, which matches with astronomical observation. The model in general represents anisotropic space–time because of the presence of strings. The total energy density and string tension density decrease because of the presence of a magnetic field. Both the models have point-type singularities at T = 0 and τ = 0, respectively. The other physical aspects of the models are also discussed.
Some methods to regulate low-bias negative differential resistance in σ barrier separating nanoscale molecular transport systems
Authors: Shen Ji-Mei , Liu Jing , Min Yi , Zhou Li-Ping
Published: December 2015

Using the first-principles method which combines the nonequilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) with density functional theory (DFT), the role of defect, dopant, barrier length and geometric deformation for low-bias negative differential resistance (NDR) in two capped armchair carbon nanotubes (CNTs) sandwiching [Formula: see text] barrier are systematically analyzed. We found that this method can regulate the negative differential resistance (NDR) effects such as current peak and peak position. The adjusting mechanism may originate from orbital interaction and orbital reconstruction. Our calculations try to manipulate the transport characteristics in energy space by simply manipulating the structure in real space, which may promise the potential applications in nanomolecular-electronics in the future.
Analysis of generalized Poisson distributions associated with higher Landau levels
Authors: Demni Nizar , Mouayn Zouhair
Published: December 2015

To a higher Landau level corresponds a generalized Poisson distribution arising from generalized coherent states. In this paper, we write down the atomic decomposition of this probability distribution and express its probability mass function as a [Formula: see text]-hypergeometric polynomial. Then, we prove that it is not infinitely divisible in contrast with the Poisson distribution corresponding to the lowest Landau level. We also derive a Lévy–Khintchine-type representation of its characteristic function when the latter does not vanish and deduce that the representative measure is a quasi-Lévy measure. By considering the total variation of this last measure, we obtain the characteristic function of a new infinitely divisible discrete probability distribution for which we also compute the probability mass function.
The Importance of Considering Clinical Utility in the Construction of a Diagnostic Manual
Authors: Mullins-Sweatt Stephanie N. , Lengel Gregory J. , DeShong Hilary L.
Published: December 2015

The development of major diagnostic manuals primarily has been guided by construct validity rather than clinical utility. The purpose of this article is to summarize recent research and theory examining the importance of clinical utility when constructing and evaluating a diagnostic manual. We suggest that construct validity is a necessary but not sufficient criterion for diagnostic constructs. This article discusses components of clinical utility and how these have applied to the current and forthcoming diagnostic manuals. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.