bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunotherapy: a new treatment paradigm in bladder cancer
Authors: Davarpanah Nicole N. , Yuno Akira , Trepel Jane B. , Apolo Andrea B.
Published: March 2017

Purpose of review

T-cell checkpoint blockade has become a dynamic immunotherapy for bladder cancer. In 2016, atezolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, became the first new drug approved in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) in over 30 years. In 2017, nivolumab was also approved for the same indication. This overview of checkpoint inhibitors in clinical trials focuses on novel immunotherapy combinations, predictive biomarkers including mutational load and neoantigen identification, and an evaluation of the future of bladder cancer immunotherapy.

Recent findings

Programed cell death protein 1/programed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) checkpoint inhibitors have achieved durable clinical responses in a subset of previously treated and treatment-naïve patients with mUC. The combination of PD-1 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) has successfully improved response rates in multiple malignancies, and combination studies are underway in many tumor types, including bladder cancer, combining T-cell checkpoint blockade with other checkpoint agents and immunomodulatory therapies. Strong tumor responses to checkpoint blockade have been reported to be positively associated with expression of PD-L1 on tumor and tumor-infiltrating immune cells and with increased mutation-associated neoantigen load, which may lead to the development of predictive biomarkers.

Recent clinical evidence suggests that mUC is susceptible to T-cell checkpoint blockade. A global effort is underway to achieve higher response rates and more durable remissions, accelerate the development of immunotherapies, employ combination therapies, and test novel immune targets.
Minimal Detectable Change for Balance Measurements in Patients With COPD
Authors: Mkacher Wajdi , Tabka Zouhair , Trabelsi Yassine
Published: March 2017

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) of various outcome measures that are potentially suitable for evaluating postural control in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS:

This was a test-retest reliability study. Participants with COPD were asked to complete 5 balance assessments, separated by 1 week. The assessments included Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test, Unipodal Stance Test (UST), Tinetti Test, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the Activities Balance Confidence (ABC) scale. Test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients and MDC values were calculated for each assessment.

RESULTS:

All 5 outcome measures were found to have excellent test-retest reliability (r > 0.90). The MDC95 values were 3.01 seconds and 4.03 seconds for the TUG Test and the UST, respectively; 3.23 points and 3.46 points for the Tinetti Test and the BBS, respectively; and 8.25% for the ABC scale.

CONCLUSION:

The TUG, UST, BBS, the Tinetti Test, and the ABC scale are reliable outcome measures for use with people with COPD, recognizing that individual variability of performance is high. Minimal detectable change scores at the 95% CI can be used to assess change in performance over time and the impact of interventions in this population.
OCULAR TOXICITY AFTER INADVERTENT INTRACAMERAL INJECTION OF HIGH DOSE OF CEFUROXIME DURING CATARACT SURGERY: A CASE SERIES
Authors: Kamal-Salah Radua , Osoba Olayinka , Doyle Edward
Published: March 2017

Purpose:

To report ocular side effects after inadvertent intracameral injection of a high dose of cefuroxime.

Methods:

Nineteen eyes of 19 patients were seen in our eye department 1 week after the referring surgeon had injected an erroneous dose of intracameral cefuroxime (12.5 mg/0.1 mL in 14 patients, Group A, and 10 mg/0.1 mL in 5 patients, Group B) at the end of a cataract surgery. A complete ophthalmic examination was performed postoperatively.

Results:

Eight patients (42.10%) exhibited ocular side effects. One patient (Group A) developed a noninfectious panuveitis. One case (Group B) had a serous macular detachment. Five patients (4 from Group A and 1 from Group B) showed a disruption of the ellipsoid layer with temporary/permanent drop in visual acuity. One patient presented with color alteration (Group A), but electrodiagnostic studies did not reveal any significant alterations.

Conclusion:

Anterior and posterior inflammation has been described after intracameral injection of high dose of cefuroxime. In this study, 10 mg to 12.5 mg of intracameral cefuroxime is shown to be, principally, toxic to the retina with transient or permanent retinal changes on optical coherence tomography which correlate with visual outcomes postoperatively. Protocols to avoid dilution errors should be available in theaters during cataract surgery where such commercial preparations are not available.
Reconstruction of a Long-Segment Tracheal Defect using an Alloderm Conduit
Authors: Bolton William D. , Ben-Or Sharon , Hale Allyson L. , Stephenson James E.
Published: March 2017

This case describes successful reconstruction of a long-segment tracheal defect using AlloDerm as the conduit for reconstruction. A 38-year-old woman who had undergone a thyroid lobectomy in 2011 presented several months later unable to swallow. Chest computed tomography results revealed a tracheal/esophageal mass and a subsequent bronchoscopy, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy results revealed an upper esophageal/tracheal mass with two areas concerning for fistula. She underwent a bronchoscopy with a tracheal stent and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement. All biopsies were nondiagnostic for malignancy and the patient recovered well. After a repeat bronchoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy a few months later, she underwent a diagnostic right video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and thoracotomy. To obtain adequate tissue for diagnosis, the fistula was opened, resulting in a large defect in the esophagus and trachea, as portions of the trachea, esophagus, and right recurrent laryngeal nerve liquefied. A 7-cm portion of her esophagus, 8 cm of the posterior trachea, and 5 cm of the right trachea wall were removed. The pathology came back as Hodgkin lymphoma. Because of the size of the esophageal defect, reconstruction was not an option. Therefore, the remainder of the esophagus was resected, the stomach stapled off, and esophageal hiatus closed. The tracheal defect was also too large for patch repair and was reconstructed with a tube of AlloDerm (6 × 10 cm). Four years after reconstruction, the patient is disease free and living a normal life. This case demonstrates successful tracheal reconstruction with AlloDerm.
A Pilot Study
Authors: Uchida Mai , Spencer Andrea E. , Kenworthy Tara , Chan James , Fitzgerald Maura , Rosales Ana Maria , Kagan Elana , Saunders Alexandra , Biederman Joseph
Published: March 2017

Objective

Because of concerns about potential associations between high doses of citalopram and QTc prolongation in adults, this study examined whether such associations are operant in children. We hypothesized that therapeutic doses of nontricyclic antidepressant medications (non-TCAs) prescribed to children would be cardiovascularly safe.

Study Design

The sample consisted of 49 psychiatrically referred children and adolescents 6 to 17 years old of both sexes treated with a non-TCA (citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, bupropion, duloxetine, venlafaxine, mirtazapine). To standardize the doses of different antidepressants, we converted doses of individual medicines into “citalopram equivalent doses” (CEDs) based on dosing recommendation for individual antidepressants. Correlation analysis was carried out to compare the continuous and weight-based CED to variables of interest. A QTc grouping was defined as normal, borderline, or abnormal, and CED was compared across QTc groupings using linear regression. An antidepressant dosage group was defined as low or high dose, and a t test compared variables of interest across dosage groups.

Results

No significant associations were found between total or weight-corrected CEDs of any antidepressant examined and QTc or any other electrocardiogram or blood pressure parameters. In patients taking citalopram or escitalopram, a significant correlation was found between PR interval and total daily dose, which disappeared when weight-based doses were used or when corrected by age.

Conclusions

Although limited by a relatively small sample size, these results suggest that therapeutic doses of non-TCA antidepressants when used in children do not seem to be associated with prolonged QTc interval or other adverse cardiovascular effects.
Older Adult Kidney Function Assessment and Rounding Creatinine Led to Medication Dosing Error
Authors: Nguyen Timothy , Foster Yanique , Cekaj Shpres
Published: March 2017

Background/Areas of Uncertainty:

Kidney function assessment in older adults can be unreliable because of many factors, and inaccurate assessment can lead to medication dosing error. Practitioners may have adopted the method of rounding creatinine to an arbitrary number 1.0 because of change in muscle mass and age-related change. This has in fact proven to cause more harm than good, potentially leading to underdosing of many medications.

Data Sources:

A literature search performed using PubMed with the following key words (rounding serum creatinine, rounding serum creatinine AND pharmacist or pharmacy, rounding serum creatinine AND doctor or physician or healthcare, rounding serum creatinine AND kidney function) with no restrictions (dates or any other requirement).

Results:

From the PubMed results, articles related to rounding of serum creatinine (Scr) and kidney function assessments were identified and reviewed. Most studies were retrospectives, 1 cross-sectional, 1 meta-analysis, and others were unidentified. These studies included various ways of estimating kidney functions (Tc99m DTPA clearance, Cockcroft–Gault creatinine clearance, 24-hour urine collection, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease-Epidemiology Collaboration), used various weights (actual body weight, ideal body weight, adjusted body weight), and most studies used 1.0 for rounding up Scr (other studies used 0.8 and 0.85). There was no associated relationship found as related to practicing professions (pharmacists vs. physician) to the practice of rounding Scr.

Conclusions:

All studies yielded inaccurate kidney function upon rounding of Scr and leading to medication dosing error. All studies suggested against rounding Scr when assessing kidney function in older adults.
Giant Juvenile Fibroadenoma in a 12-Year-Old Girl
Authors: Gkali Christina , Giannos Aris , Primetis Elias , Chalazonitis Athanasios , Anastasiadi Thenia , Feida Eleni , Sotiropoulou Maria , Dimitrakakis Constantine , Antoniou Aris
Published: March 2017

A 12-year-old girl was referred to our radiology department with a rapidly enlarging mass in the right breast. Fine-needle aspiration cytology was suggestive of fibroadenoma. Total excision of the mass was done, and diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology.
Nonarteritic Jaw Claudication
Authors: Petersen Christine A. , Francis Courtney E.
Published: March 2017

A 60-year-old woman with decreased visual acuity in her right eye and right-sided jaw claudication was found to have ocular ischemic syndrome secondary to complete occlusion of the brachiocephalic artery. Although jaw claudication is often considered to be pathognomonic for giant cell arteritis, it has a broad differential diagnosis including both vascular and nonvascular conditions.
Electrographic Features of Lateralized Periodic Discharges Stratify Risk in the Interictal–Ictal Continuum
Authors: Newey Christopher R. , Sahota Pradeep , Hantus Stephen
Published: March 2017

Purpose:

To risk-stratify electrographic features of lateralized periodic discharges (LPDs) in acute structural brain lesions for predictors of electrographic seizures.

Methods:

This is a retrospective review of 100 consecutive patients with LPDs. Epileptiform features of LPDs were described based on electrographic features: blunt delta morphology, sharply contoured, overlying fast frequencies, and/or rhythmicity (loss of interdischarge interval lasting ≥1 second). EEG seizures were defined as evolving in frequency, distribution, or morphology at ≥2 Hz for ≥10 seconds.

Results:

Overall, electrographic seizures occurred in 55% of patients with LPDs. Lateralized periodic discharges with rhythmicity (odds ratio 13.91) were most significant for predicting status epilepticus and/or seizures. This was followed by LPDs with overlying faster frequencies (odds ratio 5.16) and then sharply contoured morphology (odds ratio 4.09). Blunt delta morphology (0.24) had the lowest risk for seizures.

Conclusions:

Electrographic features of LPDs may help determine seizure risk in patients with acute structural lesions. Sharply contoured morphology, overlying fast frequencies, or rhythmicity, showed progressively higher risk of seizures on continuous electroencephalography, whereas blunt delta morphology had the lowest risk of seizures.
Harmonization of multi-site diffusion tensor imaging data
Authors: Fortin Jean-Philippe , Parker Drew , Tunç Birkan , Watanabe Takanori , Elliott Mark A. , Ruparel Kosha , Roalf David R. , Satterthwaite Theodore D. , Gur Ruben C. , Gur Raquel E. , Schultz Robert T. , Verma Ragini , Shinohara Russell T.
Published: March 2017

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a well-established magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique used for studying microstructural changes in the white matter. As with many other imaging modalities, DTI images suffer from technical between-scanner variation that hinders comparisons of images across imaging sites, scanners and over time. Using fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) maps of 205 healthy participants acquired on two different scanners, we show that the DTI measurements are highly site-specific, highlighting the need of correcting for site effects before performing downstream statistical analyses. We first show evidence that combining DTI data from multiple sites, without harmonization, is counter-productive and negatively impacts the inference. Then, we propose and compare several harmonization approaches for DTI data, and show that ComBat, a popular batch-effect correction tool used in genomics, performs best at modeling and removing the unwanted inter-site variability in FA and MD maps. Using age as a biological phenotype of interest, we show that ComBat both preserves biological variability and removes the unwanted variation introduced by site. Finally, we assess the different harmonization methods in the presence of different levels of confounding between site and age, in addition to test robustness to small sample size studies.
Human episodic memory retrieval is accompanied by a neural contiguity effect
Authors: Folkerts Sarah , Rutishauser Ueli , Howard Marc W.
Published: March 2017

Cognitive psychologists have long hypothesized that experiences are encoded in a temporal context that changes gradually over time. When an episodic memory is retrieved, the state of context is recovered—a jump back in time. We recorded from single units in the MTL of epilepsy patients performing an item recognition task. The population vector changed gradually over minutes during presentation of the list. When a probe from the list was remembered with high confidence, the population vector reinstated the temporal context of the original presentation of that probe during study—a neural contiguity effect that provides a possible mechanism for behavioral contiguity effects. This pattern was only observed for well-remembered probes; old probes that were not well-remembered showed an anti-contiguity effect. These results constitute the first direct evidence that recovery of an episodic memory in humans is associated with retrieval of a gradually-changing state of temporal context—a neural “jump-back-in-time” that parallels the act of remembering.

Significance statement

Episodic memory is the ability to re-live a specific experience from one’s life. For decades, researchers have hypothesized that, unlike other forms of memory that can be described as simple associations between stimuli, episodic memory depends on the recovery of a neural representation of spatiotemporal context. During study of a sequence of stimuli, the brain state of epilepsy patients changed slowly over at least a minute. When the participant remembered a particular event from the list, this gradually-changing state was recovered. This provides direct confirmation of the prediction from computational models of episodic memory. The resolution of this point means that the study of episodic memory can focus on the mechanisms by which this representation of spatiotemporal context is maintained and, sometimes recovered.
Association indices for quantifying social relationships: how to deal with missing observations of individuals or groups
Authors: Hoppitt William , Farine Damien
Published: March 2017

Social network analysis has provided important insight into many population processes in wild animals. Constructing social networks requires quantifying the relationship between each pair of individuals in the population. Researchers often use association indices to convert observations into a measure of propensity for individuals to be seen together. At its simplest, this measure is just the probability of observing both individuals together given that one has been seen (the simple ratio index). However, this probability becomes more challenging to calculate if the detection rate for individuals is imperfect. We first evaluate the performance of existing association indices at estimating true association rates under scenarios where (i) only a proportion of all groups are observed (group location errors), (ii) not all individuals are observed despite being present (individual location errors), and (iii) a combination of the two. Commonly-used methods aimed at dealing with incomplete observations perform poorly because they are based on arbitrary observation probabilities. We then derive complete indices that can be calibrated for the different types of observation probabilities to generate accurate estimates of association rates. These are provided in an R package that readily interfaces with existing routines. We conclude that using calibration data is an important step when constructing animal social networks, and that in their absence, researchers should use a simple estimator and explicitly consider the impact of this on their findings.
Speciation network in Laurasiatheria: retrophylogenomic signals
Authors: Doronina Liliya , Churakov Gennady , Kuritzin Andrej , Shi Jingjing , Baertsch Robert , Clawson Hiram , Schmitz Jürgen
Published: March 2017

Rapid species radiation due to adaptive changes or occupation of new ecospaces challenges our understanding of ancestral speciation and the relationships of modern species. At the molecular level, rapid radiation with successive speciations over short time periods—too short to fix polymorphic alleles—is described as incomplete lineage sorting. Incomplete lineage sorting leads to random fixation of genetic markers and hence, random signals of relationships in phylogenetic reconstructions. The situation is further complicated when you consider that the genome is a mosaic of ancestral and modern incompletely sorted sequence blocks that leads to reconstructed affiliations to one or the other relative, depending on the fixation of their shared ancestral polymorphic alleles. The laurasiatherian relationships among Chiroptera, Perissodactyla, Cetartiodactyla, and Carnivora present a prime example for such enigmatic affiliations. We performed whole-genome screenings for phylogenetically diagnostic retrotransposon insertions involving the representatives bat (Chiroptera), horse (Perissodactyla), cow (Cetartiodactyla), and dog (Carnivora), and extracted among 162,000 preselected cases 102 virtually homoplasy-free, phylogenetically informative retroelements to draw a complete picture of the highly complex evolutionary relations within Laurasiatheria. All possible evolutionary scenarios received considerable retrotransposon support, leaving us with a network of affiliations. However, the Cetartiodactyla–Carnivora relationship as well as the basal position of Chiroptera and an ancestral laurasiatherian hybridization process did exhibit some very clear, distinct signals. The significant accordance of retrotransposon presence/absence patterns and flanking nucleotide changes suggest an important influence of mosaic genome structures in the reconstruction of species histories.
[N-(2-Anilinoethyl)-N′-(trimethylsilyl)benzenecarboximidamidato-κ3
N,N′,N′′](benzonitrile-κN)trichloridozirconium(IV)
Authors: Li Wei , Bai Shengdi , Su Feng , Duan Xine , Liu Diansheng
Published: March 2017

There are two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Zr(C18H24N3Si)Cl3(C7H5N)], which are connected by an N—H...Cl hydrogen bond. The Zr atoms are seven-coordinate and possess a distorted pentagonal–bipyramidal geometry. In the crystal, molecules are connected by N—H...Cl hydrogen bonds, forming ribbons along [010].
4,6-Di-tert-butyl-2-{(E)-[4-(dimethylamino)phenylimino]methyl}phenol
Authors: Rani C. Vidya , Mitu L. , Chakkaravarthi G. , Rajagopal G.
Published: March 2017

The title compound, C23H32N2O, adopts an E conformation about the C=N bond. The dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 25.39 (14)°. One of the tert-butyl groups has rotational disorder, with site occupancies of 0.716 (3) and 0.284 (3). An intramolecular O—H...N hydrogen bond is present, forming an S(6) ring motif.
Forecasting Kansas land values using net farm income
Authors: Featherstone Allen M. , Taylor Mykel R. , Gibson Heather
Published: March 2017

Purpose

With the decline of US net farm income from $123.8 billion in 2013 to $71.5 billion forecasted for 2016, concern has developed regarding the future path of agricultural land values. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between net farm income, cash rents and land values in the state of Kansas and provides insight regarding future land values.

Design/methodology/approach

This study estimates partial adjustment models for cash rent and land values and uses those results to infer long-run capitalization rates and earnings multipliers. These models are used to forecast Kansas land values through 2018 and also the long-run price of farmland given 2016 expectations.

Findings

Land adjusts to changes in Kansas net farm income slowly with a one-year elasticity of 6.7 percent. The long-run elasticity is 96.9 percent which is very close to the 100 percent suggested by the theoretical income capitalization model. The long-run multiplier for income in Kansas is 21.71 which implies a capitalization rate of 4.61 percent. The estimated results suggest that Kansas land values would peak in 2016 and begin to slowly decline. If market conditions were to remain the same, land values would ultimately decrease to $1,171 per acre, a 28 percent decline from current levels.

Originality/value

Declines of the magnitude in estimated land values could negatively affect the financial condition of the sector. Factors such as a change in the long-run capitalization rate or unexpected supply or demand shocks for agricultural commodities globally could certainly alter the long-term prospects. However, current expectations as of March 2016 suggest that farmers will face difficult conditions over the next few years.
A disequilibrium evaluation of public intervention in agricultural credit markets
Authors: Hubbs Todd , Kuethe Todd
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Agricultural producers rely on debt capital to support many functions of their enterprise, yet private credit markets are frequently characterized by an imbalance between supply and demand. As a result, a number of public lending programs exist to mitigate the perceived market failures of private credit markets that serve agricultural producers. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a structural disequilibrium model to examine the potential for excess demand or supply in the private market for non-real estate farm loans between 1978 and 2014.

Findings

The model demonstrates that the market is frequently characterized by disequilibrium, fluctuating between periods of excess demand and excess supply. These disequilibrium periods motivate the discussion of public intervention as a policy proposal within the agricultural sector.

Originality/value

This study uses traditional disequilibrium modeling to evaluate the private credit market for agriculture lending in a manner that has not been attempted previously in the literature. The model uses maximum likelihood methods with non-linear solution algorithms to investigate excess supply and demand in the sector.
Factors affecting risk-rating migration
Authors: Featherstone Allen M. , Wilson Christine A. , Zollinger Lance M.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine empirical customer account data from 2006 through 2012 to review the probability of default (PD) rating methodology implemented by a FCS association for production agricultural accounts. This analysis provides insight into the migration of accounts across the association’s currently established PD rating categories with negative migration being a precursor to potential loan default.

Design/methodology/approach

The data set contained 17,943 observations from the years 2006 to 2012 and consisted of various fields of data including balance sheet date, earnings statement date, and PD rating as of the statement date. The methods include analysis on the dynamics of the PD ratings and component ratios. OLS regression was used to analyze the data to see how the current period PD rating and component ratios affected the PD rating one year, three years, and five years out. OLS regression examined the statistical significance of the PD ratings and ratio components for this analysis. The dependent variable, Future PD Rating, represents the assigned PD rating for the observed farm either one, three, or five years into the future. It is expected that the initial PD rating in any given year would have a positive relationship, and be statistically significant in estimating future PD ratings. The independent variables are the current PD rating and the various component ratios of the inverse current ratio (CR), the debt to asset ratio (D/A), the gross profit to total liabilities ratio, the inverse debt coverage ratio, working capital to gross profit, and funded debt to EBITDA.

Findings

Results indicate that financial ratio information gathered today can do a good job forecasting PD ratings up to three years in the future. CR information does not forecast five years into the future very well. Thus, there is an important need to update financial information on a regular basis. The results indicate that the D/A information is very important in predicting risk ratings. As the production agriculture sector has experienced difficult financial conditions during 2014 and 2015, agricultural finance institutions need to obtain up-to-date financial information from their clientele to effectively assess the risk of and manage their financial portfolio.

Originality/value

Several previous works have examined and established models to assess risk in agricultural lending. This research adds to this body of work by examining the migration of an account’s risk-rating class over time using actual lender account data.
Heterogeneity in loss aversion: evidence from field elicitations
Authors: Sproul Thomas , Michaud Clayton P.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Prospect theory is now widely accepted as the dominant model of choice under risk, but has not been fully incorporated into applied research because of uncertainty about how to include population-level parameter estimates. The purpose of this paper is to characterize heterogeneity across people to lay a foundation for future applied research.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses elicitation data from field experiments in Vietnam to fit a finite Gaussian mixture model using the expectation maximization algorithm. Applied results are simulated for investment allocations under myopic loss aversion.

Findings

The authors find that about 20 percent of the sample is classified as extremely loss averse, while the rest of the population is only mildly loss averse. This implies a bimodal distribution of loss aversion in the population.

Research limitations/implications

The data set is only moderately sized: 181 subjects. Future research will be needed to extend these results out of sample, and to other regions.

Originality/value

This paper provides empirical evidence that heterogeneity matters in prospect theory modeling. It highlights how policy makers might be misled by assuming that average prospect theory parameters are typical within the population.
Following beginning farm income and wealth over time
Authors: Williamson James M.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The paper examines the evolution of beginning farms’ income statement and balance sheet items over a 15-year period. The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the diversity of beginning farms from a financial point of view.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), the author constructs a synthetic panel of data consisting of age cohorts of beginning farmers and follow them over time. Baseline financial information for the farm income statement and balance sheet is examined in 1999 and again in 2014 for each cohort.

Findings

Overall, there is a marked contrast in the evolution in the income statement between beginning farmers who are under 45 years old and those over 45. The gross cash income of the youngest cohorts grows tremendously, as do their expenses, indicating rapid expansion in production on the part of the youngest cohorts. The change in the balance sheets of the cohorts also provides a glimpse into the changing roles of beginning famers over time. The youngest cohort of beginning farmers increase the current and non-current assets on their balance sheets by a substantial amount, more than doubling both. Furthermore, the youngest cohort is the only group to take on more current liabilities, indicating increased financing of the production expenses.

Practical implications

Differences in the evolution of financial profiles of beginning farms may predict differences in future output, and it could be a predictor of the farm’s operational goals or intentions, as well as predictor of future financial needs and challenges.

Originality/value

Knowing and understanding likely trajectories of beginning farmers may provide an opportunity to better tailor farm programs, outreach, and support to beginning farmers.
The impact of investment on drinking water quality in rural China
Authors: Yue Ai , Shi Yaojiang , Luo Renfu , Zhang Linxiu , Johnson Natalie , Rozelle Scott , Zhao Qiran
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Although access to safe drinking water is one of the most important health-related infrastructure programs in the world, drinking water remains a large problem in China today, especially in rural areas. Despite increased government investment in water resource protection and management, there is still an absence of academic studies that are able to document what path the investment has taken and whether it has had any tangible impact. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of drinking water investment on drinking water in China.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors make use of nationally representative data from 2005 and 2012 to measure the impact of drinking water investment among 2,028 rural households in 101 villages across five provinces. Both ordinary least squares regression and probit regression are used to analyze the correlates and the impact of drinking water investment.

Findings

The authors demonstrate that water quality was likely a significant problem in 2004 but that China’s investment into drinking water appears to have resulted in initial improvements during the study period. The authors show that the most significant change came about in terms of hardware: villages that received more drinking water investment now have more piped tap water and more access to water treatment infrastructure (disinfecting and filtering facilities). High rates of rural resident satisfaction with drinking water suggest the effects of drinking water investment are being felt at the village level.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study on drinking water investment over time in rural China using nationally representative data.
Funding challenges of Latin American women start-up founders in the technology industry
Authors: Kuschel Katherina , Lepeley María-Teresa , Espinosa Fernanda , Gutiérrez Sebastián
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Women in entrepreneurship can have a significant impact on economic and social development globally and particularly in developing countries. But the challenges entrepreneurial women face are unique and multiple, pressing the need for research and policies to maximize impact. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the challenges women start-up founders face to secure funding in the technology industry. The tech industry was selected because it is a non-traditional industry for women with high potential for role models to bridge an existing gap in information on women start-up founders to secure capital financing to attain business sustainability. It covers venture capital investors’ role, Latin American cultural reasons, and gender.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on an inductive, qualitative approach and in-depth interviews with 20 women entrepreneurs and start-up founders from Latin American countries who received support from the Chilean Government sponsored accelerator “Start-Up Chile.”

Findings

The analysis uncovered ten aspects that impact entrepreneurial women founders’ access to capital in three categories: capital needs, networks, and individual characteristics.

Originality/value

This study identifies factors that affect women entrepreneurs in raising capital and in facing the following challenges: first, working in a non-traditional field for women as it is the technology industry, and second assuming a leadership role as start-up founders. The results offer recommendation with potential to drive public policies in Latin America, which may be scalable to other developing and also to developed countries where market systems prevail. The findings show that women entrepreneurs, but also men, seeking start-up financing and alternatives are a viable source of employment and economic sustainability to mitigate the effects of increasing levels of unemployment worldwide.
The role of citizens in DRR planning exercises: when to inform or consult
Authors: Kornakova Maria , March Alan
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to explore the role and effectiveness of particular participation styles that affect the effectiveness of urban planning being integrated with disaster risk reduction (DRR) practices.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was conducted using a heuristic approach to the examination of urban planning and DRR practices focussing particularly upon citizens’ participation in four case studies internationally: the UK floods in 2007; Hurricane Katrina in the USA in 2005; wildfires of 2009 in Victoria, Australia; and Swiss avalanche prevention and preparedness. Desktop research was conducted to analyse cases and identify key findings, confirmed and augmented by interviews with relevant specialists in each country through semi-structured interviews.

Findings

The research reveals some similarities across all four cases studied. It appears that urban planning and DRR approaches, particularly those with a regulatory outcome and based on highly technical tests, are common. Further, it is apparent in the cases studied that circumstances where deeper technical knowledge and/or self-interest are strong factors, that informing and sometimes consulting styles are the most appropriate. While the scope of the paper means that this principle cannot be widely applied, there is a need to investigate these issues further.

Research limitations/implications

The heuristic and inductive nature of this research limits the potential for in-depth analyses of the case studies, but rather provides a base for future research in this area, which currently has limited literature.

Originality/value

This study provides a wide base for future research and partially addresses the gap in the literature on the topic of integration of urban planning and DRR with a focus on the community involvement in it.
Employee workplace representation in Belgium: effects on firm performance
Authors: van den Berg Annette , van Witteloostuijn Arjen , Van der Brempt Olivier
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether works councils (WCs) in Belgium have a positive effect on firm performance, notably productivity and profitability, while taking the role of trade unions into account.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first introduce the typical Belgian industrial relations system, discussing the similarities and differences with neighboring countries. This is followed by a brief overview of the relevant literature. Subsequently, the impact of Belgian employee representation on firm performance is estimated by means of OLS, using a newly developed questionnaire administered among Belgian CEOs. Special attention is given to moderating and mediating effects.

Findings

The authors find that Belgian WCs have a small (direct) significantly positive effect on labor productivity, but not on profitability. The additional results of the mediation test show tentatively that WCs might affect profitability indirectly, through their impact on productivity. Despite trade unions’ dominance in practice, the findings reveal that their impact is insignificant.

Research limitations/implications

Although nationwide, rich and representative, as well as statistically valid, the data set is rather small (196 usable observations). The data set offers ample opportunities to further explore what makes effective Belgian WCs different from their non-effective counterparts.

Originality/value

The data set is unique, and combines subjective CEO with objective performance data. The data offer the opportunity to do a first study into the special case of Belgium, which has a distinct union-dominated IR regime. In this study, the focus is furthermore on the rarely studied WC-trade union interaction. In addition, subtle moderation and mediation effects are estimated.
Parental influence on female vocational intentions in the Arabian Gulf
Authors: Rutledge Emilie , Madi Mohammed
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine parental career-related behavior (PCB) in relation to the vocational intentions of female nationals enrolled at higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual framework was constructed to examine the interplay between the PCB factors of support, interference and lack of engagement, against context-relevant dimensions of gendered sociocultural barriers, public sector preferences and the likelihood itself of labor market entry. Survey data from face-to-face encounters (n=335) was collected.

Findings

Parental support was found to significantly reduce the perceived sociocultural barriers to workforce participation. Parental interference amplified these barriers and also increased public sector preferences. Those with educated fathers were more likely to seek labor market entry and consider atypical career paths, while those with a parent working in the private sector were more willing to consider this sector.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation was a sample comprising only female students, nonetheless it implies PCB has an impact on “national” female labor force participation (FLFP). Therefore, seeking to engage parents as more active stakeholders in vocationally related HEI interventions would benefit from greater policy attention.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to consider parental influence on FLFP using the PCB construct. Its value is in the framework model presented and its contribution to the discourse on the Arabian Gulf’s labor market dynamics.
Reducing the use and impact of solitary confinement in corrections
Authors: Ahalt Cyrus , Haney Craig , Rios Sarah , Fox Matthew P. , Farabee David , Williams Brie
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Although the reform of solitary confinement is underway in many jurisdictions around world, isolation remains in widespread use in many jails and prisons. The purpose of this paper is to discuss opportunities for reform in the USA that could also be applied globally.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the evidence on solitary confinement policies and practices in the USA to develop recommendations for reform with global application.

Findings

Focusing on this evidence, the authors argue that solitary confinement is overused and recommend a multi-level approach available to correctional systems worldwide including: immediately limiting solitary confinement to only those cases in which a violent behavioral infraction has been committed for which safety cannot otherwise be achieved, ensuring the briefest terms of isolation needed to achieve legitimate and immediate correctional goals, prohibiting its use entirely for some populations, regularly reviewing all isolated prisoners for as-soon-as-possible return to general population, including the immediate return of those showing mental and physical health risk factors, assisting individuals who are transitioning out of isolation (either to the general population or to the community), and partnering with medical, public health, and criminal justice experts to develop evidence-based alternatives to solitary confinement for nearly all prisoners.

Originality/value

This paper provides an overview of the evidence supporting an overhaul of solitary confinement policy in the USA and globally where solitary confinement remains in wide use and offers recommendations for immediate steps that can be taken toward achieving evidence-based solitary confinement reform.
The user cost of housing in the Baltic states
Authors: Kulikauskas Darius
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to use the user costs approach to identify the periods of over- and under-valuation in the Baltic residential real estate markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Three alternative estimates of the user costs of homeownership in the Baltics are computed: one that does not discriminate between the leveraged and unleveraged parts of a house and the other that takes loan-to-value ratios into account.

Findings

The approach successfully identifies the overheating that took place in the Baltic real estate markets prior to the crisis of 2009 and shows that there is significant upward pressure for the housing prices in the Baltics in the low interest rate environment that became prevalent ever since.

Research limitations/implications

The paper uses only the current values of the fundamentals to compute the user costs. The framework could be augmented to account for the expected future developments of the fundamentals.

Practical implications

The macroprudential policy makers should monitor the developments in the Baltic residential real estate markets closely and be ready to act because an increase in the price-to-rent ratios might seem sustainable, given the current low interest rates, but could potentially bring harmful volatility when the monetary policy normalises.

Originality/value

This paper builds a novel data set on the real estate markets of the Baltic countries and is the first to derive the user costs of homeownership in the region. It is also among the first to identify periods of housing price misalignments from their fundamental values in the Baltic States.
Impact of energy performance on transaction prices
Authors: Taltavull Paloma , Anghel Ion , Ciora Costin
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to estimate the green premium effect of retrofitted apartments in Bucharest and draw comparisons with international examples.

Design/methodology/approach

A geo-referenced transaction database including information on whether the property had been retrofitted is utilised. The paper uses two approaches to test the green premium. One is a hedonic model controlled by areas to estimate the price incentive of a green building. The second is a STAR GLS model evaluating the diffusion effect of house prices spatially by sub-market and assessment upon the pricing effect of green characteristics.

Findings

The authors’ findings suggest a green premium in two Bucharest areas of between 2.2 per cent and 6.5 per cent. Spatial diffusion effects are shown to contribute positively to house prices, but the unobserved spatial component reduces this effect.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to assess price impacts of green characteristics in Bucharest and one of the first analysing green premium using spatial techniques. The analysis is of significance to policymakers and real estate developers.
SEC requires hedge funds to prevent insider trading despite unsettled legal definition
Authors: Morgan Nicolas , Zwickel Art , Zaccaro Thomas A. , Doan Jenifer Q.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

To explain the import of a recent enforcement action by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against an investment adviser for failing to prevent insider trading against the context of an unsettled legal definition of “insider trading” as evidenced by the issue presented in a recent case before the US Supreme Court.

Design/methodology/approach

Reviews the principal issues raised by the SEC in its enforcement action, legal requirements imposed on investment advisers, and the insider trading issues presented by the US Supreme Court case.

Findings

Because the legal concept of insider trading has developed through case law and is not defined by statute, it remains uncertain, and therefore the practice of insider trading will be difficult to prevent without restricting activities that could ultimately be determined to be legal.

Practical implications

In light of the SEC’s high threshold for investment advisers to prevent insider trading and the uncertain legal definition of that concept, investment advisers should review their insider trading policies and err on the side of caution.

Originality/value

Practical guidance from an experienced former SEC counsel and SEC practitioners offers new insights into the steps investment advisers should take in response to SEC enforcement activities and nebulous legal definitions.
Marketing non-US private equity funds in the United States: a roadmap through the various regulations and tax implications
Authors: Greene David , Clark Barton , Coe Cheryl , FitzGerald Sean , Kowalczyk Nancy , Kestenbaum Adam , Valdez Yvette , Weeks Ashley
Published: March 2017

Purpose

To discuss general legal considerations for non-US private equity sponsors who seek to market their funds to US institutional investors.

Design/methodology/approach

Explains relevant aspects of US securities laws, commodity exchange laws, pension and employee benefit plan laws, federal income tax laws, and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

Findings

The evolving US regulatory regime necessitates careful planning and thorough knowledge of relevant laws and regulations to effect a successful US marketing effort.

Originality/value

Practical guidance from experienced investment funds and tax lawyers.