bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reflections on the Effect of Organizational Restructuring
Authors: Oncioiu Ionica , Mândricel Diana Andreea
Published: January 2021

This chapter presents a new perspective on processes of change and adaptation to changes in Albanian telecommunications companies in order to maintain their position on the market. The objective of organizational changes, as a continuous process of experimentation and adaptation, is to correlate the capacities of an adaptation company to the business environment. The results of the study have shown that successful management of change is important for the survival and success of any company in the current environment in Albania. To take advantage of the benefits of organizational change stimulated mainly through innovation, companies need to think, act holistically, and make multi-level changes.
Online Organization
Authors: Páscoa Carlos , Telha Ana , Santos Tiago
Published: January 2021

Competitiveness has forced organizations to improve and adapt faster allowing the most capable individuals to fulfil organizational positions. Despite the need to overcome difficulties in resource management, the Portuguese Air Force still uses a method centered in hierarchical structure and career progress. Competencies within job positions are not yet typified, meaning that the individual that occupies a certain job position may not be the most capable. To solve this problem, this article studies an online organization model that represents the concepts of organizational entities, job positions, resource management and human resource management through competency management. The model describes each concept individually and the relationships between components. If validated and implemented, the model will allow an improvement in human resource management effectiveness, and efficiency.
Rife Information Pollution (Infollution) and Virtual Organizations in Industry 4.0
Authors: Iqbal Qaisar , Nawaz Rashid
Published: January 2021

Information pollution, which usually refers to the overabundance of irrelevant, unsolicited, unwanted messages, is a major cause of concern for practitioners and academic researchers. Advances in the information and communication technologies has proliferated the production of information. Consequently, people are suffering from information pollution. Information pollution has made it difficult for employees and individuals to find the quality information quickly and conveniently from diverse information sources including print and electronic sources. This chapter sheds light on the relevant literature of information pollution and analyzes its causes in the Industry 4.0 era and puts forward suggestions for tackling this problem. This chapter emphasizes the significance of concrete efforts from computer scientists, academic professionals, and information professionals to devise strategies and techniques for refuting the effects of information pollution.
Virtual Leadership
Authors: Graham Christian , Daniel Harold , Doore Brian
Published: January 2021

This chapter is an updated review of the results of a study completed in 2015 on leadership's impact on virtual team effectiveness and the quality of the completed virtual team project. Findings in 2015 suggested that leadership style and virtual team effectiveness did predict project quality, and specific leadership styles had a negative relationship with virtual team effectiveness. After summarizing the results of the studies purpose, methodology, and findings, the chapter concludes with a literature review of virtual team's leadership research between 2015 and present. It provides a discussion on the relationship between the previous studies' findings and what has been found since with recommendations on future research on shared leadership and relationship building in virtual teams.
A Discussion on the Relationship Between Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Entrepreneurship
Authors: Eryılmaz Mehmet
Published: January 2021

Entrepreneurship has recently become one of the hot topics in several disciplines such as business administration, economy, sociology, etc. Thus, several studies in several fields focus on antecedents and consequences of entrepreneurial intentions and activities to get deeper insights about the phenomenon. Furthermore, another rising field of study is Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Thus, the main objective of the present article was to discuss possible relationships between these two crucial concepts, namely entrepreneurship and ICT.
Transhumanism and Innovative Leadership
Authors: Ossiannilsson Ebba S. I.
Published: January 2021

Rethinking leadership at all levels is required to reach the goals of learning and education in 2030 through which learners will take the lead in orchestrating the process and manner of their own learning and in choosing their personal learning journeys. The fourth industrial revolution will continue to change the ways we act, perform, live, work, and learn. Therefore, there is a need for a social revolution that includes the understanding of transhumanism and its effects. The term “cutting edge” does not concern technology as much as it concerns humans. Accordingly, transhumanism is crucial for a sustainable ecosystem of learning with and through technology and digital transformation, which encompasses all levels of institutions—macro, meso, and micro. This chapter is focused on future trends, issues, and challenges in management and leadership as well as on issues and challenges in communication, which is essential in both leadership and smart learning.
Social Justice in Social Work
Authors: Focsa Tatiana
Published: January 2021

The actuality of the given topic comes from the approach of the concept of social justice in relation with factors of decisions and power of the state. One of the solutions identified by the state organization is the creation of the system of social work, which represents a component of the national system of social protection, within which the state and civil society is engaged to prevent, limit or remove the temporary or permanent effects of some events considered as social risks that could generate the marginalization or exclusion of the persons and families in difficulty. In our vision, the social justice represents the equality of chances of each individual in relation with the equity and equality as fundamental principles of social coexistence. In a “healthy” state, any person, regardless of experience or life circumstances, succeeds to achieve the maximum potential. We believe that there is no human society that is entirely based on social equality or equity, but this is only an additional motive to make efforts in this direction.
Perpetuating Social Injustice Through Neglecting the Voices of the Non-Unionized Teachers
Authors: Khumalo Shuti Steph
Published: January 2021

The democratic dispensation elevated teacher trade unionism to unparalleled and unprecedented levels in the South African education system. The education laws of South Africa recognize teacher unions which meet the South African labor-related requirements. The three powerful teacher unions that recognize and represent thousands of teachers are the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA), and the Suid Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (SAOU). These recognized teacher unions represent their members in decision making processes and not teachers who are non-union members. This chapter is based on an in-depth evaluation of extant literature, and further, it is interpretive in approach and employs social justice as the theoretical and conceptual framework.
A Grand Challenge
Authors: Moore Adam , Brand Susan Trostle
Published: January 2021

Teacher educators committed to social justice are charged with preparing future professionals with the knowledge and skills characteristic of change agents. This chapter explains how two university faculty members co-taught a general education course about education and social justice enlisting service-learning. This multidisciplinary course allowed teacher candidates to work with peers from other majors to select, plan, and implement a service-learning project. The structure and design of the course is described, along with examples of readings, film, media, and organizations that promote social justice. Qualitative reflections from former students are included, along with descriptions of service-learning projects. Recommendations and implications for teacher educators designing a similar course are provided.
Preparing College Students to Facilitate Action Civics Among K-12 Students
Authors: Fitzgerald Jason , Cohen Alison K. , Ferman Barbara
Published: January 2021

Recently, scholars have begun exploring the benefits and challenges of using college students to help develop Kindergarten-12th Grade (K-12) students' civic engagement capacities, specifically through action civics programs. However, much of the literature focuses on the political and social knowledge obtained by the K-12 students. By contrast, the authors explore the dispositions that college students need to effectively facilitate such learning with K-12 students, culled from grounded coding of four cases. They argue that action civics facilitator training programs should focus on action civics dispositions because dispositions underpin the knowledge and skills facilitators need to access to support complex civic work with K-12 students. Specifically, training programs should include dispositional work, valuing student-led projects, multiple perspectives, the development of relationships in contexts, and social justice. In this way, the values that drive Dewey's concept of democratic life can continue to underpin students' future civic work.
Service-Learning With Students With Exceptionalities
Authors: Smith Heather Haynes
Published: January 2021

Aspiring educators require more than a basic understanding of inclusion. They need to know how to support students with exceptionalities and inclusion. The purpose of this chapter is to describe how general education pre-service teachers' participation in authentic service-learning experiences during teacher preparation can support deeper understanding of the theories and practices to support inclusion. This chapter begins with a brief history of inclusion and research on the efficacy of service-learning in teacher preparation. The chapter continues by focusing on the intersection of inclusion and service-learning, describing the advantages integrating an inclusion-focused service-learning opportunity in a required course on students with exceptionalities. This chapter provides an example of one university's experience and concludes with practical recommendations and discussion of planning, implementing, and assessing course-embedded service-learning and directions for future research.
Advocacy and Risk
Authors: Thomas Ursula
Published: January 2021

This case is centered on the term advocacy, the act of speaking on behalf of someone else. In this particular case, the author has chosen to highlight how an advocate is chosen based on perceived characteristics. The author has chosen to unpack the term positionality, which is defined as “The creation of the opposites by an arbitrary point of view”. However, it is the author's goal in this unpacking of positionality to surface chards of what a preservice teacher and professor perceive themselves to be to each other in terms of needs and wants.
Preparing Pre-service Early Childhood Candidates for Diverse Classrooms
Authors: Young Natalie , Conderman Gregory James , Jung Myoungwhon
Published: January 2021

The demographics of schools in United States (U.S.) are rapidly changing. Therefore, teachers in the U. S. need to be prepared to teach children with a wide variety of diverse backgrounds. This article describes an introductory early clinical experience purposefully designed to provide early childhood pre-service teachers from a large Midwestern university in the U. S. with opportunities to teach children in a high-need and diverse setting. Data from exit slips and surveys associated with the Open Doors program were analyzed over four years. Results indicated that almost 90% of candidates felt the experience was beneficial to their professional growth and would consider working in a diverse school. Slightly over 90% felt the experience increased their knowledge and skills regarding working with diverse students. Implications for similar projects are provided.
Policy and Research on Citizenship Education in the United Kingdom (1998–2018)
Authors: Sant Edda , Alvarez-Hevia David Menendez
Published: January 2021

This chapter explores citizenship education in the United Kingdom with a particular focus on the major policy and research trends of the last 20 years (1998-2018), particularly in relation to school and non-school based citizenship education. This discussion is articulated in relation to dimensions (i.e., global and national), approaches (i.e., character, social justice, and democratic education), and spaces. The last section of this chapter illuminates some key issues for citizenship education in the UK and how these can help us to understand what might happen everywhere else.
Finding Their Voice
Authors: Rice Bethany M.
Published: January 2021

Disability studies seeks to promote equitable education for all students through inclusive education. According to Goodley, disability is multifaceted—being political, cultural, and social in nature. Inclusive education is often underrepresented in teacher preparation. Teacher candidates need experience in providing instruction to all students, not just those considered “normal.” In their research on the use of autoethnography with teacher candidates, Rice and Threlkeld identified that while candidates saw a need for social justice, they lacked the necessary skills to take action. Combining autoethnography with action research would fill a void in the field of inclusive teacher preparation. The critical reflection used in autoethnography would potentially identify areas of social justice needed to improve inclusive practices in the classroom. Candidates would then have an opportunity to engage in action research to explore their identified topic. This chapter proposes a method to combine autoethnography and action research to impact social change among teacher candidates.
Preparing Globally Competent Educators Through Critically Engaging in Service-Learning
Authors: Huber Tonya , Sanmiguel Elizabeth R. , Cestou Lorena P. , Hernandez Mayra L.
Published: January 2021

As teacher-preparation programs educate and evaluate candidates to become globally competent instructional leaders, special attention should be given to international service-learning. Immersing teacher candidates in real-world experiences beyond their comfort zone is a cornerstone of this theoretical inquiry, including self-reflection strategies grounded on Paulo Freire's liberatory pedagogy for social justice. The research team reviews self- and cultural-awareness experiences, dispositions, and profiles of university teacher candidates, during a semester of curriculum studies affording opportunities to engage in local, local to global, and/or global/international service-learning. The discoveries will inform teacher educators as they develop and strengthen critical inquiry and service-learning components of their own courses.
Peacebuilding as a Means to Global Citizenry
Authors: Smith David J.
Published: January 2021

The objective of this chapter is to illustrate approaches that can be used by community colleges to promote both global knowledge and global engagement—often taking the form of education abroad—using peacebuilding means. To make the case, examples and models from several U.S. community colleges will be shared. Examples from community colleges from throughout the country are given.
Flying Faster than the Birds and the Bees
Authors: Burnes Theodore
Published: January 2021

The need for multicultural education to analyze human sexuality education is an area of critical need in research and practice. Many current human sexuality learning experiences contain practices that are shaming to learners, producing values that problematize sexuality. The author of this chapter introduces a sex-positive approach to human sexuality education, honoring multicultural education by intentionally understanding sex-positivity outside of a White, western context. Implications of this approach for education research, practice, training, and advocacy are discussed.
Moving Urban Students Beyond Online Public Voices to Digital Participatory Politics
Authors: Lawrence Nicholas , O'Brien Joseph , Bechard Brian , Finney Ed , Gilman Kimberly
Published: January 2021

The authors explore a teacher's 10-year journey to foster his urban middle school students' public voice and then their ability to engage in participatory politics. The authors first provide a conceptual and experiential context for how the teacher came to question whether cultivating 8th grade students' online public voice in a U.S. history was enough. Second, they discuss how two teachers created online interschool deliberations about contemporary issues and how a third teacher used low and high tech to enable her students to take civic action. Third, they discuss the essential elements of an online participatory learning space. Fourth, they address the challenges of integrating digital deliberations about contemporary public issues and online civic action into a U.S. history curriculum. Finally, they present how they adapted a site devoted to deliberations about just war in the context of U.S. history to a focus on just action in a contemporary setting.
Building Inclusivity Through Connections With Community Archives
Authors: Copeland Andrea , Yoon Ayoung
Published: January 2021

This chapter explores how to construct bridges between existing cultural institutions and community archives (or community groups wanting to develop archives) and the potential role for third-party organizations in bridging these groups. Further, research is presented that provides recommendations for library and archive practitioners who wish to build connections with groups in their communities. Connecting with participatory heritage is introduced as a means to build capacity in community groups for sustaining efforts to preserve and make accessible diverse histories.
Effectively Managing Bias in Teacher Preparation
Authors: Johnson Natasha N.
Published: January 2021

This is the call for teacher preparation programs to actively incorporate an emphasis on social justice education and the development of teachers committed to creating equitable schools. Education in today's multicultural, pluralistic society must be actively concentrated on and successful at creating more just and unbiased schools for underserved students. Similar to Ladson-Billings' argument for a redefining of ‘good teaching,' there must be a redefinition of that which constitutes social justice teaching. It is the role of today's teacher preparation programs to equip teachers with the essential skills necessary to develop students, manage bias, and create a culture of equity for all. Particularly as it relates to the education, understanding, cultivation, and development of all students in the K-12 school system, a required component of every teacher preparation program must be an increased focus on teaching that is comprehensive, socially just, and impartial.
STEM for All
Authors: Burston Betty , Collier-Stewart Shartriya
Published: January 2021

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts are the very foundation of the contemporary and futuristic way of life for the United States and other socio-political entities as well. Yet, growth in STEM education participation has, despite programs of intervention, remained sluggish, rendering an American economy that has become increasingly dependent upon imported STEM talent. This chapter argues that the asymmetric outcomes that are observable across the educational pipeline reflect unique barriers to entry that are not only based upon IQism, but socioeconomic as well as socio-cultural diversity. Utilizing a review of selected literature, the thesis is introduced that a STEM-for-all movement is needed that remediates STEM exclusion. Throughout the discussion, strategies are recommended for policymakers, institutions of education, communities, and families in reversing the growth of a new STEM-based system of social stratification.
Additive Manufacturing of Steerable Antenna Systems for 5G and Adaptive Cruise Control Applications
Authors: Kumar Rupesh , Menudier Cyrille
Published: January 2021

This chapter gives an insight view of the evolving additive manufacturing technology and its application for designing steerable front-end (FE) array antenna architecture dedicated to mmWave for the 5G network and the adaptive cruise control (ACC) applications. The manufacturing of RF system is a challenging work because it comes with complex designs, a long realization time, and high cost as well as weight. Technically, all these challenges could be addressed up with the use of additive manufacturing technology. It allows an increased flexibility in the manufacturing of complex designs such as steerable beamforming and other advanced RF products. Traditional machining technologies used to manufacture RF products are limited in their ability to produce complex shape. The AM technology allows to realize the entire designs in one single time-phase which positively impacts mass, cost, realization time, assembly quality and RF performance.
The State of the Art in Cognitive Radio Networks in 5G Hetergeneous Networks
Authors: Salem Tarek M.
Published: January 2021

This chapter addresses cognitive radio systems (CRSs) in the 5G network and presents the existing, emerging, and potential applications employing CRS capabilities and the related enabling technologies, including the impacts of CRS technology on the use of spectrum from a technical perspective. The description of such technologies, operational elements, and their challenges are also presented. Furthermore, this chapter provides high level characteristics, operational and technical requirements related to CRS technology, their performances, and potential benefits. Finally, factors related to the introduction of CRS technologies and corresponding migration issues are discussed.
Cognitive Radio Network-Based Design and Security Challenges in 5G Communication
Authors: Dhaka Arvind , Nandal Amita , Dixit Rahul
Published: January 2021

This chapter deals with the main development challenges of 5G network. The 5G terminals can be made as reconfigurable multimode and cognitive radio enabled. Such networks will have software defined radio modulation schemes. The 5G mobile networks will focus on the development of the user terminals where the terminals will have access to different wireless technologies at the same time and will combine different flows from different technologies. It is beneficial to deploy cloud-computing platforms running on general-purpose hardware, leading to a cloud-RAN system. This chapter is focused on the challenges and benefits of implementing reconfigurable signal processing algorithms on a cloud-computing platform and address various security issues with cognitive radio networks.
Importance of Cloud Computing in 5G Radio Access Networks
Authors: Afifi Wael S. , El-Moursy Ali A. , Saad Mohamed , Nassar Salwa M. , El-Hennawy Hadia M.
Published: January 2021

The fifth generation of wireless networks (5G) will kick off with evolved mobile broadband services as promised by several mobile-related associations, researchers, and operators. Compared to 4G, 5G aims to provide greater data rates with lower latency and higher coverage to numerous users who stream ubiquitous multimedia services. 5G benefits the innovation of internet of things (IoT) as well. To this end, several modifications in the network architecture are required. This chapter is discussing the role of cloud computing centers in 5G networks, and how such integration could be implemented as found in the literature. The benefits of cloud/5G integration will be explained as well. In addition, some challenges related to the integration will be demonstrated.
Romanian Young Adults' Attitudes Regarding Luxury Fashion Brands
Authors: Puiu Andreea-Ionela
Published: January 2021

The luxury fashion market has gained significant notoriety in the actual Romanian society, attracting the interest of consumers from heterogeneous societal structures. Despite the existing financial constraints, the monthly amount spent on clothes slightly increased in the last years in the Romanian space, with consumers becoming more interested in investing more money on luxury fashion brands. However, there is limited research conducted on the behavioural motives that underly attitudes regarding luxury fashion brands among young adults. The present article proposes to investigate the social mechanisms that underly young adults' attitudes toward luxury fashion brands. The applied statistical procedures revealed that the fashion innovativeness partially mediates the relationship among the need for uniqueness and consumers attitude regarding luxury fashion goods. Also, fashion innovativeness is not a significant mediator in the relationship between proneness to normative and informative influence and consumer attitude toward luxury fashion brands.
Insights From a Romanian Public Sector Innovation Lab on How to Build Urban Resilience in the Face of COVID-19
Authors: Vrabie Anamaria , Dudian Monica
Published: January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has added an unforeseen layer of adversity to city life, refocusing the attention of local governments on urban resilience. This article discusses the innovative design proposed by a Romanian public sector innovation lab: a multi-fold qualitative approach that collects coping strategies from a wide range of local stakeholders and works towards understanding how they can be transformed in sustainable practices for crisis moments. It also provides interim lessons learned from designing the intervention.
Developing Capabilities for Sustainability in Family Small Enterprises
Authors: Akume Ben , Iguisi Osarumwense
Published: January 2021

Though literature in family perpetuity and sustainability is well documented from the advanced economies, there is scarcity of insights from emerging markets where this research relates. The study, therefore, sought to investigate, understand, and interpret the underlying drivers of sustainability in small family businesses using the stewardship theory paradigm in the Nigerian family business environment. A qualitative method with 41 in-depth interviews involving owners and managers of family-owned small and medium businesses was conducted. The study empirically shows that there is an interrelationship between family structure and business sustainability; hence, the practice of polygamy was found to be inimical to family business success and sustainability. Building on the stewardship theory, the paper develops a model of sustainability for small and medium family businesses. The study contributes to the theoretical literature on stewardship and family business sustainability.
“Wait and See”
Authors: Zaman Tariq
Published: January 2021

As personal and collective community development becomes increasingly inseparable from interactions with information and communication technologies (ICTs), new constructs representing this relationship need to be explored. In Malaysian Borneo, many indigenous communities are connected to the internet and using ICTs for socio-economic development. This research presents a case study of ICTs use by an indigenous community and inquires if ICTs can address the challenges and open up new opportunities in contemporary life. By using a qualitative approach, the author interviewed 15 participants to understand the use of ICTs to achieve their personal and community's gratifications. This paper highlighted that the community members consider ICTs an important part of their contemporary life. Nevertheless, before making any decision on ICT-related projects, they perform a reflexive examination on the possible impacts of the technology and project. This research also discussed the unanticipated benefits and the negative outcomes of the new technologies on the routine life of the Long Lamai community.
Energy Efficiency Standards
Authors: Alshadafan Abdel Fattah
Published: January 2021

The decrease in the regulative power of states has generated a governance gap that has been filled by, among others, international standard-setting bodies. In these bodies, private technical experts shape the rules that govern commonly used technologies as well as influence various societal outcomes. The legitimacy of such regulatory outsourcing is largely based on a variety of quasi-democratic mechanisms and principles, which these bodies have endeavored to make central to the standard-setting processes. This paper examines these legitimacy-seeking aspirations by comparing the normative claims with the actual practice of developing the international techno-policy standard for TVs by the International Electrotechnical Commission, based on interviews with stakeholders and numerous public and internal documents. The findings suggest that the process is inadequate if the goal is not just to bundle technical expertise but also to meet the standards of democratic governance. The study thus contributes to the literature on standard-setting and legitimacy beyond the nation-state.
The Economic Impact of Standards in Belgium
Authors: Buts Caroline , Van Droogenbroeck Ellen , Dooms Michaël R. J. , Willems Kim
Published: January 2021

While several past studies have measured the impact of standards on indicators such as output and productivity for a variety of countries, a quantitative analysis that focuses on Belgium has not been performed yet. Based on a dataset containing sector level data spanning 25 years (1994-2018), the authors find that, next to capital investment and the number of patents, standards make a statistically significant, positive and substantial contribution to Belgian GDP as well as to labor productivity. More specifically, one additional standard will on average increase GDP by €2.04 million per year and will increase labor productivity per person employed by €11.5. In addition, standards contribute to about 0.2% of GDP, 19% of GDP growth, and 19% of labor productivity growth.
Rodízio de auditoria independente e gerenciamento de resultados: uma investigação entre empresas de capital aberto no Brasil
Authors: Parreira Marco Túlio Santos , Nascimento Eduardo Mendes , Puppin Lorenza , Murcia Fernando Dal Ri
Published: January 2021

As empresas listadas na B3 são obrigadas, por força da lei, a passarem por auditorias regulares e a publicarem seus informes financeiros e suas informações complementares. Nesse sentido, as demonstrações financeiras auditadas configuram importante recurso para boa prática de governança e transparência nas corporações empresariais modernas. De modo a diminuir a assimetria informacional e melhorar essas práticas, a CVM instituiu a necessidade de rodízio de auditoria. A pesquisa investigou se a substituição do auditor independente impacta, de alguma maneira, no gerenciamento de resultados (proxy adotada para qualidade da auditoria) nas empresas listadas na B3 entre 2012 e 2016. A amostra foi de 207 empresas não financeiras, resultando em 1890 observações, sendo que o rodízio de auditoria independente foi observado 280 vezes (51% voluntários) ao longo do período. Por meio do método de accruals de Pae (2005) e após a exclusão dos outliers, foi realizada a análise das médias dos grupos de modo a identificar se elas eram estatisticamente diferentes. Constatou-se que a mudança de auditoria independente não afeta os accruals totais, mas reduz os discricionários. Isso pode estar relacionado ao pouco conhecimento sobre o contexto do cliente ou ao receio de assumir riscos judiciais, como também a detecção de erro ou revisão de procedimentos contábeis, por exemplo. De qualquer modo, a consequência para os stakeholders pode ser positiva, pois haverá uma nova perspectiva sobre os eventos econômicos e financeiros da organização, o que aumenta a qualidade e a relevância da informação contábil. Por outro ângulo, se a nova auditoria não possuir a expertise, inclusive com os conhecimentos específicos (sistemas contábeis e estrutura de controle interno da firma), a mudança pode resultar em perda para a informação contábil e, eventualmente, afetar a comparabilidade das demonstrações contábeis.
Receita da transferência de convênios: análise do efeito ano eleitoral nos municípios brasileiros
Authors: Carneiro Leandro Marcondes , Costa Mayla Cristina , Peixe Blênio Cezar Severo
Published: January 2021

O objetivo do estudo foi analisar o efeito do calendário eleitoral sobre a alocação das receitas públicas por meio de convênios com a União nos municípios brasileiros, controlando aspectos da localização e região geográfica do município. Utilizou-se técnica de regressão com dados em painel para amostra de 1.824 municípios no período de 2008 a 2013. Os resultados apontam que o ano eleitoral para prefeitos exerce influência negativa sobre as receitas de convênios, enquanto para Presidente e Governador e primeiro ano de mandato (ano pós-eleição) exerceram influência positiva. Em relação à variável região geográfica, o resultado foi inverso. Em ambos os modelos, a variável eleição municipal foi negativa e significativa. Em contrapartida, a qualidade da gestão fiscal dos municípios foi representativa para municípios da Região Norte, Nordeste e Centro-Oeste, e a variável Coeficiente de Gini se manteve significativa para municípios das Regiões Sul e Sudeste.
Determinantes das recompras de ações: evidências no mercado brasileiro entre 2011 e 2018
Authors: Amorim Daniel Penido , Camargos Marcos Antônio de , Medrado Ingrid Alencar
Published: January 2021

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os determinantes das recompras de ações em mercado aberto realizadas por companhias listadas na B3, bem como analisar se houve diferenças substanciais no volume e/ou na probabilidade de recompras durante a crise econômica brasileira. Os motivos para recompras investigados foram: ajuste da estrutura de capital, redução de fluxos de caixa livres, substituição dos dividendos, complementação dos dividendos e sinalização de ações subavaliadas. Este estudo contribui para a literatura por incorporar o motivo complementação dos dividendos entre os potenciais determinantes das recompras de ações, o qual não foi considerado em alguns estudos prévios no contexto do mercado brasileiro. Foram analisados dados referentes ao período de março de 2011 a junho 2018. Utilizou-se de modelos de dados em painel de efeitos aleatórios e Tobit para testar hipóteses referentes aos motivos para recompras de ações, bem como, por meio de um modelo Logit, avaliou-se a robustez dos resultados. Os resultados evidenciaram que as recompras foram complementares aos dividendos na distribuição de resultados aos acionistas. Além disso, eles sugerem que não houve diferenças substanciais no volume e/ou na probabilidade de recompras durante a crise econômica brasileira.
Microstructure and Property of Novel γ-Fe/ (Cr, Fe)7C3 Lamellar Eutectics Reinforced Composite Coating
Authors: Shi Yin Hua , Shi Qin
Published: January 2021

γ-Fe/(Cr, Fe)7C3 lamellar eutectics reinforced the composite coating was deposited onto the 16Mn steel surface to enhance its surface hardness and wear resistance. The microstructure, phase composition, microhardness as well as wear resistance of the cladding coating were explored. Results indicated that the coating showed the dense and defect-free metallurgical bonding with the substrate and mainly consisted of (Cr, Fe)7C3, γ-Fe/(Cr, Fe)7C3 lamellar eutectic, B4C and carbon fibers. (Cr, Fe)7C3, B4C and carbon fibers were tightly embedded in the γ-Fe/(Cr, Fe)7C3 lamellar eutectics matrix. The microhardness and wear resistance of the coating compared with that of the substrate were highly improved by nearly 5 and 3 times, respectively.
RETRACTED: Fractal Structure in Poly(3-Alkylthiophene) Derivatives
Authors: Gu Ran Dy , Liu Zi Qi , Shi Pei Kun
Published: January 2021

Retracted papers: One of the major features of conjugated polymer is the rigid molecular conformation which is absolutely different with that of flexible polymer. In this study, the non-conjugated aggregate structure of conjugated polymers was explored for the first time by using Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). It is found that there is a large-scale non-conjugated packing structure inside the Poly (3-alkylthiophene) (P3AT), which can be attributed to loose stacked structure of rigid conjugated main chain in P3AT. Thus, a large number of pore structures with the porosity of about 10-4 to 10-3 are formed, and such pore structures exhibit the characteristics of a mass fractal structure.
First-Principles Study of Ag3Sn, AgZn3 and Ag5Zn8 Intermetallic Compounds
Authors: Cheng Zhan , Zhang Guan Xing , Long Wei Min , Maksymova Svitlana , Liu Jian Xiu
Published: January 2021

The first-principles calculations by CASTEP program based on the density functional theory is applied to calculate the cohesive energy, enthalpy of formation, elastic constant, density of states and Mulliken population of Ag3Sn、AgZn3 and Ag5Zn8. Furthermore, the elastic properties, bonding characteristics, and intrinsic connections of different phases are investigated. The results show that Ag3Sn、AgZn3 and Ag5Zn8 have stability structural, plasticity characteristics and different degrees of elastic anisotropy; Ag3Sn is the most stable structural, has the strongest alloying ability and the best plasticity. AgZn3 is the most unstable structure, has the worst plasticity; The strength of Ag5Zn8 is strongest, AgZn3 has the weakest strength, the largest shear resistance, and the highest hardness. Ag5Zn8 has the maximum Anisotropy index and Ag3Sn has the minimum Anisotropy index. Ag3Sn、AgZn3 and Ag5Zn8 are all have covalent bonds and ionic bonds, the ionic bonds decrease in the order Ag3Sn>Ag5Zn8>AgZn3 and covalent bonds decreases in the order Ag5Zn8>Ag3Sn>AgZn3.
Effect of Reaction Temperature and Mixture Ratio on Polysilicon Production Process
Authors: Sun Qiang , Chen Hui , Duan Chao , Wan Ye , Zhang Xiao Wei , Pei Lei
Published: January 2021

These years, electronic devices and integrated circuits have a trend of miniaturization and integration with the rapid development of the information industry, higher requirements have been placed on the size, purity, and defect density of silicon wafers. More urgent demands have been placed on the mass production of electronic grade polysilicon. However, the research of electronic grade polysilicon in China is still in its infancy, it is far from meeting the requirements of mass production. This paper studies the influence of the single factor of reaction temperature on the yield of silicon, the surface morphology and power consumption of polysilicon under the certain conditions, which has some reference value for the production of electronic grade polysilicon.
Experimental and Numerical Analyses of Tubular Electrohydraulic Forming Process
Authors: Wei Ya Nan , Zhang Fei Fei , Wei Bo , Xu Hui , He Kai
Published: January 2021

Electrohydraulic forming (EHF) is a kind of high speed forming process, which deforms the metal by shock wave through instantaneous discharge of high voltage in water. Compared with the traditional forming methods, this high speed forming process can greatly improve the formability of the materials. There are many processing factors that affect the forming efficiency and performance of the electrohydraulic forming process, one of which is the discharge voltage between the electrodes. In this paper, three electrohydraulic forming experiments with various die shapes were carried out under various discharge voltage conditions. And the bulge height and axial length of the aluminum alloy A6061 tubes under different conditions were compared. Besides, finite element numerical simulation was also performed to quantitatively investigate the deformation history of the tube.
Tertiary Lymphoid Structures: Diversity in Their Development, Composition, and Role
Authors: Gago da Graça Catarina , van Baarsen Lisa G M , Mebius Reina E
Published: January 2021

Lymph node stromal cells coordinate the adaptive immune response in secondary lymphoid organs, providing both a structural matrix and soluble factors that regulate survival and migration of immune cells, ultimately promoting Ag encounter. In several inflamed tissues, resident fibroblasts can acquire lymphoid-stroma properties and drive the formation of ectopic aggregates of immune cells, named tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs). Mature TLSs are functional sites for the development of adaptive responses and, consequently, when present, can have an impact in both autoimmunity and cancer conditions. In this review, we go over recent findings concerning both lymph node stromal cells and TLSs function and formation and further describe what is currently known about their role in disease, particularly their potential in tolerance.
Development and Immunological Function of Lymph Node Stromal Cells
Authors: Pikor Natalia Barbara , Cheng Hung-Wei , Onder Lucas , Ludewig Burkhard
Published: January 2021

Stromal cells have for a long time been viewed as structural cells that support distinct compartments within lymphoid tissues and little more. Instead, an active cross-talk between endothelial and fibroblastic stromal cells drives the maturation of lymphoid niches, a relationship that is recapitulated during lymph node organogenesis, steady-state conditions, and following inflammation. In this review, we go over recent advances in genetic models and high-resolution transcriptomic analyses that have propelled the finer resolution of the stromal cell infrastructure of lymph nodes, revealing that the distinct subsets are strategically positioned to deliver a catered mixture of niche factors to interacting immune cell populations. Moreover, we discuss how changes in the activation state of poised stromal cell–underpinned niches rather than on-demand differentiation of new stromal cell subsets govern the efficient interaction of Ag, APC, and cognate B and T lymphocytes during adaptive immune responses.
Afferent Lymphatic Transport and Peripheral Tissue Immunity
Authors: Steele Maria M , Lund Amanda W
Published: January 2021

Lymphatic vessels provide an anatomical framework for immune surveillance and adaptive immune responses. Although appreciated as the route for Ag and dendritic cell transport, peripheral lymphatic vessels are often not considered active players in immune surveillance. Lymphatic vessels, however, integrate contextual cues that directly regulate transport, including changes in intrinsic pumping and capillary remodeling, and express a dynamic repertoire of inflammatory chemokines and adhesion molecules that facilitates leukocyte egress out of inflamed tissue. These mechanisms together contribute to the course of peripheral tissue immunity. In this review, we focus on context-dependent mechanisms that regulate fluid and cellular transport out of peripheral nonlymphoid tissues to provide a framework for understanding the effects of afferent lymphatic transport on immune surveillance, peripheral tissue inflammation, and adaptive immunity.
Emergency cesarean section in a COVID-19 patient
Authors: Al Harbi Mohammed , Elkouny Amr , Babtain Bader , Jahdaly Mohamed , Al-Malki Sultan
Published: January 2021

Perioperative management of patients with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be extremely challenging in order to keep the balance between providing optimal medical care and protecting health-care providers from the risk of infection. We report a 37-year-old COVID-19 patient undergoing an emergency cesarean section.
The effect of low versus high tidal volume ventilation on inflammatory markers in animal model undergoing lung ventilation
Authors: Hajjar Waseem M. , Eldawlatly Abdelazeem , Alnassar Sami A. , Ahmed Iftikhar , Alghamedi Alaa , Shakoor Zahid , Alrikabi Ammar C. , Hajjar Adnan W. , Ahmad Abdulaziz Ejaz
Published: January 2021

Background and Aims:

Mechanical ventilation (MV) with high tidal volume (Vt.) may induce or aggravate lung injury in critically ill patients. It might also cause an overwhelming systemic inflammation leading to acute lung injury (ALI), diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) and multiple organ failure (MOF) with subsequent high mortality. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of different Vt. on the inflammatory markers of the broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung biopsy in a group of animal model (Beagle dogs).

Methods:

A two-phased prospective study involving 30 Beagle dogs (15 dogs/phase), each phase divided into three groups (each 5 dogs/group). In the first phase each group received MV with Vt. of 8 (low), 10 (normal, control group), and 12 (high) ml/kg body weight (b.w.) respectively. BAL fluid was obtained at the time of induction of anesthesia immediately following tracheal intubation and one hour later following MV to count the macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes. In the second phase of the experiment, in addition to obtaining (BAL) fluid similar to the phase one, mini thoracotomy and lung biopsy obtained from the upper lobe of the right lung at same timings for histopathological examination study. Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test was used for statistical analysis of the data obtained.

Results:

BAL fluid analysis showed increase in the counts of macrophages and lymphocytes with Vt. of 12 ml/kg b.w. compared to the control group (10 ml/kg b.w.) (P < 0.05). in the second phase, similar findings obtained. The histopathological study of the lung tissue obtained in the second phase of the study from the group that received a high Vt. of 12 ml/kg b.w. showed significant inflammatory changes with presence of neutrophil infiltration and edema in the bronchial wall compared to the control group (10 ml/kg b.w.) (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

The use of high Vt. in ventilated animal lung model may increase the risk of inflammation and subsequent damage in healthy lungs, these findings may help physicians to avoid using high Vt. in short-term mechanically ventilated patients in the operating room setting.
The compatibility of the use of autonomous weapons with the principle of precaution in the law of armed conflict
Authors: Winter Elliot
Published: January 2021

The notion of ‘precautions in attack’ is an important concept in the law of armed conflict. It requires attackers to verify their targets, to ensure that only proportionate strikes are launched, to mitigate the potential for collateral damage in the selection of means and methods of warfare and, where possible, to issue warnings in advance of attacks. The emergence of ‘autonomous weapons’ requires us to review how these precautions might apply in a new era of delegated warfare in which the fulcrum around which the regime revolves – the human combatant – would be replaced by artificial intelligence-powered machines. This paper contends that technology is fast approaching the point at which the use of autonomous weapons will be compatible with the requirements of precaution. The author pushes further than most commentators in demonstrating just how capable the technology is becoming; in explaining how close it is to supplanting humans on the battlefield and in showing the potential for machines to discharge precautionary obligations better than humans in at least some areas. However, the article recognizes that technological innovations are still required before this transition comes to pass and so it also illuminates the way forward by identifying where remaining deficiencies linger.