Numerical analysis of the embedded abutments of integral bridges

A numerical case study is presented, which investigates the performance of embedded integral bridge abutments and the maximum magnitude and distribution of earth pressure within the retained soil. The Three Surface Kinematic Hardening model is adopted in the numerical analysis, which successfully reproduced key features of soil behaviour under small strain cyclic loading. The results show that the earth pressures behind the abutment change in a complicated way, while the largest bending moments in the abutment wall increase with cycles at a decreasing rate, with a final value far less than the one derived from current design standards. A number of factors have been investigated and the influences of the wall flexure and soil stiffness are highlighted. The research results will lead to safe and economic design of such structures

An Integrative Model of Consumer Trust in Internet Shopping

Despite the phenomenal growth of Internet users, the penetration rate of Internet shopping remains low. Previous works suggesting that the lack of trust is the major impediment stops consumers from building exchange relationships with Internet vendors. In this study, we synthesize the three theoretical perspectives of trust and perceived risk theory to develop an integrative model of consumer trust in Internet shopping. We empirically test the research model with a sample of 405 students in a local university. The results show that both perceived integrity and perceived risk have the greatest influence on consumer trust in Internet shopping. Propensity to trust exhibits a significant moderating effect on consumer trust and its antecedents. The implications of this study are noteworthy for both researchers and practitioners

The COVID-19 Pandemic: Public Health and Epidemiology

In this issue of the journal, we publish a review of COVID-19 infection by 2 eminent virologists, MacKenzie and Smith (see in this issue). It is too early in the history of the COVID-19 outbreak to write the full history, but their article provides a good outline of the emerging pandemic. The disease is causing widespread social disruption in many countries, and it has just been announced that the 2020 Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Conference has been postponed indefinitely..

The broad spectrum and continuing needs of women’s health

[No abstract available

The Oxidation State of Iron in Silicate Minerals from the Matrices of CO Carbonaceous Chondrites

No abstract available

How Loneliness Affects Problematic Facebook Use

The main objective of this paper is to show how loneliness affects problematic Facebook use. We integrated the concept of loneliness in the advanced cognitive-behavioral model of generalized problematic Internet use and empirically tested the model with 200 Facebook users. Our findings suggested that loneliness predisposes individuals to the development of problematic Facebook use and confirmed that the preference for online social interaction and mood regulation predict deficient self-regulation of Facebook use and which in turn leads to negative outcomes

Online Consumer Reviews: Does Negative Electronic Word-of-Mouth Hurt More?

Web-based technologies have created numerous opportunities for electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication. This phenomenon impacts retailers as this easily accessible information could greatly affect consumer purchasing decision. The connectivity of the Web allows one-to-many and many-to-many communications among users that make information spread much faster and broader, including the spread of negative information. In this paper, we investigate the impact of online consumer reviews on consumer online purchasing decision. Specifically, we compare the impact of both negative and positive eWOM using a laboratory experiment. Our results show that the mean values of emotional trust and intention to shop online are significantly lower in the negative treatment group. We expect the result of this paper will generate researchers and marketers’ interest in this important area of research and practice