Revisiting the small-world phenomenon: efficiency variation and classification of small-world networks

Research has explored how embeddedness in small-world networks influences individual and firm outcomes. We show that there remains significant heterogeneity among networks classified as small-world networks. We develop measures of the efficiency of a network, which allow us to refine predictions associated with small-world networks. A network is classified as a small-world network if it exhibits a distance between nodes that is comparable to the distance found in random networks of similar sizes—with ties randomly allocated among nodes—in addition to containing dense clusters. To assess how efficient a network is, there are two questions worth asking: (i) ‘what is a compelling random network for baseline levels of distance and clustering?’ and (ii) ‘how proximal should an observed value be to the baseline to be deemed comparable?’. Our framework tests properties of networks, using simulation, to further classify small-world networks according to their efficiency. Our results suggest that small-world networks exhibit significant variation in efficiency. We explore implications for the field of management and organization

Current Perspectives, Practices, and Barriers Faced by Community Pharmacists Regarding Pharmaceutical Care Services for Diabetes Mellitus in the United Arab Emirates

Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun,1,2 Sabaa Saleh Al-Hemyari,1,3 Moyad Shahwan,4,5 Sumaya Abdulrahman Jairoun,6 Nasser M Alorfi,7 Sa’ed H Zyoud,8,9 Abdulhaq A Suliman,5,10 Manar Khalil Shahwan,4,5 Ghala Alnuaimi,4 Monzer Shahwan,11 Tariq Al-Qirim,12 Faris El-Dahiyat13,14 1Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Pulau Pinang, 11500, Malaysia; 2Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 3Pharmacy Department, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 4College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, 346, United Arab Emirates; 5Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 6Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacotherapeutics, Dubai Pharmacy College for Girls, Al Mizhar Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 7Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 8Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 9Clinical Research Centre, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 10College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 11Diabetes Clinic, AL-Swity Center for Dermatology and Chronic Diseases, Ramallah, 972, Palestine; 12Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, 11733, Jordan; 13Clinical Pharmacy Program, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain, 64141, United Arab Emirates; 14AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, 112612, United Arab EmiratesCorrespondence: Moyad Shahwan; Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun, Tel +971558099957, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Providing accurate and sufficient information is a crucial requirement for delivering effective diabetes care, making it essential for community pharmacists to possess adequate knowledge of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its management.Objective: To investigate community pharmacists’ level of expertise and engagement in providing counseling and health promotion services for individuals with DM in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. The community Pharmacies were chosen via random sampling and researchers then conducted face-to-face interviews with them using the structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic data, 14 questions on the knowledge and 9 questions about the practice concerning pharmaceutical care for Diabetes Mellitus.Results: The average age ± SD was 31 ± 6.3. Of the total 516 community pharmacists recruited in the study, 37.2% (n=192) were male and 62.8% (n=324) were female. The average knowledge score about DM prevention and management was 9.7 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) [9.5, 9.9] and the average practice score about DM prevention and management was 7.1 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) [6.9, 7.2]. Better knowledge scores were observed in chief pharmacists (OR 1.29; 95% CI 1.08– 1.56), pharmacists with 6– 10 Years of experience (OR 6.92; 95% CI 3.43– 8.86), pharmacist with > 10 years of experience (OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.67– 2.36), when the number of patients the pharmacist serve is 5– 10 (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.06– 1.53) and being trained on DM prevention and management (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.92– 2.47). Similarly, better practice scores were observed in older participants (OR1.02; 95% CI 1.001– 1.03), chain pharmacies (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.20– 1.68), chief pharmacists (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.18– 2.06), when the number of patients the pharmacists serve was 5– 10 (OR 12.26; 95% CI 7.26– 16.19), when the number of patients the pharmacists serve was 11– 20 (OR 4.23; 95% CI 3.54– 5.06) and being trained on DM prevention and management (OR 1.33; 95% CI 1.11– 1.59). The most commonly reported barriers to providing counseling and health promotion services for diabetes mellitus (DM) in community pharmacies include a lack of coordination with other healthcare professionals (77%) and insufficient knowledge or clinical skills (68.7%).Conclusion: Our study revealed that community pharmacy staff members displayed a noteworthy level of involvement in providing pharmaceutical care services for patients with diabetes mellitus. Based on these findings, it is recommended to enhance pharmacy education by incorporating more advanced, evidence-based training and curricula focusing on disease management and appropriate therapies, particularly for diabetes.Keywords: diabetes mellitus, knowledge, practice, pharmaceutical care, type 2 diabetes mellitus, diabetes care and community pharmacie

Social structure, Reasonable Gain, and Entrepreneurship in Africa

In the context of desperate poverty, characterized by households at subsistence level that experience economic loss and social fracture, explanations for why individuals undertake entry into entrepreneurship are limited. We find that individuals rely on their social relationships to enable entrepreneurial activities that have the potential to create a reasonable income gain. In a sample of 1,049 households in rural Kenya, we test whether the disintegration of social structure attenuates entrepreneurial behavior. When coupled with factors such as income loss, gender of the household head, and access to communal resources, social structure plays a pivotal role in entrepreneurial action. We propose that the search for reasonable income gain is a key driver of entrepreneurial action at subsistence levels, thereby adding to behavioral explanations of entrepreneurship

Acoustic Source Localization in Composite Plates using sideband peak count – Index Technique

In this study the Non-Linear Ultrasonic Sideband Peak Count-Index (SPC-I) technique is used as the foundation for a novel approach towards acoustic source localization (ASL) in orthotropic composite plates. The SPC-I based technique proposed here does not require the signal attenuation information or any knowledge on the time of arrival of the signal. It should be noted that since individual sensors can have varying sensitivities, the signal attenuation measured from the recorded signal amplitude is not very reliable. In addition, it is not necessary to have any prior knowledge of the mechanical properties of the composite plate material. All these are achievable by attaching 25 sensors that are well-scattered on the surface of the plate. The signals that are generated by an acoustic source are recorded by these 25 sensors. The recorded signals are then analyzed to derive the SPC-I value for each signal. The calculated SPC-I values are run through an optimization algorithm to predict the acoustic source location. Such localization is possible because the composite plate is inherently a non-linear material. Hence, as the signal travels longer distances through a composite plate, the recorded signal should show increasing level of distortion due to material non-linearity and dispersion. This phenomenon manifests itself primarily as a consequence of signal scattering and frequency modulation. Because of this, the phenomena of increasing distortion in the signal with increasing propagation distance can be exploited and utilized to predict the location of the acoustic source by solely utilizing the SPC-I values. This acoustic source localization technique is experimentally verified on a Carbon Fiber Reinforced (CFR) composite plate of dimension 500 mm x 500 mm with a thickness of 1 mm. The experimental results confirmed the feasibility of the proposed technique.24 month embargo; first published 19 February 2024This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Linear and non-linear analysis of composite plates using guided acoustic waves

Guided acoustic wave techniques have been found to be very effective for damage detection. In this investigation Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) transducers are used to generate guided acoustic waves for structural health monitoring of a variety of composite specimens. Multiple sets of composite plate specimens are inspected for impact induced damage detection using PZT transducers. Composite samples are divided into two groups for comparative studies i.e. glass fiber composites and basalt fiber composites. They are damaged by impactors having different levels of impact energy. A chirp signal is excited and propagated through the specimens in a single sided excitation/detection setup to investigate the damages induced by impacts of varying intensity. Signal processing of the recorded signals for damage analysis involved both linear and nonlinear analyses. Linear ultrasonic analysis such as change in the time-of-flight of the propagating waves, Fast Fourier Transform and S-Transform of the recorded signals were tried out while the nonlinear ultrasonic analysis involved the Sideband Peak Count or the SPC technique

Shisha Smoking Habit among Dental School Students in the United Arab Emirates: Enabling Factors and Barriers

Objectives. The objective of the present study was to assess shisha smoking among dental school students in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In addition, the role of suggested barriers and enabling factors in shisha smoking was also evaluated. Methods. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted at the College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, between February and May 2016. The questions were adapted from previously published water pipe smoking studies. The collected data were analyzed to identify the relationship between shisha smoking and sociodemographic characteristics. Relevant questions were further categorized as enabling factors and barriers for shisha smoking. Results. Three enabling questionnaire items related to social environment were significantly associated with an increased risk of being a current smoker. The most powerful is peer pressure (“friends smoke shisha”), which increased the odds ratio of shisha smoking 11.3 times, followed by smoker sibling with increase in odd ratio by 4.52 times, then the belief of social acceptance with increase in odd ratio by 4.31 times. Conclusion. Shisha smoking is a serious problem among university students. Any intervention program in the university curricula should consider teaching students that shisha is no less risky than cigarettes and is addictive

Monitoring damage in composite plates from crack initiation to macro-crack propagation combining linear and nonlinear ultrasonic techniques

In this article, a holistic technique for sensing damage initiation, as well as damage progression in composite plates, is presented combining linear and nonlinear ultrasonic techniques. For this investigation, multiple sets of composite plate specimens made of two different composite materials were fabricated to check if the proposed technique works for different types of specimens. The specimens were damaged by impact loading and then inspected by propagating Lamb waves through them. Different failure mechanisms, such as fiber breaks, matrix cracking, debonding, and delamination, cause composite damage. Two groups of composite specimens that were fabricated and damaged were glass fiber–reinforced polymer composite and basalt fiber–reinforced polymer composite. A chirp signal excited by PZT (lead zirconate titanate) transducer was propagated through undamaged and damaged specimens to investigate the effects of varying degrees of damage on the recorded signals. Both linear and nonlinear ultrasonic parameters were extracted from the recorded signals and analyzed. The change in the linear ultrasonic parameters such as the wave speed and attenuation with damage progression were recorded. A new nonlinear ultrasonic parameter, the sideband peak count or sideband peak count-index, is also introduced and calculated from the recorded signals. It is observed that the nonlinear ultrasonic parameter can monitor the early stage of damage progression better than the linear ultrasonic parameters, while some linear ultrasonic parameters are more effective than the nonlinear ultrasonic parameter for monitoring the advanced stage of damage. Therefore, a combination of linear ultrasonic and nonlinear ultrasonic analyses is ideal for the holistic monitoring of the composite panels from the crack nucleation stage to the structural failure stage

An Improved Nonlinear Ultrasonic Technique for Detecting and Monitoring Impact Induced Damage in Composite Plates

An improved technique for sensing damage initiation and progression in thermoplastic resin composite plate specimens is presented in this study. The composite plate specimens are investigated by using a nonlinear ultrasonic (NLU) technique called Sideband Peak Count Index or SPC-I. The technique presented in this paper is an improvement from the previous SPC-I technique. This improved technique provides more reliable and consistent results and can monitor the damage progression over a wide range. In this paper the narrow band SPC-I technique is introduced to replace the conventional wide band SPC-I technique. The method implemented here is improved in three ways. First and foremost the narrow band SPC-I technique is introduced. Secondly, the non-permanently adhered gel coupled Lead-Zirconate-Titanate (PZT) transducers are used to reduce inconsistency in transducer adhesion and manufacturing. Lastly, higher sampling rate equipment is used for better signal resolution and peak counting. The experiments are performed on 4 sets of composite plate specimens fabricated using two composite fiber materials (Glass and Basalt) that have increasing levels of damage. The composite plate specimens were damaged by a falling weight impact machine with increasing impact energy (0 J, 10 J, 20 J and 30 J). The composite plate specimens were examined by propagating a narrow band chirp signal through the specimens using gel coupled transducers in a transmission mode setup. The received signals were recorded and analyzed using the NLU SPC-I technique. The modified SPC-I technique proposed in this paper can reliably and consistently detect both initiation and progression of damage in the composite plate specimens.24 month embargo; available online: 16 October 2021This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Optimism, Vulnerability, and Entrepreneurial Intent: Occupation Change Intentions in Rural East Africa

We examine how income seeking attitude, economic and occupational vulnerability jointly influence individual intentions to switch into entrepreneurship under desperate poverty. We posit that vulnerability negatively moderates the relationship between optimism and entrepreneurial intention. We find support for our predictions in a sample of 673 individuals from two sub-locations in rural Kenya

Inspection of steel tube welded joint using nonlinear ultrasonic technique

In steel construction, for both plate and tubular structures, welding is commonly used for joining two or more parts together. In welded joints, defects such as cracks, pores, and slag inclusion can be present from the beginning or generated while in service. Such defects are the weak spots that can lead to structural failures. Therefore, early detection of these defects in welded joints is important. One way of detecting these defects is using ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques. Guided acoustic wave-based techniques have been proven to be effective for damage detection and many studies have been tried out before for damage detection in tubes. Earlier attempts mostly focused on conventional linear ultrasonic techniques. In this research, a newly developed nonlinear ultrasonic technique, called Sideband Peak Count- Index (SPC-I) technique, is carried out. For this investigation, two steel tubes are welded together and four point bending test is conducted under fatigue loading. The welded joint is continuously inspected in real time using strain gauges and Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) transducers which is used to generate and receive the guided acoustic waves. The signal is propagated through the specimen in a single sided transmission mode setup. During the test, both the strain gauge values and the nonlinear ultrasonic parameter, the SPC-I values, are continuously monitored simultaneously. The results obtained from the nonlinear ultrasonic NDT measurements are compared with the experimental data obtained from the strain gauge to check if the technique is robust and reliable enough for qualitative inspection of welds. © 2022 SPIEImmediate accessThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]