Search

ABSTRACT Background Objective Methods Results Conclusions An evidence gap exists concerning the timing of delivery at 37–42 weeks and the risk of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring.To determine the association between timing of delivery in low‐risk pregnancies at term (37–42 weeks) gestations and ADHD in offspring.This population‐based cohort study comprised 1,424,453 singletons in Sweden and 403,765 in British Columbia (BC), Canada, live‐born at 37–42 completed weeks to low‐risk pregnant women between 2000 and 2018. Children were followed up from age 1 until the date of death, emigration, their first diagnosis, or December 2020 (study's end date). The exposure was time of delivery assessed through gestational age, and the outcome was the diagnosis of ADHD. Cox regression models were used to examine the association between gestational age at delivery and ADHD.During the follow‐up period, 59,989 children in Sweden were diagnosed with ADHD (4.5 per 1000 child‐years). Correspondingly, in BC, during the same period, there were 27,445 children diagnosed with ADHD (7.4 per 1000 child‐years). In Sweden, the adjusted hazard of ADHD was 10%, 6%, and 3% higher at 37, 38, and 39 weeks gestation compared with those born at ≥ 38, ≥ 39, and ≥ 40 weeks, respectively. In BC, the corresponding hazards were 9%, 6%, and 3%, respectively. Both regions showed no elevated ADHD risks for infants born at 40 weeks compared to those born at ≥ 41 weeks, with slightly lower rates at 40 weeks.In low‐risk pregnancies, births at 37 and 38 weeks were associated with a higher ADHD risk, while births at 40 weeks showed no increased risk compared with those born at later gestations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Donations to articles on social media, as a new behavior, have been trending in recent years. Unlike donations to a charitable and nonprofit organization or victims, donations to social media articles have been accorded minimal attention from academic researchers. From the stimuli–organism–response framework, this study proposed a model to investigate the factors that influence the donation intentions of users on social media toward articles. Our results demonstrate that the credibility of the article determines users’ donation intentions. The results also indicate that the perceived value (usefulness and enjoyment) of the article mediates the effects of article credibility on users’ donation intentions. The social contagion nature of the article is also proven to moderate the magnitude of impacts on donation intention by users’ perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, and perception of article credibility.

In this study, the equation for the punching shear strength prescribed in the Canadian code is evaluated based on a database of experimental results. This paper also includes a discussion of the effect of several parameters on the punching shear strength in the Canadian and European codes. The experimental work presented includes testing of ten full-scale two-way slabs with different reinforcement ratios to examine the effect of reinforcement ratio on punching shear capacity. A simplified practical punching shear equation is also proposed based on statistical analysis of experimental results from the database. Statistical regression analysis is conducted on 190 test data available in the literature to evaluate the influence of reinforcement ratio on punching shear strength. The proposed equation accounts for the effect of slab depth using fracture mechanics concepts. The analytical study showed that the reinforcement ratio has a strong influence on punching shear strength. The proposed equation could be an alternative to the current punching shear equation used by Canadian Standards Association CSA-A23.3-04 design code. Key words: concrete strength, reinforcement ratio, size effect, database, statistical analysis, regression, ductility, punching. Dans la presente etude, l'equation de la resistance au cisaillement par poinconnement dans le code canadien est evaluee en se basant sur une base de donnees de resultats experimentaux. Cet article comprend egalement une discussion de l'effet des parametres sur la resistance au cisaillement par poinconnement dans les codes canadien et europeen. Le travail experimental presente comprend des essais sur 10 dalles bidirectionnelles a pleine echelle presentant differents pourcentages d'armature afin d'etudier l'effet du pourcentage d'armature sur la resistance au cisaillement par poinconnement. Une equation pratique et simplifiee du cisaillement par poinconnement est egalement proposee, basee sur une analyse statistique des resultats experimentaux de la base de donnees. Une analyse statistique de regression est realisee sur 190 donnees d'essai disponibles dans la litterature afin d'evaluer l'influence du pourcentage d'armature sur la resistance au cisaillement par poinconnement. L'equation proposee tient compte de l'effet de l'epaisseur de la dalle en utilisant les concepts de mecanique des fractures. L'etude analytique indique que le pourcentage d'armature a une forte influence sur la resistance au cisaillement par poinconnement. L'equation proposee pourrait constituer un autre choix que l'equation actuelle de cisaillement par poinconnement utilisee dans le code de calcul CSA-A23,3-04. Mots-cles : resistance du beton, pourcentage d'armature, effet de dimensionnement, base de donnees, analyse statistique, regression, ductilite, poinconnement. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction The two-way slab system is a unique efficient structural system. It is economical and is widely used in different structural applications such as floors, roofs of buildings, and walls [...]

The main focus of this investigation is directed toward the examination of crack-spacing expressions suitable for offshore concrete structure applications. Offshore structures are unique structures that are constantly exposed to harsh environmental conditions, including exposure to seawater and sea spray. The splash zone of an offshore structure is the section of the platform that is the most exposed to both a harsh marine environment and seawater. The design of offshore structures is controlled by mandatory design codes to ensure structural safety and integrity. Most of the available expressions for crack spacing were developed for building structures using normal-strength concrete and normal concrete cover. However, offshore structures are built using high-strength concrete with a thick concrete cover. Very little information is published on the crack analysis of high-strength concrete with a thick concrete cover for offshore applications. An experimental testing program was designed to examine the effects of concrete cover and the bar spacing of normal- and highstrength concrete on crack spacing. The different code expressions are evaluated with respect to the experimental results. Key words: crack spacing, crack width, bar spacing, concrete cover, high-strength concrete, normal-strength concrete, concrete slabs. Cette etude porte principalement sur l'examen des equations de l'espacement des fissures pour les structures en beton en mer. Les constructions en mer sont des structures uniques qui sont constamment exposees a des conditions environnementales agressives, incluant l'exposition a l'eau de mer et aux embruns salins. La zone d'action des vagues sur une construction en mer est la section de la plate-forme qui est la plus exposee a l'environnement marin agressif et a l'eau de mer. La conception des structures en mer est regie par des codes de conception obligatoires afin d'assurer la securite et l'integrite des structures. La plupart des equations disponibles pour l'espacement des fissures ont ete developpees pour des structures de batiments utilisant des resistances normales du beton et un enrobage normal de beton. Toutefois, les structures en mer sont construites en utilisant du beton a haute resistance et un enrobage epais de beton. Tres peu d'information est publiee sur l'analyse des fissures dans du beton a haute resistance et un enrobage epais de beton pour les utilisations en mer. Un programme d'essai experimental a ete concu pour examiner les effets de l'enrobage de beton et de l'espacement des barres d'armature dans du beton normal et a haute resistance sur l'espacement des fissures. Les differentes equations contenues dans les codes sont evaluees par rapport aux resultats experimentaux. Mots-cles : espacement des fissures, largeur des fissures, espacement des barres d'armature, enrobage de beton, beton a haute performance, beton a resistance normale, dalles de beton. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction The low tensile strength of concrete directly contributes to cracking of concrete in offshore structures. The design of offshore structures is controlled by mandatory design codes to ensure structural [...]

The concepts of vulnerability and resilience are gaining popularity in the development literature but still lack conceptual integration with the theory and practices of livelihood dynamics. However, the livelihood system of a community is a key element of the social system which may frequently be disrupted by the ecological, financial, natural and human-made vulnerability. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to clarify the concept of vulnerability and resilience in the perspective of livelihoods in a climate vulnerable context. It also addresses the methodological gaps through translation of theory from existing literature. This study argues that vulnerability and livelihood resilience are inversely related. It recommends some indicators and pillars for a better understanding of the vulnerability and livelihood resilience drawing from assorted literature through analysing the concept from various dimensions. The study will be helpful in understanding the livelihood dynamics and its assessment in the perspective of vulnerability and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is focused on evaluating the crack widths and crack properties of thick two-way slabs and plates used for offshore and nuclear containment structures. The crack width depends on the quantities, orientation, and distribution of reinforcing steel across the crack and characteristics of the bond between the concrete and reinforcement bars in and near the crack. The maximum crack width that is considered acceptable depends on the type of structure, location within the structure, environment, and consequences of excessive cracking. A comprehensive experimental and analytical investigation is presented in this work. The numerical investigation will focus on the available code prediction models for estimating the crack width of concrete plates. The investigation will focus on the suitability of available crack width expressions for thick concrete plates used for offshore concrete structure applications and nuclear containment structures. The experimental work included the investigation of the cracking behavior, such as examining the effect of increasing concrete cover and bar spacing on crack width properties. The crack widths were measured electronically for three series of specimens. The test results were tabulated to compare test results with the available code expressions for calculating crack widths. The tension chord method was modified to predict the crack width for two-way plates under flexural loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although social disparities in morbidity and mortality are well-documented, little is known how socioeconomic status (SES) shapes diabetes-concordant comorbidity (DCC). This study examines socioeconomic inequalities in DCC among adults with diabetes in the United States., Study Design: The study incorporated a cross-sectional nationally representative household health survey., Methods: This study used data from the National Health Interview Survey, 1997-2018. The analysis included 56,192 adults aged 30 or above with diabetes. Multinomial logistic regression was used to obtain relative risk ratios in gender-stratified models after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates., Results: The multivariable-adjusted analyses suggest that across all SES indicators and in both men and women, individuals with lower SES had greater odds of DCC than individuals with higher SES. The associations of SES indicators with DCC were larger in magnitude among women than in men. For example, compared to individuals with a college or higher degree, men with less than a high school degree were 2.06 times (95% confidence interval = 1.76-2.41) and women with less than a high school degree were 3.19 times (95% confidence interval = 2.67-3.82) more likely to have 3 or more DCCs. Similar associations were observed for other indicators of SES., Conclusion: Study findings suggest strong social status and gender-based patterns in DCC. Identifying population groups with poor social status may be useful for informing interventions aiming to improve healthcare services of diabetes-related complications., (Copyright © 2023 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A range of binary, ternary (CFS), and quaternary (CZTS) metal sulfide materials have been successfully deposited onto the glass substrates by air-spray deposition of metal diethyldithiocarbamate molecular precursors followed by pyrolysis (18 examples). The as-deposited materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (p-XRD), Raman spectroscopy, secondary electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, which in all cases showed that the materials were polycrystalline with the expected elemental stoichiometry. In the case of the higher sulfides, EDX spectroscopy mapping demonstrated the spatial homogeneity of the elemental distributions at the microscale. By using this simple and inexpensive method, we could potentially fabricate thin films of any given main group or transition metal chalcogenide material over large areas, theoretically on substrates with complex topologies., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society.)