bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nigerian Electoral Black Market: Where Do Party Switchers Go and Why Does It Matter?
Authors: Agboga Victor
Published: December 2023

With most existing research on party switching concentrating on the drivers of defection and the electoral performance of defectors, this research sheds light on the events that occurred after MPs switched parties but before voters sanctioned them in the next election. Using Nigeria as a case study, I discover that instead of establishing their own parties and banking on their personal popularity for electoral victory as some have speculated in new democracies, switchers strive to stay within the dominant parties, thereby challenging generalised narratives of weak parties in Africa. Through the utilisation of qualitative and quantitative data from elite interviews and an original dataset, I equally discover that name recognition and fiercely contested primaries make dominant parties in Nigeria simultaneously the net gainers and losers of party defectors. Additionally, evidence shows that while switchers are more likely to get ballot access than non-switchers, they similarly become targets of party retaliation.
Isoelectric focusing followed by affinity immunoblotting to detect monoclonal free light chains in monoclonal gammopathies: Comparison with immunofixation electrophoresis and free light chain ratio
Authors: Zeman David , Štork Martin , Švancarová Lenka , Borský Marek , Pospíšilová Michaela , Adam Zdeněk , Beňovská Miroslava , Pour Luděk
Published: December 2023

Background

Isoelectric focusing (IEF) is a method with an exquisite resolution, and coupled with affinity immunoblotting (AIB), it can provide superior sensitivity to detect monoclonal free light chains (FLC).

Methods

We tested the hypothesis that IEF/AIB is more sensitive and specific for monoclonal FLC detection in serum and urine samples than conventional methods, that is, electrophoresis (ELP), immunofixation (IF) and serum FLC ratio assessment. Investigation included 107 samples of 68 patients, among which 21 multiple myeloma patients were recently tested for minimal residual disease and 18 patients with AL amyloidosis.

Results

Monoclonal FLC were detected by IEF/AIB in 37% of serum samples negative for monoclonal FLC on ELP/IF. As for urine samples, significant advantage of the IEF/AIB over ELP/IF was not demonstrated. Considering both serum and urine results, IEF/AIB definitely revealed monoclonal FLC in 20/83 (24%) of ELP/IF-negative samples. FLC ratio was abnormally high (>1.65) in all 11 patients definitely positive for monoclonal FLC kappa by IEF/AIB but also in 16/47 (34%) IEF/AIB-negative samples. Abnormally low values (<0.26) were found only in 10/28 samples (36%) positive for monoclonal FLC lambda. Appropriate use of renal FLC ratio reference range reduced the number of presumably false positives (6/47, i.e. 13%) but not false negatives (17/28, i.e. 61%).

Conclusions

The IEF/AIB method is more sensitive than IF and might be used in patients with negative IF results before deciding whether to proceed to minimal residual disease testing.
The global refugee: Oceanic border thinking in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s By the Sea
Authors: Allahyari Keyvan
Published: December 2023

This article attends to Abdulrazak Gurnah’s By the Sea as a critique of the normative understanding of the border as having a singular, prohibitive function for the refugee, and reads it as a call to register the border as a moving and permeable formation. What I call oceanic border thinking conveys Gurnah’s insight into the imbrication of littoral and land zones, and the effect of the proliferation of biopolitical technologies associated with various iterations of colonial and postcolonial bordering, including partitioning, arbitrary detention, deportation, and expulsion. The border’s liquidity — the elemental property of water — captures the valence of By the Sea’s oceanic border imaginary, which, in turn, challenges overdetermined readings of the border as attached primarily to land, and the reduction of the refugee to a presentist conception of race or nationality. The liquidity of borders, here, is not meant to suggest a state of extremity, crisis, or morbidity of Indian Ocean polities; rather, it suggests an approach to Gurnah’s oceanic writing as a process of world-making across waters in tandem with the biopolitical technologies that reoriented lives in shifting geopolitical territories. Oceanic border thinking enables one’s sense of the world not only in water but onwards into the land, whether in Africa, England, or continental Europe. Transferrable and dissident, this method helps with the exploration of how cartographic, literary, and imaginative conceptions of the border, as observed from water, bear the potential to trouble easy categorizations of borders and the histories associated with them.
A three-dimensional constitutive equation for shape memory polymer composites considering energy dissipation under single loading–unloading condition
Authors: Kwon O-Hyun , Kim Jong-Pil , Roh Jin-Ho
Published: December 2023

Shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs), composed of shape memory polymers (SMPs) and fabrics, can recover their deformed shapes to initial configurations by changing temperature. The shape recovery energy of the SMPs and the elastic energy of the fabrics are regarded as key points to predict the restored configuration of the SMPCs. In this research, a three-dimensional constitutive equation for SMPCs is newly developed, considering the energy dissipation of fabrics under a single loading–unloading condition. The constitutive equation is derived from Mooney–Rivlin, viscoelastic, and stored strain energy models for SMPs, as well as polynomial functions for fabrics. The Mooney–Rivlin and viscoelastic models describe the time- and temperature-dependent hyperelastic properties, and the stored strain energy model can explain the shape recovery. The polynomial functions are newly proposed to take into account the dissipated energy of fabrics, such as residual deformation and hysteresis effect. Because the elastic energy of fabrics considerably influences the shape recovery of SMPCs, the proposed constitutive equation can accurately predict the recovered configuration. Analyses of SMPCs are conducted using the finite element method and validated by comparing them with the results obtained from experiments. The constitutive equation is used to analyze the shape recovery behaviors of an SMPC skin. The skin can be largely stretched, and the deformed shape can be restored to its initial shape by applying electricity. The SMPC skin is applied to a morphing flap, and its shape-changing behaviors are demonstrated experimentally.
Progressive failure analysis on composite structures using a wave based method
Authors: Mallouli M , Ben Souf MA , Bareille O , Ichchou MN , Fakhfakh T , Haddar M
Published: December 2023

This research examines a Progressive Damage Model for laminated composites using a wave-based technique. Using conventional numerical methodologies, such studies may require a significant amount of CPU time. Compared to standard techniques, the approach proposed can provide a quick and cost-effective evaluation. This work presents a numerical approach for dealing with periodic media subjected to an impact load that can provide damage initiate and evolution. The proposed model is based on a hybrid formulation for the wave-damage interaction that describes wave scatterings, as well as a stress analysis of a composite structure subjected to an impact force. The failure analysis is carried out by identifying the damage location and then describing the modification of the material properties of the damaged elements using Hashin’s failure criteria and material property degradation rules. A comparison of stress distribution with results from the conventional finite element approach was performed in order to confirm the hybrid WFE/FE method, and good agreement was noted. Finally, an impact on a composite beam was studied. The evolution of the structural failure is presented. This article takes into consideration material degradation over time.
Les partis islamistes algériens face à la laïcité et à l’État civil (1989–2022). Discours et contre discours
Authors: BENZENINE Belkacem
Published: December 2023

The Algerian experience with Islamist parties is still marked by the case of the Islamic Salvation Front (Front islamique du salut, FIS), whose main objective was to establish an Islamic state. Based on an analysis of the discourse of Islamist parties, this article aims to shed light on the debates that these parties have conducted in opposition to the idea of secularism, understood here as the separation of the political and the religious. In this article, we first show that this struggle is not unique to the (radical) FIS, but also concerns other so-called moderate Islamist parties. We then illustrate the context of the Hirak, which had an impact on the ideological divisions in Algeria around the slogan of the ‘civil state’. The Islamist parties thus mobilised the Islamic referent to defend their own project of a state that defends Islam and to oppose any discourse that limits the role of religion in the political sphere.
Does Perceived Generativity Mediate the Association Between Optimism and Cognitive Function Over Time? Findings from Midlife in the United States Study
Authors: Bhattacharyya Kallol Kumar , Molinari Victor
Published: December 2023

Cognitive function is a vital component of healthy aging. However, whether a persistently high optimism benefits late-life cognitive function is debatable. The current study examined associations between high optimism status, perceived generativity, and cognitive functions across adulthood. Data were from waves 2 and 3 (2004–14) of the Midlife in the United States study. We used structural equation modeling to examine whether participants’ ( N = 2,205; Mage = 65 ± 11) persistent high optimism predicts better cognitive functions over time, compared to high optimism at only one time-point or not at all while controlling for covariates; we also examined whether individuals’ perceived generativity mediates the above association. The findings revealed that persistent high optimism was significantly associated with better episodic memory and executive function. Further, perceived generativity positively mediated the association between persistent high optimism and episodic memory. Future research should examine mechanisms for potential aspects of high optimism and perceived generativity on late-life cognitive performances.
Six-year-olds’ comprehension of object-gapped relative clause sentences: Investigating the contribution of NP number mismatch
Authors: Morton Ian , Melanie Schuele C.
Published: December 2023

Comprehension of sentences with a center-embedded, object-gapped relative clause (ORC) is challenging for children as well as adults. Mismatching lexical and grammatical features of subject noun phrases (NPs) across the main clause and relative clause has been shown to facilitate comprehension. Adani et al. concluded that children’s comprehension improved under conditions of NP number mismatch (e.g., singular main clause subject and plural relative clause subject) as compared with NP number match (e.g., both singular subjects). However, their stimuli provided number information on verb phrases (VPs) as well as NPs creating a confound for conclusions about facilitative effects of NP number mismatch. In this study, we isolated the contribution of NP number mismatch. Notably, 32 6-year-olds with typical language participated in a center-embedded, ORC sentence comprehension task with 4 types of stimuli: (a) NP number mismatch without VP number information (NP mismatch only), (b) NP number match without VP number information (NP match only), (c) NP number mismatch with VP number mismatch (NP + VP mismatch), and (d) NP number match with VP number match (NP + VP match). Children selected one of four pictures in an array to a verbally presented relative clause sentence; 56 sentences were presented. The within-subjects comparison for NP mismatch only and NP match only was not significant. However, the within-subjects comparison for NP mismatch only and NP + VP mismatch was significant. Children were more successful in NP + VP mismatch sentence comprehension ([Formula: see text] = 0.70).
India in Bengali Travel Writing on Russia in the Twentieth Century: Travelling The World, Writing about Home
Authors: Rokicka Weronika
Published: December 2023

This article examines the discourse on India in Bengali travelogues on Russia/the USSR. In the first half of the twentieth century, Russia attracted a particular type of Indian travellers, politically engaged individuals interested in the ongoing transformations in Russia, to learn potential lessons for India. Later, during the Cold War era, many members of India’s intellectual elite travelled to the Soviet Union at the invitation of Soviet institutions and some wrote their accounts after these visits. A distinctive feature of these travelogues is the strong focus on providing readers with information regarding Soviet social and economic developments, together with frequent comments on the contrasts between the USSR and India. The article demonstrates how Bengali travel narratives on Russia are constructed around similarities and differences between the two countries, but ultimately concentrate on the challenges for India in fields such as education, poverty, agriculture, gender equality and housing. Seven travelogues were selected for this analysis. The earliest, on Revolutionary Russia, is Soumyendranath Tagore’s Biplabð Rå›iy˙å (Tagore, 1930), while the most recent sample is Sunil Gangopadhyay’s Rå›iy˙å Bhramaµ (Gangopadhyay, 2012 [1985]).
Exploring methodologies for establishing prevalence of deafblindness in children: A scoping review
Authors: Meekins-Doherty Leo , Prain Meredith , Elise Maxwell Giorgina , Silveira Susan , Shepard Emily
Published: December 2023

Deafblindness refers to a functional restriction of both hearing and vision, and presents at all ages. Determining prevalence of deafblindness, particularly in children, is challenging. The aim of this review was to explore and assess methodologies previously used to determine the prevalence of childhood deafblindness in both peer-reviewed and grey literature. Five databases were included in the search – Medline (OVID), PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Thirteen peer-reviewed articles and 11 documents from the grey literature met inclusion criteria for the review. In exploring the literature on deafblindness in children, it is evident that the characteristics and needs of this population are not well described. Approaches adopted by researchers show inconsistencies in how deafblindness is defined, assessed and diagnosed, making comparison challenging. To understand the needs of this group, it is critical that the childhood deafblind population is accurately described. Recommendations are made for the assessment of the population of children with deafblindness.
Listening for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker: Sonic geography and the making of extinction knowledge
Authors: Hunter Hannah
Published: December 2023

If an apparently extinct bird calls in a forest, and there are people there to hear it—to record it, even—is it still extinct? The Ivory-billed Woodpecker was last ‘officially’ seen in the United States in 1944, but its extinction continues to be a subject of intense debate between conservation authorities, scientists, and grassroots activists. Tensions peaked around 2005, when scientists from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology announced their rediscovery of the species. However, their evidence received significant challenge from other ornithologists, and this apparent rediscovery has since been generally dismissed. In 2021, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service recommended the ivorybill be declared officially extinct. Still, many people continue to trawl the Southeastern forests in search of ivorybills. In this article, I investigate the methods, debates, and results of efforts to locate this species, with a focus on sound. In doing so, I explore the interconnected roles of sound and space in the making of extinction knowledge. Sonic search methods of listening, sounding, and translating are core ways that searchers attempt to attune to, communicate with, and establish evidence of ivorybills. Additionally, sonic search practices are critical spaces of negotiation and contestation between different searchers, between searchers and ivorybills, and between searchers and skeptics. Ultimately, this article argues that sonic geographies affect the production of extinction knowledge, and vice versa—extinction knowledge making practices produce distinct sonic geographies.
Counterfactual and consilience
Authors: Poon Jessie
Published: December 2023

In the spirit of this exchange’s call for more “methodological talk” in explanation, I suggest that polyphonic disunity that has prompted persistent calls in economic geography for some form of unificatory explanation may be pursued through opportunities in counterfactual and consilience explanations. These opportunities acknowledge a unificatory continuum that does not eschew explanatory autonomy while drawing multivoices and their methodologies into proximity.
The Microbiome and Metabolome of the Gut of Children with Sepsis and Septic Shock
Authors: Sankar Jhuma , Thakral Vaishali , Bharadwaj Kanchan , Agarwal Sheetal , Kabra Sushil Kumar , Lodha Rakesh , Rathore Sumit
Published: December 2023

Background

There is limited understanding of alteration of gut microbiota and metabolome in children with sepsis/septic shock.

Methods

In this prospective observational study carried out in a pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care center from 2020 to 2022, patients aged <17 years with sepsis/septic shock and healthy children (HC) were enrolled. We characterized the gut bacterial compositions by metagenome sequencing and metabolomes by untargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The primary outcome was to compare the gut microbiota and metabolome of children with sepsis/septic shock with that of HC. The Firmicutes/ Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio was compared between children with sepsis/septic shock and HC. Key secondary outcomes were to evaluate association of factors associated with a low F/B ratio in children with sepsis/septic shock.

Results

A total of 40 children (63% boys) (15 children with sepsis and septic shock and 10 healthy children) with a median (IQR) age of 5.5 (1.5, 10) years were enrolled. In the fecal microbiota, the α-diversity index including Shannon and Simpson indices of the sepsis/septic shock groups was significantly lower than that of the HC. The samples lacked beneﬁcial Biﬁdobacterium spp. and were dominated by Bacteroides, Enterobacteriaceae, and Enterococcaceae. There was reduction in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in patients with sepsis/septic shock as compared to healthy children. A lower F/B ratio (≤1.57) of the gut microbiota discriminated well between children with sepsis/septic shock and HC. Factors associated with lower F/B ratio were male gender, clinical GI dysfunction, elevated inflammatory markers, and higher organ failure scores.

Conclusion

There were significant alterations in the gut microbiota and metabolome in children with sepsis/septic shock as compared to healthy children. Larger study is needed to confirm these exploratory findings and develop potential therapeutic targets that will improve outcomes in children with sepsis/septic shock.
Impact of Preexisting Depression and Anxiety on Hospital Readmission and Long-Term Survival After Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Coppler Patrick J. , Brown McKenzie , Moschenross Darcy M. , Gopalan Priya R. , Presciutti Alexander M. , Doshi Ankur A. , Sawyer Kelly N. , Frisch Adam , Callaway Clifton W. , Elmer Jonathan ,   on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh Post-Cardiac Arrest Service
Published: December 2023

Background

While sudden cardiac arrest (CA) survivors are at risk for developing psychiatric disorders, little is known about the impact of preexisting mental health conditions on long-term survival or postacute healthcare utilization. We examined the prevalence of preexisting psychiatric conditions in CA patients who survived hospital discharge, characterized incidence and reason for inpatient psychiatry consultation during these patients’ acute hospitalizations, and determined the association of pre-CA depression and anxiety with hospital readmission rates and long-term survival. We hypothesized that prior depression or anxiety would be associated with higher hospital readmission rates and lower long-term survival.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study including patients resuscitated from in- and out-of-hospital CA who survived both admission and discharge from a single hospital between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2017. We identified patients from our prospective registry, then performed a structured chart review to abstract past psychiatric history, prescription medications for psychiatric conditions, and identify inpatient psychiatric consultations. We used administrative data to identify readmissions within 1 year and vital status through December 31, 2020. We used multivariable Cox regressions controlling for patient demographics, medical comorbidities, discharge Cerebral Performance Category and disposition, depression, and anxiety history to predict long-term survival and hospital readmission.

Results

We included 684 subjects. Past depression or anxiety was noted in 24% ( n = 162) and 19% ( n = 129) of subjects. A minority of subjects ( n = 139, 20%) received a psychiatry consultation during the index hospitalization. Overall, 262 (39%) subjects had at least 1 readmission within 1 year. Past depression was associated with an increased hazard of hospital readmission (hazard ratio 1.50, 95% CI 1.11–2.04), while past anxiety was not associated with readmission. Neither depression nor anxiety were independently associated with long-term survival.

Conclusions

Depression is an independent risk factor for hospital readmission in CA survivors.
Non-Puerperal Adoptive Breastfeeding as Lactational Rescue in the Rohingya Refugee Camp: 2 Case Studies
Authors: Sujon Hasnat , Khatun Rakiba , Mumin Jubayer
Published: December 2023

Introduction:

Non-puerperal adoptive lactation sometimes requires long preparation and substantial expense for pharmacological intervention to be successful, which are not feasible in refugee camps. Here we report two case studies of non-puerperal adoptive breastfeeding of two infants in the Rohingya Refugee Camp of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Main Issue:

Two non-pregnant, non-breastfeeding caregivers with previous experience of breastfeeding brought two adopted infants—one a 12-day-old female with severe acute malnutrition, and the other a 2-day-old male with normal anthropometric measurements—to a nutritional stabilization center for feeding. After counseling, both families opted for adoptive lactation.

Management:

Both infants were treated with a modified Action Against Hunger protocol of in-patient management of severe acute malnutrition using the supplementary suckling technique, a procedure to feed the baby with supplementary feed. Diluted F100 was used as the supplementary feed; the energy and protein gained from it were just enough to maintain body physiology and were not responsible for any weight gain. When the infants gained weight, indicating that the caregivers were producing milk, we reduced the supplementary feed as per protocol guidelines. The caregivers were prescribed domperidone and counseled on their ability to breastfeed the infants. The cases required 35 days and 20 days, respectively, for the full establishment of breastfeeding.

Conclusion:

This is the first report of successful adoptive breastfeeding in a refugee camp. With proper counseling and motivation of the caregiver, induced lactation can be started without a preparatory period and with very low-cost intervention.
Critical thinking skills for computing professionals: Closing the education – industry gap
Authors: Wynekoop Judy , Nakatani Kazuo
Published: December 2023

Critical thinking has been identified as a key ability in most professions, yet employers find college graduates deficient in critical thinking skills. Research on the effect of college on students’ critical thinking ability has been contradictory. This study empirically examines the impact of the immersion approach to teach critical thinking used in an undergraduate curriculum designed to improve students’ general and discipline-specific critical thinking skills necessary for entry-level positions in information systems and technology. The results show this approach improved both students’ generalizable and information systems-specific critical thinking. The benefits of the immersion approach to close the education-industry skills gap are discussed.
Bearing fault diagnosis based on spatial filtering constraint feature extraction and deep network
Authors: Zhao Yunji , Zhou Yuhang , Xu Xiaozhuo , Qin Baofu , Guo Xiangwei
Published: December 2023

As the core component of a gas turbine, the health condition of the main bearing has a crucial impact on the safe operation of the gas turbine. However, the distribution inconsistency problem existing in the time series data and the nonlinear coupling effect between the data will affect the extraction of characteristic fault features, leading to a decrease in diagnostic accuracy. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes a bearing fault diagnosis method based on frequency domain distribution filter and deep learning. Specifically, a sinusoidal Mel filter bank is designed to extract the fault features of low-frequency vibration signals based on the distribution principle of the traditional Mel filter bank. Then, considering that the fault information contained in other frequency bands of the vibration signals is also not easy to ignore, an inverse sinusoidal Mel filter bank is constructed to further mine the signature fault features of the vibration signals in the middle and high-frequency bands. Finally, the frequency domain distribution filter is proposed by combining the above two filters to reduce the impact of data distribution inconsistency on the accuracy of fault diagnosis. In addition, a deformable convolutional network is applied to further decouple the fault data and improve the spatial separability of the data features. Experiments with inconsistent data distribution are validated on two public datasets, and the diagnostic accuracy reaches 100%; the engineering reliability of the proposed method is verified on the main bearing of a gas turbine, and the accuracy reaches 99.86%.
Numerical simulation of the combustion chamber and performance analysis of microalgae-based biodiesel/diesel-powered CI engine: An axisymmetric flow approach
Authors: Das Dheeraj Kumar , Ahmad Aqueel , Singh Achhaibar , Singh Dinesh Kumar , Yadav Ashok Kumar
Published: December 2023

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the combustion chamber characteristics of a variable compression ratio compression ignition engine powered with microalgae biodiesel/diesel and their impact on engine performance and emissions. Both numerical and experimental methods have been employed to study the problem. A computational fluid dynamics method is used to study the axisymmetric flow in the cylindrical combustion chamber. Numerical simulations are obtained by solving time-independent steady, incompressible Navier-Stokes equation in a two-dimensional cylindrical coordinate system. Fluid flow characteristics, such as velocity vector field, streamlines, and pressure distribution are presented for different biodiesel blends. The velocity vector field analysis shows that biodiesel blends exhibit high velocities near the axisymmetric wall region. Swirl motion generated near the outer periphery of the combustion chamber influences the flow patterns. The experimental study involves the engine performance and its emissions. Due to the increase of biodiesel blend ratios in B20 (20% biodiesel and 80% diesel), B40 (40% biodiesel and 60% diesel), B50 (50% biodiesel and 50% diesel), and B100 (100% biodiesel), the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) decreases for a given brake power. B20, B100, and diesel exhibit 32.87%, 29.15%, and 34.45% BTE respectively. Higher brake-specific fuel consumption is obtained at no-load engine operations due to incomplete combustion of fuel. B20, B40, B50, and B100 show reductions of 16.04%, 20.85%, 25.66%, and 32.08% CO, respectively, as compared to diesel. HC emissions are very low for all biodiesel blends, while B20 exhibits a decrease of 7.35% HC compared to diesel. However, NOx emissions increase with the biodiesel blend ratio, with B100 exhibiting a 22.56% increase in NOx compared to diesel. Smoke emissions decrease with an increase in the biodiesel blend ratio, while B20 shows a 4.64% reduction. Results show that B20 offers a favorable balance between emissions reduction and engine performance. This study determines the biodiesel combustion characteristics and insights for the practical implementation of biodiesel blends in the transportation and energy sectors.
Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on Entrepreneurial Intention Among Female Students of Odisha
Authors: Dey Sanjeeb Kumar , Sharma Debabrata , Dash Sucheesmita
Published: December 2023

Economic development is significantly influenced by the entrepreneurial process. Economic growth is fuelled by entrepreneurial activity; thus, academic institutions are under more pressure than ever to encourage students to think like entrepreneurs. This study tries to focus on analysing how entrepreneurship education is affecting the development of entrepreneurial intent among female students of Odisha. The study analysed the impact of entrepreneurship education in terms of perception of entrepreneurship education, perceived relevance and adequacy of curriculum and perceived competence of the lecturing team on student entrepreneurial intention. Our study showed a positive and significant association between entrepreneurship education and female entrepreneurial intention. It was also evident from the study that entrepreneurship education has a positive significant impact on female entrepreneurial intention. Therefore, it is imperative to reform and revolutionise the educational system for educated youth to stop seeking employment and start creating it instead.
Do Foreign Ownership, Executive Incentives, Corporate Social Responsibility Activity and Audit Quality Affect Corporate Tax Avoidance?
Authors: Putri Vidiyanna Rizal , Zakaria Nor Balkish , Said Jamaliah , Azis Maz Ainy Abdul
Published: December 2023

This study investigates the impact of governance factors on tax avoidance, such as foreign ownership, executive incentives, corporate social responsibility, and audit quality. Between 2015 and 2020, the study examined data from conventional banks and non-bank institutions listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, with 69 banks and financial entities matching the purposive selection criteria serving as samples using EViews. The results of the study showed that executive incentives had a positive impact on tax avoidance, while foreign ownership had no effect. Corporate social responsibility had a negative impact, and audit quality had a negative impact on tax avoidance. The research discussion highlighted specific tax loopholes and strategies businesses and individuals use to avoid paying taxes and provided insights for policymakers on addressing this issue.
Does Concentrated Shareholding Impact Family Firm Internationalisation?
Authors: Vijayagopal V. , Thenmozhi M.
Published: December 2023

This article investigates whether increase in concentrated shareholding impacts the internationalisation of family firms. Based on a multi-theoretic approach and using zero inflated beta model on a panel data set covering 307 largest Indian listed companies, we observe that concentrated ownership, adverse employee relations and business group affiliation discourage internationalisation. But as family shareholding exceeds 50%, concentrated ownership has an indirect positive balancing impact on internationalisation. Besides, status as a family firm has a significant favourable impact on internationalisation and it moderates the impact of concentrated ownership, adverse employee relations and group affiliation on internationalisation.
How and When May Leader Influence Tactics Affect Followers’ Organizational Citizenship Behavior? A Social Cognitive Approach
Authors: Sun Ui Young , Lee Soojin , Yun Seokhwa
Published: December 2023

Utilizing social cognitive theory, we suggest that leader influence tactics convey salient social cues to be incorporated into followers’ self-efficacy evaluation, which shapes their engagement in organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). We contend that leader soft tactics enhance followers’ self-efficacy and thereby foster their OCB, whereas leader hard tactics damage their self-efficacy and ultimately hamper their OCB. Further, we propose that organizational justice functions as a key boundary condition for these contentions, as the fair work environment makes social cues from these tactics salient. To test the hypotheses, we collected the data of 198 supervisor-subordinate dyads from various companies located in South Korea. As expected, soft tactics were positively related to self-efficacy, and their indirect effect on OCB toward individuals (i.e., OCBI) via self-efficacy was positive. In addition, the effect of soft tactics on self-efficacy and the indirect effect of soft tactics on OCBI via self-efficacy were stronger when organizational justice was higher. However, self-efficacy was not significantly related to OCB toward the organization (i.e., OCBO), and the indirect effect of soft tactics on OCBO via self-efficacy was not significant. Notably, hard tactics were not significantly related to self-efficacy, and organizational justice did not moderate this relationship. Further, the proposed indirect and conditional indirect effects of hard tactics were not significant. Overall, our research shows that soft tactics can be powerful tools for leaders to enhance followers’ self-efficacy and, ultimately, foster their OCB, especially when organizational justice is established at work.
Recommended Methods of Drug Dosing Adjustment for Patients With Renal Impairment
Authors: Erstad Brian L.
Published: December 2023

Since 2020, there have been changes in Food and Drug Administration guidance and in recommendations by national organizations with a focus on kidney diseases pertaining to the choice of equations used to estimate creatinine clearance and glomerular filtration rate in patients with renal impairment. This includes a recommendation by the National Kidney Foundation to avoid the use of the Cockcroft-Gault equation for drug dosing in patients with renal impairment. This commentary provides an overview of recent recommendations concerning kidney function assessment that have important implications for drug dosing in patients with renal impairment and provides suggestions for implementing these recommendations.
The Customer Success Community: An Exploration of Nonfirm Epistemic Communities and Their Influence on a New Sales Practice
Authors: Madruga Roberto , Hilton Bryson , Jung Hyeyoon , Hochstein Bryan , Silva Edison Renato
Published: December 2023

Customer success (CS) management is being implemented across global business markets. CS management is unique, as it exists within a broader CS community of professionals who actively support the new customer management practice. However, academic research has yet to investigate nonfirm epistemic communities (i.e., knowledge communities related to a specific domain) that support CS management and how they differ across geographic settings in ways that may affect the overall practice of CS management. To address this gap, the authors investigate how the CS community is implemented across countries that vary in their levels of uncertainty avoidance. The authors focus on the CS community and its impact on CS management operational factors that represent people, process, and performance factors of CS management. Following a phenomenological approach, interviews from the United States, Brazil, and Portugal drive the findings and indicate different levels of reliance on the external CS community to guide internal CS management operational factors. This research contributes by establishing the importance of the CS community and by uncovering insights based on CS managers’ perceptions of the CS community and its effect on CS management operational factors. The authors offer salient insights into how managers can optimize CS management operational factors, and they provide a discussion of future research topics.
An improved Fourier series solution for vibration analysis of elastically restrained beams in Rayleigh–Ritz method
Authors: Wang Jianzheng , Zhou Ruiping , Guo Yukuo , Luo Xiaoyuan
Published: December 2023

A combination of Fourier cosines series and polynomials (4 terms, 4th order) in Rayleigh–Ritz method is proposed to solve the vibration problem of a generally restrained beam. The characteristics of auxiliary polynomials, which actually are determined by homogeneous boundary conditions of the beam under consideration, can directly change the convergence properties and numerical instabilities of vibration results significantly. Fast convergence and reliability of the proposed polynomials are illustrated with numerical examples in comparisons with available results.
Effect of thermoelastic damping on nonlinear vibrations of a microbeam under electrostatic actuation using nonlinear normal modes
Authors: Farvandi Ahad , Karami Mohammadi Ardeshir
Published: December 2023

A Galerkin-based nonlinear normal mode approach based on the concept of invariant manifolds is adopted to analyze the effect of thermoelastic damping on the nonlinear vibrations of a microbeam with mid-plane stretching and electrostatic actuation. The derivation of the mathematical model starts with two coupled equations: a general Euler–Bernoulli equation for microbeam vibrations, which includes thermal moment and thermal force terms due to the thermoelastic damping effect; and a thermal equation describing the generation of the thermal moment due to bending vibrations. Given the available information about the material properties and geometry of conventional microbeams, and a physical reasoning based on it about the time constant of the thermal equation, the two governing equations are integrated into a single nonlinear partial differential equation. Galerkin discretization is used to transform the governing equation into a system of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations that are uncoupled at linear order. The modal analysis is then followed by finding an invariant manifold leading to a nonlinear ordinary differential equation that governs the vibration behavior of the system. The results of the case study showed that the amount of thermoelastic damping is dependent on the excitation voltage, and the damping increases with increasing voltage. Furthermore, in the presence of thermoelastic damping, by applying the step voltage and starting the vibrations, the frequency increases over time until it reaches a certain limit. With a higher excitation voltage, the frequency increases at a higher rate, but to a lower final limit. In an undamped system, the frequency of oscillations is constant over time, but a higher excitation voltage causes lower frequency vibrations. The results of pull-in analysis showed that thermoelastic damping has no significant effect on static or dynamic pull-in voltage.
Extending the Knowledge Gap Hypothesis to Narrative Persuasion: Parents’ Information-Seeking Intention and Learning About Adolescent Children’s Covid-19 Vaccination
Authors: Lee Tae Kyoung , Kim Hye Kyung
Published: December 2023

The gap in knowledge and information-seeking between high and low socioeconomic status (SES) has been well documented. This study extends this knowledge gap hypothesis to narrative persuasion in the context of parents’ knowledge and information-seeking intention concerning adolescents’ COVID-19 vaccination. It specifically tests if the gap is moderated by a message type (narrative vs. non-narrative). An online quasi-experiment, with a 2 (participants’ education level: high vs. low) × 3 (message type: narrative vs. non-narrative vs. no-message) between-subject design, showed a main effect of education level (i.e., parents with a higher [vs. lower] education level rated a higher intention to seek information and provided more correct answers on questions about adolescents’ COVID-19 vaccination) and an interaction between the two factors. The interaction showed that the gap between high- and low-education groups in information-seeking intention disappeared among those who read the narrative or non-narrative, and the gap in knowledge disappeared among those who read the narrative. Study findings suggest the utility of narratives in narrowing the gap in knowledge and information-seeking to improve parents’ decisions on child vaccination.
Vietnamese LGBTQ Youth’s Transition to Adulthood: Expressions of Agency
Authors: Mai Yên
Published: December 2023

The study examines how Vietnamese LGBTQ youth express their agency as they transition to adulthood. Utilizing in-depth interviews with LGBTQ youth between the ages of 18 and 28, the study identifies different forms of strategies these young people employ to define, make sense of, or affirm their gender and sexual identities. In addition to managing their visibility to ensure safety, these youth can make sense of their feelings and experiences through inclusive knowledge about LGBTQ, or they may express themselves publicly and challenge heteronormativity and cisnormativity. The use of social media can give them tools for self-expression and advocacy, while financial independence and mobility can help them negotiate autonomy against normative expectations. As a contribution to LGBTQ emerging adulthood and youth research, the study highlights how social landscapes can limit the choices available for youth’s expressions of agency, while simultaneously providing them with materials to exercise control.
Queering Gender Boundaries and Redoing Heteroamorous Desire: Youth Scenes As a Social Field for (Re-)Negotiating Gender Arrangements and Sexuality
Authors: Kirchner Babette , Wustmann Julia , Meuser Michael , Niederbacher Arne
Published: December 2023

In Second Modernity, traditional affiliations, ideals and norms continuously are becoming less important. Among the things affected by that are gender norms and sexualities, so that the reflexive self now has the task of relating to these transformations. Based on scene ethnographies (interviews, group discussions, participant observations), this article examines how the (youth) scenes Visual Kei and K-pop serve as social fields to challenge traditional societal norms of gender and heterosexuality. Gender-neutral ideals and gender-differentiating norms coexist in Visual Kei; heteroamorous fantasies coexist with various sexual realities in K-pop. In both scenes, the scene-specific gender displays also significantly influence the sexual displays. Scene members embrace a great diversity of sexual orientations, thereby applying cultural globalization and socially constructing post-traditional forms of gender arrangements and sexualities that intertwine ‘Western’ as well as ‘Asian’ practices and aesthetics.
Flexural performance of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with FRP-reinforced geopolymer matrix: Numerical validation and parametric study
Authors: Tang Ting-Ting , Peng Kai-Di , Huang Jun-Qi , Guo Dong , Huang Bo-Tao
Published: December 2023

This study investigates the flexural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened by FRP-reinforced geopolymer matrix (FRGM) through a comprehensive numerical analysis. A two-dimensional (2D) finite element (FE) model is developed to simulate the behavior of the FRGM-strengthened RC beams, including the failure modes, load-deflection curves, and interfacial slips. The settings of the FE model, such as material properties, boundary conditions and interfacial bond properties between the FRGM and RC beams, are firstly validated by comparing the predicted results with the existing experimental data from previous publication. Subsequently, a parametric analysis involving 200 specimens is conducted to evaluate the effects of FRGM thickness, sectional area, location and type of the FRP rebar. The results indicate that the uniaxial compressive behaviors of geopolymer mortar and interfacial properties can be accurately described by the parabolic curve and bilinear traction-separation curve, respectively. The failure mode and load-carrying capacity of the specimens are primarily influenced by the axial strength of the reinforced FRP rebar. Additionally, the interfacial slip distributions transform from an inverse tangential shape to a sawtooth shape depending on the cracking pattern of the specimen.
The probabilistic mechanical-material modeling of complex non-homogeneous structures using the coupling of isogeometric boundary element method and reliability approach
Authors: Nardi Deborah C , Leonel Edson Denner
Published: December 2023

Describing mechanical fields with precision in engineering analyses can be a challenging task. Analytical solutions fall short for real complex problems. The widespread use of numerical methods to overcome this obstacle has increased along with the advances in computational capacity. For instance, in geotechnical and composite materials problems, the use of a numerical approach becomes indispensable in several situations. For large volume-to-boundary ratio problems or for non-uniform fields evaluation, the boundary element method is a suitable tool. The method is based on the boundary discretization and on solutions to boundary integral equations. Thus, this article introduces the isogeometric boundary element method formulation and explores techniques for enhancing its physical problem descriptions, specially focusing in geotechnical issues and description of body forces. Two numerical examples are presented. Firstly, a multi-material dam, inspired by the real Itaipu dam section, is analyzed and the results are compared to the well-known ANSYS® FEM software. Furthermore, the article presents a tunnel case study in which a reliability assessment is conducted to account for the inherent uncertainties in the problem. This assessment is accomplished using the improved Hasofer, Lind, Rackwitz e Fiessler-first-order reliability method algorithm, which provides insight into the structural failure risk.
Hoffmann’s syndrome in subclinical hypothyroidism
Authors: HS Kiran , Cheemalapati Shashank , CR Venkatesh
Published: December 2023

Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disorder which occurs due to a deficiency of thyroid hormones. Hoffmann’s syndrome is a rare complication of hypothyroidism – presenting as hypothyroid myopathy. We describe the case of a 20-year-old lactating female, known to have hypothyroidism (diagnosed during her pregnancy and having discontinued treatment following delivery), presenting with complaints of pain, swelling of bilateral calf muscles with cramps in bilateral lower limbs. Symptoms of muscle pseudohypertrophy with muscle stiffness are relatively rare in subclinical hypothyroidism and it is important to identify and diagnose this rare condition, and initiate appropriate treatment.