Gain In Capacity Research Articles

Effect of fibers and boron carbide on the radiation shielding properties of limestone and magnetite aggregate concrete

Research on new composite materials in the field of radiation shielding materials requires adequate means and meticulousness in their manufacture and characterization. In this study, concretes that use elements that theoretically improve their shielding properties are developed, such as fibers and boron-rich additions. Both magnetite and limestone concrete have been manufactured, incorporating steel fibers to improve the linear attenuation coefficient and polyvinyl alcohol to increase neutron scattering cross section. The incorporation of boron carbide is intended to increase the neutron absorption cross section. 5 mixes have been manufactured that have been tested with several gamma radiation sources (570–1280 keV) and with an Am–Be neutron source (111 GBq). The experimental results have been used to validate simulations carried out with MAVRIC® and have led to the modelling of a simplified spent nuclear fuel cask. Boron carbide produces a decrease of more than 50% on the neutron dose rate in contact with the cask. Incorporating PVA fibers supposes gain in neutron attenuation capacity of up to 13%, while fibers have a negligible effect on the photon dose rate.

Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Complex Protein Digest Analysis Using Parallel Gradients.

Despite the high gain in peak capacity, online comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC × LC-HRMS) has not yet been widely applied to the analysis of complex protein digests. One reason is the method's reduced sensitivity which can be linked to the high flow rates of the second separation dimension (2D). This results in higher dilution factors and the need for flow splitters to couple to ESI-MS. This study reports proof-of-principle results of the development of an RPLC × RPLC-HRMS method using parallel gradients (2D flow rate of 0.7 mL min-1) and its comparison to shifted gradient methods (2D of 1.4 mL min-1) for the analysis of complex digests using HRMS (QExactive-Plus MS). Shifted and parallel gradients resulted in high surface coverage (SC) and effective peak capacity (SC of 0.6226 and 0.7439 and effective peak capacity of 779 and 757 in 60 min). When applied to a cell line digest sample, parallel gradients allowed higher sensitivity (e.g., average MS intensity increased by a factor of 3), allowing for a higher number of identifications (e.g., about 2600 vs 3900 peptides). In addition, reducing the modulation time to 10 s significantly increased the number of MS/MS events that could be performed. When compared to a 1D-RPLC method, parallel RPLC × RPLC-HRMS methods offered a higher separation performance (FHWH from 0.12 to 0.018 min) with limited sensitivity losses resulting in an increase of analyte identifications (e.g., about 6000 vs 7000 peptides and 1500 vs 1990 proteins).

Influence of consolidation on undrained capacity of two interfering footings on heterogeneous clays

The effect of consolidation on the undrained capacity of two interfering footings has not been investigated previously in a systematic manner, although this is particularly interest for offshore foundations, where consolidation will occur as a result of working load or preload. This paper presents results of a numerical investigation into the consolidated undrained bearing capacity of two interfering footings resting on heterogeneous clays. Finite difference code FLAC with the modified Cam Clay soil model is applied to couple the effect of consolidation and strength gain of clay beneath the footings. The results are expressed in dimensionless form of the gain in capacity, accounting for the coupling effects of the spacing between two footings, the magnitude and duration of applied preloads, and the clay strength heterogeneity. A design approach based on the data-fitting equations of the obtained solutions is proposed, and the failure mechanisms of the two adjacent footings after consolidation are also discussed.

Ferrocement-Timber Composite Beams Loading capacity

This paper presents an experimental study of simply supported ferrocement timber composite members. An adherently bound link is investigated. As a shear connector layer, an appropriate length for this type of composite beam was chosen to study the effect of shear strength on the impact of one point load (1.2 m). Sikadur 31 thixotropic epoxy resin adhesive is used. The research's primary goal is to collect data and provide information on the structural behavior of proposed ferrocement timber composite (FTC) beams. The thickness and width of timber beams, the presence and absence of a bonding layer on the shear connector, and the influence of sagging and hogging bending moments were also investigated. FTC beams are a relatively new civil engineering solution, and their behavior should be investigated to develop relevant methods for calculating their resistance. Two push-out tests were used to tentatively resolve the connector's slip and pinnacle load limits. The stiffness and strength of the connection utilized to bind a ferrocement slab to a timber beam were investigated by the authors. These criteria are critical for composite beam planning because the solidity and quality of a composite beam framework's connections determine its performance. A three-point loading test was performed on the composite beam specimens. Measurements also demonstrate that the connection is near-perfect because the slide is minimal during the test (except at failure). Converting from sagging to It has been witnessed that converting from sagging to hogging bending reduces the ultimate load by up to 24%. The suggested beams' loading It has been witnessed that Converting from sagging to hogging bending reduces the ultimate load by up to 24%.shown to be excellent when compared to their weight in tests. Epoxy resin (Sikadur 31) can be used to provide adequate bonding between the components. The highest gain in the loading capacity was 48% when the timber thickness was increased from 90 to 190 mm.

Assisted Identification over Modulo-Additive Noise Channels.

The gain in the identification capacity afforded by a rate-limited description of the noise sequence corrupting a modulo-additive noise channel is studied. Both the classical Ahlswede-Dueck version and the Ahlswede-Cai-Ning-Zhang version, which does not allow for missed identifications, are studied. Irrespective of whether the description is provided to the receiver, to the transmitter, or to both, the two capacities coincide and both equal the helper-assisted Shannon capacity.

Geo-polymer Mortar as Retrofitting Material for R.C. Element

Geopolymer has been subject of research in recent years. There are many studies which are carried out to examine viability of geopolymer mortar as an alternative material to Ordinary Portland Cement. Geopolymer material mainly consist of replacement of cementitious material by industrial waste like fly ash, blast furnace slag, bottom ash, metakaolin, Silica fumes etc. so in such way industrial waste will be used judiciously and there will be low emission of CO2. The present investigation aims to develop geopolymer mortar as a repair material using metakaolin, fly ash, blast furnace slag as source materials. For the purpose of evaluation of the performance of geopolymer mortar as repair material, reinforced concrete beams were casted, and damaged in two different patterns i.e. wide and hairline cracked and tested under two-point load flexure testing machine. Geopolymer mortar (GPM) comprises of supplementary cementitious material as a primary binder material and mixing it with alkali activators. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) were used as Alkali activators. Their different concentrations were prepared to study the most suitable mixture and its properties. Alkali activators with 10 M, and 12 M with 1:2 and 1:2.5 concentration ratio was prepared and tested for checking compressive strength gain of geopolymer mortar cubes. After casting and compressive testing of geopolymer mortar cubes it was observed that among all different trial mix with varying binder ratio, the cubes with GGBS (Ground Granulated blast furnace slag) to Fly ash ratio of (80:20) showed relatively higher strength at 7 days. Hence that proportion of binder to fine aggregate was used in preparation of geopolymer paste (GPP) and that paste was used for repairing beams which were damaged by applying two-point flexure load to obtain its gain in load carrying capacity at 7 and 28 days respectively.

Hollow cylinder with thermally induced gradient of the yield strength: The gain in loading capacity under pressure

Plane strain problem of a thick-walled cylindrical pipe under internal and external pressures, made of elastic–perfectly plastic material with a radial dependence of the yield stress (produced, e.g., by one-sided accelerated cooling) described by a polynomial function is considered in the framework of small deformations theory, using the von Mises yield criterion. It is found that, at the fixed wall thickness and strength gradient, the gain in the ultimate loading capacity depends on the magnitude of the gradient but its dependence on the gradient direction, as well as pipe radii is rather weak. At the same time, the onset of yielding strongly depends on all the mentioned parameters. It is also shown that one-sided accelerated cooling enhances the loading capacity of the pipes, as compared to the normalized state whereas comparison with the steel that has experienced quenching with tempering may produce diverse results.

Predictors of gain in exercise capacity through cardiac rehabilitation: Sex and age matter

BackgroundCardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a cornerstone of secondary prevention that improves cardiovascular outcomes. However, the determinants of treatment success are poorly understood. ObjectivesWe investigated the associations of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), sex, age, employment status and housing situation with improvement in exercise capacity throughout CR. MethodsWe analyzed data from 392 CR outpatients (81% men and 19% women). Exercise capacity at baseline and upon completion of the program was measured with the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD). HRQoL at CR entry was assessed with the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). ResultsA multivariable regression analysis revealed that both men and women showed significant improvement in exercise capacity (p < .001). Female sex (B = 18.118, 95% CI 0.341 - 36.035, p = .046) and younger age (B = -0.887, 95% CI -1.463 - -0.312, p = .003) emerged as predictors of greater improvement, while HRQoL, employment status, and housing situation were not associated with significant change in exercise capacity. The final model explained 25% of the variance in exercise capacity change (adjusted R2 = 0.25, p < .001). ConclusionsOur results indicate that women and younger participants benefit from CR by improving their exercise capacity. Employment status, housing situation and HRQoL showed no effects on CR outcome.

Assessment of cardiovascular risk, heart rate variability, and functionality in the late postoperative period of bariatric surgery submitted to whole-body vibration exercise: A case report

Currently, a high prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet, has been observed among young people. Obesity is a public health problem that directly impacts the economy. In this case study, the authors are using data from a survey of a late postoperative bariatric surgery patient. Male patient, 23 years old, obese since childhood, 186 kg [body mass index (BMI) 61], sedentary, without other comorbidities. He denies smoking. On 10/30/2019, he underwent Y gastroplasty (Gastric Bypass) with a reduction of approximately 90% of the stomach. On 09/13/2021, he started an intervention protocol through whole-body vibration (WBV). Cardiovascular risk, heart rate variability, functionality, and quality of life were evaluated in the acute phase and in the chronic phase. The training was conducted through 10 interventions with exercises on the vibrating platform. Functionality was assessed through the tests: “Timed up and Go,” Sit/Stand, 6-minute Walk Test, and handgrip strength. A 7.1% gain in functional capacity was observed, with a 37.5% reduction in perceived exertion. In addition, there was a 39% gain in handgrip strength and a reduction in the execution time in the functional capacity tests. Heart rate variability after interventions showed that WBV can reduce cardiovascular risk. In conclusion, the exercise program allowed the reduction of body weight and body mass index and impacted the alteration of body composition and functionality, resulting in a reduction in cardiovascular risk.

Experimental study and finite element modelling of the torsional behavior of self-compacting reinforced concrete (SCRC) beams strengthened by GFRP

The present study experimentally and numerically investigates the behavior of ten self-compacting reinforced concrete (SCRC) beams strengthened by various means of externally bonded glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) strips and subjected to pure torsion. The experimental matrix is designed to explore the impact of the number of GFRP layers, the width of the strengthening layers, and the spacing between those layers on the ultimate torsional capacity, the ultimate angle of twist, ductility, and failure patterns with respect to an un-strengthened specimen. Tests revealed that the specimen that was strengthened along its whole length using three layers of GFRP sheets yielded the highest gain in the ultimate torsional moment of 33.3% compared to the un-strengthened specimen. Additionally, the highest gain in the energy dissipation capacity among all strengthened beams (209.4% higher than the control beam) was obtained when four layers of GFRP sheets spaced every 300 mm were installed. Moreover, a three-dimensional (3D) non-linear finite element analysis is carried out via ABAQUS software to predict the torsional characteristics of SCRC beams either strengthened by GFRP strips or kept bare. The numerical model well captured the failure patterns, torque versus angle of twist responses, stress distribution, and the ultimate load of SCRC beams strengthened by GFRP strips with respect to the experimental findings.

Numerical modelling of plate anchors under sustained load: The enhancement of capacity from consolidation

Embedded plate anchors can be used to moor floating offshore facilities. In taut mooring systems, a sustained tension carried by the anchors affects their long-term capacity due to consolidation effects in the soil surrounding the anchor. The resulting gain in capacity provides a potential basis for more efficient anchoring system design. To quantify this effect, and to understand the underlying mechanism, a systematic numerical study has been performed, to capture the effect of sustained loading and consolidation on soil failure mechanisms around an embedded plate anchor. The modified Cam clay model is used, to capture the effect of consolidation on soil strength, and also to faithfully model the process by which a water-filled gap forms under the plate, due to a loss of contact between the plate and the soil, with seepage into the gap zone. A critical observation is the load transfer process when such a gap forms beneath the plate after the applied tension causes the effective stress to fall to zero. The formation of this gap is shown to depend, in a systematic way, on the sustained tension, or preload, the soil strength ratio, the relative sharing of the anchor load between compression above the plate and tension below, as well as the embedded depth of the anchor. Simple relationships that capture these mechanisms are provided, linking the net change in soil strength above and below the anchor to the change in undrained capacity. As an example, it is shown that in soft normally-consolidated clays, a sustained preload of 60 % of the initial capacity, can create a 25 % gain in capacity, at which point the factor of safety is raised from 1/0.6 = 1.67 to 2. This gain is only available for anchors embedded by more than twice their diameter. At shallower embedment, the loss of strength in the unloaded soil beneath the anchor outweighs the gain in strength in the smaller zone of soil above the anchor, and the consolidation process causes a net weakening.

Occupational life-style programme over 12 months and changes of metabolic risk profile, vascular function, and physical fitness in blue-collar workers

PurposeOccupational health programmes have been successfully implemented to improve body composition, physical fitness and cardiovascular risk. However, most programmes have been small and have not included long-term evaluation. Therefore, we evaluated a twelve-month life-style change programme in a German refinery.MethodsWe offered a supervised six-week endurance exercise programme (2 × 90 min/week), starting after a two-day life-style seminar. After the active intervention and a half-day refresher seminar, employees were encouraged to continue exercising over one year on their own, with monthly supervised sessions to maintain adherence. Anthropometry, bicycle ergometry, cardio-metabolic risk profile, inflammatory parameters, and vascular function e.g. endothelial function was studied at baseline, after three and after twelve months.ResultsOf 550 employees, n = 327 (age 40.8 ± 9.7 years, 88% males) participated in the study. Twelve-month intervention was associated with a reduced waist circumference (92.6 ± 12.2 to 90.8 ± 11.7 cm, 95% confidence interval for the mean change (CI): -2.5 to -1.1 cm) and a gain in maximal exercise capacity (202 ± 39.6 to 210 ± 38.9 Watt; 95% CI: + 5.1 to + 10.9 Watt). Metabolic and inflammatory parameters likewise HbA1c and C-reactive protein improved in central tendency at a local 95% level of confidence. Vascular function e.g. Reactive-Hyperaemia-Index revealed a slight reduction, whereas no statistically robust changes in mean Cardio-Ankle-Vascular-Index and mean Ankle-Brachial-Index were observed.ConclusionHealth education added by a six-week supervised exercise programme was associated with minor long-term twelve-month improvements of body composition as well as physical fitness and a concomitant improvement of inflammatory state. These changes were, however, not clinically relevant and not accompanied by statistically robust improvements of vascular function.Trial registrationClinTrialsGov: NCT01919632; date of registration: August 9, 2013; retrospectively registered.

The context of the textile industry and sustainability: concepts, indicators and a parallel in the world

Brazil is the 5th largest textile industry and 4th in the clothing segment in the world. However, its share in the global textile market is only 0.3% in terms of turnover, with a low gain in competitive capacity. Considering its importance to the Brazilian economy, this article seeks to analyze the context of the Brazilian textile industry, main concepts and a parallel with the world industry. The main results are: Brazil is a country with full capacity of farming raw materials in less harmful ways and after the pandemic, the sector started to worry more about the environment. New ways of creating the final product are already being used and the indictators show that it is possible to have a final product using less natural resources and without producing huge amounts of waste.

Shear strengthening of concrete deep beams using pre-fabricated strain-hardening cementitious composite plates

This study investigates the efficiency of near surface embedded (NSE) pre-fabricated strain-hardening cementitious composite (P-SHCC) plates for shear strengthening of reinforced concrete deep beams (RC-DBs) through testing 12 identical specimens. For this purpose, P-SHCC plates of 20 mm thickness have been prepared according to the test variables, cured for about 30 days, and then dipped into the concrete cover of the strengthened DBs at the critical shear span. The use of pre-fabricated plates is intended to alleviate any volumetric change issues associated with SHCC material. The studied parameters were the net spacing between the P-SHCC plates (0, 75, 112, and 150 mm), the width of the strengthening plates (60, 75, and 90 mm), and the ratio of steel reinforcement embedded inside the P-SHCC plates (0 %, 0.67 %, 1.50 %, and 3.00 %). Furthermore, the prestressing level relative to the yielding strain of the steel reinforcement embedded inside the P-SHCC plates was of interest. Experimental results exhibited a successful employment of the P-SHCC plates in enhancing the ultimate load capacity of RC deep beams, especially when prestressing was introduced. The gain in the ultimate capacity reached up to 68.5 %, relative to the un-strengthened control beam (BC), depending on the test parameters. Besides, incorporating steel reinforcement inside the P-SHCC plates had a pronounced effect on both the serviceability and ductility characteristics of the strengthened DBs. Specimens strengthened by reinforced P-SHCC plates demonstrated around 1.57-times improvement in energy absorption capacity when compared to their counterparts strengthened by plain P-SHCC plates. Finally, a strut-and-tie model (STM) in addition to a simpler equation based on regression analysis were used to assess the shear capacity of the strengthened DBs, considering the contribution of P-SHCC plates. The proposed two equations were in good accord with the experimental results.

Video Relationship Detection Using Mixture of Experts

Machine comprehension of visual information from images and videos by neural networks suffers from two limitations: (1) the computational and inference gap in vision and language to accurately determine which object a given agent acts on and then to represent it by language, and (2) the shortcoming in stability and generalization of the classifier trained by a single, monolithic neural network. To address these limitations, we propose MoE-VRD, a novel approach to visual relationship detection via a mixture of experts. MoE-VRD recognizes language triplets in the form of a < subject,predicate,object > tuple to extract the relationship between subject, predicate, and object from visual processing. Since detecting a relationship between a subject (acting) and the object(s) (being acted upon) requires that the action be recognized, we base our network on recent work in visual relationship detection. To address the limitations associated with single monolithic networks, our mixture of experts is based on multiple small models, whose outputs are aggregated. That is, each expert in MoE-VRD is a visual relationship learner capable of detecting and tagging objects. MoE-VRD employs an ensemble of networks while preserving the complexity and computational cost of the original underlying visual relationship model by applying a sparsely-gated mixture of experts, which allows for conditional computation and a significant gain in neural network capacity. We show that the conditional computation capabilities and massive ability to scale the mixture-of-experts leads to an approach to the visual relationship detection problem which outperforms the state-of-the-art.

Work Capacity of Older Adults in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is facing a serious ageing issue. Apart from that, Hong Kong is facing a shrinking labor force as the number of people in the labor force has been falling since 2018. The ageing population and shrinking labor force have stimulated the discussion on the age threshold of eligible older adults to receive retirement benefits and/or old age allowances. The impact of any policy change may depend on the health and the work capacity of the people aged around 65. Nonetheless, research on the work capacity of older adults in Hong Kong is lacking. In this study, we attempted to estimate the work capacity of older adults in Hong Kong based on the mortality rate. It was found that there is substantial untapped work capacity of older adults in Hong Kong, with a potential gain in work capacity of 3.898 years. The results of this study shed light on the making of old-age policies. With the rapid ageing population and shrinking labor force in Hong Kong, it is timely to explore if the society could further utilize the work capacity of older adults. More research on the work capacity and health of the elderly is needed.

One‐way flexural shear tests on wide reinforced concrete slab segments with simple and intermediate supports

One‐way flexural shear tests on wide reinforced concrete slab segments with simple and intermediate supports

Efficiency of innovative strengthening techniques and anchorage systems using different materials on flexure performance of R.C beams

This research offers an experimental program that investigates the flexural performance of strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) beams using various techniques. To delay the onset de-bonding of the strengthening system, the novel anchorage system is proposed and examined. Innovative Externally Bonded in Groove technique (EBIG) was introduced to protect the FRP strips from exposure to vandalism, damage, and temperature. Ten half-scale RC beams were cast, a reference beam in addition to nine RC strengthened beams. Strengthened beams were fortified utilizing either Near Surface Mounted (NSM) system or Externally reinforced Bonded (EB) technique using glass fiber at the bottom face of the strengthened beams, whereas one of those beams was strengthened by Externally Bonded in Groove (EBIG). Five test parameters were considered in this research; the strengthening technique used, type of NSM bars, amount of steel bars used, proposed end anchors of steel bars, and the wrapping configurations. The results included the capacity, first cracking load, deflection at different loading levels, cracking pattern, and mode of failure. The stiffness and ductility of strengthened beams were offered and compared. In comparison to the control beam, the strengthened beams with different systems displayed a gain in capacity that ranged from 42% to 105%. Additionally, results demonstrated the superiority of the NSM as a strengthening technique over any other technique, especially the NSM-steel bar which had an innovative end anchorage. An analytical study was applied using the ACI 440.2R-17 design guidelines to compare with the experimental results, the analytical results showed a good prediction. As well, nonlinear finite element models of the tested beams were created using the ANSYS-V22 to validate the structural behavior of those beams according to their capacities, fracture patterns, and deflection characteristics. A good accord between numerical and experimental results was achieved.

Experimental and analytical study for shear strengthening of reinforced-concrete beams using a prefabricated geopolymer–mortar panel

This study investigated the performance of geopolymer–mortar panels (GMPs) in improving the shear capacity of reinforced-concrete (RC) beams. A GMP with a thickness of 15 mm was prefabricated and fixed to the shear span of beams using mechanical anchors. Five RC beams were constructed and tested under a four-point bending monotonic load: one unstrengthened, three strengthened with a GMP, and one strengthened with a Portland-cement-mortar panel. The investigated parameters included (a) anchor-bolt spacing, (b) presence of a wire mesh, and (c) binding material types. The results indicated that the GMP is an effective technique for improving the shear capacity of RC beams. The maximum gain in the shear capacity of the strengthened beams ranged from 14.1% to 34.9% with respect to the unstrengthened beam. Moreover, the results suggested that the failure mode of the beam changed from brittle to ductile failure if an anchor bolt spacing of 200 mm and wire mesh were used at the GMP. Based on these findings, the GMP can be used as an alternative method for shear-strengthening RC beams in building applications owing to its high strength and ductility. Finally, an analytical model based on the simplified-modified–compression-field theory model was proposed to predict the shear capacity of RC beams strengthened with the GMP. The analytical model was in reasonable agreement with the test results.

Differential associations of emotional and physical domains of the MacNew Heart with changes in 6-min walking test

AimsCardiac rehabilitation (CR), a key component of secondary prevention in cardiac patients, contributes fundamentally to improved cardiovascular health outcomes. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) represents a widely employed outcome measure in CR, yet, its predictive properties on exercise capacity change during CR are poorly understood. Aim of this study was to examine the association between baseline HRQOL and its subdomains on improvement of exercise capacity during CR.MethodsStudy participants were 13,717 inpatients of six Swiss CR clinics from 2012 to 2018. We measured HRQOL at admission to CR with the MacNew Heart (MNH) questionnaire and exercise capacity at admission and discharge using the six minutes walking test (6MWT). Following factorial analyses, we performed univariate and multivariate analyses to test the predictive properties of baseline global HRQOL and its domains for improvement in exercise capacity, adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics.ResultsMean improvement in 6MWT was 114 m (SD = 90), achieved after 17.4 days (SD = 5.5). Lower emotional HRQOL (b = 7.85, p = < .001, 95% CI [− 5.67, 10.03]) and higher physical HRQOL (b = − 5.23, p < .001, 95% CI [− 6.56, − 3.90]) were associated with less improvement in the 6MWT. Global MNH and social HRQOL showed no association with exercise capacity improvement.ConclusionPatients entering CR with low emotional and high physical HRQOL are at risk for a lower gain in exercise capacity during CR. Global MNH alone does not provide a reliable assessment of HRQOL; thus a focus on specific domains of HRQOL is needed.