General Relationship Research Articles

Cognitive Mechanisms in Entrepreneurship Competence: Its Implication for Open Innovation

From the perspective of cognitive mechanisms, this research discusses the effects of cognitive flexibility, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and optimism on entrepreneurship competence. Qualitative interviews have revealed the general relationship between key concepts. SEM analysis further shows that cognitive flexibility has a positive direct effect on entrepreneurial self-efficacy; entrepreneurial self-efficacy has a positive direct effect on entrepreneurship competence; cognitive flexibility has a positive direct effect on entrepreneurship competence; cognitive flexibility has a positive indirect effect on entrepreneurship competence through entrepreneurial self-efficacy; optimism moderates the relationship between cognitive flexibility and entrepreneurship competence, with an inverted U-shaped moderation effect. According to the results, this research offers some suggestions to improve entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurship competence from the perspective of cognition and positive psychology, hoping that through the overall improvement of entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurship competence, it can be beneficial to the open innovation atmosphere of the whole society.

Factors and at-risk group associated with hypertension self-management patterns among people with physical disabilities: a latent class analysis

BackgroundPeople with disabilities are vulnerable to chronic diseases such as hypertension. In South Korea, over half of the population living with a physical disability suffer from hypertension. Understanding the typology of hypertension self-management patterns will assist with behavioural interventions for people with physical disabilities. Thus, this study aims to identify the typology of hypertension self-management behavioural patterns, the factors associated with the latent classes, and to recognise potential at-risk populations by comparing potential health outcomes among hypertensive adults with physical disabilities.MethodsData of 1551 participants were extracted from the 2017 National Survey of Disabled Persons. Latent classes were analysed using five indicators of self-management: smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet, and weight control. Determinants of self-management patterns, such as general characteristics, health-related factors, and social relationships, were identified using multinomial logistic regression. Further, health measures, such as health profile, psychological health, and patient experience, were compared.ResultsThe following three latent classes were identified: “high self-management” group (40.8%), “harmful habitual behaviour” group (20.6%), and “inactive behaviour” group (38.6%). Compared with the high self-management group, the predictors of belonging to the harmful habitual behaviour group were being male, young, and single. Being female, employed, severely disabled, dependent, and unsatisfied with friendships were predictors of the inactive behaviour group. Those in the inactive behaviour group had a poor health-related quality of life, poor subjective health, depression, and unmet medical needs.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence that there are mutually exclusive subgroups of patients with hypertension regarding self-management patterns, identifies an array of predictive factors in each latent class membership, and distinguishes a high-risk group by comparing the health measures among patients with hypertension with physical disabilities. Analysing subgroups may assist in identifying and meeting the diverse needs of self-management support in hypertensive patients with physical disabilities.

Closed-Form General Relationship Model for the Interfacial Oxidation of Cylindrically Curved Surfaces

Abstract A closed-form algebraic expression of the general relationship between film thickness and time during thermal oxidation as attained by Deal and Grove for planar surfaces has remained elusive for surfaces with curvature. Even under a baseline case of constant parameter values to describe oxidant gas-phase transport, diffusion, and reaction, by the conventionally adopted model treating the oxide as fluid capable of flow in accounting for the molecular volume difference between it and the metal from which it was formed and relate the radii describing the oxide relative to those of the metal, numerical integration is required to approximate the time corresponding to any given oxide thickness. Several example sets of such numerical approximation of the relationship between thickness and time by the conventional fluid oxide model on curved cylindrical surfaces are provided here to highlight its lacking closed-form general relationship. In contrast, if instead modeling the oxide as solid and freely expanded from the metal forming it to relate their geometries, it is shown here that a closed-form algebraic expression of the general relationship between oxide thickness and time on cylindrically and in turn spherically curved surfaces is attained in the baseline case of constant parameter values, akin to that preceding by Deal and Grove for planar surfaces. Continuing model refinements will consider dependencies of parameter values on stress state evolving as oxide thickness grows on curved surfaces.

Lithospheric conductors reveal source regions of convergent margin mineral systems

The clean energy transition will require a vast increase in metal supply, yet new mineral deposit discoveries are declining, due in part to challenges associated with exploring under sedimentary and volcanic cover. Recently, several case studies have demonstrated links between lithospheric electrical conductors imaged using magnetotelluric (MT) data and mineral deposits, notably Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG). Adoption of MT methods for exploration is therefore growing but the general applicability and relationship with many other deposit types remains untested. Here, we compile a global inventory of MT resistivity models from Australia, North and South America, and China and undertake the first quantitative assessment of the spatial association between conductors and three mineral deposit types commonly formed in convergent margin settings. We find that deposits formed early in an orogenic cycle such as volcanic hosted massive sulfide (VHMS) and copper porphyry deposits show weak to moderate correlations with conductors in the upper mantle. In contrast, deposits formed later in an orogenic cycle, such as orogenic gold, show strong correlations with mid-crustal conductors. These variations in resistivity response likely reflect mineralogical differences in the metal source regions of these mineral systems and suggest a metamorphic-fluid source for orogenic gold is significant. Our results indicate the resistivity structure of mineralized convergent margins strongly reflects late-stage processes and can be preserved for hundreds of millions of years. Discerning use of MT is therefore a powerful tool for mineral exploration.

Percolation behaviors of a network of networks under intentional attack with limited information

As an important class of real coupled networks, a network of networks portrays the interdependence and coexistence between complex systems. Especially for large networks, one may not know the information of all nodes in the network, only limited information can be known. Motivated by this, we here propose a new attack strategy, the intentional attack with limited information, where the limited information represents that the information of only n nodes is known. Further, we investigate the percolation behavior of large-scale network systems, a network of networks with different dependency patterns, under intentional attack with limited information. We show analytically and numerically how the coupling strength q and n affect the percolation, critical threshold, and the critical coupling strength. Furthermore, as n increases, the results suggest that the system becomes more vulnerable and different to protect. But when n reaches a critical value, the critical threshold pc tends to a steady-state and doesn't change appreciably with n. In particular, we find a new general scaling relationship between 1/pc and 1/n for different network configuration. Our model sheds light on the resilience of large-scale interdependent networks under limited information attacks, and provides helpful insights into designing robust real-world systems.

How to Predict the pK a of Any Compound in Any Solvent.

Acid–base properties of molecules in nonaqueous solvents are of critical importance for almost all areas of chemistry. Despite this very high relevance, our knowledge is still mostly limited to the pKa of rather few compounds in the most common solvents, and a simple yet truly general computational procedure to predict pKa’s of any compound in any solvent is still missing. In this contribution, we describe such a procedure. Our method requires only the experimental pKa of a reference compound in water and a few standard quantum-chemical calculations. This method is tested through computing the proton solvation energy in 39 solvents and by comparing the pKa of 142 simple compounds in 12 solvents. Our computations indicate that the method to compute the proton solvation energy is robust with respect to the detailed computational setup and the construction of the solvation model. The unscaled pKa’s computed using an implicit solvation model on the other hand differ significantly from the experimental data. These differences are partly associated with the poor quality of the experimental data and the well-known shortcomings of implicit solvation models. General linear scaling relationships to correct this error are suggested for protic and aprotic media. Using these relationships, the deviations between experiment and computations drop to a level comparable to that observed in water, which highlights the efficiency of our method.

Phylotype diversity within soil fungal functional groups drives ecosystem stability.

Soil fungi are fundamental to plant productivity, yet their influence on the temporal stability of global terrestrial ecosystems, and their capacity to buffer plant productivity against extreme drought events, remain uncertain. Here we combined three independent global field surveys of soil fungi with a satellite-derived temporal assessment of plant productivity, and report that phylotype richness within particular fungal functional groups drives the stability of terrestrial ecosystems. The richness of fungal decomposers was consistently and positively associated with ecosystem stability worldwide, while the opposite pattern was found for the richness of fungal plant pathogens, particularly in grasslands. We further demonstrated that the richness of soil decomposers was consistently positively linked with higher resistance of plant productivity in response to extreme drought events, while that of fungal plant pathogens showed a general negative relationship with plant productivity resilience/resistance patterns. Together, our work provides evidence supporting the critical role of soil fungal diversity to secure stable plant production over time in global ecosystems, and to buffer against extreme climate events.

Experiments in free falling and downward cocurrent annular flows – Characterization of liquid films and interfacial waves

Falling liquid films and downward cocurrent flows in rounded shape pipes have been experimentally studied during the last decades, estimating the evolution of its major characteristics. The most important variables during the formation and growth of surface waves in falling downward flows have been measured using conductance probes.The main objective of the current research paper is to study the dependency of the characteristics of the thin liquid layer for downward cocurrent annular flows. The GEPELON experimental facility consists of a vertical pipe with 3.8 m of useful test length. Two pipe diameters have been analysed in this experimental study, 42 and 30 mm, in which the range covered by the liquid Reynolds number varies between 570 and 8500 and 800–7900 respectively, while the gas Reynolds numbers vary from 0 to 7.9·104 and from 0 to 1.1·105 respectively for the mentioned pipe diameters. Up to five conductance probes have been placed along the pipes test sections to capture the liquid film thickness fluctuations along time at different distances of the pipe entrance for both developing and fully developed regions.After the study and analysis of the experimental data, the central point of this paper has been the development of new correlations for the liquid film thicknesses and the two major properties of the interfacial waves. Their adjustment procedure has been carried out in terms of dimensionless numbers, aiming to provide more general relationships. In particular, the magnitudes that characterise the interface behavior have been measured, particularly film thicknesses, average disturbance wave amplitudes, and disturbance wave frequencies for each boundary condition.An additional part of the document contains an extensive comparison between the results obtained in this study and the data and expressions of other authors. It has been confirmed the significant dispersion existing among different researchers, especially when analysing variables related to the interfacial waves. This highlights the lack of knowledge in some aspects even today. The different correlations proposed have been calculated based on the best fit of the data from all the series of experiments carried out in this study. Comparisons of the behaviour of these correlations with data from other researchers have also been included.

Legislation on Disability and Employment: To What Extent Are Employment Rights Guaranteed for Persons with Disabilities?

Although the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities guarantees the right to employment and most countries in Latin America have signed and ratified the Convention, a large proportion of the population with disabilities still does not participate in the labour market. (1) Objective: The objective of this research was to understand how legislation in seven Latin American countries (Bolivia, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru) has defined and enabled the inclusion of people with disabilities in the labour market. (2) Methods: We conducted a thematic analysis of the content of 34 documents and generated two thematic networks that summarise the results of the thematic analysis and represent the general relationships between the categories of analysis in each country. Using this information, we analysed the differences between countries and the advance in their legislation to fulfil the recommendations made by the Convention. (3) Results: Although all countries have enacted legislation promoting the employment rights of persons with disabilities, six of the seven countries (except Chile) have applied a medical perspective to the definition of disability in their labour legislation, thus imposing a barrier to the labour-market inclusion of this population and perpetuating the association of disability with lack of capacity to work.

El Conflicto entre los Padres, la Seguridad Emocional y el Autoconcepto de los Adolescentes

According to the Emotional Security Theory, feeling safe in the family is a main goal for adolescents. Interparental conflict threatens adolescents’ emotional security but there are few studies that relate interparental conflict, emotional security, and adolescents’ self-perceptions. Our aim was to relate these dimensions. Participants were 196 adolescents of both sexes with a mean age of 15.24 years. The CPIC scale was used to measure perceived interparental conflict, the SIFS was used to measure emotional security, identifying one secure dimension and two insecure dimensions (preoccupation and disengagement), and the SDQ II, that was used to measure academic and non-academic self-concept. Adolescents of both sexes who were more emotionally disengaged had lower scores on general self-concept, general academic self-concept, self-esteem, and relationships with parents. These results have implications for educational and psychological interventions due to the role played by relationships and self-perceptions in adolescents’ development.

On the 2-domination Number of Cylinders with Small Cycles

Domination-type parameters are difficult to manage in Cartesian product graphs and there is usually no general relationship between the parameter in both factors and in the product graph. This is the situation of the domination number, the Roman domination number or the 2-domination number, among others. Contrary to what happens with the domination number and the Roman domination number, the 2-domination number remains unknown in cylinders, that is, the Cartesian product of a cycle and a path and in this paper, we will compute this parameter in the cylinders with small cycles. We will develop two algorithms involving the (min, +) matrix product that will allow us to compute the desired values of γ2(Cn□Pm), with 3 ≤ n ≤ 15 and m ≤ 2. We will also pose a conjecture about the general formula for the 2-domination number in this graph class.

Feasibility of Broken Ore Flow Simulation in Block Caving Mining Method Using Attribute Stochastic Medium Theory

In this paper, to reveal the flow characteristics of broken mineral-rock of block caving, we present the Attribute Stochastic Medium Theory that combines an attribute block model with stochastic medium theory. An attribute block model was established to fit discrete target regions. A void transfer model and data structure were established based on stochastic medium theory. Our key contribution is that we propose Attribute Stochastic Medium Theory and present the concept of draw-out index and block fragmentation index. It can be used to analyze the flow characteristics of rock block under different drawing heights and different fragmentation conditions. We implement the flow algorithm and simulation with C++ programming. The results show that mineral elemental grade information of the ore-drawing body was obtained, and when the block fragmentation index remains unchanged, with the increase of the draw-out index, the ore-drawing ellipsoid develops gradually, the eccentricity increases gradually, and the average depth of the depression increases gradually. In the isolated extraction zone (IEZ), the length of the long half-axis of the IEZ increases linearly with the increase of the ore-drawing height. But the length of the short half-axis and the eccentricity of the IEZ increase nonlinearly with the increase of the ore-drawing height, showing a general power exponential relationship. Under the condition of constant draw-out index, with an increase of the block index, the eccentricity of the ellipsoid decreases. This method could obtain the properties and flow characteristics of caving ore and rock. Combined with in situ test of ore drawing. This method could provide guidance for the design of ore drawing bottom structure and ore drawing plan.

Quaternary Linear Codes and Related Binary Subfield Codes

In this paper, we mainly study quaternary linear codes and their binary subfield codes. First we obtain a general explicit relationship between quaternary linear codes and their binary subfield codes in terms of generator matrices and defining sets. Second, we construct quaternary linear codes via simplicial complexes and determine the weight distributions of these codes. Third, the weight distributions of the binary subfield codes of these quaternary codes are also computed by employing the general characterization. Furthermore, we present two infinite families of optimal linear codes with respect to the Griesmer Bound, and a class of binary almost optimal codes with respect to the Sphere Packing Bound. We also need to emphasize that we obtain at least 9 new quaternary linear codes.

Phenotypic responses to light, water, and nutrient conditions in the allopolyploid Arabidopsis suecica and its parent species A. thaliana and A. arenosa: Does the allopolyploid outrange its parents?

Polyploid species possess more than two sets of chromosomes and may show high gene redundancy, hybrid vigor, and masking of deleterious alleles compared to their parent species. Following this, it is hypothesized that this makes them better at adapting to novel environments than their parent species, possibly due to phenotypic plasticity. The allopolyploid Arabidopsis suecica and its parent species A. arenosa and A. thaliana were chosen as a model system to investigate relationships between phenotypic plasticity, fitness, and genetic variation. Particularly, we test if A. suecica is more plastic, show higher genetic diversity, and/or have higher fitness than its parent species. Wild Norwegian populations of each species were analyzed for phenotypic responses to differences in availability of nutrient, water, and light, while genetic diversity was assessed through analysis of AFLP markers. Arabidopsis arenosa showed a higher level of phenotypic plasticity and higher levels of genetic diversity than the two other species, probably related to its outbreeding reproduction strategy. Furthermore, a general positive relationship between genetic diversity and phenotypic plasticity was found. Low genetic diversity was found in the inbreeding A. thaliana. Geographic spacing of populations might explain the clear genetic structure in A. arenosa, while the lack of structure in A. suecica could be due to coherent populations. Fitness measured as allocation of resources to reproduction, pointed toward A. arenosa having lower fitness under poor environmental conditions. Arabidopsis suecica, on the other hand, showed tendencies toward keeping up fitness under different environmental conditions.

Nachhaltigkeitsziele in der Wirtschaftspolitik — juristische Überlegungen

AbstractIn Europe, legislators are increasingly introducing sustainability goals into the system of private law. By prohibiting certain conduct, increasing transparency, nudging companies, as well as changing institutions, procedures and liability regimes, legislators complement private law with tools and goals traditionally attributed to public law. This article provides an overview and points to critical aspects, including the limited empirical evidence on how effective such measures are, whether such measures invite strategic maneuvers by companies, and how this affects the general relationship between private and public law.

General relationship between the band-gap energy and iodine-oxygen bond distance in metal iodates

A wide band gap is a fundamental requirement for an ideal nonlinear optical material. A two-step investigation has been implemented to determine the relationship between the band-gap energy and the iodine-oxygen bond distance in optically nonlinear metal iodate materials. Firstly, we utilized high-pressure conditions on Mg and Zn iodates to correlate the pressure-induced changes in band-gap energy with changes in the iodine-oxygen bond distances. On both cases, the band-gap energy shows a nonlinear decrease under compression. The nonlinear behavior is a consequence of the interplay between the pressure-induced increase of the first-nearest neighbor iodine-oxygen bonds, which favors a narrowing of the band gap, and the decrease of the second-nearest neighbor iodine-oxygen bonds, which favors an opening of the band gap. The inverse correlation between the band-gap energy and the iodine-oxygen bond distance is confirmed in the second part of the investigation by collating and comparing the band-gap energies and corresponding average iodine-oxygen bond distances of the metal iodates reported in the literature. In the comparison, only nontransition and closed-shelled transition metals were included, without regard for their chemical formula, crystal structure, or stoichiometry.

Understanding the kinetic anisotropy of the soft-sphere bcc crystal–melt interfaces

By employing the non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and the time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau (TDGL) theory for the solidification kinetics, we predict the kinetic coefficients for the bcc(100), (110), and (111) CMIs of the soft-spheres, which are modeled with the inverse-power repulsive potential, and compare with the previous reported data of the bcc Fe system. We confirm a universal-like behavior of the spatial integrations of the (density wave amplitudes) Ginzburg–Landau order parameter square-gradient for the bcc CMI systems. The TDGL predictions of the kinetic anisotropies for bcc soft-sphere and bcc Fe CMI systems are identical; both agree well with the MD measurement for the soft-sphere system but differ strongly with the MD measurement for the Fe system. This finding implies that the current TDGL theory reflects a preference of presenting the generic anisotropy relationship due to the interfacial particle packings but lacks the contribution parameter which addresses the specificities in the kinetic anisotropies owing to the particle–particle interactions. A hypothesis that the density relaxation times for the interface melt phases to be anisotropic and material-dependent is then proposed.

Mechanical Performance of Polymeric ARGF-Based Fly Ash-Concrete Composites: A Study for Eco-Friendly Circular Economy Application.

At present, low tensile mechanical properties and a high carbon footprint are considered the chief drawbacks of plain cement concrete (PCC). At the same time, the combination of supplementary cementitious material (SCM) and reinforcement of fiber filaments is an innovative and eco-friendly approach to overcome the tensile and environmental drawbacks of plain cement concrete (PCC). The combined and individual effect of fly ash (FA) and Alkali resistance glass fiber (ARGF) with several contents on the mechanical characteristics of M20 grade plain cement concrete was investigated in this study. A total of 20 concrete mix proportions were prepared with numerous contents of FA (i.e., 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40%) and ARGF (i.e., 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5%). The curing of these concrete specimens was carried out for 7 and 28 days. For the analysis of concrete mechanical characteristics, the following flexural, split tensile, and compressive strength tests were applied to these casted specimens. The outcomes reveal that the mechanical properties increase with the addition of fibers and decrease at 30 and 40% replacement of cement with fly ash. Replacement of cement at higher percentages (i.e., 30 and 40) negatively affects the mechanical properties of concrete. On the other hand, the addition of fibers positively enhanced the flexural and tensile strength of concrete mixes with and without FA in contrast to compressive strength. In the end, it was concluded that the combined addition of these two materials enhances the strength and toughness of plain cement concrete, supportive of the application of an eco-friendly circular economy. The relationship among the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced concrete was successfully generated at each percentage of fly ash. The R-square for general relationships varied from (0.48–0.90) to (0.68–0.96) for each percentage of FA fiber reinforced concrete. Additionally, the accumulation of fibers effectively boosts the mechanical properties of all concrete mixes.

Dynamic bending of an ice wedge resting on a winkler-type elastic foundation

For most ice – sloping structure interactions, the incoming ice floes' failures are determined by the formation of circumferential cracks. This physical process can be simplified as analyzing the bending failure of an ice wedges resting on a fluid foundation. In history, closed-form analytical/empirical solutions have been developed for the static bending problem; and numerical solutions have been attempted for the dynamic scenarios. This paper revisits this classic problem and conducts extensive Finite Element Method (FEM) – based simulations on the dynamic bending of an ice wedge resting on a Winkler-type elastic foundation. The simulations are based on inputs (i.e., ice wedge geometry, loading radius and loading rate) within ranges that are typical for engineering applications. Based on the simulation, a database of ‘ice breaking load’ and ‘ice breaking length’ is constructed. Then we applied the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) method to establish the general relationship between the varying inputs (i.e., ice wedge angle, loading radius and rate) with the target outputs (i.e., breaking load and length). Such relationship is expressed in simple closed-form (i.e., Eq. (13)) allowing for easy, efficient and wide engineering applications. In the process of developing the ANN model, based on extensive FEM-simulations, we managed to extend Nevel's (1972) analytical solution. We also quantitatively demonstrated many well-known dynamic effects in this classic problem, e.g., a faster loading rate leads to a larger ice breaking load and a shorter ice breaking length. In addition, we also uncovered the failure pattern transition of an ice wedge, i.e., when an ice wedge's angle is below 100°, the circumferential crack will develop first; however, when the ice wedge gets wider than around 100°, depending on the loading radius and interaction velocity, the radial crack is more prone to develop first.

The Key Factors Predicting Dementia in Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease-Type Pathology.

Dementia affects millions of individuals worldwide, yet there are no effective treatments. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is characterized by amyloid and tau pathology with amyloid accumulation thought to precipitate tau pathology, neurodegeneration, and dementia. The Religious Orders Study and Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP) cohort is a unique resource with quantitative pathology from multiple brain regions, RNA sequencing, and longitudinal cognitive data. Our previous work applying machine learning to the RNA sequencing data identified lactoferrin (LTF) as the gene most predictive of amyloid accumulation with a potential amyloidogenic mechanism identified in vitro and with cell-culture models. In the present study, we examined which pathologies and genes were related to cognitive status (dementia, mild impairment, and no cognitive impairment) and rate of cognitive decline. Tau load in the anterior cingulate and ADAMTS2, encoding a metallopeptidase, were the respective regional pathology and gene most associated with cognitive decline, while PRTN3, encoding a serine protease, was the key protective feature. ADAMTS2, but not PRTN3, was related to amyloid and tau load in the previous study while LTF was not related to cognitive decline here. These findings confirm a general relationship between tau pathology and dementia, show the specific importance of tau pathology in the anterior cingulate cortex and identify ADAMTS2 as a potential target for slowing cognitive decline.