Thin RC Shell-Slab Roofing System with Steel Rod Connections

An innovated structural system, namely the Shell-Slab Roofing System(SSRS) of precast thin reinforced concrete cylindrical shell and flat slab has beenfabricated as a roof segmental unit. The flat slab rests on the cylindrical shell at thecrown and also connected to the shell by steel rod connections at each side. Steelplate strips are fixed on the bottom surface of the slab and on the top and thebottom surfaces of the shell as external tensile and shear steel reinforcement toprevent punching shear around the steel rod connections. The ratio of the shellheight to the chord length was (0.1). The structural behavior of the roof system hadbeen investigated under uniformly distributed static load. Experimental work wascarried out by fabrication of six complete segments with scale-down simulationfactor equal to (0.25). The vertical deflections had been observed at selectedpositions on the models. A water/cement ratio of (0.5) combined with a cement:sand ratio of (1:2) had been employed. The influence of certain experimentalparameters had been studied. The model with only twelve rod connections andminimum reinforcement volume ratio was adequate to resist the live loads forbuildings with large span roofing. The investigation showed that the combined unitof thin concrete shell and flat slab with embedded small diameter steelreinforcement was suitable for construction of such roofing system as large spanstructures with lower ratio of shell height to chord length (h/c) equal to (0.1)

Factors influencing patient loyalty to outpatient medical services: an empirical analysis of the UAE’s government healthcare system

Purpose The aim of this research is to uncover issues that inhibit patients' satisfaction and loyalty and identify factors that could enhance customer retention by government hospitals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The mediating impact of outpatient satisfaction on service quality, word of mouth (WoM), hospital image, outpatient–physician relationship and outpatient loyalty were tested. Design/methodology/approach The sample data used to test the hypotheses were drawn from a pool of patients served by a government healthcare agency in Abu Dhabi. Questionnaires were provided to 418 participants using methods such as short message service, e-mail and face-to-face delivery. The data were analyzed using SmartPLS 3.3.2 software. Findings The results indicate that service quality, WoM and outpatient–physician relationship positively impact outpatient satisfaction and indirectly effect outpatient loyalty; that hospital image positively impacts outpatient satisfaction and loyalty and has a partially mediating effect on loyalty; that waiting time satisfaction has no effect on outpatient satisfaction and no moderating effect on the outpatient satisfaction–loyalty relationship and that switching cost has a positive effect on loyalty but no moderating effect on the outpatient satisfaction–loyalty relationship. Research limitations/implications The first limitation of this study concerns the fact that only patients who had previously been served by these hospitals' outpatient units were included. Furthermore, the research was not able to obtain extensive findings related to the various factors that negatively impacted patient satisfaction and loyalty among all of the departments of government hospitals, such as inpatient care and emergency care. Practical implications Centered on the findings from this research, increasing switching costs would prevent patients from switching to other healthcare providers. Therefore, it has the potential to create a false loyalty or a hostage customer (Jones and Sasser, 1995). Additionally, making patients feel connected to their treatment plan and engaged in their care by developing a tool to maintain their enthusiasm about their health is important. It is therefore recommended that government hospital care providers and management consider providing online tools that patients can use to self-manage their care. Social implications The results regarding patients' satisfaction level suggest several areas for improvement. The first pertains to waiting area entertainment and comfort because patients indicated that there is not enough entertainment or ways to pass the time when waiting for services. In addition to enhancing the entertainment and comfort of waiting areas, government hospital staff should maintain contact with patients who are waiting to ensure that they are aware of the time they will spend. Another area for improvement is the parking lot. During summer, patients prefer to walk less in the sun, which causes them to seek parking closer to the door. Government hospital management should consider different methods for transporting patients closer to the door, such as golf carts or valet services. Originality/value This is the first study to investigate the mediating impact of outpatients' satisfaction between its antecedents and loyalty in the UAE. These results provide an improved understanding of the factors influencing patient choices and establish more accurate methods for increasing patient loyalty to retain more patients

Rancang Bangun Model Sistem Informasi Pelayanan Terpadu Satu Pintu untuk Meningkatkan Kualitas Pelayanan Sekolah

The service process in some schools is still running ineffectively, due to the aging process, such as the use of ledgers for archiving and recording of data that is managed, this requires a long time and a large cost, so it is deemed ineffective and inefficient. To overcome this problem, a computerized system is needed so that it can overcome the problem and be able to assist in speeding up the process, besides that it can improve the quality of service. This study proposes the design of a one-stop integrated service information system automatically using various methods including methods of data collection through the process of observation and interviews, current and expected analysis methods using pieces to evaluate performance and design methods using uml (unified modeling language) which includes usecase diagrams, squares diagrams and activity diagrams as tools to describe object-oriented programming languages and the use of mysql for database management, which in turn will produce a wellintegrated system. So this research can improve the quality of school services

First Order Phase Transformation in Amorphous Ge25Se75 – xSbx Glasses

Non-isothermal Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique was used to study the kinetics of first order phase transformation in Ge25Se75 – xSbx glasses. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique was employed to investigate the amorphous and crystalline phases in Ge25Se75 – xSbx glasses. From the heating rate dependences of crystallization temperature; the activation energy for crystallization and other kinetics parameters were derived. The temperature difference (Tc – Tg) and Tc is highest for the samples with 6 % of Sb. Hence, Ge25Se69Sb6 glass is most stable. The enthalpy released is found to be less for Ge25Se69Sb6 glass which further confirms its maximum stability. The activation energy of crystallization (Ec) is found to vary with compositions indicating a structural change due to the addition of Sb. The crystallization data are interpreted in terms of recent analyses developed for non-isothermal conditions. The present investigation indicates that both the glass transition and the crystallization processes occur in a single stage. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/3101

Experimental Investigation of Composite Steel-Concrete Arches

This research is concerned with behavior of composite steel-concrete arches under static load. For this purpose, eight models of composite steel-concrete arches are fabricated as test specimens.According to their supporting systems, the eight fabricated specimens are equally divided into Hinge-Roller and Hinge-Hinge supported arches in which varied numbers of shear connectors are used to investigate the effects of support conditions and degree of shear connection on the behavior of the composite arches. The specimens are tested under monotonically increasing point load applied on their crowns (on the top of concrete slabs). The mechanical properties of the used materials are determined by laboratory tests. Push-out tests on three specimens, fabricated for this purpose, are also carried out to determine the properties of the stud shear connectors. It is concluded that increasing the number of connectors tends to increase the ultimate load capacity and decrease both displacement and slip in the composite arches. This trend is considerably satisfied when the horizontal movements of supports are constrained (Hinge-Hinge supported arches)

Adsorption Sites of Hydrogen Atom on Pure and Mg-Doped Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Hydrogen adsorption sites on pure multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and Mg-doped MWCNTs material system have been investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations as well as quantum chemical calculations. Through combining MWCNTs with Mg, the hydrogen adsorption sites energy on this Mg-MWCNTs system is found to be larger than that of the pure MWCNTs. Additionally, it was found that, through Mg-doping, new adsorption sites for hydrogen molecules are created in comparison with undoped nanotubes. It is also found that H atom is preferably adsorbed at every place near magnesium atom

Factors associated with the perception of risk and knowledge of contracting the SARS-Cov-2 among adults in Bangladesh : analysis of online surveys

This study investigated the perception and awareness of risk among adult participants in Bangladesh about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). During the lockdown era in Bangladesh at two different time points, from 26−31 March 2020 (early lockdown) and 11−16 May 2020 (late lockdown), two self-administered online surveys were conducted on 1005 respondents (322 and 683 participants, respectively) via social media. To examine risk perception and knowledge-related factors towards COVID-19, univariate and multiple linear regression models were employed. Scores of mean knowledge (8.4 vs. 8.1, p = 0.022) and perception of risk (11.2 vs. 10.6, p < 0.001) differed significantly between early and late lockdown. There was a significant decrease in perceived risk scores for contracting SARS-Cov-2 [β = −0.85, 95% CI: −1.31, −0.39], while knowledge about SARS-Cov-2 decreased insignificantly [β = −0.22, 95% CI: −0.46, 0.03] in late lockdown compared with early lockdown period. Self-quarantine was a common factor linked to increased perceived risks and knowledge of SARS-Cov-2 during the lockdown period. Any effort to increase public awareness and comprehension of SARS-Cov-2 in Bangladesh will then offer preference to males, who did not practice self-quarantine and are less worried about the propagation of this kind of virus

CR1 Knops blood group alleles are not associated with severe malaria in the Gambia

The Knops blood group antigen erythrocyte polymorphisms have been associated with reduced falciparum malaria-based in vitro rosette formation (putative malaria virulence factor). Having previously identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human complement receptor 1 (CR1/CD35) gene underlying the Knops antithetical antigens Sl1/Sl2 and McC(a)/McC(b), we have now performed genotype comparisons to test associations between these two molecular variants and severe malaria in West African children living in the Gambia. While SNPs associated with Sl:2 and McC(b+) were equally distributed among malaria-infected children with severe malaria and control children not infected with malaria parasites, high allele frequencies for Sl 2 (0.800, 1,365/1,706) and McC(b) (0.385, 658/1706) were observed. Further, when compared to the Sl 1/McC(a) allele observed in all populations, the African Sl 2/McC(b) allele appears to have evolved as a result of positive selection (modified Nei-Gojobori test Ka-Ks/s.e.=1.77, P-value &lt;0.05). Given the role of CR1 in host defense, our findings suggest that Sl 2 and McC(b) have arisen to confer a selective advantage against infectious disease that, in view of these case-control study data, was not solely Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Factors underlying the lack of association between Sl 2 and McC(b) with severe malaria may involve variation in CR1 expression levels