bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Crime Drop: A Time-Series Analysis of Crime Rates in Hong Kong in the Last Three Decades
Authors: Chen Xi , Zhong Hua
Published: November 2020

Although the recent crime drop in Western societies has rejuvenated crime trend studies, little is known about the crime trends and the corresponding explanations in the East. This study aims to fill the gaps by examining different types of offenses in Hong Kong between 1976 and 2017. Specifically, this study tests and evaluates major macro-level theoretical approaches explaining crime trends, including institutional anomie theory, routine activities theory, and deterrence theory. Using Error Correction Models, our analyses reveal that the strengths of different social institutions are negatively associated with crime rates, showing strong support to institutional anomie theory. The results also partially support routine activities theory by demonstrating that levels of economic development are negatively associated with both violent and property crime rates, and the number of mobile cellular subscriptions is negatively related to homicide rates. Deterrence explanations are mainly supported for property crime. These findings provide theoretical insights on the etiology of crime and also yield important policy suggestions on how to sustain the observed decline in crime rates in modern societies.
Partners in play: Exploring ‘playing with’ children living with severe physical and intellectual disabilities
Authors: O’Connor Deirdre , Butler Alison , Lynch Helen
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Play occupation is central to children’s occupational lives and play is established as a fundamental right. While children with disabilities are at increased risk of play deprivation, few studies have explored the play occupation of children living with severe physical and intellectual disabilities.

Method

Informed by an ethnographic approach, this qualitative study involved 17 participants including five families of children with severe disabilities and six classroom staff. Methods combined observations of children’s play with adult interviews and focus groups to explore factors that influence play in home and school contexts. Findings were analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

Three themes emerged: (a) play as an occupation, play as an activity; (b) an empowered and empowering play partner; (c) the ‘just-right’ play object and environment.

Conclusion

The influence of an empowering and empowered play partner combined with the suitability of the object and environment was central to successful play. A commitment to play for fun, for the wellbeing of these children, and by ‘playing with’ and not ‘doing-to’ the child was fundamental. Although the findings are specific to this study, play facilitators may use them to inform future play interactions through an enhanced understanding of empowerment and enablement for successful play occupation.
Geographies of science and technology 1: Boundaries and crossings
Authors: Mahony Martin
Published: November 2020

In a world of accelerating environmental crises, global pandemics and seemingly unstoppable datafication of anything that moves, thinks or feels, the politics of science and technology are pervasive. In this first of three progress reports on the geographies of science and technology, I home in on some definitional questions which an account of anything like a new or emerging subfield must necessarily concern itself. I examine how geographers have addressed the spatial effects of the making and unmaking of boundaries between science, technology and their various outsides. While work on historical and contemporary geographies of technoscience has often pulled in slightly different directions, I identify some promising convergences around questions of political economy and on the topic of scale as an emergent property of technoscientific practices. New attention is also falling on the spatial practices through which technoscience gets plugged into wider worlds, such as politics and policymaking, while geographers have also been busy disrupting, in a more experimental mode, conventional boundaries and hierarchies of technoscientific practice. Finally, the report examines recent and welcome efforts to convene new conversations around the geography of technology but cautions against the potential seduction of the new, the innovative and the ‘disruptive’. Important recent work in cultural geography has purposively unsettled assumed hierarchies of ‘high’ and ‘low’ tech, new and old, and suggests that any nascent subfield of ‘geography of technology’ needs to reflexively attend to how boundaries get drawn around ‘technology’, and with what effects.
Comparison of Crash Modification Factors for Engineering Treatments Estimated by Before–After Empirical Bayes and Propensity Score Matching Methods
Authors: Lan Bo , Srinivasan Raghavan
Published: November 2020

Cross-sectional and the empirical Bayes (EB) before–after are two of the most common methods for estimating crash modification factors (CMFs). The EB before–after method has now been accepted as one way of addressing the potential bias caused by the regression to the mean problem. However, sometimes before–after methods may not feasible because of the lack of data from before and after periods. In those cases, researchers rely on cross-sectional studies to develop CMFs. However, cross-sectional studies may provide biased CMFs through confounding. The propensity score (PS) matching method, along with cross-sectional regression models, is one of the methods that can be used to address confounding. Though PS methods are widely used in epidemiology and other studies, there are only a few studies that have used PS matching methods to estimate CMFs. The intent of this study is to evaluate and compare the performance of cross-sectional regression models using PS matching methods with the results from the EB and traditional cross-sectional methods. The comparisons were conducted using two carefully selected simulated datasets. The results indicate that optimal propensity score distance (PSD) matching with maximum variable ratio of 5 performed quite well compared with the EB before–after and the traditional cross-sectional methods.
Feasibility of Operating a Heavy-Duty Battery Electric Truck Fleet for Drayage Applications
Authors: Tanvir Shams , Un-Noor Fuad , Boriboonsomsin Kanok , Gao Zhiming
Published: November 2020

Vehicle fleet electrification is regarded as one major pathway toward achieving energy independence and reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to light-duty and medium-duty vehicles, electrification of heavy-duty vehicles, especially Class 8 trucks, is more challenging owing to the battery size required to attain the driving range necessary for their operating goals. As drayage trucks generally have a limited daily mileage, return to a home base every night, and spend a large amount of time creeping and idling, drayage operation has been the first targeted application for Class 8 electric trucks. The feasibility of operating battery electric drayage trucks at the individual vehicle level has recently been demonstrated. However, questions remain as to whether these trucks are capable of meeting the needs of typical drayage operation at the fleet level. This paper presents a feasibility analysis of operating an electric truck fleet based on real-world operation data of a diesel drayage operator in Southern California. Second-by-second activity data collected from 20 trucks in the fleet were used to estimate the corresponding electric energy consumption and the state of charge of the battery using a microscopic electric energy consumption model. An algorithm for generating tours of drayage activity from the collected data was developed and implemented. Multiple scenarios with different battery charging and truck scheduling assumptions were analyzed. The results show that 85% of the tours could be served by electric trucks if there is opportunity for charging at the home base during the time gap between consecutive tours.
Safety Performance of Rural Offset-T Intersections
Authors: Ingle Anthony , Gates Timothy J.
Published: November 2020

Offset-T intersections represent a special geometric configuration where two three-leg intersections adjoin the major road from opposite directions within a short separation distance. The prevalence of offset-T intersections in rural areas coupled with the lack of research evaluating their safety performance led to the development of a series of safety performance functions for rural stop-controlled intersections that considered the effects of the offset direction and separation distance. In addition, crash modification factors (CMFs) were developed to estimate the change in crash frequency associated with converting a rural offset-T intersection into a conventional four-leg intersection. A series of mixed-effect negative binomial models for crash occurrence was generated based on 10 years of crash data from a sample of 299 offset-T intersections and 301 four-leg intersections with minor stop control along rural two-lane highways in Michigan. Compared with conventional four-leg intersections, offset-T intersections exhibited 35% more crashes regardless of the offset distance or direction. Considering crash types, single motor vehicle crashes occurred more frequently at offset-T intersections, and increased as the offset distance increased. Rear-end crashes also occurred more frequently at offset-T intersections, with left offsets having greater crash occurrence than right offsets. However, angle crashes were 40%–69% lower at offset-T intersections because of the elimination of the direct crossing maneuver. Considering the ranges of offset distance and direction utilized within this study, the total (non-animal) CMF for converting an offset-T into a four-leg intersection was 0.74.
Qualitative Investigation of the Influential Factors behind Unsafe Trucking Behaviors in India
Authors: Kumar Gangadhari Rajan , Kumar Tarei Pradeep
Published: November 2020

India ranks first in the global fatalities rate related to traffic accidents. India’s trucking industry is highly unorganized compared with that in developed countries, as a result of which drivers do not get professional recognition in society. Low income, job insecurity, high-fatigue conditions, and continuous exposure to external environmental conditions cause job dissatisfaction, and the majority of traffic accidents in India are caused by driver negligence. This study aims to systematically examine the underlying factors that cause drivers’ unsafe behavior from the following four assessment levels: personal, professional, organizational, and external factors. A purposeful sampling-based survey method was employed to collect the data. The findings of this study were compared with the opinions of the experts and results from previous studies in the literature. The study results found that the contribution of professional and organizational factors to unsafe behavior is greatest compared with external and personal factors. The study concludes with recommendations for reducing drivers’ risk through planned driving schedules, ensuring social security through welfare schemes, and improving driving performance through proper training programs for preventing and minimizing damage caused by accidents, and recommends policy-based measures to trucking companies and regulatory bodies for minimizing accident occurrence.
Comparing Methods for Generating a Two-Layered Synthetic Population
Authors: Fabrice Yaméogo Boyam , Gastineau Pascal , Hankach Pierre , Vandanjon Pierre-Olivier
Published: November 2020

Synthetic population is used in many transport models ranging from trip-based, hybrid trip, tour-based, and activity-based models. As mobility decisions depend on both individuals’ characteristics and family situation, generating a two-layered population that takes into account not only the individual level but also household level is essential. In the literature, three main categories of methods for two-layered population generation have been proposed. These categories are synthetic reconstruction (SR), combinatorial optimization (CO), and statistical learning (SL). SR and CO methods produce synthetic populations by means of replicating individuals, whereas SL methods generate a population following a joint probability estimation. However, selecting a generation process is not straightforward as it depends on input data and synthetic population characteristics. To the best of our knowledge, no clear methodology for selecting between these methods exists. The main objectives of this paper are to provide (1) a detailed description of the available methods, (2) a comparison between these methods, and (3) a decision-making procedure for selecting between these methods. The description and comparison of the methods relies on different criteria: marginals availability, sample size, number of potential attributes that can be handled, population size to generate, possibility of zero-cell problem, and so forth. The advantages and shortcomings of each method are illustrated, and method performance is assessed. The decision-making procedure is carried out through the proposal of a decision tree. Researchers and practitioners have now access to a comprehensive and unified framework to select the appropriate method depending on available data and features of their modeling purposes.
Primary Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation of the Knee Versus Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation After Failed Marrow Stimulation: A Systematic Review
Authors: Schuette Hayden B. , Kraeutler Matthew J. , Schrock John B. , McCarty Eric C.
Published: November 2020

Background:

Marrow stimulation (MST) surgery, which includes microfracture, subchondral drilling, and abrasion arthroplasty, and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) are 2 surgical options to treat articular cartilage lesions in the knee joint. Recent studies have suggested worse outcomes when ACI is used after failed MST.

Purpose:

To investigate the failure rates and clinical outcomes of primary knee ACI versus ACI after failed MST surgery (secondary ACI).

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Methods:

A systematic review was performed by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies evaluating clinical outcomes of patients undergoing primary versus secondary ACI of the knee joint. The search terms used were as follows: “knee” AND (“autologous chondrocyte implantation” OR “osteochondral allograft”) AND (microfracture OR “marrow stimulation”). Patients undergoing primary ACI (group A) were compared with those undergoing secondary ACI (group B) based on treatment failure rates and patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

Results:

Seven studies (2 level 2 studies, 5 level 3 studies) were identified and met inclusion criteria, including a total of 1335 patients (group A: n = 838; group B: n = 497). The average patient age in all studies was 34.2 years, and the average lesion size was 5.43 cm2. Treatment failure occurred in 14.0% of patients in group A and 27.6% of patients in group B ( P < .00001). Four studies reported PROs. One study found significantly better Subjective International Knee Documentation Committee scores ( P = .011), visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores ( P = .028), and VAS function scores ( P = .005) in group A. Another study found significantly better Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Pain scores ( P = .034), KOOS Activities of Daily Living scores ( P = .024), VAS pain scores ( P = .014), and VAS function scores ( P = .032) in group A. Two studies found no significant difference in PROs between groups A and B ( P < .05).

Conclusion:

Patient-reported improvement can be expected in patients undergoing primary or secondary ACI of the knee joint. Patients undergoing secondary ACI have a significantly higher risk of treatment failure and may have worse subjective outcomes compared with patients undergoing primary ACI.
Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement: 1-Year Outcomes Predict 5-Year Outcomes
Authors: Akpinar Berkcan , Lin Lawrence J. , Bloom David A. , Youm Thomas
Published: November 2020

Background:

Limited evidence exists comparing short- and long-term patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and overall survival rates after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

Hypothesis:

Patients with high improvement (HI) versus low improvement (LI) at 1 year postoperatively would achieve higher PROs and better index procedure survival rates at 5-year follow-up.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS between September 2012 and March 2014 with minimum 5-year outcome data were identified. Using the median 1-year change in modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) as a threshold, HI and LI subcohorts were determined. Analysis of variance was used to compare PROs. Failure rates were determined using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards model analyses. Regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with increasing 5-year change in mHHS and Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS).

Results:

Out of 108 eligible consecutive patients, 89 (82.4%) were included (mean [SD]: age, 43.3 [14.6] years; body mass index, 25.4 [4.5]). As compared with the LI group (n = 45), the HI group (n = 44) had a longer 5-year index surgery survival rate (mean ± SEM: 83.7 ± 3.3 months vs 68.5 ± 4.6 months; P = .012) and 5-year estimated survival rate (89% vs 71%). The HI group had a decreased risk of failure versus the LI group (hazard ratio, 0.15; P = .002). The HI group also had greater PROs than did the LI group at 1 year (mHHS: 94.8 ± 1.2 vs 72.6 ± 2.7, P < .001; NAHS: 94.0 ± 1.3 vs 75.6 ± 2.2, P < .001) and 5 years (mHHS: 86.9 ± 2.0 vs 77.6 ± 3.4, P = .017; NAHS: 92.6 ± 1.8 vs 82.7 ± 4.1, P = .020). As compared with the LI group, the HI group achieved higher rates of the Patient Acceptable Symptomatic State (PASS) and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) at 1 year (PASS: 95% vs 42%, P < .001; MCID: 100% vs 89%, P = .056) and 5 years (PASS: 77% vs 45%, P = .002; MCID: 86% vs 64%, P = .014). Linear regression demonstrated that being in the HI group (ΔmHHS, P = .041; ΔNAHS, P = .017) and decreasing body mass index (ΔmHHS, P = .055; ΔNAHS, P = .023) were associated with higher 5-year ΔPROs.

Conclusion:

Patients with FAIS and significant improvement in the first year after hip arthroscopy had superior 5-year outcomes versus patients with persistent symptom severity. Survival rates and PROs were significantly better in patients who achieved high early outcomes at the 1-year mark.
Predictors of Clinical Outcomes After Hip Arthroscopy: 5-Year Follow-up Analysis of 1038 Patients
Authors: Domb Benjamin G. , Chen Sarah L. , Go Cammille C. , Shapira Jacob , Rosinsky Philip J. , Meghpara Mitchell B. , Maldonado David R. , Lall Ajay C.
Published: November 2020

Background:

Although hip arthroscopy has been shown to have favorable results, there is a paucity of literature describing predictive factors of 5-year clinical outcomes.

Purpose:

To identify predictive factors of midterm outcomes after hip arthroscopy in a cohort of 1038 patients whose outcomes at minimum 2-year follow-up were previously reported. In addition, to provide a comparison of short- and midterm predictive factors in outcome measures after hip arthroscopy.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed on all patients undergoing hip arthroscopy between February 2008 and June 2012. Patients were included if they had minimum 5-year follow-up on 2 patient-reported outcomes: Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS) and modified Harris Hip Score. Patients were excluded if they had any previous ipsilateral hip conditions. Using bivariate and multivariate analyses, we analyzed the effect of 36 pre- and intraoperative variables on the NAHS, modified Harris Hip Score, and conversion to total hip arthroplasty.

Results:

A total of 1038 patients met the inclusion criteria for the 2-year study, and 860 met our listed inclusion criteria for the 5-year study. The mean follow-up time was 62.0 months (range, 60.0-120.0 months). The bivariate analysis identified 10 variables (4 categorical and 6 continuous) that were predictive of 5-year postoperative NAHS. For the multivariate analysis, 7 variables were identified as being significant: preoperative NAHS, body mass index (BMI), age, lateral joint space, alpha angle, revision hip arthroscopy, and acetabular microfracture. These 7 variables were also predictive in the bivariate analysis. Age, BMI, revision hip arthroscopy, Tönnis grade, sex, trochanteric bursectomy, femoral head cartilage damage, and acetabular inclination were significant predictors of conversion to total hip arthroplasty.

Conclusion:

This study reports favorable midterm clinical outcomes in the largest cohort of hip arthroscopies with minimum 5-year follow-up in the literature to date. Seven variables were identified as being significant predictors of postoperative NAHS in the bivariate and multivariate analyses: preoperative NAHS, BMI, age, lateral joint space, alpha angle, revision hip arthroscopy, and acetabular microfracture. Of these, preoperative NAHS, BMI, age, and revision hip arthroscopy were predictive of 2- and 5-year postoperative NAHS. These predictive factors may prove useful to clinicians in determining indications for hip arthroscopy and counseling patients on its expected outcomes.
Genetic Correlation Analysis and Transcriptome-wide Association Study Suggest the Overlapped Genetic Mechanism between Gout and Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Kafle Om Prakash , Wang Xi , Cheng Shiqiang , Ding Miao , Li Ping , Cheng Bolun , Liang Xiao , Liu Li , Du Yanan , Ma Mei , Zhang Lu , Zhao Yan , Wen Yan , Zhang Feng
Published: November 2020

Objectives:

Gout is a common inflammatory arthritis, which is caused by hyperuricemia. Limited efforts have been paid to systematically explore the relationships between gout and common psychiatric disorders.

Methods:

Genome-wide association study summary data of gout were obtained from the GeneATLAS, which contained 452,264 participants including 3,528 gout cases. Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) was first conducted to evaluate the genetic relationships between gout and 5 common psychiatric disorders. Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) was then conducted to explore the potential biological mechanism underlying the observed genetic correlation between gout and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery online functional annotation system was applied for pathway enrichment analysis and gene ontology enrichment analysis.

Results:

LDSC analysis observed significant genetic correlation between gout and ADHD (genetic correlation coefficients = 0.29, standard error = 0.09 and P value = 0.0015). Further TWAS of gout identified 105 genes with P value < 0.05 in muscle skeleton and 228 genes with P value < 0.05 in blood. TWAS of ADHD also detected 300 genes with P value < 0.05 in blood. Further comparing the TWAS results identified 9 common candidate genes shared by gout and ADHD, such as CD300C ( P gout = 0.0040; P ADHD = 0.0226), KDM6B ( P gout = 0.0074; P ADHD = 0.0460), and BST1 ( P gout = 0.0349; P ADHD = 0.03560).

Conclusion:

We observed genetic correlation between gout and ADHD and identified multiple candidate genes for gout and ADHD.
Linking Patient Safety Culture to Quality Ratings in the Nursing Home Setting
Authors: Yount Naomi , Zebrak Katarzyna A. , Famolaro Theresa , Sorra Joann , Birch Rebecca
Published: November 2020

There is limited evidence on the associations between patient safety culture and measures of health care quality in nursing homes. This study examines the relationship between scores on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Surveys on Patient Safety Culture™ (SOPS®) Nursing Home Survey (NH SOPS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Ratings. Using data from 186 nursing homes, we conducted multiple regression analyses predicting the Five-Star Quality Ratings from the NH SOPS survey measures. Five NH SOPS measures were related to the Overall, Health Inspections, and Quality Five-Star Ratings. Four NH SOPS measures were related to at least two of the four Five-Star Quality Ratings and three SOPS measures were related to one Five-Star Rating. None of the NH SOPS measures were significantly associated with the Staffing Five-Star Rating. Findings generally indicated that stronger patient safety culture is associated with higher quality ratings.
Caregiver Eligibility for Support Services: Correlates and Consequences for Resource Utilization
Authors: Litzelman Kristin , Harnish Autumn
Published: November 2020

Policymakers and community organizations have implemented numerous programs and services to support the more than 40 million family caregivers in the United States. However, the existence of such services is not sufficient to ensure equitable and optimal access and utilization. Using data from the Caregiving in the US study (2015; n = 1,185), we estimated that nearly one in five family caregivers do not meet broad eligibility criteria for support services. This resource gap was particularly likely to affect high-priority populations such as those caring for someone with a mental health problem. Furthermore, ineligible caregivers had lower service utilization and increased financial strain. The findings highlight a pattern of vulnerability among caregivers who do not meet broad eligibility criteria for financial support resources. Careful policy consideration is needed to determine how support services should be allocated to maximize caregiver and care recipient outcomes at the population level.
Scanning as a Rhetorical Activity: Reporting Histories of Ether Experiments in the Johns Hopkins University Physical Seminary (1892–1913)
Authors: Cutrufello Gabriel
Published: November 2020

This article reports on a study that examined papers written by graduate students in the Physical Seminary course at Johns Hopkins University (1892–1913) to investigate how students reused various visuals of the interferometer to construct narratives of late-19th-century Ether research. Their representations of the interferometer focused on the mechanics of the devices by constructing a series of textual-visual relationships, requiring that the reader scan back and forth between the written text and the accompanying visual. These multimodal texts demonstrate how the students used writing activities to create a narrative of equipment development, which highlighted the centrality of trained vision in enculturating graduate students into disciplinary writing practices in the late 19th century. Through an analysis of the specific interactions and the network of visuals the students used to reconstruct a history of Ether investigation, scholars of writing and rhetoric can see how important inclusion of equipment and its detailed discussion was to graduate writing and disciplinary enculturation in the sciences.
How a shared humanity model can improve provider well-being and client care: An evaluation of Fraser Health’s Trauma and Resiliency Informed Practice (TRIP) training program
Authors: Knaak Stephanie , Sandrelli Marika , Patten Scott
Published: November 2020

Stress in the healthcare sector is an important concern, with worrying trends in provider burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and lower mental health. Importantly, provider stress is also connected to patient care, with recent research on Canada’s opioid crisis finding that compassion satisfaction and burnout are linked to the perpetuation of negative attitudes and behaviours towards people with opioid use problems. In 2017, the Fraser Health Authority developed a training program for direct service providers designed to address this important connection—a mental health and resiliency program based in the principles of trauma-informed practice and care. This article reports the results of an evaluation of this program. Findings suggest that embedding resiliency and self-compassion within trauma-informed training programs is a promising approach for cultural change in healthcare practice. Leaders are encouraged to explore how such a model may be implementable for their own organizations and departments.
Clothing Taskscape as an Approach Toward Assessment of User Needs
Authors: Tullio-Pow Sandra , Strickfaden Megan
Published: November 2020

This study highlights use of the clothing taskscape (CT) to assess user needs, characterize design problems, and develop design criteria by considering relationships across people, their clothing, environments, activities, and tasks. Two case studies—a liquor store uniform and outdoor winter sporting clothing for seated clients—are used to illustrate how the CT may be operationalized. Data collection included observation and interviews to identify problems and determine design attributes needed in our respective clothing categories. Data were thematically analyzed. Findings in the uniform case study included problems related to uniform styling, fit, fabric, branding, and visual identity. Findings in the winter sporting clothing case study included procurement, garment styling, fit, branding, visual identity, storage of personal effects, storage of large-sized garments, and laundering practices. Use of the CT has the potential to guide designers toward more holistic assessment of the use scenario to assess user needs and develop design criteria.
Green With Fear: Fear Appeals and Temporal Framing in Eco-Friendly Clothing Advertising
Authors: Shen Bin , Kim Yana
Published: November 2020

This study examines how fear appeals (moderate vs. high) and temporal frames (proximal vs. distal) interactively influenced consumers' attitude and purchase intention in the framework of eco-friendly clothing advertising in China. For that purpose, empirical analyses were performed by collecting data from 640 consumers across Mainland China. Results revealed that consumers who perceived eco-friendly clothing as highly relevant to themselves expressed more favorable attitude toward the advertising that employed moderate-level fear appeals than the advertising that employed high-level fear appeals. As for consumers with a low level of perceived personal relevance, they showed the most favorable attitude toward the brand when being exposed to high-level fear appeals with a distal frame, and the least favorable attitude toward the brand when being exposed to moderate-level fear appeals with a distal frame. These research results provide significant theoretical and practical implications for scholars and eco-friendly marketing professionals.
Fused filament fabrication: A comprehensive review
Authors: Kumar Sudhir , Singh Rupinder , Singh TP , Batish Ajay
Published: November 2020

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is one of the low cost additive manufacturing (AM) techniques capable of printing complex design (both with commercial and non-commercial feedstock filaments by using different processing parameters). In this paper a comprehensive review has been prepared on FFF operating capabilities from thermoplastics material’s view point. Various thermoplastic materials and composites available commercially and prepared at laboratory scale have been categorized based upon the reported studies performed (for thermal stability, mechanical properties etc.). It was observed that the nano composite based feed stock filament (prepared at lab scale) have edge over the micro-composites from thermo-mechanical properties view point. Further it has been noticed that the 3D printing is in changing phase and moving towards 4D printing of smart composites and designs. But hitherto little has been reported on printing of smart material with FFF platform. Further studies may be focused on printing of smart materials (both micro and nano composites) with FFF, as the low cost 3D printing solution in different engineering applications.
Economic Insecurity and Social Stability: An Exploration of One of Capitalism’s Vicious Cycles
Authors: Panayotakis Costas
Published: November 2020

This article analyzes how capitalism’s connection to economic insecurity can, rather than fomenting social unrest, facilitate its reproduction. Also responding to contrasts in the literature between rising insecurity in recent decades and the containment of insecurity in capitalism’s post-war “golden age,” this article explains why growing insecurity is more consistent with capitalism’s normal operation. Underlining the difficulty of replicating post-war efforts to mitigate insecurity through social and welfare policies, this article also sketches how the vicious cycle between capitalism and economic insecurity contributes to other serious social problems, including racism, sexism, xenophobia, the hollowing out of political democracy, and a deepening ecological crisis.
Investigating the various properties of cold sprayed CuAlNi shape memory alloys developed by post annealing process
Authors: Sekar Shiva , Brown Sam , Cockburn Andrew , Iyamperumal Anand Palani , Paul Christ Prakash , O’Neill William
Published: November 2020

CuAlNi shape memory alloy (SMA) has wide scope in vibration damping applications for machine tools. A bespoke cold spray based additive manufacturing system was used to fabricate CuAlNi SMA precursor structures of two different compositions with optimized deposition parameters, which were subsequently alloyed via annealing. The two compositions of CuAlNi chosen for the study were Cu rich in wt% (Cu-82%, Al-14%, Ni-4%) and the Ni rich in wt% (Cu-12%, Al-2%, Ni-80%) shape memory alloy material. The various properties of developed samples were compared with commercially available CuAlNi structure. The properties compared include surface morphology, crystal structure, phase transformation temperature, and mechanical properties were studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) compression testing respectively. The shape memory characteristics were also analyzed using dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). Among the two samples, Cu rich sample exhibited better SMA qualities than Ni rich sample as reported in the literature. The micro-hardness of Cu rich sample was to be 356 ± 3 VHN comparatively lower than Ni rich sample. The DSC results revealed the phase transformation hysteresis for Cu rich sample to be very low at 5 ± 3°C. The Cu rich CuAlNi SMA showed very good shape memory characteristics in the DMA results in the range of 50°C to 100°C.
Virtual guidance-based finite-time path-following control of underactuated autonomous airship with error constraints and uncertainties
Authors: Wei Yan , Zhou Pingfang , Wang Yueying , Duan Dengping , Chen Zheng
Published: November 2020

This paper addresses the finite-time three-dimensional path-following control problem for underactuated autonomous airship with error constraints and uncertainties. First, a five degrees-of-freedom path-following error model in the Serret-Frenet coordinate frame is established. By applying the finite-time stability theory, a virtual guidance-based finite-time adaptive neural backstepping path-following control approach is proposed. Barrier Lyapunov functions (BLFs) are introduced to deal with attitude error constraints. Neural networks (NNs) are presented to compensate for the uncertainties. To prevent the “explosion of complexity” in the design of the backstepping method, a finite-time convergent differentiator (FTCD) is introduced to estimate the time derivatives of virtual control signals. Stability analysis showed that all closed-loop signals are uniformly ultimately bounded, the constrained requirements on the airship attitude errors are never violated, and the path-following errors converge to a small neighborhood of the origin in a finite time. At last, simulation studies are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control approach.
Affective rebirth: Discursive gateways to contemporary national socialism
Authors: Westberg Gustav
Published: November 2020

This paper engages with the growth of contemporary fascism by arguing that affect plays a key role in its discourse. Departing from an understanding of affect as integral to discourse, the paper explores how the myth of palingenesis is employed by the most prominent Swedish Nazi movement to recruit new members. A methodological combination of affective – discursive theory, detailed representational analysis, and a critical reading that buys into the representations reveals the recruitment discourse as offering an affective script of feeling angry, insulted, and ashamed, as well as courageous, proud, and hopeful. These findings offer important insights into how affective–discursive practices are employed to create gateways to radicalization and ideologically motivated violence. In order to make sense of the attractiveness of contemporary fascism, the paper concludingly argues for multifaceted readings and contemplative critical engagement with the far and extreme right.
‘The legislature is the engine room of democracy’: Constructing ideological worldviews through proximisation strategies in Nigerian Senate debates
Authors: Inya Onwu
Published: November 2020

This study investigates how legislators utilise proximisation strategies to construct ideological worldviews in Nigerian Senate debates about democratic consolidation and the legitimacy of the legislature. For data, samples were purposively drawn from a 1.9 million-word corpus of Nigerian Senate debates constructed for a broader research and subjected to qualitative discourse analysis. The analysis reveals that legislators’ discursive acts prompt the conceptual organisation of the discourse space such that the activities of the executive are construed to be inimical to democratic consolidation and the legitimacy of the legislature, whereas legislators construe themselves positively as resilient defenders of democracy and the legislative institution. Through proximisation strategies, legislators engage in the ideological discourse of positive self-presentation and negative other-presentation relative to the executive. This paper contributes to our understanding of the tenuous and polarised relationship amongst arms of government under a presidential political system in an emerging democracy.
Does inflation instability affect environmental pollution? Fresh evidence from Asian economies
Authors: Ahmad Waheed , Ullah Sana , Ozturk Ilhan , Majeed Muhammad Tariq
Published: November 2020

The present study examines the linkage between inflation instability and pollution emissions for the 40 Asian economies over the period of 1990–2018. However, a limited number of researches investigate the linkage between inflation instability and the environment. For empirical analysis, econometric methods namely cross-sectional test statistics for examining the dependency, cross-sectionally augmented Dickey-Fuller (CADF) and cross-sectional Im, Pesaran, and Shin (CIPS) for the panel unit root, Westerlund technique for the long-run relationship, and Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) to estimate the long-run coefficients have adopted. Additionally, the Dumitrescu and Hurlin panel causality test is applied to investigate the causal nexus among the panel data series. The empirical finding depicts that inflation instability improves environmental performance implying that higher price volatility creates uncertainty that discourages investment projects and consumption, hence improves environmental quality. However, the results indicate that financial development stimulates pollution emissions and degrades environmental condition. Based on these findings, the study opens up innovative intuitions for policymakers to support a robust role of economic stability in attaining targets relevant to pollution reduction.
Exploring factors associated with participation in citizen science among UK museum visitors aged 40–60: A qualitative study using the theoretical domains framework and the capability opportunity motivation-behaviour model
Authors: Kam Wan , Haklay Muki , Lorke Julia
Published: November 2020

Citizen science has grown as a form of public engagement in science. Middle-aged citizens who are already consuming scientific information should be a potential outreach group. Behaviour change research in citizen science participation among the demographic is lacking. A total of 47 museum visitors aged 40–60 years took part in qualitative questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis with the aid of theoretical domains framework and capability opportunity motivation-behaviour model revealed eight themes: (1) limited awareness of citizen science; (2) curiosity, competence and other significant characteristics and skills; (3) important beliefs about one’s capability; (4) importance of clear project purpose and impacts; (5) interest, enjoyment and incentives; (6) lasting impacts of family upbringing; (7) project details that make participation easy, better project promotion; and (8) the living environment, availability of free time and money. Addressing a maximum number of these factors with behaviour change techniques can improve the likelihood of citizen science participation.
Effect of Firm Characteristics and Corporate Governance Practices on Earnings Management: Evidence from Publicly Listed Property Sector Firms in the Philippines
Authors: Cudia Cynthia P. , Cruz Aeson L. Dela , Estabillo Madeleine B.
Published: November 2020

Two types of earnings management (EM), opportunistic and efficient motive, were presented in the literature. This article aimed to investigate the type of EM employed by publicly listed property sector firms in the Philippines. Furthermore, the study also examined the effect of firm characteristics and corporate governance practices on firm’s level of EM using discretionary accruals. In conducting this study, panel data econometric technique, particularly the ordinary least squares was used to determine which among the firm-specific characteristics (profitability, leverage, cash flows from operations and firm size) or corporate governance mechanisms (CEO duality, board size, board independence and audit quality) significantly influence publicly listed property sector firms’ EM activities using discretionary accruals. Results show that these firms employ efficient type of EM. Also, cash flows from operations, firm size and CEO duality are statistically significant predictors of EM for property firms. Except for cash flows from operations, these results contradict with prior studies when the same model was subjected for industrial firms. Such similarities and differences from previous studies warrant for further analysis on the peculiarities and intrinsic characteristics of the industrial and property sector in the Philippines. Such will point to certain policy frameworks in enabling EM to be harnessed in satisfying the firms’ bottom lines.
Service Sales Corporation: The Wholesale Challenge
Authors: Awan Muhammad Luqman
Published: November 2020

Ahmed Hussain had just concluded an intense phone call with one of the biggest wholesalers in the central region. The wholesaler had made it clear to Ahmed that he would not use his current monthly budget to buy from Service Sales Corporation (SSC) unless Ahmed matched the offer being made by one of his competitors in terms of discounts on purchase. Ahmed had been at SSC for well over 5 years, he came back to Pakistan after studying at Carnegie Mellon University. He had been appointed as country head wholesales just over a year ago. However, his previous education and experience had not prepared him for such a challenge in the unstructured footwear industry of Pakistan (Ahmed had studied engineering, and this was his first job in a sales role). The case focuses primarily on the power of channel partners within an industry. The importance of the wholesaler in the context of SSC is discussed, and their role within the value chain is elaborated upon. The objective is for the class to assess the business situation presented before them in the case and evaluate the options under discussion. Ahmed is depicted as being under severe pressure to meet his goals and improve the performance of the wholesale channel. He faces competition from the SSC retail channel as well as other large players in the market. The situation is considered so serious that key executives within the company are considering getting out of the wholesale channel and focusing on retail only. Ahmed and his team, however, are not willing to let go of 30 per cent of the company’s revenues and have proposed bypassing the wholesalers and selling directly to private independent non-exclusive retailers. Another option put forward is to launch a new brand into the wholesale channel at a lower price point.
Corona Pandemic and Stock Market Behaviour: Empirical Insights from Selected Asian Countries
Authors: Mishra P. K. , Mishra S. K.
Published: November 2020

On the onset of the year 2020, the unprecedented outbreak of novel coronavirus, initially as a human health epidemic and later as a global pandemic, has wobbled the economies of affected countries across the globe. The consequential unexpected occurrences of supply- and demand-side shocks forced the economies to trim down their growth prospects. The interplay of these shocks has generated spirals of downturns in all major economic sectors, including the financial sector in affected countries. Specifically, the stock markets immediately nosedived, following the outbreak of the global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, we examine the behaviour of the selected Asian stock markets amid the huge uncertainties of the corona pandemic and find the occurrences of volatility clustering in these markets. Such volatility clustering primarily occurred, owing to the pessimistic and panic sentiments of investors, and the increase in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases, changes in oil prices, and exchange rates were found to be significant in channelizing the fears and uncertainties of coronavirus pandemic to cause unexpected nosedives in Asian stock markets.
The Effect of School Funding on Opportunity Gaps for Students With Disabilities: Policy and Context in a Diverse Urban District
Authors: Cruz Rebecca A. , Lee Joon-Ho , Aylward Alexandra G. , Kramarczuk Voulgarides Catherine
Published: November 2020

School finance reform has recently centered on providing schools with more equitable access to resources to reduce opportunity gaps for students. Although special education is often a prominent part of larger equity conversations, special education funding is commonly excluded from school funding reform initiatives. Given the costly nature of special education programs, it is imperative that scholars and policy makers understand the effects of funding changes on outcomes for these students. In this study, we examined the effect of California’s Local Control Funding Formula, in addition to school context and student compositional characteristics, to identify changes in special education students’ achievement rates. Using a combination of publicly available data sources and local district data, we assessed differences in academic outcomes (i.e., achievement scores) between elementary students with and without disabilities in both high- and low-poverty schools, given increases in spending for special education programs.