• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.149-166
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• 2023

Purpose - This study aimed to examine the influence of various factors on customer satisfaction and the continuance usage intention, based on the purchasing type of smart speaker users. Design/methodology/approach - Data was gathered through surveys, collecting responses from 180 smart speaker users in Korea. Structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze the data. Findings - Both perceived usefulness and perceived security were observed to have a significant positive impact on customer satisfaction across all user groups. Moreover, perceived ease of use and perceived versatility showed a significant positive effect on the continuance usage intention. Notably, for those who acquired the smart speakers for free, perceived usefulness had a positive impact on the continuance usage intention. Conversely, for those who made a paid purchase, perceived versatility played a significant role in driving customer satisfaction. Research implications or Originality - This research offers insights into the Korean smart speaker market, a unique environment where local competitors thrive in the absence of giants like Amazon and Google. It provides a nuanced view of customer reactions to these innovative devices. The study further distinguishes between high-involvement (paid purchase users) and low-involvement (free acquisition users) consumers, offering a more detailed understanding of user perspectives based on their acquisition mode.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.88 no.1
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• pp.95-107
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• 2023

In this study, circular thin-walled reinforced high strength concrete-filled steel tube (RHSCFST) stub columns with various tube thicknesses (i.e., 1.8, 2.5 and 3.0mm) and reinforcement ratios (i.e., 0, 1.6%, 2.4% and 3.2%) were fabricated to explore the influence of these factors on the axial compressive behavior of RHSCFST. The obtained test results show that the failure mode of RHSCFST transforms from outward buckling and tearing failure to drum failure with the increasing tube thickness. With the tube thickness and reinforcement ratio increased, the ultimate load-carrying capacity, compressive stiffness and ductility of columns increased, while the lateral strain in the stirrup decreased. Comparisons were also made between test results and the existing codes such as AIJ (2008), BS5400 (2005), ACI (2019) and EC4 (2010). It has been found that the existing codes provide conservative predictions for the ultimate load-carrying capacity of RHSCFST. Therefore, an accurate model for the prediction of the ultimate load-carrying capacity of circular thin-walled RHSCFST considering the steel reinforcement is developed, based on the obtained experimental results. It has been found that the model proposed in this study provides more accurate predictions of the ultimate load-carrying capacity than that from existing design codes.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2024

This article presents the behaviour and design of cold-formed steel (CFS) web-stiffened lipped channel beams that primarily fail owing to the buckling interaction of distortional and global buckling modes. The incorporation of an intermediate stiffener in the web of the lipped channel improved the buckling performance leads to distortional buckling at intermediate length beams. The prediction of the strength of members that fail in individual buckling modes can be easily determined using the current DSM equations. However, it is difficult to estimate the strength of members undergoing buckling interactions. Special attention is required to predict the strength of the members undergoing strong buckling interactions. In the present study, the geometric dimensions of the web stiffened lipped channel beam sections were chosen such that they have almost equal distortional and global buckling stresses to have strong interactions. A validated numerical model was used to perform a parametric study and obtain design strength data for CFS web-stiffened lipped channel beams. Based on the obtained numerical data, an assessment of the current DSM equations and the equations proposed in the literature (for lipped channel CFS sections) is performed. Suitable modifications were also proposed in this work, which resulted in a higher level of design accuracy to predict the flexural strength of CFS web stiffened lipped channel beams undergoing distortional and global mode interaction. Furthermore, reliability analysis was performed to confirm the reliability of the proposed modification.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.241-250
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• 2024

This article investigates the thermal and post-buckling problems of graphene platelets reinforced metal foams (GPLRMF) beams with initial geometric imperfection. Three distribution forms of graphene platelet (GPLs) and foam are employed. This article utilizes the mixing law Halpin Tsai model to estimate the physical parameters of materials. Considering three different boundary conditions, we used the Euler beam theory to establish the governing equations. Afterwards, the Galerkin method is applied to discretize these equations. The correctness of this article is verified through data analysis and comparison with the existing articles. The influences of geometric imperfection, GPL distribution modes, boundary conditions, GPLs weight fraction, foam distribution pattern and foam coefficient on thermal post-buckling are analyzed. The results indicate that, perfect GPLRMF beams do not undergo bifurcation buckling before reaching a certain temperature, and the critical buckling temperature is the highest when both ends are fixed. At the same time, the structural stiffness of the beam under the GPL-A model is the highest, and the buckling response of the beam under the Foam-II mode is the lowest, and the presence of GPLs can effectively improve the buckling strength.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.422-430
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• 2010

The radiation property of a Tonpilz transducer is influenced by the structural variables of the transducer. In this study, with respect to a single mode Tonpilz transducer, the radiation patterns were calculated for different head mass geometries of the same effective radiation area. The shapes of the head mass analyzed were the most popular circular, regular triangular, square, regular hexagonal and regular octagonal types, and radiation pattern equations were derived for each of the head mass shapes. Based on the derived equations, radiation patterns in accordance with the shape and size of the head mass were calculated and the results were compared with each other. Validity of the calculation results were confirmed by means of finite element analysis.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.4
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• pp.391-401
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• 2024

The present study focuses on the effect of extension-bending coupling on the elastic stability (buckling) of laminated composite plates. These plates will be loaded under uni-axial or bi-axial in-plane mechanical loads, especially in the orthotropic or anti-symmetric cross-angle cases. The main objective is to find a limit where we can approximate the elastic stability behavior of angularly crossed anti-symmetric plates by the simple behavior of specially orthotropic plates. The contribution of my present study is to predict the explicit effect of extension-flexion coupling on the elastic stability of this type of panel. Critically, a parametric study is carried out, involving the search for the critical buckling load as a function of deformation mode, aspect ratio, plate anisotropy ratio and finally the study of the effect of lamination angle and number of layers on the contribution of extension-flexure coupling in terms of plate buckling stability. We use first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) with a correction factor of 5/6. Simply supported conditions along the four boundaries are adopted where we can develop closed-form analytical solutions obtained by a Navier development.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.5
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• pp.435-446
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• 2024

The use of cold-formed steel members is increasing day by day, especially in regions where earthquake effects are intensively experienced. Among cold-formed steel members (CFS), "channel" members are used more than other crosssectional members, especially in buildings or industrial structures. In recent years, several studies have been carried out on the axial load and flexural performance of these members under monotonic loading. In this study, CFS beam-column members were cyclically and monotonically loaded under combined axial load and biaxial bending moments, and their buckling behavior, load bearing capacity, stiffness, ductility, and energy absorption capacity were determined. For this purpose, monotonic and cyclic loading experiments were carried out on 30 CFS channel members at 15 different eccentricities. Then, material properties were determined by axial monotonic tensile and very low cycle fatigue tests for use in numerical studies. From the experimental results, the buckling modes, bearing capacities, ductility, stiffness, and energy absorption capacities of the members were obtained. The characteristics of the members were compared according to the stress state of the lips. According to the data obtained from the displacement transducer placed on the lips and on the back of the web, information about the buckling mode and curvature of the members was obtained. Finally, monotonic, and cyclic loading results were compared to determine the differences in the buckling behavior of the members.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.5
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• pp.447-458
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• 2024

This study investigated the influence of scale ratio and vertical load on the seismic performance of Puzuo joints in traditional Chinese timber structures. Three low-cyclic reversed loading tests were conducted on three scaled specimens of Bujian Puzuo in Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. This study focused on the deformation patterns and analyzed seismic performance under varying scale ratios and vertical loads. The results indicated that the slip and rotational deformations of Bujian Puzuo were the primary deformations. The scale of the specimen did not affect the layer where the maximum interlayer slip occurred, but it did decrease the proportion of slip deformation. Conversely, the reducing vertical load caused the layer with the maximum slippage and the position of the damaged Dou components to shift upward, and the proportion of slip deformation increased. When the vertical load was decreased by 3.7 times, the maximum horizontal bearing capacity under positive and negative loadings, initial stiffness, and energy dissipation of the specimen decreased by approximately 60%, 58.79%, 69.62%, and 57.93%, respectively. The horizontal bearing capacity under positive loading and energy dissipation of the specimen increased by 35.63% and 131.54%, when the specimen scale was doubled and the vertical load was increased by 15 times.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.5
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• pp.539-547
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• 2024

This study examines crack behavior within orthopedic cement utilized in total hip replacements through the finite element method. Its main goal is to compute stress intensity factors (SIF) near the crack tip. The analysis encompasses two load types, static and dynamic, applied to a crack starting from the interface between the cement and bone. Specifically, it investigates SIFs under mixed mode conditions during three activities: normal walking, climbing upstairs, and downstairs. The results highlight that a crack originating from a micro-interface under substantial loading can cause cement damage, leading to prosthetic loosening. Stress intensity factors in modes I, II, and III are influenced by the crack tip's orientation and location in the bone cement, with a 90° orientation yielding notably higher values across all three modes.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.375-389
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• 2024

Installing wiring or plumbing fixtures necessitates creating chases within masonry walls, which, while serving practical purposes, raises a crucial concern regarding the potential compromise of the masonry's structural integrity. Given these concerns, it becomes essential to thoroughly understand the impact of incorporating chases on masonry strength. In this study, 37 AAC masonry prisms (200×330×100 mm³) were cast and tested for compression. The prisms were equipped with chases of various depths -10 mm, 20 mm and 30 mm; and orientations (horizontal, inclined, and vertical), which were then filled with mortar using 1:2, 1:4, and 1:6 cement-to-sand ratios. The primary objectives were to assess the strength decrease in the prisms with different chase characteristics compared to a control specimen and to determine the percentage strength increase due to filling materials compared to unfilled chases. Key findings indicate that as chase depth increases, there is a substantial reduction in prism strength. However, the orientation of the chase does not significantly affect strength reduction. Importantly, filling the chases with mortar leads to a significant increase in prism strength. This study not only unveils the complex impact of chase characteristics on masonry strength but also emphasizes the crucial role of filling materials in strengthening these prisms.