bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cloning, molecular evolution and functional characterization of ZmbHLHl6, the maize ortholog of OsTIP2 (OsbHLH142)
Authors: Liu Yongming , Li Jia , Wei Gui , Sun Yonghao , Lu Yanli , Lan Hai , Li Chuan , Zhang Suzhi , Cao Moju
Published: May 2017

Abstract Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors play key roles in plant male reproduction. More than 14 bHLH proteins related to pollen development have been cloned from rice andArabidopsis. However, little is known about the role of the bHLH family in maize microspore development. In this study, the bHLH transcription factor ZmbHLH16 was cloned. ZmbHLH16 shares high similarity with the OsTIP2 (OsbHLH142) protein, a master regulator of the developmental coordination of male reproduction in rice. Expression characterization analysis showed that ZmbHLH16 is preferentially expressed in male reproductive organs and is located in the nucleus. Through nucleotide variation analysis, 36 polymorphic sites in ZmbHLH16, including 23 SNPs and 13 InDels, were detected among 78 maize inbred lines. Neutrality tests and linkage disequilibrium analysis showed that ZmbHLH16 experienced no significant evolutionary pressure. A yeast one-hybrid experiment showed that the first 80 residues in the N-terminus of ZmbHLH16 had transactivation activity, whereas the full length did not. To identify potential ZmbHLH16 interactors, 395 genes that shared similar expression patterns in a genome-wide search were obtained through coexpression analysis. Among these genes, the transcription factor ZmbHLH51 had an expression pattern and subcellular localization similar to those of ZmbHLH16. The interaction between ZmbHLH51 and ZmbHLH16 was verified in yeast cells. In addition to the typical bHLH domain, other regions of ZmbHLH16 were necessary and adequate for its heterodimerization with ZmbHLH51. Our results contribute to a solid foundation for further understanding the functions and mechanisms of ZmbHLH16.
An RNA Virome associated to the Golden Orb-weaver SpiderNephila clavipes
Authors: Debat Humberto J.
Published: May 2017

The golden orb-weaver spiderNephila clavipes, known for its sexual size dimorphism, is abundant and widespread in the New World. The first annotated genome of orb-weaver spiders, exploringN. clavipes, has recently been reported. The study, focused primarily on the diversity of silk specific genes, shed light into the complex evolutionary history of spiders. Furthermore, a robust transcriptome analysis provided a massive resource forN. clavipesRNA survey. Here, I present evidence of viral sequences corresponding to the first 10 extant virus species associated toN. clavipesand indeed, nephilids. The putatively new species are linked to ssRNA positive-strand viruses, such asPicornavirales, and to ssRNA negative-strand and dsRNA viruses. In addition, I detected sequence data of new strains of two recently reported arthropod viruses, which complemented and extended the corresponding sequence references. The identified viruses appear to be complete, potentially functional, and presenting the typical architecture and consistent viral domains. The intrinsic nature of the detected sequences and their absence in the recently generated genome assembly, suggest that they correspond tobona fideRNA virus sequences. The available RNA data allowed for the first time to address a tissue/organ specific analysis of virus loads/presence in spiders, suggesting a complex spatial and differential distribution of the tentative viruses, encompassing the spider brain and also silk and venom glands. Until recently, the virus landscape associated to spiders remained elusive. The discovered viruses described here provide only a fragmented glimpse of the potential magnitude of theAraneavirosphere. Future studies should focus not only on complementing and expanding these findings, but also on addressing the potential ecological role of these viruses, which might influence the biology of these outstanding arthropod species.

Funding statement

The author received no specific funding for this study.

Ethics statements

(Authors are required to state the ethical considerations of their study in the manuscript, including for cases where the study was exempt from ethical approval procedures)
Selective inhibitory control of pyramidal neuron ensembles and cortical subnetworks by chandelier cells
Authors: Lu Jiangteng , Tucciarone Jason , Padilla-Coreano Nancy , He Miao , Gordon Joshua A. , Huang Z. Josh
Published: May 2017

The neocortex comprises multiple information processing streams mediated by subsets of glutamatergic pyramidal cells (PCs) that receive diverse inputs and project to distinct targets. How GABAergic interneurons regulate the segregation and communication among intermingled PC subsets that contribute to separate brain networks remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that a subset of GABAergic chandelier cells (ChCs) in the prelimbic cortex (PL), which innervate PCs at spike initiation site, selectively control PCs projecting to the basolateral amygdala (BLAPC) compared to those projecting to contralateral cortex (ccPC). These ChCs in turn receive preferential input from local and contralateralCCPCs as opposed toBLAPCs and BLA neurons (the PL-BLA network). Accordingly, optogenetic activation of ChCs rapidly suppressesBLAPCs and BLA activity in freely behaving mice. Thus, the exquisite connectivity of ChCs not only mediates directional inhibition between local PC ensembles but may also shape communication hierarchies between global networks.
Single-cell RNA-seq of rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue using low cost microfluidic instrumentation
Authors: Stephenson William , Donlin Laura T. , Butler Andrew , Rozo Cristina , Rashidfarrokhi Ali , Goodman Susan M. , Ivashkiv Lionel B. , Bykerk Vivian P. , Orange DE , Darnell Robert B. , Swerdlow Harold P. , Satija Rahul
Published: May 2017

Droplet-based single cell RNA-seq has emerged as a powerful technique for massively parallel cellular profiling. While these approaches offer the exciting promise to deconvolute cellular heterogeneity in diseased tissues, the lack of cost-effective, reliable, and user-friendly instrumentation has hindered widespread adoption of droplet microfluidic techniques. To address this, we have developed a microfluidic control instrument that can be easily assembled from 3D printed parts and commercially available components costing approximately $540. We adapted this instrument for massively parallel scRNA-seq and deployed it in a clinical environment to perform single cell transcriptome profiling of disaggregated synovial tissue from a rheumatoid arthritis patient. We sequenced 8,716 single cells from a synovectomy, revealing 16 transcriptomically distinct clusters. These encompass a comprehensive and unbiased characterization of the autoimmune infiltrate, including inflammatory T and NK subsets that contribute to disease biology. Additionally, we identified fibroblast subpopulations that are demarcated viaTHY1(CD90) andCD55expression. Further experiments confirm that these represent synovial fibroblasts residing within the synovial intimal lining and subintimal lining, respectively, each under the influence of differing microenvironments. We envision that this instrument will have broad utility in basic and clinical settings, enabling low-cost and routine application of microfluidic techniques, and in particular single-cell transcriptome profiling.
FiberNET: An ensemble deep learning framework for clustering white matter fibers
Authors: Gupta Vikash , Thomopoulos Sophia I. , Rashid Faisal M. , Thompson Paul M.
Published: May 2017

White matter tracts are commonly analyzed in studies of micro-structural integrity and anatomical connectivity in the brain. Over the last decade, it has been an open problem as to how best to cluster white matter fibers, extracted from whole-brain tractography, into anatomically meaningful groups. Some existing techniques use region of interest (ROI) based clustering, atlas-based labeling, or unsupervised spectral clustering. ROI-based clustering is popular for analyzing anatomical connectivity among a set of ROIs, but it does not always partition the brain into recognizable fiber bundles. Here we propose an approach using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to learn shape features of the fiber bundles, which are then exploited to cluster white matter fibers. To achieve such clustering, we first need to re-parameterize the fibers in an intrinsic space. The clustering is performed in induced parameterized coordinates. To our knowledge, this is one of the first approaches for fiber clustering using deep learning techniques. The results show strong accuracy - on a par with or better than other state-of-the-art methods.
Financial education and financial satisfaction
Authors: Xiao Jing Jian , Porto Nilton
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate roles of financial literacy, financial behavior, and financial capability as mediating factors between financial education and financial satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are from the 2012 National Financial Capability Study, a large national data set with detailed information on financial satisfaction, education, literacy, behavior, capability, and related variables. Mediation analyses are used to answer research questions.

Findings

Financial education may affect financial satisfaction, a subjective measure of financial well-being, through financial literacy, financial behavior, and financial capability variables. Results show that subjective financial literacy, desirable financial behavior and a financial capability index (a sum of Z-scores of objective financial literacy, subjective financial literacy, desirable financial behavior, and perceived financial capability) are strong mediators between financial education and financial satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The study has used cross sectional data that can only document associations between financial education and satisfaction and the mediators between them. Future research could use relevant longitudinal data to verify multiple benefits of financial education.

Practical implications

The findings have implications for financial service professionals to take advantages of multiple benefits of financial education in content acquisition, confidence in knowledge and ability, and action taking when they communicate with their clients.

Social implications

Policy makers on consumer financial education may use the information to advocate and promote effective education programs to improve consumer financial well-being.

Originality/value

This study is the first of this kind to examine the association between financial education and financial satisfaction and several financial capability variables as mediating factors.
Literacy matters in marketing
Authors: Huhmann Bruce A.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Literacy represents one’s ability to process and produce materials related to a domain. One type of this higher-order, global individual difference variable is consumer financial literacy. It stems from one’s financial information processing capacity, prior financial knowledge, and proficiency in optimizing financial decisions and managing financial resources. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The research matching perspective theoretically explains findings related to literacy, including those in this special issue. Optimal processing arises as available and required processing resources correspond. Thus, cognitive comprehension and behavioral application/decision-making outcomes following financial marketing communication exposure are optimized when consumer financial literacy matches the level needed for successful processing. Insufficient or excess available resources harm outcomes.

Findings

The resource-matching perspective clarifies consumers’ increasing financial difficulties. Consumers limit personal finance efforts because required resources overwhelm limited financial literacy. However, education or experience can expand consumer financial literacy. Alternatively, financial service marketers may accommodate low consumer financial literacy by simplifying financial information presentation. Consumers reward firms that show sensitivity to their domain-specific literacy limitations with stronger loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

Construct definition is vital to advance research. Yet, financial literacy has no generally accepted definition. This paper’s definitions should aid understanding of the psychological underpinnings of financial literacy’s components.

Originality/value

Much has been written about consumers’ inability to manage personal finances. This paper provides a unified, theoretical explanation for consumers increasing financial literacy difficulties and suggests ways that consumers, financial service providers, and public policy makers can overcome these difficulties.
Closing cultural distance: the cultural adaptability in Chinese-related firms in Thailand
Authors: Sorndee Kitisak , Siengthai Sununta , Swierczek Fredric William
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of cultural values and cultural adaptability of Chinese expatriates and Thais on organization performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The designed perceptual scale research instrument adapted from Schwartz’s instrument is used to conduct a questionnaire survey in which 180 sample Chinese expatriates and Thai coworkers participated. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and regression analysis were used to analyze the data obtained.

Findings

The authors found that cultural value variables that are significantly related to productivity are social order, openness, and tradition; while cultural adaptability variables found significantly related to productivity are open-mindedness and judgment. When organization performance is focused on innovation, cultural value variables that are found statistically significant are openness and tradition; while cultural adaptability variables that are significant include open-mindedness and personal values. Finally, when customer satisfaction is the organization performance focus, only one cultural value variable is found to be statistically significant, that is, tradition; while cultural adaptability variables that are significant are personal values and judgment.

Practical implications

The results of this study can be used to design new approaches and HRM practices (i.e. recruitment and training) to enhance the corporate culture and cooperation among Chinese expatriates and Thai coworkers to maximize organization performance in a new competitive environment.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on cultural management and cultural adaptability. It empirically investigates the perception of both Chinese and Thais on cultural values influencing the performance of multinational companies. Further, the modified Schwartz’s values survey instrument used in a Thai business operating context makes it a very rare empirical study that provides insight into these issues.
Emerging market mutual fund performance: evidence for China
Authors: Rao Zia-ur-Rehman , Tauni Muhammad Zubair , Iqbal Amjad , Umar Muhammad
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find whether Chinese equity funds outperform the market and do Chinese fund managers possess positive market timing ability. This study also aims to investigate whether well-performing (worst) funds of last year continue to perform well (worst) in the following year.

Design/methodology/approach

Capital Asset Pricing Model and Carhart four-factor model are used for performance analysis, whereas for analyzing market timing ability, the Treynor and Mazuy (1966) and Henriksson and Merton (1981) models are applied. To investigate persistence in the performance of Chinese equity funds, all equity funds are divided, on the basis of performance in the past 12 months, into three equally weighted groups (high, middle and low) and then observed for next 12 months. After that, groups are again rebalanced according to their performance. This study uses a panel regression model for analysis.

Findings

Chinese equity funds are successful in providing higher than market returns, and fund managers possess positive market timing ability. The authors find that Chinese equity funds do not show persistence in performance as witnessed in developed markets. Well-performing funds (worst funds) of last year do not continue to provide higher (lower) return in the following year. Moreover, the authors detect positive relationship of fund size, age and expense ratio with the fund’s performance. Overall results suggest that emerging market equity funds show better performance than that of developed markets.

Practical implications

Investors are better off if they invest in equity funds instead of index funds, as results illustrate that equity funds outperformed the market. Further, the strategy of buying well-performing funds of last year and selling poorly performing funds of last year does not look very attractive in China. This study helps investors to understand the Chinese managed funds industry, and such an understanding is also helpful for fund managers and asset management companies who use performance information in marketing strategies.

Originality/value

This is the first study to investigate the performance persistence in Chinese equity funds and also contributes to the literature about the performance and market timing ability of equity funds. The study takes the sample of 520 equity funds for the period from 2004 to 2014, which includes a period of financial crisis of 2008.
Knowledge sharing capability in healthcare organizations
Authors: Kokanuch Anchalee , Tuntrabundit Khwanruedee
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of organizational culture and stakeholders’ expectations on the relationship between organizational factors and organizations’ knowledge-sharing capability.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from public and private hospital administrators in Thailand via a questionnaire. To test the hypotheses, the data were analyzed using regression analysis.

Findings

The results reveal that organizational culture has a positive effect on the relationship between organizational climate and knowledge integration, while stakeholders’ expectations have positive effects on the relationships between organizational climate and interchanging knowledge.

Research limitations/implications

The present study focuses on knowledge sharing at an organizational level; future studies should examine knowledge sharing at both the organizational and individual levels.

Practical implications

This paper focuses on the effect of organizational factors on knowledge-sharing capability in hospitals. Executives should support the organizational climate and collaborative organizational culture for promoting knowledge integration in an organization. Furthermore, interchanging knowledge and organizational climate could be emphasized by the expectations of stakeholders.

Originality/value

Design of organizational climate, organizational culture, and expectations of stakeholders contribute to knowledge sharing at an organizational level.
Unbundling dynamic capabilities in successful Asian-Pacific shipping companies
Authors: Čirjevskis Andrejs
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to add to the understanding of dynamic capabilities (DC) as sources of competitive advantage of successful Asian-Pacific shipping companies by demonstrating that DC development unfolds in three steps, from recognition that the environment has changed, to the decision to deploy DC, to assets re-orchestration.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on an approach involving two illustrative case studies, the author analyzed DC development of Chinese and Singaporean-based shipping groups in depth. The analysis was centered on DC by investigating how strategic decision-making on vertical integration, diversification and implementation of new technologies can be underpinned by developing DC to create sustained advantages.

Findings

The author found that strategic components of DC are rooted in strategic decision-making to initiate changes on the corporate and even on an operational level.

Research limitations/implications

While capability development is thoroughly studied, capability erosion has not been integrated into the research. The exploration of human capital as a firm’s idiosyncratic resource in assets orchestration capabilities can be future work.

Practical implications

The proposed research contributes to the debate on micro foundations of DC and provides insights for practitioners striving for retaining competitive advantages.

Social implications

Regarding implications for the society, the research shows how the DC serve to generate competitive advantages. The author has presented a logical structure of the competitive advantage paradigm as a product of DC and business models that can be useful to decision makers.

Originality/value

The research offers insights into the composition of micro foundations of DC and demonstrates that DC can be unbounded into well-known and concrete strategic and operational management activities.
The role of senior executives in managing key customers in Arab context
Authors: ALHussan Fawaz Baddar , AL-Husan Faten Baddar , Alhesan Lulu
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of senior managers in managing intra-and inter-organizational relationships with key customers and the factors that influence such involvement in a novel context in the Arab Middle East region.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory qualitative research design was used in which 68 face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted in Jordan with endogenous and Western firms.

Findings

Top/senior managers play a significant role in Arab business relationships and in creating value for the firms. Their involvement in key accounts is imperative at all levels – strategic, operational, and relational – mainly due to cultural and institutional factors that are unique to the Arab context.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to operations in one emerging country situated in a novel setting in one particular region of the world, which is the Middle East.

Practical implications

Arab senior managers’ participation is imperative and should continue with their relatively intense involvement with key accounts. For foreign investors operating in that part of the world, it is highly recommended that senior management have a more a hands-on approach when dealing with the Arab key customer and to focus more on the relational aspect of key account management than on the organizational aspect.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the very limited number of studies on senior management involvement in key account management, making a theoretical and practical contribution and adding insight on how to manage the relationship with the Arab key customer.
Trust building process for new market entrants: a case study of a Japanese cosmetics company’s business expansion in China
Authors: Kobayashi Hajime , Hara Yoritoshi , Usui Tetsuya
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This study adopts a three-component view of trust bases (cognition, affection and institution) and examines how these trust components function and interact during a business expansion in an unfamiliar foreign context.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal case study of a Japanese cosmetics company was conducted trying to collaborating with its Chinese partners to develop business in China. The data sources consist of semi-structured interviews and archival data, including industry reports, newspaper articles and internal documents.

Findings

Findings show that a trustee’s actions to activate the three trust bases created stable business relationship with trustors. Additionally, the business expansion was driven over time through the order of manifestation of these trust bases. Institution-based trust develops first, followed by a combination of institution- and cognition-based trust, before the final combination of institution-, cognition- and affection-based trust.

Research limitations/implications

Based on an in-depth single case study, this study provides a process-based explanation of the configuration pattern of three trust components over time. A generalized process-based explanation and the interaction effects of each trust component require further qualitative empirical studies in varied contexts.

Practical implications

The study provides managers with insights into how to activate trust based on the importance of configuring the three trust bases covered in this paper.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the scant literature attempting to explain the dynamic processes by which the trust structure forms compared to the more common variable-based statistical analyses.
The wicked problems of supplier-driven innovation
Authors: Christensen Poul Rind , Munksgaard Kristin B. , Bang Anne Louise
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Suppliers stand in the wake of a new diversified strategic momentum in the global production network, where innovation is growing in importance. The term “supplier-driven innovation” is coined in contrast to the current hype on user-driven innovation; this paper aims to discuss the wicked problems for suppliers to actively engage in customers’ innovations.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative case study of eight Danish suppliers.

Findings

The wicked problem of supplier-driven innovation is generated by two intertwined constraints: the ability to engage customers in the co-creation of attractive offers and the ability to include technological knowledge and capabilities residing in the upstream network of suppliers.

Research limitations/implications

This research combines an industrial network approach with perspectives generated through design management literature aiming to develop an innovative space for co-creation across diverse organizational, technological and managerial domains in the global production system.

Practical implications

To participate in supplier-driven innovation, partners need to co-create an innovative space for joint development.

Originality/value

Co-creation enriches the understanding of the diversity of forms of interaction, ranging from information and knowledge exchange and mutual adaptation processes to experimentation with processes of co-creation. Through a complementary view on how suppliers co-create innovative spaces of action in the upstream spaces of technical knowledge as well as the downstream spaces of preferential needs, the research contributes insights about the characteristics of the wicked problems that suppliers need to handle in bridging and expanding these spaces for innovative actions.
What is a Regulation SHO bona-fide market maker?
Authors: Bergmann Larry E. , Dombach James P.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

To summarize and analyze guidance provided by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on what constitutes “bona-fide market making” for purposes of Regulation SHO’s exception to the locate requirement.

Design/methodology/approach

Explains SEC guidance on this subject, focusing on statements by the SEC and its staff related to Regulation SHO and SEC enforcement matters, including a recent SEC administrative proceeding providing concrete examples of activity that does not constitute bona-fide market making.

Findings

While there is still a lot of room for additional SEC guidance on what constitutes bona-fide market making, the SEC has provided some details on the specific type of trading that would not fall within the Regulation SHO exceptions applying to bona-fide market making activities. However, there is still a large gap between the type of activity that most likely falls within the exception and the concrete examples analyzed by the SEC.

Originality/value

Practical guidance from experienced securities lawyers that consolidates SEC guidance on the bona-fide market making exception.
Substitutes or complements? Individual-focused and group-focused transformational leadership in different organizational structures in new firms
Authors: Zhu Xiumei , Bao Mingxu
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The significant performance implications of individual-focused and group-focused transformational leadership have been documented for established firms, but the issue of whether they are complementary or substitutive still remains a puzzle, and whether their relationship differs in new firms remains unanswered. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between individual-focused and group-focused transformational leadership in different organizational structures in new firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The study draws on survey data of 209 questionnaires from 63 teams in 63 new firms in China.

Findings

The results suggest that individual-focused and group-focused transformational leadership are substitutive when the organizational structure is mechanistic, and are complementary when the structure is organic.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the debate on the relationship between individual-focused and group-focused transformational leadership by comparing organizational structure characteristics and offering a comprehensive understanding of the issue.
The relationship between transformational leadership and work attitudes
Authors: Cassar Vincent , Bezzina Frank , Buttigieg Sandra C.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of social identity and the psychological contract as plausible frameworks of transformational leadership (TL)-attitudes relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 134 employees. All variables were measured using self-report measures and multiple mediator analysis was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Both social identity and psychological contract acted as significant mediators between leadership and attitudinal outcomes. However, social identity emerged as the stronger mediator.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides evidence on the relative significance of social identity over the psychological contract in explaining TL-attitudes relationship at work. Further longitudinal work is warranted.

Practical implications

The results suggest providing internal work environments and practices which enable employees to experience a high degree of fairness and, above all, a sense of identity with the organization can link better their perceptions of their leaders with work attitudes.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the importance of TL not only on work attitudes but also on the value of important mediators like social identity and the psychological contract as feeding into this relationship. It therefore promotes and raises awareness of the need to explore the explanatory power of these two mediators in understanding the effects of leadership on followers.
Role of burnout on job level, job satisfaction, and task performance
Authors: Kim Won Ho , Ra Young-An , Park Jong Gyu , Kwon Bora
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of burnout (i.e. exhaustion, cynicism, professional inefficacy) in the relationship between job level and job satisfaction as well as between job level and task performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The final sample included 342 Korean workers from selected companies. The authors employed the Hayes (2013) PROCESS tool for analyzing the data.

Findings

The results showed that all three subscales of burnout (i.e. exhaustion, cynicism, professional inefficacy) mediate the relationship between job level and job satisfaction. However, only two mediators (i.e. cynicism, professional inefficacy) indicated the mediating effects on the association between job level and task performance.

Originality/value

This research presented the role of burnout on the relationships between job level, job satisfaction, and task performance especially in South Korean organizational context. In addition to role of burnout, findings should prove helpful in improving job satisfaction and task performance. The authors provide implications and limitations of the findings.
The rise and fall and rise again of the therapeutic community
Authors: Yates Rowdy
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Therapeutic communities (and many other residential services) have been effectively marginalised in recent years with the increasing popularity of community-based outpatient responses to a variety of social issues including addiction, learning difficulties, mental health issues, etc. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This has inevitably led to a low profile and has resulted in a lack of knowledge about therapeutic communities and how the methodology differs significantly from other approaches.

Findings

This situation is beginning to change in a number of fields and it is important that the therapeutic community movement adapts its methodology to the needs of their respective client groups and clarifies its approach (and the efficacy of that approach) to funders and service commissioners.

Originality/value

This paper is a personal contribution.
What can systemic psychotherapy offer clinical practice and public debates on assisted dying?
Authors: Forbat Liz
Published: May 2017

Debates around assisted dying have not to date been informed by family and systemic psychotherapy.

This article sets the context of legalized assisted dying with a précis of the international terrain. Case examples of people facing terminal or chronic illness are presented alongside the research literature, to illustrate the bio‐psycho‐social domains inhabited by those seeking assisted dying. The article then presents a case for what systemic psychotherapy has to offer, suggesting a range of approaches, methods and techniques. Following core tenets of systemic psychotherapy, the article is not predicated on an either/or standpoint. Rather, neutrality and curiosity are centralized, to facilitate discussion, debate and new insights.

The article concludes that systemic psychotherapists have a latent and untapped skill‐set in understanding the repercussions of someone who wants assisted dying. The profession can usefully contribute to and explicate understandings regarding the wider systemic reverberations of one person's desire to end their life, including the impact on family, clinicians and communities. Further, systemic practitioners can draw on specific family therapy theories and methods in order to both contribute to public debates, and to be key members of a multidisciplinary team providing direct support for families affected by assisted dying.

Practitioner points

Assisted dying debates have not been informed by family and systemic psychotherapy

Assisted dying is a systemic issue, with impacts on the individual, their family, clinicians and communities

Systemic practitioners can draw on family therapy theories and methods to contribute to public debates, and be key members of a multidisciplinary team

The core tenets of neutrality and curiosity can fruitfully facilitate discussion, debate and new insights
The tale of Dr Steppenwolf and his great statistical machine – a modern parable
Authors: Marsh Michael
Published: May 2017

This Editor's Choice is available as an audio podcast available at: https://soundcloud.com/bjog/June-editors-choice-2017.
Identifying Social Network Effects
Authors: Dolton Peter
Published: May 2017

This paper reviews the current state of empirical econometric identification in the economics of networks. Possible identification strategies which exploit the properties and characteristics of networks are described. The main arguments are illustrated with examples from the US AddHealth data and an account of the Bloomsbury Group network. Prescriptive suggestions, based on the way in which networks actually form and operate, are made for a more considered approach to empirical econometric work which involves networks.
EU‐wide Economic and Environmental Impacts of CAP Greening with High Spatial and Farm‐type Detail
Authors: Gocht Alexander , Ciaian Pavel , Bielza Maria , Terres Jean‐Michel , Röder Norbert , Himics Mihaly , Salputra Guna
Published: May 2017

In this paper we analyse the economic and environmental impacts of CAP greening introduced by the 2013 CAP reform using the CAPRI model. CAPRI captures the farm heterogeneity across the EU and it allows to depict the implementation of the greening measures in high detail while integrating the environmental effects and the market feedback of the simulated policy changes. The simulated results reveal that the economic impacts (land use, production, price and income) of CAP greening are rather small, although some farm types, crops (fallow land and pulses) and Member States may be affected more significantly. The CAP greening will lead simultaneously to a small increase in prices and a small decrease in production. Farm income slightly increases because the price effects offset the production decline. Similarly to economic effects, the environmental impacts (GHG emissions, N surplus, ammonia emissions, soil erosion, and biodiversity‐friendly farming practices) of CAP greening are small, although some regions may see greater effects than others. In general, the environmental effects at EU level are positive on a per hectare basis, but the increase in UAA can reverse the sign for total impacts. Overall, simulated GHG and ammonia emissions decrease in the EU, while the total N surplus, soil erosion and biodiversity‐friendly farming practices indicator slightly increase due to the CAP greening.
Intensive care unit admissions and ventilation support in infants with bronchiolitis
Authors: Oakley Ed , Chong Vi , Borland Meredith , Neutze Jocelyn , Phillips Natalie , Krieser David , Dalziel Stuart , Davidson Andrew , Donath Susan , Jachno Kim , South Mike , Fry Amanda , Babl Franz E
Published: May 2017

Objectives

To describe the rate of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, type of ventilation support provided and risk factors for ICU admission in infants with bronchiolitis.

Design

Retrospective review of hospital records and Australia and New Zealand Paediatric Intensive Care (ANZPIC) registry data for infants 2–12 months old admitted with bronchiolitis.

Setting

Seven Australian and New Zealand hospitals. These infants were prospectively identified through the comparative rehydration in bronchiolitis (CRIB) study between 2009 and 2011.

Results

Of 3884 infants identified, 3589 charts were available for analysis. Of 204 (5.7%) infants with bronchiolitis admitted to ICU, 162 (79.4%) received ventilation support. Of those 133 (82.1%) received non‐invasive ventilation (high flow nasal cannula [HFNC] or continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP]) 7 (4.3%) received invasive ventilation alone and 21 (13.6%) received a combination of ventilation modes. Infants with comorbidities such as chronic lung disease (OR 1.6 [95% CI 1.0–2.6]), congenital heart disease (OR 2.3 [1.5–3.5]), neurological disease (OR 2.2 [1.2–4.1]) or prematurity (OR 1.5 [1.0–2.1]), and infants 2–6 months of age (OR 1.5 [1.1–2.0]) were more likely to be admitted to ICU. Respiratory syncitial virus positivity did not increase the likelihood of being admitted to ICU (OR 1.1 [95% CI 0.8–1.4]). HFNC use changed from 13/53 (24.5% [95% CI 13.7–38.3]) patient episodes in 2009 to 39/91 (42.9% [95% CI 32.5–53.7]) patient episodes in 2011.

Conclusion

Admission to ICU is an uncommon occurrence in infants admitted with bronchiolitis, but more common in infants with comorbidities and prematurity. The majority are managed with non‐invasive ventilation, with increasing use of HFNC.
Police Consent Decrees and Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation
Authors: Powell Zachary A. , Meitl Michele Bisaccia , Worrall John L.
Published: May 2017

Research Summary

Section 14141 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 granted the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) the authority to investigate, intervene into, and force reforms within any police department deemed to exhibit a pattern or practice of police misconduct. The DOJ's primary enforcement mechanism is to sue the offending jurisdiction. Such lawsuits are typically settled with “consent decrees” or court‐ordered legal agreements to implement specified reforms. We assembled a panel data set to explore the relationship between consent decrees and civil rights litigation in 23 targeted jurisdictions. The results suggest that DOJ intervention may be associated with modest reductions in the risk of civil rights filings.

Policy Implications

Federal consent decrees are pursued under the assumption that they reduce civil rights violations, yet this assumption has remained largely untested. Such oversight is unfortunate, as it is important to gauge the effectiveness of time‐consuming and expensive federal intervention into local law enforcement affairs. Our study offers preliminary evidence that consent decrees may reduce civil rights violations, as operationalized by Section 1983 litigation, an indicator of police misconduct. Reductions in such filings may signal increased satisfaction with police agencies and a move toward reduced systemic police misconduct. As such, consent decrees should continue to be considered as a possible tool for correcting problematic police departments, but additional research in this area is critical.
The Impact of Police on Criminal Justice Reform
Authors: Engel Robin S. , Corsaro Nicholas , Ozer M. Murat
Published: May 2017

Research Summary

Despite significant national reductions in crime during the past three decades, a comparable reduction in adult arrest rates has not occurred. In addition, scant attention has been paid to the role of the police in pretrial justice and other criminal justice reform efforts, despite their role as gatekeepers to the criminal justice system. A key inquiry that must be addressed by both academics and practitioners is whether it is possible to reduce crime and the number of arrests simultaneously. Cincinnati (Hamilton County), Ohio, provided a unique opportunity to examine this unanswered question when it closed the Queensgate Correctional Facility in 2008, thereby reducing the available jail space in the county by 36%. By relying on an interrupted time‐series analysis, our findings show that contrary to public concern, both crime and arrests were reduced in Cincinnati even after the jail closure. Specifically, the Cincinnati Police Department reported a statistically significant decrease in felony arrests, and a nonsignificant decline in misdemeanor arrests, while maintaining a continued (nonsignificant) decline in violence and property crimes. Importantly, our findings demonstrate that the previous existent downward trend in Cincinnati reported crimes was not interrupted with the loss of more than one third of the available jail space in Hamilton County.

Policy Implications

Policy makers and practitioners are concerned with balancing the individual rights of the accused with public safety; reducing incarceration; and promoting a more efficient, effective, and fair criminal justice system. The Cincinnati Police Department addressed these fundamental concerns by changing how officers viewed the use of arrest: as a limited commodity rather than as a standard response. By using strategies such as problem‐oriented policing, place‐based policing, and focused deterrence, Cincinnati Police were able to narrow their focus on the repeat places, problems, and groups of individuals that were driving crime within the city. The evidence suggests that the police can have a significant impact on pretrial justice and other criminal justice reform efforts through the implementation of evidence‐based policing strategies that seek to reduce crime and reduce the use of arrest simultaneously.
Risk of eating disorders in immigrant populations
Authors: Mustelin L. , Hedman A. M. , Thornton L. M. , Kuja‐Halkola R. , Keski‐Rahkonen A. , Cantor‐Graae E. , Almqvist C. , Birgegård A. , Lichtenstein P. , Mortensen P. B. , Pedersen C. B. , Bulik C. M.
Published: May 2017

Objective

The risk of certain psychiatric disorders is elevated among immigrants. To date, no population studies on immigrant health have addressed eating disorders. We examined whether risk of eating disorders in first‐ and second‐generation immigrants differs from native‐born Danes and Swedes.

Method

All individuals born 1984–2002 (Danish cohort) and 1989–1999 (Swedish cohort) and residing in the respective country on their 10th birthday were included. They were followed up for the development of eating disorders based on out‐patient and in‐patient data.

Results

The risks of all eating disorder types were lower among first‐generation immigrants compared to the native populations: Incidence‐rate ratio (95% confidence interval) was 0.39 (0.29, 0.51) for anorexia nervosa, 0.60 (0.42, 0.83) for bulimia nervosa, and 0.62 (0.47, 0.79) for other eating disorders in Denmark and 0.27 (0.21, 0.34) for anorexia nervosa, 0.30 (0.18, 0.51) for bulimia nervosa, and 0.39 (0.32, 0.47) for other eating disorders in Sweden. Likewise, second‐generation immigrants by both parents were at lower risk, whereas those with only one foreign‐born parent were not.

Conclusion

The decreased risk of eating disorders among immigrants is opposite to what has been observed for other psychiatric disorders, particularly schizophrenia. Possible explanations include buffering sociocultural factors and underdetection in health care.
Substance use disorders in prisoners: an updated systematic review and meta‐regression analysis in recently incarcerated men and women
Authors: Fazel Seena , Yoon Isabel A. , Hayes Adrian J.
Published: May 2017

Aims

The aims were to (1) estimate the prevalence of alcohol and drug use disorders in prisoners on reception to prison and (2) estimate and test sources of between study heterogeneity.

Methods

Studies reporting the 12‐month prevalence of alcohol and drug use disorders in prisoners on reception to prison from 1 January 1966 to 11 August 2015 were identified from seven bibliographic indexes. Primary studies involving clinical interviews or validated instruments leading to DSM or ICD diagnoses were included; self‐report surveys and investigations that assessed individuals more than 3 months after arrival to prison were not. Random‐effects meta‐analysis and subgroup and meta‐regression analyses were conducted. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed.

Results

In total, 24 studies with a total of 18 388 prisoners across 10 countries were identified. The random‐effects pooled prevalence estimate of alcohol use disorder was 24% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 21–27], with very high heterogeneity (I2 = 94%). These ranged from 16 to 51% in male and 10–30% in female prisoners. For drug use disorders, there was evidence of heterogeneity by sex, and the pooled prevalence estimate in male prisoners was 30% (95% CI = 22–38; I2 = 98%; 13 studies; range 10–61%) and, in female prisoners, was 51% (95% CI = 43–58; I2 = 95%; 10 studies; range 30–69%). On meta‐regression, sources of heterogeneity included higher prevalence of drug use disorders in women, increasing rates of drug use disorders in recent decades, and participation rate.

Conclusions

Substance use disorders are highly prevalent in prisoners. Approximately a quarter of newly incarcerated prisoners of both sexes had an alcohol use disorder, and the prevalence of a drug use disorder was at least as high in men, and higher in women.