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The spread of trapeze industries (the creation of trapeze-shaped flint tips) during Late Mesolithic is one of the most disruptive phenomena of technological change documented in the European Prehistory. Understanding the chronological patterns of this process requires (i) a critical evaluation of stratigraphic relationship between trapeze assemblages and radiocarbon samples, and (ii) considering different levels of chronological uncertainty according to the inbuilt age of the samples and the calibration process. In this paper, we critically evaluate and analyze the radiocarbon record of the first trapeze industries in the Iberian Peninsula. A dataset of 181 radiocarbon dates from 67 sites dated to 8800–8200 cal BP was collected and evaluated following a strict data quality control protocol, from which 135 dates of 53 sites were retained and classified according to a reliability index. Then, three different phase Bayesian chronological models were created to estimate the duration of the first spread of trapezes across Iberia, considering different levels of chrono-stratigraphic resolution. We find that trapeze industries appeared in the eastern half of Iberia, over an area of 330,000 km2 between 8505–8390 and 8425–8338 cal BP, spanning 0–85 yr (95.4% CI). When the oldest evidence of trapezes from Portugal are considered, the probability distribution expands (8943–8457 and 8686–7688 cal BP), due to the chronological uncertainty of human samples with marine diet and regional ΔR values applied. For the eastern half of Iberia, the current evidence indicates a very rapid spread of trapeze industries initiated in the Central-Western Pyrenees, suggesting cultural diffusion within Mesolithic social networks as the main driving mechanism.

The aerial acrobat robot is a mechanical structure that achieves continuous acrobatic motion without electrical power by utilizing gravitational potential energy.The power of this motion is the rotational motion resulting from the imbalance of moments caused by both the masses, called counterbalance, and the weight of the robot. Or, it is the rotational motion resulting from the reciprocal energy conversion between the gravitational potential and kinetic energy of these two masses. Using the quasi-static single-link model mechanism, we derived a formula for the power moment that is important in the design of the mechanical structure to produce the aerial acrobat robot’s motion. This structure is mainly made of resin and is approximately 2 m long. Based on this structure, we developed a paper craft aerial acrobat robot compacted to about 0.27 m so that anyone can easily play with it. In the paper craft aerial acrobat robot based on the quasi-static single-link model, instability in the rotational behavior becomes apparent. To enhance the accuracy of the analysis of rotational moments, which are crucial in design, we develop a modeling method for a paper craft aerial acrobat robot using multibody dynamics. Furthermore, the theoretical solution for a simplified model of the paper craft aerial acrobat robot is constructed based on the double pendulum. The dynamic moments obtained by the modeling method of the paper craft aerial acrobat robot is verified by comparing the theoretical solution.

The importance of non-structural elements on the seismic performance of buildings is now widely recognized. A building cannot achieve a life-safety or continuous functionality performance after an earthquake if all its non-structural elements are damaged and/or out of function. Suspended non-structural elements, such as piping and mechanical services, play a crucial role in maintaining life-safety and functionality of a building after an earthquake. The importance of non-structural elements for the seismic performance of buildings have prompted the development of both force-based and displacement-based seismic design methodologies that can be applied to suspended non-structural elements. This paper focuses on appraising force-based and displacement-based seismic design methodologies available in Europe for suspended non-structural elements by comparing fragility functions for a case-study suspended piping trapeze restraint installation layout located in a mid-to-high seismic zone in Italy. The aim of this study is to determine if the seismic design methodologies available for suspended non-structural elements are capable of producing archetypes that achieve a life-safety performance objective for a design level earthquake (return period of 475 years) and maintain a reasonable performance, in terms of life-safety, for other earthquake intensity levels. Advantages and disadvantages of these methodologies are also highlighted.

The seismic performance of suspended piping systems can significantly compromise the functionality of critical facilities due to the incorporation of inadequate seismic design based on prescriptive empirical regulations and guidelines. The performance-based seismic design (PBSD) of non-structural elements requires the evaluation of performance parameters, based on experimental data or numerical studies, for comparison with engineering demand parameters. Few research studies available in the literature provide the performance parameters required to enable PBSD of piping systems and more specifically of suspended piping restraint installations. This paper discusses the numerical modelling of suspended piping trapeze restraint installations based on component testing. Reliable numerical models capable of predicting the force–displacement (backbone) curves of suspended piping restraint installations are developed based on monotonic and cyclic test data of the components that make up these installations. The prediction capabilities of the numerical models are assessed against the results of monotonic benchmark sub-assembly tests reported in a previous study. The numerical models developed in this study can be used to extract performance parameters from the predicted force–displacement curves to be used within a probabilistic PBSD framework without the need to conduct additional testing.

On December 25, 1897, Laverie Vallée, better known by her stage name Charmion, made her debut in Koster and Bial’s vaudeville theater in New York City with a provocative undressing act on the trapeze and demonstrations of her upper-body muscularity. Though part of a wave of female aerialists at the turn of the twentieth century whose performances quite literally “flew” in the face of Victorian values, Charmion was among the first to take advantage of the developing photography, cinema, and print industries to promote her act and was one of Thomas Edison’s first female silent movie subjects. The carnivalesque atmosphere generally associated with vaudeville performers made provocative acts like Charmion’s not only permissible but also very popular. Her performances certainly embodied both desires and fears of a society that was forced to revisit Victorian ideals about women’s sexuality, physical prowess, and the female body more generally.

As new leadership enters Riyadh and Washington, the US-Saudi relationship is in a period of transition. The new administration will inherit a partnership with common interests but different perspectives on issues affecting the Middle East.

Art-historical accounts of the last 200 years identify developments in the types, or \"modes,\" of address that a picture can present to a viewer as critical to the experience and evaluation of paintings. The authors focus on \"anti-theatrical\" theories of pictorial address and the complex and innovative \"double relation\" of absorption and acknowledgment introduced by the painter Edouard Manet. They report a case study of Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère investigating expert and novice spectators' eye movements and utterances in response to the painting to find evidence that viewers seek resolution of the complex \"double relation\" that the theories describe.

Aerial Dance: A Guide to Dance with Rope and Harness provides an introduction for the beginning aerialist. It covers rigging, equipment, advice on optimal conditioning, and a step-by-step guide to technique, including anatomical references, space and time considerations, and elements of force when working with and against gravity. Specific movements and choreography are framed anatomically and together reflect the pattern and order of an aerial technique class. Challenges inherent to this type of dancing are discussed, as well as wellness instruction and methods of altering these techniques for intermediate and advanced dancing. A companion website hosts video that corresponds with the technique and phrasing in the book.