Case history on failure of a 67 M tall reinforced soil slope

Construction of this 67 m high RSS was completed in December 2006. After seven years in-service, a tension crack was observed at the top of the slope. In March 2015 this RSS structure catastrophically collapsed. This RSS structure collapsed in a compound failure mode; as the failure plane passed beneath, partially behind, and partially through the reinforced soil mass. The failure plane beneath the RSS was along a shale-claystone interface. The failure surface partially behind the RSS was along sandstone bedrock with water-seeping bedding planes dipping out of the rock mass. The failure surface through the upper portion of the RSS is where the geogrid reinforcement was overwhelmed by stresses originating from underlying deformation. The RSS collapse occurred after 8.3 years in-service as the shear strength along the shale-claystone interface decreased and approached the fully softened strength. The primary causative factors of this failure are: (i) an insufficient subsurface investigation program and interpretation of data for design and detailing; (ii) insufficient specifications and construction plan details for both foundation preparation and rock backcut benching; (iii) insufficient foundation preparation and rock backcut benching during construction; and (iv) adaptations to the design made during construction.     

Can video games change attitudes towards history? Results from a laboratory experiment measuring short- and long-term effects

This study investigates a video game's effects on implicit and explicit attitudes towards depicted historical events in the short- and long-term on a sample of 148 young adults. We used, as an intervention tool, a serious game Czechoslovakia 38–89: Borderlands that deals with the expulsion of the Sudeten Germans from the former Czechoslovakia after the WWII. Results showed more negative pretest-posttest explicit attitude changes towards the expulsion on a general level (d = −0.34) and a specific level (d = −0.53) compared to the control group. Over the long-term, group differences in attitude change remained significant for the specific level (d = −0.44), but not for general one (d = −0.16). Exploratory analysis on the item level indicated that especially attitudes towards the expulsion's (un)fairness were affected by the game. However, no significant changes were found in implicit attitudes in the experimental group. This study is the first of such scale to empirically investigate video games' effects on a society's historical awareness.     

圆形截面柱的振动台试验及分析

进行了圆柱振动台试验,对模型的加速度反应数据进行获取。试验表明,随着地震的加速度峰值的不断增加,圆柱顶部加速度极值不断增加。柱顶的加速度响应有着增大的趋势,且极值比输入的加速度的极值有一定的放大。     

西汉徐地鲁恭王宫苑园林——鲁灵光殿研究

汉代是中国园林的形成阶段,不仅园林建筑物有所增加,成为住宅的延伸与扩展,而且人工造景比重也增大,造园要素趋于完备。园林的内容与功能随着社会生活的改变而逐步多样和完善,不仅是射猎、走狗、跑马的场所,还可以是游船、宴乐、赏鱼虫走兽、观看百戏的地方。造园在布局上也采用灵活多变的手法,按功能的需要,穿插安置不同形式的厅堂、楼阁、亭榭等。通过对鲁灵光殿时代背景及汉代园林、建筑营造形式的深入研究,结合文献的相关记述,梳理出鲁灵光殿的沿革,并以此为依据,对鲁灵光殿进行复原。     

传统文化电视节目的发展特点

传统文化电视节目在探索发展的过程中,选题逐渐聚焦中国风物人文,视野逐步向百姓生活延伸,立意兼顾文化内涵与百姓情感需求,编排制作节目内容与造型双发展。在此基础上,传统文化节目迎来更大的繁荣。     

Preliminary identification of potential markets for off-grid electrification: tool development and a case study of Ghana

With more than one billion people lacking access to electricity in the world, ensuring universal access to electricity by 2030 remains a major challenge which cannot be left to the government initiatives alone. Access to local information and identification of potential areas for investment can be a challenge for investors. This paper provides a tool for preliminary assessment of potential markets for off-grid electrification in developing countries and applies this to Ghana to demonstrate its applicability. A multi-criteria approach is used to rank the districts according to the overall potential and the best markets and least favourable areas for investment are identified. The tool offers flexibility to include new inputs to the analysis and the factor weights can be adjusted as appropriate. The case study shows that the tool can effectively identify potential areas from a list of candidates and offers support to analysts.     

Chinese state and society in epidemic governance: A historical perspective

This paper looks at the role of state and society in the history of epidemic governance in China for an appreciation of the way China manages the current COVID-19 epidemic.     

The Lise Meitner-Minerva Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry: 18 Years of Israeli-German Collaboration

We tell the story of the Lise Meitner-Minerva Center, its establishment and activities, its members and their scientific activity, and its instrumental role in weaving intense relationships with the theoretical community in Germany, and in amalgamating the Israeli community of computational quantum chemistry into a national center that enjoys a high international reputation.     

Alternatives for improving energy security in Cape Verde

The lack of consensus on the meaning of energy security and how it should be measured hinders the evaluation of alternatives for improving the Cape Verdean energy sector. The objective of the paper is to develop an energy security index adjusted to the country's context. The methods used are the multi-criteria analysis and the Delphi survey. Different alternatives to improve energy security are assessed: electrically interconnect Cape Verde's islands, increase the share of renewable energy, and a combination of the previous alternatives. The results of our analysis indicate that increasing renewable energy is the optimal alternative for Cape Verde.