Civil engineering structures as well as office or apartment building are affected by earthquakes. In some buildings, few or no walls are provided at the first story (pilot). In the structures with difference in story level, major problems is due to discontinuity of floor diaphragm that causes significant changes in period, stiffness and distribution of earthquake force. In this paper, using linear and nonlinear static analysis, time history and location of plastic hinge in short columns and beams, period, displacement, shear force, performance point and Capacity Spectrum and… , in 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 story structures with story level difference are studied. The results show that the effect of level difference in short structures is obvious and by increasing the height difference, the effect of short column phenomenon is decreased and the performance point is increased.

Fragility curves represent the probabilities that structural damages, under various levels of seismic excitation, will exceed the specified damage states by means of earthquake intensity damage relations. Conceptual aspects related to seismic vulnerability, damage and risk evaluation are discussed first, together with a short review of the most widely used possibilities for the seismic evaluation of structures. The Capacity Spectrum Method starting from Capacity and fragility curves is then discussed. The determination of Capacity curves for buildings using a non-linear structural analysis tools is then explained, together with a simplified expeditious procedure allowing the development of fragility curves. Next, the seismic risk of the special truss moment frame (STMF) systems of Tehran, the capital of Iran, is analysed in this paper using the Capacity Spectrum Method. The seismic hazard of the studied area is described by using the reduced 5%-damped elastic response spectra. Significant damage is obtained for mid-rise and high-rise special truss moment frames with a Vierendeel middle panel, because of the buckling and early fracture of truss web members. Special truss moment frames with an X-diagonal middle segment also show a low seismic Capacity leading to significant expected damage.

Performance seismic evaluation is an important topic in earthquake engineering. In this regard, several Methods have previously been developed and used. The main objective of present research is to evaluate two Methods including "Capacity Spectrum Method (CSM)" and "Improved Capacity Spectrum Method (ICSM)" in determination of seismic performance of concrete frames. For this purpose, several sample frames are subjected to several different earthquake records, seismic performance of them are evaluated using these two Methods. It was demonstrated that CSM and ICSM Methods underestimate displacement at seismic performance level. Based on the numerical results of this study, it was concluded that the ICSM Method is more accurate than the CSM Method.

In this paper, information-theoretic analysis of spread Spectrum watermarking (SSW) is performed. The analysis is focused on deriving channel Capacity of SSW system in order to determine the most embedding rate with the highest robustness. Channel Capacity is calculated for three cases when the watermark channel introduces no attack, the additive noise attack and the de-synchronization attack. The analyses in this paper are based on the practical aspects and the embedding and detecting strategy of SSW. In each section, first the channel Capacity of SSW is calculated and then all the effective parameters on channel Capacity are examined.

The present paper focuses on the development of fragility curves and on the seismic vulnerability assessment of existing steel structural systems with a certain type of semi-rigid connection known as Khorjini (Saddle) connections. A significant number of such building type suffered from extensive damage to total collapse in 1990 Manjil (Northern Iran) M 7.4 earthquake. In this study, several variants of two-dimensional structural models with such connections including concentrical braced frames only, infilled frames only, and a combination of both, have been investigated. Three- and five-story models have been considered as they are the most common structures with Saddle connections in Iran. Development of fragility curves have been completed based on HAZUS Methodology. The Methodology benefits from a damage estimation approach based on the Capacity Spectrum Method. Previous studies have proved that the Methodology adopted in HAZUS documents is applicable in risk assessment studies. The Methodology requires an inelastic demand Spectrum as well as the Capacity curve of the structure presented in Acceleration-Displacement Response Spectrum (ADRS) format. The former is derived by reducing elastic design spectral ordinates to account for hysteretic damping, while the latter is obtained from nonlinear static (pushover) analysis of the nonlinear model of the structural system. For the design Spectrum, the NEHRP acceleration spectra at two levels, 2% probability of exceedance in 50 years (level 1) and 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years (level 2) were utilized. Nonlinear models of the buildings are constructed in OpenSees platform utilizing nonlinear beam-column elements with their plasticity behavior concentrated at both ends of the elements (zero length nonlinear rotational springs). Saddle connections are modeled using two torsional springs to model their rotational constraining effects at beam-columns joints. Moment-rotation responses of such springs were calibrated to match available experimental results with similar connection details considered in this study and in relevant literatures. Moreover, all infill panels are modeled using equivalent compression struts based on the current acceptable approaches found in reference literature. Performance points of the structures are found by intersecting the demand Spectrum with the Capacity curve of the structure. The final output of the HAZUS Methodology is the fragility curve of the structure, which depicts the probability of exceedance of certain levels of drift-based performance levels according to peak ground acceleration (PGA) values. Nevertheless, uncertainties are incorporated in the fragility curves development process. Results show that the probability of exceedance of Immediate Occupancy (IO), Life Safety (LS) and Collapse Prevention (CP) performance levels in 3-story models subjected to the level 1 earthquake (475 return period) are, respectively, 50%, 23% and 12%; while the corresponding values for the level 2 earthquake (2475 values) are 87%, 70% and 56%, respectively. For the 5-story models, the probabilities are 64%, 29% and 16% for the level 1 earthquake and 96%, 81% and 67% for level 2 earthquake. Due to such high levels of vulnerabilities, seismic retrofitting of such existing buildings in the city of Tehran is absolutely essential.

Considering appropriate lateral load pattern and determining target displacement for bridges in nonlinear static pushover (NSP) analysis have been important issues for researchers. There are two conventional load patterns in the standard codes of practices which are called: 1- Mode shape proportional load pattern, 2-Mass proportional load pattern.Capacity Spectrum Method (CSM) is one of the approaches applied in determining target displacement of structures usually using the first mode proportional load pattern. In conventional (CSM) Method for determining the Spectrum Capacity curve during NSP analysis, the base shear of the multi degrees of freedom system versus displacement of the control point is drawn using the first mode proportional load pattern, and then is converted to spectral displacement and spectral acceleration format.Converting base shears and control point displacements into spectral accelerations and displacements is based on the assumption that the dynamic behavior is dominated with only one of the natural vibrational mode shapes which is assumed to be constant and not changing during the (NSP) analysis. Assessing this assumption for horizontally curved bridges shows that the lateral load patterns are effected with combination of modes and are not proportional to one especial mode shape. In this context, mass proportional load pattern is usually used to consider the effects of some special pre-specified mode shapes in (NSP) analysis.In this research, the (CSM) Method is further developed and a Method is proposed for determining target displacements using the mass proportional load pattern.In the proposed Method, the Capacity Spectrum is drawn using mass proportional load pattern based on the displacement vector in the linear range instead of some specified mode shapes. Therefore, the developed proposed Method is not dependent on some pre-specified modes of vibration and the effects of all modes of vibration are considered simultaneously. The efficiency of the proposed Method is proved by determining target displacements of control points on a horizontally curved bridge using the proposed Method and then comparing the results with the results of incremental dynamic analysis (IDA).

The lack of Quranic approaches in the production of Quran-based humanities is still felt, despite the predominance of the philosophical approach in critical approaches to modern humanities, which has become very common in the Islamic world and in Iran for several decades. It seems that the Capacity of the Method of thematic exegesis (al-Tafsīr al-mawdū'ī, Arabic: التفسیر الموضوعیّ) in this regard, can be used to bring the Holy Quran into the field of humanities. Thematic exegesis, according to whether its subject is inside or outside the Qur'an, has several functions in criticizing the structure of modern knowledge and scientific research, as well as the production of Islamic humanities. It is possible to make use of thematic exegesis of the inside of the Holy Book of Quran in order to “fundamental criticism” of the general fundamentals of humanities -the fundamentals of epistemology, axiology, ontology and anthropology- and it is also possible to use thematic exegesis for constructing and producing foundation of humanities obtained from the Holy Quran. It is used by thematic interpretation exegesis of the outside of the Holy Book of Quran -such as Shahīd (martyr) Sadr’s interrogational approach- to answer the problems of humanities and this process faces challenges such as the complexity and multiplicity of the “subject” of the humanities that exist in modern terminology of this field. It can be used in order to solve this issue in some cases to know the process of the change of the components of the modern of the conceptual history’s approach and also by analyzing the issue into several components can be shown that the components are not necessarily a product of the modern era and can be followed up in the Holy Quran and can be found up in the Holy Quran. The perspective of the Holy Quran, after that, regarding the modern subject in the desired field by the “combining” of the results obtained based on the thematic interpretation.

Background: Early detection of extended-Spectrum β,-lactamases (ESBLs) producing bacteria is critical for infection prevention and control. Numerous phenotypic approaches and automated systems have been developed for detecting ESBL bacteria. However, there is a scarcity of data in Ethiopia regarding the most reliable, simple, and cost-effective Methods for detecting ESBL-producing bacteria. This study, therefore, aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of three phenotypic approaches for detecting ESBL-producing bacteria. Methods: In this study, 117 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Proteus mirabilis were examined. Cefotaxime (30 μ, g) and ceftazidime (30 μ, g) were used for screening ESBL enzymes. A screening breakpoints of ≤,27 mm and ≤,22 mm were used for cefotaxime (30 μ, g) and ceftazidime (30 μ, g), respectively, as per the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. All 117 strains were further confirmed by the Vitek 2 compact, double disk synergy, ESBL Epsilometer test, and combined disk Method. The combined disk Method was adopted as the reference Method. Results: Out of 117 isolates, 90 (86%) had zone diameters of ≤,27 mm and ≤,22 mm for cefotaxime (30 μ, g) and ceftazidime (30 μ, g), respectively. The reference Method detected 76 (65%) ESBL isolates out of 117 ones. From among the three techniques (i. e., double disk synergy, Vitek 2 compact, and ESBL Epsilometer test), the double disk synergy Method demonstrated overall sensitivity and specificity of 97. 4% and 97. 6%, respectively. Vitek-2, cefotaxime, and ceftazidime Epsilometer test indicated indeterminate results of 6. 8%, 6. 8%, and 5. 1% respectively. Conclusion: Double disk synergy was found to have the highest sensitivity and specificity for detecting ESBL isolates with no indeterminate results.

Ductility, or deformation energy, is by far the largest source of energy dissipation of structures, since normal levels of internal damping represent only a small portion of energy dissipation. However, large material deformations such as that required in building components to perform in a ductile manner, are often associated with cracking and degradation of its strength, particularly in concrete structures. Added Damping and Stiffness (ADAS) elements are mechanical devices that design to be installed in either new or existing buildings. ADAS elements, if properly designed and installed, can increase the strength, stiffness and usable energy dissipation Capacity of a moment resistant frame (MRF), in addition the energy dissipation is concentrated to locations, which have been specifically designed for this purpose. This paper proposes a new alternative design approach for buildings with the application of ADAS elements and determining of ductility and response modification factor of structures by the use of nonlinear static analysis and Capacity Spectrum Method (CSM). Also ductility and response modification factor of ordinary moment resistant frames with and or without ADAS elements have been compared. The results of these investigations indicated that equal viscose damping of moment resistant frames with ADAS elements is more than moment resistant frames. Therefore base shear forces of these structures are less than MRF and the weight of steel used and foundation construction costs of these structures are less.

Using advantages of previous algorithms along with two novel points, a new low destructive image steganographic Method is proposed. The proposed Method is supported by mathematical theorems. The host image is segmented into blocks of pairs of successive pixels. The secret data are hidden in these two-pixel blocks. The secret data is considered as a stream of bits and is run length coded. Here 0 and 1s are runvalues and the number of runvalues in each run is runcount. There are two novel points in this paper, as the first the RLC coded secret bit stream is rearranged so that there is no need to embed runvalues, and only runcounts are embedded. This point reduces the volume of embedded data considerably. As the second point, the runcounts greater than a predefined value are embedded in more than one block, limiting local destruction. The embedding process incorporates the modular arithmetic. Using different experiments under various conditions, the proposed algorithm was compared to the last published Method. In all experiments, for the same size of embedded data the proposed algorithm has 4db to 12db lower destruction than the last algorithm.