scholarly journals Macroseismic risk classification of historical constructions: the LEXSIS approach

Author(s):  
Irene Puncello ◽  
Silvia Caprili ◽  
Elisa Bonanni

AbstractThe present paper deals with the elaboration of a methodology to assess the macro-seismic risk of monumental historical buildings, representing a fundamental part of the European cultural assets. Monumental buildings typically arise from a very complex constructive and morphological evolution process characterised by modifications occurred over the centuries. Therefore, they are usually heterogeneous buildings similar to 'structural aggregates' rather than single constructions and characterised by a structural behaviour depending on the mutual interaction of different structural units. An accurate knowledge process can allow the determination of structural units within the complex: such units can be therefore analysed using a specific evaluation form conceived to provide a 'risk ranking' of the different portions constituting the aggregate and accounting for vulnerability, exposure and seismic hazard parameters. The proposed methodology exploits what is already used to quickly determine structural features and eventual damages in the post-earthquake phase for ordinary buildings, introducing specific aspects typical of historical-cultural heritage requiring attention. According to the results achieved, retrofit interventions or deepen investigations can be planned for units provided by a higher position in the risk scale, optimising and rationally planning the use of available economic and time resources. In the present work, the proposed methodology is applied to the monumental complex of the Certosa di Calci, Pisa (Italy).

Author(s):  
Vladimir D. Gusev ◽  
Liubov A. Miroshnichenko

An important quantitative characteristic of symbolic sequence (texts, strings) is complexity, which reflects at the intuitive level the degree of their "non-randomness". A.N. Kolmogorov formulated the most general definition of complexity. He proposed measuring the complexity of an object (symbolic sequence) by the length of the shortest descriptions by which this object can be uniquely reconstructed. Since there is no program guaranteed to search for the shortest description, in practice, various algorithmic approximations considered in this paper are used for this purpose. Along with definitions of complexity, suggesting the possibility of reconstruction a sequence from its "description", a number of measures are considered that do not imply such restoration. They are based on the calculation of some quantitative characteristics. Of interest is not only a quantitative assessment of complexity, but also the identification and classification of structural regularities that determine its specific value. In one form or another, they are expressed in the demonstration of repetition in the broadest sense. The considered measures of complexity are conventionally divided into statistical ones that take into account the frequency of occurrence of symbols or short “words” in the text, “dictionary” ones that estimate the number of different “subwords” and “structural” ones based on the identification of long repeating fragments of text and the determination of relationships between them. Most of the methods are designed for sequences of an arbitrary linguistic nature. The special attention paid to DNA sequences, reflected in the title of the article, is due to the importance of the object, manifestations of repetition of different types, and numerous examples of using the concept of complexity in solving problems of classification and evolution of various biological objects. Local structural features found in the sliding window mode in DNA sequences are of considerable interest, since zones of low complexity in the genomes of various organisms are often associated with the regulation of basic genetic processes.


2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (02) ◽  
pp. 1241003 ◽  
Author(s):  
EVGENIY AKSIANOV ◽  
ANDREI ALEXEEVSKI

The description of a protein fold is a hard problem due to significant variability of main structural units, β-sheets and α-helixes, and their mutual arrangements. An adequate description of the structural units is an important step in objective protein structure classification, which to date is based on expert judgment in a number of cases. Explicit determination and description of structural units is more complicated for β-sheets than for α-helixes due to β-sheets variability both in composition and geometry. We have developed an algorithm that can significantly modify β-sheets detected by commonly used DSSP and Stride algorithms and represent the result as a “β-sheet map,” a table describing certain β-sheet features. In our approach, β-sheets (rather than β-strands) are considered as holistic objects. Both hydrogen bonds and geometrical restrains are explored for the determination of β-sheets. The algorithm is implemented in SheeP program. It was tested for prediction architectures of domains from 93 well-defined all-β and α/β SCOP protein domain families, and showed 93% of correct results. The Web-service http://mouse.belozersky.msu.ru/sheep allows to detect β-sheets in a given protein structure, visualize β-sheet maps, as well as input three-dimensional structures with highlighted β-sheets and their structural features.


Author(s):  
William A. Heeschen

Two new morphological measurements based on digital image analysis, CoContinuity and CoContinuity Balance, have been developed and implemented for quantitative measurement of morphology in polymer blends. The morphology of polymer blends varies with phase ratio, composition and processing. A typical morphological evolution for increasing phase ratio of polymer A to polymer B starts with discrete domains of A in a matrix of B (A/B < 1), moves through a cocontinuous distribution of A and B (A/B ≈ 1) and finishes with discrete domains of B in a matrix of A (A/B > 1). For low phase ratios, A is often seen as solid convex particles embedded in the continuous B phase. As the ratio increases, A domains begin to evolve into irregular shapes, though still recognizable as separate domains. Further increase in the phase ratio leads to A domains which extend into and surround the B phase while the B phase simultaneously extends into and surrounds the A phase.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 245-252
Author(s):  
V. V. Somov

In carrying out an investigation into the explosion, among others, the investigative version of the use of a single-use reactive grenade launcher is being considered. The most common for criminal explosions are applied grenade launchers RPG-18, RPG-22, RPG-26. Their use is due to a number of such properties as small size and weight, which makes it possible to transfer them covertly, the range of the shot significantly exceeding the range of the hand grenade throw, the high detonating effect of the rocket grenade explosion. The single-use rocket launchers are generally of the same design. Their differences are in the features of the components construction and dimensional characteristics, which are given in the article. On the basis of expert practice, details ofgrenade launchers that remain at the site of the explosion and have the least damage are determined. These details are the objects of investigation of the explosion technical expertise. These objects include launchers of grenade launchers and rocket parts ofjet grenades. The design features of the launchers, their dimensional characteristics and marking symbols make it possible to determine their belonging to a specific type of jet grenade launchers. Missile parts of jet grenades differ in the form of the combustion chamber of the jet engine, nozzle, in the size ofthe outlet section of the nozzle, in the form and size of the stabilizerfeathers. To determine the belonging of the rocket part of the grenade to a specific type ofjet grenade launcher, it’s necessary to establish a set of structural features and dimensional characteristics. At considerable damage of the combustion chamber of the jet engine, as a rule, the nozzle block remains intact that allows to define diameter of critical section of a nozzle, and on it to establish type of the used single-use grenade launcher.


Author(s):  
Olexandr Yemelyanov ◽  

The formation of business strategies of enterprises should be based on a preliminary assessment of their current and future economic opportunities. Such an assessment is to establish the value of the total economic potential of enterprises and its individual varieties. The purpose of this study was to clarify the essence of the economic potential of enterprises, justify the need for its evaluation and selection of its types. The main approaches to interpreting the terms "potential" and "enterprise potential" are identified. These include resource, result, resource-result, resource-target, and result-target concepts. It is established that the potential of any object, including the enterprise, can be interpreted as a set of its external functional properties, which this object shows or can show in a certain state of the environment in which it is located. Accordingly, the assessment of the potential of an object should be based on the identification and determination of its external properties, taking into account the environment in which the object is located. The main situations in which there is a need for information about certain components of the economic potential of the enterprise are identified, and the types of this potential and the consumers of the information about their level, corresponding to these situations, are determined. In particular, such situations include management of production and sales, management of financial and economic results of the enterprise, management of enterprise development, assessment of the company's need for various types of resources, assessment of enterprise value, assessment of current and future impact of the enterprise on the economy of the country (region), etc. The features of classification of types of enterprise potential existing in the scientific literature are supplemented by the following ones: by the main types of economic activity, by the dynamics of changes in the economic and production system of the enterprise, by consequences for the subject of enterprise potential assessment, by the stages of economic activity, enterprise potential, etc. The obtained results make it possible to improve the understanding of the complex patterns that underlie the formation of the economic potential of enterprises.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 170 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Eylem Özkaya Lassalle

The concept of failed state came to the fore with the end of the Cold War, the collapse of the USSR and the disintegration of Yugoslavia. Political violence is central in these discussions on the definition of the concept or the determination of its dimensions (indicators). Specifically, the level of political violence, the type of political violence and intensity of political violence has been broached in the literature. An effective classification of political violence can lead us to a better understanding of state failure phenomenon. By using Tilly’s classification of collective violence which is based on extent of coordination among violent actors and salience of short-run damage, the role played by political violence in state failure can be understood clearly. In order to do this, two recent cases, Iraq and Syria will be examined.


Author(s):  
P.L. Nikolaev

This article deals with method of binary classification of images with small text on them Classification is based on the fact that the text can have 2 directions – it can be positioned horizontally and read from left to right or it can be turned 180 degrees so the image must be rotated to read the sign. This type of text can be found on the covers of a variety of books, so in case of recognizing the covers, it is necessary first to determine the direction of the text before we will directly recognize it. The article suggests the development of a deep neural network for determination of the text position in the context of book covers recognizing. The results of training and testing of a convolutional neural network on synthetic data as well as the examples of the network functioning on the real data are presented.


Author(s):  
Igor' Latyshov ◽  
Fedor Samuylenko

In this research, there was considered a challenge of constructing a system of scientific knowledge of the shot conditions in judicial ballistics. It was observed that there are underlying factors that are intended to ensureits [scientific knowledge] consistency: identification of the list of shot conditions, which require consideration when solving expert-level research tasks on weapons, cartridges and traces of their action; determination of the communication systems in the course of objects’ interaction, which present the result of exposure to the conditions of the shot; classification of the shot conditions based on the grounds significant for solving scientific and practical problems. The article contains the characteristics of a constructive, functional factor (condition) of weapons and cartridges influence, environmental and fire factors, the structure of the target and its physical properties, situational and spatial factors, and projectile energy characteristics. Highlighted are the forms of connections formed in the course of objects’ interaction, proposed are the author’s classifications of forensically significant shooting conditions with them being divided on the basis of the following criteria: production from the object of interaction, production from a natural phenomenon, production method, results weapon operation and utilization, duration of exposure, type of structural connections between interaction objects, number of conditions that apply when firing and the forming traces.


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