scholarly journals The Role of Expanded Polystyrene and Geocell in Enhancing the Behavior of Buried HDPE Pipes under Trench Loading Using Numerical Analyses

Geosciences ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 251
Author(s):  
Omid Khalaj ◽  
Mehran Azizian ◽  
Naser Joz Darabi ◽  
Seyed Naser Moghaddas Tafreshi ◽  
Hana Jirková
Keyword(s):  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Numerical Analyses ◽  
Fem Model ◽  
Buried Structures ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Ground Pressure ◽  
Reinforcing Ribs ◽  
Maximum Surface Settlement ◽  
Light Material

In recent years, much research has focused on the use of various materials for relieving and strengthening soil, e.g., steel reinforcing ribs, geosynthetics, geocell, waste tires, and expanded polystyrene (EPS). EPS is being used increasingly in geo-infrastructure, being a super-light material, to replace part of the soil and decrease the ground pressure on buried structures. This paper presents experimental and numerical analyses of the effectiveness of expanded polystyrene and geocell reinforcement for ameliorating the behavior of unpressurized buried pipes exposed to surface loading. A 3-D finite element method (FEM) model of soil, geofoam, geocell, and piping was generated in ABAQUS, and the model was verified by experimental analyses conducted at a laboratory. The results show that reinforcing the soil cover with geocell and geofoam has a substantial impact, decreasing the maximum surface settlement by around 29% and maximum pipe crown displacement by up to 39.5%. In addition, the EPS block density can reduce the maximum pipe crown displacement substantially.

scholarly journals THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGICAL READINESS IN THE GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS OF SERBIAN ECONOMY

2018 ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Radivojević ◽  
Bojan Krstić ◽  
Tanja Stanišić
Keyword(s):  
Business Environment ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Global Competitiveness ◽  
Technological Readiness ◽  
Balkan Countries ◽  
World Economic ◽  
National Economies ◽  
Further Development

Technological readiness is an important determinant of the economic and social development in recent decades. Therefore, technological readiness has a substantial impact on the global competitiveness of national economies in the contemporary business environment. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the level of Serbian economy competitiveness in terms of technological readiness and to identify the critical factors for its further development. The analysis is based on the data published by World Economic Forum in annual The Global Competitiveness Reports in the period from 2013 to 2017. The research is conducted through comparative analysis and benchmarking method. The results show significant deviations and negative trend of technological readiness of Serbia in comparison not only with European countries but even with Balkan countries. The conclusions of this research may serve as the directions for technological readiness policy makers in Serbia and other Balkan countries.

Talent management and organizational sustainability: role of sustainable behaviour

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mujtaba ◽  
Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Talent Management ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Organizational Sustainability ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This study aims to examine the role of talent management (TM) in improving organizational sustainability (OS). The study also investigates employees’ sustainable behaviour (SB) in achieving three-dimensional sustainability goals (i.e. economic, social and environmental). Design/methodology/approach This study focused on medium and large-scale manufacturing firms, whereas the sample size was 196 firms. Data was collected through close-ended questionnaires using the cluster sampling technique. The partial least square-structural equation modelling was used to estimate the modelled relationships. Findings Results show a significant direct impact of TM on OS. Likewise, the results also show a substantial impact of all three dimensions of TM (acquisition, development and retention) on OS. Results confirm that employees’ SB positively mediates between TM and OS. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on the manufacturing sector of Pakistan. The study’s findings imply that TM strategies are an indispensable source of sustainability to attract, develop and retain talented employees in the situation of talent shortage. Moreover, sustainable employees’ behaviour is also depicted as a positive role between TM and OS because sustainable success is not only required the expertize of employees, but it also needs the dedication of employees. Practical implications This study enhances the understanding of TM’s role in improving the OS. The findings imply that a firm should consider TM as the apex strategy for elevating the performance. Findings also reveal the need to adopt a comprehensive strategy or system to manage the talent of an organization. Originality/value Linking the TM with OS and SB is the novelty of the study.

Atmospheric impacts of short-lived chlorinated species over the recent past: a chemistry-climate perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Bednarz ◽  
Ryan Hossaini ◽  
Luke Abraham ◽  
Peter Braesicke ◽  
Martyn Chipperfield
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Stratospheric Ozone ◽  
Lower Boundary ◽  
Montreal Protocol ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Ozone Depleting Substances ◽  
The Impact

<p>The emissions of most long-lived halogenated ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) are now decreasing, owing to controls on their production introduced by Montreal Protocol and its amendments. However, short-lived halogenated compounds can also have substantial impact on atmospheric chemistry, including stratospheric ozone, particularly if emitted near climatological uplift regions. It has recently become evident that emissions of some chlorinated very short-lived species (VSLSs), such as chloroform (CHCl<sub>3</sub>) and dichloromethane (CH<sub>2</sub>Cl<sub>2</sub>), could be larger than previously believed and increasing, particularly in Asia. While these may exert a significant influence on atmospheric chemistry and climate, their impacts remain poorly characterised. </p><p> </p><p>We address this issue using the UM-UKCA chemistry-climate model (CCM). While not only the first, to our knowledge, model study addressing this problem using a CCM, it is also the first such study employing a whole atmosphere model, thereby simulating the tropospheric Cl-VSLSs emissions and the resulting stratospheric impacts in a fully consistent manner. We use a newly developed Double-Extended Stratospheric-Tropospheric (DEST) chemistry scheme, which includes emissions of all major chlorinated and brominated VSLSs alongside an extended treatment of long-lived ODSs.</p><p> </p><p>We examine the impacts of rising Cl-VSLSs emissions on atmospheric chlorine tracers and ozone, including their long-term trends. We pay particular attention to the role of ‘nudging’, as opposed to the free-running model set up, for the simulated Cl-VSLSs impacts, thereby demostrating the role of atmospheric dynamics in modulating the atmospheric responses to Cl-VSLSs. In addition, we employ novel estimates of Cl-VSLS emissions over the recent past and compare the results with the simulations that prescribe Cl-VSLSs using simple lower boundary conditions. This allows us to demonstrate the impact such choice has on the dominant location and seasonality of the Cl-VSLSs transport into the stratosphere.</p>

scholarly journals The Local Food Environment and Food Security: The Health Behavior Role of Social Capital

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (24) ◽  
pp. 5045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Paul ◽  
John E. Paul ◽  
Rosa S. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
Food Politics ◽  
Substantial Impact

Food politics and economic forces may determine the macro conditions for food supply, but the local environment has the most substantial impact on population health. Food security is determined not only by the basic availability of food, but also by social, economic, and cultural factors influencing dietary behaviors. This paper investigates the role of social institutions, specifically social capital, in affecting food security by proposing a theoretical linkage between social capital and health behavior, and an illustrative case is provided. Social capital, defined as the value of the bonding, bridging, and linking relationships between people, is well demonstrated to be related to health. Many mechanisms link social capital to health, including shared access to food and nutritional behaviors. Further, social capital influences health through social status and race. This paper further investigates the links between minority status, food security, social capital, and health. The analysis draws on empirical work in North Carolina with community gardens, faith communities, the local food environment, and other social capital-related variables. By investigating the nature of local food security, particularly for minority populations, this analysis allows for better integration of local conditions with global food politics.

scholarly journals On the widths and binding energies of K− nuclear states and the role of K− multi-nucleon interactions

2018 ◽  
Vol 181 ◽  
pp. 01009
Author(s):  
Jaroslava Hrtankova ◽  
Jiří Mareš
Keyword(s):  
Bound States ◽  
Binding Energies ◽  
Many Body ◽  
Nucleon Interaction ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Coupled Channels ◽  
Self Consistent ◽  
Interaction Term ◽  
Many Body Systems

We report on our recent self-consistent calculations of K− nuclear quasi-bound states using K− optical potentials derived from chirally motivated meson-baryon coupled channels models [1, 2]. The K− single-nucleon potentials were supplemented by a phenomenological K− multi-nucleon interaction term introduced to achieve good fits to K− atom data. We demonstrate a substantial impact of the K− multi-nucleon absorption on the widths of K− nuclear states. If such states ever exist in nuclear many-body systems, their widths are excessively large to allow observation.

The Effect of Herding Behaviors on Dual-Route Processing of Communications Aimed at Tourism Crowdfunding Ventures

2020 ◽  
pp. 004728752091951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myung Ja Kim ◽  
James F. Petrick
Keyword(s):  
Source Credibility ◽  
Elaboration Likelihood Model ◽  
Elaboration Likelihood ◽  
Herding Behavior ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Argument Quality ◽  
Persuasive Communications ◽  
Likelihood Model ◽  
Dual Route

Communications can be integral in persuading funders to invest in visitor economy crowdfunding. Despite the important role of diverse communications on consumer persuasion, research on the effectiveness of persuasive communications related to crowdfunding ventures has been limited. To bridge the gap, this study aims to verify an elaboration likelihood model to better understand the role of dual-route persuasive communications. Seven hypotheses related to argument quality, source credibility, benefit of crowdfunding, attachment to fundraiser and platform, and continued crowdfunding were examined, using herding behavior as a moderator. The findings revealed that argument quality had a substantial impact on benefit. Further, source credibility was found to have positive impacts on benefit and attachment; benefit had a significant effect on attachment and continued crowdfunding, and attachment had the strongest influence on continued crowdfunding. Additionally, herding behavior was found to moderate five of the six hypotheses.

The Effect of Sexual Abuse on Deviant Behaviors Among Turkish Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Emotions

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ozgur Solakoglu ◽  
Nichola Driver ◽  
Scott H. Belshaw
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Property Crime ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Deviant Behaviors ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
General Strain

Drawing from Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory, the purpose of this study is to examine the effect of sexual abuse on deviant behaviors, such as suicide, smoking, drinking, drug use, violent crime, and property crime, among Turkish adolescents. The article also aims to understand the mediating role of negative emotions, including depression and anger, as well as gender differences in this relationship. Findings from a series of analyses demonstrate that the experience of sexual abuse is significantly related to the likelihood of engaging in most of the deviant behaviors. In addition, the mediating role of negative emotions, particularly anger, was highlighted in the findings. Furthermore, the effect of sexual abuse on deviant behaviors was relatively greater for Turkish males compared with Turkish females. The current study contributes to the literature on the consequences of sexual abuse by considering them within the unique Islamic–Western cultural context of Turkey. Overall, findings suggest that this particular form of strain has a substantial impact on deviant behaviors among Turkish adolescents.

Role of topoisomerase inhibition and DNA repair mechanisms in the genotoxicity of alternariol and altertoxin-II

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Tiessen ◽  
H. Gehrke ◽  
C. Kropat ◽  
C. Schwarz ◽  
S. Bächler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Dna Repair ◽  
Topoisomerase I ◽  
Topoisomerase Ii ◽  
Dna Lesions ◽  
Nuclear Antigen ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Ht29 Cells ◽  
Repair Pathways

Alternariol (AOH) and altertoxin-II (ALTX-II) have been demonstrated to possess genotoxic properties. However, the underlying mechanisms of action have not been fully elucidated yet. AOH has recently been shown to act as a topoisomerase I and II poison, contributing to its genotoxic properties. The topoisomerase-specific repair factor tyrosyl-DNA-phosphodiesterase-1 (TDP1) is involved in the respective repair processes of damaged DNA induced by topoisomerase II poison. In the present study, we investigated the role of DNA repair pathways for the extent of DNA damage by AOH and addressed the question whether interference with topoisomerase II might play a role in the genotoxicity of ALTX-II. Under cell-free conditions, AOH and ALTX-II suppressed the activity of topoisomerase II at a comparable concentration range. In HT29 cells, AOH enhanced the level of covalent DNA-topoisomerase II complexes, thus acting as a topoisomerase poison in DNA damaging concentrations. In contrast, ALTX-II in genotoxic concentrations did not show any effect on the stability of these complexes, indicating that interference with topoisomerases does not play a relevant role in genotoxicity. The differences in genotoxic mechanisms seem to be reflected in the activation of p53. AOH was found to increase p53 phosphorylation in HT29 cells in DNA damaging concentrations. In contrast, incubation with ALTX-II did not affect p53 phosphorylation despite substantial increase in tail intensity in the comet assay, suggesting that the DNA lesions formed by ALTX-II are not detected by the DNA-repair machinery of HT29 cells. These results are supported by differences in persistence of DNA damage, still maintained after 24 h for ALTX-II but nearly vanished already after 3 h for AOH. Furthermore, microarray and qPCR analysis did not indicate any substantial impact of AOH on the transcription of key elements of DNA repair pathways. However, siRNA-approaches indicate that, in addition to TDP1, the expression of other elements of the DNA repair machinery exemplified by the 70 kDa Ku autoantigen and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen are relevant for AOH-mediated DNA damage.

scholarly journals Reducing Industrial Energy Use and CO2 Emissions: The Role of Materials Science

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dolf Gielen ◽  
John Newman ◽  
Martin K. Patel
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Fuel Switching ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
Industrial Energy ◽  
Industrial Energy Use ◽  
And Storage

AbstractNearly one-third of the world's energy consumption and 36% of its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are attributable to manufacturing industries. However, the adoption of advanced technologies already in commercial use could provide technical energy savings in industry of 27–41 exajoules (EJ), along with a reduction in CO2 emissions of 2.2–3.2 gigatonnes (Gt) per year, about 7–12% of today's global CO2 emissions. Even more significant savings can be attained on the supply side if fuel switching and CO2 capture and storage are considered. However, such changes must start in the coming decade to have a substantial impact by 2050.

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