Group Behavior Research Articles

Arslantepe in the foreground: The economic and social role of the large blades at the end of the 4th millennium BC

This paper focuses on the study of large blade assemblages made from chert raw materials at the site of Arslantepe VI-A period (3500–3200 BCE). By applying an analytical approach combining raw material characterization (NM-PCI protocol), technological and use-wear analyses, and experimental archaeology, we discuss our results from a double perspective. At first glance, we demonstrate the great potential that this proxy offers for the reconstruction of technical systems and routine activities in late prehistoric sites. Secondly, we highlight the contribution of large blades for understanding socio-economic dynamics in case-oriented debates. Specifically, large chert blade study provides further pieces of the puzzle to characterize technical and economic behaviors of the social group settled on the mound of Arslantepe at the end of the 4th millennium BC. At this time, a palatine complex with centralized administration and symbols of power, were tools to boost social inequality.

Effective Market Segmentation and Targeting Approaches for Distributors of Industrial Supplies in the Cement Sector

This study investigates effective market segmentation and targeting approaches for distributors of industrial supplies in the cement sector. The analysis begins with segmenting the cement industry into distinct categories based on three primary factors: geographical location, company size, and production capacity. By examining these segments, the research aims to identify and understand the specific needs, preferences, and purchasing behaviors of various customer groups within the cement sector. Tailoring marketing strategies to address these unique characteristics is crucial for enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction. The study also emphasizes the importance of evaluating the success of current segmentation and targeting efforts. This evaluation is conducted using key performance indicators (KPIs) such as sales growth, customer acquisition, and retention rates. These KPIs provide measurable insights into the effectiveness of the implemented strategies. Through this comprehensive analysis, the research aims to provide actionable recommendations for distributors, enabling them to refine their marketing approaches. By aligning marketing efforts with the distinct characteristics of different market segments, distributors can achieve improved market penetration, customer loyalty, and overall business performance in the cement sector.

An Analysis of Multifaceted Factors Influencing Investment Preferences and Decision Making among College Teachers

This literature review-oriented paper examines the multifaceted factors influencing investment preferences and decision-making among college teachers. Despite the significance of understanding the investment behavior of this demographic group, there exists a research gap in the literature. Through a comprehensive review and synthesis of existing studies, this paper aims to shed light on the unique considerations, preferences, and challenges faced by college teachers in the realm of investment

#1413 High performance of ACLARA calculator of rat creatinine clearance for the chronic follow up of renal function

Abstract Background and Aims A neural network-based calculator to estimate rat creatinine clearance (ClCr), as a measurement of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), from paired plasma creatinine concentration and body weight data has been recently developed [1]. Like human GFR estimating formulae, ACLARA averts long experimental procedures and reduces animal stress (by obviating the use of individual isolation in metabolic cages). This tool is publicly available for free use among the scientific community (https://idal.uv.es/aclara/). When collated with experimentally measured ClCr, ACLARA performs very well at comparing experiments in the whole, showing almost identical behavior of all experimental groups and conditions. Yet, ACLARA was trained mostly with data from short experiments involving acute changes in renal function, and from young rats. Fewer data from older animals was included in the development of the calculator. Thus, its field performance on longer evolution of renal function in adult rats has not yet been sufficiently validated. Accordingly, the aim of this work was to deepen in the assessment of ACLARA in the long-term evolution of rat ClCr. Method The evolution of measured (mClCr) versus ACLARA-estimated ClCr (eClCr) was compared at different time points over a period of 3 months in 20 male Wistar rats with chronic renal damage and 8 age-matched controls. In total, 176 data pairs of mClCr and eClCr were obtained. On the one hand, mClCr was determined by the usual experimental procedure [2]. Briefly, rats were allocated in metabolic cages to obtain 24-hour urine samples and urine flow (UF). Creatinine concentration was measured in the urine (Cru) and plasma (Crp) by a colorimetric assay based on the Jaffe's reaction, and mCrCl was then calculated as Cru x UF / Crp. On the other hand, eClCr was estimated with the ACLARA calculator from the corresponding Crp and body weight data. A Pearson's correlation study between mClCr and eClCr was carried out. Results Our results reveal that the information provided by the 90-day evolution of mClCr and eClCr is virtually identical at the whole experiment level (see Fig. 1). Furthermore, ACLARA seems to provide slightly more coherent and homogeneous information, as the considerable experimental error introduced by urine collection is averted in eClCr but present in mClCr. At the individual data level, ACLARA-estimated values are slightly lower than the corresponding measurements. The correlation between mClCr and eClCr was highly significant (r Pearson= 0.83; p < 0.0001). Conclusion ACLARA shows high performance at estimating CrCl in rats of growing age. Our results support its use also in chronic studies in which renal function must be evaluated. Funding This research was funded by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PI21/01226 and PI21/00548 co-funded by the European Union; and RICORS2040, RD21/0005/0004, co-funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, Mecanismo para la Recuperación y la Resiliencia (MRR)) and from Consejería de Educación, Junta de Castilla y León (IES160P20), co-funded by FEDER funds. Joana Mercado-Hernández is recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from the Junta de Castilla y Leon (Spain) and the European Social Fund from the European Commission.

PUBLICITY, FACILITIES DIVERSITY AND WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR HOUSEHOLD WASTE SORTING: NEW EVIDENCE FROM HETEROGENEITY REGRESSION

Household waste sorting is important to actively promote the construction of beautiful countryside and beautiful city via household waste reduction or recycling. The Law of China on the Prevention and Control of Solid Waste Environmental Pollution indicates that household waste treatment fee system follows the principle of “who produces, who pays”, reflecting differentiated management such as classified pricing and metering fees. This research mainly investigates the determinants of willingness to pay (WTP) for household waste sorting in China. This study mainly compares different effects of the waste sorting information publicity, waste sorting facilities diversity, perceived convenience and reference group behavior on WTP via multiple and logistic regression. It also explores gender and regional heterogeneity for WTP of household waste sorting in China. This study also analyzes how individuals respond to different levels of WTP fees of household waste sorting via logistic regression. The empirical results reveal that the facilities diversity of waste sorting has the highest effect on WTP for household waste sorting, followed by perceived convenience, publicity and reference group behaviors. Females have relatively lower WTP than males. Education has significant positive effects on males’ waste sorting WTP. In logistic regression, reference group has larger effect on WTP compared with other antecedents. It is important to enhance facilities and publicity of household waste sorting. This research is of great significance to increase the household waste sorting behavior, enhance the governance system of household waste sorting via the collaboration of government, medias, communities and individuals.

Miscommunication in Stillwater: The Interplay of Social Identities, Language Barriers, and Emotional Dynamics

This paper analyses Stillwater’s (2021) dialogue and action lines to demonstrate how miscommunication, specifically during heightened emotional instances, between Bill, the protagonist, and other characters is due to language barriers and emotional dynamics related to ethnic diversity. The study reveals that language difficulties hinder effective communication between Bill, an out-group member, and French residents, the in-group. Consequently, his limited language skills not only mark him as an outsider by challenging his efforts to integrate into the French culture, but also prove that language is a marker of group identity, influencing emotions, behavior, and interaction. In addition, the study demonstrates that the cultural disparities Bill encounters socially define and categorize him as an “out-group” member (American) from the perspective of the “in-group” (French), thus elucidating out-group biases and discrimination. These findings emphasize the role of language in reflecting linguistic and cultural nuances in intergroup interactions in the screenplay Stillwater.

The effect of group behavior on the pull-out capacity of model soil nails in high plasticity clay

The effect of group behavior on the pull-out capacity of model soil nails in high plasticity clay

A Multimodal Fusion Behaviors Estimation Method for Public Dangerous Monitoring

At the present stage, the identification of dangerous behaviors in public places mostly relies on manual work, which is subjective and has low identification efficiency. This paper proposes an automatic identification method for dangerous behaviors in public places, which analyzes group behavior and speech emotion through deep learning network and then performs multimodal information fusion. Based on the fusion results, people can judge the emotional atmosphere of the crowd, make early warning, and alarm for possible dangerous behaviors. Experiments show that the algorithm adopted in this paper can accurately identify dangerous behaviors and has great application value.

Motivation of Financial Decision-Making in the Era of Mass Media: An Interpretation of the Influence of Media Discourse on Credit Suisse Group Customer Behavior

This paper aims to interpret the media's influence on customer behavior within the Credit Suisse Group from the vantage point of social psychology, elucidating the underlying drivers of financial decision-making in the age of mass media. Through an analysis encompassing the relationship between financial decision-making and social psychology theories, the distinctive features characterizing Credit Suisse Group's customer behavior, and the impact of media discourse on customer conduct, this study delves into the role of social cognition in shaping customer behavior as well as the affective ramifications of media discourse on customers. The findings underscore the pivotal roles of social cognition and media discourse in financial decision-making. This study holds significant theoretical implications and practical relevance for comprehending the impetuses behind financial decisions and the sway of mass media on customer behavior.

Behavior of group of geosynthetic encased granular piles with tire chips- aggregates mixture under static and cyclic loading – A model study

The current study addresses the dual challenges of improving the performance of soft soil beds subjected to static and cyclic stresses and managing the environmental impact of waste tire disposal. This research contributes valuable insights into the sustainable use of recycled tire chips in granular pile construction, coupled with the efficacy of combi-grid encasement for improved soft ground under static and cyclic loading conditions. A series of laboratory model tests were carried out on a group of granular piles to examine the principal parameters, such as the selection of geosynthetic materials and cyclic loading characteristics, including cyclic loading amplitude (qca) and cyclic loading frequency (f). The granular pile composition consists of (25% tire chips + 75% aggregates). The performance of granular piles on improved ground is assessed based on the settlement reduction ratio (Sc,r), accumulation of excess pore water pressure (Pexc), and stress concentration ratio (n). The key findings from static model tests are that the load-bearing capacity is significantly increased with installing a group of ordinary granular piles (= 58%) and substantially increased with combi-grid encasement (= 335%). The effectiveness of ordinary granular piles (OGP) in enhancing the performance of a soft soil bed becomes greater when subjected to lower cyclic loading frequencies (f) and smaller cyclic loading amplitudes (qca). The incorporation of combi-grid encasement greatly enhanced the cyclic performance of a group of granular piles by substantially minimizing cyclic-induced settlement (Sc) across both principle parameters f and qca. This study also examines the increased cyclic stresses on the improved soft bed, resulting in the accumulation of excess pore water pressure (Pexc) development, which is reduced to a greater extent with the help of combi-grid encasement across both principle parameters.

Exploring the Formation Mechanism of Anti-Consumption Behavior of Youth Groups

With consumerism sweeping the globe today, anti-consumption groups are also gradually rising, and young people, as the main force of consumption and an important participant in anti-consumption, have attracted much attention for their consumption behaviours and consumption psychology. Therefore, from the perspective of anti-consumption theory, this study will explore the behavioural characteristics of anti-consumption behaviours of Chinese youth groups, their motives and psychological motivations under anti-consumption behaviours. Through the combination of semi-structured interviews and participant observation, it can be found that the anti-consumption groups of Chinese youths emphasize on "rational consumption" in their anti-consumption behaviours, and have a strong personal and financial tendency. In terms of the reasons for their behaviours, the motivation is based on personal emotions and economic considerations, but the psychological motivation is for the purpose of enhancing consumer well-being. Therefore, the anti-consumption behaviour of the youth group is mainly formed under the combined effect of personal reality, spiritual needs and social environment, with the social environment being the precondition for anti-consumption behaviour, personal reality being the direct cause, and spiritual needs being the root cause, and anti-consumption behaviour will only arise if these three factors are present at the same time.

Stimulating prepartum nest-building behaviour through alternative nesting materials has impacts on farrowing kinetics and maternal characteristics in crated sows

The process of nest-building plays a crucial role in parturition, as it has the potential to impact fetal expulsion and reproductive performance of sows. This study aimed to investigate the effect of providing alternative nesting materials (sling belt and rag) on prepartum nest-building behaviour, farrowing process, and postpartum maternal behaviour of sows housed in crates. Thirty-two (21 Landrace and 11 Yorkshire) purebred sows (average parity, 2.66 ± 0.277; range, 1–6) were randomly divided into three groups and housed in farrowing crates with no nesting material (control, n = 9), or with sling belt (SB, n = 9), or with sling belt and rag (SBR, n = 11). The sows’ behaviours were assessed by analyzing top-view video recordings. The nest-building behaviours of the sows were observed during the 24-h period before parturition. Three days after parturition, nursing behaviour was assessed and carefulness toward the piglets was scored after observing for 24 h. The duration and frequency of nest-building behaviour in the SB group was higher than those of that in the control group but lower than those of that in the SBR group (P < 0.05 for both). The duration of sternal lying in sows in the SB group was significantly higher than that of those in the control and SBR groups during parturition (P < 0.001). The control group exhibited higher frequency of bar-biting than did the other two groups, as observed 24 h before parturition (P < 0.001). Multiple comparisons showed that the SBR group had the shortest farrowing duration, followed by the SB and control groups (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the SBR group exhibited shorter birth interval than did the control or SB group (P < 0.01). Total and successful nursing durations in the control group were longer than those in the other groups (P < 0.001), whereas the SBR group showed shorter duration of unsuccessful nursing than did the other two groups (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the provision of a sling belt and rag could facilitate nest-building behaviour, resulting in an enhancement of farrowing process and nursing performance of sows confined in farrowing crates. Collectively, we confirmed the availability of using sling belt and rag as alternative nesting materials for peripartum sows housed in farrowing crate with slatted flooring.

Early life exposure to queen mandibular pheromone mediates persistent transcriptional changes in the brain of honey bee foragers.

Behavioural regulation in insect societies remains a fundamental question in sociobiology. In hymenopteran societies, the queen plays a crucial role in regulating group behaviour by affecting individual behaviour and physiology through modulation of worker gene expression. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens signal their presence via queen mandibular pheromone (QMP). While QMP has been shown to influence behaviour and gene expression of young workers, we know little about how these changes translate in older workers. The effects of the queen pheromone could have prolonged molecular impacts on workers that depend on an early sensitive period. We demonstrate that removal of QMP impacts long-term gene expression in the brain and antennae in foragers that were treated early in life (1-day post emergence), but not when treated later in life. Genes important for division of labour, learning, chemosensory perception, and ageing were among those differentially expressed in the antennae and brain tissues, suggesting that QMP influences diverse physiological and behavioural processes in workers. Surprisingly, removal of QMP did not have an impact on foraging behaviour. Overall, our study suggests a sensitive period early in the life of workers, where the presence or absence of a queen has potential livelong effects on transcriptional activity.

Improved Multi-Strategy Sand Cat Swarm Optimization for Solving Global Optimization.

The sand cat swarm optimization algorithm (SCSO) is a novel metaheuristic algorithm that has been proposed in recent years. The algorithm optimizes the search ability of individuals by mimicking the hunting behavior of sand cat groups in nature, thereby achieving robust optimization performance. It is characterized by few control parameters and simple operation. However, due to the lack of population diversity, SCSO is less efficient in solving complex problems and is prone to fall into local optimization. To address these shortcomings and refine the algorithm's efficacy, an improved multi-strategy sand cat optimization algorithm (IMSCSO) is proposed in this paper. In IMSCSO, a roulette fitness-distance balancing strategy is used to select codes to replace random agents in the exploration phase and enhance the convergence performance of the algorithm. To bolster population diversity, a novel population perturbation strategy is introduced, aiming to facilitate the algorithm's escape from local optima. Finally, a best-worst perturbation strategy is developed. The approach not only maintains diversity throughout the optimization process but also enhances the algorithm's exploitation capabilities. To evaluate the performance of the proposed IMSCSO, we conducted experiments in the CEC 2017 test suite and compared IMSCSO with seven other algorithms. The results show that the IMSCSO proposed in this paper has better optimization performance.

Work-related behavior and experience patterns of music educators - a basis for intervention.

Music educators are subjected to many physical and psychological stresses encountered in the workplace. These stresses could be counteracted by certain work-related behavior and experience patterns as personal resources to reduce the negative consequences of stress. The aim of the study was to determine the existing work-related behavioral and experiential patterns and the characteristics of the Work-Related Behavior and Experience Patterns (Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster - AVEM) questionnaire dimensions in the professional group of music educators according to age group. A total of 205 music educators (66.3% female) from various music schools in Germany participated in the online survey. The subjects were divided into 3 age groups (AG): AG I: ≤35 years, AG II: 36-45 years, AG III: ≥46 years. In addition to sociodemographic and occupational data, the standardized AVEM questionnaire was used according to Schaarschmidt and Fischer. The age and occupation-related data were evaluated in a correlation analysis with the expression of AVEM dimensions. A total of 71.4% of the music educators were ≥46 years old group. Another 12.8% belonged to AG II, and 15.8% belonged to AG III. The sex distribution in the 3 age groups was comparable (p = 0.261). The expression of all AVEM dimensions was within the reference range. The most pronounced dimension, with a stanine value of M±SD 5.2±2.15, was the willingness to spend. There was also no significant difference in the assignment to the 4 patterns in the 3 age groups (p = 0.669). Age showed a negative correlation with the experience of social support (ρ = -0.354). The age-independent and high intervention-requiring expressions of the AVEM risk patterns A and B led to the recommendation of workplace prevention and health promotion measures. Therefore, it seems reasonable to promote appropriate stress management measures and resilience during studies. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(2).

Relative telencephalon size does not affect collective motion in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata).

Collective motion is common across all animal taxa, from swarming insects to schools of fish. The collective motion requires intricate behavioral integration among individuals, yet little is known about how evolutionary changes in brain morphology influence the ability for individuals to coordinate behavior in groups. In this study, we utilized guppies that were selectively bred for relative telencephalon size, an aspect of brain morphology that is normally associated with advanced cognitive functions, to examine its role in collective motion using an open-field assay. We analyzed high-resolution tracking data of same-sex shoals consisting of 8 individuals to assess different aspects of collective motion, such as alignment, attraction to nearby shoal members, and swimming speed. Our findings indicate that variation in collective motion in guppy shoals might not be strongly affected by variation in relative telencephalon size. Our study suggests that group dynamics in collectively moving animals are likely not driven by advanced cognitive functions but rather by fundamental cognitive processes stemming from relatively simple rules among neighboring individuals.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on an Austrian population with or without pre-existing health issues

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had significant effects on the well-being of individuals all over the world. The Austrian government decided to take various restrictions to contain the spread of the virus and thus protect the COVID-19 risk groups in particular. The aim of this study is to investigate how the COVID-19 risk groups perceive the pandemic and the restrictions to provide results for similar exceptional situations in the future. Methods: For this purpose, we developed a questionnaire consisting of eleven items concerning the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions on well-being and behavior. Participants of the ongoing epidemiological Paracelsus 10,000 study (P10), in Salzburg, Austria, were included. We analyzed data from 989 people and classified the participants into three sub-groups depending on their risk of suffering from a severe course of a COVID-19 infection and tested for effects of risk group, sex, and their interaction. For a better overview we decided to group the questions into four main topics, named “changes in behavior and environment”, “worries caused by the virus and the restrictions”, “mood and mental state” and “long-lasting effects.” Results: We found significant differences between the sub-groups in all main topics and a worsening in well-being across the entire sample. Especially anxiety, insecurity, nervousness, and sleep problems increased while satisfaction decreased. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions have created a highly uncertain environment and the topic was omnipresent and therefore had effects on the well-being and behavior of the risk groups as well as on our entire cohort.

Repair of acrylic/glass composites by liquid resin injection and press moulding

This paper presents repair methods for in-situ polymerised acrylic (Elium®)/glass fibre (GF) composites focusing on mode-I fracture toughness recovery. GF/acrylic composites were first subjected to double cantilever beam (DCB) tests to measure their Mode-I fracture toughness. The delaminated samples after DCB tests were repaired and rejoined. Two repair methods were performed: liquid resin injection and press moulding at two different temperatures (130 °C and 160 °C). The repaired samples were subjected to a second set of DCB tests. The fracture behaviours of the four specimen groups (virgin, resin-injected, pressed at 130 °C, and pressed at 160 °C) were evaluated in terms of strain energy release rates (GIC) during crack initiation and propagation. The results showed that specimens repaired by resin injection exhibited the highest GIC values, about 30 % higher than the virgin state, due to the formation of a semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) at the joining interface. Scanning electron microscopy images provided insight into distinctive fracture behaviours for each test group.

Evaluation of the Effect of Parenting Style and Parental Mealtime Actions on the Eating Behavior of Children with Epilepsy.

Research on the interaction of parenting style, parents' mealtime behaviors, and children's eating behavior in the presence of chronic disease is limited. This study aimed to investigate the impact of parenting style and parental mealtime actions on the eating behavior of children with epilepsy. Thirty-one children with epilepsy, thirty-one healthy children (aged 4-9 years), and their parents were included. The Multidimensional Assessment of Parenting Scale (MAPS), Parent Mealtime Action Scale, Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 were applied. The MAPS, HEI-2015 scores, and body mass index for age Z scores were similar in both groups (p > 0.05). In the epilepsy group, the food approach behavior score was higher, and positive correlations were noted between broadband negative parenting and food approach behavior, and the HEI-2015 score and broadband positive parenting (p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that broadband negative parenting and snack modeling increased the food approach behavior in the epilepsy group. Owing to the chronic disease, the effects of parent-child interaction on the child's eating behavior in the epilepsy group differed from those of healthy children reported in the literature.

Is unequal representation the consequence of different voting behavior across income groups?

Extant literature documents the unequal representation of the interests of low- and high-income groups in democracies. One potential explanation for this phenomenon is the electoral behavior of different groups of voters. If affluent citizens base their vote decisions more strongly on policy considerations, while the less affluent rely on forms of electoral support that are less strongly conditioned by policy or performance evaluations, this pattern could influence the ability and willingness of political elites to represent low-income citizens. We make use of the integrated CSES election data to study how, across a diverse set of countries, income levels affect the criteria voters rely on when voting: namely, proximity voting, valence considerations, and economic voting. Overall, our findings show no meaningful differences in voting criteria across income groups, nor consequences for party systems. These findings have important implications for the literature on unequal representation, as they rule out the common narrative that the affluent cast more sophisticated vote decisions.