University of Coimbra

This paper presents a grid model to describe the nonlinear behaviour of the face plate component in I-beam to concrete-filled RHS tubular column joints. The model is developed through finite element analyses validated with experimental tests on different geometries of end plate I-beam to concrete-filled SHS tubular column joints. The parametric numerical study considers the slenderness of the face of the SHS column and the ratio of the loaded width versus the width of the face of the column with three alternative configurations for the connection of the beam to the column face: a bolted end plate, a welded transverse plate and a fin plate. Furthermore, bolted end plate connections in high strength steel S690 were also considered. The proposed grid model captures the transition from bending-dominated to membrane-dominated behaviour, allowing for the prediction in a consistent way of the force-displacement curve of a joint whenever the deformability of the face of the concrete-filled tubular column controls the behaviour. Finally, it is shown that a simplified beam strip model on an elastic foundation yields accurate results for the full range behaviour of the component, providing an efficient solution for practical use. • Experimental tests on I-beam to concrete-filled tubular column steel joints • Simple beam strip on elastic foundation model for the face plate component loaded out-of-plane. • Parametric study of bolted connections and welded connections with transverse plates, fin plates and high strength steel. • Demonstration of semi-rigid and partial moment resistance behaviour.

Soil biodiversity and functioning are the foundation of ecosystem sustainability, but we do not know whether current nature conservation areas are efficiently protecting soils. Here, we investigated the contribution of terrestrial nature conservation areas to protect soil biodiversity and functioning across scales. We found no general positive effect on diversity of bacteria, fungi, protists, invertebrates, and nematodes, captured as richness, Shannon diversity and dissimilarity, and 5 soil functions (pathogen control, nutrient provision, soil carbon, soil organic matter decomposition, and soil aggregate stability). Our findings suggest that nature conservation areas show an inconsistent role in protecting soil biodiversity and functioning, as we found mostly non-significant and otherwise mixed effects across scales. Despite few positive and negative effects of protection status, our work highlights the urgent need to directly target soils in nature conservation.

Chronotype manifests trait-like dispositions and age-related developmental shifts; yet the psychometrics of existing morningness-eveningness (ME) scales do not reflect the distinctness of these influences. Three issues contribute to this construct-measurement mismatch: assumed age-invariance of reliability and validity, uniform cutoffs across age/sex, and unwarranted conflation of trait and developmental ME. We aimed to exemplify solutions for these issues and deliver age-stratified psychometrics and augmented regression-based norms (RBN) that disentangle trait and developmental ME for the European Portuguese CSM. Multi-cohort data from Portuguese residents/native speakers were pooled. Reliability (N=2890; 12-94 years) and validity (n=1880; 12-75 years) were examined overall and across five age groups. Hierarchical step-down regression selected predictors for the augmented RBN. Predictive performance was compared with conventional whole-sample norming on sleep timing and mental-health outcomes. Age-stratified analyses showed adolescents and older adults diverged from overall reliability and validity patterns; nevertheless, indices were adequate. RBN included linear and quadratic age in adolescence and, in adulthood, an additional Age×Sex interaction. Augmented scores' disentangled trait and developmental components better predicted validity indicators and mental-health outcomes than conventionally normed scores. A public calculator returns ME z-scores, percentiles, and a 9-category chronotype classification for trait, developmental, and combined chronotype. Augmented RBN for the CSM deliver trait, developmental, and combined ME scores and classifications that improve prediction and offer clinical utility for exploring vulnerabilities to psychological distress, sleep problems, and cognitive complaints. The approach may generalize to other ME scales.

Neste artigo pretendo expor as críticas de Hans Jonas, no capítulo "Third Essay. Is God a Mathematician? The Meaning of Metabolism da sua obra The Phenomenon Of Life/Toward a Philosophical Biology", à conceção matemático-mecanicista da natureza (mormente, materialismo e dualismo cartesiano), obstáculo a uma explicação filosófico-ontológica satisfatória da vida e das suas especificidades biológicas e ontológicas. Para tal, destacarei a importncia do metabolismo, assinalando a especificidade ontológica dos seres animados. Simultaneamente, trarei à liça as críticas que Jonas apresenta ao dualismo cartesiano e ao epifenomenalismo. Por fim, pretendo aproximar a posição de Jonas da perspetiva hilomórfica, de inspiração aristotélica-tomista, defendida por Edward Feser sobre a pessoa humana com destaque para os contributos deixados no mbito da Antropologia Filosófica.

O ensaio procura contextualizar o retrato de Bertolt Brecht traçado por Hannah Arendt em Men in Dark Times. A partir do conceito de humanismo crítico exemplificado pela autora no capítulo introdutório sobre Lessing, e seguindo de perto a abordagem de Arendt, tocam-se brevemente alguns aspectos da teoria e da prática brechtianas, sublinhando-se a actualidade do método de crítica do contemporneo ilustrado pelos textos de Brecht.