Nonverbal Emotion Recognition and Performance: Differences Matter Differently

PURPOSE: This paper aims to explore and test the relationship between emotion recognition skill and assessment center performance after controlling for both general mental ability (GMA) and conscientiousness. It also seeks to test whether participant sex or race moderated these relationships. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Using independent observers as raters, the paper tested 528 business students participating in a managerial assessment center, while they performed four distinct activities of: an in-basket task; a team meeting for an executive hiring decision; a team meeting to discuss customer service initiatives; and an individual speech.FINDINGS: Emotion recognition predicted assessment center performance uniquely over both GMA and conscientiousness, but results varied by race. Females were better at emotion recognition overall, but sex neither was related to assessment center performance nor moderated the relationship between it and emotion recognition. The paper also found that GMA moderated the emotion recognition/assessment performance link, as the former was important to performance only for people with low levels of GMA. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results seem to contradict those who argue that E-IQ is an unqualified predictor of performance. Emotional recognition is not uniformly valuable; instead, it appears to benefit some groups more than others. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper clarifies the emotional intelligence literature by providing further support for the predictive validity of emotion recognition in performance contexts, and by separating out how emotional recognition benefits certain population groups more

Assessing the Effectiveness of Whole Person Learning Pedagogy in Skill Acquisition

We describe a whole person learning experiential/behavioral skill pedagogy developed in an executive skills course. The pedagogy was designed to address recent criticisms of MBA education relative to program relevancy and the skill sets of students entering the workforce. We present an experiential learning model based on the concept of whole person learning, discuss how the model is used in the class, and provide an empirical assessment of skill improvement over a 5-year period. Using a pre–posttest with control group design to test student skill levels by way of an assessment center, the effectiveness of the pedagogy was supported. The skills assessed included communication, teamwork, leadership/initiative, decision making, and planning/organizing. Guidance is provided for implementing the pedagogy into MBA curricula. We describe a whole person learning experiential/behavioral skill pedagogy developed in an executive skills course. The pedagogy was designed to address recent criticisms of MBA education relative to program relevancy and the skill sets of students entering the workforce. We present an experiential learning model based on the concept of whole person learning, discuss how the model is used in the class, and provide an empirical assessment of skill improvement over a 5-year period. Using a pre–posttest with control group design to test student skill levels by way of an assessment center, the effectiveness of the pedagogy was supported. The skills assessed included communication, teamwork, leadership/initiative, decision making, and planning/organizing. Guidance is provided for implementing the pedagogy into MBA curricula

Extending displacement-based earthquake loss assessment (DBELA) for the computation of fragility curves

This paper presents a new procedure to derive fragility functions for populations of buildings that relies on the displacement-based earthquake loss assessment (DBELA) methodology. In the method proposed herein, thousands of synthetic buildings have been produced considering the probabilistic distribution describing the variability in geometrical and material properties. Then, their nonlinear capacity has been estimated using the DBELA method and their response against a large set of ground motion records has been estimated. Global limit states are used to estimate the distribution of buildings in each damage state for different levels of ground motion, and a regression algorithm is applied to derive fragility functions for each limit state. The proposed methodology is demonstrated for the case of ductile and non-ductile Turkish reinforced concrete frames with masonry infills

Imbibition in mesoporous silica: rheological concepts and experiments on water and a liquid crystal

We present, along with some fundamental concepts regarding imbibition of liquids in porous hosts, an experimental, gravimetric study on the capillarity-driven invasion dynamics of water and of the rod-like liquid crystal octyloxycyanobiphenyl (8OCB) in networks of pores a few nanometers across in monolithic silica glass (Vycor). We observe, in agreement with theoretical predictions, square root of time invasion dynamics and a sticky velocity boundary condition for both liquids investigated. Temperature-dependent spontaneous imbibition experiments on 8OCB reveal the existence of a paranematic phase due to the molecular alignment induced by the pore walls even at temperatures well beyond the clearing point. The ever present velocity gradient in the pores is likely to further enhance this ordering phenomenon and prevent any layering in molecular stacks, eventually resulting in a suppression of the smectic phase in favor of the nematic phase.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figure

Efficacy and safety of P11-4 for the treatment of periodontal defects in dogs

Objectives: This study's aim was to investigate the safety and performance of a self-assembling peptide matrix (SAPM) P11-4 for the treatment of periodontal disease in a controlled pre-clinical study. Materials and methods: Acute buccal bony dehiscence defects (LxW: 5 × 3 mm) were surgically created on the distal root of four teeth on one mandible side of 7 beagle dogs followed by another identical surgery 8 weeks later on the contralateral side. SAPM P11-4 (with and without root conditioning with 24% EDTA (T1, T2)), Emdogain® (C) and a sham intervention (S) were randomly applied on the four defects at each time point. Four weeks after the second surgery and treatment, the animals were sacrificed, the mandibles measured by micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) and sections of the tissue were stained and evaluated histologically. Results: Clinically and histologically, no safety concerns or pathological issues due to the treatments were observed in any of the study groups at any time point. All groups showed overall similar results after 4 and 12 weeks of healing regarding new cementum, functionality of newly formed periodontal ligament and recovery of height and volume of the new alveolar bone and mineral density. Conclusion: A controlled clinical study in humans should be performed in a next step as no adverse effects or safety issues, which might affect clinical usage of the product, were observed. Clinical relevance: The synthetic SAPM P11-4 may offer an alternative to the animal-derived product Emdogain® in the future

Influence of CEO and firm characteristics on SME internationalization: evidence from California

Drawing on upper echelons and internalization theories, this study investigates the association of CEO’s demographic characteristics and firm-specific advantages (FSAs) with the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To address the gaps identified in the literature, it was hypothesized that the founder’s characteristics, including educational level, previous start-up and industry experience, immigrant status, various international experiences, and foreign language ability, will be positively associated with SMEs’ internationalization. Additionally, the SMEs’ age and size measured by the amount of start-up capital, number of employees, and annual sales would also have a positive association with SMEs’ internationalization. These factors were analyzed using logistic regression, based on two separate datasets. The first dataset consisted of archival data from 2,240 California firms collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, while the second dataset was collected by the authors through an online survey of 329 SMEs. The study found that the CEO’s educational level, immigrant status, and previous work abroad experience, were positively associated with firm internationalization. SMEs’ size based on annual sales and number of employees were firm factors associated with internationalization. The findings point to the importance of people’s development, by both firms and government initiatives, in supporting and boosting SMEs’ internationalization

Seismic hazard and risk due to induced earthquakes at a shale gas site

Hydraulic fracturing of the first shale gas well at Preston New Road (PNR), Blackpool, United Kingdom, in late 2018, marked the end of a 7 yr United Kingdom‐wide moratorium on fracking. Despite a strict traffic‐light system being in place, seismic events up to ML 2.9 were induced. The ML 2.9 event was accompanied by reports of damage and was assigned European Macroseismic Scale 1998 (EMS‐98) intensity VI by the British Geological Survey. The moratorium was subsequently reinstated in late 2019. The study here presents a pseudo‐probabilistic seismic risk analysis and is applied to the larger of the induced events at PNR, in addition to hypothetical larger events. Initially, site characterization analysis is undertaken using direct and indirect methods. These analyses show low‐velocity deposits dominate the region (⁠VS30¯¯¯¯¯¯=227  m/s⁠). We test existing ground‐motion prediction equations using spatially dependent VS30 to determine applicability to the recorded waveform data and produce a referenced empirical model. Predicting median and 84th percentile peak ground velocity fields, we subsequently determine macroseismic intensities. Epicentral intensities of IV, IV–V, and VI–VII are predicted for the observed ML 2.9, and hypothetical ML 3.5 and 4.5 scenarios, respectively. A probabilistic analysis of damage is performed for 3500 ground‐motion realizations (⁠2.1≤ML≤4.5⁠) using the OpenQuake‐engine, with nonlinear dynamic analysis undertaken to define building fragility. Based on these analyses, the onset of cosmetic damage (DS1) in terms of median risk is observed for the ML 2.9 event. Mean modeled occurrences of DS1 and DS2 (minor structural damage), 75 and 10 instances, respectively, are consistent with reported damage (DS1:97, DS2:50). Significant occurrences (⁠median≥30 buildings) of DS2, DS3, and DS4 (minor to major structural damage) are likely for ML 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 events, respectively. However, by comparing reported damage with modeled damage due to the ML 2.9 event and considering the fact that low macroseismic intensities (EMS‐98 <4⁠) are often not reported by the public, we conclude that the previously assigned intensity of VI is too high, with V being more appropriate

Sum rules for isospin centroids in pick-up reactions on general multishell target states

Sum Rules equations for pick-up reactions are presented for the first time for the energy centroids of states both for the isospin T_< (\equiv T_0 - 1 \over 2) and T_> (\equiv T_0 + {1 \over 2}) of the final nucleus when a nucleon is picked up from a general multishell target state with isospin T_0. These equations contain two-body correlation terms, , which, at the present moment, are difficult to handle analytically. These terms are managed by combining these equations with the known stripping reactions equations. Sample applications of these equations to experimental data are presented.Comment: 11 pages, LaTe

Statistical modeling of ground motion relations for seismic hazard analysis

We introduce a new approach for ground motion relations (GMR) in the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA), being influenced by the extreme value theory of mathematical statistics. Therein, we understand a GMR as a random function. We derive mathematically the principle of area-equivalence; wherein two alternative GMRs have an equivalent influence on the hazard if these GMRs have equivalent area functions. This includes local biases. An interpretation of the difference between these GMRs (an actual and a modeled one) as a random component leads to a general overestimation of residual variance and hazard. Beside this, we discuss important aspects of classical approaches and discover discrepancies with the state of the art of stochastics and statistics (model selection and significance, test of distribution assumptions, extreme value statistics). We criticize especially the assumption of logarithmic normally distributed residuals of maxima like the peak ground acceleration (PGA). The natural distribution of its individual random component (equivalent to exp(epsilon_0) of Joyner and Boore 1993) is the generalized extreme value. We show by numerical researches that the actual distribution can be hidden and a wrong distribution assumption can influence the PSHA negatively as the negligence of area equivalence does. Finally, we suggest an estimation concept for GMRs of PSHA with a regression-free variance estimation of the individual random component. We demonstrate the advantages of event-specific GMRs by analyzing data sets from the PEER strong motion database and estimate event-specific GMRs. Therein, the majority of the best models base on an anisotropic point source approach. The residual variance of logarithmized PGA is significantly smaller than in previous models. We validate the estimations for the event with the largest sample by empirical area functions. etc

Synthesis of accelerograms compatible with the Chinese GB 50011-2001 design spectrum via harmonic wavelets: artificial and historic records

A versatile approach is employed to generate artificial accelerograms which satisfy the compatibility criteria prescribed by the Chinese aseismic code provisions GB 50011-2001. In particular, a frequency dependent peak factor derived by means of appropriate Monte Carlo analyses is introduced to relate the GB 50011-2001 design spectrum to a parametrically defined evolutionary power spectrum (EPS). Special attention is given to the definition of the frequency content of the EPS in order to accommodate the mathematical form of the aforementioned design spectrum. Further, a one-to-one relationship is established between the parameter controlling the time-varying intensity of the EPS and the effective strong ground motion duration. Subsequently, an efficient auto-regressive moving-average (ARMA) filtering technique is utilized to generate ensembles of non-stationary artificial accelerograms whose average response spectrum is in a close agreement with the considered design spectrum. Furthermore, a harmonic wavelet based iterative scheme is adopted to modify these artificial signals so that a close matching of the signals’ response spectra with the GB 50011-2001 design spectrum is achieved on an individual basis. This is also done for field recorded accelerograms pertaining to the May, 2008 Wenchuan seismic event. In the process, zero-phase high-pass filtering is performed to accomplish proper baseline correction of the acquired spectrum compatible artificial and field accelerograms. Numerical results are given in a tabulated format to expedite their use in practice