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The potential for recovering the shear capacity of heat-damaged beams using carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) ropes was investigated using 12 concrete beams (150 × 250 × 1450 mm3) with shear reinforcement deficiency. Six beams were heated for 2 h at a temperature of 400°C; the others were not heated. All the beams were retrofitted with near-surface mounted CFRP ropes as external U-shaped stirrups, inserted in vertical holes (embedded through reinforcement) or implemented as a hybrid system of both. Lateral dowels were implanted in concrete along with schemes involving U-shaped stirrups to improve resistance against cover separation and shear failure, respectively. The mechanical behaviour of the beams was evaluated under three-point loading, with data collected and analysed to characterise the load–deflection relationships. Cracking and failure modes were analysed. For the heat-damaged beams, the adopted schemes restored load capacity and improved toughness and ductility, but not flexural stiffness. Moreover, implementing ropes as U-shaped external stirrups, terminating 20 mm below the top surface of the beams, helped avert side-cover separation, yet resulted in horizontal shear failure at the level of the upper concrete cover of the damaged beams. The residual strain induced in the U-shaped external stirrups was 14–40%, which is compatible with those reported in other works adopting similar repair methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkali‐activated cement (AAC) is an alternative binder with a promising potential to replace ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and mitigate its environmental issues. The use of fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcements with AAC concrete enables the development of corrosion‐resistant, environmentally friendly reinforced concrete structures. Bond behavior is critical in reinforced concrete structures and must be thoroughly studied for such new alternative materials. This study employs pullout tests to investigate the bond behavior between FRP bars and fine‐grained AAC concrete. Three fine‐grained AAC concretes with low to high strength, glass and carbon FRP bars and wrapped, milled, and smooth surface treatments were examined. The effect of bar casting position was also investigated. The compressive strength showed a significant influence on the bond strength. An average bond strength of approximately 18 MPa was observed for both glass and carbon FRP bars when used with 65 MPa concrete. Both the glass and carbon FRP bars with wrapping showed a lower bond strength than their milled FRP bars counterparts. The carbon bars without surface preparation (smooth bars) resulted in a much lower bond strength, around 4 MPa. In terms of casting positions, the bars cast in the middle section of the concrete block showed a higher bond strength than those at the bottom and top. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of poured earth concrete (PEC) as a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete has been gaining popularity. However, there are challenges with the interfacial properties between rebar and concrete, and no research is dedicated to addressing this issue. Accordingly, an experimental program is conducted in the present study to measure the bond properties in PEC. Various rebar diameters of 14 mm, 18 mm, and 25 mm are considered. Different fine aggregate replacement percentages by recycled aggregate (RA) are also selected to improve PEC's sustainability, including 30%, 50%, and 100%. A constant effective water-to-binder ratio of 0.50 is chosen. Various local bond characteristics are measured from the bond-slip envelope curves, including average bond stress, bond strength, residual bond stress, and bond energy. Results show that despite the low strength, appropriate bond properties along with pull-out failure mode can be obtained for PEC samples. Increasing rebar diameter considerably reduces the bond properties of PEC specimens and causes splitting failure mode. Higher contents of RA result in a reduction in bond properties, so that 30% fine aggregate replacement is the optimum content of RA. A new bond-predicting model is also proposed in the present study for PEC samples containing RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of post-installed lap splices typically relies on provisions derived from cast-in-place reinforcing bars (rebars). However, some bond characteristics of post-installed rebars show significant differences compared to cast-in-place rebars, especially when using high-performance mortars. To quantify the bond strength for design purposes, a sound understanding of differences in bond stress distribution, splitting failure mode, and load transfer mechanisms is crucial. This study offers new experimental evidence on these aspects, focusing on the impact of different high-performance injection mortars, lap lengths, and the incorporation of hooked steel fibers in the concrete. Direct tension tests were conducted on spliced post-installed and cast-in-place rebars. Fiber-optic sensors were used to measure strains quasi-continuously on the rebars, minimizing interference on the bond. The findings reveal that post-installed lap splices yield slightly higher bond strength than their cast-in-place counterparts, mainly due to the higher bond stiffness of the mortars. However, this advantage is limited by the bond behavior of the cast-in-rebar within the post-installed lap splice, particularly in conditions of poor confinement. In ordinary strength concrete, cast-in-place rebars exhibit an approximately constant bond stress distribution, as typically assumed for design purposes; by contrast, post-installed rebars show a pronounced non-linear distribution. Furthermore, an addition of steel fibers alters the bond stress of the rebars, resulting in a non-linear distribution in all cases. The study reveals a 20% increase in bond strength of lap splices in concrete reinforced with 80 kg / m 3 of steel fibers. Moreover, they improve the ductility of bond failure for post-installed lap splices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundAimMethodsResultsConclusionsThe mother-child bond may be related to maternal health, especially postpartum depression (PPD). Existing studies show the need for further in-depth research on the subject.To determine the relationship between bonding and the probability of the development and presence of PPD in women with a biological child between 6 weeks and 18 months of age.A cross-sectional study was conducted. A questionnaire containing sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health variables referring to the mother and the newborn, a questionnaire measuring the mother-child bond (VAMF-bond), and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EDPS) were administered.1114 women participated. The association between the items of the VAMF-bond subscale and the risk of PPD was statistically significant for all items (p < 0.05), except items 4 and 10. The multivariate analysis showed that the risk of PPD (EPDS scale) was lower in women with higher scores on bond (Adjusted Odds Ratio: aOR = 0.85; 95%CI: 0.81, 0.88), whose birth experience was good or very good (aOR = 0.57; 95%CI: 0.36, 0.89), who received high or very high support from their partner (aOR = 0.34; 95%CI: 0.18, 0.66), and family (aOR = 0.53; 95%CI: 0.32, 0.86). The presence of PPD was less frequent in women who presented higher scores for bond (aOR = 0.90; 95%CI: 0.84, 0.97), who had skin-to-skin contact (aOR = 0.39; 95%CI: 0.17, 0.93) and who received high or very high support from the family (aOR = 0.36; 95%CI: 0.12, 1.04).High scores on the subscale VAMF-bond were associated with a lower risk of PPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-ZnO/graphene composites were directly synthesized at 195 °C via the thermal reduction of graphene oxide (GO) through low-temperature heat treatment at low pressure by using ZnO nanoparticles and GO powders as raw materials. The prepared composites were characterized through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The samples' ability to degrade methylene blue (MB) was tested under simulated sunlight. Results indicated that after the introduction of GO, ZnO underwent lattice distortion. Nano-ZnO grains were loaded onto graphene, and the interface between ZnO and graphene was well bonded. The addition of GO enhanced the absorbance of the samples. The addition of an appropriate amount of GO reduced the fluorescence intensity of the samples. The synthesized ZnO/graphene composites had good photocatalytic properties. When the GO content of the raw material was 20 mol%, the samples exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity and degraded MB within 30 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the findings of the reliability and validity analysis of the "Kinship, Comradeship and Friendship Ties (KFF) Scale". The scale was developed to determine whether a person has social ties and, if so, the strength of these ties through people's perceptions of these ties. It is known that a person's social relationships with his/her close and distant environment, starting with his/her family, interact with his/her psychological state. On the other hand, Islam requires social duties such as maintaining kinship ties, responding to friends' invitations, helping them in times of need, not sulking with them, and getting along well with neighbors as religious duties. It is believed that the ADAB scale will make a valuable contribution to the scale literature by having items that cover the social environment that is likely to affect the person psycho-socially outside the nuclear family. It is foreseen that the scale will be used in sub-fields of Psychology, particularly Social and Clinical Psychology in the social sciences, Sociology and Sociology of Religion and Religious Education, which are religious sciences under the umbrella of theology, as well as The Psychology of Religion, which is also a sub-branch of Psychology. The scale was developed as a result of two consecutive field studies conducted in December 2023. As a result of the statistical analyses performed on the data obtained from the first sample of 632 people over 18 years of age, a scale structure of 30 items and 8 factors was obtained. In the second study carried out on a sample of 341 participants for confirmatory factor analysis, it was found that the scale had good compatibility values (CMIN/DF= 1.923; RMSEA = .053; RMR= .048; CFI= .914; GFI= .92; AGFI= .89; IFI= 92; TLI= .90). In the analysis of the reliability of the scale, the Cronbach's Alpha value was determined as .90. In addition, each of the 8 factors had good or acceptable reliability coefficients. Although each of the sub-dimensions has reliability and validity coefficients that can measure its own subject, it is recommended that the scale be used as a whole in studies. In future studies, the ADADS scale can be safely used in studies to be conducted with samples from all socio-economic segments of the society, from all educational levels, regardless of gender, provided that they are over 18 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the 2007 financial crisis, many central banks adopted policies to lower their interest rates; the dynamics of these rates cannot be captured using classical models. Recently, Meucci and Loregian proposed an approach to estimate nonnegative interest rates using the inverse-call transformation. Despite the fact that their work is distinguished from others in the literature by their consideration of practical aspects, some technical difficulties still remain, such as the lack of analytic expression for the zero-coupon bond (ZCB) price. In this work, we propose novel approximate closed-form solutions for the ZCB price in the zero lower bound (ZLB) framework, when the underlying shadow rate is assumed to follow the classical one-factor Vasicek model. Then, a filtering procedure is performed using the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) to estimate the unobservable state variable (the shadow rate), and the model calibration is proceeded by estimating the model parameters using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. Further, empirical illustrations are given and discussed using (as input data) the interest rates of the AAA-rated bonds compiled by the European Central Bank ranging from 6 September 2004 to 21 June 2012 (a period that concerns the ZLB framework). Our approximate closed-form solution is able to show a good match between the actual and estimated yield-rate values for short and medium time-to-maturity values, whereas, for long time-to-maturity values, it is able to estimate the trend of the yield rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Structural assemblies produced using three-dimensional (3D) concrete printing consist of multiple layers of extruded material deposited along precise trajectories. The stress response of the printed assembly relies on the stress transfer between the individual layers. The interface tensile bond strength formed between extruded layers is less than the tensile strength of the extruded parent material in the printing direction. The interface tensile bond strength decreases with an increase in the time gap between layers, which ranges from a few seconds to tens of minutes. Crack propagation was evaluated in a beam made of multiple printed layers using two-dimensional (2D) digital image correlation. The crack propagates by penetrating the interface between layers printed with smaller time intervals. Crack deflection occurs at the interface before the crack emerges into the next layer because the bond between the layers weakens with an increasing time gap. Decreasing bond strength between layers results in significant crack propagation along the interface and even a doubly deflected crack at the interface. A linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM)-based formulation of a crack impinging normally on a bimaterial interface was used to provide insights into crack propagation at a layer interface in a printed assembly. The crack deflection at the interface is interpreted as a decrease in the critical interface energy release rate (Gintc) relative to the critical fracture energy release rate for penetration (Gmc). The reduction in the Gintc to values lower than a threshold value of Gmc produces a deflection in the crack path at the interface. Crack propagation along the interface results in a mixed-mode fracture condition, and Gintc contains contributions from Modes 1 and 2. The continued decrease of Gintc relative to Gmc produces a doubly deflected crack at the interface between layers. The crack deflection into the interface provides a rational reference for identifying strong and weak interfaces between the layers. The reduced capacity of the interface for identifying a weak interface leading to a cold joint can be identified using a fracture-based evaluation of crack deflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The performance of repair materials is greatly enhanced by the integrity of the rehabilitation system, which depends on the behaviour of the boundary or interface bond between the repair material and the concrete substrate. The effects of the implementation of repair materials (casting or spraying), the spraying direction and the roughness of the concrete substrate on the interfacial bond behaviour were experimentally investigated through four-point bending tests on prisms of size 300 × 76.2 × 40 mm. As a first step, 2 cm thick concrete substrates were fabricated with five different types of surface roughness. After 28 days of curing, the repair material (a high-performance (high-ductility) fibre-reinforced cementitious composite (HPFRCC)) was sprayed or poured into specific moulds. The HPFRCC was developed using local materials and had a tensile strain capacity of 3.7%. The spraying direction and surface roughness of the concrete substrate were found to impact the ultimate deflection rate significantly; upward spraying produced the lowest deflection rate and downward spraying the highest. Because beams are often repaired from the lower part and spraying is in the upwards direction, the casting method must be used because of the negative effect of gravity on the interfacial bonding between the concrete substrate and the repair material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bond behavior between reinforcement and concrete has a significant influence on the load‐bearing behavior and serviceability of the composite material. This paper focuses on the characterization of the bond behavior between fine‐grained concrete and mineral‐impregnated carbon‐fiber reinforcement. In this study, the influence of different bond lengths on local bond behavior was experimentally investigated. To predict the bond stress along the bond length, an analytical bond stress‐slip model was specified, and its model parameters were determined based on the experimental tests using an iterative approximation approach. Based on the defined bond stress‐slip model, a numerical bond model was developed and adjusted for the first time. A three‐dimensional (3D) finite element analysis (FEA) allows the simulation of the local bond stress along the bond length. Finally, the results of the 3D FEA were compared with the results of the experimental investigations to validate the developed numerical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research uses a qualitative, descriptive approach to understand how a group of male sex workers builds emotional ties with people outside their kinship network--family of origin/blood relatives--through their life stories. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted, yielding five life stories. It becomes evident that the relationships built with peers delimit the parameters of the subject's sociability in context. This is how affinity constitutes the axis of linkage between the subject and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to identify relevant aspects of the bond between intervention agents and participants for the training of social workers and other professionals who are involved in programmes with a psychosocial component. A qualitative study was done, with 21 interviews with participants, intervention agents and a team leader, which were analysed using Grounded Theory. Transversal and technical skills, sources of training, facilitators and hinderers, and recommendations for training were identified. We conclude on the relevance of training in transversal and technical skills for the agent–participant bond for improving both social work practice and social care policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on IIFM Sukuk Report 2022, global sukuk issuance has shown a single digit increase of around 7.72%, the highest value of yearly sukuk issuances to date. This fact shows that sukuk is increasingly popular and will continue to grow in the future, encourages more research related to this subject. Sukuk, as one of the innovative investment instruments in Islamic finance, is often equated to conventional bonds. However, the existing literature primarily concentrates on its structures and mechanisms, largely overlooking the pricing aspects of both sukuk and bonds. Therefore, this study will discuss pricing in mathematical terms for the two investment instruments discussed. More particularly, this paper covers the Indonesian Sukuk system’s operation. Numerical simulations have been done, using the characteristics of several varieties of Indonesian Sukuk and a variety of defined inputs. These mathematics simulation used to comprehend the technical aspects of sukuk and understand the principles of Islamic finance. The results of this study indicate that while some studies claim that sukuk’s structure resembles bonds and that the pricing is determined accordingly, the comparison of both instruments prices provided no results consistent with the claims. Further study is required to examine the sukuk pricing mechanism, particularly in determining the value of profit sharing on sukuk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bearing capacity tests were carried out on axially and eccentrically loaded coral concrete short columns reinforced with carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) bars. Parameters such as the ultimate bearing capacities and the stress in the CFRP bars and surface concrete were measured and analysed. All the columns failed due to the crushing of concrete in the compression zone. An increase in eccentricity not only decreased the ultimate bearing capacity, but also resulted in the shear fracture of CFRP longitudinal bars in the compression zone. In general, the stress of the longitudinal CFRP reinforcements in all specimens was quite low. The maximum stress of the CFRP bars in the columns was 105.78 MPa, just 23.5% of the ultimate compressive strength of the CFRP reinforcement. The superior bond between the CFRP bars and coral concrete conformed to the deformation coordination. A calculation method for the bearing capacity of CFRP-reinforced coral concrete short columns was developed and the calculated results were found to agree well with the test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the bonding stress distribution and reinforcement strain distribution between steel and carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer composite bars and concrete is essential to the design of concrete reinforced with such bars. Currently, the bond stress and reinforcement strain distribution patterns are not clear. Therefore, a series of pull-out tests was undertaken on concrete reinforced with steel and carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer composite bars, carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer bars and steel bars. With the help of fibre Bragg grating sensing technology, the reinforcement strain and bonding stress distribution were studied. The results showed that, for all specimens, the bond stress between the reinforcement and concrete was neither uniformly distributed nor reduced linearly along the bond length. For the steel and fibre-reinforced polymer composite reinforcement, the steel core strain value was less than the carbon fibre strain value at the same position. Based on the test results, a bonding stress model and bond stress distribution model were established. The two models agreed well with the test data and can be used to predict bond stress and bond stress distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Akdeniz Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Akdeniz Universitesi Hukuk Fakultesi Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Reinforced concrete (RC) columns with short lap splices built in the early 1970s or before are known to have deficient seismic strength and ductility. These short lap splices are poorly confined and located right above the foundation level, where it is known that the inelastic demands are high under seismic loading. In this study, a numerical model for estimating the lateral strength and deformation of RC columns with short lap splices is introduced. The latter model is based on local bond–slip analytical models derived from isolated anchored bars through the closed-form solution of the differential equation of bond. The proposed model is correlated to experimental data from cyclic loading tests on RC columns with deficient lap splices. It can be seen that the strength of short lap splices, the failure mode, and the column's lateral resistance and deformation are in good agreement with the experimental results both under monotonic and cyclic seismic analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) systems is an innovative method for strengthening structures, particularly masonry, while addressing environmental and economic concerns. Despite their widespread use, characterizing FRCM composites poses challenges due to their complex mechanical behavior and considerable variability in properties. The available standardized testing methods exhibit some inconsistencies, underscoring the need for reliable characterization procedures. This paper presents an experimental study on the bond behavior between FRCM materials and calcarenite stone using a non-standard setup for double shear bond tests. Different FRCM systems are considered, varying the matrix composition and fabric nature. The experimental results are evaluated in terms of maximum stress, slip and data dispersion, alongside comparisons with double shear tests on larger samples and single-lap shear. These findings provide insights into how the mortar nature influences the stress-slip curves, strength, ductility and failure modes. The experimental study demonstrates the repeatability and robustness, particularly in terms of peak strength, of the non-standard setup configuration utilized in the study. The study highlights the importance of reliable characterization procedures for FRCM materials, especially in bond behavior assessments, emphasizing the need for further research to enhance our understanding of their application in structural reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental campaign was undertaken to characterize the mechanical properties of newly proposed aluminum alloy ribs (ARs)-anchored glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars via tensile, short beam shear and pullout tests. The investigated variables consisted of bar surface treatments (smooth, shallow-ribbed, and deep-ribbed) and anchorage design parameters (radial extrusion and initial wall thickness). The results derived from the tensile test showed that the tensile strength of the ARs-anchored GFRP bars could be designed and optimized by adjusting the radial extrusion and initial wall thickness of the anchorage. The short beam shear test further validated that the presence of the ARs on the GFRP bar increased its interlaminar shear strength by up to 25%. The pullout test conducted on specimens with favorable anchorage design parameters based on tensile and short beam shear tests demonstrated significantly high bond strengths between 11.45 and 46.63 MPa at the bar–anchorage interface, with enhancements ranging from 60% to several times compared with that of the bar–concrete interface under different parameter combinations. The proposed ARs-anchored GFRP bars present an effective alternative to conventional GFRP bars in applications where a short anchorage length is preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reinforced concrete (RC) columns with short lap splices built in the early 1970s or before are known to have deficient seismic strength and ductility. These short lap splices are poorly confined and located right above the foundation level, where it is known that the inelastic demands are high under seismic loading. In this study, a numerical model for estimating the lateral strength and deformation of RC columns with short lap splices is introduced. The latter model is based on local bond–slip analytical models derived from isolated anchored bars through the closed-form solution of the differential equation of bond. The proposed model is correlated to experimental data from cyclic loading tests on RC columns with deficient lap splices. It can be seen that the strength of short lap splices, the failure mode, and the column’s lateral resistance and deformation are in good agreement with the experimental results both under monotonic and cyclic seismic analyses.

Knowledge of the nonlinear behavior of new materials, the factors affecting them, and models for the inelastic analysis of structures are important. A factor determining the tensile behavior of reinforced concrete is the rebar-concrete bond. Moreover, the corrosion of rebars embedded in concrete highly affects bond behavior. This research proposes a model for the bond-slip relationship of corroded rebars in ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) via an experimental scheme. Accordingly, 80 cubic reinforced concrete specimens with different rebar types, diameters, and bond lengths were prepared based on RILEM RC6 and subjected to pull-out tests after the accelerated corrosion of some of the rebars to various degrees. The results were reported as bond-slip curves and failure modes, and suitable models were proposed for the pull-out mode bond-slip curve with corrosion taken into account. The proposed models were in good agreement with empirical results and previous research.

Based on conceptual distinctions between compassion, sympathy, empathy, and pity, we propose a theoretical psychoanalytic understanding of the meanings of the ability to sympathize with the suffering of others. The reflections led us to ask: how can we understand compassion from a psychoanalytic point of view? To theoretically articulate this issue, we resort to the Freudian conceptual framework in search of historical and philosophical roots of compassion, recovering meanings, semantic domains, values, affections, and sensitivities. We undertake a journey that identifies the vicissitudes of the transformation of the psychic apparatus in dealing with the threats of the death drive. In this aspect, we include the work of compassion, defined as the possibility of sharing the suffering of others, enhancing conditions that can strengthen the stitching of narcissistic contours on more mature bases, dignifying the work of Eros, and placing narcissism at the service of life. We conclude that the psychoanalytic understanding of compassion requires an attitude of availability to welcome and listen to those facing a disruptive moment, considering feelings arising from this situation. The implications and developments for thinking about the responses of psychoanalytic clinics to contemporary sources of suffering are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the flexural strength of a cement-based composite (CBC) reinforced with chopped carbon fibre (CF) while maintaining good workability is highly attractive for building high-rise large-span structures. A sulfoaluminate-based expansive agent (EA) was used to optimise the mechanical properties of CBCs reinforced with chopped CF by improving the fibre–matrix interfacial properties. The results of single-fibre pull-out tests showed that the interfacial frictional bond strength was improved by up to 51% owing to the addition of the EA, whereas the chemical debonding energy remained nearly unchanged. The effects of various concentrations of EA on the strength of cement pastes containing various lengths and volume fractions of CF were then investigated. The results indicated that, benefitting from the EA-induced high interfacial bond strength, the flexural strength and fluidity of the CF-reinforced cement paste could be further optimised. For example, utilising the EA, the flexural strength could be improved by 28% for a cement paste containing 0.5% CF of length 15 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bond is one of the most attractive financial instruments for both investors in the capital market and companies seeking funds for benefit. Investing in bonds often yields fixed income through coupons and also exposes investors to investment risk, such as credit risk. This credit risk encompasses the potential loss arising from a failure to meet credit payment obligations upon maturity, leading to a declaration of default. To proactively address this issue, there is a need to calculate the default probability of a company in order to gain insights into the entire default potential. Previous studies had predominantly employed bond models that assumed ln returns on assets follow a normal distribution. However, realworld ln returns on traded assets exhibited characteristics including excess kurtosis and heavy tails, which diverged from the assumptions of a normal distribution. The models developed on this assumption did not accurately reflect the nature of the data. In order to bridge this gap, this study aimed to introduce a novel approach for gauging default probability through the use of the Variance Gamma model. The chi-square test is used to determine goodness of fit. The Variance Gamma parameter estimation used Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE), with the initial value being the outcome of parameter estimation through the moment method. This approach assessed default probability in the context of both one-period and two-period coupon value payments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing an adequate bond and attachment between a mother and child is essential for preventing pathologies and developing this relationship in the future. To identify the factors related to a disturbance of the mother-child bond or attachment. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out with women with a biological child between 6 weeks and 18 months of age. The Mother-Child Bond-Attachment Questionnaire (VAMF, for its name in Spanish) was administered to measure the bond and postnatal attachment together with a questionnaire containing sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health variables referring to the mother and the newborn. 1114 women participated. The multivariate analysis showed that skin-to-skin contact (aOR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.90) and breastfeeding (aOR = 0.55; 95% IC: 0.35, 0.86) reduce the probability of presenting a bond disturbance. Anxiety during pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (aOR = 3.95; 95% CI: 2.57, 6.05) and postpartum complications (aOR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.48) increase the chance of having a bond disturbance. Skin-to-skin contact (aOR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.38, 1.00), breastfeeding (aOR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.80,) and an older age of the infant (months) (aOR = 0.77: 95% CI: 0.72, 0.82) reduces the probability of presenting an attachment disturbance. Skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding are associated with a lower probability of impaired bonding and attachment. Anxiety states during pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium, and complications after childbirth increase the probability of developing a bond disorder. The older the age of the infant, the lower the frequency of having an impaired attachment. Identifying the factors associated with the establishment of the mother-child bond and attachment is essential for the development of prevention strategies and early identification of cases that may present alterations and avoid their consequences on the health of the mother and child. • Skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding are factors associated with a lower probability of impaired bonding and attachment. • Other factors such as anxiety during pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium, and postpartum complications increase the probability of developing a bond disorder. • Related to attachment, the older age of the infant is related to attachment disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) has gained a lot of attraction in recent years. Adequate bond between the phases in this system allows to transfer high loadings, thus enabling high performance. The terminus textile reinforcement, however, comprises many different types of fabrics, which differ in their chemical composition, geometry, surface properties etc., and thus exhibit substantially different bond properties. In the course of RILEM’s Technical Committee 292 work on TRC it was found that a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between individual parameters is still lacking. This is amplified by the fact that different types of textile reinforcement are preferably used in different regions of the world. This paper therefore attempts to compile findings from literature on the bond in TRC. The database used was created in the course of the TC work. Additional papers of relevance were identified by scanning scientific web databases. The different influencing parameters are given in this paper in a hierarchical order, starting from the level of the individual constituents (filament and matrix) to impregnated fabrics and the influence of textile manufacturing and architecture on the bond. Finally, by mapping all the cited literature used in this paper based on grouped keywords the complex intercorrelations are visualised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast aging of existing building stock requires effective and sustainable strengthening solutions. Textile-reinforced mortars (TRM) have already proved to be very effective as well as versatile retrofitting solutions for reinforced concrete and masonry structures. TRMs can enhance the load bearing capacity of reinforced concrete structures; however, current TRM systems are based on standard Portland cement-based binders, which largely contribute to global human-induced CO2 emissions. This work, for the first time, explores the use of belite calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) binder for carbon textile reinforcement through a cross-disciplinary study combining structural engineering and materials science. An experimental study was carried out on concrete block members with externally bonded strips of carbon textile-reinforced mortars, similar to a typical TRM retrofitting system for concrete beams. The textiles were embedded in an ordinary Portland cement-based (OPC) binder or in a BCSA-based binder to compare the bond behaviour to the concrete substrate. The tests revealed a superior bond between the BCSA mortar and the concrete, as well as outstanding adhesion to the textiles achieved using the BCSA binder, with performance levels largely surpassing those measured in their counterparts that used the OPC-based binder. Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analyses were used to understand this behaviour difference and it was concluded that the ettringite phase is responsible for the enhanced performance in the studied system. The results of this study suggest that BCSA binders have the potential to be a more effective and "greener" alternative to the standard binders based on Portland cement in TRM strengthening applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]