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• A code-based procedure for seismic safety assessment of URM infills is described. • A refined reference procedure based on nonlinear static analysis is described. • Both procedures are applied on infilled RC buildings and their results compared. • A simplified safety check procedure in a linear elastic framework is proposed. • Criteria to establish if the OOP safety check of infills is necessary are proposed. Past and recent earthquakes showed the occurrence of Out-Of-Plane (OOP) failures of Unreinforced Masonry (URM) infills in Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames. Such a type of failure, which is promoted by In-Plane (IP) damage (IP/OOP interaction), is dangerous for human life safety and its effects can be associated with the attainment of the Life Safety limit state. In this work, the seismic capacity of Reinforced Concrete buildings at the first OOP collapse is evaluated with a linear analysis based on code provisions and with a procedure based on nonlinear static analysis. More specifically, 16 buildings designed to Eurocodes, different for number of storeys and design Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), are infilled by two infill layouts different for thickness and masonry properties. For these buildings, the PGA at which the first OOP infill collapse occurs is evaluated by applying two different approaches. The first is based on linear analysis and consists in the simple application of the demand and capacity models currently provided by the Eurocodes. So, it accounts neither for the effect of the IP/OOP interaction on the OOP capacity nor for the effect of structural non-linearity on the OOP force demand. The second approach is based on nonlinear static analysis and on the application of refined literature formulations accounting for the IP/OOP interaction and for structural non-linearity for the definition of the OOP capacity and force demand. The PGAs at the OOP collapse of infills obtained by applying both approaches are compared to show their significant overestimation if the IP/OOP interaction and structural non-linearity are not considered, i.e., if current code provisions are applied. Considerations concerning the influence of the number of storeys and of the design PGA of buildings on the PGA at the OOP collapse of infills are reported. Frequency distributions of OOP collapses at different storeys and fragility curves relating the probability of OOP collapse to both the PGA acting in the OOP direction and the maximum IDR attained in the IP direction are shown. For all case-study buildings, a range of 42 infill layouts, different for thickness and masonry compressive strength, is considered and, with the application of the more refined, not code-based approach, a "limit state" curve defining the infill height-to-thickness ratio/masonry compressive strength couples for which the OOP safety check of infills can be neglected is reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Most cancers are multifactorial diseases. Yet, epidemiological modeling of the effect of ionizing radiation (IR) exposures based on the linear no-threshold model at low doses (LNT) has generally not included co-exposure to chemicals, dietary, socio-economic and other risk factors also known to cause the cancers imputed to IR. When so, increased cancer incidences are incorrectly predicted by being solely associated with IR exposures. Moreover, to justify application of the LNT to low doses, high dose-response data, e.g., from the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, are linearly interpolated to background incidence (which usually has large uncertainty). In order for this interpolation to be correct, it would imply that the biological mechanisms leading to cancer and those that prevent cancer at high doses are exactly the same as at low doses. We show that linear interpolations are incorrect because both the biological and epidemiological evidence for thresholds, or other non-linearities, are more than substantial. We discuss why the LNT model suffers from misspecification errors, multiple testing, and other biases. Moreover, its use by regulatory agencies conflates vague assertions of scientific causation, by conjecturing the LNT, for administrative ease of use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • An experimental program concerning URM infills is presented. • The results of eight combined IP/OOP tests are described. • The influence of slenderness ratio on the IP/OOP interaction is discussed. • Tests' results are compared with literature formulations' predictions. • Empirical formulations for IP/OOP interaction modelling are proposed. Abstract This study presents the results of eight experimental tests on unreinforced masonry infills for the assessment of their out-of-plane (OOP) response and of the effects on it of in-plane (IP) damage (IP/OOP interaction). Infills equal for geometric and mechanical properties except for the slenderness (height-over-thickness, h/t) ratio were tested. The conservativeness of literature formulations in predicting the effects of IP/OOP interaction is assessed. The experimental results are collected together with those presented in literature to propose formulations for the prediction of the reduction of OOP response parameters as a function of the IP displacement demand and of the h/t ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A database of tests on flexure-controlled RC columns with plain bars is collected. • Characteristic points of the cyclic response envelopes are identified. • Parameters identifying the response envelopes are evaluated. • Empirical predictive equations are developed. • A comparison is carried out with models from literature and codes. Abstract This study proposes an empirical-based approach for the nonlinear modelling and deformation capacity assessment of flexure-controlled Reinforced Concrete (RC) columns with plain bars, providing an estimate of the expected post-elastic response backbone through formulations based on regression of experimental data. To this end, a database of tests on RC columns with plain bars is collected from literature. The specimens have different axial load, material properties, geometry, and longitudinal and transverse reinforcement ratio. Force-displacement data are collected and processed for each specimen. The backbone of the experimental base moment-chord rotation response is evaluated for each test, and characteristic points corresponding to yielding, maximum, "ultimate", and zero resistance conditions are identified. Potential predictors are investigated and empirical predictive equations are proposed for these points, based on a statistical analysis of data. Predictions of the proposed model are compared with literature and code provisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During earthquakes, unreinforced masonry (URM) infills are subjected to in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OOP) actions. Displacement demands in the IP direction affect the OOP response to seismic accelerations and vice versa: this phenomenon is called IP/OOP interaction. In this study, experimental tests aimed at investigating the IP action effects on the OOP response of thin URM infills are presented. Three URM infills in reinforced concrete frames are first cyclically loaded in-plane up to three different drift levels. Then, on each test specimen, monotonic OOP tests are performed. Tests’ results are compared to the pure OOP response of an IP-undamaged reference specimen. For each specimen, the evolution of cracking pattern during the IP and the successive OOP test is presented and discussed. Data concerning the variation of secant stiffness and force at first OOP macro-cracking and at peak load due to the increasing IP damage are presented. Based also on experimental tests presented in the literature, empirical relationships relating the reduction of force and secant stiffness at first macro-cracking and peak load due to the IP damage to the maximum interstorey drift ratio attained during IP tests are proposed. Finally, some considerations concerning the different post-peak behaviour, up to collapse displacement, of IP-undamaged and IP-damaged infills are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental tests on typical existing reinforced concrete bridge piers with hollow rectangular section were carried out. The specimens were designed and realized (scale 1:4) with material and reinforcement characteristics representative of the Italian bridge structures realized prior to 1980. Four specimens were tested, with different shear span-to-section depth ratio. Cyclic tests under displacement control with constant axial load were performed. Flexure and flexure-shear failure modes were observed. Design criteria and adopted setup are described. Experimental global response and observed damage evolution are presented. Results about local response and hysteretic energy dissipation are analysed. A database of tests on elements of the same typology tested in this work and subjected to shear or flexure-shear failure mode is collected from literature, and a comparison with shear strength capacity models from literature and codes is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A damage scenario on a database of Reinforced Concrete (RC) buildings subjected to the 6 th April 2009 L'Aquila earthquake is derived from the application of the POST (PushOver on Shear Type models) procedure, a simplified analytical methodology for seismic vulnerability assessment of RC buildings at large scale. Based on the simplified assumption of shear type modelling, POST methodology allows the derivation of the non-linear static behaviour of RC buildings accounting for the influence of infill panels. The seismic capacity is evaluated in terms of spectral intensity measures at different Damage States (DSs) based on the displacement capacity of structural and non-structural elements. DSs and the corresponding displacement thresholds are defined through the interpretation of the observational-based DSs provided by the European Macroseismic Scale EMS-98. Finally, a seismic fragility assessment is carried out, introducing random variables and adopting a Monte Carlo simulation technique. A database of 250 RC buildings located in the Municipality of L’Aquila is considered. The predicted damage scenario is compared with the observed post-earthquake damage collected from post-earthquake emergency survey forms. The influence of certain parameters on the derivation of damage scenarios is investigated, namely the assumptions made regarding the distribution of infill panels within the analysed buildings (i.e., internal partitions) and on spectral shape. The reliability of the adopted simplified analytical procedure and of the assumed mechanical interpretation of damage classification of EMS-98 are validated through the comparison of the predicted and observed percentage of buildings in each DS and distributions of damage to structural components (vertical structures and infill panels). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reinforced concrete buildings designed according to obsolete seismic codes or for gravity loads only are widespread in Italian and Mediterranean building stock. Past earthquakes showed that, for these buildings, shear failure in beam–column joints can lead to structural collapse mainly due to the inadequate joint confinement. The construction details used in these structural elements are commonly recognized as the likely cause of non-ductile structural failure modes under seismic actions, due to the lack of capacity design principles. A significant amount of research on seismic performance of unreinforced beam–column joints has been carried out in last years, but a very few portion of them handled with specimens unreinforced in the joint region and with plain hook-ended longitudinal bars. A higher number of tests is needed to deeper understand joint seismic response in order to validate the (few) existing models or calibrate new ones. This study aims at improving the understanding of seismic performance of exterior non-conforming joints in existing RC buildings. Two experimental tests on joints without transverse reinforcement are designed and carried out. The specimens are different for beam longitudinal reinforcement ratio and they are both reinforced with plain longitudinal bars. Two different kinds of joint failure are expected, with or without yielding of the adjacent beam. Design criteria, adopted setup and main experimental results are described. Strain gauges located on beam bars and displacement transducers on the joint panel allow the complete definition of both the deformability contributions of fixed-end-rotation and shear strain of joint panel. Finally, a comparison between joint shear strength models existing in literature or codes and experimental results (considering a wider experimental database) is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the performance assessment of typical existing buildings, seismic collapse safety might be significantly affected by non-linear behavior of joints that are involved in the failure mechanism, especially if they are characterized by poor structural detailing such as the lack of an adequate transverse reinforcement in the joint panel. Unfortunately, commonly accepted tools to assess existing joints capacity are not available. Few reliable approaches for modeling all sources of nonlinearity are proposed in literature for poorly designed beam–column joints because of relatively poor information from experimental tests. The present study aims at improving the understanding of seismic performance of exterior joints without transverse reinforcement in existing RC buildings through experimental tests. Two full-scale exterior unreinforced beam–column joint sub-assemblages are tested under cyclic loading. The specimens are reinforced with deformed bars but they are different for beam longitudinal reinforcement ratio. Two different kinds of joint failure are expected, with or without the yielding of the adjacent beam. Strain gauges located on beam bars and displacement transducers on the joint panel allow the complete definition of both the main deformability contributions, namely fixed-end-rotation and shear strain of joint panel, highlighting the differences between failure modes. Design criteria, adopted setup and experimental results are described and discussed. Finally, experimental results are compared with proposals from literature in terms of shear strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legally binding precautionary principles direct societal actions through regulatory laws to prevent future catastrophic or irreversible consequences that can result from human and natural hazards. Those principles connect uncertain cause and effect to public actions and hence must be transparent, scientifically sound and, on the average, demonstrably add to societal wellbeing. Focusing on legally binding forms of precaution and prevention concerning public choices, seen as prospects, we articulate how uncertainty affects causal analyses that must satisfy their legal requirements. The common measure of uncertainty is probability, explicitly used (and framed in various guises) by the three legal systems we study: the People's Republic of China, the European Union, and the United States. Probabilities can represent different forms of uncertainty, their technical differences, but use the same calculus. They occur at the intersection of legal and scientific causation and allow abstracting, from a prospective reality via models and simulations, future catastrophic or irreversible consequences. Probabilistic causal models—e.g., frailty models, power laws, self-organizing criticalities, and scale-free regularities – link environmental and other regulatory choices to reduce exposures likely to cause adverse responses. Thus, this type of causation is the scientific basis of the EU's Precautionary Principle, its Directives and Regulations; US federal regulatory and case law, and Chinese laws regarding the prevention of hazards. We use examples that clarify and guide public policy analysts to better formalize prospective public choices to avoid ambiguities or possibly incorrect results. We find that the scientific basis necessary to the analysis of precautionary and preventive choices is invariant to the jurisdictions that use it. We conclude that precautionary choices characterized by complex causation can be qualitatively assessed through adapting nine classic epidemiological criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some representation formulas for the modified Bessel functions in terms of Bell polynomials are derived. In particular, the cases of the half-integral order modified Bessel functions of the first and second kind are considered. We also consider the case of the half-integral order modified Bessel functions of the third kind (the so called Henkel’s functions). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological risk assessment has been regarded as an important tool for environmental management. Ecological risk assessment was conducted using Relative Risk Model in Xiamen Bay, China, the results of which were applied to inform coastal environmental management. The study area was divided into seven sub-regions, and the potentially ecological risks for both the whole bay and sub-regions were predicted and ranked by introducing a source–stressor–receptor–endpoint filter. The results showed that: (i) Jiulong River Estuary was the sub-region with highest risk; the second highest being Tongan Bay; (ii) coastal engineering major works were the biggest sources of routine risk, followed by typhoons and storm surges; (iii) oil spills were the biggest accidents contributing to risk, followed by non-routine discharges; (iv) shallow water swamp ecosystem were most likely to be affected, followed by inter-tidal mudflat ecosystem; (v) species diversity was the endpoint most likely to be affected, with population abundance of protected species being second. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to examine the effects of uncertainty on those risk prediction. Its results suggested that the probability distributions were consistent with other examples in the literature and as expected that the uncertainty that affects results does not alter the rankings from the relative risk analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main features of the Reinforced Concrete (RC) building stock that was struck by the Emilia 2012 earthquake and damage observed after the event are analyzed. Building stock characteristics and historical seismic classification are employed for the definition of two benchmark structures, representative of the whole building stock. Seismic capacity of the two structures, at different damage states, is assessed through static push-over analyses, within the N2 spectral assessment framework. Infill panels׳ contribution in terms of strength and stiffness is explicitly taken into account in the analytical model. Damage States are defined according to a mechanical interpretation of EMS-98 scale. Fragility functions at each Damage State are obtained through the application of a Response Surface Method. Finally large-scale damage scenarios are obtained crossing the geo-referenced census data regarding the characteristics of the Emilia RC building stock and starting from the seismic input provided by the shake map of the event. The scenarios seem to be in reasonable agreement with the observed damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Breast elastography is a new sonographic imaging technique for the characterization of focal breast lesions in addition to conventional ultrasonography (US) and mammography. Elastography provides a non-invasive evaluation of the stiffness of a lesion. Two different technical approaches are available for clinical use: free-hand elastography (USE) and shear wave elastography (SWE). Initial results of these techniques in clinical trials suggest that elastography substantially improves the US capability in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions, thus reducing the number of breast biopsies in benign nodules. This review paper, based on an extensive literature search, highlights the basics of breast elastography, including main technical features, how to do suggestions, limit and pitfalls, and presents the results of major clinical studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The sensitivity of the seismic response parameters to the uncertain modelling variables of the infills and frame of four infilled reinforced concrete frames was investigated using a simplified nonlinear method for the seismic performance assessment of such buildings. This method involves pushover analysis of the structural model and inelastic spectra that are appropriate for infilled reinforced concrete frames. Structural response was simulated by using nonlinear structural models that employ one-component lumped plasticity elements for the beams and columns, and compressive diagonal struts to represent the masonry infills. The results indicated that uncertainty in the characteristics of the masonry infills has the greatest impact on the response parameters corresponding to the limit states of damage limitation and significant damage, whereas the structural response at the near-collapse limit state is most sensitive to the ultimate rotation of the columns or to the cracking strength of the masonry infills. Based on the adopted methodology for the seismic performance assessment of infilled reinforced concrete frames, it is also shown, that masonry infills with reduced strength may have a beneficial effect on the near-collapse capacity, expressed in terms of the peak ground acceleration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fundamental period of vibration, dependent on mass and stiffness structure characteristics, is a key parameter in assessing seismic demand. The period can be evaluated both by means of empirical formulas and modal analysis carried out on a structure numerical model. The presence of external or internal infill elements, usually considered as “non-structural” elements, is generally not taken into account in structural modelling, although these elements can significantly increase the lateral stiffness of a Reinforced Concrete (RC) Moment Resisting Frame (MRF) building leading to a modification in dynamic properties. In this study, results of modal analyses carried out on 3D numerical RC MRF building models are presented, varying structure morphology (height, surface area, ratio between plan dimensions) and infill characteristics. Simplified formulas based on regression analysis of obtained numerical data are presented and discussed. These relationships are also compared with similar literature numerical expressions and empirical data from experimental measurements on existing buildings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Background: Immigration usually implies a complete change of the environment where one lives. Hence, studies on immigrants may help to disentangle genetic and environmental determinants of disease. We investigated whether the incidence of allergic and respiratory symptoms differed for Italian and immigrant children living in one area of Northern Italy. Methods: In December 2006, all the children (3–14 years) living in the Viadana district were surveyed through a parental questionnaire (response rate = 99%, n = 3854). Retrospective incidences of several symptoms were compared across different ethnic groups. Results: Parental asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema were less frequent in immigrant children than in Italian children. Wheezing and eczema incidences were lower in children born to foreign parents (especially if born abroad, incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.26–0.82 and IRR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.23–0.83, respectively), with respect to Italian children, while the occurrence of nasal allergies was similar among the ethnic groups. The greatest incidence of persistent cough/phlegm was observed in children born in Italy to foreign parents (IRR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.06–3.71) and in children whose parents had chronic bronchitis (IRR = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.52–4.33). Conclusions: Considering the distribution of parental atopic diseases and the low disease prevalence in the immigrants’ countries of origin, we suggest that nasal allergies may be more sensitive than wheezing or eczema to the change in the environment related to migration. Genetic or environmental factors clustered into families seem to have a role on chronic bronchitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Exterior RC joints strengthened with prestressed steel strips were tested. • Non-strengthened joints with or without stirrups were tested for comparison. • The non-strengthened joint without stirrups showed a BJ-failure. • The adopted strengthening was effective in increasing joint shear strength. • Local measurement data supported the observation of strengthening effectiveness. The response of unreinforced beam-column joints represents a key issue in seismic vulnerability and fragility assessment of existing Reinforced Concrete (RC) buildings. A great attention has been focused on the investigation of the experimental response of unreinforced joints and their possible strengthening strategies. In this study, an experimental investigation of the response of exterior RC beam-column joints strengthened with prestressed steel strips is presented. Four full-scale specimens were tested, two non-strengthened and two strengthened. The non-strengthened specimens were built with (specimen S) or without (NS) stirrups in the joint panel and were tested for reference and comparison purposes, in order to reproduce a seismic code-compliant and a non-conforming RC joint, respectively. The strengthened specimens had two different layouts characterized by a higher (CAM1) or lower (CAM2) complexity of installation and level of building disruption. The response of specimen NS was controlled by joint panel failure following beam yielding, whereas the specimen S showed a ductile response, controlled by beam flexural failure. The response of specimens CAM1 and CAM2 demonstrated the effectiveness of the adopted technology. For CAM1, a ductile response was observed, similar to specimen S. For CAM2, a joint panel failure following beam yielding was observed, as for specimen NS, but with a significantly higher global ductility. The presence of prestressed steel strips led to a delay in the onset of diagonal cracking, with a slight increase in strength at this condition, i.e. by 8%, but a significantly higher deformation capacity, with the drift increasing, on average, by 122%. The strengthening led to a relatively slight increase in the resistance of the subassemblage, which was very similar in specimens S, CAM1 and CAM2, and, on average, 11% higher than in specimen NS. Instead, a much more significant difference was observed in terms of deformation capacity, with the drift at conventional ultimate condition in specimens CAM1 and CAM2 77% and 61% higher than specimen NS, respectively. The experimental results are reported, and the effectiveness of the tested strengthening solutions is discussed, in terms of global response of the subassemblage, observed damage evolution, energy dissipation capacity, and local response, such as joint shear distortion and measured strain of strengthening steel strips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The resolvent of a complex matrix is an analytic function in any domain with empty intersection with the spectrum of . The well known Taylor expansion of in a neighborhood of any given is modified taking into account that only the first powers of are linearly independent. The main tool in this framework is given by the multivariable polynomials depending on the invariants of ( denotes the degree of the minimal polynomial). These functions are used in order to represent the coefficients of the subsequent powers of as a linear combination of the first of them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using precautionary principles when facing incomplete facts and causal conjectures raises the possibility of a Faustian bargain. This paper applies systems dynamics based on previously unavailable data to show how well intended precautionary policies for promoting food safety may backfire unless they are informed by quantitative cause-and-effect models of how animal antibiotics affect animal and human health. We focus on European Union and United States formulations of regulatory precaution and then analyze zoonotic infections in terms of the consequences of relying on political will to justify precautionary bans. We do not attempt a political analysis of these issues; rather, we conduct a regulatory analysis of precautionary legal requirements and use Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) to assess a set of policy outcomes. Thirty-seven years ago, the Joint Committee on the Use of Antibiotics in Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine (the Swann Report) warned that uncontrolled use of similar antibiotics in humans and food animals could promote the emergence of resistant strains of foodborne bacteria that could endanger human health. Since then, many countries have either banned or restricted antibiotics as feed additives for promoting animal growth. Others, including the United States, have relied on prudent use guidelines and programs that reduce total microbial loads, rather than focusing exclusively on antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In retrospect, the regulatory strategy of banning or restricting animal antibiotic uses has had limited success: it has been followed in many cases by deteriorating animal health and increases in human illnesses and resistance rates. Conversely, a combination of continued prudent use of antibiotics to prevent and control animal infections, together with HACCP and other improvements, has been followed by large improvements in the microbial safety of chickens and other food animals in the United States, leaving both animals and people better off now than they were decades ago. A quantitative risk assessment model of microbiological risks (Campylobacter because of data availability) suggests that these outcomes may be more than coincidental: prudent use of animal antibiotics may actually improve human health, while bans on animal antibiotics, intended to be precautionary, inadvertently may harm human health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We introduce new Laguerre-type population dynamics models. These models arise quite naturally by substituting in classical models the ordinary derivatives with the Laguerre derivatives and therefore by using the so called Laguerre-type exponentials instead of the ordinary exponential. The L-exponentials e n (t) are increasing convex functions for t ⩾0, but increasing slower with respect to exp t. For this reason these functions are useful in order to approximate different behaviors of population growth. We consider mainly the Laguerre-type derivative D t t D t , connected with the L-exponential e 1(t), and investigate the corresponding modified logistic, Bernoulli and Gompertz models. Invariance of the Volterra–Lotka model is mentioned. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Study objective: To verify the efficacy and safety of minilaparotomy hysterectomy using a self-retaining elastic abdominal retractor. Design: Retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). Setting: Private hospital, department of obstetrics and gynecology. Patients: One-hundred-fifty women, age 37 to 76 years, with benign uterine pathology or preinvasive neoplasia. Intervention: Minilaparotomy hysterectomy assisted by a self-retaining elastic abdominal retractor. Measurements and main results: The mean surgical time was 70 ± 23.5 minutes (95% CI 63.1–70.7). There were no intraoperative complications. There was no need to extend the initial incision. Eight patients developed complications during the immediate postoperative period (fever in 2, hematoma of the surgical wound in 2, sub-aponeurotic seroma in 2, pubic edema in 1, and pulmonary embolism in 1). During the late postoperative period, a vaginal cuff dehiscence was reported. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 2.5 ± 0.2 days (95% CI 2.4–2.6). Conclusion: Minilaparotomy hysterectomy assisted by a self-retaining abdominal elastic retractor is a safe and effective minimally invasive procedure. Also, it appears to be a good alternative to laparoscopic hysterectomy for institutions that do not have the required expensive equipment or for gynecologists who do not have laparoscopic experience. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

What measures of uncertainty and what causal analysis can improve the management of potentially severe, irreversible or dreaded environmental outcomes? Environmental choices show that policies intended to be precautionary (such as adding MTBE to petrol) can cause unanticipated harm (by mobilizing benzene, a known leukemogen, in the ground water). Many environmental law principles set the boundaries of what should be done but do not provide an operational construct to answer this question. Those principles, ranging from the precautionary principle to protecting human health from a significant risk of material health impairment, do not explain how to make environmental management choices when incomplete, inconsistent and complex scientific evidence characterizes potentially adverse environmental outcomes. Rather, they pass the task to lower jurisdictions such as agencies or authorities. To achieve the goals of the principle, those who draft it must deal with scientific casual conjectures, partial knowledge and variable data. In this paper we specifically deal with the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the European Union''s (EU) explanation of consistency and on the examination of scientific developments relevant to variability and uncertain data and causation. Managing hazards under the precautionary principle requires inductive, empirical methods of assessment. However, acting on a scientific conjecture can also be socially unfair, costly, and detrimental when applied to complex environmental choices. We describe a constructive framework rationally to meet the command of the precautionary principle using alternative measures of uncertainty and recent statistical methods of causal analysis. These measures and methods can bridge the gap between conjectured future irreversible or severe harm and scant scientific evidence, thus leading to more confident and resilient social choices. We review two sets of measures and computational systems to deal with uncertainty and link them to causation through inductive empirical methods such as Bayesian Networks. We conclude that primary legislation concerned with large uncertainties and potential severe or dreaded environmental outcomes can produce accurate and efficient choices. To do so, primary legislation should specifically indicate what measures can represent uncertainty and how to deal with uncertain causation thus providing guidance to an agency''s rulemaking or to an authority''s writing secondary legislation. A corollary conclusion with legal, scientific and probabilistic implications concerns how to update past information when the state of information increases because a failure to update can result in regretting past choices. Elected legislators have the democratic mandate to formulate precautionary principles and are accountable. To preserve that mandate, imbedding formal methods to represent uncertainty in the statutory language of the precautionary principle enhances subsequent judicial review of legislative actions. The framework that we propose also reduces the Balkanized views and interpretations of probabilities, possibilities, likelihood and uncertainty that exists in environmental decision-making. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The hysteretic response of ductile RC columns with plain bars is investigated. • Predictive equations for the response envelope are recalled. • Pinching4 Material hysteretic rules are described. • Hysteretic parameters are calibrated based on 51 experimental tests. • The proposed model is applied at the element and structural level. In this study, the hysteretic response of ductile Reinforced Concrete (RC) columns with plain bars is analyzed by evaluating the degradation of unloading and reloading stiffness with imposed inelastic displacement and the "pinching" behaviour, based on experimental data. The dependence of the hysteretic parameters on selected potential predictors is investigated. Finally, the parameters describing the cyclic response of RC columns with plain bars are calibrated. The proposed cyclic macro-model is applied at the element level to check the consistency of its results with experimental outcomes. In addition, the prediction of the proposed model is compared with that of other response models proposed in the literature for modelling the seismic response of RC columns with deformed bars. It is observed – also at structural level – that the application of a model specifically dedicated to columns with deformed bars for predicting the cyclic response of columns with plain bars may yield to a significant overestimation of the cyclic degradation of the response and, in tune, to a significant underestimation of the displacement capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A case report of urinary stress incontinence after surgery in a 20-year-old patient with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome is presented. A neovagina was successfully created with a laparoscopic-assisted Vecchietti procedure. Fifteen months later, after normal and satisfactory sexual intercourse, the patient was seen for stress urinary incontinence. A second surgery consistent with the transobturator tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) system with nonelastic polypropylene suburethral TVT allowed full correction of the urinary symptoms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology characterized by non-caseating granulomas at the site of disease. A confident diagnosis should be established by the evidence of typical granulomas on biopsy and after exclusion of other conditions. Clinically recognizable Gastrointestinal involvement (GI) occurs in less than 1.6% of patients with sarcoidosis, with data revealing small intestine participation in 0.03% of the cases and few anecdotal reports describe a peritoneal presentation. Clinical manifestations of peritoneal sarcoidosis are abdominal discomfort, bloating, weight loss, epigastric and peri-umbilical pain with or without ascites, bowel obstruction. Treatment depends on symptoms and disease activity. Herein we describe the case of a 42-years-old male patient who developed an acute, life–threatening small bowel obstruction as first manifestation of sarcoidosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only report showing such extensive and acute onset of intra-abdominal sarcoidosis in the absence of a previous disease manifestation and without pulmonary involvement. • Abdominal sarcoidosis is a sporadic event and localization without pulmonary involvement is rarer mimicking GI diseases. • Reaching abdominal sarcoidosis diagnosis is not a straightforward process. • It is pivotal to confirm sarcoidosis diagnosis before subjecting patients to an appropriate treatment. • Corticosteroids are considered the cornerstone treatment. • Asymptomatic patients may undergo a watch and wait follow-up with no need for a pharmacological therapy. • Surgery is not often required but individualized patient evaluation is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An experimental program on square URM infills is presented. • The results of four combined IP/OOP tests are described. • Tests' results are compared with literature formulations' predictions. • Tests' results are compared with those obtained on rectangular infills. • The influence of aspect ratio on the IP/OOP interaction is analyzed. The analysis of the behaviour of masonry infills under out-of-plane (OOP) and in-plane (IP) loading is paramount to correctly assess the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frames. A very important issue about this topic is certainly the IP/OOP interaction, namely the analysis of how the IP damage, which affects infills during earthquakes, can influence their OOP behaviour (and vice-versa). Some studies about this topic were developed in the last years; nevertheless, only a dozen of tests currently exists in the literature to experimentally explore this key issue. This work first presents an experimental campaign carried out on square infill walls in RC frames to investigate about the OOP behaviour of the masonry infills, and about the IP/OOP interaction. On the whole, four specimens have been tested under OOP monotonic loading. Three of them have been first damaged under cyclic IP actions, with different extent; the remaining one, used as a reference, was tested under OOP loading only. The experimental campaign is described in detail in terms of specimens' characteristics, material properties, adopted setup and instrumentation layout. The experimental results are analysed in terms of IP and OOP force-displacement responses, vertical arch strength contribution evolutions, and damage state evolutions, and compared with prediction proposals from the literature. Then, the influence of the infill aspect ratio (width (w)-to-height (h) ratio) on the IP/OOP interaction is investigated by means of the comparison between data presented herein (collected on infills with w/h = 1) and a companion experimental campaign previously performed on nominally identical infills except that for the aspect ratio of the specimens (in that case, higher than the unit). It has been observed that under given IP drift levels, square infills presented lower IP damage levels with respect to rectangular infills (with w/h > 1), thus generally producing a less pronounced detrimental effect of the IP imposed drift on the OOP strength. Nevertheless, none of the predictions from literature takes into account the role of the aspect ratio on the IP/OOP interaction, generally resulting in conservative predictions, to be improved in future works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reinforced Concrete (RC) buildings with clay masonry infills are a very common structural typology worldwide for civil, strategic or productive use. Damage to infills may cause danger for human lives and strongly affects economic losses, as shown during past earthquakes. Despite their role is crucial in terms of global and local response of RC buildings in the event of an earthquake, in current practice, infills are considered as partition elements without any structural function. The behaviour of infills under seismic actions has to be reliably characterized, starting from the analysis of their displacement capacity at different performance levels due to in-plane actions, and a proper complete numerical modelling, able to reproduce their influence on the global behaviour of RC frames under seismic actions. Some models have been already proposed in literature, but their reliability should be yet proved on the basis of an as wide as possible experimental database. Therefore, in this paper, a homogenous extensive database of experimental tests on RC frames infilled with hollow clay-masonry infills – typical of Italian and Mediterranean RC building stock – is collected and presented. The experimental responses of the infills under lateral loads are obtained and the main related numerical models existing in literature are investigated and compared with the experimental results. A new modelling proposal is carried out to obtain a simple practice-oriented force-displacement envelope to significantly reduce the errors in the prediction of the infill in-plane behaviour under lateral loads. The experimental evolutions of damage under increasing displacement demand are also analysed, and the displacement capacity at given performance levels are identified and correlated to the in-plane behaviour of the infill panels. The analysis of the damage evolution to the infills during the experimental tests finally allows the definition of drift-based fragility functions for these components, representing a key point for a more reliable estimation of losses due to earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Fusarium is an opportunistic fungal pathogen which is emerging as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the immunocompromised host [Fleming RV, Walsh TJ, Anaissie EJ. Emerging and less common fungal pathogens. Infect Dis Clin North Am 2002;16:915–34]. This disease can be localized, focally invasive or disseminated, when two or more noncontiguous sites are involved. Therapeutic options are scarce and mortality reaches 80–90% in patients subjected to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-SCT) [Nucci M, Marr KA, Queiroz-Telles F, Martins CA, Trabasso P, Costa S, et al. Fusarium infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient. Clin Infect Dis 2004;1237–42]. We report a case of disseminated Fusariosis in a severe immunocompromised patient after allo-SCT that responded to treatment with the early combination of intravenous voriconazole and liposomal amphotericin B. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Fourier solution of the wave equation for a circular vibrating membrane is generalized to a star-like-shaped structure. We show that the classical solution can be used in this more general case, provided that a suitable change of variables in the spherical co-ordinate system is performed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Fourier solution of the heat problem for a circular plate is generalized to a starlike shaped plate. We show that the classical solution can be used even in this more general case, provided that a suitable change of variables in the polar co-ordinate system is performed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Three experimental tests on the IP/OOP interaction on square infill walls are presented. • A wider experimental database is collected including these test results. • The effectiveness of existing proposals to predict the IP/OOP interaction is assessed. • The influence of infill geometric properties and IP damage level is analyzed. • New empirical formulations are proposed for the OOP strength and stiffness reduction. The out-of-plane (OOP) response of unreinforced masonry (URM) infill walls under seismic loading has been widely studied in very recent times with both experimental and numerical investigations. It is recognized that the damage of infills due to in-plane (IP) seismic actions has a significant influence on their OOP response, by reducing the OOP strength and stiffness: this phenomenon is named IP/OOP interaction. Current code provisions propose the use of formulations derived from the literature to predict the OOP strength reduction due to IP damage. In this study, experimental tests are performed to assess the IP damage effects on the OOP response of square URM infills with relatively low slenderness ratio in reinforced concrete frames. Tests' results are used to enrich the currently available experimental database, to assess the effectiveness of current provisions regarding the prediction of the IP/OOP interaction effects and to propose empirical formulations for the prediction of the IP/OOP interaction effects in terms of OOP strength and stiffness reduction as a function of geometric properties of the infill (namely, the slenderness ratio and the aspect ratio) and of the IP displacement demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]