bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiuser-scheduling and resource allocation using max-min technique in wireless powered communication networks
Authors: Mary Thomas Richu , Subramani Malarvizhi
Published: July 2022

Wireless powered communication network (WPCN) is a promising research area for improving network security and speed. The transmission power of the source during the uplink functions as a random variable in WPCN due to the intrinsic power transfer process, whereas it is a constant in typical cooperative networks, culminating in the signal to noise ratio of the source-access point and all the source-relay-access point being mutually correlated. As a result of the massive increase in communication devices powered by battery, the goal of prolonging their life is critical. To get the most throughput in the shortest amount of time, the best uplink and downlink time allocations were calculated. For high throughput and secrecy performance, the proportional max-min fairness algorithm was used in this paper for secure communication in hybrid relays integrated with WPCN. This method allows for multi-user scheduling with optimum targets to provide reliable hybrid outage probability, secrecy outage probability, and energy outage probability. Efficacy of the proposed system was demonstrated regarding throughput, outage probability, and confidentiality. The performance of the model was compared to that of various energy harvesting models like random user scheduling, best user scheduling, and several others, and was found to outperform them for secure transmission.
Bandwidth enhancement of ultra-wideband monopole antenna designed with v-shaped defected ground structure
Authors: Yee Hui Lee , Azra Awang Mat Dayang , Abang Zaidel Dyg Norkhairunnisa , Anak Hong Ping Kismet , Sahrani Shahran Shafrida Binti
Published: July 2022

This paper discusses the design of a monopole antenna with various types of defected ground structures (DGS) for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications. The various types of DGSs are designed and acted as the ground layer of the antenna. The bandwidth of each design is then compared with and without the existence of DGS. Conventional monopole antenna has a bandwidth of 88.6% and operates in the frequency range of 3.1 to 8 GHz. According to the simulation results, the bandwidth of the monopole antenna with V-shaped DGS was the highest, which was at 133.3% (2.98-14.9 GHz), as compared to other types of DGS. The efficiency was between 30 to 64%, with a peak realized gain of 5.3 dB. The V-shaped DGS is then fabricated on a rogers RO4003C substrate with a relative permittivity, 𝛆𝐫, of 3.38 and a dimension of 29.86×39.03×0.81 mm. The antenna is measured using R&S network analyzer and the results were 3-8.5 GHz and 95.4% of BW, which signified the increased performance of the antenna.
Variable length error correcting code for image in OFDM and PAPR reduction
Authors: Noori Ghanim Zainab , Hummadi Al-Nuaimy Fadia Noori
Published: July 2022

Data transmission in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system needs source and channel coding, the transmitted data suffers from the bad effect of large peak to average power ratio (PAPR). Source code and channel codes can be joined using different joined codes. Variable length error correcting code (VLEC) is one of these joined codes. VLEC is used in mat lab simulation for image transmission in OFDM system, different VLEC code length is used and compared to find that the PAPR decreased with increasing the code length. Several techniques are used and compared for PAPR reduction. The PAPR of OFDM signal is measured for image coding with VLEC and compared with image coded by Huffman source coding and Bose-Chaudhuri-Hochquenghem (BCH) channel coding, the VLEC code decreases the data transmitted size and keep the same level of PAPR reduction with respect to data coded by Huffman and BCH code when using PAPR reduction methods.
Secure cloud adoption model: novel hybrid reference model
Authors: Athambawa Aiman , Md Johar Md Gapar , Khathibi Ali
Published: July 2022

This article discusses research conducted to conceptualise a secure cloud adoption model. The study surveyed SMEs in the Sri Lankan information technology industry using a questionnaire to determine cloud computing adoption factors. The study used Rogers' diffusion of innovation (DOI), Tornatzky and Fleischer's technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, Venkatesh and Bala's technology acceptance model 3 (TAM3), and Venkatesh, Thong, and Xu's Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) as the theoretical foundation for evaluating the reference model. Two hundred and fifty-six key officials from information technology (IT) organisations in Sri Lanka participated in the survey. The study used quantitative data coding and analysis methods with the SPSS and AMOS softwares. The findings from previous research and existing technology adoption frameworks and models were summarised to support the secure cloud adoption model (SCAM).
An asymmetric encryption method for 3D mesh model using elgamal with elliptic curve cryptography
Authors: Wuttidittachotti Pongpisit , Preelakha Pornsak
Published: July 2022

The 3D mesh (Polygon mesh) model has been widely used in multiple computer technology fields such as computer graphic design and modern 3D animation. 3D mesh repositories were created to support the contribution of many 3D artist-designers and have become an important data source. This research is aimed at introducing asymmetric encryption for a 3D mesh model to improve encryption using elgamal elliptic curve cryptography with Fischer-Yates shuffling. The researchers evaluated the performance of the proposed model using Entropy, mean squared error (MSE), and peak signal noise ratio (PSNR) as evaluation matrices. The results of a decrypted model using our approach with a double-precision floating point showed zero means squared error and infinite value of PSNR.
Estimativa de custos paramétricos de construção de edifícios usando modelo de regressão linear
Authors: Maués Felipe Cardoso Amoedo , Melo Kederson Pinto de , Leão Carla Barroso de Oliveira , Serra Sheyla Mara Baptista
Published: July 2022

Um dos resultados esperados na construção civil é a precisão dos orçamentos que pode ser obtida por meio da comparação do custo real das obras com as suas estimativas iniciais. Os orçamentistas têm desenvolvido estratégias para realizar essa estimativa inicial, visando ter maior grau de confiabilidade na informação gerada. Uma das opções é desenvolver técnicas de estimativa de custos por meio de equações de regressão linear que considerem a especificidade das obras e a cultura construtiva da construtora. Este trabalho propõe a apresentação de um modelo matemático de equações de regressão linear simples para determinação do custo estimado de obras de mesma tipologia construtiva e dos seus principais serviços. Foram considerados os dados reais de oito empreendimentos que possuíam a mesma tipologia construtiva e correspondente Estrutura Analítica de Projetos (EAP), sendo possível determinar a relação entre o custo de cada serviço e a área total de pavimentos tipos. As equações geradas foram validadas em novo empreendimento que atingiu um grau de precisão de 9,76% em seu orçamento estimado em relação ao real. Desta forma, o resultado apresentado pelo modelo paramétrico de estimativa de custo proposto atende a precisão no nível de orçamento preliminar com base em anteprojeto. Além disso, o trabalho pode ser utilizado como roteiro para aplicação em outros tipos de obras e para disseminação desta técnica de estimativa de custos junto à indústria da construção.
Correlações e distinções entre gestão empresarial e gestão de design nos três níveis organizacionais
Authors: Andrade Bruna Raphaela Ferreira de , Gomes Marion Litaiff Azize , Ruschival Claudete Barbosa , Carvalho Célia Maria da Silva
Published: July 2022

A Gestão de Design vem sendo muito utilizada no âmbito empresarial, seja como estratégia de diferenciação ou como vantagem competitiva para inovação e criação de valor. Todavia, muitos são os conflitos existentes entre Gestão de Design e Gestão Empresarial, principalmente no que concerne às atribuições conferidas a cada área em uma empresa. O presente artigo procura compreender como se estabelece a relação entre Gestão de Design e Gestão Empresarial nos níveis estratégico, tático e operacional. O procedimento metodológico é caracterizado como exploratório, de natureza qualitativa, com a realização de uma revisão bibliográfica para compreender as áreas e traçar uma relação entre suas características e atividades. Os referenciais teóricos foram coletados a partir de buscas realizadas no Portal Periódicos Capes e Google Acadêmico, seguindo alguns critérios de filtragem. A bibliografia investigada permitiu a organização de conhecimentos sobre as áreas, por meio de um quadro, bem como a elaboração de três figuras que relacionam as atividades executadas. Os resultados indicam uma relação direta entre a Gestão de Design e a Gestão Empresarial, inclusive apontando autores que tratam a Gestão de Design como um novo modo de gerenciamento. Porém, o maior foco desta gestão está nas atividades relacionadas ao Design, sobretudo para criar valor e inovação a fim de que a empresa se destaque e se mantenha à frente no mercado que está em constante modificação.
Barreiras à implementação do BIM: uma análise bibliométrica acerca das pesquisas sobre a adoção do conceito no setor AEC de 2010 a 2021
Authors: Sá Larissa Miranda , Silva Luciano Falcão da
Published: July 2022

As discussões e pesquisas em torno do conceito de Building Information Modeling (BIM) se intensificaram nos últimos anos. Porém, a sua aplicabilidade no setor de Arquitetura, Engenharia e Construção Civil (AEC) segue escalas distintas, com particularidades que devem ser consideradas. Este trabalho reúne  pesquisas relevantes relacionadas à adoção e implementação do BIM, nos escritórios e empresas do setor AEC, resultado de uma análise bibliométrica da literatura científica, publicada na última década (2010 a 2021). Objetivou-se levantar informações acerca das barreiras e dificuldades enfrentadas por esses escritórios na adoção do BIM, em um panorama particionado em seis aspectos principais: quantidade de publicações anuais; países com maior produção e citações; ocorrência de palavras-chave e grupos (clusters); quantidade de publicações por periódico ou evento; autores mais citados e autores com maior quantidade de publicações no Portfólio. Os documentos resultantes foram organizados sob dois aspectos: grupos organizados por tema principal e barreiras profissionais, operacionais e associadas. Na Pesquisa Bibliométrica, foi utilizado o método Knowledge Development Process – Constructivist (ProKnow-C), aplicado na base de dados científica Web of Science, resultando em um Portfólio Bibliográfico composto por 80 documentos. As análises revelaram disparidade relacionada ao nível de implementação do BIM, independente da nacionalidade, sobretudo para micro escritórios e empresas de pequeno porte da construção civil, e também a importância do aspecto organizacional dos escritórios nesse processo. Destacou as temáticas proeminentes da última década e apontou dificuldades e barreiras comuns na adoção e implementação do BIM.
Contribuições do design no cenário pandêmico do COVID-19: gestão de projetos para profissionais de saúde
Authors: Merino Eugenio Andrés Díaz , Costa Diogo Pontes , Braun Leonardo , Giracca Cesar Nunes , Domenech Susana Cristina , Sumar Alice Henrique dos Santos , Merino Giselle Schmidt Alves Diaz
Published: July 2022

A pandemia causada pelo novo Coronavírus, afetou a vida e alterou o cotidiano de praticamente todos os países, bem como sua população, e devido à alta taxa de transmissão, compreende-se que os profissionais da saúde, fazem parte do grupo de risco e são os mais vulneráveis devido à exposição diária a pacientes infectados. A COVID-19 foi a principal causa das hospitalizações e as intervenções nas vias aéreas dos pacientes são necessárias para a intubação e extubação orotraqueal dos pacientes. Durante a abordagem inicial deste procedimento as vias aéreas dos pacientes podem gerar gotículas de líquidos resultantes da fala ou tosse, em forma de aerossóis, os quais aumentam o risco de transmissão da COVID-19. Este artigo teve por objetivo relatar o processo desenvolvimento de uma caixa Intubação e Extubação com abordagem do Design Centrado no Usuário. A pesquisa tem natureza aplicada, com abordagem qualitativa, objetivo exploratório e explicativo, e foi dividida em duas fases: Suporte teórico (1) e Desenvolvimento do Produto (2). Foi desenvolvida uma caixa de intubação e extubação, com suportes tecnológicos para levantamento criação, simulação e materialização, utilizando-se dos princípios do Design Centrado no Humano e da Ergonomia, com ênfase nos profissionais da saúde no contexto hospitalar. O produto se mostrou viável, pois proporcionou a postura corporal adequada dos profissionais da saúde e paciente, atendeu aos critérios e requisitos projetuais, e possibilitou um procedimento mais seguro.
A disputa pelas almas: jesuítas e capuchinhos na África Centro-Ocidental no século XVII
Authors: Santos da Silva Edgleice
Published: July 2022

Este artigo investiga a atuação da Igreja Católica na região da atual Angola no século XVII, em especial os missionários da Companhia de Jesus e da Ordem dos Frades Menores Capuchinhos. Essa parte da África era o espaço de sociedades organizadas por um ethos em que o político e o religioso não se separavam, refletido em um conjunto de símbolos compartilhados. A chegada dos europeus transformou ambos os lados: não só os centro-africanos sofreram impactos, como também a Igreja Católica teve que se reinventar para poder ali permanecer. Apesar de propagandearem a evangelização para salvação das almas como seu objetivo maior, as ordens envolveram-se nos assuntos políticos locais e lançaram mão de artifícios semelhantes em busca da conversão; por outro lado, empenharam-se em uma certa competição e tiveram divergências pontuais sobre o papel missionário.
Fatores associados à coinfecção HIV/sífilis no início da terapia antirretroviral
Authors: Simões Luana Andrade , Mendes Jullye Campos , Silveira Micheline Rosa , Costa André Moura Gomes da , Lula Mariana Dias , Ceccato Maria das Graças Braga
Published: July 2022

OBJETIVO Avaliar a prevalência e os fatores associados à coinfecção HIV/sífilis em pessoas no início da terapia antirretroviral no município de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. MÉTODOS Foi realizado um corte seccional de um estudo de coorte prospectivo, com pessoas vivendo com HIV, sem tratamento prévio da infecção, em início da terapia antirretroviral, maiores de 16 anos e em acompanhamento em serviços de assistência especializada em HIV/aids de Belo Horizonte. Dados sociodemográficos, comportamentais, clínicos, laboratoriais e relacionados ao tratamento farmacológico foram obtidos por meio de entrevistas, coleta em prontuários clínicos e nos sistemas de informação de controle de medicamentos antirretrovirais e exames laboratoriais. A variável dependente foi o primeiro episódio de sífilis ativa, registrado pelo médico em prontuário clínico, em um período de 12 meses após início da terapia antirretroviral. Os fatores associados à coinfecção HIV/sífilis foram avaliados por meio de regressão logística binária múltipla. RESULTADOS Dentre os 459 indivíduos avaliados, observou-se uma prevalência de 19,5% (n = 90) de infecções sexualmente transmissíveis, sendo a sífilis (n = 49) a infecção sexualmente transmissível mais frequente nesses indivíduos. A prevalência da coinfecção HIV/sífilis foi de 10,6% (n = 49) e os fatores independentes associados foram o uso de álcool (OR = 2,30; IC95% 1,01–5,26) e ter diagnóstico de outras infecções sexualmente transmissíveis (OR = 3,33; IC95% 1,24–8,95). CONCLUSÕES Houve alta prevalência de coinfecção HIV/sífilis em pessoas vivendo com HIV em início de terapia antirretroviral em Belo Horizonte. A coinfecção HIV/sífilis foi associada a fatores comportamentais e clínicos, como uso de álcool e diagnóstico de outras infecções sexualmente transmissíveis. O conhecimento prévio sobre os fatores associados à essa coinfecção pode subsidiar as decisões dos profissionais de saúde inseridos no cuidado às pessoas vivendo com HIV, no que diz respeito ao diagnóstico oportuno, orientações, acompanhamento e tratamento adequado, tanto da sífilis quanto do HIV.
Yellow fever vaccination before and during the covid-19 pandemic in Brazil
Authors: Silva Tércia Moreira Ribeiro da , Sá Ana Carolina Micheletti Gomide Nogueira de , Prates Elton Junio Sady , Rodrigues Daiana Elias , Silva Thales Philipe Rodrigues da , Matozinhos Fernanda Penido , Vieira Ed Wilson Rodrigues
Published: July 2022

OBJECTIVE To analyze the number of yellow fever vaccine doses administered before and during the covid-19 pandemic in Brazil. METHODS This is an ecological, time series study based on data from the National Immunization Program. Differences between the median number of yellow fever vaccine doses administered in Brazil and in its regions before (from April/2019 to March/2020) and after (from April/2020 to March/2021) the implementation of social distancing measures in the country were assessed via the Mann-Whitney test. Prais-Winsten regression models were used for time series analyses. RESULTS We found a reduction in the median number of yellow fever vaccine doses administered in Brazil and in its regions: North (-34.71%), Midwest (-21.72%), South (-63.50%), and Southeast (-34.42%) (p < 0.05). Series showed stationary behavior in Brazil and in its five regions during the covid-19 pandemic (p > 0.05). Brazilian states also showed stationary trends, except for two states which recorded an increasing trend in the number of administered yellow fever vaccine doses, namely: Alagoas State (before: β = 64, p = 0.081; after: β = 897, p = 0.039), which became a yellow fever vaccine recommendation zone, and Roraima State (before: β = 68, p = 0.724; after: β = 150, p = 0.000), which intensified yellow fever vaccinations due to a yellow fever case confirmation in a Venezuelan State in 2020. CONCLUSION The reduced number of yellow fever vaccine doses administered during the covid-19 pandemic in Brazil may favor the reemergence of urban yellow fever cases in the country.
Re-Inventing the Equity Debate: Issues in Balancing Merit with Inclusion in Leadership Selection in Federal Universities in Nigeria
Authors: Alabi Ayodeji L.
Published: July 2022

In the conflicting pursuit of equity, the recession of non-indigenes in leadership positions in the nation’s federal universities is a major source of campus restiveness. This opinion article, derived from empirical research, therefore aims at bringing to the fore the substance and implications of the faulty inclusion politics and the politicised merit criteria deployed towards achieving equity in leadership selection in Nigeria’s federal universities. University of Ibadan and University of Jos were purposively selected for the study being the institutions with the most recent vice-chancellors’ selection episodes riddled with identity-based conflicts in 2020/2021. In the two universities, key informant and in-depth interviews were conducted with prominent members of the respective institutions’ governing councils, staff unions, staff ethnic associations, and vice-chancellor candidates that were not appointed, all purposively selected being notable actors in the vice-chancellors’ appointments politics. With between 70% and 79% predominance of ethno-territorial indigenes in the institutions’ workforce, the original inclusion intent of Nigeria’s federal character principle was grossly handicapped in the leadership appointment politics. The merit assessment instruments deployed in vice-chancellors’ selection processes had subjective items prone to biased scoring. These unfashionably culminated in the persistent return of indigene vice-chancellors in the two institutions for forty years.
The Relevance of Sports to Preventing and Countering Youth Radicalisation and Violent Extremism in Nigeria’s Northeast
Authors: Onuoha Freedom Chukwudi , Owonikoko Saheed B.
Published: July 2022

The Nigerian government has relied on a kinetic approach to counter the threat of Boko Haram extremism, registering very little appreciable successes. This has underscored the need for use of soft approaches such as sports as a tool for preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) in Nigeria’s northeast. This article examines two cases of community-based interventions involving sports in Borno and Adamawa states to highlight the potential relevance of sporting activities to P/CVE in Nigeria. Drawing from the initiatives, the article demonstrates that sporting activities have proven useful in promoting peacebuilding, community reconciliation, social cohesion and a sense of inclusivity and belonging among marginalised groups. It concludes that the mainstreaming of youth-focused sports-based initiatives into community development through a multi-stakeholder approach will contribute to fostering peace, social cohesion and community resilience. This, in turn, will help diminish the conditions that are conducive to youth vulnerability to recruitment and radicalisation by Violent Extremist Organisations (VEOS).
Notes on carabid beetles of the genera Coleolissus and Siopelus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini), with description of four new species with unusual aedeagi from India and China
Authors: KATAEV BORIS M.
Published: July 2022

New data on the taxonomy, morphology and distribution of several species of the genera Coleolissus Bates, 1892 and Siopelus Murray, 1859 from the southern Palaearctic and Oriental regions are provided, with special attention to the structure of their male genitalia. Coleolissus perlucens (Bates, 1878), originally described as Hypolithus perlucens Bates, 1878, the type species of Coleolissus, and C. iris Andrewes, 1924 are re-described based on the holotypes and the additional material. The following four new species with unusual aedeagi are described: C. kejvali  sp. n., C. deformipenis sp. n., and C. monstrosipenis sp. n. from Western India, and Siopelus (Neosiopelus) liangi sp. n. from Yunnan, China. The extremely unusual shape of the aedeagus of C. monstrosipenis sp. n. is discussed. It is supposed that the highly modified apical portion of the aedeagus in this species takes over some of the mechanical functions of the internal sac during mating. The following new synonyms are proposed: Coleolissus iris Andrewes, 1924 = Calathomimus splendens Ito, 1997, syn. n. = Coleolissus turturensis Ito, 2016, syn. n. The following taxa are recorded for the first time: Coleolissus iris from the Indian states of Punjab and Kerala, and the genus Siopelus (subgenus Neosiopelus Basilewsky, 1946) from China.
Two new species of Neogonyleptes Roewer, 1913 (Opiliones: Gonyleptidae: Pachylinae) from the Nahuelbuta mountain range, Chile
Authors: PÉREZ-SCHULTHEISS JORGE
Published: July 2022

Two new species of the Chilean endemic genus Neogonyleptes Roewer, 1913 are described based on specimens obtained in the Nahuelbuta mountain range, Biobío and La Araucanía Regions. The new taxa are morphologically allied to Neogonyleptes karschii (Sørensen, 1902); however, both differ from all species of the genus by their dorsal scutum area III+IV, which is armed with a large, apically bifurcate apophysis. Neogonyleptes floresi sp. nov. differs from N. pedrazai sp. nov. principally in the slender body and legs, the proximal constriction of the scutal apophysis, and the distally straight prolateral apophysis on coxa IV. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, and comparisons of the new species are given. Additionally, some comments are provided about the taxonomy of Neogonyleptes and allied genera.
Effects of Varying Land Coverage, Rotation Period, and Water Vapor on Equatorial Climates that Bridge the Gap between Earth-like and Titan-like
Authors: McKinney M. M. , Mitchell J. , Thomson S. I.
Published: July 2022

Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, has an Earth-like volatile cycle, but with methane playing the role of water and surface liquid reservoirs geographically isolated at high latitudes. We recreate Titan’s characteristic dry hydroclimate at the equator of an Earth-like climate model without seasons and with water as the condensable by varying a small set of planetary parameters. We use three observationally motivated criteria for Titan-like conditions at the equator: 1) the peak in surface specific humidity is not at the equator, despite it having the warmest annual-mean temperatures; 2) the vertical profile of specific humidity in the equatorial column is nearly constant through the lower troposphere; and 3) the relative humidity near the surface at the equator is significantly lower than saturation (lower than 60%). We find that simply reducing the available water at the equator does not fully reproduce Titan-like conditions. We additionally vary the rotation period and volatility of water to mimic Titan’s slower rotation and more abundant methane vapor. Longer rotation periods coupled with a dry equatorial surface meet fewer of the Titan-like criteria than equivalent experiments with shorter rotation periods. Experiments with higher volatility of water meet more criteria than those with lower volatility, with some of those with the highest volatility meeting all three, demonstrating that an Earth-like planet can display Titan-like climatology by changing only a few physical parameters.
A Theory for the Hadley Cell Descending and Ascending Edges throughout the Annual Cycle
Authors: Hill Spencer A. , Bordoni Simona , Mitchell Jonathan L.
Published: July 2022

We present a theory for the latitudinal extents of both Hadley cells throughout the annual cycle by combining our recent scaling for the ascending edge latitude based on low-latitude supercriticality with the theory for the poleward, descending edge latitudes of Kang and Lu based on baroclinic instability and a uniform Rossby number (Ro) within each cell’s upper branch. The resulting expressions for all three Hadley cell edges are predictive except for diagnosed values of Ro and two proportionality constants. Thermal inertia—which damps and lags the ascent latitude relative to the insolation—is accounted for semianalytically through the Mitchell et al. model of an “effective” seasonal forcing cycle. Our theory, given empirically an additional ∼1-month lag for the descending edge, captures the climatological annual cycle of the ascending and descending edges in an Earthlike simulation in an idealized aquaplanet general circulation model (GCM). In simulations in this and two other idealized GCMs with varied planetary rotation rate (Ω), the winter, descending edge of the solsticial, cross-equatorial Hadley cell scales approximately as Ω−1/2 and the summer, ascending edge as Ω−2/3, both in accordance with our theory. Possible future refinements and tests of the theory are discussed.
Quality of online information for the general public on familial hypercholesterolaemia
Authors: Matthias Anne Thushara , Kaushalya Pingamage Dona Jayamini
Published: July 2022

Objective:

This study aimed to assess the quality and readability of web-based information on familial hypercholesterolaemia.

Design, setting and methods:

Internet searches using the terms ‘familial hypercholesterolemia’, ‘hypercholesterolemia’, ‘inherited high cholesterol’, ‘hereditary high cholesterol’ and ‘inherited high LDL’ were conducted with the Google, Yahoo! and Bing search engines using default settings during August 2021. The first 50 web links that appeared using each search engine were evaluated using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and DISCERN instrument for readability and the quality of the website. The LIDA tool was used to assess reliability and usability.

Results:

In all, 750 websites were accessed and 38 websites were included in the analysis. The majority of the websites (29, 76.3%) were owned by non-governmental institutions. Twelve (30.8%) websites were certified by the Health On the Net Foundation (HON) code of conduct. Only 17 websites (44.7%) had a stated author. Twenty-nine (76.3%) websites had a stated date of publication. Only 16 (42.1%) provided references for the statements made. Infographics were used in 17 (44.7%) websites. The median FRES was 47.15 (range: 22.3–91.8), which is equivalent to college-level readability. The median LIDA usability and reliability score was 38.00 (range: 25–46) and 15.00 (range: 7–24), respectively. The median DISCERN score was 45.00 (range: 17–76). The DISCERN score was significantly associated with the FRES (0.047) and whether the website was governmental or not (0.028).

Conclusion:

According to this study, the readability, reliability, usability and quality of the majority of websites were inadequate. Due to the rapid growth in the use of the Internet, steps need to be taken to standardise and regulate patient education websites for this and perhaps other health conditions.
Cotton, fragile economic lifeline for West African smallholders
Authors: Mutsaers Henk J.W. , Kleene Paul W.M. , Guiguindé Oumar
Published: July 2022

Cotton production in francophone W. Africa is in danger of collapse in coming years, due to stagnating yields, increasing costs, and depressed prices, with dramatic effects for smallholder producers and their countries. The question is, does cotton have a future in W. Africa, and what is needed to safeguard that future? This paper reviews the current status of the cotton sector in Burkina Faso, as an example of a West African francophone cotton growing country, ways to remedy the existing weaknesses and steps to be taken towards a healthy, productive, and durable product chain. Current yields are low, and profitability is weak, due to several causes, ranging from agronomic to organisational and trade-related factors, the latter both at local and international level. There are several opportunities to narrow the ‘yield gap’ between actual and potential yield thereby at farm and community level enhancing profitability, by technical and organisational measures. The interventions should be tested at farm and community level using participatory research methods and, if performant, promoted by participatory extension methods. In the medium and long term, Integration of cotton within the overall cropping system should be undertaken, rather than running it as a stand-alone activity as is currently the case. This will strengthen the crop's resilience to pests, compensate for the losses in one crop by the yield of another, and improve the sustainability of crop production as a whole. In respect of sector organisation, there is a need for reform of both farmers’ organisations and service providers to effectively implement these interventions. The GPC should transform themselves into genuine primary societies, whose primary task will be to look after their members’ interests. In the longer term, the development of a local textile industry presents a beckoning perspective on the road to a complete and remunerative cotton sector.
Evaluation of lateral capacity for flexible drilled shafts in cohesionless soils
Authors: Chou Ssu-An , Chen Yit-Jin , Chiou Jiunn-Shyang , Topacio Anjerick , Marcos Maria Cecilia
Published: July 2022

This study aimed to evaluate and improve the p– y curve method for use in the lateral analysis of flexible circular drilled shafts in cohesionless soils. Onsite circular drilled shaft lateral load test data from all over the world were collected, and the applicability of O’Neill and Murchison's p– y curve method was evaluated by comparing the measured values with the method's predicted values. Results showed that the current predictions were underestimated after applying the method to a database of flexible circular drilled shafts in cohesionless soils. Then, the difference (Δ Q) between the predicted value ( Qp) and measured value ( Qm) was normalized using the measured value (Δ Q/ Qm) to determine the percent difference, and an average value of − 47% was produced. The difference ratio between the measured and predicted values was proportional to the diameter of the pile. To calibrate the prediction of the current method, this study applied two parameters (α and β) as modifications to reduce Δ Q. The parameters were decided by using the average difference ratio and average absolute difference methods. The reliability and consistency of the prediction of the p– y curve method were enhanced by applying the recommended modifying parameters. Specific design recommendations were also provided based on the proposed modifications on the original p–y curve.
A Conceptual Analysis of the Nature of Relationship Between Human Needs and Human Well-being in Social Work
Authors: Moses Balyejjusa Senkosi
Published: July 2022

The concept of human need and human well-being are commonly used in social work literature. However, their relationship remains unexplored. Although there is some literature on the relationship between human needs and human well-being in other fields, there is little literature explicitly analysing the nature of this relationship. Drawing on literature on both human needs and human well-being scholars from disciplines such as development studies, social policy, psychology, social work and so on, I argue that the relationship between human needs and human well-being is constitutive and instrumental-normative; and it is a two-fold relationship. Human needs are constitutive of human well-being, and human needs are preconditions for realising human well-being; they result into human well-being when adequately satisfied. I conclude by noting that this nature of relationship demonstrates that human needs are fundamental in promoting and realising human well-being. One cannot talk about human well-being without human needs. Therefore, social workers should focus on identifying and meeting clients’ human needs in order to promote their well-being.
How Do Government Grants Affect Nonprofit Financial Effectiveness? The Mediation Role of Process Accountability
Authors: Lee Jeongyoon , Park Young Joo , Gong Xi
Published: July 2022

This study examines the role of process accountability in the association between government grants and nonprofit financial effectiveness. Using the Internal Revenue Service Form 990 from 2013 to 2017, our mediation analyses find that government grants make nonprofits accountable for their processes. However, process accountability can reduce nonprofit financial effectiveness and suppress the positive relationship between government grants and nonprofit financial effectiveness. We uncover the underlying mechanism by which government grants affect nonprofit financial efficacy and suggest that too much emphasis on process accountability may hamper the benefits of government support of nonprofit service provision and financial effectiveness.
Power of the Vague: How Vision Statements Have Mobilized Change in Two Swedish Cities
Authors: Brorström Sara , Grafström Maria , Tamm Hallström Kristina
Published: July 2022

This paper investigates the role of strategic artifacts in realizing change in two Swedish cities. Drawing from qualitative studies of city development projects we illustrate how ambiguous formulations in vision statements constitute a powerful basis for legitimizing actions. As part of establishing linkages between future-oriented vision statements and concrete actions here and now, we highlight the role of materialization. We provide three examples of how the vision statements studied materialized—into organizational structures, management control systems, and communication efforts—and discuss how such materialization implies that only some parts of broad vision statements are translated into practice.
Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained: A Meta-Analysis of CEO Overconfidence, Strategic Risk Taking, and Performance
Authors: Burkhard Barbara , Sirén Charlotta , van Essen Marc , Grichnik Dietmar , Shepherd Dean A.
Published: July 2022

Although overconfidence is acknowledged as one of the most common managerial decision-making biases, much uncertainty remains about its implications for firm performance. To resolve this uncertainty, we investigate how and why CEO overconfidence is related to firm performance using meta-analytic techniques on a sample of 199 studies. In particular, relying on behavioral decision theory, we develop alternative hypotheses regarding the impact of CEO overconfidence on firm performance. Contrary to the conventional belief that CEO overconfidence is detrimental, this study reveals that CEO overconfidence is, on average, beneficial for firm performance. Drawing on recent refinements of upper echelons theory and theoretical insights from the psychology literature, we then dive deeper into this positive relationship and hypothesize that overconfident CEOs engage in strategic risk taking through cognitive, motivational, and social mechanisms. This risk taking is positively related to firm performance. Our results confirm that the positive relationship between CEO overconfidence and firm performance is partially mediated through strategic risk taking. Thus, although CEO overconfidence is a cognitive bias, it does not automatically lead to inferior performance but can create value for firms by impelling CEOs to take actions that involve risk. We also test whether this relationship is stronger under conditions of high managerial discretion. Our results generally validate these predictions. Finally, on the basis of our findings, we discuss implications and directions for future CEO overconfidence research, including determining the limits of CEO overconfidence, exploring new moderators and mediators, and investigating the implications of different operationalizations of CEO overconfidence as well as the implications for practice.
The stories that tell us: smartphones and discursive reconstitution of transnational intimacy among migrant mothers
Authors: Waruwu Barui K
Published: July 2022

The growing phenomenon of transnational families where the mothers work abroad has reinvigorated the debate on the fluidity of contemporary families. Family is no longer defined as household-bound, and family obligations are constantly negotiated. Research shows migrant mothers utilize communication technologies, most recently smartphones, to (re)constitute family intimacy and maternal identity from afar through everyday family practices. However, most research has focused on the material reconfiguration of family practices, essentially sidelining the discursive workings of intimacy and identity via mobile media. To address this gap, this ethnographic study draws on the narrative theories, particularly the small stories approach, to examine the narratives of Indonesian mothers in Hong Kong as embedded in their smartphone communication. The participant observation and narrative interviews with 25 migrant mothers revealed that maternal storytelling on smartphones is routine, eclectic, and personalized. These enable migrant mothers to craft and tell family stories to (1) rationalize distance and (2) bolster family resilience. This article concludes by reflecting upon the authorial privilege in constructing family narratives on mobile media. The implications on our understanding of the contextualizing power of narrative and power dynamics underlying mediated family communication are discussed.
The Realization of Short-Term Fertility Intentions Among Immigrants and Children of Immigrants in Norway and Sweden
Authors: Carlsson Erik
Published: July 2022

Immigrant fertility and the realization of fertility intentions are two topics of considerable interest in contemporary demographic research. Yet very few studies have explored the relationship between intended and actual fertility among immigrants and their children. Using data from the Norwegian and Swedish Generations and Gender Surveys, this article analyzes how both positive and negative short-term fertility intentions stated by men and women at Wave 1 in 2007/08 (Norway) or 2012/13 (Sweden) had been realized at register-based follow-ups three years after the initial interview. Results show that second-generation women of non-Western origin were significantly less likely than native women (defined here as Swedish-born women with two Swedish-born parents) to realize a positive fertility intention, whereas first-generation men of Western origin were significantly more likely than native men to realize a positive fertility intention. Western-origin men were also significantly less likely than native men to have an unintended birth. These findings are robust to controlling for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics at interview. Possible reasons for these intergroup realization differences include group differences in the ability to predict future changes to demographic and socioeconomic status and in the motivation to pursue the realization of a reported fertility intention. This article demonstrates that exploring immigrant-native differences in realization patterns can provide information about immigrants’ ideational and behavioral adaptation to the destination country’s fertility regime that cannot be attained by studying intended or actual fertility alone.
“I think I am a very strong woman”: Arabic-Origin Women Mobilizing Values and Claiming Worth in Denmark
Authors: Al-Jarrah Sandra Angelika P. , Simonsen Kristina Bakkær
Published: July 2022

Across Western European nations, politicians often problematize immigrants’ cultural values and question their fit with majority society. Within this discourse, immigrant women, especially those of Arabic origin, occupy a central place, since they are portrayed as un-agentic victims and reproducers of an oppressive culture that they pass on to their daughters. In this article, we study how, in a climate of suspicion and devaluation, these women make sense of themselves, their values, and their place in society. The research presented here departs from existing work on the role of values in immigrant integration that focuses on attitudinal differences or similarities between immigrant minorities and national majorities. Using the theoretical perspective of boundary-drawing, we seek, instead, to shed light on how women of Arabic origin actively mobilize cultural values to establish (in)compatibility between themselves and majority society and claim their worth. We situate our analysis in Denmark, where the problematization of immigrants’ values is salient, and analyze 12 interviews with pairs of Arabic-origin mothers and daughters. We show that mothers often activated values otherwise presented by Danish politicians and the media as “un-Danish” to demonstrate their fit with and contribution to Danish society. Contrary to political and academic concerns about the children of immigrants feeling constrained or experiencing value conflict, we find that daughters established dual bases of worth by mixing values from different cultural repertoires. We use these findings to discuss the potential of studying values as meaning-making tools used by immigrants and their children in the integration process.
The Role of Department Type in Public Managers’ Attitudes Toward Social Media Use
Authors: Wang Xiaoheng , Holbrook Allyson L. , Feeney Mary
Published: July 2022

Social media technologies have been widely adopted by governments to increase civic engagement, promote openness, and extend services. Previous research finds that public managers’ attitudes are important predictors of social media adoption and successful implementation. Managers’ attitudes may vary due to different organizational structures, functions, and operations based on department type or because departments vary along with key dimensions. This research investigates the following questions: (1) Does department type significantly predict public managers’ attitudes toward social media, (2) does department type moderate the effect of predictors of managers’ attitudes toward social media found in previous research, and (3) do the predictors of managers’ attitudes toward social media found in previous research mediate attitude differences observed across different kinds of departments. Using data collected from a 2014 national web survey in the United States on technology in city government, we find department type is an important predictor of managers’ attitudes toward social media use. The effects of other predictors of attitudes toward social media use were not moderated by department type. Instead, those predictors had similar effects regardless of department type. Some of the variables related to organizational characteristics and culture (e.g., social media use, innovativeness, and use of e-services) helped to explain differences between the attitudes of managers from different departments. Our findings are important for developing strategies to target managers’ negative attitudes toward using social media, thus removing one of the barriers to successful technology implementation.
Extension of AASHTO Load-Spreading Method to Include the Full Benefits of Pavements for Reliable Load Rating of Buried Culverts
Authors: Katona Michael G.
Published: July 2022

This paper develops a two-step procedure to extend the AASHTO Ad Hoc Method (AAM) for live-load spreading through soil to include the full benefits of pavement overlays. The two-step procedure is called AAMP-θ* (“P” for pavements), which combines the Fox two-layer elasticity solution for peak stress at the pavement–soil interface with the improved AAM-θ* theory for load spreading through soil. The AAMP-θ* procedure is applicable to all culvert analysis tools commonly used for Load and Resistance Factor Rating (LRFR) analysis ranging from simple frame models to sophisticated two-dimensional finite element model (2D-FEM) soil structure models. The AAMP-θ* procedure is rigorously and completely developed wherein all approximations are shown to be conservative so that the predicted benefits of pavements are trustworthy and not overstated. This is why the more accurate AAM-θ* load-spreading method is used instead of the simpler but unconservative AAM-30° method. Application of AAMP-θ* for LRFR load rating of buried culverts is described for simple frame models as well as 2D-FEM pavement–soil structure models. Lastly, the AAMP-θ* procedure is validated by comparing structural response predictions from 2D-FEM solutions with strain-gage measurements in a buried corrugated steel culvert loaded by a three-axle truck. One set of strain-gage measurements was made before, and another set of measurements was made after, asphalt pavement was installed. The correlation between field data and 2D-FEM/AAMP-θ* predictions is remarkable and underscores the bottom-line message that AAMP-θ* should be used when performing LRFR analysis on buried culverts to determine realistic rating factor values and avoid predicting false unsafe values.