Fatigue and collapse of cyclically bent strip of amorphous solid

Fatigue caused by cyclic bending of a piece of material, resulting in its mechanical failure, is a phenomenon that had been studied for ages by engineers and physicists alike. In this Letter we study such fatigue in a strip of athermal amorphous solid. On the basis of atomistic simulations we conclude that the crucial quantity to focus on is the accumulated damage. Al- though this quantity exhibits large sample-to-sample fluctuations, its dependence on the loading determines the statistics of the number of cycles to failure. Thus we can provide a scaling theory for the Wo ̈hler plots of mean number of cycles for failure as a function of the loading amplitude.

Business sustainability performance and corporate financial performance: the mediating role of optimal investment

PurposeEmploying a large sample consisting of 3,701 corporations domiciled in developed and emerging countries, this paper aims to analyze the mediating role of investment efficiency in the association between business sustainability performance and corporate financial performance.Design/methodology/approachFour different aspects of corporate sustainability offered by the ASSET4 database are used as proxies for business sustainability performance, including economic, corporate governance, social and environmental dimensions. In addition to these aspects, the aggregate measure of business sustainability performance is also employed. In order to test the association between business sustainability and corporate performance via investment efficiency, ordinary least squares, fixed-effect, random-effect and generalized method of moments statistical models were employed.FindingsThe results suggest that business sustainability performance is positively associated with corporate financial performance, indicating that sustainable corporations enjoy higher financial performance. Moreover, Sobel, Aroian and Goodman tests confirm that investment efficiency mediates the positive relationship between business sustainability performance and financial performance. Finally, further analyses show that the positive association between sustainability performance and investment efficiency is stronger for those firms headquartered in developed countries than in those located in emerging nations.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by investigating how growth opportunities advance the influence of business sustainability to corporate financial performance using a large sample from 43 countries.

Sample size and its evolution in research

Objective: Sample size is one of the crucial and basic steps involved in planning any study. This article aims to study the evolution of sample size across the years from hundreds to thousands to millions and to a trillion in the near future (H-K-M-B-T). It also aims to understand the importance of sampling in the era of big data. Study Design - Primary Outcome measure, Methods, Results, and Interpretation: A sample size which is too small will not be a true representation of the population whereas a large sample size will involve putting more individuals at risk. An optimum sample size needs to be employed to identify statistically significant differences if they exist and obtain scientifically valid results. The design of the study, the primary outcome, sampling method used, dropout rate, effect size, power, level of significance, and standard deviation are some of the multiple factors which affect the sample size. All these factors need to be taken into account while calculating the sample size. Many sources are available for calculating sample size. Discretion needs to be used while choosing the right source. The large volumes of data and the corresponding number of data points being analyzed is redefining many industries including healthcare. The larger the sample size, the more insightful information, identification of rare side effects, lesser margin of error, higher confidence level, and models with more accuracy. Advances in the digital era have ensured that we do not face most of the obstacles faced traditionally with regards to statistical sampling, yet it has its own set of challenges. Hence, considerable efforts and time should be invested in selecting sampling techniques which are appropriate and reducing sampling bias and errors. This will ensure the reliability and reproducibility in the results obtained. Along with a large sample size, the focus should be on getting to know the data better, the sample frame and the context in which it was collected. We need to focus on creation of good quality data and structured systems to capture the sample. Good data quality management makes sure that the data are structured appropriately.

Social Media and the Knowledge Gap

This study aims to test the relationship between the use of social media and the knowledge gap regarding COVID-19 in the Turkish environment. For this purpose of this empirical field, research was carried out throughout Turkey involving a large sample (N= 1033) in an effort to reveal how level of knowledge of social media users in Turkey regarding an issue in a particular question is shaped. The study discusses the data obtained in the field research. The conclusion, contrary to what is expected, emphasizes that social media environment has a particular presence as a communication tool, which closes the knowledge gap and fosters knowledge acquisition.