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Cold-formed steel (CFS) sections are a popular choice for constructing medium and low-rise structures that are engineered to support relatively light loads. An important characteristic of CFS sections is that they are produced without the use of heat during manufacturing. Consequently, it becomes essential to gain a comprehensive understanding in the behavior of CFS sections when exposed to fire or elevated temperatures.

In this study, sections of 1.5 m length and 2 mm thickness were taken and analyzed to find its flexural behavior after heating them for 60 and 90 min. There were two modes of cooling phase which was considered to reach ambient temperature, i.e. air or water respectively. Performance of each sections (C, C with inclined flanges, sigma and Zed) were examined and evaluated at different conditions. Effects of different profiles and lips in the profiles on flexural behavior of CFS sections were investigated fully analytically.

The variation in stiffness among the sections with different lipped profiles was noted between 20.36 and 33.26%, for 60 min water cooling case. For the sections with unlipped profiles, it was between 23.56 and 28.60%. Influence of lip and section profile on reduction in stiffness is marginal. The average reduction in load capacity of sections for 60 min specimens cooled by water was found to be 43.42%. An increase in deflection is observed for the sections in the range of 25–37.23% for 60 min case. This is the critical temperature responsible for reduction in yield strength of material as it substantially increases the material safety margin to be considered for the design. Sections with Zed profile have shown better performance among other types, in terms of its load carrying capacity.

This paper deals with the flexural behavior of Galvanized (GI) based CFS unsymmetric sections at elevated temperature and cooled down to ambient temperature with air or water.

This study aims to discover the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the agricultural cold supply chain (ACSC) and analyze their consequences on the performance of ACSC within the bounds of Indian topography.

The KPIs have been explored based on the literature review both in global and Indian context and domain expert's opinions. The interdependency characteristics and cause–effect relationship among the KPIs have been analyzed using a fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (f-DEMATEL) approach.

The findings extracted from the empirical assessment of the problem find strong compliance with the notions of theoretical model assessment. The results highlight that the cost of product waste and operating and performance costs are the two most important performance indicators of an Indian ACSC. Furthermore, governmental policies and regulations and the effectiveness of cold chain (CC) equipment also have a high degree of influencing characteristics on ACSC performance.

To connect the study with practicalities, the assessment of the KPIs is allied with real-time practices by clustering the beliefs of Indian professionals. Therefore, the decision-making behavior of the experts might be influenced by geographical constraints. However, the key findings provide advantages to the ACSC players, a bright hope for future food security and a significant profit for farmers.

The presented paper encompasses various aspects of the ACSC, including theoretical and empirical perspectives exercised to contemplate the system dynamics, which inculcates the essence of the associated practicalities. Thus, this study has various practical contributions relevant to managerial and societal perspectives.

To enhance the fit, comfort and overall satisfaction of lower body attire for online shoppers, this study introduces a reclassification method of the lower body profiles of young females in complex environments, which is used in the framework of remote clothing mass customization.

Frontal and lateral photographs were collected from 170 females prior, marked as size M. Employing a salient object detection algorithm suitable for complex backgrounds, precise segmentation of body profiles was achieved while refining the performance through transfer learning techniques. Subsequently, a skeletal detection algorithm was employed to delineate distinct human regions, from which 21 pivotal dimensional metrics were derived. These metrics underwent clustering procedures, thus establishing a systematic framework for categorizing the lower body shapes of young females. Building upon this foundation, a methodology for the body type combination across different body parts was proposed. This approach incorporated a frequency-based filtering mechanism to regulate the enumeration of body type combinations. The automated identification of body types was executed through a support vector machine (SVM) model, achieving an average accuracy exceeding 95% for each defined type.

Young females prior to being marked as the same lower garment size can be further subdivided based on their lower body types. Participants' torso types were classified into barrel-shaped, hip-convex and fat-accumulation types. Leg profile shapes were categorized into slender-elongated and short-stocky types. The frontal straightness of participants’ legs was classified as X-shaped, I-shaped and O-shaped types, while the leg side straightness was categorized based on the knee hyperextended degree. The number of combinations can be controlled based on the frequency of occurrence of combinations of different body types.

This methodological advancement serves as a robust cornerstone for optimizing clothing sizing and enabling remote clothing mass customization in E-commerce, providing assistance for body type database and clothing size database management as well as strategies for establishing a comprehensive remote customization supply chain and on-demand production model.

Following Howard Bowen's legacy for responsible business practices, together with the actual growing pressure of societal problems, such as climate change, social inequality, geopolitics instability, etc., business leaders all around the world are being asked, if not demanded, to show and act as action persons who effectively contribute to a better common value creation. This confluence of situations has led to many CEOs feeling pressured to take a stand in sociopolitical themes, many times outside their businesses' areas, which have become known as CEO activism.

This study aimed to explore if and how this international growing trend is manifesting in the Portuguese context, by exploring the perspective of Portuguese CEOs on the topic, the course of action that they are taking, and how they evaluate risks and opportunities.

For these purposes, we implemented a qualitative methodology based on interviews to 24 Portuguese CEOs and used thematic analysis to explore them. Our findings reveal that, although Portuguese CEOs are aware of this trend, they acknowledge both risks and opportunities, and their activism is still incipient. Plus, they strongly believe that CEO activism must be aligned with the values and mission of the organization they represent. Finally, Portuguese CEOs are convinced of activism being genuine, and therefore should be first implemented within the organization, which is where most of them focus their action. Our work provides an original mapping of the CEO activism landscape in Portugal and an insightful discussion of the CEO's perspective on this growing phenomenon.

This study aims to assess the efficiency of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) countries in achieving sustainable development by analyzing their ability to convert resources and technological innovations into sustainable outcomes.

Using data envelopment analysis (DEA), the study evaluates the economic, environmental and social efficiency of BRICS countries over the period 2010–2018. It ranks these countries based on their sustainable development performance and compares them to the period 2000–2007.

The study reveals varied efficiency levels among BRICS countries. Russia and South Africa lead in certain sustainable development aspects. South Africa excels in environmental sustainability, whereas Brazil is efficient in resource utilization for sustainable growth. China and India, despite economic growth, face challenges such as pollution and lower quality of life.

The study’s findings are constrained by the DEA methodology and the selection of variables. It highlights the need for more nuanced research incorporating recent global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical shifts.

Insights from this study can inform targeted and effective sustainability strategies in BRICS nations, focusing on areas such as industrial quality improvement, employment conditions and environmental policies.

The study underscores the importance of balancing economic growth with social and environmental considerations, highlighting the need for policies addressing inequality, poverty and environmental degradation.

This research provides a unique comparative analysis of BRICS countries’ sustainable development efficiency, challenging conventional perceptions and offering a new perspective on their progress.

Firms are increasingly digitalizing their business processes and expanding them into digital platforms, which are believed to generate digital and relational resources that can facilitate and deliver innovations for firms. Instead of focusing on the extent of digital integration capability (DI), this paper seeks to empirically evaluate whether the DI asymmetry between the buyer and supplier firms influences bilateral information sharing and the buyer’s product innovation. We also examine the moderating effects of firms’ external (environmental dynamism) and internal (innovative climate) environments on these relationships.

Primary and secondary archival data on 180 buyer-supplier Chinese dyadic relationships were collected and analyzed using multiple linear regression models. Additionally, the Process macro was used to shed a nuanced light on the moderation effects of environmental dynamism and innovative climate.

The results show that DI asymmetry negatively impacts buyer firms’ product innovation through decreased information sharing. Environmental dynamism weakens the negative relationship between DI asymmetry and information sharing. Meanwhile, the innovative climate negatively moderates the relationship between information sharing and product innovation.

This study adds knowledge to the literature regarding the dark side of “one-sided digitalization.” By exploring the influences of unbalanced DI in buyer-supplier relationships, this study yields essential theoretical and managerial implications for product innovation success in a digital era.

Sizing system is a fundamental topic in garment fitting. The purpose of this study was to assess the fit of existing police uniforms (shirt, jacket, overcoat and trousers) and develop a sizing system for upper and lower body uniforms of Amhara policemen in Ethiopia.

In total, 35 body dimensions of 889 policemen were taken through a manual anthropometric survey following the procedures in ISO 8559:1989 after each subject was interviewed on issues related to garment fit. The anthropometric data were pre-processed, key body dimensions were identified by principal components analysis and body types were clustered by the agglomerative hierarchical clustering algorithm and verified by the XGBoost classifier in a Python programming environment. The developed size charts were validated statistically using aggregate loss and accommodation rate.

About 44% of the subjects encountered fit problems every time they own new readymade uniforms. Lengths and side seams of shirts, and lengths and waist girths of trousers are the most frequently altered garment sites. Analysis of the anthropometric measurements resulted in 13 and 15 sizes for the upper and lower bodies, respectively. Moreover, the comparison of the developed upper garment size chart with the existing size chart for a shirt showed a considerable difference. This indicates that inappropriate size charts create fit problems.

The study considers the analysis of fit problems and sizing system development in a less researched country. Moreover, the proposed data mining procedure and its application for size chart development is unique and workable.

The purpose of this paper is to gain deeper understanding of the online food ordering behavior of the Generation Z when ordering food online, and their attention towards nutrition information provided on menus. Their state of hunger was used as a moderating variable to also understand if this state altered their level of attention.

Data were collected from 181 university students belonging to Gen Z in the city of Pune in India, with the help of the Tobii (Model: X2-30), a screen-based eye-tracking device. Participants were invited through their university and offered to participate. The sample comprised both, male and female students in different states of being hungry versus being satiated. An AI-powered eye-tracking visual analytics tool was used to analyze the relevant eye-tracking metrics.

Calorie and nutritional information on menus did not alter attention of Gen Z consumers’ even among those who claimed to be conscious of their calorie and nutrition intake. This suggests an attitude–behavior gap towards nutrition consciousness. The same was the case among participants claiming to be conscious of nutrition who were satiated, compared to those who were hungry.

The study highlights the need for innovative strategies to effectively communicate nutritional information to Generation Z. Marketers should consider redesigning menu styles and content to make nutritional details more engaging and intuitive. Furthermore, leveraging neuromarketing tools can help identify subconscious consumer preferences. Health professionals and policymakers can use these insights to bridge the attitude–behavior gap in nutrition consciousness, ensuring that nutritional awareness campaigns resonate better with Gen Z, regardless of their hunger state.

Findings accentuate the need to re-assess style and content towards targeting Gen Z students in India with nutritional information to draw greater attention.

This study reveals a critical gap in the attention Generation Z pays to nutritional information, emphasizing the need for socially impactful strategies to foster healthier food choices. Educational institutions and public health campaigns can leverage these findings to design more engaging and effective nutritional education programs tailored to Gen Z’s preferences. By understanding the subconscious drivers of food choices, society can promote healthier eating habits and combat rising health issues like obesity and malnutrition. Moreover, incorporating technology-driven insights into public health initiatives can improve the relevance and impact of interventions, encouraging a more health-conscious future generation.

Eye-tracking and an AI-based eye-tracking visual analytics tool has been used for the first time to comprehend the attitudes and behaviors displayed by Generation Z students when ordering food online and delve deeper into variables of nutrition consciousness and state of hunger. Neuromarketing and eye-tracking help delve into the subconscious of consumers.

The purpose of this study is to compare the properties and performance of ordinary Portland cement-based self-compacting concrete (OPC-SCC) and pozzolanic-based SCC (pozzolanic-SCC) in concrete applications. The research employs a comparative analysis to examine the workability and strength characteristics of these two types of SCC.

This study involves analyzing and comparing the properties and performance of OPC-SCC and pozzolanic-SCC through a literature review of relevant studies and experiments. The key findings indicate that the use of pozzolanic materials in SCC, such as fly ash, silica fume and metakaolin, can enhance the sustainability and durability of the concrete. The research also reveals that the choice of steel fibers and polypropylene fibers can impact the fire performance and mechanical properties of SCC.

The findings indicate that the inclusion of supplementary cementitious materials enhances the workability, strength and fire resistance of SCC to a greater extent compared to the addition of steel and polypropylene fibers.

The practical implications of this research are significant for selecting and utilizing SCC in concrete applications.

The originality of this research lies in the comparative analysis of OPC-SCC and pozzolanic-SCC, considering their properties, performance and practical implications. The study extends the existing knowledge on the use of SCC and provides insights into best practices for its application. The research contributes to the field of concrete technology and sustainable construction by highlighting the benefits and limitations of different types of SCC and their potential impact on concrete performance.

This study presents the development of a supply chain (SC) observatory, which is a benchmarking solution to support companies within the same industry in understanding their positioning in terms of SC performance.

A case study is used to demonstrate the set-up of the observatory. Twelve experts on automatic equipment for the wrapping and packaging industry were asked to select a set of performance criteria taken from the literature and evaluate their importance for the chosen industry using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques. To handle the high number of criteria without requiring a high amount of time-consuming effort from decision-makers (DMs), five subjective, parsimonious methods for criteria weighting are applied and compared.

A benchmarking methodology is presented and discussed, aimed at DMs in the considered industry. Ten companies were ranked with regard to SC performance. The ranking solution of the companies was on average robust since the general structure of the ranking was very similar for all five weighting methodologies, though simplified-analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was the method with the greatest ability to discriminate between the criteria of importance and was considered faster to carry out and more quickly understood by the decision-makers.

Developing an SC observatory usually requires managing a large number of alternatives and criteria. The developed methodology uses parsimonious weighting methods, providing DMs with an easy-to-use and time-saving tool. A future research step will be to complete the methodology by defining the minimum variation required for one or more criteria to reach a specific position in the ranking through the implementation of a post-fact analysis.