Design of Lightweight Footbridges for Human Induced Vibrations

Nowadays, it is well-known that for the structural safety verification of footbridges, and for the comfort guarantee of its users, it is fundamental to consider the effect of human induced vibrations, particularly: vibrations due to pedestrian traffic should be within acceptable limits for users; the lock-in phenomenon should be prevented; and, the footbridge structural safety should be guaranteed if subjected to intentional excitations. Recognizing a gap in lightweight footbridges design procedures, a guideline is presented in this document proposal for footbridges design taking into account human induced vibrations. First, the proposed methodology is detailed. Attention is devoted also to the response measurements, identification tests and instrumentation used in the evaluation of the dynamic properties of footbridges. The potential strategies to control the vibration response of footbridges are reviewed. Finally, three worked examples of application of the proposed design methodology are exposed, namely a simply supported beam and two existing footbridges. Keywords: Footbridges; Design procedures; Human induced vibrations; Structural safety; Human comfort; Dynamic properties; Vibration controlJRC.G.5 - European laboratory for structural assessmen

Tuberculosis diagnostics and biomarkers: needs, challenges, recent advances, and opportunities

Tuberculosis is unique among the major infectious diseases in that it lacks accurate rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests. Failure to control the spread of tuberculosis is largely due to our inability to detect and treat all infectious cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in a timely fashion, allowing continued Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission within communities. Currently recommended gold-standard diagnostic tests for tuberculosis are laboratory based, and multiple investigations may be necessary over a period of weeks or months before a diagnosis is made. Several new diagnostic tests have recently become available for detecting active tuberculosis disease, screening for latent M. tuberculosis infection, and identifying drug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis. However, progress toward a robust point-of-care test has been limited, and novel biomarker discovery remains challenging. In the absence of effective prevention strategies, high rates of early case detection and subsequent cure are required for global tuberculosis control. Early case detection is dependent on test accuracy, accessibility, cost, and complexity, but also depends on the political will and funder investment to deliver optimal, sustainable care to those worst affected by the tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus epidemics. This review highlights unanswered questions, challenges, recent advances, unresolved operational and technical issues, needs, and opportunities related to tuberculosis diagnostics

Modern laboratory – modern education: radical re-equipment of the educational laboratory of the "Electrical apparatus" department of the NTU "KhPI"

Відзначена нагальна необхідність докорінної модернізації навчальних лабораторій електротехнічних кафедр вищих навчальних закладів України з метою підвищення кості навчального процесу до рівня, що відповідає сучасним світовим вимогам. Окреслено основні шляхи розв'язання вказаного завдання – це залучення грантів від європейських фондів, які сприяють розвитку освіти та досліджень, а також спонсорська допомога виробничих і комерційних підприємств України. На досвіді кафедри "Електричні апарати" Національного технічного університету "Харківський політехнічний інститут" проілюстровано можливості та шляхи отримання підтримки за вказаними напрямками.The urgent need for radical modernization of the educational laboratories of the electrical engineering Departments of higher educational institutions of Ukraine is noted with the purpose of improving the quality of the educational process to a level that meets the modern world requirements. The main ways of solving this task are outlined: to obtain grants from European funds that promote the development of education and research, as well as sponsorship of production and commercial enterprises of Ukraine. The experience of the Department of Electrical Apparatus of the National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute" illustrates the opportunities and ways of receiving support in the specified directions

Hétéroptères de la Principauté de Monaco : premier inventaire comprenant six taxons de Miridae nouveaux pour la faune francomonégasque (Hemiptera)

Heteroptera from the Principality of Monaco : first inventory comprising six taxa of Miridae new for the French-Monegasque fauna (Hemiptera). Within the framework of a multidisciplinary project concerning the inventory of plants and animals living in the Principality of Monaco, a survey of the Heteroptera was carried out from 2008 to 2010 and yielded 101 species, including 6 taxa of Miridae new for the French-Monegasque fauna : Salicarus pusillus (Reuter, 1878), Orthotylus caprai Wagner, 1955, Pinalitus conspurcatus (Reuter, 1875), Orthotylus (Parapachylops) junipericola regularis Linnavuori, 1965, Orthotylus (Parapachylops) junipericola balcanicus Josifov, 1974, and Phytocoris (Phytocoris) tiliae denigratus Wagner, 1955.Dans le cadre d’un projet multidisciplinaire visant à inventorier les plantes et les animaux vivant dans la Principauté de Monaco, une étude des Hétéroptères a été entreprise de 2008 à 2010 et a fourni 101 espèces, dont 6 taxons de Miridae nouveaux pour la faune franco-monégasque : Salicarus pusillus (Reuter, 1878), Orthotylus caprai Wagner, 1955, Pinalitus conspurcatus (Reuter, 1875), Orthotylus (Parapachylops) junipericola regularis Linnavuori, 1965, Orthotylus (Parapachylops) junipericola balcanicus Josifov, 1974, et Phytocoris (Phytocoris) tiliae denigratus Wagner, 1955.Ponel Philippe, Matocq Armand, Lemaire Jean-Michel. Hétéroptères de la Principauté de Monaco : premier inventaire comprenant six taxons de Miridae nouveaux pour la faune francomonégasque (Hemiptera). In: Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, volume 118 (2),2013. pp. 223-234

A new C-type Cyclin-dependent kinase from tomato expressed in dividing tissues does not interact with motic and G1 cyclins

International audienc