Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Calibrating a New Constitutive Tension Model to Extract a Simplified Nonlinear Sectional Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Beams

Nonlinear analysis of structural members is vital to understand the behavior and the response of reinforced concrete members. Even though most design procedures concentrate on the ultimate stage of response towards the end of the post-yielding zone as the decisive design criterion, the structural members usually function at the service load levels within the post-cracking zone. Therefore, cracking is a critical aspect of concrete behavior that affects the overall response of reinforced concrete beams. The initiation and the propagation of the cracks are affected directly by the tension and shear stresses in the beam. In flexural beams, the tensile stresses dominate the crack onset and its growth. Cracks in reinforced concrete flexural beams leave non-cracked regions in between the cracked sections. In order to apply a consistent analysis strategy, the smeared crack approach averages the behavior of these different cracked sections and uncracked in between regions to generate an accurate global response of the entire beam. This study presents a numerical constitutive tensile model that captures the complete tensile response of the reinforced concrete flexural member, in terms of averaged/smeared crack response. As a second step, this model was examined against a large pool of experimental data to validate its accuracy. Overall, the main objective of this study is to develop a representative constitutive tensile model for reinforced concrete flexural members and validate its accuracy against experimental results. The full nonlinear sectional response is analytically realized, based on the assumed trilinear moment–curvature response and the assumed trilinear moment–extreme fiber compressive strain response. This is considered as the secondary outcome of the present study.
Landlords with no lands: a systematic literature review on hybrid multi-sided platforms and platform thinking

PurposeThis article is based on a systematic and comprehensive review of the literature on two-sided platforms, the business structure based on the concept of matchmaking groups of customers (e.g. Uber or Airbnb). The research aims to identify gaps in the existing literature while providing a structured summary of the existing knowledge in the field. Finally, we propose a conceptual framework enabling platform thinking, the ability to see hybrid multi-sided platforms as a useful resource-orchestration structure to unveil innovation opportunities.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a bibliometric approach, combing co-citation and text mining analyses of 196 papers, also implementing a longitudinal analysis that highlights the evolution of the field since its inception till today.FindingsThe novel aspect of the paper consists in taking a purely managerial stance of a very peculiar kind of platform, merging existing knowledge in comprehensive frameworks while providing potential avenues for research.Research limitations/implicationsFrom an academic perspective, this research highlights the double nature of two-sided platforms: as an operational choice or as a way to exploit (digital) assets and reach the economic sustainability. A research agenda is proposed, based on three pillars: a side-based standpoint, a business model perspective and an evolutionary stance to see how these businesses may evolve.Practical implicationsThe research identifies different literature streams that may help practitioners in identifying how two-sided platforms may help them in fostering innovation.Originality/valueThe identification of two-sided platforms as a different way to create value (transaction platforms) or to capture value (non-transaction platform), enhancing the debate on this innovative business model. A research agenda to bring the field forward is proposed.
THE INFLUENCE OF SELF-SERVICE TECHNOLOGY AND CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MARKETING ON CUSTOMER LOYALTY MEDIATED BY CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

The purpose of this study is to explain the effect of self-service technology and customer relationship marketing on customer loyalty mediated by customer satisfaction. This research is quantitative research with an explanatory research approach. This research was conducted on customers who have an account at PT. Bank Central Asia, Tbk Tulungagung Branch, a minimum of three years is 82 respondents. Data collection uses questionnaires, documentation, and interviews with SmartPLS version 3.0 analysis tools. The result of the research shows that the direct influence of self-service technology influence on customer satisfaction and the influence of self-service technology on customer loyalty has a significant influence. The influence of customer relationship marketing on customer satisfaction and the influence of customer relationship marketing on customer loyalty has a significant influence. And, the effect of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty has a significant influence. The results of research for indirect influence, namely the influence of self-service technology on customer loyalty through customer satisfaction and influence customer relationship marketing to customer loyalty through customer satisfaction has mediation relationship. The next researcher needs to re-analyze self-service technology, customer relationship marketing as a variable that can increase customer loyalty in other companies that show different characteristics of the subjects of this study. Besides, it needs to be done on government bank customers who have certain characteristics, so that research can be generalized, namely to private companies or government companies.
When Matched for Relative Leg Strength at Baseline, Male and Female Older Adults Respond Similarly to Concurrent Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Training

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Abstract Timmons, JF, Hone, M, Duffy, O, and Egan, B. When matched for relative leg strength at baseline, male and female older adults respond similarly to concurrent aerobic and resistance exercise training. J Strength Cond Res 36(10): 2927–2933, 2022—Comparisons between sexes of adaptive responses with concurrent aerobic and resistance exercise training are largely unexplored. A supervised 12-week intervention of concurrent exercise training was used to investigate sex-specific differences, if any, in the response to concurrent exercise training in older adults. Community-dwelling men (n = 14; 68.0 ± 1.8 years; 27.8 ± 3.8 kg·m−2) and women (n = 14; 68.9 ± 3.8 years; 25.1 ± 3.8 kg·m−2) were pair-matched for relative leg strength expressed as leg press 1 repetition maximum per kg of leg lean body mass (LBM; assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry). Subjects undertook 24 minutes of concurrent aerobic (12 minutes) and resistance (12 minutes) exercise training 3 times per week i.e., 72 minutes of active exercise time per week. Muscle strength, physical function, and body composition were assessed before (PRE) and after 12 weeks (POST) of exercise training. The increase in absolute leg press strength was larger in men (mean difference ± SE, 25.3 ± 11.8 kg; p = 0.041, ηp2 = 0.156), but when expressed as leg press strength relative to leg LBM, training-induced increases were not different between the sexes (mean difference ± SE, 0.30 ± 0.46 kg·kg−1; p = 0.526, ηp2 = 0.016). No other measure of muscle strength (hand-grip and chest press), physical function (gait speed, timed-up-and-go, sit-to-stand, and Chester step test), or body composition (LBM and fat mass) differed in response to exercise training for between-sex comparisons. When male and female older adults are pair matched for relative leg strength at baseline before commencing exercise training, sex-specific adaptive responses to concurrent aerobic and resistance exercise training are largely similar for muscle strength, physical function, and body composition.
Organic Farming Increases the Technical Efficiency of Olive Farms in Italy

While there is growing recognition of the positive role played by organic farming in the reduction of the negative externalities due to conventional agriculture, there is uncertainty about the effect of the latter on the economic performance of the farms. In this scenario, the present paper aims at investigating the effect of organic farming on technical efficiency in Italian olive farms. A cross-section dataset was analyzed through the stochastic frontier function, where the adoption of organic farming was explicitly modeled. Then, to obtain an unbiased estimate of the impact of organic farming on technical efficiency, a propensity score matching method was implemented. The findings reveal that organic farming increases technical efficiency in Italian olive farms by approximately 10%. The highest impact of organic farming is observed in small farms. As for the propensity to become organic, we found that the production and the direct sales of a higher quality of gross marketable output, as well as the intensity of labor and machines, increase the probability to adopt organic farming. Conversely, farm localization, the availability of family labor, and financial capital discourage conversion to the organic farming system.
Selection against individuals from genetic introgression of escaped farmed salmon in a natural population of Atlantic salmon

The viability of wild Atlantic salmon populations is threatened by genetic introgression from escaped farmed salmon. Farmed Atlantic salmon are genetically improved for important commercial traits and a life in captivity but are poorly adapted to the natural environment. The rate of gene flow from escaped farmed to wild salmon depends on their spawning success and on offspring survival at various life stages. We here investigate relative survival of introgressed juvenile Atlantic salmon (parr) in a river in northern Norway. The studied population has experienced genetic introgression from farmed salmon for about four generations (20 years). We followed two cohorts of parr from the year of hatching (0+) to the age of 2 years (2+). Farmed genetic introgression was quantified at the individual level and on a continuous scale using diagnostic SNPs. Population‐level genetic introgression decreased from 0+ to 2+ by 64% (2011 cohort) and 37% (2013 cohort). This change was driven by a 70% (2011 cohort) and 49% (2013 cohort) lower survival from age 0+ to 2+ in introgressed parr compared to parr of wild origin. Our observations show that there is natural selection against genetic introgression with a potential cost of lower productivity.
The Relationship Between Spiritual Well-Being and Perceived Social Support in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease with disabling consequences. Social support is an important aspect of performance among patients and attention to perceived social support as a factor influencing health promotion is essential. Therefore, this study was performed with the aim to determine the relationship between spiritual well-being and perceived social support in patients with MS.Methods: This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted on 120 patients with MS. The participants were over 18 years of age and referred to the MS Clinic of Kashani Hospital, Isfahan‎, Iran. The subjects were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS software. P-values of less than 0.05 were considered significant.Results: The mean (SD) disease duration and age of participants were 8.1 (5.9) and 33.67 (8.7) years, respectively. Moreover, 75.9% of the participants were women and 76.1% were married. The mean score of spiritual well-being was 87.08. The mean score of perceived social support was 61.52 (14.9). Pearson correlation test indicated a direct relationship between spiritual well-being and the total score of perceived social support (r = 0.415, P < 0.001) and the emotional (r = 0.328, P = 0.004) and informational (r = 0.311, P = 0.006) dimensions, but not the instrumental dimension (r = 0.197, P = 0.081). Multiple linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation between spiritual health and social support in the emotional dimension (P < 0.05)Conclusion: This study confirmed the relation between perceived social support and spiritual well-being of people with MS. Thus, it is necessary that perceived social support, as a strong predictor of spiritual health status, is considered in the designing of health promotion interventions for patients with MS.
Personal and Contextual Foundations of Welfare Chauvinism in Western Europe

Europe has faced an increase in immigration during the past decades. This development has triggered public and political debate about the integration of immigrants, which includes immigrants’ access to social security systems. At the same time, a classical anti-immigrant narrative is that immigrants are “free-riders” who receive social benefits without having contributed adequately. Welfare chauvinism in the context of immigration entertains this belief, and refers to the individual perception that welfare state access should remain the preserve of native-born citizens. As such, welfare chauvinism is—in its core—about how group-based social inequality is perceived and justified. This chapter reviews personal and contextual foundations of welfare chauvinistic beliefs in immigrant-receiving societies in Western Europe. First, we focus on matters related to the conceptualization and measurement of welfare chauvinistic attitudes. Second, we review theoretical mechanisms and empirical evidence on individual-level factors that underlie welfare chauvinistic beliefs. This includes individuals’ social status, perceived deprivation, as well as value-related orientations. Third, we examine contextual determinants referred to in the literature. In addition to the presence of immigrants and asylum-seekers, which has been heightened as an influential factor in intergroup conflict approaches, we examine the role of economic, political and institutional factors. Fourth, we conduct an empirical analysis using two waves of the European Social Survey merged with contextual country-level information on economic, immigration-related and policy-related factors. The article concludes by referring to recent conceptual developments and methodological advances (e.g., longitudinal research and experiments), as well as open questions that should be addressed in future research on welfare chauvinism in immigrant-receiving societies.
IVF or ICSI for fertility preservation?

Summary In IVF, eggs and sperm are added together for fertilisation to occur whereas ICSI involves injecting a single sperm into each egg. ICSI is very effective where sperm count or swimming is poor (male infertility) but is slightly riskier than IVF in terms of health problems in children, although these risks are small. However, the risk of no eggs fertilising is higher for IVF compared to ICSI and couples undertaking fertility preservation, for example, before cancer treatment, usually only have time for one attempt. Using fertility preservation treatment cycle data reported to Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), this study shows that ICSI results in higher number of fertilised eggs and embryos for storage or treatment compared to IVF. However, 19% of eggs are not used in ICSI treatment, so IVF appears to be better overall. Clinics should choose IVF or ICSI for fertility preservation depending on sperm characteristics rather than using ICSI for all.
Do Consumers View the Genetically Modified Food Labeling Systems Differently? “Contains GMO” Versus “Non-GMO” Labels

Abstract This article fills the gap in literature by studying consumers’ perceptions of the genetically modified (GM) food labeling systems in China, in terms of the comparison between the mandatory “Contains GMO” and the voluntary “non-GMO” labels. Using a recent survey, we find that the mandatory “Contains GMO” labeling system is considered more important relative to the voluntary “non-GMO” labeling system, and factors driving the perceptions of the two systems are different. Consumers who have more objective GM food knowledge, higher concerns about the GM foods’ health effects, lower intentions to buy GM foods, and higher income perceive both labeling systems as more important than their counterparts. Consumers who believe that they have eaten GM foods without being aware of it consider the mandatory “Contains GM” labeling more important, while consumers who believe GM foods unsafe and oppose GM technology consider the voluntary “non-GMO” labeling more important. The results support the mandatory GM labeling system.
Quantitative CT‐Based Methods for Bone Microstructural Measures and Their Relationships With Vertebral Fractures in a Pilot Study on Smokers

Osteoporosis causes fragile bone, and bone microstructural quality is a critical determinant of bone strength and fracture risk. This study pursues technical validation of novel CT‐based methods for assessment of peripheral bone microstructure together with a human pilot study examining relationships between bone microstructure and vertebral fractures in smokers. To examine the accuracy and reproducibility of the methods, repeat ultra‐high‐resolution (UHR) CT and micro‐CT scans of cadaveric ankle specimens were acquired. Thirty smokers from the University of Iowa COPDGene cohort were recruited at their 5‐year follow‐up visits. Chest CT scans, collected under the parent study, were used to assess vertebral fractures. UHR CT scans of distal tibia were acquired for this pilot study to obtain peripheral cortical and trabecular bone (Cb and Tb) measures. UHR CT‐derived Tb measures, including volumetric bone mineral density (BMD), network area, transverse trabecular density, and mean plate width, showed high correlation (r > 0.901) with their micro‐CT‐derived values over small regions of interest (ROIs). Both Cb and Tb measures showed high reproducibility—intra‐class correlation (ICC) was greater than 0.99 for all Tb measures except erosion index and greater than 0.97 for all Cb measures. Female sex was associated with lower transverse Tb density (p < 0.1), higher Tb spacing (p < 0.05), and lower cortical thickness (p < 0.001). Participants with vertebral fractures had significantly degenerated values (p < 0.05) for all Tb measures except thickness. There were no statistically significant differences for Cb measures between non‐fracture and fracture groups. Vertebral fracture‐group differences of Tb measures remained significant after adjustment with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) status. Although current smokers at baseline had more fractures—81.8% versus 63.2% for former smokers—the difference was not statistically significant. This pilot cross‐sectional human study demonstrates CT‐based peripheral bone microstructural differences among smokers with and without vertebral fractures. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Investigation of Ideal Number User Terminals with Spectrum Efficiency in Next Generation Wireless Communication Systems

Received: 18 December 2020 Accepted: 2 February 2021 Suppose that a multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system is developed from scratch to equally envelop a defined region with optimal spectrum efficiency (SE) in next generation wireless communication systems such as sixth-generation (6G) and beyond networks. What are the ideal number of user terminals U, number of base stations antennas, and used pilot reuse factor? The purpose of this paper is to address this specific issue. Three interference levels are specified for this. Based on these interference levels, signal-tointerference-and-noise ratios (SINRs) are extracted. Closed-form spectrum efficiency equations are thus obtained. As a function of the base station (BS) antenna number, simulations are carried out considering multiple pilot reuse factors and diverse processing schemes such as Maximum Ratio Combining (MRC) and Zero-Forcing (ZF). From the results, it is understood that U varies according to the processing schemes. Therefore, evaluating the results considering the fixed number of users K will not give an accurate result in determining the design parameters for the next generation communication systems. In general, these results are useful statements that spectrum efficiency is maximized when the ideal number of users U is used in multi-cell systems.
The 2019/2020 mega-fires exposed Australian ecosystems to an unprecedented extent of high-severity fire

Extreme fire seasons characterised by very large ‘mega-fires’ have demonstrably increased area burnt across forested regions globally. However, the effect of extreme fire seasons on fire severity, a measure of fire impacts on ecosystems, remains unclear. Very large wildfires burnt an unprecedented area of temperate forest, woodland and shrubland across south-eastern Australia in 2019/2020, providing an opportunity to examine the impact of extreme fires on fire severity patterns. We developed an atlas of wildfire severity across south-eastern Australia between 1988 and 2020 to test (a) whether the 2019/2020 fire season was more severe than previous fire seasons, and (b) if the proportion of high-severity fire within the burn extent (HSp) increases with wildfire size and annual area burnt. We demonstrate that the 2019/2020 wildfires in south-eastern Australia were generally greater in extent but not proportionally more severe than previous fires, owing to constant scaling between HSp and annual fire extent across the dominant dry-forest communities. However, HSp did increase with increasing annual fire extent across wet-forests and the less-common rainforest and woodland communities. The absolute area of high-severity fire in 2019/2020 (∼1.8 M ha) was larger than previously seen, accounting for ∼44% of the area burnt by high-severity fire over the past 33 years. Our results demonstrate that extreme fire seasons are a rare but defining feature of fire regimes across forested regions, owing to the disproportionate influence of mega-fires on area burnt.
Effect of sintering time on the performance of turmeric dye-sensitized solar cells

This study reports the effect of sintering time on the performance of the dye-sensitized solar cells with turmeric dyes as sensitizers. Sintering TiO2 semiconductors were conducted at a temperature of 450°C for 30, 50, 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes. The natural dye was extracted from dried turmeric powders with ethanol solvent. The results show that size of grains and the opening area of TiO2 semiconductor depended on the sintering time. The improvement of the properties of TiO2 semiconductor allowed more turmeric dyes were adsorbed by the semiconductors and then improved the performance of solar cells. The sintering time of 150 minutes produced large grains with an average diameter of 68.87 nm, and a porosity area of 26.51% caused the performance of DSSCs was the highest among other sintering time. The Voc, Jsc, and efficiency of DSSCs with turmeric-based natural dyes 0.64 V, 0.47 mA/cm2, and 0.2%, respectively.