bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inability to Perform the Repeated Chair Stand Task Predicts Fall-Related Injury in Older Primary Care Patients
Authors: Shea Cristina A. , Ward Rachel E. , Welch Sarah A. , Kiely Dan K. , Goldstein Richard , Bean Jonathan F.
Published: January 2018

Objective

The aim of the study was to examine whether the chair stand component of the Short Physical Performance Battery predicts fall-related injury among older adult primary care patients.

Design

A 2-yr longitudinal cohort study of 430 Boston-area primary care patients aged ≥65 yrs screened to be at risk for mobility decline was conducted. The three components of the Short Physical Performance Battery (balance time, gait speed, and chair stand time) were measured at baseline. Participants reported incidence of fall-related injuries quarterly for 2 yrs. Complementary log-log discrete time hazard models were constructed to examine the hazard of fall-related injury across Short Physical Performance Battery scores, adjusting for age, sex, race, Digit Symbol Substitution Test score, and fall history.

Results

Participants were 68% female and 83% white, with a mean (SD) age of 76.6 (7.0). A total of 137 (32%) reported a fall-related injury during the follow-up period. Overall, inability to perform the chair stand task was a significant predictor of fall-related injury (hazard ratio = 2.11, 95% confidence interval = 1.23–3.62, P = 0.01). Total Short Physical Performance Battery score, gait component score, and balance component score were not predictive of fall-related injury.

Conclusions

Inability to perform the repeated chair stand task was associated with increased hazard of an injurious fall for 2 yrs among a cohort of older adult primary care patients.
Pediatric Brain
Authors: Ryu Young Jin , Choi Young Hun , Cheon Jung-Eun , Lee Woo-Jin , Park Subin , Park Ji Eun , Kim Woo Sun , Kim In-One
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The aim of this study was to identify the signal intensity (SI) changes in the dentate nucleus (DN) and the globus pallidus (GP) on unenhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images after multiple administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in children and compare those changes between linear and macrocyclic GBCAs.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board and the requirement for informed consent was waived. We identified 92 children who underwent at least 4 consecutive MR examinations exclusively using either linear GBCA (gadodiamide or gadopentetate dimeglumine, n = 41) or macrocyclic GBCA (gadoterate meglumine, n = 51). Signal intensity ratio changes in the DN to pons and GP to thalamus between the first and last MR examinations were calculated.

Results

The SI ratios in the linear group increased significantly between the first and last MR examinations (mean difference: DN to pons, 0.0461 ± 0.0480, P < 0.001; GP to thalamus, 0.0332 ± 0.0385, P < 0.001), but not in the macrocyclic group (mean difference: DN to pons, −0.0010 ± 0.0371, P = 0.855; GP to thalamus, 0.0007 ± 0.0294, P = 0.867). In the linear regression analysis, the numbers of administrations of gadodiamide and gadopentetate dimeglumine were highly associated with the differences in SI ratios (DN to pons, P < 0.001 and P = 0.003; GP to thalamus, P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively).

Conclusion

The SIs of the DN and GP on unenhanced T1-weighted images increased after serial administrations of linear GBCA, but not macrocyclic GBCA, in children. The number of linear GBCA administration had a linear association with the SI changes in the DN and GP.
Ultrasound Indicators of Rectal Support Defect in Women With Obstructive Defecatory Symptoms
Authors: Rostaminia Ghazaleh , Javadian Pouya , Awad Charbel , Shobeiri S. Abbas
Published: January 2018

Objective

The anatomic and physiologic pathophysiology of obstructive defecatory symptoms is complex and poorly understood. As a consequence, there is no one surgical method that can achieve overall superiority. We aimed to investigate rectal architectural change in women with obstructive defecatory symptoms using three-dimensional pelvic floor ultrasound.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included 65 women who were referred to our urogynecology clinic because of varied pelvic floor disorders between January 2013 and January 2014. Patients completed a standardized interview including PFDI-20 questionnaire and received a standard examination and assessment of pelvic floor by three-dimensional endovaginal ultrasound. Women were categorized to case and control based on their answers to questions 7, 8, and 14 on PFDI-20 (Colorectal and Anal Distress Index) questionnaire. In ultrasound images, levator plate descent angle, levator plate-probe distance, and rectal area have been measured and values have been compared among symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

Results

Forty-five women with obstructive defecatory symptoms and 20 asymptomatic women entered the study. There was no significant difference in mean (SD) age (56.55 [SD] 13.29 vs 51.8 [15], P = 0.2), mean (SD) body mass index (27.39 [6.7] vs 24.2 [4.08], P = 0.11), and median (range) parity (3 [1–7] vs 2 [1–6], P = 0.15) among categories. There was significant difference in ultrasound measurements, levator plate descent angle, levator plate-probe distance, and rectal area, between women with obstructive defecatory symptoms and asymptomatic women.

Conclusions

Women with obstructive defecatory symptoms have wider rectum and descendent levator plate regardless of the stage of prolapse as measured by POPQ or the severity of rectocele.
Sleep Quality and Daytime Sleepiness Among Women With Urgency Predominant Urinary Incontinence
Authors: Winkelman William D. , Warsi Ann , Huang Alison J. , Schembri Michael , Rogers Rebecca G. , Richter Holly E. , Myers Deborah L. , Kraus Stephen R. , Johnson Karen C. , Hess Rachel , Gregory Thomas , Bradley Catherine S. , Arya Lily A. , Brown Jeanette S. , Stone Katie L. , Subak Leslee L.
Published: January 2018

Objective

The objective of this study was to examine the strength and direction of the association between urinary symptoms and both poor quality sleep and daytime sleepiness among women with urgency urinary incontinence.

Methods

A planned secondary analysis of baseline characteristics of participants in a multicenter, double-blinded, 12-week randomized controlled trial of pharmacologic therapy for urgency-predominant urinary incontinence in ambulatory women self-diagnosed by the 3 Incontinence Questions was performed. Urinary symptoms were assessed by 3-day voiding diaries. Quality of sleep was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and daytime sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

Results

Of the 640 participants, mean (SD) age was 56 (±14) years and 68% were white. Participants reported an average of 3.9 (±3.0) urgency incontinence episodes per day and 1.3 (±1.3) episodes of nocturia per night. At baseline, 57% had poor sleep quality (PSQI score, >5) and 17% reported daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, >10). Most women (69%) did not use sleeping medication during the prior month, whereas 13% reported use of sleeping medication 3 or more times per week. An increase in total daily incontinence episodes, total daily urgency incontinence episodes, total daily micturitions, and moderate to severe urge sensations were all associated with higher self-report of poor sleep quality according to the PSQI (all P ≤ 0.01). Higher scores on the Bother Scale and the Health-Related Quality of Life for overactive bladder on the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire were similarly associated with higher rates of poor sleep quality (both P ≤ 0.01). In subgroup analysis of those who took sleeping medications less than twice a week, there was still a significant relationship between incontinence measures and quality of sleep as measured by the PSQI. In multivariable analyses, greater frequency of nighttime urgency incontinence was associated with poor sleep quality (P = 0.03).

Conclusions

Among ambulatory women with urgency urinary incontinence, poor sleep quality is common and greater frequency of incontinence is associated with a greater degree of sleep dysfunction. Women seeking urgency urinary incontinence treatment should be queried about their sleeping habits so that they can be offered appropriate interventions.
Is observation for traumatic hemothorax safe?
Authors: Demetri Leah , Martinez Aguilar Myriam M. , Bohnen Jordan D. , Whitesell Ryan , Yeh D. Dante , King David , de Moya Marc
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma guidelines suggest tube thoracostomy (TT) be considered for all traumatic hemothoraces. However, previous research has suggested that some traumatic hemothoraces may be observed safely. We sought to (1) determine the safety of selective observation for traumatic hemothorax and (2) identify predictors of failed observation.

METHODS

All patients with traumatic hemothorax from 2000 to 2014 at a Level I trauma center were identified and categorized by size as small (<300 cc) or large (≥300 cc) based on chest computed tomography (CT) scan measurements. Patients with no CT or with TT placement before CT were excluded. Patients were categorized into four intervention groups: (i) early TT (<24 hours after CT), (ii) failed observation (TT ≥24 hours after CT), (iii) successful observation (no TT), and (iv) inevaluable due to early mortality (no TT but died within 7 days). Univariate analyses compared outcomes between groups. Multivariate analyses identified independent predictors of failed observation.

RESULTS

Three hundred forty patients met the inclusion criteria. 156 (46%) patients received early TT. Of the 184 patients that were initially observed, 121 (66%) were successfully observed, 53 (29%) failed observation, and 10 (5%) were inevaluable due to early mortality. Most of the successfully observed hemothoraces were small (119/121, 98%). Four independent predictors of failed observation were identified: older age, fewer ventilation-free days, large hemothorax, concurrent pneumothorax. Patients, who received TT were more likely than non-TT patients to receive tissue plasminogen activator, develop an empyema, have fewer hospital-free days, and are discharged to rehabilitation rather than home. When compared to early TT, failed observation was associated with a higher likelihood of discharge to rehabilitation but no difference in mortality, hospital-free days, or rate of empyema.

CONCLUSION

Initial observation in select patients is safe and may result in better outcomes. The identified predictors of failed observation can help in clinical decision making regarding the need for TT in patients with traumatic hemothorax.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic/care management, level IV.
Effect of Pharmacist-Led Interventions on (Non)Motor Symptoms, Medication-Related Problems, and Quality of Life in Parkinson Disease Patients: A Pilot Study
Authors: Stuijt Clementine , Karapinar-Çarkit Fatma , van den Bemt Bart , van Laar Teus
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) use multiple drugs. This pill burden with consequent poor adherence may cause worsening of motor symptoms and drug-related problems. Therefore, a multifaceted pharmacist-led intervention program was designed to improve adherence, motor-functioning, and quality of life (QoL) in PD patients.

Methods

This prospective pilot study was performed in an outpatient PD clinic, where usual care was compared with stepwise introduction of 3 interventions: unit dose packaging (UDP), Parkinson KinetiGraph (PKG), and pharmacist-led medication review (MR).The study analyzed endpoints at 6 weeks (stage 1, usual care), 10 weeks (stage 2, UDP), 14 weeks (stage 3, UDP + PKG), and 26 weeks (UDP + PKG + MR) on motor symptoms, medication adherence, and QoL.

Results

Medication adherence improved significantly after the combined UDP, PKG, and MR intervention in nonadherent patients. On time significantly increased from 56% (±30) at stage 1, to 64% (±25) at stage 3, and to 68% (±27) at stage 4, which correlated with an increase of 1.4 and 2.2 hours in stage 3 and 4, respectively. Quality of life only improved significantly after MR (Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire with 8 domains, 21.0 ± 3.5 in stage 3 vs 19.5 ± 5.3 in stage 4, P = 0.01).

Conclusions

Our data did not support the added value of UDP alone or in combination with PKG. Only the combined intervention of UDP, PKG, and MR showed significant improvements in medication adherence, on time, and QoL. This supports the effectiveness of MR by a clinical pharmacist for PD patients in an outpatient setting. Therefore, this small scale study should be followed by larger-scale trials on this topic.
Carbamazepine Treatment of Hyperactivity and Intrusiveness in Dementia
Authors: Stewart Jonathan T.
Published: January 2018

Behavioral problems are seen in most patients with dementia and are often poorly characterized in the literature. We present a 70-year-old man with advanced Alzheimer disease and problematic disinhibited behaviors, including intrusiveness and Witzelsucht (disinhibited humor). These symptoms responded robustly to carbamazepine. Carbamazepine may be a useful adjunct in managing problematic behaviors in dementia, especially when those problems can be framed as behavioral disinhibition.
Electrophysiology of Cranial Nerve Testing: Spinal Accessory and Hypoglossal Nerves
Authors: Stino Amro M. , Smith Benn E.
Published: January 2018

Multiple techniques have been developed for the electrodiagnostic evaluation of cranial nerves XI and XII. Each of these carries both benefits and limitations, with more techniques and data being available in the literature for spinal accessory than hypoglossal nerve evaluation. Spinal accessory and hypoglossal neuropathy are relatively uncommon cranial mononeuropathies that may be evaluated in the outpatient electrodiagnostic laboratory setting. A review of available literature using PubMed was conducted regarding electrodiagnostic technique in the evaluation of spinal accessory and hypoglossal nerves searching for both routine nerve conduction studies and repetitive nerve conduction studies. The review provided herein provides a resource by which clinical neurophysiologists may develop and implement clinical and research protocols for the evaluation of both of these lower cranial nerves in the outpatient setting.
Electrophysiology of Cranial Nerve Testing: Trigeminal and Facial Nerves
Authors: Muzyka Iryna M. , Estephan Bachir
Published: January 2018

The clinical examination of the trigeminal and facial nerves provides significant diagnostic value, especially in the localization of lesions in disorders affecting the central and/or peripheral nervous system. The electrodiagnostic evaluation of these nerves and their pathways adds further accuracy and reliability to the diagnostic investigation and the localization process, especially when different testing methods are combined based on the clinical presentation and the electrophysiological findings. The diagnostic uniqueness of the trigeminal and facial nerves is their connectivity and their coparticipation in reflexes commonly used in clinical practice, namely the blink and corneal reflexes. The other reflexes used in the diagnostic process and lesion localization are very nerve specific and add more diagnostic yield to the workup of certain disorders of the nervous system. This article provides a review of commonly used electrodiagnostic studies and techniques in the evaluation and lesion localization of cranial nerves V and VII.
Multi-clonal evolution of multi-drug-resistant/extensively drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a high-prevalence setting of Papua New Guinea for over three decades
Authors: Bainomugisa Arnold , Lavu Evelyn , Hiashiri Stenard , Majumdar Suman , Honjepari Alice , Moke Rendi , Dakulala Paison , Hill-Cawthorne Grant A. , Pandey Sushil , Marais Ben J. , Coulter Chris , Coin Lachlan
Published: January 2018

An outbreak of multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) has been reported on Daru Island, Papua New Guinea. Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains driving this outbreak and the temporal accrual of drug resistance mutations have not been described. Whole genome sequencing of 100 of 165 clinical isolates referred from Daru General Hospital to the Supranational reference laboratory, Brisbane, during 2012–2015 revealed that 95 belonged to a single modern Beijing sub-lineage strain. Molecular dating suggested acquisition of streptomycin and isoniazid resistance in the 1960s, with potentially enhanced virulence mediated by an mycP1 mutation. The Beijing sub-lineage strain demonstrated a high degree of co-resistance between isoniazid and ethionamide (80/95; 84.2 %) attributed to an inhA promoter mutation combined with inhA and ndh coding mutations. Multi-drug resistance, observed in 78/95 samples, emerged with the acquisition of a typical rpoB mutation together with a compensatory rpoC mutation in the 1980s. There was independent acquisition of fluoroquinolone and aminoglycoside resistance, and evidence of local transmission of extensively drug resistant (XDR) strains from 2009. These findings underline the importance of whole genome sequencing in informing an effective public health response to MDR/XDR TB.
The genome of the water striderGerris buenoireveals expansions of gene repertoires associated with adaptations to life on the water
Authors: Armisén David , Rajakumar Rajendhran , Friedrich Markus , Benoit Joshua B , Robertson Hugh M. , Panfilio Kristen A. , Ahn Seung-Joon , Poelchau Monica F. , Chao Hsu , Dinh Huyen , Doddapaneni HarshaVardhan , Dugan Shannon , Gibbs Richard A. , Hughes Daniel S.T. , Han Yi , Lee Sandra L. , Murali Shwetha C. , Muzny Donna M. , Qu Jiaxin , Worley Kim C. , Munoz-Torres Monica , Abouheif Ehab , Bonneton François , Chen Travis , Chiang Li-Mei , Childers Christopher P. , Cridge Andrew Graham , Crumière Antonin Jean Johan , Decaras Amelie , Didion Elise M. , Duncan Elizabeth , Elpidina Elena N. , Favé Marie-Julie , Finet Cédric , Jacobs Chris G.C. , Jarvela Alys , Jennings Emily J. , Jones Jeffery W. , Lesoway Maryna P. , Lovegrove Mackenzie , Martynov Alexander , Oppert Brenda , Lillico-Ouachour Angelica , Rajakumar Arjuna , Refki Peter Nagui , Rosendale Andrew J. , Santos Maria Emilia , Toubiana William , van der Zee Maurijn , Vargas Jentzsch Iris M. , Lowman Aidamalia Vargas , Viala Severine , Richards Stephen , Khila Abderrahman
Published: January 2018

The semi-aquatic bugs conquered water surfaces worldwide and occupy ponds, streams, lakes, mangroves, and even open oceans. As such, they inspired a range of scientific studies from ecology and evolution to developmental genetics and hydrodynamics of fluid locomotion. However, the lack of a representative water strider genome hinders thorough investigations of the mechanisms underlying the processes of adaptation and diversification in this group. Here we report the sequencing and manual annotation of theGerris buenoi (G. buenoi)genome, the first water strider genome to be sequenced so far.G. buenoigenome is about 1 000Mb and the sequencing effort recovered 20 949 predicted protein-coding genes. Manual annotation uncovered a number of local (tandem and proximal) gene duplications and expansions of gene families known for their importance in a variety of processes associated with morphological and physiological adaptations to water surface lifestyle. These expansions affect key processes such as growth, vision, desiccation resistance, detoxification, olfaction and epigenetic components. Strikingly, theG. buenoigenome contains three Insulin Receptors, a unique case among metazoans, suggesting key changes in the rewiring and function of the insulin pathway. Other genomic changes include wavelength sensitivity shifts in opsin proteins likely in association with the requirements of vision in water habitats. Our findings suggest that local gene duplications might have had an important role during the evolution of water striders. These findings along with theG. buenoigenome open exciting research opportunities to understand adaptation and genome evolution of this unique hemimetabolous insect.
Time-restricted foraging under natural light/dark condition shifts the molecular clock in the honey bee,Apis mellifera
Authors: Jain Rikesh , Brockmann Axel
Published: January 2018

Honey bees have a remarkable sense of time and individual honey bee foragers are capable to adjust their foraging activity with respect to the time of food availability. Although, there is plenty of experimental evidence that foraging behavior is guided by the circadian clock, nothing is known about the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Here we present a first study exploring whether the time-restricted foraging under natural light-dark condition affects the molecular clock in honey bees. In an enclosed flight chamber (12m × 4m × 4m), food was presented either for 2 hours in the morning or 2 hours in the afternoon for several consecutive days and daily cycling of the two major clock genes,cryptochrome2 (cry2)andperiod (per), were analyzed in three different tissues involved in feeding-related behaviors: brain, antennae and subesophageal ganglion (SEG). We found that morning and afternoon trained foragers showed significant phase-differences in the cycling of both clock genes in all three tissues. Furthermore, the phase-differences were more pronounced when the feeder was scented with the general plant odor linalool. Our results clearly demonstrate that foraging time functions as a strong circadian Zeitgeber in honey bees. More surprisingly our results suggest that foraging time might have the potential to override the entrainment effect of the light-dark cycle.
Management control systems and corporate social responsibility: perspectives from a Japanese small company
Authors: Hosoda Masahiro
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become part of daily business for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan. The purpose of this study is to explore how management control systems (MCSs) can support the translation of activities into CSR actions using a case study of a SME in Japan.

Design/methodology/approach

The case is based on an interview with a CEO of a SME in Japan. The paper contributes to the discussion on CSR and MCSs and investigates the integration of CSR activities in SMEs in Japan through MCSs.

Findings

The case company’s formal control systems incorporate environmental and social aspects that are reflected in its top-down, stakeholder-centered approach into CSR through a formal CSR policy. An informal control system is evident and reflected in the CEO’s emphasis on creating shared value by implementing CSR. An interactive control system, a type of formal control system, is useful in the interactions between CEOs and employees and in translating the opinions of stakeholders into CSR actions. Formal control systems can be supported by informal control systems in the implementation of CSR activities.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the management accounting literature by showing that formal and informal control systems can support the motivation of employees and the integration of stakeholders’ opinions on the implementation of SMEs CSR activities in Japan. The MCS approach also contributes to SMEs in Japan that seek to address the demographic and economic challenges.
Climate change in Colombia
Authors: Pardo Martínez Clara Inés , Alfonso P. William H.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This research analyses and evaluates the trends and perspectives of climate change in Colombia. This study aims to understand the main ideas and concepts of climate change in five regions of the country by analysing attitudes and values, information habits, institutionalism and the social appropriation of science and technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The research study involved a focus group technique. Ten focus groups in five regions of the country, including rural regions, were administered. The selection of cities and municipalities in this study took into account vulnerability scenarios based on the two criteria of temperature and precipitation for the 2011-2040 period.

Findings

The participants of the focus groups believe that climate change began 10 years ago and that human activities have caused climate change. The main effects of climate change are believed to be droughts and floods that have appeared in the past several years and have negatively impacted agricultural activities and the quality of life of the population. Moreover, the participants believe that it is important to design and apply adequate measures to adapt to and mitigate climate change.

Originality/value

This study makes an important contribution to the extant climate change literature by identifying and categorising the main ideas and knowledge on this issue from the perspective of the population in Colombia. In developing countries with high climate change vulnerability, it is especially important to analyse this issue to determine relevant official policy instruments that could promote adequate actions and instruments to prevent, adapt to and mitigate climate change.
US experiences with STEM education reform and implications for Asia
Authors: Fendos Justin
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The first indication that traditional lecture-style teaching is not very effective was provided by Dr Donald Bligh in the 1980s and 1990s. As empirical evidence about this fact has continued to accumulate, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in the USA has undergone a significant change in emphasis away from lecture-based approaches in favor of systems emphasizing more interactive learning. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

A wide range of experimental research has employed the principles of scientific teaching to investigate the efficacy of an ever widening range of pedagogical methods. For STEM education, the most successful of these has been active learning.

Findings

At its core, active learning is a redesign of in-class activities to maximize interactivity and feedback through facilitated problem-solving environments. Although the efficacies of both scientific teaching and active learning have been verified in a wide range of empirical works, the dissemination of these platforms, in general, teaching has been slow, even in the USA.

Research limitations/implications

The first significant impediment has been an overall lack of awareness coupled with general skepticism about alternative learning methods.

Practical implications

This paper first reviews the education literature behind scientific teaching and active learning before reviewing some of the challenges to their implementation on an institutional level.

Social implications

These challenges and known solutions are then applied to the European and East Asian contexts to examine why scientific teaching and active learning remain predominantly an American phenomenon.

Originality/value

For East Asian countries, the authors offer a commentary on how certain aspects of Confucian classroom culture may interact negatively with efforts to install scientific teaching and active learning systems.
Safety assessment of a high-rise dormitory in case of fire
Authors: Rahouti Anass , Datoussaïd Sélim , Descamps Thierry
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on the combination of fire- and agent-based modelling approaches to assess the level of safety of a multi-storeyed building case study.

Design/methodology/approach

For an existing building to be occupied such as the engineering student dormitory of Mons (Belgium), engineers must establish, among the other things, that the building affords a sufficient level of safety during fire incident. This can be verified in accordance with prescriptive- and performance-based methodologies. The performance-based approach consists on using simulation tools such as fire dynamics simulator with evacuation to ensure/verify the level of safety required. In this paper, a model case study was built and then various scenarios have been implemented to answer some safety questions.

Findings

For this building layout, the results demonstrate that combining different egress components (i.e. stairs and outdoor ladders) has a negative impact on the evacuation process than using only the stairs to evacuate the building; phased evacuation strategy will not necessarily lead to faster evacuation; adding fire doors in the stairs and between the floors has a beneficial effect on the evacuation process.

Originality/value

This case study proposes some recommendations about adapted evacuation strategy and investments to improve the safety of high-rise student’s dormitory in case of fire.
Toward a unified view of technology and activity
Authors: Karanasios Stan
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This theory development paper argues that activity theory, as a theory of practice, can help overcome long-standing challenges in the field of information systems (IS) by better accounting for the material in work and social activity. It also suggests ways in which IS research can inform the development of activity theory. The purpose of this paper is to be forward looking as much as reflective to advance an enlarged understanding of activity theory, and argue for its development in IS studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is conceptual and draws upon existing literature and research to propose and cultivate an updated understanding of activity theory as a theoretical lens capable of accounting for social and technical aspects in IS.

Findings

The paper has three aims. First, to cultivate the use of activity theory in IS. It elaborates on the use and contribution of activity theory in IS, charts it’s use over the last 20 years and discusses how it brings together a range of ideas that have been neglected in other social theories. Second, to explore the challenges surrounding the use of activity theory in understanding interaction between actors and technology. Third, to set an agenda for its advancement in IS, to ruminate upon future research concerning the extension of activity theory and develop a “fourth-generation” activity theory.

Originality/value

The paper presents the first attempt to juxtapose activity theory with other theoretical philosophical perspectives; to chart the use of activity theory in IS over the last 20 years; and, to discuss how activity theory brings together a range of ideas that have hitherto been excluded from – or inadequately formulated in – other contemporary social theories.
Internet Village Motoman Project in rural Cambodia: bridging the digital divide
Authors: Luo Margaret Meiling , Chea Sophea
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Community wireless networking has become a growing trend in both metropolitan and rural areas around the world. However, few studies have sought to understand what motivates people to use community wireless networks and the unintended effects that those technologies have on communities, particularly for rural users. The purpose of this paper is to explore the benefits and usage of an asynchronous wireless internet system in a rural village of Cambodia to examine the issues and challenges in the acceptance of a new technology in a less-developed country.

Design/methodology/approach

By employing qualitative methods of in-depth case analysis, the authors revealed various usage motivations and unintended effects of the system.

Findings

The authors identified five reasons that motivated users to use the system: avowed identity, a means to an end, maintaining personal ties, power and influence, and psychological commitment and ownership. The unintended effects of the system included increased number of interactions among actors and other uses of the system, including internet commerce, telemedicine, and e-government.

Research limitations/implications

This study explores the wireless internet project known as the “Internet Village Motoman Project” that was initiated by a non-governmental organization with funding from private donors, supplemented with matching funds from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the academic understanding of rural regions of Cambodia and its evidence supports the current theoretical assumptions that user behaviors are not determined only by users’ decisions alone (as proposed by traditional cognitive IS research), but also by users and their social interactions as stated in the four-dimensional social actor framework proposed by Lamb and Kling (2003). The latter provides better explanation of the motivation for internet use in the region. The theoretical contribution of this study is the useful adoption of the actor-network approach in a non-organizational setting. The findings also contribute to the literature on how practical internet engineering can bridge the digital divide. Fulfilling the needs identified in the research and understanding unintended effects of the system will contribute to the successful implementation of new internet projects in other rural areas.
Comparative human development thresholds for absolute and relative pro-poor mobile banking in developing countries
Authors: A. Asongu Simplice , Nwachukwu Jacinta C.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the correlations between mobile banking and inclusive development (poverty and inequality) in 93 developing countries for the year 2011.

Design/methodology/approach

Mobile banking entails the following: “mobile phones used to pay bills” and “mobile phones used to receive/send money”, while the modifying policy indicator includes the human development index (HDI). The data are decomposed into seven sub-panels based on two fundamental characteristics: regions (Latin America, Asia and the Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, and Middle East and North Africa) and income levels (upper middle income, lower middle income and low income).

Findings

The results show that at certain thresholds of the HDI, mobile banking is positively linked to inclusive development. The following specific findings are established. First, the increased use of mobile phones to pay bills is negatively correlated with: poverty in lower-middle-income countries (LMIC), upper-middle-income countries (UMIC) and Latin American (LA) countries, respectively, at HDI thresholds of 0.725, 0.727 and 0.778 and inequality in UMIC and LA with HDI thresholds of, respectively, 0.646 and 0.761. Second, the increased use of mobile phones to send/receive money is negatively correlated with: poverty in LMIC, UMIC and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries with corresponding HDI thresholds of 0.631, 0.750 and 0.750 and inequality in UMIC, CEE and LA at HDI thresholds of 0.665, 0.736 and 0.726, respectively.

Practical implications

The findings are discussed in the light of current policy challenges in the transition from the UN’s Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals.

Originality/value

The authors have exploited the only macroeconomic data on mobile banking currently available.
A systematic PRISMA review of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in secure psychiatric care: prevalence, treatment, risk assessment and other clinical considerations
Authors: Allely Clare S.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with specific assessment, specific difficulties, needs and therapeutic issues and therefore are a challenging group for forensic services. Given the challenge that individuals with ASD present to forensic services, the suggested increase in the number of this group within this setting and the relatively little amount of research which suggests they face a number of difficulties within the prison environment, the purpose of this paper is to identify and review all the studies which have been carried out investigating any aspect of ASD in relation to secure hospital settings.

Design/methodology/approach

Seven internet-based bibliographic databases were used for the present review. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Findings

A total of 12 studies were included in this review; 3 looked at the prevalence of ASD in secure psychiatric hospitals. One study evaluated the clinical utility of the AQ screening tool to assess self-reported autistic traits in secure psychiatric settings. Three explored any type of characteristics of patients with ASD detained in secure psychiatric hospitals. One study investigated the experiences or quality of life of patients with an ASD detained in secure psychiatric care. Two studies investigated awareness, knowledge and/or views regarding patients with ASD held by staff working within secure psychiatric hospitals. Lastly, three studies (one of which was also included in the prevalence category above) looked at the effectiveness of interventions or treatment of patients with ASD in secure psychiatric hospitals. Clinical recommendations and future research directions are discussed.

Originality/value

To the author’s knowledge, this is the first review to explore what research has been carried out looking specifically at patients with ASD in relation to secure forensic settings.
Ownership concentration and firm performance in Indian firms: does investor protection quality matter?
Authors: Altaf Nufazil , Shah Farooq Ahamad
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate the relationship between ownership concentration and firm performance and, second, to determine the moderating role of investor protection quality on the ownership concentration-performance relationship from a dynamic perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on secondary financial data of 236 Indian manufacturing firms obtained from CAPITALINE database, pertaining to a period of five years. This study uses ordinary least squares, fixed effects and two-step generalized method of moments (GMM) techniques to arrive at results.

Findings

Results of the study confirm the inverted U-shaped relationship between ownership concentration and firm performance and a significant positive effect of investor protection quality on firm performance. With regard to moderating role of investor protection quality on ownership concentration–performance relationship, results show that investor protection quality would significantly moderate the ownership concentration–performance relationship.

Originality/value

The study is a pioneer in proving that an inverted U-shaped relationship exists between ownership concentration and firm performance in an emerging market in general and India in particular. This study extends the corporate governance literature by examining ownership concentration–performance relationship in a dynamic perspective and in an unexplored market.
Backshoring of production in the context of a small and open Nordic economy
Authors: Heikkilä Jussi , Martinsuo Miia , Nenonen Sanna
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent, drivers, and conditions underlying backshoring in the Finnish manufacturing industry, comparing the results to the wider ongoing relocation of production in the international context.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey of 229 Finnish manufacturing firms reveals the background, drivers, and patterns of offshoring and backshoring.

Findings

Companies that had transferred their production back to Finland were more commonly in industries with relatively higher technology intensity and they were typically larger than the no-movement companies, and with a higher number of plants. They also reported more commonly having a corporate-wide strategy for guiding production location decisions.

Research limitations/implications

Backshoring activity in the small and open economy of Finland seems to be higher compared to earlier studies in larger countries. The findings suggest that there is a transformation in the manufacturing industries with some gradual replacement of labor-intensive and lower technology-intensive industries toward higher technology-intensive industries.

Practical implications

Moving production across national borders is one option in the strategies of firms to stay competitive. Companies must carefully consider the relevance of various decision-making drivers when determining strategies for their production networks.

Social implications

Manufacturing industries have traditionally been important for employment in the relatively small and open economies of the Nordic countries. From the social perspective, it is important to understand the ongoing transformation and its implications.

Originality/value

There are few empirical studies available of the ongoing backshoring movement, utilizing data from company decision makers instead of macroeconomic factors.
Awakening the entrepreneurial spirit: Exploring the relationship between organizational factors and perceptions of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and desirability in a corporate setting
Authors: Brazeal Deborah V. , Schenkel Mark T. , Azriel Jay A.
Published: January 2018

While efforts at understanding how the entrepreneurial spirit is awakened (e.g., unwrapping the cognitive “black box”) have been productive in the new venture context, it remains largely unexplored in a corporate setting.This study extends previous research by investigating the relationship between organizational antecedents and perceptions of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and desirability of entrepreneurial activity. In a field study of organizations consistent with a corporate entrepreneurial archetype typology, we found that (1) individual work discretion and time availability impacted entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and (2) individual interest in work innovation influenced perceived desirability of innovative behaviors.
Entrepreneurship and self-employment: The state-of-the-art and directions for future research
Authors: Kim GiSeung
Published: January 2018

This survey overviews the literature on entrepreneurship and self-employment. The author catalogs the main contributions of this body of research and makes a distinction between issues on which there is now widespread agreement and those for which no consensus has yet emerged. This latter set of issues provides fertile ground for further research.
Entrepreneurship education
Authors: Faulk Marguerite R.
Published: January 2018

Book review by Marguerite R. Faulk. Greene, Patricia G. and Mark P. Rice, eds. Entrepreneurship Education, Cheltenham, UK: Edgar Elgar Publishing, 2007. ISBN 9781845424220
Abandoning ship at Scandia, Inc.: Parts B and C
Authors: Sherman Herbert , Armandi Barry , Dinur Adva
Published: January 2018

Scandia, Inc., is a commercial vessel management company located in the New York Metropolitan area and is part of a family of firms including Scandia Technical; International Tankers, Ltd.; Global Tankers, Ltd.; Sun Maritime S.A.;Adger Tankers AS; Leeward Tankers, Inc.; Manhattan Tankers, Ltd.; and Liuʼs Tankers, S.A. The companyʼs current market niche is the commercial management of chemical tankers serving the transatlantic market with a focus on the east and gulf coast of the United States and Northern Europe. This three-part case describes the commercial shipping industry as well as several mishaps that the company and its President, Chris Haas, have had to deal with including withdrawal of financial support by creditors, intercorporate firm conflict, and employee retention. Part A, which was published in the Fall 2010 issue, presented an overview of the commercial vessel industry and set the stage for Parts B and C where the firm℉s operation is discussed.
Entrepreneurship in the Creative Industries: An International Perspective
Authors: Wagner Lori
Published: January 2018

Book review by Lori Wagner. Henry, Colette, ed. Entrepreneurship in the Creative Industries: An International Perspective. Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2007. ISBN 9781845426101
Examining the age‐performance relationship for entrepreneurs: Does the innovativeness of a venture make a difference?
Authors: Prasad Kanti V. , Ehrhardt Kyle , Liu Yiyuan , Tiwari Kamlesh
Published: January 2018

Whether older or younger entrepreneurs may be better positioned to achieve performance outcomes for their ventures is a much debated question. Here, we draw on Galenson℉s theory of creativity to propose a contingency perspective for understanding the relationship between entrepreneur age and venture performance, suggesting that a venture℉s level of innovativeness plays a moderating role. Results from a representative sample of 1,182 nascent entrepreneurs revealed mixed support for our hypotheses. While a negative relationship was found between entrepreneur age and performance for those developing “innovative” ventures, no relationship was found between entrepreneur age and performance for those developing “imitative” ventures.
Out of the building, into the fire: An analysis of cognitive biases during entrepreneurial interviews
Authors: Chen Tianxu , Simon Mark , Kim John , Poploskie Brian
Published: January 2018

A major source of failure for new ventures is the entrepreneurs℉ misunderstanding of the product-market fit. Recently, researchers have suggested that to get a better understanding of the product-market fit, entrepreneurs should “get out of the building” and interview many customers. This approach, while advantageous, is not without drawbacks. This article presents a conceptual model that incorporates the characteristics of “getting out of the building” to conduct customer interviews, and the biases that can arise to influence the entrepreneurs℉ misjudgment of the product-market fit. We provide recommendations to overcome these biases.
The impact of immigrant entrepreneurs℉ social capital related motivations
Authors: Gomez Claudia , Perera B. Yasanthi , Weisinger Judith Y. , Tobey David H. , Zinsmeister-Teeters Taylor
Published: January 2018

The immigrant entrepreneurship literature indicates that immigrant entrepreneurs reap numerous benefits from their co-ethnic communities℉ social capital. These benefits, however, often come at a price because scholars note the potential for this community social capital to impose limitations on the entrepreneurs. While the literature largely focuses on the benefits of social capital, there is no research on what motivates the immigrant entrepreneurs to engage with their co-ethnic community in terms of contributing to, and utilizing, their co-ethnic communities℉ social capital, and the consequences these may have on their enterprises. Addressing this gap in the literature is important in the development of successful immigrant enterprises. Thus, based on a model posited by Portes and Sensenbrenner (1993), we suggest that immigrant entrepreneurs℉ motivations will influence their use of, and contributions to, co-ethnic community social capital, impacting, in turn, business success. We contribute to both the immigrant entrepreneurship and social capital research through exploring how entrepreneurs℉ motives, with respect to their co-ethnic communities℉ social capital, influence business success.
Relational ties in emerging markets: What is their contribution to SME growth?
Authors: Totskaya Natalya
Published: January 2018

Prior studies argue that social capital is vital for firm growth. Adding to this line of research, this paper provides more evidence regarding the contribution of bonding and bridging social ties to various aspects of small-l and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development. Building on the original data from Russia, this paper investigates the effects of firm-internal and firm-external relational ties on SME performance and geographic expansion. The findings indicate that horizontal bridging ties facilitate specific strategies of SME growth. Thus, this paper supports prior research conducted in the Asian context, and allows for extending the outcomes of bonding and bridging social capital into broader institutional settings. In addition, this study raises the question of relationship between the composition of social capital and distinct organizational characteristics of SMEs. Finally, the paper discusses the implications for future research, and outlines some practical recommendations for SMEs operating in emerging markets.