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Seismic performance assessment of steel MRFs retrofitted with arc and ring dampers
No full textRecently, an arch and ring yielding damper (ARD), composed of a metallic central ring surrounded by four arcs, has been proposed as an innovative energy dissipation device to enhance the seismic resilience of structures. Although the hysteretic behavior of the ARD was examined, the efficiency of this novel damper when implemented in building structures has not been investigated. This article focuses on the seismic performance of sub-standard steel moment resisting frames (MRFs) equipped with ARDs. First, a novel mathematical equation is developed to predict the hysteretic response of ARD based on an extensive nonlinear finite element analysis including various geometrical parameters of the device, using multivariate nonlinear fitting methods and artificial neural network. Then, to evaluate the effectiveness of ARDs, a comparative seismic response analysis of a four-story steel building without (MRF) and with ARDs (MRF-ARD) is performed under different seismic hazard levels within a multi-level framework. The parameters of the ARDs are determined using a displacement-based design method. The analysis is performed by Nonlinear Time History Analysis (NLTHA) and Endurance Time Analysis (ETA) methods. The numerical results show that upon adding ARDs to the structure, the inter-story drift and base shear ratios are reduced by about 20 % and 50 %, respectively, with the highest probability being for 10 %/50 years and 2 %/50 years hazard levels (BSE-1 and BSE-2, respectively). The obtained ET curves also show that the original MRF cannot meet the life safety performance level at the BSE-1 hazard level, while the MRF-ARD meets this requirement in an efficient manner
„Kafka in Ekstase“. Brods Bild und Kafkas Schreibpraxis
No full textDer Beitrag befasst sich mit der Verwendung des Begriffs „Ekstase“ im
Zusammenhang mit dem Schreibprozess von Franz Kafka – eines Begriffs, der auf Max Brod zurückgeht und insbesondere mit der Entstehung von Das Urteil Ende September 1912 verknüpft ist. Brods vielzitierte Beschreibung trug maßgeblich zur Ausbildung eines Deutungsmodells bei, das Kafka als ekstatischen Schriftsteller zeichnet, dessen
Werke in Momenten rasender Inspiration und kreativer Entrückung
entstehen.
Doch inwieweit ist diese Interpretation tatsächlich haltbar? Die sogenannte „Ekstase“ – eine weitgehend rezeptionsgeleitete und nachträglich kanonisierte Zuschreibung – lässt sich vor allem als Wahrnehmungseffekt Brods verstehen, der den realen, systematisch organisierten Schreibgewohnheiten Kafkas grundlegend widerspricht.
Anhand von Tagebuchnotizen und Briefen werden hier Kafkas Überlegungen zu seinem literarischen Schaffensprozess nachvollzogen und die materiellen Bedingungen des Schreibens präzise beschrieben. Dazu zählen insbesondere Schlaf, Ernährung, körperliche Bewegung sowie die bewusste Gestaltung des Tagesrhythmus im Kontext der Lebensreformbewegungen des frühen 20. Jahrhunderts, zu denen Kafka
in enger Beziehung stand. Vor diesem Hintergrund erscheint Kafkas Suche nach einem Raum für Kreativität und Schreiben nicht als romantisch-dekadente Ekstase, sondern als eine Form der Selbstgestaltung im Zeichen der Moderne – tief verwurzelt im mitteleuropäischen Kultur- und Erfahrungshorizont zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts
In-hospital platelet count dynamics in patients with acute coronary syndrome
No full textIntroduction and objectives: The prognostic role of platelet count dynamics in patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) remains unclear. This study investigated the implications of platelet counts and their changes in ACS patients, using MATRIX trial data. Methods: In-hospital relative changes in platelet count were analyzed continuously and were categorized into groups. Associations with 1-year risks of mortality and major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding were modelled using Cox regression. Results: Among 7722 ACS patients, a platelet count drop > 10% occurred in 47.5% of the patients and a platelet count increase > 10% in 6.4%. Platelet count changes showed a U-shaped association with mortality and an L-shaped association with bleeding. Compared with the reference group (from 10% drop to 10% increase; rates: mortality 2.6%, bleeding 6.2%), platelet count drops were associated with an incremental mortality risk of approximately 30% (30%-50% drop: 9.5%; HR, 2.86; 95%CI, 1.93-4.23]; > 50% drop: 21.4% HR, 3.86; 95%CI, 2.21-6.74) and a bleeding risk of approximately 10% (10%-30% drop: 8.2%, HR, 1.34; 95%CI, 1.11-1.61; 30%-50% drop: 13.8%, HR, 2.01; 95%CI, 1.48-2.72; > 50% drop: 32.1%; HR, 4.59; 95%CI, 3.01-6.99). Platelet count increases were associated with an incremental mortality risk of approximately 10% (10%-30% increase: 5.8%; HR, 1.87; 95%CI, 1.18-2.98; 30%-50% increase: 8.5%; HR, 2.61; 95%CI, 1.05-6.44; > 50% increase: 9.7%; HR, 3.51; 95%CI, 1.10-11.22) but not with bleeding. Conclusion: In ACS patients, platelet count drops were associated with incremental risks of mortality and bleeding, whereas platelet count increases were associated with an incremental risk of mortality but not bleeding
The Diagnostic Potential of Eye Tracking to Detect Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children: A Systematic Review
No full textSuperradiant Quantum Phase Transition in Open Systems: System-Bath Interaction at the Critical Point
No full textThe occurrence of a second-order quantum phase transition in the Dicke model is a well-established feature. On the contrary, a comprehensive understanding of the corresponding open system, particularly in the proximity of the critical point, remains elusive. When approaching the critical point, the system inevitably enters first the system-bath ultra-strong coupling regime and finally the deep-strong coupling regime, causing the failure of usual approximations adopted to describe open quantum systems. In the thermodynamic limit, we study the interaction between the Dicke model and bosonic bath fields without resorting to additional approximations, which usually relies on the weakness of the system-bath coupling. We find that the critical point is not affected by interactions with environments displaying metastable minima. Moreover, such interactions cannot affect the system ground-state condensates in the superradiant phase, whereas the bath fields are infected by the system and acquire macroscopic occupations. The obtained reflection spectra display lineshapes which become increasingly asymmetric, both in the normal and superradiant phases, when approaching the critical point
Corneal biomechanics alterations and increased risk for corneal ectasia in Turner syndrome
No full textPurpose: To assess corneal tomographic parameters and biomechanics of patients with Turner syndrome. Methods: Thirty-four eyes of 17 patients with Turner Syndrome (TS) and 20 eyes of 10 healthy females were evaluated for corneal parameters and biomechanics. The main outcome measures were anterior and posterior keratometry (K-meanAnt and K-meanPost) anterior and posterior elevation (AE, PE), central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior and posterior Q values (QAnt and QPost), corneal volume (CV), Belin-Ambrosio Tomographic Index (BAD), and biomechanical parameters such as Corneal Biomechanical Index (CBI), and Tomography-Biomechanical Index (TBI). The group of patients with TS was compared to a control group for all evaluated parameters. Results: Significantly higher values of PE, CCT, CV, BAD, and TBI were observed in Turner Syndrome. The TS group displayed significantly lower K-meanPost, QAnt, and QPost values. BAD, CBI, and TBI values exceeding the cut off were observed in nine eyes (26.47%) in the TS group and three eyes (15%) in the control group. Patients with TS showed altered BAD values (odds ratio of 4.88). The TBI index was altered, with an odds ratio of 7.33, suggestive for significantly higher risk of ectasia. The CBI index was unvaried between groups. The cases with pathological BAD value were observed in individuals with mosaicism, suggesting a potential link between this karyotype and BAD alterations. Conclusions: Patients with TS exhibit altered biomechanical values indicating a significant risk for corneal ectasia. Periodic monitoring of corneal parameters in this population is necessary to detect early signs of ectasia
LA PROROGATIO DEL GOBIERNO EN ITALIA (CON PREMISAS GENERALES SOBRE EL INSTITUTO DE LA PROROGATIO EN LA FORMA DE GOBIERNO ITALIANA)
No full textThis paper is dedicated to the institution of prorogatio of the Government
within the Italian constitutional system. Following preliminary remarks
on prorogatio in the form of government and its specific features, the stu
dy offers a reconstruction of the limits arising from the prorogatio of the
Executive, which are not expressly defined in the Constitution or by legis
lation. A distinction is made between limits linked to the principle of pro
portionality or reasonableness, and limits of competence. The former are
explained by the fact that a government in prorogatio may exceed ordinary
administration in cases of urgency or when postponement is not feasible;
in such cases, it is not possible to determine in advance which powers may
be exercised, and each situation must be assessed individually, according
to reasonableness. Limits of competence may be inferred from a systematic
interpretation of the Italian Constitution: it is certain, for instance, that a
government in prorogatio is not entitled to raise a question of confidence.
One may also ask whether it may resort to the adoption of decree-laws
Eco-Friendly Antifouling Coatings Based on Macroalgal Extracts from Ulva ohnoi and Asparagopsis taxiformis
No full textThe increasing environmental impact of synthetic antifouling paints has stimulated the search for natural, eco-friendly alternatives. In this study, alcoholic and aqueous extracts of the macroalgae Ulva ohnoi and Asparagopsis taxiformis were evaluated for their antifouling potential on aluminum substrates representative of boat hulls. Extracts were applied to aluminum plates coated with gelcoat under three different surface conditions (non-worn, worn, highly worn). The treated panels were submerged at 5 m and biofilm and fouling development was monitored every 96 h using digital imaging and quantitative segmentation. All treated surfaces exhibited significantly lower fouling colonization than the untreated control (p < 0.001). Among treatments, the aqueous extract of A. taxiformis produced the lowest degree of colonization across all surface conditions, while U. ohnoi extracts showed moderate antifouling activity. Increased surface wear enhanced overall colonization but did not suppress extract efficacy. These results demonstrate that both algal species possess active compounds capable of inhibiting early biofilm formation on marine substrates. Although less potent than conventional biocidal coatings, their biodegradability and absence of ecotoxicity represent a substantial environmental advantage. Future studies should focus on the chemical characterization of active metabolites, the formulation of hybrid bio-based coatings, and long-term field testing under dynamic marine conditions
A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Spanish Right on Jews and Israel (1978–2014): Shifting Narratives
No full textA Critical Discourse Analysis of the Spanish Right on Jews and Israel (1978–2014) offers a groundbreaking analysis of how Spain’s main right-wing parties – from the post-Franco era to the mid-2010s – have transformed their political discourse on Jews and Israel.
Drawing on critical discourse analysis and extensive primary sources, it traces the evolution from suspicion and ambivalence to overt philosemitism and symbolic alliance. By unpacking historical narratives, ideologies, and political discourses, the book illuminates how the Spanish right strategically recast Israel’s image to serve changing political identities and foreign policy goals. Readers will benefit from a nuanced understanding of how narrative, politics, and ideology interact to shape modern alliances. The book’s critical perspective reveals not only the Spanish case, but also broader mechanisms by which political actors across Europe redefine their national and international relationships through discourse.
Aimed at scholars and students of political science, history, discourse studies, and Jewish studies, as well as policymakers and readers interested in European politics, this volume offers unique insights into the intersection of memory, identity, and foreign policy
Cyclic Fatigue Resistance and Phase Transformation Behavior of SlimShaper and SlimShaper PRO NiTi Instruments: A Mechanical and Thermal Analysis
No full textObjectives: This study compared the cyclic fatigue resistance and the mechanical, thermal,
and metallurgical characteristics of SlimShaper® and SlimShaper PRO® instruments.
Both sequences include three instruments (ZS1–ZS3) with identical geometries, although
SlimShaper PRO features an apically modified thermal treatment. Methods: Cyclic fatigue
tests were performed using a standardized metallic guide with a 45◦ curvature, on
six instruments of each sequence type. Fractured segments were measured, and fracture
surfaces were analyzed using optical microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
Elemental composition was assessed by Energy-dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), while Differential
Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was used to determine transformation temperatures
and enthalpy. Results: ZS1 and ZS1 PRO exhibited comparable cyclic fatigue resistance,
whereas ZS2 and ZS3 showed significantly higher resistance than their PRO counterparts.
SlimShaper PRO® instruments fractured with segments approximately 0.5–1 mm longer.
EDS confirmed that both instruments were made of NiTi, with minor differences in surface
composition, while DSC demonstrated similar enthalpy values but distinct transformation
ranges. At room temperature (27 ◦C), SlimShaper® ZS2 remained predominantly martensitic,
whereas ZS2 PRO could be partially austenitic, explaining its observed reduced
fatigue resistance. The results of the DSC allowed to deduce the microstructure and thus
the fatigue behavior at the temperature of the oral cavity. Conclusions: SlimShaper ZS2
and ZS3 showed significantly greater cyclic fatigue resistance than their PRO counterparts,
while DSC analysis revealed distinct differences in phase transformation behavior that
explain their mechanical performance