Original Theory Research Articles

Experimental investigation of punching shear behavior of flat slabs supported by rectangular columns and loaded with various load patterns

AbstractThe paper presents the results of an original experimental program that was focused on punching shear behavior of flat slabs supported by rectangular columns with a column rectangularity index cmax/cmin = 1.0, 4.33, and 6.33 and slabs supported by elongated columns that were loaded by four different load patterns. Seven isolated flat slab specimens with a thickness of 200 mm were tested until their failure. An effect of the column geometry and the way of the flat slab loading on punching shear capacity of slab‐column connections were investigated. The obtained experimental results were confronted with predictions carried out with the design provisions from code of practice EC2 (2004), ACI 318‐19, and prEC2 (2021) and the original Critical Shear Crack Theory (CSCT) (2008) model developed by Muttoni. Experimental results confirmed an effect of column rectangularity on punching shear resistance when a value of shear strength ratio Vtest/Vmodel was below one in the specimens with cmax/cmin > 2. The highest punching resistance was achieved in slab specimen with loading pattern x/2y where x is an axis along the column dimension cmax. The lowest capacity was achieved with a loading pattern 9x/y where 90% of the load flew perpendicular to the axis “y” parallel with cmin. The most accurate and balanced predictions provided CSCT (2008) model.

A Note on Homelessness and the Moral Economy: How Thompson's Moral Economy Presents in Modern Day Homelessness

In this research note, I propose a theoretical framework that centers class struggle in order to better understand the micro‐level interactions that take place within homeless communities and the systems that structure them. I suggest that researchers can gain clearer insights into marginalized communities by taking a radical interactionist approach, as described by Athens. To start, I propose revisiting classic theories emphasizing the impact of power and dominance in the development of social systems as ways to understand interpersonal social interactions. Specifically, in this note I propose revisiting E.P. Thompson's original theory of the moral economy as an analytical basis and grounding point in the effort to explore homelessness and the communities it creates. Thompson's moral economy suggests that in communities facing oppression and class struggle, an economic and social system develops in which the central tenant is fairness and morality. By revisiting this theory, I suggest that researchers may better understand the ways in which homeless communities structure themselves, not only in relation to one another, but also in relation to the broader social world around them.

Excessive financialization and “Original Sin Theory”: Redemption from corporate reputation

Empirical studies suggest that excessive financialization that firms invest in a high proportion of financial assets will have a negative impact on firm value. This goes against the capital asset pricing theory, which suggests that high risk can produce high expected return. However, there is no explanation for the negative effect. We have empirically found that financial investments can yield higher expected returns compared with physical investments at any level, which aligns with the capital asset pricing theory. However, excessive financialization can harm a company’s reputation, which can be measured through product and service competitiveness, research and development output, and corporate social responsibility. As corporate reputation is an important intangible asset, excessive financialization has a negative impact on the overall firm value. Furthermore, excessive financialization has a greater negative impact on corporate reputation for firms with high financial leverage and sensitivity to economic policy uncertainty.

4차산업혁명이 낳은 융합예술 디카시의 메타포에 관한 연구

As the origin theory of Dicash, I place it in the theory of the yin and yang of the East. Therefore, while the philosophical ideas expressed in Dicash are based on the idea of Cheonji, the idea of Cheonji was verified by limiting it to the collection of Dicapoem published within three years. “Dicapoem a combination of the digital camera Digital pixel, picture element and Poem, is an independent genre of competitive fusion art that overtakes Photo Poem and walks the cutting edge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It has been listed as a new literary term in the Korean language spring of the National Institute of the Korean Language.” In the digital age, poetry is accepted in various ways from writing art to video language, but it can be said that decasi is unique and representative in writing poetry using digital cameras as a tool. Photographic poetry has a history of about 200 years. Dicapoem an independent genre of convergent art, has a history of over 20 years. The founder of decasi was Professor Lee Sang-ok. In addition, since the publication of the first digital poetry collection Lee Sang-ok's 『Goseonggado (Hall of Literature, 2004』 in 2004, discussions on decasi have spread not only in Korea, but also in Asia and around the world. Conventional photographic poetry is an analog method that combines photography and poetry. On the other hand, decasi is a digital method that combines digital cameras and poetry. The text was a collection of digital poems by three people, Lee Gyeong-soon, Son Gye-guk, and Kim Sun-mi. Each of their decasi collections was made in connection with the Cheon In-ji ideology. I described with an emphasis on the scalability of Dicapoem. As digital literature, Dicapoem can be said to be a gift of God born by the digital revolution, and it can be confirmed that Dicapoem expresses the metaphor of 'the sky', 'people' and 'the land'.

Leveraging the insights of depth: A staged strategy for building qualitative case studies of American state‐level policy

AbstractObjectiveThis article identifies and explains the need for qualitative case studies of U.S. state‐level public policy and politics before providing researchers with a practical roadmap for how to proceed.MethodsWe first review relevant research from political science and sociology to establish the need for qualitative policy‐focused state‐level case study research. We then lay out a three‐stage approach for case study research design and data collection.ResultsWe find that qualitative case study research into state‐level politics and policy making is useful for developing original theories that move beyond those developed at the federal level, for distinguishing between states and state policies in ways that are not easily measurable, and for conducting research that attends to variation in the meaning of policy design within different state contexts. We further find that barriers to conducting such research can be reduced by following a three‐stage strategy that we elaborate.ConclusionState‐level policy making yields essential processes and outcomes that social scientists across disciplines want to understand. Relying exclusively on quantitative methods will result in incomplete knowledge acquisition. Qualitative case studies, while time‐consuming, are worthwhile and achievable. Researchers seeking to conduct this research can follow a three‐stage strategy to make the process more manageable.

Black hole thermodynamics in natural variables: quadrophenia

It was recently observed in [1] for thermal Kerr-Newman black holes in 4d flat space that one can rewrite the conventional thermodynamics on the inner and outer horizons in terms of left- and right-moving variables with a remarkable simplification of the corresponding expressions. With the goal of illustrating the wide applicability of these newly proposed natural variables, we extend the original observation in four independent directions that can be further superimposed on each other. These four generalizations can be thought of as different deformations of the original 4d Einstein-Maxwell theory, all within the framework of supergravity: higher derivative (HD) corrections in minimal 4d supergravity; additional scalar and vector couplings in matter-coupled 4d supergravity; higher dimensions, in particular 5d minimal supergravity; and a cosmological constant in 4d minimal gauged supergravity with Anti-de Sitter (AdS) vacuum. Each of these generalizations offers a different lesson about the novel thermodynamics, and we pay special attention to the respective BPS limits that can be understood from fixed point formulae, demonstrating the power of the natural variables to capture the full phase space.

Profound changes in global sourcing? The country of origin theory and its effects on sourcing decisions

PurposeThis study aims to examine decision factors for global sourcing, differentiated into transcontinental and continental sourcing to obtain insight into locational aspects of sourcing decisions and global trends. This study analyzed various country perceptions to reveal their influence on sourcing decisions. The country of origin (COO) theory explains why certain country perceptions and images influence purchasing experts in their selection of suppliers.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a two-study approach. In Study 1, the authors conducted discrete choice card experiments with 71 purchasing experts located in Europe and the USA to examine the importance of essential decision factors for global sourcing. Given the clear evidence that location is a factor in sourcing decisions, in Study 2 the authors investigated purchasers’ perceptions and images of countries, adding country ranking experiments on various perceived characteristics such as quality, price and technology.FindingsStudy 1 provides evidence that the purchasers’ personal relationship with the supplier plays a decisive role in the supplier selection process. While product quality and location impact sourcing decisions, the attraction of the buying company and cultural barriers are less significant. Interestingly, however, these factors seem as important as price to respondents. This implies that a strong relationship with suppliers and good quality products are essential aspects of a reliable and robust supply chain in the post-COVID-19 era. Examining the locational aspect in detail, Study 2 linked the choice card experiments with country ranking experiments. In this study, the authors found that purchasing experts consider that transcontinental countries such as Japan and China offer significant advantages in terms of price and technology. China has enhanced its quality, which is recognizable in the country ranking experiments. Therefore, decisions on global sourcing are not just based on such high-impact factors as price and availability; country perceptions are also influential. Additionally, the significance of the locational aspect could be linked to certain country images of transcontinental suppliers, as the COO theory describes.Originality/valueThe new approach divides global sourcing into transcontinental and European sourcing to evaluate special decision factors and link these factors to the locational aspect of sourcing decisions. To deepen the clear evidence for the locational aspect and investigate the possible influence of country perceptions, the authors applied the COO theory. This approach enabled authors to show the strong influence of country perception on purchasing departments, which is represented by the locational effect. Hence, the success of transcontinental countries relies not only on factors such as their availability but also on the purchasers’ positive perceptions of these countries in terms of technology and price.

Pidgins and Creoles: Analysis of The Etymology, Relevant Theories and The Influence of Media

Being a common phenomenon, bilingualism occurs when a person acquires two languages. Bilingualism can take place for commercial, political, and educational purposes. Educational purposes aside, the unwavering commercial and political ambitions of bigger civilizations coerced them to colonize smaller civilizations. For this reason, they imposed their languages on the colonized local people. Locals responded to the demands of colonizers by forming their languages called pidgin. As this common language evolved and became the native language of the contiguous generation, the language improved following its linguistic features, that is, creolized. Several theories regarding their origin exist in the literature. Thus; the present review aims to examine and explain these theories concerning their historical background and framework and mention the influence of media on pidgins and creoles appealing to antecedent studies in the relevant literature. Based on the systematic review of different studies, the present review concludes that pidgins and creoles are not inaccurate versions of standard languages, but separate languages worthy of studying. Besides, the theories of pidgin and creole origins are all useful guidelines that require holistic analysis because of their interconnectedness. Theories of polygenesis and monogenesis present this integrity complying with Stammbaum (1871) and Wellentheorie (1872). When it comes to the influence of the media, the present review concludes that mediatic tools, such as television, the Internet, and mobile phones, along with literature and music, enable locals to demonstrate their identity, but may sometimes lead to cyberbullying and illegal acts.

Cognitive control adjustments are dependent on the level of conflict

The congruency sequence effect (CSE) is one of the most investigated effects in the cognitive control literature. The conflict monitoring theory suggests that the CSE is the result of adjustments in cognitive control based on perceived conflict. A recent paper by Zhang and colleagues, has investigated whether the manipulation of conflict level by changing distractor incompatibility in a flanker task affects the amount of adjustments in cognitive control. Their study produced mixed findings, somewhat supporting the original conflict monitoring theory, but also suggesting other explanations, such as the repetition expectancy account. We replicated the experimental design in a multisite online study (N = 347), with Hungarian, Italian, and Singaporean participants. Our results supported the prediction that changes in the level of conflict trigger conflict adaptation, revealing that increasing conflict levels induced stronger adaptive control. Bayesian hypothesis testing indicated a monotonic reduction in congruency effects as a function of previous conflict strength. This finding is in line with the extension of the traditional conflict monitoring theory, as well as other theories like affective signaling and expected value of control, implying that the relationship between conflict and interference effects is gradual, rather than a binary function.

William Dwight Whitney’s study of language acquisition in The Life and Growth of Language (1875): His entry point to his scientific method and theory of language and mind

ABSTRACT William Dwight Whitney (1827–1894) began The Life and Growth of Language: An Outline of Linguistic Science (1875) with an initial chapter fully devoted to language acquisition. He began his study of linguistic science with language acquisition because for him it was the logical starting point for a study of language, and it introduced his scientific method and his theory of language and mind. Throughout the chapter, Whitney exemplified the centring of his scientific method on direct observation. By beginning his study of language with language acquisition, he rejected the prevailing divine origin theory of his time, which contended that language was divinely created, given to humans, and in decline ever since. Rather, Whitney argued that language began with language acquisition, and that it was continually evolving to meet the ever-changing social and personal needs of its speakers. He also used language acquisition to introduce his reader to his theory of language and mind: a theory that would run consistently throughout his book. Whitney’s scientific method and his theory of language and mind positioned linguistics prominently among the emerging sciences of the late nineteenth century and would significantly influence a new course for linguistics in the twentieth century.

A hybrid quantum-classical theory for predicting terahertz charge-transfer plasmons in metal nanoparticles on graphene.

Metal nanoparticle (NP) complexes lying on a single-layer graphene surface are studied with a developed original hybrid quantum-classical theory using the Finite Element Method (FEM) that is computationally cheap. Our theory is based on the motivated assumption that the carrier charge density in the doped graphene does not vary significantly during the plasmon oscillations. Charge transfer plasmon (CTP) frequencies, eigenvectors, quality factors, energy loss in the NPs and in graphene, and the absorption power are aspects that are theoretically studied and numerically calculated. It is shown the CTP frequencies reside in the terahertz range and can be represented as a product of two factors: the Fermi level of graphene and the geometry of the NP complex. The energy losses in the NPs are predicted to be inversely dependent on the radius R of the nanoparticle, while the loss in graphene is proportional to R and the interparticle distance. The CTP quality factors are predicted to be in the range ∼10-100. The absorption power under CTP excitation is proportional to the scalar product of the CTP dipole moment and the external electromagnetic field. The developed theory makes it possible to simulate different properties of CTPs 3-4 orders of magnitude faster compared to the original FEM or the finite-difference time domain method, providing possibilities for predicting the plasmonic properties of very large systems for different applications.

The conceptualisation of morality in Judaism

This article dealt with the irony that confronts any investigation into the conceptualisation of morality in Judaism: much of contemporary scholarship promotes the Strong Dependence Theory where God is considered the prime source of morality − yet an empirical analysis of classical rabbinic literature indicates a leaning more towards the Weak Dependence Theory which considers human beings the source for morality. Somehow, scholarship seems to overlook this textual evidence. On the other hand, that same contemporary scholarship has no problem in accepting absolute and complete human autonomy in the area of Jewish religious law or Halacha. This study questioned why humans are comfortably accepted as the primary determinants of religious law but not of morality – and argued for a return to the original Weak Dependence Theory to maintain moral efficacy. It included an examination of an extreme historical test case for rabbinic morality concerning how the rabbinic world dealt internally with the moral implications of major rabbis who had fled the Holocaust.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: While this literature study was conducted from an orthodox rabbinic perspective, it adopted a descriptive and evaluative methodology based on academic, rabbinic and historical sources.

A behavioral definition of loss aversion

Loss aversion is one of the most important concepts in behavioral economics overcoming descriptive limitations of neoclassical risk aversion. Initially defined as disliking of symmetric 50%-50% bets, loss aversion implies that losses loom larger than gains under original prospect theory as well as many other decision theories but not under cumulative prospect theory (where probabilities of gains and losses are weighted differently). This paper proposes a minor modification of the definition of loss aversion as disliking of mixed lotteries that have symmetric certainty equivalents of their gain and loss parts. This behavioral definition works under cumulative prospect theory and ambiguity.

Preferential cannibalism as a key stabilizing mechanism of intraguild predation systems with trophic polymorphic predators

Theory predicts intraguild predation (IGP) to be unstable despite its ubiquity in nature, prompting exploration of stabilizing mechanisms of IGP. One of the many ways IGP manifests is through inducible trophic polymorphisms in the intraguild (IG) predator, where a resource-eating predator morph competes with the intraguild (IG) prey for the shared resource while a top predator morph consumes the IG prey. Cannibalism is common in this type of system due to the top predator morph’s specialization on the trophic level below it, which includes the resource-eating predator morph. Here, we explore the consequences of inducible trophic polymorphisms in cannibal predators for IGP stability using an IGP model with and without cannibalism. We employ linear stability analysis and identify regions of coexistence based on the top predator morph’s preference for conspecifics vs. heterospecifics and the IG prey’s competitive ability relative to the resource-eating morph. Our findings reveal that preferential cannibalism (i.e., the preferential consumption of conspecifics) stabilizes the system when the IG prey and resource-eating morph have similar competitive abilities for the shared resource. Though original IGP theory finds that the IG prey must be a superior resource competitor as a general criterion for coexistence, this is not typically the case when the predator has an inducible trophic polymorphism and the resource-eating morph is specialized in resource acquisition. Preferential cannibalism may therefore be a key stabilizing mechanism in IGP systems with a cannibalistic, trophic polymorphic IG predators, providing further insight into what general mechanisms stabilize the pervasive IGP interaction.

State-Civil Society Relations

Abstract This paper explores the international comparative potential of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc) monitoring process. Interest in such comparisons has increased in recent years; however, several factors limit the efficacy of using crc reporting documents for cross-national comparisons. Focussing on the role of civil society organisations (cso s) in the crc reporting process, we examine how state reliance on cso s to perform vital functions of the crc might influence developments in children’s rights and how these developments get monitored and recorded. Drawing on Social Origins theory, we illustrate how different state-civil society relationships can lead to heterogeneous and uneven provision of, and reporting on, children’s rights issues, interventions and developments. Our evaluation leads us to problematise the use of the crc Concluding Observations to compare the performance of States Parties on their duty to protect the rights of the child.

The waveguide invariant close to the deep-water bottom

Waveguide invariant, denoted by β, describes the dispersive nature of the underwater acoustic waveguide. In most range-independent shallow-water waveguides β≈1, whereas β is no longer constant in deep water and is more appropriately described by a distribution. This paper investigates the characteristic of β close to the deep-water bottom. The adiabatic normal mode theory is used to analyze β resulting from the bottom-bounce dominated acoustic field qualitatively. Then, the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin approximation with bottom reflection phase shift and the dominance of the acoustic field by groups of modes are employed to amend the original waveguide invariant theory. The interference between the phase-compensated dominant modal groups is calculated to obtain the value of β and analyze the distribution in the two-dimensional spectrum of the interference pattern. For a typical deep-water waveguide, both qualitative and quantitative analyses indicate that β≈1 when close to the bottom instead of a distribution. Simulation and experiment data demonstrate that the interference between phase-compensated dominant modal groups produces particular structure in the two-dimensional spectrum resulting from β being approximately equal to 1. The characteristic of β proposed in this paper has potential application in remote ranging the underwater acoustic source in deep water, which is verified using experimental data.

What promotes residents’ donation behavior for adaptive reuse of cultural heritage projects? An application of the extended theory of planned behavior

The adaptive reuse of cultural heritage (ARCH) is a sustainable heritage management method based on the principle of the circular economy. In response to the financial challenges ARCH faces in its promotion of the sustainable development of circular cities, this study explores the potential of resident donations as a largely untapped source of funding for ARCH projects and the factors influencing residents’ related intentions and behavior. We used partial least squares structural equation models to extend the original theory of planned behavior (TPB) to include policy perceptions, moral perceptions, and heritage awareness. A survey of 2038 residents in Nara Prefecture revealed that perceived behavioral control, behavioral intentions, and moral perceptions are significant positive predictors of residents' actual donation behaviors. Additionally, policy perception and attitudes toward behavior, along with subjective norms, also positively influence the intention to donate. Notably, heritage awareness significantly facilitates the conversion of intentions into actual behaviors. The extended TPB model proves significantly more effective than the original in predicting donation intentions and behaviors. The findings of this study provide insights for policymakers, encouraging a participative approach in cultural heritage management to achieve a virtuous cycle of cultural heritage conservation, thereby contributing to the advancement of sustainable cities.

From God’s Image and Homo Sapiens to Homo Dei: Struggling with People with Intellectual Disabilities

This paper aims to examine the position of people with intellectual disabilities in two areas of study: the theological discourse of the image of God and the scientific study on the evolutionary theory of human origin, exclusively in social Darwinism and Homo sapiens. In Christian interpretations of God’s image, this paper succinctly presents and revisits two parts: ancient Christian (Augustine and Irenaeus) interpretations of God’s image and several different directions (substantial, relational, functional, and ethical approaches), providing the understanding of the image of God in the modern era. In evolutionary theory, this paper focuses on two parts: the idea of social Darwinism and Homo sapiens. In addition, this paper revisits both ideas in constructing an inclusive paradigm of God’s image. The main argument of this paper is that the image of God liberates people with intellectual disabilities from the confines of the exclusive ideas of God’s image and Homo sapiens to a concept of Homo Dei. In conclusion, this paper proposes the idea of Homo Dei to portray an abstract concept of God’s image vis-à-vis the evolutionary theory.

The “Legendre scalarization” of nonlinear gravity theories

We discuss the proposal of a new method to transform an [Formula: see text] metric gravity theory into a general relativistic theory including an auxiliary scalar field, recently introduced by Cotsakis et al. We argue that (i) the fact that the fourth-order equations of [Formula: see text] metric gravity can be recast (via a Legendre transformation) into Einstein equations without any conformal rescaling has been thoroughly clarified in the previous literature, and (ii) the newly proposed method produces a set of equations that are not equivalent to the original theory. In the conclusion, a comment is added on another aspect of the Legendre transformation which seems to be generally overlooked.

Quantifying negative selection on synonymous variants

Widespread adoption of DNA sequencing has resulted in large numbers of genetic variants, whose contribution to disease is not easily determined. Although many types of variation are known to disrupt cellular processes in predictable ways, for some categories of variants, the effects may not be directly detectable. A particular example is synonymous variants, that is, those single-nucleotide variants that create a codon substitution, such that the produced amino acid sequence is unaffected. Contrary to the original theory suggesting that synonymous variants are benign, there is a growing volume of research showing that, despite their "silent" mechanism of action, some synonymous variation may be deleterious. Here, we studied the extent of the negative selective pressure acting on different classes of synonymous variants by analyzing the relative enrichment of synonymous singleton variants in the human exomes provided by gnomAD. Using a modification of the mutability-adjusted proportion of singletons (MAPS) metric as a measure of purifying selection, we found that some classes of synonymous variants are subject to stronger negative selection than others. For instance, variants that reduce codon optimality undergo stronger selection than optimality-increasing variants. Besides, selection affects synonymous variants implicated in splice-site-loss or splice-site-gain events. To understand what drives this negative selection, we tested a number of predictors in the aim to explain the variability in the selection scores. Our findings provide insights into the effects of synonymous variants at the population level, highlighting the specifics of the role that these variants play in health and disease.