Yijiang Peng, Xiyun Chen, Liping Ying and Mahmoud M.A. Kamel
Based on the base force element method, a two-dimensional random circle aggregate model with Monte Carlo principle is proposed to carry out research on softening curve in…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the base force element method, a two-dimensional random circle aggregate model with Monte Carlo principle is proposed to carry out research on softening curve in meso-level.
Design/methodology/approach
The meso-level structure of recycled concrete is considered as the five-phase materials composed of aggregate, old interfacial transition zone, old mortar, new interfacial transition zone and new mortar. A multi-polyline damage model is adopted to describe the nonlinear mechanical behavior of recycled concrete material. The destruction state of the element is determined by the first strength theory. The research studies on damage process of recycled concrete under the loading conditions of uniaxial tension were established using the base force element method.
Findings
The softening curves of recycled concrete are obtained, which are in good agreement with experiment results. Simulation results show that the macroscopic mechanical properties and failure mechanism can analyze more reasonably from mesoscopic structure. Besides that, it can be investigated from the numerical results of the size effect in recycled concrete through the mesoscopic heterogeneity. Furthermore, the form of aggregate distribution has influence on the crack path but little effect on the tensile strength of recycled concrete.
Originality/value
The results show that the base force element method has been successfully applied to the study of softening curve of recycled concrete under uniaxial tension.
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Xuede Gao, Xiyun Shen and Qian Wang
Although a growing body of research has found evidence of anti-public sector bias – a negative stereotype that the performance of the public sector is worse than that of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Although a growing body of research has found evidence of anti-public sector bias – a negative stereotype that the performance of the public sector is worse than that of the private sector, whether this phenomenon is universal across situations is still an unknown topic to be further discussed. The purpose of this study is to examine how citizens assess the public sector in Chinese context, as well as the source and deep logic of this evaluation.
Design/methodology/approach
Through two survey experiments (N = 1,375), this paper empirically explores how citizens evaluate the public sector in the Chinese context and the cross-context stability of this attitude. At the same time, two focus group interviews (N = 12) are used to deeply analyze the source and internal logic of this attitude.
Findings
In China, there is no anti-public sector bias in the public evaluation of the public sector. On the contrary, there is a certain degree of pro-public sector preference, that is, the public has a more positive view of the public sector than the private sector. We also find that this preference has strong cross-context stability, which will not be affected by different performance information or failure public events with different severity. The study also finds that Chinese citizens' preference for the public sector is not only the product of traditional political culture, but also the result of authoritarian propaganda. More importantly, it is a personal rational choice based on institutional performance.
Originality/value
This study provides a good example to explore how the public views the public sector in countries where the proportion of public sector supply far exceeds that of non-public sector. The results increase the academic understanding of how citizens assess the public sector and why this evaluation comes into being. The results enlighten significance for future theoretical research on the main body of public service providers and their performance views. It also provides micro-evidence of behavioral public performance for cross-sectoral comparison between public sector and private sector.
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Xiyun Yang, Xitao Duan and Haiwei Yuan
The purpose of this paper is to obtain iron‐enriched Fe‐Ni alloy foil on Ti substrates with good quality from a chloride‐sulfate bath used in a normal DC plating mode. The effects…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to obtain iron‐enriched Fe‐Ni alloy foil on Ti substrates with good quality from a chloride‐sulfate bath used in a normal DC plating mode. The effects of iron content on the hardness, surface morphology and microstructure of the foil were clarified.
Design/methodology/approach
Fe‐Ni alloy foil was prepared by electrodeposition in a chloride‐sulfate based solution. The effects of current density, temperature, stirring rate and sodium propargyl sulfonate concentration on the iron contents of the Fe‐Ni alloy foils were studied. The phase composition and surface morphology with various iron contents were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Cathodic polarization curves were used to evaluate the role of sodium propargyl sulfonate (PS).
Findings
Nanocrystalline Fe‐Ni alloy foil containing up to 64 wt. percent iron can be obtained from a chloride‐sulfate based solution. The foil converts from a face‐centered cubic (fcc) Fe3Ni2 phase to a mixture of fcc and body‐centered cubic (bcc) Fe7Ni3 with increase in iron content from 55.0 wt. percent to 63.5 wt. percent. AFM studies revealed that the foil had a fine grain structure with a roughness of 30 nm and grain size of 30 nm. With iron increasing to 63.5 wt. percent some islands appeared on the surface. This structure was related to the development of a (200) fiber texture in the BCC phase. Sodium propargyl sulfonate accelerates the discharge of nickel and inhibits the discharge of Fe.
Practical implications
The foil has many industrial applications in the area of memory devices for computers, laser components and precise instruments.
Originality/value
The paper presents a process to produce a foil with iron up to 64 wt. percent from a chloride‐sulfate based solution used in normal DC mode. The dependence of microstructure and surface morphology on iron contents also is presented. Until now, there has been little research or reports on this subject.
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Ehsan Namaziandost, Tahereh Heydarnejad, Parisa Ashkani and Sajjad Farokhipour
Psychological well-being is a central aspect of mental health, and it can be defined as the presence of enjoyment and fulfillment, as well as resilience. Different factors are…
Abstract
Purpose
Psychological well-being is a central aspect of mental health, and it can be defined as the presence of enjoyment and fulfillment, as well as resilience. Different factors are critical in the tone and melody of language teachers’ psychological well-being. Cognitive emotion regulation (CER) pertains to the intentional cognitive strategies employed by educators in order to regulate and confront emotionally taxing content.
Design/methodology/approach
A quasi-experimental strategy was used in the present experimental analysis. A total of 87 EFL students were split into two groups: one to participate in the experiment and another to serve as a control. The control group of students got regular teaching without any changes or additions to their books.
Findings
Path analysis results demonstrated that cognitive emotion regulation and reflective teaching were able to accurately forecast the teachers' psychological well-being at the institution.
Practical implications
The study's results suggest that it is essential for teachers, including language instructors, to undergo training in cognitive emotion regulation and reflective teaching in order to ensure their psychological well-being.
Originality/value
To achieve an optimal level of CER, educators must be equipped with a repertoire of effective strategies to promote the necessary equilibrium. Reflective teaching encompasses the critical analysis of an educator's fundamental convictions about pedagogy and the acquisition of knowledge, as well as the evaluation of their teaching process. To date, no study reflects on the possible connections between these variables in a single study. In light of this, the focus of this study was to discover how reflective teaching and cognitive emotion regulation affect the psychological health of English as a foreign language (EFL) university professors.