Seismic damage evaluation of reinforced concrete buildings with slit walls

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a reinforced concrete multi-storey building with dissipative structural walls. These walls can improve the behaviour of a tall multi-storey building. The damage of a building with dissipative walls is compared with that of a building with solid walls. The comparative nonlinear dynamic analysis  is performed by means of the SAP2000 software, using a layer model. In order to increase the seismic performance of a building with structural walls is to create slit zones with short connections into the walls. The short connections are introduced as a link element with multi-linear pivot hysteretic plasticity behaviour. The hysteretic rules and parameters of these short connections were proposed by the authors and used in this study. Using the proposed computational model for the slit wall, a seismic analysis of a multi-storey building with slit walls was done. From the results obtained, the advantages of the proposed model are observed. Unlike other studies on slit walls with short connections, which are focused mostly on the nonlinear dynamic behaviour of the short connections, in this paper the authors take into consideration the whole structural system, wall, connections and frames

The referential convergence of gene concepts based on classical and molecular analyses

Kenneth Waters and Marcel Weber argue that the joint use of distinct gene concepts and the transfer of knowledge between classical and molecular analyses in contemporary scientific practice is possible because classical and molecular concepts of the gene refer to overlapping chromosomal segments and the DNA sequences associated with these segments. However, while pointing in the direction of coreference, both authors also agree that there is a considerable divergence between the actual sequences that count as genes in classical genetics and molecular biology. The thesis advanced in this paper is that the referents of classical and molecular gene concepts are coextensive to a higher degree than admitted by Waters and Weber, and therefore coreference can provide a satisfactory account of the high level of integration between classical genetics and molecular biology. In particular, I argue that the functional units/cistrons identified by classical techniques overlap with functional elements entering the composition of molecular transcription units, and that the precision of this overlap can be improved by conducting further experimentation

Seismic damage evaluation of reinforced concrete slit walls

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a dissipative reinforced concrete structural wall that can improve the behavior of a tall multi-storey building, evaluating the damage it undergoes in comparison with that of a solid wall. The comparative nonlinear dynamic analysis between a dissipative and a solid wall is performed by means of SAP2000 software and using a layered model. The solution to increase the seismic performance of a reinforced concrete structural wall is to create a slit zone with short connections. These are introduced as a link element with multi-linear pivot hysteretic plasticity behavior. The behavior of these short connections is modeled using the finite element software ANSYS 12. The authors propose to evaluate the damage of reinforced concrete slit walls with short connections using seismic analysis. Using the proposed computational model, a seismic analysis of the dissipative wall belonging to a multi-storey building was performed. From the results obtained, the advantages of the proposed model are observed. The proposed computational model  consumes low processing resources and reduces the processing time for a dynamic pushover analysis. Unlike other studies on slit walls with short connections, which are focussed mostly on the nonlinear dynamic behavior of the short connections, in this paper the authors take into consideration the whole structural system, wall and connections

Stability of ascorbic acid during the technological processes of apricot compote fabrication

Apricots are fruits with a short period of fresh-consumption and the compote fabrication is a usual method for their preservation. The present research is studying the changes in total vitamin C content, as well as the transformations between ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid in four different phases of the technological flow of apricot compote fabrication. The ascorbate oxidase activity was also evaluated. The studied samples are represented by different stages of apricots during the technological flow of compote fabrication: raw material, washed fruits, after blanching (at 70°C for 3 min), and finished product (after pasteurisation by maintaining at 95°C the inside temperature of filled and closed jar for 15 min). Also, the ascorbic acid content after 3 months of compote preservation in the dark at 10 °C and respectively, 25°C was measured. Three analytical methods were used: HPLC, reflectometry (using the Reflectoquant), and titrimetry (using 2, 6-dichlorophenol indophenol). The results proved that thermal processes seriously decreased the ascorbic acid content and increased the dehydroascorbic acid. The 3 months preservation at both temperatures has slight influence on the content of ascorbic acid, but at 25°C the diminution of ascorbic acid and the increase of dehydroascorbic acid were more significant than at 10°C.Caisele sunt fructe cu perioadă scurtă de consum în stare proaspătă, iar fabricarea compotului este o metodă uzuală pentru a le conserva. Cercetarea prezentă abordează modificările conţinutului total de vitamina C, precum şi transformările între formele acid ascorbic şi acid dehidroascorbic, în patru etape diferite ale procesului tehnologic de fabricare a compotului de caise. Activitatea ascorbat oxidazei a fost deasemenea evaluată. Probele studiate sunt reprezentate de caise în diferite stadii ale procesului tehnologic de fabricare a compotului: materie primă, fructe spălate, după blanşare (3 min la 70°C) şi produs finit (după pasteurizarea borcanului umplut şi închis, prin menţinerea 15 min a temperaturii interne de 95°C). Deasemenea, a fost măsurat conţinutul de acid ascorbic după 3 luni de păstrare a compotului la întuneric, la 10°C şi respectiv, 25°C. Au fost folosite trei metode analitice: HPLC, reflectometrică (folosind Reflectoquantul) şi titrimetrcă (folosind 2,6 -diclorfenolindofenolul). Rezultatele au dovedit că procesele termice au scăzut serios conţinutul de acid ascorbic şi au crescut acidul dehidroascorbic. Păstrarea 3 luni la 10 °C a influenţat puţin, în timp ce la 25°C, diminuarea acidului ascorbic şi creşterea acidului dehidroascorbic au fost importante

Truth, falsity and experimental science

The arguments presented in this thesis aim to show that a Kantian model in which a theoretical framework is constitutive of empirical reality denies the possibility of a full grown experimental science. In contrast, a logical empiricist model according to which empirical reality is described by means of a theoretical language such as Euclidian geometry or Newtonian mechanics allows for a possible disagreement between experiment and theory. One of the main strengths of this model consists in its ability to handle cases in which theory is shown to be false in respect to empirical reality. However, in order to achieve this compatibility with experimental science, I argue that we must abandon the assumption that there is a single, unified language of science and replace it with the more general assumption of a plurality of languages. Under this new formulation, a perfect unity of science cannot be granted solely by a coherent formulation of all scientific knowledge in a unique language of science, but must be complemented by the common reference of all scientific theories to the same empirical realit

Seismic damage evaluation of an RC dissipative wall

An economic design of buildings based on performance criteria takes into account the dissipation of the seismic energy accumulated in the structure. In a tall structural wall, plastic hinges appear only at the base of the wall and the rest of the wall, which has not ductility resources, remains undamaged. A solution to increase the seismic performance of a reinforced concrete structural wall is to create a slit zone with short connections. Yielding of this shear connections increases the energy dissipation. The objective of these solutions is to create an improved structure for tall multi-storey buildings that has a rigid behaviour at low seismic action and turns into a ductile one in the case of a high intensity earthquake. In this paper, a comparative nonlinear dynamic analysis between slit walls and solid walls is performed by means of SAP2000 software and using a layer model. Our main objective is to evaluate the damage of slit walls in comparison with that of a solid wall.Postprint (published version

A Java simulator of Rescorla and Wagner's prediction error model and configural cue extensions

In this paper we present the “R&W Simulator” (version 3.0), a Java simulator of Rescorla and Wagner's prediction error model of learning. It is able to run whole experimental designs, and compute and display the associative values of elemental and compound stimuli simultaneously, as well as use extra configural cues in generating compound values; it also permits change of the US parameters across phases. The simulator produces both numerical and graphical outputs, and includes a functionality to export the results to a data processor spreadsheet. It is user-friendly, and built with a graphical interface designed to allow neuroscience researchers to input the data in their own “language”. It is a cross-platform simulator, so it does not require any special equipment, operative system or support program, and does not need installation. The “R&W Simulator” (version 3.0) is available free