Profile Configurations Research Articles

A Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis for Understanding the Interactive Effects of Good Governance Practices and CEO Profiles on ESG Performance

The impact of corporate governance mechanisms has been examined directly and independently, considering that such characteristics compete to explain environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. However, the nexus may be more complex than that suggested by most scholars, and more research is needed. This study applied a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to a sample of Spanish-listed companies in 2018–2020 to explore how good governance practices interact with CEO profiles to promote corporate sustainability practices. Our analysis discovered the importance of establishing sustainability committees and identified five pathways shaping governance practice bundles. Specifically, listed companies with a high code of good governance (GGC) compliance and a sustainability committee improve high ESG performance globally and for each ESG dimension. Furthermore, the effect is more relevant than the effect of the CEO profile, requiring either CEO duality (pathway 1) or extended CEO tenure (pathway 2). Concurrently, findings indicate three CEO profile configurations for GGC-neutral firms, providing companies with more flexibility in CEO selection. Two suggest that younger CEOs with longer tenure tend to be more motivated to engage in the G and S pillars (pathways 3 and 5). The third indicates that CEOs of older age and early tenure improve the E pillar (pathway 4).

Development of dynamic centrifuge models for measurement and visualization of deformation mechanisms in liquefiable soils

Recent advancements in geotechnical physical modeling have enabled visualization and analysis of deformation mechanisms in soil sections through the integration of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) in dynamic centrifuge modeling. PIV requires a rigid wall container. In this paper, we summarize the design considerations that enable reliable measurement and visualization of soil deformation mechanisms at the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder’s 400 g-ton, 5.5 m radius centrifuge facility. The primary objective of this system is to investigate the response of complex and stratigraphically variable, saturated granular soil deposits beneath shallow-founded structures, though it can also be used for other configurations that benefit from advanced visualization in the centrifuge. The setup aims to enable quantification and visualization of different deformation mechanisms, including shear, volumetric, and soil ejecta formation, near and away from structures. The paper provides detailed design considerations for the system components, including a rigid container with a transparent Perspex wall and duct seal inclusions, a linear-elastic single-degree of freedom (SDOF) structure, soil texture, a potential ground improvement technique, and a high-speed camera system. Through fully-coupled, three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear finite element analyses, we investigate the influence of container type, domain size, and duct seal geometry on boundary effects, with consideration of nonlinearities within various soil profile configurations with and without the presence of a building model. The findings highlight the critical impact of proximity to lateral boundaries of the container on accelerations, excess pore pressures, foundation settlement, tilt, and shear strains, as well as the benefits of duct seal in reducing those boundary effects. The results also show that the extent of boundary effects on key performance measures depends on the properties of the container, soil layers, and ground motion. The simulations also show that surface ejecta potential within stratigraphic soil profiles is highly sensitive to the depth of the groundwater table and variations in soil permeability, which must be considered in designing experimental programs that investigate the development of soil ejecta.

Cool under fire: Psychopathic personality traits and decision making in law-enforcement-oriented populations.

Compared with other jobs, the law enforcement profession is a high-stakes occupation that has the potential to greatly impact public safety, and officers must face daily dangers not experienced in other professions. Previous research indicates that many law enforcement officers exhibit varying degrees of psychopathic traits, which suggests that it may be useful to examine police officer performance, specifically proxies of excessive use of force, through the lens of the triarchic psychopathy domains. We predicted that high boldness and high meanness would be associated with greater justification of excessive use of force, whereas low boldness, high meanness, and high disinhibition would relate to greater errors in high-stakes decision making ("trigger bias"). We employed criterion profile analysis to elucidate optimal profile configurations in both law enforcement and undergraduate samples in relation to justification of use-of-force scenarios and decision making in high-pressure situations (i.e., police officer's dilemma shooter task). In general, combinations of triarchic psychopathy traits accounted for similar variance in performance criteria as individual psychopathy trait domains. In particular, trait elevations in meanness were associated with ratings of unjustified-use-of-force vignettes, and disinhibition was associated with commission errors on the shooter task (although effect sizes were small for the latter). The findings of this study support the conceptual validity of the separate dimensions of the triarchic psychopathy model and substantiate the moderate utility of personality indicators (e.g., antagonism, difficulties with impulse control) in relation to career-related performance in law enforcement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Power motives, personality correlates, and leadership outcomes: A person-centered approach.

We investigated how these motivations combined within individuals to form unique profiles, and how these different profiles relate to personality traits and team behaviors. Dominance, prestige, and leadership motives each play a key role in shaping social success or failure in gaining social rank and influence. We used latent profile analysis across two samples (engineering student project teams, Nstudent = 1088; working adults, Nworker = 466) to identify profile configurations and how such profiles related to important outcomes. We identified qualitatively distinct profiles: ultra-dominance profile (prominent dominance motive with high prestige and leadership motives); prestigious leadership profile (moderately high prestige and leadership motives, low dominance motive); and weak social power motive profile (low on all three motives). Individuals with the prestigious leadership profile were more likely to emerge as leaders, compared to those with a weak social power motive profile. People with an ultra-dominance profile scored higher on narcissism and tended to perceive themselves as leaders, despite not being deemed more leader-like by teammates. Using a person-centered approach allowed us to identify three power motive profiles across independent samples and generate insights into how these profiles manifest different social behaviors and outcomes.

Influence of Interlayer Soil on the Water Infiltration Characteristics of Heavy Saline–Alkali Soil in Southern Xinjiang

Interlayer soil is common in southern Xinjiang, because interlayer can reduce the infiltration rate of soil water. To simulate the interlayer soil in heavy saline–alkali cotton fields, this paper adopted a vertical one-dimensional infiltration test. T1 (315 mm), T2 (270 mm), and T3 (225 mm) and different interlayer positions (T5, 315 mm) and thicknesses of the interlayer (T6, 315 mm) with the same irrigation volume, as well as one perforation and sand filling treatment (T4, 315 mm), were set. The influence of different irrigation amounts, locations, and thicknesses of the interlayer and sand injection on water infiltration was analyzed. The analysis results showed that with the increase in irrigation amount, the water infiltration rate and the migration distance of the wet front increased, but did not penetrate to the bottom soil (90 cm). Under the same irrigation volume, the increase in interlayer thickness (T6) compared with the increase in interlayer position (T5), the change in soil moisture content in the upper and lower layers of the interlayer was greater, and the advance time of wetting front migration and cumulative infiltration were slightly higher. After tunneling and sand filling (T4), the infiltration rate of water was increased, the migration time of the wet front was reduced, and the profile water content of each soil layer was improved. The Kostiakov model could better simulate the water infiltration characteristics of interlayer soil with different profile configurations in heavily saline–alkali land. The results showed that in all of the treatments, only the wet front of the soil moisture reached 100 cm in the T4 treatment, and the maximum was only 87.8 cm in the other treatments, indicating that too little irrigation water or the upward movement and thickening of the interlayer were not conducive to water infiltration. For the interlayer soil area in the heavy saline–alkali land in southern Xinjiang, the appropriate irrigation water should be more than 315 mm. The treatment of drilling first and then filling sand can be used as a simple but effective measure to increase the water infiltration rate of the interlayer soil, and can thus be applied to the layered soil structure in the interlayer position of 60–80 cm.

Eye movements are made to the centre of gravity of texture-defined targets

Saccadic localisation of targets of various properties has been extensively studied, but rarely for texture-defined figures. In this paper, three experiments that investigate the way information from a texture target is processed in order to provide a signal for eye movement control are presented. Participants made saccades to target regions embedded in a background structure, and the saccade landing position and latency were measured. The textures comprised line elements, with orientations of the lines configured to form the figure and ground. Various orientation profile configurations (Block, Blur, and Cornsweet), were used in order to measure the role of edge profiles in driving eye movements and producing salience. We found that in all cases the visual system is in fact able to effectively segregate a texture figure from the ground in order to accurately plan a saccade to the target-figure. While saccadic latency was the highest for the Blur profile, the mean saccadic landing position was mostly unaffected by the various profiles (Experiment 1). More specifically, we showed that saccades were directed to the centre-of-gravity of the target (Experiment 2). We also found that figures with information of orientation contrast at both the edge and centre of figure (i.e. Block) produced the highest level of saliency in attracting eye movements (Experiment 3). Overall, the results show that saccades are planned on the representation of the whole target shape rather than a local salient region based on orientation contrast cues, and that the various texture profiles were important only to the extent that they affected the time to programme a saccade.

The effectiveness of personal protective equipment made of metallized materials when exposed to extreme levels of infrared radiation

Introduction. The results of the study of the nature of the formation of the thermal state in workers under the influence of extreme levels of the heating microclimate with multifactorial exposure against the background of heavy physical labour, justify the need to develop and experimentally evaluate a set of preventive measures. Such measures need to prevent chronic overheating, with the mandatory use by workers of modern effective personal protective equipment from infrared radiation. 
 The purpose of the study – the study of the effectiveness of personal protective equipment made of metallized materials in real production conditions, for the prevention of chronic overheating from exposure to extreme levels of infrared radiation with multifactorial exposure against the background of heavy physical labour. 
 Materials and methods. To assess the possibility of using personal protective equipment in the conditions of modern forging and pressing production, there were taken protective clothing sets made of the material OXA-440, consisting of a cotton-asbestos lining and a metallized material with an aluminum surface. In the manufacture of prototypes of workwear, the topography and the estimated area of the irradiated area of the body surface, and the moisture and air tightness of metallized materials, were taken into account. The effectiveness of personal protective equipment was evaluated with taking into account the indicators of the thermal state of the workers of the main occupations who used two sets of the specified protective clothing alternately. The thermal state of the body was studied in accordance with the guidelines of the MUK 4.3.1895-04 and the provisions of the standard GOST R ISO 9886-2008. Studies on the hygienic assessment of workwear were carried out in the cold and warm periods of the year. A questionnaire survey was conducted to subjectively assess the usability, design and protective properties of workwear made of metallized material.
 Results. The main sources of thermal radiation in the studied production are incandescent to a temperature of over 1200°C with metal forgings of various lengths and various profile configurations, which largely determine the variability in the degree of radiation intensity of the radiant energy flow at the workplaces of blacksmiths and heaters. The formed thermal state of the workers of the specified occupational groups, dressed in standard cotton workwear, during the performance of the main work operations during the first half of the working shift in the cold and warm periods of the year, is estimated as the maximum permissible, requiring a limit of working time – no more than one hour per working shift. The use of workwear made of metallized materials in the cold period of the year led to a slight improvement in the thermal condition, which allowed to prolong the time spent at the workplace to 2 hours. When using the original design of a protective suit made of a metallized material characterized by moisture – and air-tight properties and covering a large area of the body surface during the warm period of the year, no improvement in the thermal condition of the workers was observed. According to the questionnaire survey, good reflective and mechanical properties of the test material were revealed. The expressed wishes and suggestions of the workers in the areas of improving the design of workwear suggest the development of new design samples of special protective clothing made of this metallized material, taking into account these comments.
 Limitations. The chosen research method determines the limitation on the possibility of its use in relation to a specific production, characterized by the multifactorial nature of the production environment against the background of heavy physical labour and extreme levels of infrared radiation determined by the specifics of the technological process. 
 The obtained research results objectify the subject of further research – the development and evaluation of the effectiveness of new design samples of special protective clothing made of metallized materials.
 Conclusion. The results of the conducted studies have shown good reflective and mechanical properties of the new metallized materials. During the questionnaire survey, the workers expressed their wishes and suggestions for improving the design of workwear sets, which must be taken into account when creating new design samples of special protective clothing, for their subsequent use as the main means of protection when working under conditions of exposure to extreme levels of industrial infrared radiation.

Thermal state of the body of workers exposed to extreme levels of infrared radiation and prevention overheating

Introduction. In an industrial environment, the thermal effect of a heating microclimate on a person through extreme levels of infrared radiation is a stressful factor that has a pronounced negative effect on the formation of the thermal state of the body, which requires the development of effective measures to prevent overheating. 
 The purpose of the study is to investigate the peculiarities of the formation of the thermal state of the body in the conditions of a production experiment under exposure to extreme levels of infrared radiation against the background of long-term heavy factory work and the justification of a set of effective measures to prevent overheating. 
 Materials and methods. The study of the thermal state of the body is conducted in the conditions of real blacksmithing production in accordance with the methodological instructions of MUK 4.3.1895–04 and the provisions of the standard GOST R ISO 9886–2008.
 Results. In modern forging and pressing production, one of the most unfavourable factors of the production environment is the intense thermal radiation from the metal heated to technological temperatures, which affects the total for 5–6 hours per shift against the background of high temperature from the heating furnaces themselves, which leads to the development of chronic overheating in workers. The main sources of thermal radiation include incandescent to a temperature of over 1200 °C with metal forgings of various lengths and various profile configurations, which largely determines the variability in the degree of radiation intensity of the radiant energy flow at the workplaces of blacksmiths and heaters. The formed thermal state of the workers of the studied occupational groups, dressed in standard cotton workwear, during the performance of the main work operations during the first half of the working shift in the cold and warm periods of the year, is estimated as the maximum permissible, requiring a limit of working time – no more than one hour per working shift. It is necessary to develop requirements for the working regime for prolonged heavy physical work in conditions of extreme exposure to a heating microclimate and the mandatory use of modern effective personal protective equipment (PPE) from infrared radiation.
 Limitations. The limitation of the study is the possibility of using the results obtained directly to a specific production, characterized by multifactorial effects against the background of extreme levels of the heating microclimate, rigidly determined by the technological process. The obtained indicators of the thermal condition of workers dressed in standard cotton workwear are estimated as the maximum permissible for a period of no more than one hour per work shift, which justifies the need to search for new effective personal protective equipment for the body of workers.
 Conclusion. It is necessary to develop requirements for the working regime during prolonged hard physical work in conditions of extreme exposure to a heating microclimate and the mandatory use of modern effective PPE from infrared radiation of extreme levels.

Two-stage reinforcement learning task predicts psychological traits.

External sources of information influence human actions. However, psychological traits (PTs), considered internal variables, also play a crucial role in decision making. PTs are stable across time and contexts and define the set of behavioral repertoires that individuals express. Here, we explored how multiple metrics of adaptive behavior under uncertainty related to several PTs. Participants solved a reversal-learning task with volatile contingencies, from which we characterized a detailed behavioral profile based on their response sequences. We then tested the relationship between this multimetric behavioral profile and scores obtained from self-report psychological questionnaires. The PT measurements were based on the Hierarchical Taxonomy Of Psychopathology (HiTOP) model. By using multiple linear regression models (MLRMs), we found that the learning curves predicted important differences in the PTs and task response times. We confirmed the significance of these relationships by using random permutations of the predictors of the MLRM. Therefore, the behavioral profile configurations predicted the PTs and served as a "fingerprint" to identify participants with a high certainty level. We discuss briefly how this characterization and approach could contribute to better nosological classifications.

Core-Pedestal Plasma Configurations in Advanced Tokamaks

Several configurations for the core and pedestal plasma are examined for a predefined tokamak design by implementing multiple heating/current drive (H/CD) sources to achieve an optimum configuration of high fusion power in a noninductive operation while maintaining an ideally magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stable core plasma using the IPS-FASTRAN framework. IPS-FASTRAN is a component-based lightweight coupled simulation framework that is used to simulate magnetically confined plasma by integrating a set of high-fidelity codes to construct the plasma equilibrium (EFIT, TOQ, and CHEASE), calculate the turbulent heat and particle transport fluxes (TGLF), model various H/CD systems (TORIC, TORAY, GENRAY, and NUBEAM), model the pedestal pressure and width (EPED), and estimate the ideal MHD stability (DCON). The TGLF core transport model and EPED pedestal model are used to self-consistently predict plasma profiles consistent with ideal MHD stability and H/CD (and bootstrap) current sources. In order to evaluate the achievable and sustainable plasma beta, varying configurations are produced ranging from the no-wall stability to with-wall stability regimes, simultaneously subject to the self-consistent TGLF, EPED, and H/CD source profile predictions that optimize configuration performance. The pedestal density, plasma current, and total injected power are scanned to explore their impact on the target plasma configuration, fusion power, and confinement quality. A set of fully noninductive scenarios are achieved by employing ion-cyclotron, neutral beam injection, helicon, and lower-hybrid H/CDs to provide a broad profile for the total current drive in the core region for a predefined tokamak design. These noninductive scenarios are characterized by high fusion gain (Q ~ 4) and power (Pfus ~ 600 MW), optimum confinement quality (H98 ~ 1.1), and high bootstrap current fraction (fBS ~ 0.7) for Greenwald fraction below unity. The broad current profile configurations identified are stable to low-n kink modes either because the normalized pressure is below the no-wall limit or a wall is present.

Graded Bandgap Ultrathin CIGS Solar Cells

In this paper, we physically modeled passivated ultrathin Cu (In1−xGax) Se2 solar cells with different bandgap grading configurations. Firstly, we have designed the cell architecture according to the fabricated model. The novelty in this work is the modeling of passivated u-CIGS solar cells with different bandgap grading profile configurations in order to achieve high efficiency with a thickness of 500 nm. A significant influence on device performance has been observed while changing absorber doping density, electron affinity, and operating temperature (range of 10–70 °C) for the investigated samples. ZnS has been used as a buffer layer to replace the conventional CdS material in order to improve cell efficiency. The impact of the buffer doping density and electron affinity on u-CIGS cell performance is explored. The simulation results show that a high bandgap at the front and rear sides with an acceptor density of 2 × 1016 provide the best electrical cell parameters: Jsc of 31.53 mA/cm2, Voc of 742.78 mV, FF of 77.50%, η of 18.15%. Our findings can be considered guidelines for new single and/or tandem cell optimization to achieve high efficiency.

A two-particle approach for dry high density-ratio granular collapse

We report on the role of density ratio for granular column collapse experimentally and numerically by demonstrating the fundamental changes using a two-particle approach. The influence of the density ratio for the different profile arrangements on the velocity distribution, interface, and energy transition is described using the Moving Particle Semi-Implicit method (MPS). A constitutive equation utilizing the granular material strength is formulated using the elasto-viscoplastic model under the μ ( I ) rheology framework by replacing the frictional coefficient with the internal friction angle. The dense state of the granular materials results in a linear relationship between the length scale and inertia constant, which makes the shear strength the driving parameter. Experimental data are compared with numerical simulation for granular collapse with varying density profile configurations to validate the method. We found that the density ratio does not influence the velocity and free surface profile. The interface is maintained similarly to a single-phased granular flow except for erosive configurations where a penetrating regime is evident. The rate at which the granular kinetic energy transforms to the potential energy when the lower density material is on top and at the left of the higher granular materials is similar compared to other profile arrangements. The results demonstrated that the density ratio for different profile arrangements could significantly influence the deformation of the granular materials depending on the particle arrangements. The numerical investigation for the granular column collapse agrees well with experimental studies. Collapse mechanisms of varying density ratio configuration. • Flow dynamics and energy evolution in density ratio granular column collapse. • Replacement of the μ (I) rheology model parameters with the material strength parameters. • Effective phase-change for high-density ratio for single and two-phase granular flow. • Relationship between the inertia constant and wave front. • The meshfree particle method, MPS, shows excellent agreement with the experiment.

Influence of buccal emergence profile designs on peri-implant tissues: A randomized controlled trial.

The prosthetic emergence profile design might be an important factor in postsurgical mucosal recession etiology. Therefore, a restorative buccal emergence profile designed correctly might reduce gingival margin recession. To compare the marginal gingival level and the width/height (W/H) ratio between two profile configurations of single implant-supported restorations at molar sites. Twenty-one patients requiring a single mandibular molar tooth replacement with supracrestal mucosal thickness ≥2 mm were recruited and randomly assigned to a prosthesis buccal emergence profile design based on the buccal mucosal W/H ratio (Test Group) or maintained the original emergence profile of the healing abutment (Control Group). Assessments were made before delivery of the definitive restoration (T0), at prosthesis placement (T1), one (T2), and 12 (T3) months after loading. The gingival margin level change (△GM), initial emergence angle, buccal mucosal W/H ratio, marginal bone loss (MBL), implant failure, and complications were assessed. The gingival recession in the test group (0.13 ± 0.32 mm) was significantly lower than in the control group (0.63 ± 0.38 mm) at T3 (p=0.006). The initial emergence angle in the test group (31.4 ± 7.22 degrees) was significantly lower than the control group (40.0 ± 7.60 degrees) (p=0.025). The W/H ratio in the test group at T2 was significantly higher than at T0 but remained stable thereafter. The W/H ratio presented a continued rising trend in the control group. When the initial supracrestal soft tissue thickness was ≥2 mm, a restorative emergence profile based on the W/H ratio significantly reduced gingival margin recession. An emergence angle of 32.4 degrees showed better behavior in maintaining the gingival margin than 40 degrees. ChiCTR190002210.

Performance enhancement of solar updraft tower plant using parabolic chimney profile configurations: A numerical analysis

The solar updraft towers harnessing solar energy are a sustainable and economical source of power, however, they suffer from low collector efficiency. Geometric characteristics have a large effect on the plant’s efficiency. One of the lesser-studied parameters that affect the flow behavior, and the performance of the plant is the chimney wall profile. A novel concept of parabolic wall profiles is introduced in this study using inner parabolic chimney profile (IPCP) and outer parabolic chimney (OPCP) configurations. For this purpose, the plant is modeled numerically and validated with the experimental data from the Manzanares prototype. The influence of parabolic profiles is studied at 0° to 3° chimney diverging angle (CDA) and 0° to 10° collector roof angle (CRA). The convergent effect of IPCP resulted in increased performance in contrast to OPCP. The appearance of large eddies creating a recirculation region near the base of the chimney is significantly decreased by using IPCP. The IPCP also resulted in an elevated performance when the effect of CDA and CRA is included resulting in a 12.1% increased power output. The IPCP at 1° CDA and 6° CRA is found to be the optimum among the studied configuration resulting in 80.6% and 80.7% increased power output and collector efficiency respectively. The proposed design resulted in smoother flow with smaller eddies, better thermal characteristics, and improved performance of the plant.

The impact of urban environmental exposures on health: An assessment of the attributable mortality burden in Sao Paulo city, Brazil

BackgroundCurrently, more than half of the global population lives in cities. Contemporary urban planning practices result in environmental risk factors (e.g. air pollution, noise, lack of green space, excess heat) that put health and well-being of city dwellers at risk and contribute to chronic diseases and premature death. Despite a growing body of evidence on adverse health impacts related to current urban and transport planning practices, especially for cities in the Global North, not much is known about associated health impacts in South American cities. Therefore, we estimated the mortality burden attributable to breaching internationally-recommended or locally-preferable exposure levels of urban planning related environmental exposures in Sao Paulo, Brazil. MethodsWe carried out a health impact assessment study, following the comparative risk assessment framework, to assess preventable mortality impacts of breaching exposure recommendations for air pollution, green spaces and temperature at the census tract (CT) level (n = 18,363). We also assessed the distribution thereof by socioeconomic vulnerability. ResultsWe estimated that annually 11,372 (95% CI: 7921; 15,910) attributable deaths could be prevented by complying with recommended exposure levels. The largest proportion of preventable mortality was due to breaching air pollution limits (i.e. 8409 attributable deaths), followed by insufficient green space (i.e. 2593), and excess heat (i.e. 370). Adverse health impacts were larger in CTs of lower socioeconomic vulnerability, due to demographic profile, traffic density and residential area configurations. DiscussionNot complying with the health limits for air pollution, green space and temperature exposures resulted in a considerable preventable mortality burden (i.e. 17% of total expected deaths) in Sao Paulo. This burden can be reduced by improving current urban and transport planning practices.

Analysis of the Particle Characteristics of Aeolian Sand in Yulin Area, China

Aeolian sand is an important construction material in many desert regions. In order to study its engineering properties, samples were extracted from two sections within Yulin city, Shaanxi province of China. One set was collected from a site along the G210 highway that connects Yulin city and Inner Mongolia, and the other sampling site was along the provincial highway S204 that connects Yulin and Jingbian city. Sieve analyses using square mesh and round mesh sieves were conducted to determine the particle size distribution of the collected sand samples. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the surface microstructure and mineral composition of the sand particles, respectively. Based on the sieve analyses results, the size distribution of the Aeolian sand particles in this region is mainly between 0.075 mm and 0.3 mm with low clay content (0.69–10.3%). Also, it was found that the square mesh is more effective than the round mesh for conducting sieve analysis of Aeolian sand, with the 0.15 mm sieve identified as the key sieve size. Using the percentage passing rates in the 0.15 mm square sieve as a classification index, the particle gradation of the sand particles was simplified into three classes: Class A (less than 30%), Class B (between 30% and 60%), and Class C (more than 60%). SEM observation revealed different profile configurations on the surfaces of the Aeolian sand particles including intensive pitting, corrosion marks, and cracks, while the XRD results indicated the presence of quartz and feldspar in more than 95% of the entire mineral composition of the sand particles. Minerals that are deleterious to cement and mortar used in road construction were present in negligible amounts. From the particle size characterization, it is possible to use Aeolian sand as a subgrade material in road construction due its lower clay content. Also, the negligible amount of minerals such as calcite and chlorite in the Aeolian sand mineral composition indicates its potential for use in cement and mortar without causing any complex chemical reactions. The findings of this study indicate the possibility of utilizing the Aeolian sand deposits in Yulin area as a road construction material and also provide a theoretical guide to encourage its widespread application in this regard.

Insights into green roof modeling using SWMM LID controls for detention-based designs

Rainfall–runoff responses were observed in a laboratory environment using a rainfall simulator and a 7.43 m2 green roof cassette equipped with weighing lysimeters. SWMM LID controls were developed for various green roof profile configurations based on the physical properties of the composite materials. Unknown parameters affecting the drainage layer were adjusted in calibration. The cassette was modeled both as a typical Green Roof LID control using Manning’s equation at the drainage layer and a Bioretention LID control using an orifice equation in the drainage layer. Key parameters from a sensitivity analysis that were not directly measured were Manning’s roughness of the drainage layer, the drainage coefficient at the orifice, and the conductivity slope (HCO). The hydraulics of roof drains were considered by varying the width of the drain outlet from 0.25 m–1.22 m. During calibration and validation of multiple events, SWMM modeling resulted in a good fit compared to observed results (Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient values of 0.70–0.89). Key limitations of SWMM green roof modeling are discussed with suggested improvements for future consideration.

Student participatory role profiles in collaborative science learning: Relation of within-group configurations of role profiles and achievement

During collaborative learning, students tend to spontaneously enact different participatory roles that may significantly affect collaborative learning processes. Only few empirical studies to date have investigated groups as systems based on emerging roles and role profiles of the participating students, and how emerging role profile configurations affect achievement. This exploration of students' self-adopted roles investigated the relationship between role profile configurations and achievement. The statistically driven identification of role profiles was based on fine-grained observations of student groups' interactions in two distinct collaborative science-learning settings. While higher achieving groups typically exhibited versatile science-oriented role profile configurations, opinion-based configurations prevailed in lower achieving groups. Although role profiles with a social orientation were rare, a student with a distracting profile can have a significant influence on group work. Consolidated by in-depth case examples, the findings highlight the importance of understanding how collaborating groups' emergent role profiles dynamically interact during collaborative learning and how different role profile configurations relate to achievement. • The study identifies students' self-adopted roles and role profiles. • Identification of role profiles was based on fine-grained coding of interactions. • The study suggests how role profile configurations relate to achievement. • Configurations differ in higher- and lower-achieving groups. • The significance of role profiles for collaborative learning is discussed.

A Multi-Criteria Assessment Strategy for 3D Printed Porous Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) Patient-Specific Implants for Orbital Wall Reconstruction.

Pure orbital blowout fractures occur within the confines of the internal orbital wall. Restoration of orbital form and volume is paramount to prevent functional and esthetic impairment. The anatomical peculiarity of the orbit has encouraged surgeons to develop implants with customized features to restore its architecture. This has resulted in worldwide clinical demand for patient-specific implants (PSIs) designed to fit precisely in the patient’s unique anatomy. Material extrusion or Fused filament fabrication (FFF) three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has enabled the fabrication of implant-grade polymers such as Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), paving the way for a more sophisticated generation of biomaterials. This study evaluates the FFF 3D printed PEEK orbital mesh customized implants with a metric considering the relevant design, biomechanical, and morphological parameters. The performance of the implants is studied as a function of varying thicknesses and porous design constructs through a finite element (FE) based computational model and a decision matrix based statistical approach. The maximum stress values achieved in our results predict the high durability of the implants, and the maximum deformation values were under one-tenth of a millimeter (mm) domain in all the implant profile configurations. The circular patterned implant (0.9 mm) had the best performance score. The study demonstrates that compounding multi-design computational analysis with 3D printing can be beneficial for the optimal restoration of the orbital floor.

The Influence of ES-CSF Profile Configurations and Human Capital on Organizational Performance

Abstract Critical Success Factors (CSF) for a successful enterprise system (ES) implementation have been widely studied at the level of individual firms. However, firms may (unintendedly) end up forming groups (clusters) whose members look alike in terms of the CSF that they emphasize during the ES implementation. The objective of this study is to identify such clusters, analyze the differences in organizational performance and ES benefits among them, and explore whether human capital amplifies the effects of the CSF-based cluster membership. Data were collected from a sample of 125 Mexican firms that have implemented ES. The data analysis indicates the presence of three distinct clusters that differ in organizational performance and ES benefits, with performance indicators being greater for high-human-capital-level firms across the clusters. The findings suggest that ES deployments are complex phenomena subject to institutional forces that shape the CSF configurations that firms emphasize. Different CSF configurations, in turn, determine whether firms profit (or not) from their ES investments.