SDGs in corporate responsibility reporting: a longitudinal investigation of institutional determinants and financial performance

Companies play a central role in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); as such, they face institutional pressures to increase their engagement with SDGs. However, given the complexity of SDGs, it is unclear whether these pressures lead firms to adopt engagement approaches that address a few goals or the whole set of 17, and if that choice has any subsequent effect on financial performance. To shed light on these issues, this research draws on the neo-institutional theory to investi- gate whether two institutional determinants—industry type and country of origin— affect SDG engagement and whether such engagement improves financial perfor- mance. Based on a content analysis and a regression analysis on high-reputation companies (the 100 most sustainable firms in the world) over the period 2017–2020, we find that the institutional pressures associated with industry type and country- of-origin positively impact any engagement approach to SDGs. However, we estab- lish that companies’ financial performance only generally improves when engaging with either the whole set of SDGs or a specific subset of the most frequently cited. This study provides important theoretical and practical contributions that illuminate firms’ institutional and financial rationales for adopting SDGs

A CLINICAL AND HISTOMORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF CALCIUM SULFATE (DENTOGEN®), COMPARED TO FREEZE DRIED BONE ALLOGRAFT (FDBA) FOR ALVEOLAR RIDGE PRESERVATION

poster abstractThere is significant ridge resorption following tooth extraction. Freeze dried bone allograft (FDBA) is most widely used for ridge preservation and calcium sulfate has begun to show popularity. The objective of this study is to evaluate if DentoGen® (calcium sulfate) is as effective in preserving post extraction ridge dimensions compared to FDBA. Thirty consecutive single rooted extraction sites were selected that met the inclusion criteria for the study. Post extraction clinical measurements were made with a pre-fabricated stent and dental calipers. The sites were then divided randomly into the test group (calcium sulfate) or the control group (FDBA). Patients were recalled after 3 months, sites were reentered and clinical measurements were again made. A trephine bone core was harvested and sent for histomorphometric analysis. A total of 21 subjects with 41 potential sites were recruited to this study (IRB approval # 1003-56). Following extraction, 29 sites met the inclusion criteria. To date, no significant change in vertical ridge height pre to post surgery was noted within the test and control groups (0.53 + 1.63mm, 0.35 ± 1.13mm, respectively). There was a significant decrease in buccal-lingual ridge width within both groups, (-1.23 + 1.14mm test group. 0.93 + 0.94mm control group) There was no significant difference in the preservation performance between the two treatment groups for both ridge width and vertical height. Histological samples are currently being analyzed. Results suggest no statically significant differences between the use of calcium sulfate versus FDBA in preserving post extraction ridge dimensions

The effect of bilayer graphene on sensitivity of surface plasmon resonounce biosensor

In this paper, the effect of bilayer graphene on sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor is numerically presented. It shows that the zero reflection at the resonance angle occurred by choosing proper thickness for gold and graphene layers. This research analyzes light reflection in angular modulation with a fixed wavelength (?=633 nm) of incident light regarding to variation in thickness of gold layer underlying bilayer graphene. In comparison to the conventional SPR sensors, graphene based sensor gives a larger local change in the refractive index near the sensor surface. The light reflection coupled into a SPR mode propagating along a gold-graphene layer is calculated and compared to a conventional SPR sensor with varied gold thicknesses

Safeguarding energy tunnels against explosive load by using concrete and soil annihilators

Utilization of buried structures is one of the usual approaches of non-factor defense in order to protect vital plants and arteries of cities against terroristic attacks (explosion). Besides the examination of the effect of surface and deep explosions on buried structures and how to model and analyze them in Abaqus software and in 3D mode, this study investigates various strategies to improve their safety. In this investigation, the influence of using concrete annihilators made horizontally on the upper surfaces of tunnels is examined. In addition, the improvement of the performance of these structures by using soft sand vertical sinks that are able to be made around energy tunnels, is examined. Investigations show that although using anti-explosion eagles reduces the damages of explosive loads, using mixed annihilators may effectively improve this performance

The Effect of Element Types on Force Analogy Method Analysis

In this study, the seismic performance of a 2D portal frame subjected to the recorded seismic ground motions of the Northridge 1994 earthquake was evaluated by the force analogy method (FAM) with different element types. To increase the accuracy of FAM, Timoshenko (TS) elements were employed instead of the classical Euler Bernoulli (EB) elements, to revert the shear deformations that are neglected in EB elements. To perform evaluation, the same material and section properties were considered and the same portal frame was analyzed with different element lengths, from 0.5 to 7.0 m in 0.5 m steps

Optimization of earthquake energy dissipation system by genetic algorithm

Numerous recent studies have assessed the stability and safety of structures furnished with different types of structural control systems, such as viscous dampers. A challenging issue in this field is the optimization of structural control systems to protect structures against severe earthquake excitation. As the safety of a structure depends on many factors, including the failure of structural members and movement of each structural node in any direction, the optimization technique must consider many parameters simultaneously. However, the available literature on optimizing earthquake energy dissipation systems shows that most researchers have considered optimization processes using just one or a few parameters applicable only to simple SDOF or MDOF systems. This article reports on the development of a multiobjective optimization procedure for structural passive control systems based on genetic algorithm; this research focused on systems that would minimize the effects of earthquake based on realistic structural responses considering plastic hinge occurrence in structural elements and three-directional displacement in all structural nodes. The model was applied to an example of three-dimensional reinforced concrete framed building and its structural seismic responses were investigated. The results showed that the optimized control system effectively reduced the seismic response of structures, thus enhancing building safety during earthquake excitations

The Effect of Element Types on Force Analogy Method Analysis

In this study, the seismic performance of a 2D portal frame subjected to the recorded seismic ground motions of the Northridge 1994 earthquake was evaluated by the force analogy method (FAM) with different element types. To increase the accuracy of FAM, Timoshenko (TS) elements were employed instead of the classical Euler Bernoulli (EB) elements, to revert the shear deformations that are neglected in EB elements. To perform evaluation, the same material and section properties were considered and the same portal frame was analyzed with different element lengths, from 0.5 to 7.0 m in 0.5 m steps

A Novel Algorithm for Effective Vibration Control of Portal Frames

Severe vibrations such as earthquakes threaten to demolish or cause damage to built structures during their lifetime. Mitigation of such damage can be done by using control devices such as actuators. In this paper, an algorithm is proposed to analyze the nonlinear behavior of a portal frame supported by an actuator. The results were compared with those for a frame without actuator. The algorithm was developed in accordance with the Timoshenko beam element theory. ANSYS verified the results for the cases of a frame supported by a damper element and a frame without actuator. The results support the efficiency of the algorithm in reducing frame vibration and top-node displacement

A Novel Algorithm for Effective Vibration Control of Portal Frames

Severe vibrations such as earthquakes threaten to demolish or cause damage to built structures during their lifetime. Mitigation of such damage can be done by using control devices such as actuators. In this paper, an algorithm is proposed to analyze the nonlinear behavior of a portal frame supported by an actuator. The results were compared with those for a frame without actuator. The algorithm was developed in accordance with the Timoshenko beam element theory. ANSYS verified the results for the cases of a frame supported by a damper element and a frame without actuator. The results support the efficiency of the algorithm in reducing frame vibration and top-node displacement