Small Effect Research Articles

Indigenous-municipal Intergovernmental Agreements: Policy Convergence by Region, Distance, or Cultural Similarity?

This paper examines policy convergence in Indigenous-local agreements in Canada using a dataset of 192 agreements collected between 2010 and 2014. It explores whether these agreements, which facilitate service sharing, contracting, and relationship formation, exhibit similarities across Indigenous communities, and whether these similarities are being driven by geographic location, proximity, or cultural similarity. Using word embeddings analysis, we find that culture is the strongest predictor of semantic similarity, with geographic location within the same province and proximity having much smaller effects.

Live Streaming, Content Marketing, Flash Sale In Online Shopping Decisions For E-Commerce

This study underscores the pressing need to support the growth and success of e-commerce platforms in addressing the challenges and seizing the opportunities of today's digital commerce landscape. The primary objective of the research is to assess the impact of live streaming, content marketing, and flash sales on the online shopping decisions of users on Tokopedia. The study employs a descriptive statistical analysis, combining qualitative methods with quantitative elements. The research population consists of Tokopedia users in Medan City, with purposive sampling used to select participants. A convenience sampling technique determined the sample size, which included 260 respondents. The results of the study show that content marketing has a significant and notable effect on online shopping decisions, whereas flash sales and live streaming have smaller effects and are not statistically significant.

Dynamic response of three different floating platform (OC4, BSS, GVA) using multi-segment mooring system

The design of mooring lines for floating platforms is an essential task to guarantee structure survivability and its components under different metocean conditions. This paper focuses on the application and comparison of the MSM-BMW system across various types of semisubmersible platforms, including the OC4-DeepCwind, the braceless semi-submersible (BSS) with three catenary mooring lines, and the drilling rig GVA 4000 with eight mooring lines. The performance of the BMW mooring system for these three platforms is compared under operational and survival conditions. The hybrid mooring concept is a multi-segment mooring (MSM) arrangement of the catenary and taut, including single buoy and multi-clump weight (BMW), generally named MSM-BMW. Hydrodynamic responses and mooring forces are compared between original and hybrid systems under regular and irregular wave conditions. The dynamic response of the platform is performed utilizing both Morrison theory and three-dimensional radiation/diffraction theory based on the boundary element method (BEM) in ANSYS-AQWA software. The results show that using BMW on the three floating platforms significantly reduces platform motion at low frequencies, with minimal effect on wave-frequency resonance. However, the BMW system increases mooring force at wave frequency, while having a smaller effect at low frequencies. The effectiveness of the BMW system varies across platforms and motion types. The BSS platform shows significant improvement in surge motion, while the GVA platform has the smallest ratio in heave motion. Additionally, the BSS platform demonstrates the least response in pitch motion.

The impact of foreign direct investment on innovation in China's forest products industry

The forestry industry, with its high resource dependence, long production cycles, and extensive development modes, lags behind other industries in terms of innovation. This study examines the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on product innovation in China's forest products industry. We use data from 146,526 forest products enterprises spanning the years 1998 to 2013, merged with patent application records from the China National Patent Database, and employ a two-way fixed effects model. Our estimates show that a 10 % increase in FDI is associated with a 0.86 % increase in patent applications, a smaller effect than in other industries. In particular, we examine how this positive effect of FDI on innovation is affected by the specific production and layout features of the forest products industry. We find that this effect is greater in regions rich in forest resources and non-coastal areas. Additionally, enterprises in this industry often focus on strategic innovations, such as product design, rather than substantial technological change, with innovation priorities differing across sub-sectors. Mechanism analyses reveal that FDI promotes innovation in forest products enterprises by increasing R&D investments, optimizing the marketing environment, and alleviating financial constraints. Extended analyses indicate significant spillover effects of FDI-driven innovation across the industry, especially between the upstream and downstream segments of the supply chain. We advise the global forest products industry to consider these unique production and layout features in their development strategies, and suggest a reorientation of government innovation policies toward long-term goals.

ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF DAMAGE TO REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS ON STRENGTH AND DEFORMABILITY

Buildings often require inspection or reconstruction of reinforced concrete elements due to new regulations, technical equipment and changes in operating conditions. During reconstruction, there is a need for through openings to lay utilities and install modern engineering systems. Studies show that such openings generally reduce the strength of reinforced concrete elements. The impact of openings depends on their location, size and shape: openings in the support areas and compression zones have the most negative impact on strength, while openings in the middle of the span or neutral axis are less harmful. Round openings have a smaller effect on stresses than square openings. However, there is still insufficient research on the impact of such openings on structures in service, which requires additional research to formulate clear recommendations and ensure the reliability of buildings in the long term.

Quantitative analysis of subway station seismic deformation under random earthquakes and uncertain soil properties using the equivalent linearization method

The seismic performance of underground structures is strongly influenced by the characteristics of both the surrounding soil and the earthquake. In contrast to traditional deterministic analysis methods, this study uses a stochastic analysis approach to investigate the effect of uncertainties in nonlinear soil characteristics, shear wave velocity, density, and earthquake randomness on the response of underground stations. The equivalent linearization method is employed to approximate the nonlinear behavior of the soil. The soil was modeled using a linear elastic constitutive model combined with Rayleigh damping in the finite element model. Inter-story displacements are used to determine structural damage. Probabilistic analysis methods are used to obtain their statistical characteristics, and the probability of failure is calculated. The results show that, according to single parameter analysis, random ground motion results in the greatest probability of exceeding the threshold (PET), while ground shear wave velocity significantly affects the coefficient of variation (COV), and the effect of density is the smallest. The study also found that when soil nonlinearity, shear wave velocity, and random ground motion are considered simultaneously, the range, mean, standard deviation, and COV of interstory displacement all increase significantly, but the PET slightly decreases. In summary, the analysis results indicate that random ground motion has the greatest impact on interstory displacement, followed by shear wave velocity, with nonlinear soil characteristics having a smaller effect, and density the least. Therefore, the impact of various uncertainties should be fully considered in the analysis of underground structures, especially random ground motion and shear wave velocity.

Plant and soil responses to sediment deposition and nutrient‐enrichment in healthy, deteriorating, and newly created coastal marshes of the Mississippi River Delta

Coastal marshes vulnerable to sea‐level rise may benefit from sediment amendments to increase elevation. However, nutrient‐loading to estuaries may counter elevation gain through reduced root production and/or increased decomposition. Here, we test if belowground plant productivity, root decomposition, and marsh accretion response to nutrient‐loading differs with sediment addition in three marsh types: a healthy intermediate salinity marsh, a deteriorating brackish marsh, and a created marsh in Barataria Basin, Louisiana, United States. In this region, wetland loss is rapid, and a major restoration project is underway to introduce Mississippi River water, sediment, and nutrients to offset marsh loss. Porewater nutrient concentrations, vegetation structure, belowground productivity and decomposition, and accretion rates were measured over 450 days. Experimental nitrate additions yielded high porewater ammonium‐N concentrations in the Deteriorating marsh but had a smaller effect in Healthy and Created marshes. Belowground productivity in the Deteriorating marsh was neutral to negatively affected by nutrient and sediment treatments, whereas positive effects occurred in Healthy and Created marshes. Despite elevation increase from sediment treatments, and substantial effects of nutrient treatments on porewater nutrient concentrations, belowground decomposition and surface accretion rates were not affected by treatments. Sediment deposition increased species richness in the Healthy marsh and added sediment and added nutrients with sediment increased plant height in the Created and Deteriorating marshes, respectively. Over the timescale measured, experimental sedimentation and pulsed nutrient input had few consistent effects on belowground ingrowth, decomposition, or surface accretion. Our findings highlight that response to nutrient pulses are complex and depend on baseline marsh conditions.

Numerical Prediction of Solid Particle Erosion in Jet Pumps Based on a Calibrated Model

Jet pumps are widely used in petrochemical processes, nuclear cooling, and wastewater treatment due to their simple structure, high reliability, and stable performance under extreme conditions. However, when transporting solid-laden two-phase flows, they face severe erosion problems, leading to reduced efficiency, malfunctions, or even failure. Therefore, optimizing jet pump performance and extending its service life is crucial. In this study, an experimental platform was established to conduct experiments on wall erosion in jet pumps. The CFD-DEM method was used to simulate the solid–liquid two-phase flow in the jet pump, comparing six erosion models for predicting erosion rates. The Grey Wolf Optimization algorithm was applied to calibrate model coefficients. The results indicate that the Neilson erosion model shows the best consistency with the experimental results. The inlet flow rate significantly influenced the erosion rates, while the flow rate ratio had a smaller effect. The particle concentration exhibited a nonlinear relationship with erosion, with diminishing impact beyond a certain threshold. As the factors varied, the erosion distribution tended to be uniform, but high erosion areas remained locally concentrated, indicating intensified localized erosion.

Defer, disagree, or disengage? Relational mobility, self-changeability, culture, and responses to inconsistency

Past research has found that people often engage in one of three behaviours to resolve inconsistencies with others: validation, conforming, or distancing. While much of the social influence literature has assessed contexts in which conformity is more or less likely, little has explored alternatives to conformity, such as validation and distancing. The present research as aims to assess what underlying factors that affect these preferences. We used vignettes of inconsistency in relational contexts to assess people’s preferred responses. In Study 1, we assessed Canadian participants’ preferences responses following social inconsistency. We found that more perceived self-changeability increased preference for conformity and decreased preference for validation and distancing, while more perceived relational mobility increased preference for distancing and decreased preference for conformity and validation. In Study 2 we assessed how these behaviours may vary culturally. We found that compared to Canadians, Koreans expressed greater preference for conformity and less preference for validation. The patterns of results for perceived changeability and mobility were largely the same across Canadian and Korean, with Koreans demonstrating similar or smaller effects. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

Risk for nitrogen leaching after application of solid manure in autumn differs between manure types

Manure application performed in autumn requires regulation due to the risk of nitrogen (N) leaching during winter. On the other hand, application of manure in spring can pose some practical problems depending on the risk for N immobilization and the difficulty in ploughing heavy clay soils during this time of year. The risk for leaching is likely to differ between different soil texture and manure characteristics. In this study, we sought to estimate the risk for nitrogen leaching depending on the carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N) of the manure, time for manure application, and soil type. We combined 3-year lysimeter experiments with 2-year field plot experiments and laboratory soil incubations and compared results with those from an empirical model. We compared effects of manure application on two soils (silty clay and loamy sand) and solid manures with different representing C/N ratios. In incubations, only manure with a C/N-ratio below 14 contributed with significant amounts of leachable N during the first months after application. In the lysimeter study, N leaching was unaffected by the timing of the application of the manure with C/N-ratio 18. However, regarding manure with C/N-ratio 10, N leaching was elevated with 10–15 kg N per ha after manure application in October compared to November and March on both soil types. The mineral N analyses from soil profiles in the field experiments showed a similar pattern, however, the increase was higher on the loamy sand compared to the silty clay. The ammonia emissions did not differ between manure types, but were on average 24% of applied NH4-N after application in October when air temperature was on average 12°C compared to only 3% of applied NH4-N in November and March when air temperature was on average 5°C. Similar to lysimeter results, the modelled N leaching was higher the earlier the manure application occurred in autumn. However, the model also predicted increased leaching for the manure with a high C/N-ratio, and a smaller effect on leaching on clay soil. Considering this, the model calculations overestimated the leaching effects from manure with a high C/N-ratio and underestimated the leaching effects on clay soil.

Mechanical properties and failure modes of polypropylene fiber-reinforced foamed concrete subjected to high strain rates and large compressive deformation: effects of fiber content and length

This study investigates the mechanical properties of polypropylene fiber-reinforced foamed concrete (PPFRFC) under high strain rates and large compressive deformation, focusing on the effects of varying fiber contents and lengths. Results show both peak and plateau stress increase with fiber content, reaching a maximum at 1.5 wt.% before decreasing. Similarly, increased fiber length enhances both stresses, but beyond 9 and 14 mm, they decline. The dynamic increase factor is sensitive to fiber content and length, with the lowest values observed at 1.5 wt.% content and 9 mm or 14 mm length. Failure mode analysis shows that as fiber content increases, damage extent decreases, with fewer fragments. At 1.5 and 2.0 wt.%, specimens largely retain their overall contour after impact, while fiber length has a smaller effect on failure mode.

The Impact of Flow Channel Structural Parameters on Both the Hydraulic Performance and Anticlogging Abilities of Variable Flow Emitters

Variable flow emitters are used in subsurface drip irrigation to address challenges in soil moisture transport. This study investigates the impact of flow channel structural parameters on the hydraulic performance and anticlogging ability of emitters using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and experimental tests. The results show that the realizable k–ε turbulence model can be used to simulate the flow field inside the variable flow emitter flow channel. The nRMSE between the measured (qm) and simulated (q) values of the flow rate is 11.23%, and the relative error between the measured (xm) and simulated (x) values of the flow index is 4.66%, which gives a high simulation accuracy. A polar analysis shows that the tooth angle (A) has the smallest effect on the effluent flow rate at 0.1 MPa (q0.1), x, and particle passage rate (η) of the variable flow emitter. Flow channel depth (D), tooth spacing (B), and tooth height (E) have a different order of precedence in the influence of the three indices, which are D > B > E > A, B > E > D > A and E > B > D > A, respectively. The value of η is positively correlated with the mean flow velocity (v) and the mean turbulent kinetic energy (k) in the flow channel, and η tends to increase and then decrease with the increase of x. The retention time of the particles in the flow channel is closely related to the magnitude of v and k. Three multivariate lin ear regression equations (R2 = 0.883–0.995) were constructed for q0.1, x, and η versus the flow channel structural parameters. The optimal design combination of channel structure parameters for different scenarios was determined using the scipy.optimize.minimize function in Python 3.8.0. The research results provide a reference for the optimal design of variable flow emitters.

Comparing the mental effects of interacting with farm animals and walking in a botanical garden.

Over the past two decades, farm animal-assisted therapies have become popular. However, the effects of farm animals on healthy people's mental states have not yet been investigated. In Study 1, we aimed to explore whether positive effects of human-animal interaction (HAI) can be detected in healthy farm volunteers even after short-term (2-3 hours) work with goats and goatlings on a goat farm. We found that the participants' state anxiety decreased (p < 0.001) while their trust levels increased (p < 0.001) after interacting with goats. Nevertheless, it is possible that time spent in nature alone can have a beneficial effect on well-being. Therefore, in Study 2, we compared the results of Study 1 with those of a similar short-term outdoor treatment, walking in a botanical garden as a visitor. Similar but smaller effects were found for garden visitors. Decreases in anxiety scores and increases in trust scores were more pronounced in farm volunteers (anxiety: 25% vs 13%, p < 0.001; trust: 13% vs 3%, p = 0.002) after the treatments. Overall, the results suggest that the novel experience of interacting with goats and goatlings has a more positive effect on the mental state of healthy humans than walking in a botanical garden. This finding offer a strong foundation for developing animal assisted therapy methods for individuals with short or long term mental problems, but they can also enhance the wellbeing of mentally healthy people.

A pilot randomised controlled trial of a multidomain lifestyle intervention for outpatients with chronic or severe mental illness

Lifestyle-related problems are common in people with mental illness, contributing to a decreased life expectancy and high societal and personal burden. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness on recovery of a multidomain lifestyle intervention in patients with severe or chronic mental illnesses. Twenty transdiagnostic outpatients were 1:1 randomised in intervention or control. The lifestyle intervention consisted of 11 three-hour group sessions about physical activity, nutrition, relaxation, sleep, substance use, and purpose and meaning. Self-report questionnaires, physical measurements, diary questions, and accelerometers were administered at baseline, halfway and post intervention. Outcomes included attrition, retention rates, protocol deviations, quantitative evaluations and effectiveness. Both the intervention and research protocol appeared feasible and acceptable, with relaxation, purpose and meaning and nutrition as highest appreciated themes. Intervention simplification and deepening was necessary to suit the heterogeneous participants. Preliminary effects were found in all recovery domains, with biggest effects in societal recovery and smallest effects in clinical recovery. To prevent dropout and match the outpatient population, small intervention adaptations are recommended. Effects can be expected in all domains of recovery and should be measured accordingly. Research with greater sample sizes is necessary.

First Observational Evidence That Dust‐Driven Cloud Phase Changes Cool the Surface Over Summertime Arctic Sea Ice

AbstractCloud phase has important impacts on Arctic surface temperatures, and circumstantial evidence suggests that dust aerosols have strong regional impacts on Arctic cloud phase. We used 7 years of satellite observations and model and reanalysis products to control for co‐varying meteorology, and to assess how dust and other aerosols impact cloud phase and cloud radiative effects over the summertime sea ice. We focus on clouds at 3 km, where dust modeling is most accurate. There is strong indication that dust aerosols caused about 4.5% of clouds below −15°C to change phase, with smaller effects at higher temperatures. Sulfate has a smaller impact on cloud phase. Dust is associated with cloud‐mediated surface cooling of up to a 6.3 W m−2 below single‐layer clouds at ∼3 km in June. This is the first observational study to constrain likely dust‐related cloud radiative effects over the summertime Arctic sea ice.

Improving Business Performance of SMEs Using SDGs Components and Business Strategy

This study aims to describe and analyze the correlation of the SDGs components related to business strategy and performance of SMEs. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were conceptually used as basic variables in improving the business performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in order to reduce poverty alleviation. The type of this research is explanatory research. The number of samples in this study were 170 respondents of SMEs determined by structural equation model (SEM) as the method of analyzing data, which is operated by AMOS. The population is 295 SMEs. The result of this study shows that the greatest influence of performance of SMEs was business operational strategy of 6,365, and the smallest effect was on SDGs economic indicators to business operational strategy of 1,022. In this case, it can be stated that the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have a significant influence on the business operational strategy and business performance of SMEs. For small and medium entrepreneurs in Yogyakarta, seeing SDGs as a development goal will affect their operational business strategy, especially related to economic variables. Keywords: business performance, business strategy, poverty alleviation, small and medium enterprise (SMEs), SDGs

Stochastic Analysis of Epithelial/Absorbed Power Density in Multilayered Planar Skin Model With Uncertain Tissue Electric Properties

AbstractStochastic analysis of the absorbed power density (APD) on skin surface exposed to radiation of halfwave dipole at 10, 30 and 90 GHz and for different antenna‐body distances is presented. Skin tissue is modeled as a half‐space consisting of one layer (skin) or three layers (skin, fat and muscle) whose permittivities and conductivities are uncertain. Deterministic part is based on numerical solution of Pocklington equation via Galerkin Bubnov Indirect Boundary Element method (GB‐IBEM) and numerical integration of the corresponding field integrals. Uncertainty from tissue electric parameters is propagated to APD via non‐intrusive Stochastic Collocation method (SCM) in order to compute stochastic moments of APD. For 1‐layered model APD stochastic moments are computed with 3 deterministic simulations. On the other hand APD mean and variance for 3 layered model are successfully computed with 13 deterministic simulations while skewness and kurtosis require 85 deterministic simulations. The ratio of APD standard deviation and mean decreases with frequency thus indicating that the uncertainty in the tissue electric properties has smaller effect on APD uncertainty at higher frequencies. Finally, sensitivity analysis carried out for both 1‐layered and 3‐layered models indicates the same conclusions. At 10 GHz skin permittivity and conductivity are the two most important parameters. However, as frequency increases the impact of skin conductivity prevails. This indicates that in frequency range 10–90 GHz the APD uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis can be carried out by using only 2‐dimensional stochastic model.

Impairment of microvascular endothelial Kir2.1 channels contributes to endothelial dysfunction in human hypertension.

Hypertension is associated with decreased endothelial function through reduced contributions of nitric oxide (NO). We previously discovered that flow-induced NO production in resistance arteries of mice and humans critically depends on endothelial inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir2.1) channels. The goal of this study was to establish whether these channels contribute to the impairment of endothelial function, measured by flow-induced vasodilation (FIV) in peripheral resistance arteries of humans with hypertension. We measured FIV in vessels isolated from subcutaneous fat biopsies from 32 subjects: normotensive [n = 19; 30.6 ± 9.8 yr old; systolic blood pressure (SBP): 115.2 ± 7 mmHg; diastolic blood pressure (DBP): 75.3 ± 5.7 mmHg] and hypertensive (n = 13; 45.3 ± 15.3 yr old; SBP: 146.1 ± 15.2 mmHg; DBP: 94.4 ± 6.9 mmHg). Consistent with previous studies, we find that FIV is impaired in hypertensive adults as demonstrated by a significant reduction in FIV when compared with the normotensive adults. Furthermore, our data suggest that the impairment of FIV in hypertensive adults is partially attributed to a reduction in Kir2.1-dependent vasodilation. Specifically, we show that blocking Kir2.1 with ML133 or functionally downregulating Kir2.1 with endothelial-specific adenoviral vector containing dominant-negative Kir2.1 (dnKir2.1) result in a significant reduction in FIV in normotensive subjects but with a smaller effect in hypertensive adults. The Kir2.1-dependent vasodilation was negatively correlated to both SBP and DBP, indicating that the Kir2.1 contribution to FIV decreases as blood pressure increases. In addition, we show that exposing vessels from normotensive adults to acute high-pressure results in loss of Kir2.1 contribution, as high pressure impairs vasodilation. No effect is seen when these vessels were incubated with dnKir2.1. Overexpressing wtKir2.1 in the endothelium resulted in some improvement in vasodilation in arteries from all participants, with a greater recovery in hypertensive adults. Our data suggest that hypertension-induced suppression of Kir2.1 is an important mechanism underlying endothelial dysfunction in hypertension.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Impairment of endothelial function under high blood pressure is linked to the loss of inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir2.1) channels activity in human resistance arteries, leading to a reduction in flow-induced vasodilation and possibly leading to a vicious cycle between elevation of blood pressure, and further impairment of Kir2.1 function and flow-induced vasodilation.

The effect of repair and lifetime extension on the environmental performance of energy-using products. Application to electric water kettles

This study evaluates the environmental impacts of extending the lifetime of electric kettles through repair strategies by means of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. A total of 2640 scenarios were analysed, each considering six variables: material composition, usage intensity, year of failure, failure management, lifetime extension, and end-of-life (EoL) management. The results demonstrate that extending kettle lifetimes through repair can reduce the total environmental impact by up to 35 %, particularly in scenarios where low-energy use is combined with maximum lifetime extension. The use phase contributed the most to the environmental impact, accounting for 48–64 % of the total in most scenarios, driven primarily by energy consumption during kettle operation. In contrast, material composition and EoL management had a smaller effect, representing only 5–10 % of the impact. Repairs focused on lime descaling were the most effective, reducing the environmental burden by up to 20 %, while repairs involving component replacement were less impactful in this regard. These findings underscore the potential of repair strategies to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of household appliances. Policymakers should prioritise repairability in product design and promote consumer awareness to extend product lifetimes and achieve lower environmental impacts.

Trajectories of daily antipsychotic use and weight gain in people hospitalized for the first episode of psychosis.

We need to better understand the risk factors and predictors of medication-related weight gain to improve metabolic health of individuals with schizophrenia. This study explores how trajectories of antipsychotic medication (AP) use impact body weight early in the course of schizophrenia. We recruited 92 participants with first-episode psychosis (FEP, n=92) during their first psychiatric hospitalization. We prospectively collected weight, body mass index (BMI), metabolic markers, and exact daily medication exposure during 6-week hospitalization. We quantified the trajectory of AP medication changes and AP polypharmacy using a novel approach based on meta-analytical ranking of medications and tested it as a predictor of weight gain together with traditional risk factors. Most people started treatment with risperidone (n=57), followed by olanzapine (n=29). Then, 48% of individuals remained on their first prescribed medication, while 33% of people remained on monotherapy. Almost half of the individuals (39/92) experienced escalation of medications, mostly switch to AP polypharmacy (90%). Only baseline BMI was a predictor of BMI change. Individuals in the top tercile of weight gain, compared to those in the bottom tercile, showed lower follow-up symptoms, a trend for longer prehospitalization antipsychotic treatment, and greater exposure to metabolically problematic medications. Early in the course of illness, during inpatient treatment, baseline BMI is the strongest and earliest predictor of weight gain on APs and is a better predictor than type of medication, polypharmacy, or medication switches. Baseline BMI predicted weight change over a period of weeks, when other traditional predictors demonstrated a much smaller effect.