bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The bibliometric analysis of Islamic banking and finance
Authors: Biancone Paolo Pietro , Saiti Buerhan , Petricean Denisa , Chmet Federico
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Islamic banking and finance (IBF) have been the subject of central scientific interest, as demonstrated by the significant increase in publications on the subject in recent years. In the present paper, the use of the bibliometric analytical technique is proposed to examine the research on IBF. The purpose of this study is to carry out a bibliometric analysis of all the publications on Scopus relative to IBF.

Design/methodology/approach

The screening methodology conducted in May 2020, in the foreground, for precise research and as complete as possible, sought all references to “Islamic finance” or “Islamic bank” in “all fields” of Scopus and 7,662 scientific contributions were found. Therefore, the results include a time frame for publications between 1980 and 2020.

Findings

This study shows that the literature on Islamic finance focusses on banking, rates, comparisons with traditional banks and portfolios, analysis of governance and control structures. In the journals taken into consideration in this paper from which the sample of selected articles comes, it can be deduced that the ethicality of the finance and the bank is placed in second place.

Originality/value

Through analysis, citation rates are proposed, and the impact factors of journals are quantitative and objective indicators directly linked to published science. The implications of this paper are to identify the future trend of research in the field of IBF.
Determinants of e-government implementation at the local level: an empirical model
Authors: Dias Gonçalo Paiva
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The empirical research of e-government at the local level has been the subject of many studies in the last two decades. The evidence collected by those studies constitutes a relevant opportunity toward the development of a theory of local e-government implementation. However, several synthesis efforts are needed before such a theory can be developed. The purpose of this article is to contribute to that endeavor by proposing an empirical model of the determinants of e-government implementation by local governments.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical model results from the systematic revision of 59 primary studies published in scientific journals, between 2002 and 2018. As a starting point, a conceptual map relating concepts such as readiness, diffusion, adoption, implementation and institutionalization is presented.

Findings

There is a common set of determinants that explains local e-government implementation in general, and three other sets of determinants that contribute to differentiate each one of three e-government dimensions: e-participation, e-transparency and e-services.

Research limitations/implications

Because it was found that different determinants are associated with different e-government dimensions, future empirical studies should differentiate between those dimensions when studying local government.

Originality/value

This is the first study to attempt a synthesis effort on the determinants of e-government implementation by local governments.
Quality control method of sterols in fermented Cordyceps sinensis based on combined fingerprint and quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker
Authors: Zhao Jiaqian , Shi Tiannv , Zhu Weifeng , Chen Lihua , Guan Yongmei , Jin Chen
Published: October 2020

In this study, we established a new pattern for differentiating and comprehensively evaluating the quality of fermented Cordyceps sinensis based on high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint analysis combined with similar analysis (SA), principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and the quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS). These methods indicated that fermented Cordyceps sinensis samples could be categorized into one class by PCA and HCA. The fingerprints of fermented Cordyceps sinensis were established, and four HPLC peaks were identified as ergosterol, daucosterol, stigmasterol, and β‐sitosterol in Jinshuibao capsules and tablets (two products of fermented Cordyceps sinensis). Ergosterol was chosen as the internal reference substance, and the relative correction factors (RCFs) between ergosterol and the other three sterols were calculated using the QAMS method. Moreover, the accuracy of the QAMS method was confirmed by comparing the relative error between the results of the method used with those of an external standard method (ESM). No significant difference between the two methods was observed. The total sterols content in Jinshuibao products were calculated by the QAMS method, and the total sterols content of the two products were similar. This study showed that the method established herein was efficient and successful in the identification fermented Cordyceps sinensis and may further act to facilitate systematic quality control of fermented Cordyceps sinensis products.
Physicochemical and microstructural properties and probiotic survivability of symbiotic almond yogurt alternative using polymerized whey protein as a gelation agent
Authors: Shi Hao , Kraft Jana , Guo Mingruo
Published: October 2020

A plain symbiotic almond yogurt‐like product was formulated and developed using a plant‐based starter YF‐L02 (Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus supplemented with Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus paracasei, and Bifidobacterium animalis) and inulin; 0.6% polymerized whey protein (PWP), 0.3% pectin, and 0.05% xanthan gum were optimized for the formula of the almond yogurt alternative. Two groups with/without calcium citrate and vitamin D2 were prepared and analyzed for chemical composition, changes in pH, viscosity, and probiotic survivability during storage at 4 °C for 10 weeks. The results showed that (1) over 10 weeks storage, the differences in the pH, viscosity, and probiotic survivability between the control and the fortified samples were not significant (P > 0.05); (2) the pH of both yogurt samples decreased 0.2 units while their viscosity slightly increased during storage; (3) the populations of L. paracasei and B. animalis remained above 106 cfu/g during the storage, whereas the population of L. acidophilus decreased dramatically during the first 4 weeks, especially the control group; (4) the microstructure was examined by scanning electron microscopy, revealing a compact and denser gel structure formed by 0.6% PWP with the presence of 0.3% pectin and 0.05% xanthan gum. In conclusion, PWP might be a proper gelation agent for the formulation of symbiotic almond yogurt alternative.

Practical Application

In this study, polymerized whey protein was used as a gelation agent to formulate symbiotic almond yogurt alternatives with comparable physical texture and probiotic survivability to dairy yogurt during storage. This technology may be used for the development of plant‐based fermented foods.
Rethinking the study of human–wildlife coexistence
Authors: Pooley Simon , Bhatia Saloni , Vasava Anirudhkumar
Published: October 2020

Although coexistence with wildlife is a key goal of conservation, little is known about it or how to study it. By coexistence we mean a sustainable though dynamic state in which humans and wildlife coadapt to sharing landscapes, where human interactions with wildlife are effectively governed to ensure wildlife populations persist in socially legitimate ways that ensure tolerable risk levels. Problems that arise from current conflict‐oriented framing of human–wildlife interactions include reinforcing a human–nature dichotomy as fundamentally oppositional, suggesting coexistence requires the absence of conflict, and skewing research and management toward direct negative impacts over indirect impacts and positive aspects of living with wildlife. Human behavior toward wildlife is framed as rational calculus of costs and benefits, sidelining emotional and cultural dimensions of these interactions. Coexistence is less studied due to unfamiliarity with relevant methodologies, including qualitative methods, self‐reflexivity and ethical rigor, and constraints on funding and time. These challenges are illustrated with examples from fieldwork in India and Africa. We recommend a basic approach to case studies aimed at expanding the scope of inquiries into human–wildlife relations beyond studies of rational behavior and quantification of costs and benefits of wildlife to humans.
Sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors with and without metformin: A meta‐analysis of cardiovascular, kidney and mortality outcomes
Authors: Neuen Brendon L. , Arnott Clare , Perkovic Vlado , Figtree Gemma , de Zeeuw Dick , Fulcher Greg , Jun Min , Jardine Meg J. , Zoungas Sophia , Pollock Carol , Mahaffey Kenneth W. , Neal Bruce , Heerspink Hiddo J. L.
Published: October 2020

Aim

To assess whether the effects of sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on cardiovascular, kidney and mortality outcomes are consistent with and without concomitant metformin use.

Material and methods

We conducted a meta‐analysis of event‐driven, randomized, placebo‐controlled SGLT2 inhibitor trials that reported cardiovascular, kidney or mortality outcomes by baseline metformin use. Treatment effects, reported as hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were pooled using random‐effects meta‐analysis. The main outcomes in this analysis were (i) major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and (ii) hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) or cardiovascular death.

Results

We included six trials of four SGLT2 inhibitors that enrolled a total of 51 743 participants. Baseline metformin use varied from 21% in DAPA‐HF to 82% in DECLARE‐TIMI 58. SGLT2 inhibitors reduced the risk of MACE, with and without concomitant metformin use (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87–1.00 and HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.71–0.86, respectively; P‐heterogeneity = 0.14). There were also clear and separate reductions in HHF or cardiovascular death with SGLT2 inhibitors, irrespective of metformin use (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.73–0.86 and HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.63–0.87, respectively; P‐heterogeneity = 0.48), as well as for major kidney outcomes and all‐cause mortality (all P‐heterogeneity > 0.40).

Conclusion

Treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors results in clear and consistent reductions in cardiovascular, kidney and mortality outcomes regardless of whether patients are receiving or not receiving metformin.
Functional connectivity during language processing in 3‐month‐old infants at familial risk for autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Tran Xuan A. , McDonald Nicole , Dickinson Abigail , Scheffler Aaron , Frohlich Joel , Marin Andrew , Kure Liu Christopher , Nosco Erin , Şentürk Damla , Dapretto Mirella , Spurling Jeste Shafali
Published: October 2020

Auditory statistical learning (ASL) plays a role in language development and may lay a foundation for later social communication impairment. As part of a longitudinal study of infant siblings, we asked whether electroencephalography (EEG) measures of connectivity during ASL at 3 months of age‐differentiated infants who showed signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at age 18 months. We measured spectral power and phase coherence in the theta (4–6 Hz) and alpha (6–12 Hz) frequency bands within putative language networks. Infants were divided into ASD‐concern (n = 14) and No‐ASD‐concern (n = 49) outcome groups based on their ASD symptoms at 18 months, measured using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale Toddler Module. Using permutation testing, we identified a trend toward reduced left fronto‐central phase coherence at the electrode pair F9‐C3 in both theta and alpha frequency bands in infants who later showed ASD symptoms at 18 months. Across outcome groups, alpha coherence at 3 months correlated with greater word production at 18 months on the MacArthur‐Bates Communicative Development Inventory. This study introduces signal processing and analytic tools that account for the challenges inherent in infant EEG studies, such as short duration of recordings, considerable movement artifact, and variable volume conduction. Our results indicate that connectivity, as measured by phase coherence during 2.5 min of ASL, can be quantified as early as 3 months and suggest that early alternations in connectivity may serve as markers of resilience for neurodevelopmental impairments.
Fatigue‐based model for the droplet impingement erosion incubation period of metallic surfaces
Authors: Slot Henk , Matthews Dave , Schipper Dik , van der Heide Emile
Published: October 2020

Droplet impingement of metallic surfaces at high impact velocities results, after some time, in erosion of the surface due to fatigue. By extending our previously published analytical model to enable the use of experimental fatigue data (S‐N curves), here, for the first time, a wide range of experimental liquid droplet erosion incubation period test states for both ferrous (stainless steel AISI 316) and nonferrous (aluminium 6061‐T6) engineering metals have been investigated. To achieve this, the developed model includes additional surface hardening and a residual compressive stress state at the surface due to a water drop peening effect. As such, the interrelation of the physical and mechanical properties that follows from the model has been used to identify how changes in selected metal properties might enhance droplet impingement erosion incubation life. Model predictions for both metals, using fatigue data from S‐N curves from different literature sources, showed for the droplet impact velocity range of 140 to 400 m/s an excellent agreement with results from a multiregression equation as determined from an ASTM interlaboratory test program.
Intense but variable autotrophic activity in a rapidly flushed shallow‐water hydrothermal plume (Kueishantao Islet, Taiwan)
Authors: Lin Yu‐Shih , Lin Huei‐Ting , Wang Bo‐Shian , Huang Wei‐Jen , Lin Li‐Hung , Tsai An‐Yi
Published: October 2020

Shallow‐water hydrothermal plumes concomitantly host both photosynthetic and chemoautotrophic organisms in a single biotope. Yet, rate measurements to quantify the contributions of different autotrophic activity types are scarce. Herein, we measured the light and dark dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) uptake rates in the plume water of the Kueishantao hydrothermal field using the 13C‐labeling approach. Seventy percent of the plume‐water samples had chemoautotrophy as the dominant mode of carbon fixation, with the dark DIC uptake rates (up to 18.6 mg C/m3/h) within the range of the primary production in productive inner‐shelf waters. When considered alongside the geochemical and microbiological observations, the rate data reveal the distribution of different trophic activities in the hydrothermal plume. The autotrophic activity at the initial phase of plume dispersal is low. This is explained by the short response time the chemoautotrophs have to the stimulation from vent‐fluid discharge, and the harmful effects of hydrothermal substances on phytoplankton. As plume dispersal and mixing continue, chemoautotrophic activities begin to rise and peak in waters that have low‐to‐moderate Si(OH)4 content. Toward the plume margin, chemoautotrophy declines to background levels, whereas photosynthesis by phytoplankton regains importance. Our results also provide preliminary indication to the loci of enhanced heterotrophy in the plume. Results of artificial mixing experiments suggest that previously formed plume water is the primary source of microbial inoculum for new plume water. This self‐inoculation mechanism, in combination with the intense DIC uptake, helps to sustain a distinct planktonic autotrophic community in this rapidly flushed hydrothermal plume.
Short‐Term Rental Platform in the Urban Tourism Context: A Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) and a Multiscale GWR (MGWR) Approaches
Authors: Shabrina Zahratu , Buyuklieva Boyana , Ng Matthew Kok Ming
Published: October 2020

This article contributes to advancing the knowledge on the phenomenon of the most popular short‐term rental platforms, Airbnb. By implementing a geographically weighted regression (GWR) and its multiscale form, MGWR, we examine the relationship between Airbnb locations and the core elements of urban tourism including hotels, food and beverages (F&B) venues, as well as access to public transport. This article’s contributions are twofold: methodological and empirical. First, the results show that incorporating localities improve overall model performance. It allows us to account for the nuance of each area of interest as the MGWR performs slightly better than the GWR in the case of spatially sparse data. Second, both models show that Airbnbs collocate with hotels supported by various amenities, but Airbnbs also go beyond traditional hotel zones. This analysis highlights and extends the latter where Airbnb concentrations are those for which there are strong associations with F&B establishments and access to public transports. This suggests that Airbnbs might benefit local businesses outside the reach of major tourist zones. However, there is further work to be done to understand whether the economic benefit to the local economy is worth the associated social costs raised by previous studies.
Mixed‐method social network analysis for multi‐sited transnational migration research
Authors: Mazzucato Valentina
Published: October 2020

Following the recent call to combine social network analysis (SNA) approaches in the study of migrant networks and their contextualization within transnational economic, social, legal and political frameworks, in this article, I review recent studies that combine mixed‐methods SNA with observational methods in the study of transnational social networks. Such studies have enabled the collection of rich and contextualized data across multiple sites, helping to address the conundrum facing transnational migration researchers: how to combine breadth and depth in transnational data collection. Mixed‐method SNA combines quantitative and qualitative SNA methods together with in‐depth repeated interviews and observations. The article shows how mixed‐method SNA helps to address three particular challenges of doing transnational migration research: designing a transnational research project; studying transnational relationships as ‘worked at'; and capturing the dynamic and changing nature of transnational relationships as embedded within multiple environments (social, legal, economic and political) in which they take place.
Linear habitats across a range of farming intensities contribute differently to dipteran abundance and diversity
Authors: Ahmed Karzan S. D. , Volpato Alessio , Day Michael F. , Mulkeen Collette J. , O'Hanlon Aidan , Carey John , Williams Christopher , Ruas Sara , Moran James , Rotchés‐Ribalta Roser , ÓhUallacháin Daire , Stout Jane C. , Hodge Simon , White Blanaid , Gormally Michael J.
Published: October 2020

While the value of linear farm habitats for the protection and enhancement of farmland biodiversity in general is known, less is understood about their contribution to Diptera, especially those with different ecological requirements. In this study, we examined the impact of a range of linear farm habitats in agricultural grassland on Syrphidae and Sciomyzidae (Diptera) both of which provide important ecosystem services.

Species richness and abundance for each family were measured across five different linear habitat types (dense and open hedgerows with/without adjacent watercourses and watercourses only). While dense hedgerows with adjacent watercourses showed the greatest numbers of Syrphidae species and individuals, open hedgerows with adjacent watercourses had significantly more Sciomyzidae species and individuals than dense hedgerows without watercourses or open hedgerows only.

Syrphidae species richness was significantly correlated with the flowering plant species richness of linear habitats, while Sciomyzidae species richness was correlated with a habitat quality score for grasslands adjacent to the linear habitats.

Overall, Syrphidae and Sciomyzidae species richness and community composition are shown to reflect a farming intensity gradient with significantly greater species richness for both families on extensive farms.

Our results suggest that different dipteran taxa which utilise linear habitats may have different requirements. This has implications for future agri‐environmental schemes in the context of how we assess the conservation value of linear habitats on farmlands.
A quest for quality care: Exploration of a model of leadership relationships, work engagement, and patient outcomes
Authors: Parr Jenny M. , Teo Stephen , Koziol‐McLain Jane
Published: October 2020

Aim

To explore the effects of resonant leadership, leader exchange relationships and perceived organizational support on work engagement and patient outcomes.

Design

A cross‐sectional survey design.

Methods

Data were collected in June and July 2016 from 252 nurses and clerical staff and institutional patient safety (falls rates) and patient satisfaction (Friends and Family Test) in New Zealand. Data were analysed with structural equation modelling (SEM).

Results

The final model was an excellent fit to the data (χ2 (22, N = 252) = 39.048, p = 0.014). Resonant leadership was significantly and positively associated with relationships at work, perception of unit care quality (β = 0.28, p < 0.001), reduced falls rates (β = −0.14, p < 0.05) and better patient satisfaction (β = −0.41, p < 0.001). A direct effect of resonant leadership was demonstrated on patient satisfaction (β = 0.20, p < 0.01). Perceived organization support (β = 0.40, p < 0.001) and leader–member exchange (β = 0.46, p < 0.001) were confirmed antecedents of work engagement. Work engagement was confirmed as an antecedent of nurse perception of unit care quality (β = 0.21, p < 0.001). Where social exchanges exist, work engagement mediates these. Three further mediated paths bypassed work engagement altogether.

Conclusion

Existing literature investigating the drivers and impacts of work engagement predominantly focuses on staff outcomes rather than patient outcomes. The findings identify modifiable factors to improve staff experience, patient safety, and ultimately patient satisfaction. Resonant leadership, a relational style, is a core antecedent of quality care and positively associated with staff experience and patient outcomes.

Impact

This investigation into a real‐world problem for nurse leaders also confirmed that an organizational focus on work engagement is not always required. Resonant leadership improves staff work experience, patient safety, and patient satisfaction. Nurse leaders should measure, foster, and develop resonant leadership in practice.
Linking servant leadership to positive deviant behavior: The mediating role of self‐determination theory
Authors: Brière Mathilde , Le Roy Jeanne , Meier Olivier
Published: October 2020

How can servant leadership focused primarily on developing employees help them to become more ethical and prosocial, and to achieve positive results reaching beyond mere compliance with their tasks? More specifically, we propose that servant leadership may influence employees to engage in positive deviant behavior (PDB), meaning non‐conforming behavior that is positive and ethical. Using self‐determination theory (SDT), our research examines the effect of perceived servant leadership on the adoption of PDB by employees, mediated by basic psychological needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation. To this end, we conducted a quantitative study of 344 French employees’ answers to an online survey. Structural equation modeling results indicated that the relationship between perceived servant leadership and innovative PDB is strongly predicted by SDT. Intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between perceived servant leadership, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, and innovative PDB. Several limitations and implications will be discussed.
Cause of death in adults with intellectual disability in the United States
Authors: Landes S. D. , Stevens J. D. , Turk M. A.
Published: October 2020

Background

Prior studies report that adults with intellectual disability (ID) have cause of death patterns distinct from adults in the general population but do not provide comparative analysis by specific causes of death.

Methods

Data are from the National Vital Statistics System 2005–2017 US Multiple Cause‐of‐Death Mortality files. We utilised adjusted odds ratios to identify causes of death that were more common for adults whose death certificate indicated ID (N = 22 512) than for adults whose death certificate did not indicate ID (N = 32 738 229), controlling for severity level of ID. We then examine the associations between biological sex and race‐ethnicity and causes of death solely among adults with ID.

Results

The leading cause of death for adults with and without ID indicated on their death certificate was heart disease. Adults with ID, regardless of the severity of the disability, had substantially higher risk of death from pneumonitis, influenza/pneumonia and choking. Adults with mild/moderate ID also had higher risk of death from diabetes mellitus. Differences in cause of death trends were associated with biological sex and race‐ethnicity.

Conclusions

Efforts to reduce premature mortality for adults with ID should attend to risk factors for causes of death typical in the general population such as heart disease and cancer, but also should be cognisant of increased risk of death from choking among all adults with ID, and diabetes among adults with mild/moderate ID. Further research is needed to better understand the factors determining comparatively lower rates of death from neoplasms and demographic differences in causes of death among adults with ID.
Vertebral pneumaticity of the North American therizinosaur Nothronychus
Authors: Smith David K. , Sanders R. Kent , Wolfe Douglas G.
Published: October 2020

Nothronychus was a large, derived therizinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Utah and New Mexico. The genus is known from elements that have been referred to single individuals. Therizinosaurs were unusual maniraptoran theropods close to the origin of birds. The axial skeleton is extensively pneumatized, but CT scans reveal an apneumatic synsacrum. Inferred air sacs invade the basicranium, the presacral vertebrae, and the proximal caudal vertebrae, but bypassed the sacrum resulting in a caudosacral hiatus similar to some sauropods and reflecting the development of multiple diverticula from the abdominal air sac. The vertebral pneumatic chambers are described here and compared with those observed in the theropod Allosaurus and the recent avian Dinornis. The vertebrae of Nothronychus are intermediate between those two theropods. It is inferred to have possessed avian‐like abdominal air sacs. This theropod would have had unidirectional lungs, as in birds, but this character cannot be related to endothermy.
The role of chemerin in the pathogenesis of cholelithiasis in children and adolescents
Authors: Zdanowicz Katarzyna , Ryzko Joanna , Bobrus‐Chociej Anna , Wojtkowska Malgorzata , Lebensztejn Dariusz Marek
Published: October 2020

Background and aim

Adipokines and hepatokines are proteins secreted by adipose tissue and the liver. To date, the levels of adipokines and hepatokines in cholelithiasis have only been evaluated in studies in adult patients. The purpose of our research was to assess the levels of circulating adipokines: chemerin, vaspin, progranulin, retinol‐binding protein 4 (RBP‐4) and hepatokine: fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF‐21) and to compare their concentrations in paediatric patients with and without cholelithiasis.

Methods

The prospective study included 54 children and adolescents diagnosed with gallstones and 26 controls. Fasting serum levels of adipokines and hepatokine were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays.

Results

The serum levels of chemerin, FGF‐21 and RBP‐4 were significantly higher in children and adolescents with gallstones compared to the control group. Elevated levels of triglycerides, RBP‐4, and a homeostatic model for assessing insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) were observed in overweight or obese patients compared to patients with normal weight and cholelithiasis. Chemerin concentrations were increased in the normal‐weight children and adolescents with cholelithiasis compared to the control group. Children and adolescents with gallstones and abnormal weight had significantly higher levels of chemerin, FGF‐21 and RBP‐4 than healthy controls.

Conclusion

Elevated serum chemerin levels were significantly higher in non‐obese patients with cholelithiasis than in non‐obese controls, suggesting a potential role of chemerin in the development of cholelithiasis in children and adolescents.
Rethinking nongovernmental organizations: Neoliberalism, “nonstate” actors, and the politics of recognition in the United States
Authors: Carrington Jara M.
Published: October 2020

This article builds on and contributes to the scholarship on social movements and the law by revealing the critical function of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in law and policy in neoliberal times. Building on frame theories in social movement literature, this essay uses the lens of NGO‐produced advocacy for binational same‐sex couples to consider more broadly the relationship between individual experience, subjectivity, and the discourses and practices employed by NGO actors. It offers an analysis of both how NGOs developed and utilized particular messaging strategies and rhetorical frames to discursively produce a normative image of their constituency, and how constituents navigated and made use of the framing strategies developed by NGOs in their own claims to state rights and recognition. This discussion thus highlights the potentials and the problematics of the NGO model in social movements' efforts toward legal and political change.
The relationship between housing instability and intimate partner violence: A retrospective study
Authors: R. Wilson Patty , J. Thorpe Roland , Sharps Phyllis , Laughon Kathryn
Published: October 2020

Objective

To examine the relationship between housing instability (HI) and intimate partner violence (IPV) over time, controlling for individual, situational, and social structural factors among women and to determine whether race/ethnicity modifies these relationships.

Design and Sample

The study was a retrospective secondary data analysis from the Fragile Families and Child Well‐Being Study. The sample included women who reported their housing status at year 5, yielding 4,000 women.

Measures

Housing instability was our main independent variable. Our dependent variable of IPV was divided into two categories: no IPV or IPV overtime (IPV reported at baseline, year 1 and year 5).

Results

Women were more likely to report HI if they were between the ages of 20–24 (36%), Black (53.2%), did not graduate from high school (48.6%), and were employed with an income of less than $10,000 USD (69%). Race/ethnicity was not found to influence the association between HI and IPV overtime.

Conclusions

Women in their early to mid‐twenties, with a low level of education and are employed at low‐wage jobs have an increased risk for HI and experiencing IPV. Therefore, nurses need to move beyond traditional assessments and screening to elicit information that will help determine increased risk for HI.
Registered Nurses’ Evidence‐Based Practice Revisited: A Longitudinal Study in Mid‐Career
Authors: Rudman Ann , Boström Anne‐Marie , Wallin Lars , Gustavsson Petter , Ehrenberg Anna
Published: October 2020

Background

To improve patient outcomes and patient safety and to reduce costs in health care, the implementation of evidence‐based practice (EBP) is crucial.

Aims

To examine the use of the EBP process in Swedish health care. Specifically, to examine whether professional career development (years of experience, years in current position, specialist education, care setting) is associated with RNs’ practice of EBP activities and changes in the extent of practicing the EBP process between early and mid‐career.

Methods

In this observational longitudinal study, the extent of EBP activities was investigated in three national cohorts of 2,474 RNs. Nurses rated their own EBP levels 11–15 and three years after graduation. Six items measured the respondents’ extent of practicing the EBP process. Comparisons of EBP levels between subgroups were tested using unpaired t‐tests or one‐way ANOVAs.

Results

On average, RNs used the EBP process occasionally every half year. RNs with specialist education reported a higher extent of EBP activities as did RNs who worked in outpatient and home care settings. There was a significant increase in the extent of EBP activities 11 to 13 years after graduation compared to three years after graduation.

Linking Evidence to Action

The findings raise some central questions for practice: How well equipped are RNs to practice the EBP process? What is needed to facilitate EBP in clinical settings? Building on the findings of this study, managers in clinical practice need to develop supportive organizational structures that facilitate EBP. This study suggests that mid‐career RNs increased the extent of practicing the EBP process over time compared to previous reported practice in their first years as RNs. However, the level of EBP activities was low to moderate, and this modest increase took 11 to 13 years to achieve. To enhance the practice of EBP in nursing care, educational and organizational factors need to be considered.
Obstacles to Success of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in General Education Settings
Authors: McKeithan Glennda K. , Cullinan Douglas , Pennington Malinda L. , Conroy David S.
Published: October 2020

The purpose of this study was to survey teacher opinions of 14 potential obstacles to teaching in general education classes attended by students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The anonymous participant responses were received from 16 elementary school teachers, 60 middle school teachers, and 131 high school teachers. Participants completed a questionnaire in which they rated 14 items. Rating data were uploaded to STATA data analysis software. The Kruskal-Wallis (K-W) statistic was used to analyze and interpret the data. Results identified items that significantly discriminated among teachers of the three grade levels and show a difference in the perceptions of teachers at different grade levels for some obstacles. Teachers at the elementary school level generally perceived greater obstacles than teachers at the middle school level, who perceived greater obstacles than those at the high school level. The results can be considered by educators and service providers when identifying professional development topics and resources to assist educators and service providers in the provision of instruction to maximize the potential for academic and social success for students with ASD in general education settings.
Design Variety Measurement Using Sharma–Mittal Entropy
Authors: Ahmed Faez , Ramachandran Sharath Kumar , Fuge Mark , Hunter Sam , Miller Scarlett
Published: October 2020

Design variety metrics measure how much a design space is explored. This article proposes that a generalized class of entropy metrics based on Sharma–Mittal entropy offers advantages over existing methods to measure design variety. We show that an exemplar metric from Sharma–Mittal entropy, namely, the Herfindahl–Hirschman index for design (HHID) has the following desirable advantages over existing metrics: (a) more accuracy: it better aligns with human ratings compared to existing and commonly used tree-based metrics for two new datasets; (b) higher sensitivity: it has higher sensitivity compared to existing methods when distinguishing between the variety of sets; (c) allows efficient optimization: it is a submodular function, which enables one to optimize design variety using a polynomial time greedy algorithm; and (d) generalizes to multiple metrics: many existing metrics can be derived by changing the parameters of this metric, which allows a researcher to fit the metric to better represent variety for new domains. This article also contributes a procedure for comparing metrics used to measure variety via constructing ground truth datasets from pairwise comparisons. Overall, our results shed light on some qualities that good design variety metrics should possess and the nontrivial challenges associated with collecting the data needed to measure those qualities.
Identifying High-Potential Work Areas in Engineering for Global Development: Linking Industry Sectors to the Human Development Index
Authors: Smith Daniel O. , Mattson Christopher A. , Dahlin Eric C.
Published: October 2020

Those working in Engineering for Global Development seek to improve the conditions in developing countries. A common metric for understanding the development state of a given country is the Human Development Index (HDI), which focuses on three dimensions: health, education, and income. An engineer’s expertise does not always align with any of those dimensions directly, while they still hope to perform impactful work for human development. To discover other areas of expertise that are highly associated with the HDI, correlations and variable selection were performed between all World Development Indicators and the HDI. The resultant associations are presented according to industry sector for a straightforward connection to engineering expertise. The associated areas of expertise can be used during opportunity development as surrogates for focusing on the HDI dimensions themselves. The data analysis shows that work related to “Trade, Transportation, and Utilities,” such as electricity distribution, and exports or imports, “Natural Resources and Mining,” such as energy resources, agriculture, or access to clean water, and “Manufacturing,” in general, are most commonly associated with improvements in the HDI in developing countries. Also, because the associations were discovered at country-level, they direct where geographically particular areas of expertise have been historically associated with improving HDI.
ALEvo: Development of a New Wind Turbine Actuator Line Numerical Model
Authors: O’Dea Murphy Leo , Guessous Laila
Published: October 2020

Large-scale wind turbine installations are sited using layouts based on site topology, real estate costs and restrictions, and turbine power output. In order to plan efficient wind farm deployments, computationally efficient CFD models of wind turbine wakes are needed to predict the performance of individual turbines in the field. Given the large computational demands to calculate turbine wakes using traditional CFD methods, many research efforts have focused in recent years on the development of blade modeling techniques. These blade models are combined with CFD field computations and are intended to model the forces on turbine blades and their resulting effects on the flow, without actually including a physical model (grid) of the blades in the CFD simulation. The most promising method, the Actuator Line (AL) method, creates a physical model of the turbine blades, and has been found to result in realistic wake flow simulations with accessible compute resources. The AL method typically uses an exponential function to spread blade forces over a cloud of CFD grid points to prevent singularities from occurring when large force magnitudes are applied to individual grid points. Yet, in typical implementations of this method, the geometric extent to which this distribution occurs and the applied force directions do not appear to be related to the physics of the blade force calculations or geometry. Moreover, the distribution function reduces the force magnitude as distance from the actuator line increases, but this does not necessarily match the force loading on an actual turbine blade.

In order to address some of these issues, the current research study has focused on developing an evolved actuator line method (ALEvo) in combination with the advanced parallel Spectral Element Method (SEM) open-source CFD code NEK5000, to model the wake flows of large wind turbines. This alternate AL implementation creates a geometric representation of each rotating turbine blade, and the aerodynamic forces are calculated using traditional blade element equations. Turbine blades are rotated in time with progressing CFD field calculations. Blade forces are then input as body forces into the Navier Stokes equations in the host CFD program without the use of an exponential spreading function. In this paper, we compare results for the new actuator line method with those of the traditional AL method, as well as with published experimental results. Comparison with the traditional method shows better agreement of ALEvo with experimental data, and confirms overestimation of power output with the traditional method. Furthermore, significant computing time savings are achieved with the proposed new method.
Effects of Salinity and Temperature on Rheological and Flow Characteristics of Surfactant-Based Fluids
Authors: Kamel Ahmed H. , Alzahabi Ahmed
Published: October 2020

Surfactant-based, SB fluids exhibit complex rheological behavior due to substantial structural changes caused by the molecules self-assembled colloidal aggregation. Temperature and salinity affect their rheology and flow properties.

In this study, both rheological and viscoelastic properties for the optimum concentration, 4%, of Aromox® APA-T viscoelastic surfactant (VES) were investigated using two brine solutions; 2 and 4% KCl and wide range of temperatures (72°F – 200°F). Flow properties were examined using a 1/2-in. straight and coiled tubing (CR = 0.019).

The results show that increasing solution salinity promotes formation of rod-like micelles and increases its flexibility. Salinity affects micelles growth and their rheological and viscoelastic behavior is very sensitive to the nature and structure of the added salt. Different molecular structures are formed; spherical micelles occur first and then increased temperature and/or salinity promotes the formation of rod-like micelles. Later, rod-like micelles are aligned in the flow direction and form a large super ordered structure of micellar bundles or aggregates called shear induced structure (SIS). Different structures implies different rheological and flow properties. Likewise, rheology improves with increasing temperature up to 100°F. Further increase in temperature reverses the effects and viscosity decreases. In addition, drag reduction and flow characteristics of SB fluids are improved by the addition of salt and/or increasing temperature up to 100°F. Results obtained are in full agreement with rheological and viscoelastic behavior of SB fluids for both salinity and temperature.
Backlit Imaging of a Circular Plunging Jet With Floor Interactions
Authors: Pillers Roy A. , Heindel Theodore J.
Published: October 2020

Plunging jets occur when a liquid stream enters a slower moving or stationary liquid body after first passing through a gaseous region. The most commonly studied plunging jet structure is that of water entering water. Plunging jets have been studied in order to understand and model mixing and transport from the atmosphere into the liquid. Shear forces at the edge of the jet cause air entrainment both in the free jet and at the impact point on the pool surface. Plunging jet applications range from large scale environments, such as ocean waves, waterfalls, wastewater treatment, and dams, to small scale environments, such as liquid-gas fuel mixing, mineral separation, and molten metal pouring. The majority of the literature today involve facilities designed to approximate an infinite liquid pool; few of these studies take into account the compression effects prevalent in several of the real systems. Therefore, a tank has been developed for the visualization of plunging jet flows with varying pool depth. This study involved the creation of a 32 cm by 32 cm, 91.4 cm deep rectangular acrylic tank with an interior adjustable acrylic bottom for the visualization of plunging jet flows with bottom compression effects. The pool height was held constant using a secondary tank with an overflow weir. In this study high-speed backlit images were taken of the plunging jet region. Preliminary results indicate that there is a significant change in both the shape and estimated entrained air volume when the plunging jet is subjected to compression effects. This is attributed to the plate spreading the bubble plume and allowing for easier bubble rise.
Cellular Vortex Shedding From Linearly Tapered Finite Cylinders
Authors: Rooney David M. , Vaccaro John C. , Smijtink Rafael
Published: October 2020

Hot-wire measurements were taken in the wake of ten finite length circular cylinders, six of which were also tapered, in a uniform flow in a low speed wind tunnel. The Reynolds number based on mean cylinder diameter ranged from 2100 ≤ Re ≤ 5500, the aspect ratio (AR) of the cylinders varied from 16 ≤ AR ≤ 64, and the taper ratio (RT) varied from 21.3 ≤ RT ≤ 96. The vortex shedding along the spans of the cylinders coalesced into discrete cells, the range of Strouhal numbers and the number of cells being a function of the cylinder aspect ratio and taper ratio. It was found that the number of discrete cells is linearly related to a cylinder geometry ratio (CGR) defined as CGR = AR(1 + AR/RT).
CFD Evaluation of Bend Angle Effects on Sand Particle Erosion in Multiphase Flows
Authors: Farokhipour A. , Mansoori Z. , Saffar-Avval M. , Shirazi S. A. , Ahmadi G.
Published: October 2020

In many industrial applications, gas-liquid-particle three-phase flows are observed. Predicting erosion damage in this type of flow is a challenging issue, and so many factors, such as the liquid film behavior have significant effects on the erosion rate. In the present study, the Eulerian-Lagrangian approach was implemented to study the process of sand particle erosion in elbows with different bend angles. For this purpose, gas and liquid phases under annular flow conditions were introduced at the pipe inlet, and the volume of fluid (VOF) method was employed to solve the governing equations. For evaluating the erosion rate, the Det Norske Veritas (DNV) model was applied. The predicted erosion results for the bend angles of 30°, 60° and 90° at different orientations were compared with those of the two-phase gas-particle flows. The simulation results indicated that for gas-liquid-particle flow, the behavior of film thickness in the bend plays a major role on the particle impact velocity and the corresponding erosion rates. By comparing the impact characteristics for gas and liquid superficial velocities of 40 and 0.4 m/s, respectively, in the 90° elbow, it was found that the impact velocities for gas-particle and gas-liquid-particle flows at the erosion hotspot are 38 and 14 m/s, respectively. In addition, among the studied geometries, the 30° elbow is the most erosion-resistant bend angle configuration among those studied for both two- and three-phase flows.