Effect Of Cohesion Research Articles

Numerical Investigation of Seismic Behaviour for a Flexible Cantilever Retaining Wall with Cohesive Backfill

In the seismic design of flexible cantilever walls retaining cohesive backfill soil, the common practice is to neglect the cohesion effect. Dynamic lateral earth pressure is typically evaluated based on approaches primarily intended for cohesionless soils or through analytical pseudo-static methods. Nevertheless, both experimental and theoretical evidence has demonstrated significant effects due to soil cohesion that are not accounted for by these methods. This study involved finite element modeling (FE) of a flexible cantilever wall with a height of 5.4m, supporting homogeneous cohesive backfill under initial static and seismic loadings. The calculated active earth thrust was then compared with values obtained experimentally and through conventional analytical methods. The obtained results indicate that the presence of soil cohesion significantly reduces seismic demands on flexible cantilever retaining walls, resulting in a substantial reduction of seismic active earth pressures and total seismic thrust by up to 50% and 52%, respectively. It enhances also the overall stability of the system by shifting the point of application of seismic thrust toward the base of the wall, thereby increasing the safety margin. In addition, it significantly decreases the wall displacement at the stem top, with reductions of up to 104% compared with the case involving cohesionless backfill. It was observed that the conventional methods recommended by some seismic regulations largely underestimate seismic active pressure.

Effect of Table Banking on Economic Empowerment of Women in Small Medium Enterprises. A Case Study of Kirinyaga County Kenya

Women empowerment has become a subject of concern across the globe for the last few decades and the World Bank recommends that women empowerment should be a key area of social development programs. The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of table banking on economic empowerment of women in SME’s in Kirinyaga county, Kenya. The specific objectives of this study were: To examine effect of savings mobilization on economic empowerment of women, to explore the effect of professional support on the growth of women small medium enterprises, to examine the effect of group cohesiveness on economic empowerment of women, to establish how contribution of networking in table banking has contributed to economic empowerment of women. The theoretical framework for this study was based upon one model and two theories which will give an in-depth analysis of the problem. These are Lewin’s model, Resource Base Theory by Barney (1991) and group cohesion theory. Data was collected by use of questionnaires with the target population of 308 registered members practicing table banking. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS and presented in the form of percentages, graphs, pie charts and tables. Descriptive statistics correlation analysis and multiple correlation analysis were also used to analyze the data. Findings from the study revealed that there was a positive relationship between table banking and economic empowerment of women in Kirinyaga county. The study revealed that Savings mobilization enabled women to save and access loans easily from table banking, Education, management training, management skills were found to be a key factor for women to be conversant with in order to excel in their businesses. Through group cohesiveness women were able to work together and sort out conflicts among themselves without difficulties. The findings also revealed that developing networks, new business contacts and relationships by women who own SMEs had a big impact on the performance of their enterprises. The study concluded that table banking was critical in the economic empowerment of women. The study recommends that the concept of table banking should be embraced by the government and policies should be formulated and implemented, as this will make it easy for women to be economically empowered.

Community social capital and mental health participation: Test of psychosocial mediators in two resource-poor urban communities in Ghana

We utilised a multiple mediation model to investigate the pathways linking dimensions of community social capital to collective participation in mental health promotion in two urban communities in Ghana. Participants (n = 384) were from Jamestown (n = 144) and Usshertown (n = 240) communities (female = 55.7%; mean age = 34.38 years, SD = 14.37 years). Structural equation modelling showed that shared concern and leadership trust directly facilitated mental health participation, whereas social cohesion had a direct negative impact on it. Interpersonal trust and critical consciousness partially mediated the effects of social cohesion and shared concern on mental health participation. Our study underscores the importance of considering not only the structural aspects of community social capital but also the interpersonal dynamics and individual perceptions that underpin collective action. These insights inform the development of more effective community-based interventions aimed at enhancing mental health outcomes in resource-poor urban settings.

Numerical Analysis of the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Strip Footing Constructed on Sand-over-Clay Sediment

This paper analyzes the bearing capacity of two-layered soil medium using finite element (FE) software ABAQUS/CAE 2023. Although geotechnical engineers design foundations for layered soil, majorly current geotechnical studies emphasize single homogenous soil. So, this research has significant novelty as it focuses on layered soil and adds to the current literature. A nonlinear FE model was prepared and analyzed to determine the ultimate bearing capacity of two-layered soil (sandy soil over clayey soil). The Drucker–Prager and Mohr–Coulomb models were used to represent sandy soil and clayey soil layers, respectively. Strip footing material properties were considered isotropic and linearly elastic. This study performed parametric studies to understand the effects of thickness, unit weight, and the modulus of the elasticity of sandy soil on the ultimate soil bearing capacity. Additionally, it also analyzed the effect of the cohesive strength of clayey soil on layered soil bearing capacity. Results showed that an increase in sandy soil layer thickness strengthens the layered soil, and thus, improves the bearing capacity of soil. Increasing the sandy soil layer thickness over footing width (h1/B) ratio from 0.15 to 2.0 improved the ultimate bearing capacities with elastic settlements of 350 mm and 250 mm by 145.62% and 101.66%, respectively. Additionally, for a thicker sandy soil layer, an increase in the unit weight and modulus of the elasticity of sandy soil led to higher ultimate bearing capacity. Furthermore, it was concluded that an increase in clayey soil’s cohesive strength from 20 kPa to 30 kPa resulted in a 24.31% and 3.47% increase in soil bearing capacity for h1/B = 0.15 and h1/B = 2.0, respectively. So, the effect of cohesion is prevalent in the case of a thicker clayey soil layer.

Strategic Communication Effectiveness in the Ugandan Health Sector: Do Relational Cohesion and Interaction Quality Matter?

ABSTRACT A strategic approach to communication streamlines the communication processes of an organization. In a setting of a wide range of stakeholders like the healthcare system, it is important to focus communication efforts to reach the different stakeholder groups and ensure common understanding and willingness to act by all the groups in order to achieve the organization mission. This study tested the effects of relational cohesion and interaction quality on strategic communication effectiveness in the Ugandan health sector. This study is premised on the commitment-trust theory to explain the relational bonds that are embedded in interactions that drive the audience to implement the action points in the messages received. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey with mixed methods, including triangulated quantitative data collected from 381 health organizations’ audiences and qualitative data collected from 12 key informants. The results revealed that relational cohesion is a significant predictor of strategic communication effectiveness. The results further indicated that interaction quality is a partial mediator between relational cohesion and strategic communication effectiveness. Theoretical and policy implications are provided, and direct interactions like dialogues and one-on-one communication formats are recommended as the best communication strategies to achieve the organization mission.

Versatile coupling of MPM and FEM: A case study of the stability of vegetated slope

Evaluating root reinforcement in the root–soil composite is challenging due to the complex interactions among its components and the variable configurations of the roots. A proposed FEM-MPM coupled model is dedicated to examining the influence of roots on slope stability. The FEM component employed the Truss structural element type to model the dynamics and physics of the root, coupled with a damaged constitutive model, which sheds light on the effects of orientation, cohesion, and friction on the brittle or progressive failure modes of the root. The MPM counterpart provided the capability for large deformation simulation in the post-failure phase of the slope. The framework’s integration was achieved through a penalty method, correcting the dynamics of its members (translation and orientation) and linking the decay of the root with the plastic behavior of the soil through updated geometrical and mechanical properties. Several geotechnical tests and examples, such as pull-out tests, direct shear tests, and vegetated slope collapse simulations, were conducted to validate and verify the robustness of the proposed approach. The results demonstrate the methodology’s capability to capture the mechanism of root reinforcement in vegetated slope stability.

Impact of Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Rodent Sightings on Mental Health among Residents of New York City During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety are prevalent globally, and rates are especially high in New York City (NYC) since the COVID-19 pandemic. Neighborhood social and physical environments have been found to influence mental health. We investigated the impact of neighborhood social cohesion and neighborhood rodent sightings (as an indicator of neighborhood cleanliness) on nonspecific serious psychological distress (NSPD) status using 2020 NYC Community Health Survey data from 8781 NYC residents. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationships among social cohesion, rodent sightings, and NSPD adjusted for confounders and complex sampling and weighted to the NYC population. Effect measure modification of rodent sightings on the effect of social cohesion on NSPD was evaluated on the multiplicative scale by adding the interaction term to the multivariable model and, if significant, stratifying on the effect modifier, and on the additive scale using the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI). Social cohesion was found to decrease the odds of NSPD, and rodent sightings were found to increase the odds of NSPD. We found significant evidence of effect measure modification on the multiplicative scale. In the stratified models, there was a protective effect of social cohesion against NSPD among those not reporting rodent sightings, but no effect among those reporting rodent sightings. Our findings suggest that both neighborhood social cohesion and rodent sightings impact the mental health of New Yorkers and that rodent infestations may diminish the benefit of neighborhood social cohesion.

Simultaneously improving ROP and maintaining wellbore stability in shale gas well: A case study of Luzhou shale gas reservoirs

The ROP (rate of penetration) within the horizontal section of shale gas wells in the Luzhou oil field is low, seriously delaying the exploration and development process. It is proved that reducing mud density mitigates the bottom-hole differential pressure (ΔP) and increases the ROP during overbalanced drilling. However, wellbore collapse may occur when wellbore pressure is excessively low. It is urgent to ascertain the optimal equilibrium point between improving ROP and maintaining wellbore stability. The safe mud weight window and the lower limit of mud density in the horizontal section of the Luzhou block are predicted using the piecewise fitting method based on conventional logging data. Then, the accuracy of the collapse pressure prediction was verified using the distinct element method (DEM), and the effect of wellbore pressure, in-situ stress, rock cohesion, and natural fracture density on borehole collapse was investigated. Finally, a fitting model of ΔP and ROP of the horizontal section in the Luzhou block is established to predict ROP promotion potential after mud density reduction. The field application of this approach, demonstrated in 8 horizontal wells in the Luzhou block, effectively validates the efficiency of reducing mud density for ROP improvement. This study provides a useful method for simultaneously improving ROP and maintaining wellbore stability and offers significant insights for petroleum engineers in the design of drilling parameters.

Developmental trajectory of depressive symptoms among left-behind adolescents: The effects of parent-adolescent separation and parent-adolescent cohesion.

Left-behind adolescents are vulnerable to depressive symptoms under the context of parent-adolescent separation. However, limited knowledge is available regarding left-behind adolescents' depression trajectory and the protective resources against it. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate the depression trajectory and its association with parent-adolescent separation (left-behind status, age of separation and duration of separation) and parent-adolescent cohesion (father-adolescent cohesion, mother-adolescent cohesion) among left-behind adolescents. The participants were 1,107 left-behind adolescents (Mage = 13.23 ± 0.86 years at T1; 45.17% girls; 38.48% both-parent migrant adolescents, 61.52% father-only migrant adolescents) from two rural areas of Shandong Province in China, who were participated in assessment at three time points with 6 months apart from November 2014 to November 2015. The results indicated that the trajectory of left-behind adolescents' depression symptoms showed a decreasing trend. Both-parent migrant adolescents reported a higher initial level of depressive symptoms than father-only migrant adolescents. Duration of separation positively predicted the initial level of left-behind adolescents' depressive symptoms. Mother-adolescent cohesion negatively predicted the initial level and positively predicted the change rate of left-behind adolescents' depressive symptoms. Moreover, mother-adolescent and father-adolescent cohesion buffered the negative effect of parent-adolescent separation on the initial level of left-behind adolescents' depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the protective role of parent-adolescent cohesion for left-behind adolescents, having important implications for interventions targeted toward mitigating the detrimental influence of parent-adolescent separation on left-behind adolescents' depression trajectory.

Silicone Leakage from Breast Implants Is Determined by Silicone Cohesiveness: A Histological Study of 493 Patients.

Silicone leakage from breast implants is a concern with potential implications for patient health. This study aimed to quantify and model silicone leakage from implants to the breast implant capsule and to investigate whether silicone cohesiveness affected the silicone leakage rate. Silicone content in the breast implant capsule was quantified histologically by measuring the area of silicone deposits. This was used to model silicone leakage over time based on the time of implantation. The effect of cohesiveness on silicone leakage was investigated across all implant brands with declared cohesiveness and in a subanalysis comparing only Mentor cohesive I implants with cohesive II and III implants. The study included 493 patients with 872 breasts and a median time of implantation of 13.0 years (range 0.4 to 51 years). The modeling of silicone leakage from intact implants showed that leakage and the acceleration of the leakage rate were significantly higher in low-cohesive implants than in highly cohesive implants (p<0.05). This was confirmed when analyzing only Mentor implants (p<0.05) and in the case of implant rupture (p<0.01) where low-cohesive implants also leaked significantly more than highly cohesive implants. Our results suggest that highly cohesive implants are superior to low-cohesive implants in preventing silicone leakage. Due to the accelerating rate of silicone leakage especially found in low-cohesive implants, we propose that exchange of low-cohesive implants could be discussed with patients 10 to 15 years after implantation to minimize silicone leakage even in the absence of implant rupture.

Effects of Family Cohesion and Flexibility on Affecting Parenting Behavior of Mothers with Young Children: Mediating Effect of Parenting Efficacy

Effects of Family Cohesion and Flexibility on Affecting Parenting Behavior of Mothers with Young Children: Mediating Effect of Parenting Efficacy

How college students help family members develop social ethics: An example from (COVID)-19 pandemic control

In this study our focus was on revealing the functional mechanism of college students' sense of responsibility in relation to COVID-19 prevention and control in the family. We conducted a survey with 1,056 students in five provinces in China. Results of structural equation modeling showed that students' sense of responsibility was significantly and positively correlated with their promotive voice, family cognitive cohesion, and pandemic prevention behavior at home. Sense of responsibility directly influenced their pandemic prevention behavior at home and indirectly affected this behavior through the mediating effects of promotive voice and family cognitive cohesion. There was also a chain mediation effect revealing the internal mechanism of students' sense of responsibility on the formation of family members' social morality and behavior, which is of significance in enriching understanding of social morality formation and improving the practice of ideological and political education in tertiary institutions.

An observation of a negative effect of social cohesion on creativity in musical improvisation

Although various social factors can significantly impact creative performance, it is still unclear how social cohesion (i.e., how close we feel to others) influences creativity. We therefore conducted two studies exploring the association between social cohesion and creativity within the domain of musical improvisation, a prime example of creative performance, which usually plays out in social contexts. The first study (n = 58 musical novices) showed that music-induced synchrony facilitates social cohesion. In our second study (n = 18 musical novices), we found that in two out of three experimental conditions, increased social cohesion is associated with less creative musical outcomes, as rated by nine expert musicians. In our subsequent analysis we related measures of social cohesion and creativity. This approach highlights how, within a musical setting, creativity unfolds in the context of social contingencies as social cohesion and related factors.

The Influence of Social Cohesion Oncommunity Preparedness in the Face of Tsunami Disaster in Pasiripis Village, Surade Sub District, Sukabumi District

Aims: This study was to determine the effect of social cohesion on community preparedness for tsunami disaster in Pasiripis Village, Surade Subdistrict, Sukabumi Regency. Methods: This type of research is correlational with cross sectional approach. The population was all people in Pasiripis Village, Surade Sub-district, Sukabumi District and the sample was 160 people using purposive sampling technique. Data collection techniques using questionnaires. Data analysis used univariate analysis with frequency distribution table, bivariate analysis with simple linear regression, and multivariate analysis with multiple linear regression. Results: There is a significant influence of psychological sense of community, neighboring, and attraction on community preparedness in facing tsunami disaster (p &lt; 0.05). There is a simultaneous influence of psychological sense of community, neighboring, and attraction on community preparedness in facing tsunami disasters (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: There is an influence of psychological sense of community, neighboring, and attraction on community preparedness in facing tsunami disaster in Pasiripis Village, Surade Subdistrict, Sukabumi Regency. There is a simultaneous influence of psychological sense of community, neighboring, and attraction on community preparedness in facing tsunami disaster in Pasiripis Village, Surade Subdistrict, Sukabumi Regency.

The Effect of Social Cohesion on Subjective Individual Quality of Life in European Countries

Many scholars have studied the effects of economic conditions on subjective well-being, but scarce attention has been paid to the effect of cultural and social determinants on quality of life. This study aims to analyse the effect of social cohesion considered as a characteristic of a country on subjective quality of life. In addition, we also tested the moderating effect of social cohesion on the relationship between income and placement in society with quality of life. To test our hypotheses we estimated a multilevel regression model. First, we estimated the null model, which showed that almost a quarter of the variance in quality of life is located at country level. Second, we included in the model all the level-1 predictors. This model highlighted that self-evaluated position on the social ladder has a larger positive effect than income on quality of life. In the third step, we added country-level predictors. Controlling for other macro factors—GDP, Life Expectancy, Gini coefficient and Homicide rate—and individual-level variables, we shows that Cohesion exerts a positive effect on subjective quality of life. The model also points out that country’s economic conditions (measured by GDP) do not affect quality of life when we control this relationship for social cohesion. Interestingly, also the within-country economic disparities (measured by Gini coefficient) do not seem to affect quality of life when cohesion is taken into account. Finally, we also shows that the positive effect of income on quality of life is moderated by cohesion. In other words, income is a relatively less important factor in determining quality of life in countries with higher levels of cohesion. In the same way, individuals’ position and perception of their placement on the social ladder affects in a lesser extent their quality of life in those countries that have higher degrees of cohesion.

Study the effect of cohesion on fine particle transportation through a pore doublet model: A CFD-DEM study

This research delves into the transportation of micro-sized particles within a doublet pore model featuring two distinct pore throat sizes. To simulate a two-phase particle-fluid suspension, the CFD-DEM method is employed, combining the Navier-Stokes equation with Newton's second law of particle motion. Cohesion forces between particles and pore throats are characterized using the Simplified Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (SJKR) contact model, which is applied in our simulation to identify locations of agglomerations. Results reveal that altering cohesive energy density, from 10,000 Jm3 to 100,000 Jm3, significantly increases the likelihood of agglomeration in the smaller pore throat. It becomes evident that areas in close proximity to the throats are the most prone to particle agglomerations, leading to pressure drops over time. The formation of particle clusters within the pore throats intensifies with both an increase in the number of particles and fluid velocity from 0.001ms to 0.01ms. Nevertheless, low flow rates (0.001ms) are insufficient to mitigate blockages.

Political Polarization and Internal Conflict: A Cross-National Analysis Using Popular Support and Government Cohesion as Proxies

The study uses proxies of political polarization, popular support of the government, and government cohesion, to examine its role in explaining internal conflict and the specific types of political violence and civil disorder. The study uses panel data from 135 countries from 1990 to 2021. The research uses two econometric models, Quantile via Moments, to examine the effects of popular support and government cohesion across the distribution of internal conflict, and two-way fixed effects with Driscoll and Kraay standard errors. The two models account for heteroscedasticity, cross-sectional dependence, and autocorrelation. The study finds popular support of the government and its cohesion robustly explain internal conflict and its specific forms of political violence and civil disorder. The research also finds political polarization that reduces popular support and government cohesion influences internal conflict regardless of regime type. The variables are significant from autocratic to democratic, suggesting political polarization that reduces popular support and government cohesion can negatively affect internal conflict levels irrespective of regime. Finally, the study finds the internet has a minor mitigating impact on internal conflict, while its interaction with popular support and government cohesion slightly exacerbates internal conflict.

Influence of pore water pressure on concrete creep and a creep model considering the effect of cohesion and internal friction angle

AbstractA new nonlinear viscoplastic body considering cohesion and internal friction coefficient versus time is proposed by considering cohesion and internal friction angle. A new creep model for concrete considering cohesion and internal friction angle is obtained by interlocking it with the conventional model. The results show that the creep model can properly reflect the creep development of soft‐cut concrete at the pile head by comparing the creep model with the three‐dimensional creep test data trends under various levels of loading. The model can well describe the whole process of creep deformation and also better compensate for the shortcomings of the traditional creep model that cannot describe the characteristics of accelerated creep deformation.

The Impact of Strategic Cohesion on Administrative Excellence

This research aims to test the effect of strategic cohesion with its dimensions (organizational excitement, organizational casting, organizational synergy) as an independent variable on administrative excellence as a dependent variable in the Ministry of Planning, and through surveying several employees (general managers, heads of departments, and units managers). As a research community, and based on the importance of the research topic in the aforementioned research community. The researchers have adopted the descriptive-analytical using the questionnaire as the main data collection. 155 questionnaires were distributed, yet,114 of them were retrieved and 110 were used for final statistical analysis. The researchers used the relevant standard statistical methods, for example, “(confirmative and exploratory factor analysis, coefficient of variance, and relative importance). To test the hypotheses and a number of statistical measurements based on them (SPSS, AMOS V.25)), the researchers depend on the (Kolmogorov – Smirnov test), The most prominent result is that strategic cohesion with its dimensions impact on administrative excellence. The most important recommendation is that there is a need for the Ministry of Planning to adopt strategic cohesion and focus on it to reach the excellence that the ministry seeks to reach its goals, vision, and mission.&#x0D; &#x0D; Paper type: Research paper.

DO PHYSICAL DISABILITY, FOOD INSECURITY, AND NEIGHBORHOOD COHESION MATTER IN DEPRESSION?

Abstract Although previous studies have explained the association between food insecurity and depression, there has been a dearth of studies that have examined this relationship with older adults with physical disabilities and explored other variables that could have potentially impacted this relationship. Given the social capital theory, recognizing community-level factors provides broader contexts about the physical and social environments of communities where older adults with physical disabilities live. Thus, this study aimed to explain how physical disability and food insecurity are related to depression and examine the buffering effect of neighborhood cohesion on the relationship between food insecurity and depression. We analyzed 5,668 older adults aged 60 years or over from the Health and Retirement Study 2020 Core Final Release. This study conducted logistic regressions to examine the buffering effects of neighborhood cohesion on the association between food insecurity and depression, including covariates. The results showed that physical disability and food insecurity were statistically significantly associated with depression. Interestingly, the hypothesis of the buffering effects of neighborhood cohesion was not supported. This result can be explained by characteristics of mental health that different factors beyond food insecurity and neighborhood cohesion may influence. In other words, neighborhood cohesion alone may not be able to explain its buffering effects on the relationship between food insecurity and depression. While the results of this study may seem contrary to social capital theory, future studies need to consider various moderating variables to understand how community and stressors such as food insecurity interact with mental health.