Web Panel Research Articles

Experimental Testing of Shear Web Panels of Steel Plate Girders Strengthened by Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites

Experimental Testing of Shear Web Panels of Steel Plate Girders Strengthened by Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites

Electronic nicotine delivery system flavors, devices, and brands used by adults in the United States who smoke and formerly smoked in 2022: Findings from the United States International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey

ObjectiveThis study estimated prevalence of current electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) used by US adults who smoked cigarettes or formerly smoked in 2022 and assessed ENDS flavors, devices, and brands used most often. MethodsData are from the 2022 US ITC Smoking and Vaping Survey. Respondents were recruited from a web panel of a nationally representative sample of US adults ages 18+ who smoked, formerly smoked, and/or vaped ENDS. Using weighted data, we estimated prevalence of current vaping among adults who smoke or formerly smoked (N = 2,016). Among the subset who vaped (n = 554), we assessed flavors and devices used most often. Using unweighted data, we assessed the frequency (count) of reported brands used most often. ResultsIn 2022, 22.0 % of US adults who smoked or formerly smoked were vaping at least monthly. A significantly higher proportion of adults who formerly smoked and/or were younger (18–39) were vaping than adults who were smoking and/or were older (40+) (both p < 0.001). Tank devices were used most often (34.7 %), followed by disposables (27.4 %), pre-filled pods/cartridges (23.0 %), and refillable pods/cartridges (14.9 %). The five most commonly used flavors were fruit (33.9 %), tobacco (20.1 %), menthol (12.2 %), candy/sweets (10.8 %), and mixed ice flavors (10.0 %). The top 5 brands were JUUL, Smok, Vuse, Geekvape, and Blu. ConclusionsIn 2022, a majority of adults who smoked cigarettes or who had quit smoking used a variety of flavors and devices that go beyond the choices that FDA currently has authorized for sale.

The Role of Grandparents in Facilitating Children's Physical Activity.

Research suggests there is considerable opportunity to improve children's movement behaviors while they are being cared for by their grandparents. An understanding of the extent to which grandparent practices facilitate children's engagement in physical activity is critical to the development of health interventions targeting grandparent caregivers. This study examined the activity-related beliefs and practices of grandparents and their association with grandchildren's engagement in various movement behaviors while in grandparental care. Australian grandparents (N = 1190; 60% women) who provided regular care to a grandchild aged 3-14years were recruited via a web panel provider to complete an online survey. The survey assessed grandparents' physical activity-related beliefs (eg,perceived importance) and practices (eg,support and social control) and their grandchildren's engagement in physical activity (unstructured, structured, and outdoor play) and screen-based activities while in grandparental care. The importance of grandchildren's physical activity was rated highly by grandparents. Grandparents' support for their grandchildren's physical activity was positively associated with their grandchildren's engagement in structured physical activity, unstructured physical activity, and outdoor play. Negative social control was associated with greater engagement in screen-based activities. Other correlates of grandchildren's physical activity and screen-based activities included grandparents' own engagement in these activities. Findings highlight the importance of reinforcing the beliefs and practices that positively influence children's movement behaviors and addressing those that have unintended consequences. Encouraging grandparents to support their grandchildren's physical activity and discouraging forms of negative social control are likely to be important in efforts to promote physical activity in children.

Rural reticence to inform physicians of cannabis use.

Over 75% of Americans have legal access to medical cannabis, though physical access is not uniform and can be difficult for rural residents. Additionally, substantial stigma remains in using medical cannabis, particularly within the health care system. This article argues that rural Americans may be particularly affected by such stigma and may thus be more likely to not report cannabis use to health care providers. Data were obtained from 1,045 adult Pennsylvanians using a self-administered web panel omnibus survey. Rurality was determined by overlaying Zip Code Tabulation Areas with urban areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Primary outcomes were prior use of cannabidiol (CBD) or marijuana and reporting of such use to medical professionals. Covariates utilized in logistic regressions included rurality, gender, age, race/ethnicity, political affiliation, political ideology, and veteran status. Living in an urban area was positively associated with disclosure of marijuana use to health care providers as compared to those in rural areas, although there were no differences found in CBD disclosure. Stigma surrounding marijuana usage may have a disproportionate impact on health outcomes for rural residents who use marijuana. Nonreporting prevents effective holistic medical care and can result in negative drug interactions and other side effects.

Alcohol purchases through online stores and mobile applications in the late phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland.

Aim: Online alcohol sales have grown rapidly, but their impact on alcohol consumption and harms is not well understood. This study explores the association between online alcohol purchasing and drinking behaviours during the late phase of COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Design: A nationally representative survey was conducted in May 2022 of 2000 Polish residents aged 18-50 years selected from a probability-based web panel. Measures included past-year alcohol purchasing through e-stores, food/delivery apps and retail apps. Alcohol consumption was quantified using the Beverage-Specific Quantity-Frequency method. Logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic and behavioural correlates of online alcohol purchasing. Results: Of the study respondents, 19% purchased alcohol through e-stores, 17% via delivery apps and 15% with retail apps. Spirits were commonly purchased in e-stores (57%), while beer was purchased via apps (58%-60%). Most online buyers took advantage of price promotions (69%-75%) and reported some kind of age verification (67%-68%). Higher odds of online purchasing were found among men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.38-1.54), younger drinkers (aOR 1.65-2.04) and to some extent university graduates (aOR 1.75 for e-stores purchases). Compared to moderate drinkers, risky (aOR 2.32-3.02) and harmful drinkers (aOR 5.06-6.61) showed substantially increased odds of buying alcohol online. Conclusion: Results suggest online alcohol purchasing, especially through mobile apps, is linked to more excessive drinking. Apps enable easy access to alcohol anytime anywhere, circumventing policies restricting sales to minors and intoxicated persons. With youth drinking declining globally, online sales are an emerging issue for public health. Restricting mobile app-based alcohol delivery could be an important policy measure to curb excessive drinking enabled by digital sales.

Design optimization and failure analysis of natural composite sandwich T-joints under pulling load conditions

This paper presents a structural analysis of composite sandwich T-joint systems respond to pulling loads. A finite element (FE) model of the T-joint structure was created with four geometrical models, and three different materials were used to compare the design and identify the failure locations. The stress-critical regions were identified within and beneath the Stringers, which are responsible for connecting the base and web panels and transferring loads. The FEA studies showed that T-joint fails due to high shear stress in the stringer, base panel (flange), web, and bolted joint areas. The combination of shear and tensile stress in the adhesive layer between the composite base panel and the stringers lead to failure. Furthermore, incorporating a circular hole in the web panel near the joint resulted in an 11.8 % reduction of failure load. Due to the intricate stress distribution and geometric variations in these joints, premature failure can occur. Therefore, meticulous attention is essential for wing structures at spar joints, especially under extreme load conditions. Despite the complex manufacturing process, the present conventional T-joint design is extremely effective. However, other designs for low-cost manufacturing were proposed and evaluated. The investigation determined that the sandwich structure exhibits a shear stress of 28.88 MPa and von Mises stresses of 57.75 MPa. These values are higher than those observed in design cases 1 and 2. Therefore, design case 3 is suitable for aeronautical applications.

Structural evaluation of I-joists with corrugated panel web

Joists with corrugated panel webs are a structural solution that has been little tested on wood-based materials. This study has the objective to develop the potential of wooden I-joists with two different web configurations. Joists with corrugated webs were manufactured and tested in bending tests to determine their mechanical properties. The shear capacity of a joist with a single-panel corrugated web is only 45 %, while a joist with a double-panel corrugated web offers 87 % compared with commercial I-joists. The failure mode of joists is initiated by buckling, followed by the creation of diagonal tension lines in the corrugated web.

Reported Increase in Substance Use Following Mass Terrorism and the Role of Psychosocial Factors

Research has shown evidence of increased substance use (ISU) in populations affected by mass terrorism; however, less is known regarding how psychosocial factors interact to estimate ISU following such events. To examine which factors are associated with reporting ISU, test whether psychological distress (PD) mediated the association between exposure to trauma and reporting ISU, and whether the mediation effect differed among those with prior mental health (MH) difficulties and those without. A partially representative cross-sectional survey of the adult Jewish population in Israel (aged 18-70 years) was conducted 4 weeks after October 7, 2023 (October 31 to November 5, 2023). A national Web panel using quotas based on national distributions was used. Randomly chosen adult Jewish members were invited to participate until a predetermined sample size was reached. The study measures included reporting ISU (outcome), PD (mediator), exposure to terror events and sociodemographic characteristics (variables), and prior MH difficulties (moderator). Hypotheses regarding outcome and variables were formulated before data collection. A total of 7000 invitations were distributed, 2679 individuals consented, 1432 were excluded owing to quota limits, 74 failed attention tests, and 205 opted out, resulting in 968 participants (490 women [50.6%]; mean [SD] age, 41.5 [14.6] years). Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that participants were significantly more likely to report ISU if they had experienced direct exposure (odds ratio [OR], 5.75; 95% CI, 2.53 to 13.05), indirect exposure (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.27 to 2.67), media exposure (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.36), PD (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.44 to 2.25), or previous MH difficulties (OR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.86 to 4.09). PD partially mediated the association between indirect exposure (b = 0.20; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.31) and media exposure (b = 0.14; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.19) and reporting ISU. No evidence was found to support previous MH difficulties as a moderator of these indirect effects (indirect exposure, b = -0.003; 95% CI, -0.28 to 0.28; media exposure, b = 0.01; 95% CI, -0.06 to 0.08). This study contributes to the research on the association of mass terrorism with ISU while shedding important light on the role it may play in the self-medication of PD following exposure, even in those who might have no previous MH difficulties. These insights are crucial for planning essential health services and preventive measures.

Sex-related differences regarding headache triggered by low barometric pressure in Japan

PurposeThe prevalence of migraine headache is higher in women. Low barometric pressure is a factor in headache triggering, but sex-related differences have not been identified. The purpose of this study was to examine sex-related differences in headache triggered by low barometric pressure.MethodsStudy subjects aged 20–49 years were randomly selected from a research company’s (Macromill, Inc.) web panel. Those with chronic migraine or tension-type headache invited to complete a web-based self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed with the objective variable as the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) high scores (56 or more) or headache triggered by low barometric pressure.ResultsParticipants were 332 women and 337 men in the headache population. HIT-6 high scores were associated with age at headache occurrence 20 years or younger (OR: odds ratio 1.85, 95% CI: confidence interval 1.15–2.99, p = 0.012) and headache triggered by low barometric pressure (OR 2.11, 95%CI 1.51–2.94, p < 0.001). Headache triggered by low barometric pressure was significantly associated with women (OR 2.92, 95%CI 2.12–4.02, p < 0.001).ConclusionsHeadache triggered by low barometric pressure were related to sex-related differences. It was suggested that a sex-specific treatment approach for headache triggering is needed.

Development of Four-Item Attitudes toward People Living with Dementia Scale for population surveys.

This study developed a short version of a scale measuring attitudes toward people living with dementia, the Four-Item Attitudes toward People Living with Dementia Scale (APDS4), that could be included in a large population survey. We used three datasets from Japan: a web panel survey, a community-based mail survey, and data from a randomised controlled trial on dementia education. The original scale used was the Attitudes toward People Living with Dementia Scale developed by Kim and Kuroda. Test-retest reliability and item response theory analyses were used to reduce the number of items. The reliability, internal consistency, validity, and responsiveness of the short version were evaluated. Six items with low test-retest reliability and four items with low discrimination parameters were removed from the 14-item scale. The APDS4, consisting of four items, had test-retest reliability and internal consistency comparable to those of the original scale. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the APDS4 fit a unidimensional model. The validity of the APDS4 was confirmed by significant associations between the APDS4 scores and the original scale scores, knowledge of dementia, helping behaviour intentions toward people living with dementia, helping behaviour experience, attending the Dementia Supporter Training Course, and engagement in healthcare jobs. In a randomised controlled trial dataset, the APDS4 was more responsive to educational interventions than the original scale. The shortened APDS4 was established as a reliable, validated, and responsive scale. This scale can be used efficiently in population surveys to evaluate dementia-friendly initiatives at the community level.

Experiment and Analysis of a Hybrid Composite Post-tension Plate Girder

Steel plate girders have been employed as structural bridge parts since the 19th century. They are typically made up of built-up sections in the shape of I-beams. Web and flange plates withstand shear force and bending moment, respectively. However, plate girders are vulnerable to shear buckling. Shear buckling resistance is increased by adding reinforced vertical stiffeners and, in some cases, longitudinal stiffeners. Nevertheless, these stiffeners are sometimes not enough to prevent extreme shear buckling and only delay the shear buckling of slender web panels. This study investigated a hybrid composite post-tension (HCPt) plate girder by experiment and finite element (FE) analysis. The structural performance of the HCPt plate girder was tested using three specimens: a double-web plate girder, an in-fill concrete double-web plate girder and an in-fill concrete double-web plate girder with prestress. Results showed that the steel web filled with concrete presented preferable strength and behaviour to the hollow steel web because of the concrete in-fill. It had high load capacity, strength and ductility. The concrete in-fill prevented the steel web plate from buckling, and beams generally failed in a ductile manner. Applying prestressing techniques reduced deflection under external loads, increased the load-carrying capacity and enhanced its flexural behaviour by 126% compared to the double web plate girder. The failure mode was changed from web shear buckling in a double web girder to bending in a hybrid composite plate girder, with an improvement of web shear buckling by 88%. The FE analysis result showed excellent consistency with the experimental result.

Strategies for surveying platform workers: lessons from a Belgian case study

AbstractJob quality among platform workers has been high on labour market researchers’ agendas. Nevertheless, many report difficulties in collecting data for this group of workers. Platform workers meet many of the criteria of hard-to-survey populations. The aim of this paper is to evaluate whether purposive, non-probability sampling can provide a good strategy for collecting information on the job quality of platform workers through an internet survey (SEAD Platform Survey). The study on which this paper is based, employed different strategies by dividing platform workers into categories based on type of activity. Sampling techniques were adapted to each category and included referral, social media advertisements, (virtual) convenience sampling and a web panel. Despite the cost and labor intensity of these non-probability sampling techniques, a sizeable sample (N = 490) of platform workers was collected. Moreover, the SEAD Platform Survey showed very similar characteristics to previous probability samples within the study population (LFS Module platform work, COLLEEM II, and the ETUI IPWS). Researchers focusing on (other) hard-to-survey (worker) populations can learn from this endeavor, showing that when there is little to no opportunity for probability sampling, purposive, non-probability sampling techniques can offer a good alternative to reach a rich, statistical resource.

Comparison of analytical models for shear strength estimation of steel plate girders

Web shear buckling of steel plate girders limits their load-carrying capacity in bending. Several analytical models have been suggested in the literature to estimate the shear capacity of plate girders. This paper presents a critical evaluation of several of these analytical models using the data of experimentally tested plate girders available in the literature. It was found that these analytical models make a conservative estimation of critical buckling strength for plate girders with larger slenderness and/or aspect ratios. Although the predicted ultimate shear strength varied across the different analytical models, no particular trend was identified to show that the aspect and/or slenderness ratios influenced the shear strength. A parametrically conducted analysis indicated that the threshold slenderness ratio (to cause buckling in the web panel) decreases with increasing yield strength and aspect ratio. The paper proposes simplified guidelines for the preliminary sizing of steel plate girders by avoiding shear buckling. It has been shown that the sizes of plate girders determined using the proposed guidelines satisfy design requirements for both flexure and shear.

Advancing Finite Population Inference: Integrating Sample Surveys and Big Data

"Traditional sample surveys, emphasizing large sample sizes and robust finite population estimates through probability sampling designs, have been a staple in official statistics. However, modernization efforts are underway as statistical agencies explore the integration of big data and web panel information for near real-time estimations. This paper reviews the challenges associated with these endeavours, particularly addressing statistical biases linked to under-coverage in big data and errors in data variables. Kim and Tam (2020) introduced data integration methods, treating big data as an incomplete sampling frame and utilizing calibration weighting. The paper systematically reviews various integration methods, including mass imputation, propensity score, and calibration weighting. Additionally this paper concludes with a simulation study evaluating the performance of Kim and Tam's (2020) proposed estimators, assessing Bias, Standard Error (SE), and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The findings contribute to the on-going discourse on modernizing survey methodologies and leveraging diverse data sources for more efficient and timely official statistics."

Impact of product-based e-cigarette marketing on the attitudes and behavioural intentions of young Australians: an experimental study

BackgroundThe tobacco industry has a history of using language to downplay the harms associated with cigarettes and mislead consumers and policymakers. Emerging evidence suggests similar tactics are being used in...

Syn-CpG-Spacer: A Panel web app for synonymous recoding of viral genomes with CpG dinucleotides.

Vertebrate genomes contain lower than expected frequencies of the CpG dinucleotide. Consequently, many vertebrate viruses have evolved to mimic this composition, possibly in order to evade host antiviral defences (Greenbaum et al., 2008). For example, the antiviral protein ZAP binds CpGs in viral single stranded RNA with specific spacing requirements (Gonçalves-Carneiro et al., 2022), though CpGs are also likely depleted in viral genomes due to other selective pressures (Forni et al., 2023). Increasing CpG abundance by synonymous recoding could facilitate attenuation of viruses without compromising their epitope antigenicity by changing non-CpG codons to alternatives containing CpG without changing the overall amino acid sequence (Gonçalves-Carneiro et al., 2022; Le Nouën et al., 2019; Sharp et al., 2023). There are three ways CpGs can be synonymously introduced in codons: at positions 1-2 for arginine (e.g. AGA → CGA), 2-3 for several amino acids (e.g. ACA → ACG), or in a 3-1 split configuration, if a subsequent codon begins with a G (e.g. ATA-GCA → ATC-GCA). Syn-CpG-Spacer is a Python progressive web app (PWA) (MDN Web Docs, 2023) made with the Panel library (Panel Development Team, 2024) that allows for consistent recoding of viral sequences and applying biologically relevant constraints. These include setting a minimum gap between CpG's, optimising for an average CpG gap, protecting cis-acting regulatory signals from modification, and modulating the A-content in the overall sequence. The app features a sequence viewer made with the Bokeh library (Bokeh Development Team, 2024) that highlights CpG dinucleotides, allowing for efficient analysis of the resulting distribution of CpGs. This is complemented by a statistical data table. Utilising Biopython (Cock et al., 2009) modules, the user can load their sequence as a FASTA file and download the outputs as an alignment in the same format. As a PWA running on Pyodide (The Pyodide development team, 2023), the code is only executed in the user's browser and they can install the app onto their machine for offline use.

Current Status and Prospects of Web Panel Surveys in Educational Psychology:

Current Status and Prospects of Web Panel Surveys in Educational Psychology:

Welded beam-to-column steel joints: Assessment of European design rules

Properly validated high-quality Finite Element (FE) models with experimental tests permit an accurate description of the load-deformation path and stress state of steel joints and are nowadays accepted as “experimental results”. Changes to the design of welded joints in Eurocode 3 are currently proposed that affect the resistance and stiffness of the components associated with the column web panel. This paper presents an assessment of the design formulations included in the current Eurocode 3, part 1–8, and its forthcoming update in terms of stiffness and moment resistance, compared against a large parametric study of strong-axis beam-column welded joints for open sections carried out using validated sophisticated FE models. The results show that both the old and new Eurocode formulations provide a large scatter and no big differences between both methods. Additionally, the presence of axial force in the column shows a clear increase in the ratio between design resistance vs numerical resistance that, particularly in the case of transversally stiffened joints, may be unconservative.

A novel analytical formulation for the stiffness of the component column web panel in shear with additional plates in bolted steel joints.

Given that the stiffness of joints has an important influence on the global behavior of steel structures, considerable efforts have been made to develop methods to characterize their behavior. In the component method, that is adopted by Eurocode 3, one of the most relevant components is the column web panel in shear; however, this component has never been the subject of research when additional plates are welded between the column flanges to attach the secondary beams to the minor axis of the column. This paper proposes a stiffness formulation for the component column web panel in shear with additional plates, taking into account the stiffening contribution of these additional plates. To archive this, four experimental tests of beam-to-column joints were carried out, a finite element model was calibrated with the experimental data by comparing moment-rotation and moment-deformation curves, a parametric study of sixty different configurations was performed with the calibrated finite element models to obtain the stiffness of the component column web panel in shear and the initial stiffness of the joint. Then, the proposed stiffness formulation for the component was validated with the results of the parametric study, obtaining a very good agreement. Finally, a compilation of the stiffness formulation of all the components of the joint type extended end plate with additional plates was made and validated, when comparing this analytical stiffness with the initial stiffness of the joints of the parametric study, satisfactory concordance was found.

When is Perceived Accessibility Over- or Underestimated by Accessibility Indicators?

This study delves into mismatches between accessibility indicators and perceived accessibility across transport modes for the case of grocery shopping. Conducted in Gothenburg, Sweden, the study combines a web panel survey with 1,423 participants and detailed location-based accessibility indicators. Findings reveal mismatches, with analyst’s overestimation (when the accessibility indicator is high, despite low perceived access) and analyst’s underestimation (low indicator, high perceived accessibility) varying across transportation modes. Notably, underestimation is prominent for car accessibility. Multinomial logistic regressions identify key variables influencing these mismatches, such as parenting status, education level and habitual car use.