Effects of Wood Density And Interlocked Grain on the Shear Strength of Three Amazonian Tropical Hardwoods

Three tropical hardwoods, ishpingo (Amburana cearensis A.C. Smith), pumaquiro (Aspidosperma macrocarpon Mart.), and tulpay (Clarisia racemosa Ruiz and Pav.), were studied to determine the effects of wood density and interlocked grain on the shear strength parallel to grain. The maximum angular deviation (MAD) and the interlocked grain index (IG) were used to evaluate interlocked grain. The parameters were determined for interlocked grain samples and for ASTM D 143 shear blocks. There was a strong relationship between the interlocked grain parameters for the three species. MAD was simpler to evaluate compared to IG. The interlocked grain was highly variable within wood species. Failure of sheared blocks was irregular and in general followed the interlocked grain pattern. Hence, apparent shear strength was calculated using either a measured shear area (actual shear strength) or a fixed shear area of 2500 mm2 (nominal shear strength). Wood density positively affected the apparent shear strength of the wood. The relationships were stronger for actual shear strength compared to nominal shear strength. For all species studied, the interlocked grain negatively affected actual shear strength. The relationships between nominal shear strength and interlocked grain parameters were positive for ishpingo and tulpay, but negative for pumaquiro. Finally, we concluded that the ASTM D 143 block shear test method should be adapted for woods with heavily interlocked grain

Changes in Physical Properties of Yellow Birch Below and Above the Fiber Saturation Point

Two experimental techniques were used to perform moisture sorption tests at 25°C on specimens of yellow birch sapwood. The first used saturated salt solutions (from 33% to 90% relative humidity), and the second used the pressure membrane method (above 96% relative humidity). These sorption tests were combined with dimensional measurements and perpendicular-to-the-grain tangential compression tests. Results showed that at equilibrium moisture content, radial, tangential, and volumetric shrinkage, as well as changes in transverse strength, occur above the fiber saturation point. This behavior can be explained by the effect of hysteresis at saturation on wood properties. This hysteresis indicates that loss of bound water takes place in the presence of liquid water, which contradicts the concept of FSP. The initial equilibrium moisture content at which bound water is removed from yellow birch was about 41%

A Literature Review on BIM Maturity in the AECO Industry

Physical assets are, nowadays, more and more included in the digital environment, providing huge amount of data, and involving a complex network of stakeholders. Many Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) are employed in Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operation (AECO), in order to tackle the digital transformation. Currently, one of the most acknowledged approaches for managing the new complexity of the built environment is Building Information Modelling (BIM). This article addresses the issue of the maturity of organisations, which adopt or are willing to adopt a BIM approach. Therefore, research aims at providing a critical review on BIM maturity of organisations operating in AECO. The BIM approach can be considered a step forward for supporting the development of digital processes able to foster the achievement of their business objectives. The scope of the research concerns the overall dynamics of the AECO sector concerning the digital revolution affecting management of the built environment processes along the life cycle of physical assets. Therefore, a literature review on Scopus databases has been carried out and most relevant dynamics in the literature production have been identified and investigated trough bibliometric, trend and cluster analyses carried out on the selected sample of articles. In summary it can be stated that the BIM maturity allow to evaluate organisations’ digitalisation potential enabling the reengineering of business processes. Moreover, the evaluation of organisations’ BIM compliant approaches can provide a sound assessment method during a bid process, contributing to the transparent and effective selection of the most virtuous firms.Gli asset fisici sono oggi sempre più inclusi nell'ambiente digitale, fornendo una grande quantità di dati e coinvolgendo una complessa rete di stakeholder. Molte tecnologie dell'informazione e della comunicazione (TIC) sono impiegate in architettura, ingegneria, costruzione e funzionamento (AECO), al fine di affrontare la trasformazione digitale. Attualmente, uno degli approcci più riconosciuti per gestire la nuova complessità dell'ambiente costruito è il Building Information Modelling (BIM). Questo articolo affronta la questione della maturità delle organizzazioni che adottano o intendono adottare un approccio BIM. Pertanto, la ricerca mira a fornire una revisione critica sulla maturità BIM delle organizzazioni che operano nell'AECO. L'approccio BIM può essere considerato un passo avanti per sostenere lo sviluppo di processi digitali in grado di favorire il raggiungimento degli obiettivi di business. Lo scopo della ricerca riguarda le dinamiche complessive del settore AECO, riguardo alla rivoluzione digitale che interessa la gestione dei processi dell'ambiente costruito lungo il ciclo di vita dei beni fisici. Pertanto, è stata effettuata una revisione della letteratura sui database Scopus: le dinamiche più rilevanti nella produzione letteraria sono state identificate e investigate attraverso analisi bibliometriche, - di tendenza e a grappolo - effettuate sul campione di articoli selezionati. In sintesi, si può affermare che la maturità del BIM consente di valutare il potenziale di digitalizzazione delle organizzazioni, consentendo la reingegnerizzazione dei processi aziendali. Inoltre, la valutazione degli approcci conformi al BIM delle organizzazioni può fornire un solido metodo di valutazione durante una procedura di gara, contribuendo alla selezione trasparente ed efficace delle imprese più virtuose

Maternidade Adolescente: A Matriz de Apoio e o Contexto de Depressão Pós-Parto

The present study investigated the main figures in the support system of teenage mothers, showing their possible roles and the differences between mothers with and without indicators of depression according to the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Eight teenage mothers participated in the study, four with indicators of depression and four without. Interview content analysis revealed that mothers with the indicators mentioned fewer supportive figures than the others, either because depression may have affected the maternal perception of the mother’s support system or because support for the mother was insufficient. The fact that the participants were experiencing adolescence concurrently with motherhood could possibly heighten the ambivalences of these developmental stages.Este estudo investigou as principais figuras de apoio referidas pelas mães adolescentes, evidenciando as possíveis funções atribuídas a essas figuras e as diferenças entre mães com e sem indicadores de depressão, de acordo com a Escala de Depressão Pós-parto de Edimburgo (EPDS). Participaram do estudo oito mães adolescentes, quatro apresentavam indicadores de depressão e quatro não. Análise de conteúdo das entrevistas revelou que as mães com indicadores citaram menos figuras de apoio do que as sem indicadores, seja porque a depressão possa ter afetado a percepção materna quanto ao apoio recebido, seja porque sua matriz de apoio mostrou-se insuficiente nesse contexto. O fato das participantes estarem vivenciando a adolescência concomitantemente à maternidade pode potencializar as ambivalências características dessas etapas desenvolvimentais

The value in de-emphasizing structure in liquidity

In the set of commentaries on liquidity entitled “The continuing significance of social structure in liquid modernity,” three sets of authors set out to examine the relationship between liquidity and structure, value, and distinction. In doing so, they attempt to marry theories which argue against sociologist Zygmunt Bauman’s central thesis that societal structures are shifting with his seminal construct of liquidity, an exercise that has mixed results. All three sets of authors have engaged with Bauman’s conceptualization of liquid modernity as well as our conceptualization of liquid consumption and its consequences. In this response to the commentaries, we clarify how we understand Bauman and how we have used his ideas in our theorizing, engage with the three sets of author’s advocacy for emphasizing the continuing relevance of structure within liquidity, and, finally, sum up how de-emphasizing structure has and can continue to lead to important new insights in marketing theory

Comparison of Outcomes of antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy (CODA) trial: a protocol for the pragmatic randomised study of appendicitis treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Several European studies suggest that some patients with appendicitis can be treated safely with antibiotics. A portion of patients eventually undergo appendectomy within a year, with 10%-15% failing to respond in the initial period and a similar additional proportion with suspected recurrent episodes requiring appendectomy. Nearly all patients with appendicitis in the USA are still treated with surgery. A rigorous comparative effectiveness trial in the USA that is sufficiently large and pragmatic to incorporate usual variations in care and measures the patient experience is needed to determine whether antibiotics are as good as appendectomy. OBJECTIVES: The Comparing Outcomes of Antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy (CODA) trial for acute appendicitis aims to determine whether the antibiotic treatment strategy is non-inferior to appendectomy. METHODS/ANALYSIS: CODA is a randomised, pragmatic non-inferiority trial that aims to recruit 1552 English-speaking and Spanish-speaking adults with imaging-confirmed appendicitis. Participants are randomised to appendectomy or 10 days of antibiotics (including an option for complete outpatient therapy). A total of 500 patients who decline randomisation but consent to follow-up will be included in a parallel observational cohort. The primary analytic outcome is quality of life (measured by the EuroQol five dimension index) at 4 weeks. Clinical adverse events, rate of eventual appendectomy, decisional regret, return to work/school, work productivity and healthcare utilisation will be compared. Planned exploratory analyses will identify subpopulations that may have a differential risk of eventual appendectomy in the antibiotic treatment arm. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial was approved by the University of Washington\u27s Human Subjects Division. Results from this trial will be presented in international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02800785

The rise of inconspicuous consumption

Ever since Veblen and Simmel, luxury has been synonymous with conspicuous consumption. In this conceptual paper we demonstrate the rise of inconspicuous consumption via a wide-ranging synthesis of the literature. We attribute this rise to the signalling ability of traditional luxury goods being diluted, a preference for not standing out as ostentatious during times of economic hardship, and an increased desire for sophistication and subtlety in design in order to further distinguish oneself for a narrow group of peers. We decouple the constructs of luxury and conspicuousness, which allows us to reconceptualise the signalling quality of brands and the construct of luxury. This also has implications for understanding consumer behaviour practices such as counterfeiting and suggests that consumption trends in emerging markets may take a different path from the past

Off–label long acting injectable antipsychotics in real–world clinical practice: a cross-sectional analysis of prescriptive patterns from the STAR Network DEPOT study

Introduction: Information on the off–label use of Long–Acting Injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in the real world is lacking. In this study, we aimed to identify the sociodemographic and clinical features of patients treated with on– vs off–label LAIs and predictors of off–label First– or Second–Generation Antipsychotic (FGA vs. SGA) LAI choice in everyday clinical practice. Method: In a naturalistic national cohort of 449 patients who initiated LAI treatment in the STAR Network Depot Study, two groups were identified based on off– or on–label prescriptions. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to test several clinically relevant variables and identify those associated with the choice of FGA vs SGA prescription in the off–label group. Results: SGA LAIs were more commonly prescribed in everyday practice, without significant differences in their on– and off–label use. Approximately 1 in 4 patients received an off–label prescription. In the off–label group, the most frequent diagnoses were bipolar disorder (67.5%) or any personality disorder (23.7%). FGA vs SGA LAI choice was significantly associated with BPRS thought disorder (OR = 1.22, CI95% 1.04 to 1.43, p = 0.015) and hostility/suspiciousness (OR = 0.83, CI95% 0.71 to 0.97, p = 0.017) dimensions. The likelihood of receiving an SGA LAI grew steadily with the increase of the BPRS thought disturbance score. Conversely, a preference towards prescribing an FGA was observed with higher scores at the BPRS hostility/suspiciousness subscale. Conclusion: Our study is the first to identify predictors of FGA vs SGA choice in patients treated with off–label LAI antipsychotics. Demographic characteristics, i.e. age, sex, and substance/alcohol use co–morbidities did not appear to influence the choice towards FGAs or SGAs. Despite a lack of evidence, clinicians tend to favour FGA over SGA LAIs in bipolar or personality disorder patients with relevant hostility. Further research is needed to evaluate treatment adherence and clinical effectiveness of these prescriptive patterns