Utilization of Precast Concrete Elements in Building

Precast concrete components can be used in building construction within a comprehensive “closed” system, or as separate elements in conjunction with any building method. The feasibility of this second possibility was examined within the framework of a conventional building system and the following alternatives of elements utilization: prestressed modular floor slabs, exterior walls, and a combination of slabs and exterior walls. Each of these alternatives was compared to the conventional system without precast elements. The following criteria were used as a basis for the comparison: the labor requirement, the direct building cost (labor and materials), the construction time, and other considerations of more subjective nature. The findings of the study indicated that the utilization of precast elements might considerably reduce the labor requirement on site, and the project construction time. The direct building costs were almost unaffected by the alternative solutions.     

Laminar compressible flow between close rotating disks: An asymptotic and numerical study

Laminar steady compressible flow between close rotating thermally conducting axisymmetric disks with inflow was investigated by means of a numerical solution of the Navier-Stokes equation and an asymptotic analysis. The approximate solution, obtained for small ?, E and H (Rossby and Ekman numbers, and height/radius, respectively) is valid for “merged”, “close” and “separate” boundary layers on the disks, corresponding to β? 1, $\text{β ? 1}$ and β? 1, respectively (where $\text{β =}\text{H}\text{2}\text{√}\text{E}\text{ρ}$, and ρ is the non-dimensional density). These three cases may appear simultaneously in different regions of the same system due to the large variation of ρ in the radial direction. The small ? (i.e. negligible convection terms) does not necessarily imply small perturbations of the pressure, and a special treatment of the pressure term was used in order to account for this feature, which sometimes culminates in inversion of the radial pressure gradient. Thenumerical solution was obtained by a finite-difference, modified Cheng-Allen method, using a non-uniform mesh. The numerical and the approximate solution are in good agreement.     

Experimental tests of entanglement models of rubber elasticity: 1. Uniaxial extension-compression

The predictions of several entanglement models of rubber elasticity for the uniaxial stress-strain response of crosslinked polymer networks are examined. It is found that the Gaylord tube model and the Flory constrained junction fluctuation model both agree well with the experimental data.     

On the extended binomial distribution

An Extended Binomial random variable tallies the number of successes in n dichotomous and independent experiments with unequal probability of success in each trial, however. The paper describes situations where an Extended Binomial distribution arises and suggests an algorithm for computing its values.     

On the analysis and solution of certain geographical optimal covering problems

The article formulates, analyses and suggests solutions to some optimal covering problems that often arise in association with geographical coordinates, albeit their mathematical form may be detached from this background. It shows that under a general formulation no favorable mathematical properties can be deduced beyond the “center of gravity”, and thus that computational algorithms are seemingly the best resort for resolving the problem. An algorithm that is based on the steepest descent approach and that exploits the “center of gravity” property is devised, and is shown as a detector of local minima points. A release from the “locality trap” is provided by a stochastic algorithm.Every part of the paper is accompanied by illustrative examples, either of an analytical nature on a segment of the real line or of a numerical nature by computer programs.     

Topochemistry. Part XXXIX. The Solid-state Photochemistry of some 2′-Nitrochalcones

It is shown that the specific pathway of a complex photochemical reaction in the solid state is governed by the molecular conformation and its retention, and by the molecular packing. 2′-Nitrochalcone and those of its derivatives which are isomorphous with it display the s-trans conformation in the solid state and yield indigos upon irradiation. However, this conformation is not sufficient to ensure photoreactivity: thus the s-trans-4-bromo-derivative does not yield indigo. The same derivative in the s-cis conformation (in a second crystal form) has a crystal structure similar to that of the parent compound, and also does not yield indigo.     

A study of machine-level software profile

The instruction mix of a CDC CYBER/74 computer in a university environment was monitored, and in this paper frequencies of execution for the most commonly used instructions are given. From these measurements we make a number of observations about several aspects of computing patterns. One observation is the fact that if we exclude the idle loop of the operating system, the percentage of occurrences for each type of instruction over various time intervals is constant. This fact is used to define a machine-level software profile (MLSP) for the type of machine operations in the given computing environment. It is shown that the MLSP could be used to find machine utilization and the extent to which software takes advantage of machine architecture, and as a consistent method to improve the performance of a machine configuration.     

Control design for suppressing transversal patterns in reaction–(convection)–diffusion systems

The stabilization of planar stationary fronts solutions in a two-dimensional rectangular or cylinder domain, in which a diffusion–convection–reaction process occurs, is studied by reducing the original two-variable PDEs model to an approximate one-dimensional model that describes the behavior of the front line. We consider the control strategy based on sensors placed at the designed front line position and actuators that are spatially-uniform or space dependent. We present a systematic control design that determines the number of required sensors and actuators, their position and their form. The control used linear analysis of a lumped truncated model and concepts of finite and infinite zeros of linear multidimensional systems.     

Correlates of employee lateness: Some theoretical considerations.

Using hypothesis-driven meta-analytic procedures on 30 samples containing 118 correlations, researchers examined competing models of the relationship between lateness and assorted work-related variables. Consistent with a progression withdrawal model, the mean corrected lateness-absence correlation, .40, was found to be higher than the lateness-turnover correlation, .27. Hypotheses regarding the relationships between lateness and attitudes, performance, and demographics were generally supported. Methodological issues, including the need for longitudinal designs in the field and the inclusion of other moderators such as organizational and personality variables, were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)