Material Elements Research Articles

Enhancing social enterprise coffee marketability through sensory packaging: consumer impressions, willingness to buy, and gender differences

PurposeThis study investigates how consumers perceive the packaging of Philippine coffee social enterprise products and how this impression affects their willingness to purchase based on sensory expectations, brand attitude, product quality perception, and price perception.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a positivist research philosophy, this study used empirical methods, surveying 263 coffee consumers. The coffee packaging prototypes varied across material and graphic designs. The data was analyzed statistically using the Friedman test and Spearman correlation.FindingsIt was found that packaging elements elicit an equal share of emotional responses. Graphics have a greater impact than materials. Females are more affected by visuals, while materials influence males more. Further, packaging design correlates positively and significantly with consumer impressions and willingness to buy.Research limitations/implicationsThe sampling methodology limits generalizability. Future studies can use integrated models to analyze the effects of additional packaging variables like color and shape.Practical implicationsCoffee enterprises should focus on graphic rather than material elements. Paper packs with patterned graphics are most attractive to consumers. Targeted gender-sensitive packaging designs are needed. Standardized packaging can help build the Philippine coffee social enterprise industry and support small-scale farmer livelihoods. Environmentally sustainable materials should be prioritized.Social implicationsThe findings contribute to the success and growth of small-scale farmers and social enterprises in the Philippines. These businesses can attract more consumers, increase their market share, and ultimately generate more significant social impact by implementing packaging design strategies that effectively communicate product quality, sustainability, and social value.Originality/valueThe study uniquely integrates diverse methods to provide holistic insights into jointly analyzing the effects of packaging materials and graphics. It proposes an expanded conceptual role of packaging in shaping product perceptions using the affective response framework and Kansei approach.

Touching Female Memories in the Purification Funerary Chapel in Burgos (c. 1482–1531)

Abstract Late medieval women were able to promote highly sophisticated funerary ensembles, which included architecture, painting, sculpture, liturgy, textiles, lighting and other ephemeral elements, and to adapt them to their specific ideas and needs. These material and ephemeral elements were manipulated to create complex spaces so as to generate sensory experience. This article will focus on the Purification Chapel in the Cathedral of Burgos (Spain) built by the Countess of Haro, Mencía de Mendoza, at the end of the fifteenth century. We will use art historical analysis to understand the relation between gender and the senses, and the ways in which intersensorial interaction shapes experience and memory. The analysis of the construction and design of spaces by actors like Mencía de Mendoza shows that robust models of perception and cognition were tacitly operating in the medieval era in ways that are not adequately captured by textually-focused approaches.

A systematic review of the explicit knowledge used and evidence base in the process of design and fabrication of orthopedic footwear

BACKGROUND: The design and manufacturing of effective foot orthoses is a complex multidisciplinary problem involving biomedical and gait pattern aspects, technical material and geometric design elements as well as psychological and social contexts. This complexity contributes to the current trial-and-error and experience-based orthopedic footwear practice in which a major part of the expertise is implicit. This hampers knowledge transfer, reproducibility and innovation. OBJECTIVE/METHODS: A systematic review of literature has been performed to find evidence of explicit knowledge, quantitative guidelines and design motivations of pedorthists. RESULTS: 17 studies have been included. No consensus is found on which measurable parameters ensure proper foot and ankle functioning. Parameters suggested are: neutral foot positioning and control of rearfoot motion, maximum arch, but also tibial internal/external rotation as well as a three point force system. Also studies evaluating foot orthoses centering on the diagnosis or orthosis type find no clear guidelines for treatment or for measuring the effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: A gap in the translation from diagnosis to a specific, customized and quantified effective orthosis design is identified. Suggested solutions are both top-down, fitting of patient data in simulations, as well as bottom-up, quantifying current practices of pedorthists in order to develop new practical guidelines and evidence-based procedures.

Factors that influence the Islamic Perspective Human Development Index as Evidence of the Development of the Muslim Community

This study aims to analyze the relationship between macroeconomics and zakat on the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Islamic Human Development Index (I-HDI) using the maqāṣid al-sharī'ah theory approach. We also calculate I-HDI based on maqāṣid al-sharī'ah theory by combining material and non-material aspects and then compare between I-HDI and HDI. The indicators used in the calculation of I-HDI are indicators that are relevant and in accordance with the objectives of maqāṣid al-sharīʿah, so that I-HDI can give a general picture of the results of human development. By employing the dynamic panel regression two-step Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) the study finds that there is a significant difference and quite a large disparity between the results of the HDI and I-HDI, in 34 provinces of Indonesia. The study reveals that economic growth, health fiscal policy, and zakat have a positive effect both on HDI and I-HDI. Nevertheless, the education fiscal policy variable has a positive effect on I-HDI, and conversely, has a negative effect on HDI. This condition occurs because the target and strategy for absorption of the education budget are not optimally carried out by the government. This research suggests that in formulating budget policies, the government should not only focus on material elements but also non-material elements which are reflected in the I-HDI model.

A Filter Theory of Photography

Filters – both technically and in a wider sense of the term – provide a new way of theorizing photography. Most obviously, filters sieve things, persons and data out of flows; more specifically, they are key to the non-optical formations at work in image production based on neural networks in machine learning. In this essay, we argue that theorizing photography from the perspective of filtering reconfigures photography as the entire field of material elements and processes involved in the production of an image and presents the photographic image itself as a distribution across a field of perception that includes various forms of technical sensing and formation. Ultimately, attending to filtering as the technical realities as well as aesthetic propositions in recent art projects allows us to understand photographic conditions as a wider and more general set of environments in which image-events occur with many kinds of causality and manifestation.

“We are all just humans participating”: the role of an embodied approach, virtual space and artistic media in shaping participants’ experience in a co–design process

ABSTRACT Integrating multiple perspectives is key to successful co-design, yet often hampered by communication gaps arising from different epistemological backgrounds and lived experiences. This challenge is amplified when the design problem centres around experiences that are difficult articulate in words, such as those in Parkinson’s disease (PD). To explore alternative strategies for communication between diverse PD stakeholders, Piece of Mind brought together neuroscientists, performing artists and individuals with lived experience to co-create an interdisciplinary performance grounded in scientific and experiential knowledge. Participants met on Zoom over nine months, in which creative, embodied approaches were used to share scientific concepts, facilitate discussion, and identify key issues for the performance. We built on emergent themes through virtual and in-studio collaborations, culminating in a 45-min filmed and live performance. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants regarding their co-design experience and take-aways, to identify elements of process, space and materials contributing to its success. We found that an embodied approach, in virtual space and incorporating multiple artistic media, enabled participants to leave their comfort zones and disciplinary boundaries to engage with one another through curiosity and generosity – and consider how these conditions facilitated disparate starting points to converge towards a common goal.

Data-driven atmospheric corrosion prediction model for alloys based on a two-stage machine learning approach

Alloy material corrosion is a comprehensive problem affected by multi-dimensional factors, including the time, environment, and material element. Its corrosion prediction has been facing the challenges of complex mechanism and small sample size. However, parametric methods are limited in terms of modeling accuracy and generalization performance for high-dimensional feature problems. Non-parametric machine learning algorithms, while having excellent modeling capabilities, need to be optimized in conjunction with the structure of the corrosion problem. Therefore, we develop a two-stage hybrid intelligent machine learning model for improving alloy corrosion prediction accuracy. The model takes the time, environment, and material information of the alloy corrosion process as inputs and the corrosion rate as output. The first stage of the model utilizes tree ensemble learning (TEL) models for initial prediction modeling and feature importance knowledge mining. In the second stage, the neural network (NN) is used to enhance the fusion of the multi-model prediction outputs, and it is optimized using feature importance modification (FIM). The proposed TEL-FIMNN model shows considerable performance improvement over the TEL and ANN models on real low-alloy steel corrosion dataset. Compared to other advanced multi-model fusion methods such as linear regression (LR), support vector regression (SVR), random forest (RF), and Bayesian model averaging (BMA), the proposed model also shows superior results. The TEL-FIMNN model provide a new structure from the perspectives of knowledge mining and fusion enhancement, which has good potential for multi-dimensional corrosion prediction.

Fluid Unidirectional Transport Induced by Structure and Ambient Elements across Porous Materials: From Principles to Applications.

Spontaneous or nonspontaneous unidirectional fluid transport across multidimension can occur under specific structural designs and ambient elements for porous materials. While existing reviews have extensively summarized unidirectional fluid transport on surfaces, there is an absence of literature summarizing fluid's unidirectional transport across porous materials. This review introduces wetting phenomena observed on natural biological surfaces or porous structures. Subsequently, it offers an overview of diverse principles and potential applications in this field, emphasizing various physical and chemical structural designs (surface energy, capillary size, topographic curvature) and ambient elements (underwater, under oil, pressure, and solar energy). Applications encompass moisture-wicking fabric, sensors, skincare, fog collection, oil-water separation, electrochemistry, liquid-based gating, and solar evaporators. Additionally, significant principles and formulas from various studies are compelled to offer readers valuable references. Simultaneously, potential advantages and challenges are critically assessed in these applications and the perspectives are presented.

Autonomous construction of lunar infrastructure with in-situ boulders

Significant infrastructure is required to establish a long-term presence of humans on the lunar surface. In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is a fundamental approach to ensure the viability of such construction. Here, we investigate the feasibility of constructing blast shields as one example of lunar infrastructure using unprocessed lunar boulders and an autonomous robotic excavator. First, we estimate the volume of unprocessed material required for the construction of blast shield segments. Secondly, we quantify the amount of available boulders in two exploration zones (located at the Shackleton-Henson Connecting Ridge and the Aristarchus Plateau pyroclastic deposit) using LRO NAC images and boulder size-frequency distribution laws. In addition, we showcase an alternative approach that relies on Diviner rock abundance data. Thirdly, we use a path planning algorithm to derive the distance, energy, and time required to collect local material and construct blast shield elements. Our results show that our construction method requires two orders of magnitudes less energy than alternative ISRU construction methods, while maintaining realistic mission time and payload capacity margins.

Peran Vital Kemampuan Bahasa Indonesia Yang Tepat Dalam Pembelajaran Himpunan Matematika Bagi Peserta Didik

This research aims to determine the role of good use of Indonesian in the learning process for students, especially in mathematics set material. Apart from that, this research also aims to reveal various theories that are relevant to the problem being researched, and is carried out by re-analyzing data that has been collected from other research results in order to prove the correctness of the data and its validity based on the title of the research. The scope of this research is to measure students' understanding using good Indonesian regarding understanding elements in mathematical set material. The research method used is quantitative research. From the research that has been carried out, it can be seen that every reference used in this research states that the use of Indonesian plays a very important role in the learning process for students.

Multinuclear PFGSTE NMR description of 39K, 23Na, 7Li, and 1H specific activation energies governing diffusion in alkali nitrite solutions

While pulsed field gradient stimulated echo nuclear magnetic resonance (PFGSTE NMR) spectroscopy has found widespread use in the quantification of self-diffusivity for many NMR-active nuclei, extending this technique to uncommon nuclei with unfavorable NMR properties remains an active area of research. Potassium-39 (39K) is an archetypical NMR nucleus exhibiting an unfavorable gyromagnetic ratio combined with a very low Larmor frequency. Despite these unfavorable properties, this work demonstrates that 39K PFGSTE NMR experiments are possible in aqueous solutions of concentrated potassium nitrite. Analysis of the results indicates that 39K NMR diffusometry is feasible when the nuclei exhibit spin–lattice and spin–spin relaxation coefficients on the order of 60–100 ms and 50–100 ms, respectively. The diffusivity of 39K followed Arrhenius behavior, and comparative 23Na, 7Li, and 1H PFGSTE NMR studies of equimolal sodium nitrite and lithium nitrite solutions led to correlations between the enthalpy of hydration with the activation energy governing self-diffusion of the cations and also of water. Realizing the feasibility of 39K PFGSTE NMR spectroscopy has a widespread impact across energy sciences because potassium is a common alkali element in energy storage materials and other applications.

Arabic Reading and Writing at Education Based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)

Learning is a combination formed from several elements, including materials, which can influence the achievement of learning objectives. Material elements include: textbooks, so that research on the design of Arabic reading and writing materials for beginners based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) is worth doing. This study aims to determine: (1). Design of Arabic reading and writing materials for beginners based on CEFR at MTS Khoiru Ummah, Central Maluku Regency. (2). Supporting and inhibiting factors in designing Arabic reading and writing materials for beginners based on CEFR at MTS Khoiru Ummah, Central Maluku Regency. This research is a development research. Research and development include one of the methods to obtain certain new results, models, methods, strategies, ways, designs, or steps with descriptions and development of results and trials to obtain maximum results. Learning reading and writing skills continues to experience curriculum development from time to time. CEFR theory has contributed to the development of the curriculum design for learning these two Arabic language skills. This CEFR-based curriculum is designed by determining the limits of learning objectives at levels A1 and A2. CEFR has 6 levels, the lowest A1 and the highest C2 in the order of A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. Levels A1 and A2 are designed for beginners in every foreign language learning based on this theory. At the beginner level, students are able to distinguish the sounds of hijaiyah letters, read and write words that are heard and seen, write and read simple phrases and sentences found around them well. Teaching materials are presented in the form of a communicative approach to make students more active and participate in the learning process by using modern learning media either in the form of materials or learning applications that support the achievement of goals. While the evaluation is presented by paying attention to the differences in students' intellectual abilities. Namely starting from easy questions then increasing in difficulty according to level. So that the curriculum for reading and writing language is presented in gradual teaching materials with familiar themes and following the development of the era and the environment of the students. Supporting and inhibiting factors in designing Arabic reading and writing materials based on CEFR at MTs Khoiru Ummah, Central Maluku Regency. a. Supporting Factors, 1) There is a curriculum used by MTs based on the 2013 curriculum for junior high school/MTs level and will implement the Merdeka curriculum at MTs. 2) Teaching staff in accordance with their fields, 3) Textbooks used. The school facilities and environment are very supportive in learning Arabic for beginners because students are required to be in the dormitory. b. Inhibiting Factors, 1) The level of student ability was not identified at the time of input or at the time of registration and entrance exams for MTs..2) The teaching materials in the textbooks used do not focus on reading and writing lessons, making it difficult for students to master Arabic reading and writing skills..

العرف كمصدر تشريعي وأثره في إطار الشريعة الإسلامية والقانون الوضعي

This research aims to shed light on customs as a legislative source in both Islamic and statutory law. Customs are considered one of the legislative sources under the provisions of Islamic Sharia and statutory law, and they have an impact on both, in addition to the authority they hold as evidence. The research examines the advantages, pillars, and effects of customs. Islamic scholars have paid significant attention to customs, setting regulations for them, and considering them a legitimate source as long as they do not contradict a definitive text or legitimate evidence. Customs have also influenced secular laws and have been an important source for them. Unlike statutory law, customs in Islamic jurisprudence are subject to strict conditions, whereby the beneficial custom is approved, and the harmful one is annulled. However, secular law, which makes custom binding on individuals, may adopt both beneficial and harmful customs due to the lack of distinction between them, provided they are consistent with the law and do not contravene public order. Islamic jurisprudence requires the presence of the moral element in customs, without addressing the material element, unlike secular law which requires the presence of both material and moral elements. As a result of the variations in customs within a single country according to regions, the legal unity of customs is negated, contrary to the law. Additionally, some sections of the law do not align with customs, as is the case with penal law where there is no punishment except by text, whereas custom is considered in private, international, civil, administrative, and constitutional law. The study recommends examining examples and applications based on customary practices, since customs are not documented. It suggests that authorities responsible for issuing fatwas and judicial decisions document the prevailing and practiced customs among individuals to rely on them during judgments, fatwas, and dispute resolution.

Study on dynamics of thin shell elements of composite materials based on absolute nodal coordinate formulation

Most solar panels use composite materials to suit the development objectives of large-scale and lightweight spaceship components, resulting in complex nonlinear dynamic characteristics. When describing the dynamic characteristics of thin shell elements in composite materials, the standard 48-DOF fully parameterized thick plate element based on absolute nodal coordinate formulation cannot accurately account for the coupling between the large range of motion and large deformation of thin shell elements, exposing issues such as shear locking, slow convergence, and low computational efficiency. In this study, the absolute nodal coordinate formulation is used to create the 36-DOF reduced-order composite thin shell element. The strain and strain energy of the thin-shell element are calculated using the Green-Lagrange strain tensor, while the bending deformation energy of the thin shell element is calculated using the exact expression of curvature, based on continuum mechanics theory and the constitutive relation of the composite material. The generalized mass matrix and stiffness matrix are developed, and the nonlinear dynamic model of the thin shell element is established using the virtual work principle, with numerical simulation used to validate the dynamic characteristics. The results reveal that the dynamic characteristics of the 36-DOF reduced-order composite thin shell element are consistent with those of the virtual prototype, confirming the validity of the model. The proposed model not only addresses the element locking issue, but it also creates a more realistic dynamic model and increases simulation accuracy. The findings could serve as a theoretical foundation for satellite solar panel on-orbit operations.

Preparation of CuSe nanoparticles by antisolvent process for doping and passivation of absorber layer in CdTe solar cells

The p-type doping and passivation of the back surface of the CdTe absorber layer are two key steps to enhance the performance of CdTe thin film solar cells. In recent years, different Cu-doped precursors (Cu (I) and Cu (II) materials) and passivation materials (elements such as Se, Cl, Al, etc.) have been investigated. However, few researchers have proposed in new materials on both doping and passivation functions for backside applications. Here, CuSe, which combines the potential of p-type doping and Se passivation functions, is proposed for the first time as a doping precursor for the CdTe absorber layer. A certain amount of CuSe nanoparticles was deposited on the back surface of the CdTe absorber layer based on an antisolvent deposition process. The results show that the optimal device open-circuit voltage of the CuSe-treated CdTe solar cell reaches 842.5 mV, which is ∼ 6.5 % higher than that of the CuCl2-treated CdTe device (791.4 mV). The results of current-voltage and Mott-Schottky, impedance spectrum show that the CuSe-treated CdTe device not only achieves the purpose of p-type doping, but also introduces the passivation function of Se.

An explainable & prescriptive solution for space-based energy consumption optimization using BIM data & genetic algorithm

Creating energy-efficient buildings is a multifaceted challenge that involves carefully considering architectural, mechanical, and electrical parameters. With the increasing emphasis on low-energy building mandates and sustainable construction practices, integrating energy performance simulation into the design process has become imperative. However, existing methods often struggle to handle the vast amount of design information and to explore optimal alternatives effectively. While recent approaches such as Building Information Models (BIM) and data-driven solutions show promise for energy analysis, they frequently lack transparency and robust design optimization capabilities, limiting their applicability in critical contexts within the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation (AECO) industry. In response to these challenges, this research proposes a novel prescriptive model aimed at addressing these limitations. The proposed methodology integrates building energy simulation with optimization techniques, utilizing BIM data and a Genetic Algorithm (GA). The Genetic algorithm provides some optimized solutions, including different alternatives of geometry, material, electrical, and mechanical elements to help engineering for data-driven decision-making. This integration aims to develop a model that is both prescriptive and explainable for indoor building design. Leveraging the value engineering method, the proposed approach seeks to strike a balance between energy consumption, functionality, and cost. By doing so, it aims to enhance energy efficiency while providing tangible design optimization solutions.

Extracting the electronic structure of light elements in bulk materials through a Compton scattering method in the readily accessible hard x-ray regime

Our Compton profile measurements of Ti and TiH2 using readily available hard X-ray radiation at 27.5 keV, detected by both a Hitachi Vortex silicon-drift detector and a high-resolution superconducting transition-edge sensor array, are found to be in excellent accord with state-of-the-art density functional theory based calculations. The spherically averaged difference between the Compton profiles of TiH2 and Ti is well described by an inverted parabola, supporting an itinerant behavior of the electron gas screening the protons in the Ti matrix. Our experimental approach, validated by two different detectors, extends the applicability of Compton scattering technique to the readily accessible hard x-ray regime (below 30 keV). Our study suggests possibilities for experiments at low-flux bending magnet synchrotron beamlines and paves the way for the development of tabletop Compton experiments with x-ray tubes.

Investigating Specific Criminal Intent within the Framework of the Material Element of the Crime

One of the elements of a crime is the mental element. This element, which plays a crucial role in criminalization and the severity of punishment, has a complex nature attributed to its internal and mental aspects, making its evaluation and analysis challenging. One of the constitutive elements of a crime is the mental element, which this research examines regarding specific criminal intent in limited crimes. Accordingly, the realization of specific criminal intent in limited crimes results from the direct relationship between the mental actions of the perpetrator and the criminal outcome. (Intention to result) is a mental state that, according to all jurists and based on criminal laws, while establishing a direct relationship between the mental actions of the perpetrator and the criminal outcome, embodies specific criminal intent. The perpetrator's knowledge and awareness of the criminal outcome can currently form specific criminal intent in two ways: (knowledge of occurrence and the criminal outcome) and (knowledge of the ability to act in creating the outcome), according to current criminal legislations. Although (knowledge of occurrence) can constitute specific criminal intent in all limited crimes, (knowledge of the ability to act in creating the outcome) is not as universally applicable.

Hidden schemes and suspicious constructions. Inversive moments of occult infrastructures in Madagascar

ABSTRACT This contribution explores rumours of dubious activities at coastal sites in Madagascar, investigating occult formations through their underlying infrastructures. By introducing the concept of ‘occult infrastructure’, it illuminates the socio-material arrangements enabling the flow of occult forces. Suspicious constructions, marked by technological innovations and symbolic displays of power and social status, embody tangible expressions of occult infrastructures. The contribution contends that the interplay between the enduring nature of these structures and the transient quality of occult rumours creates moments of inversion – a temporary overlap between the occult and the ordinary, resulting in brief revelations before receding into concealed realms. This alignment of temporal, discursive, and material elements within occult phenomena aims not to uncover a hidden scheme but to provide an additional layer of understanding to an ongoing narrative.

Puerto Rican welfare queens and the semiotics of respectability: The language of race, class, and gender

AbstractIn this article, we explore how raciolinguistic parody functions in a society that hegemonically denies racial divisions. Through an analysis of Puerto Rican comedian Natalia Lugo's YouTube portrayals of her character, Francheska the Yal ‘welfare queen,’ we argue that covert racialization operates through a semiotics of respectability, whereby disreputable forms of femininity, class expression, and nonstandard language are co‐indexical with the yal’s failure to normatively “whiten” herself. We contend that US colonial narratives that scapegoat poor women of color for the island's poverty are reconstructed in Lugo's parodies by depicting the yal as provincial and excessive. Lugo's performative choices underscore the interplay of linguistic, material, and discursive elements that marginalize the yal, enabling parody without challenging structural inequalities. Our analysis sheds light on the ways in which semiotic practices reify such social hierarchies where they are systemically denied.