bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Psychological Impact of the SARS Epidemic on Hospital Employees in China: Exposure, Risk Perception, and Altruistic Acceptance of Risk
Authors: Wu Ping , Fang Yunyun , Guan Zhiqiang , Fan Bin , Kong Junhui , Yao Zhongling , Liu Xinhua , Fuller Cordelia J , Susser Ezra , Lu Jin , Hoven Christina W
Published: July 2017

Objective:

We examined the psychological impact of the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) on hospital employees in Beijing, China.

Methods:

In 2006, randomly selected employees ( n = 549) of a hospital in Beijing were surveyed concerning their exposure to the 2003 SARS outbreak, and the ways in which the outbreak had affected their mental health.

Results:

About 10% of the respondents had experienced high levels of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms since the SARS outbreak. Respondents who had been quarantined, or worked in high-risk locations such as SARS wards, or had friends or close relatives who contracted SARS, were 2 to 3 times more likely to have high PTS symptom levels, than those without these exposures. Respondents' perceptions of SARS-related risks were significantly positively associated with PTS symptom levels and partially mediated the effects of exposure. Altruistic acceptance of work-related risks was negatively related to PTS levels.

Conclusions:

The psychological impact of stressful events related to an infectious disease outbreak may be mediated by peoples' perceptions of those events; altruism may help to protect some health care workers against these negative impacts.
Treatment of Tobacco Dependence in Mental Health and Addictive Disorders
Authors: Hitsman Brian , Moss Taryn G , Montoya Ivan D , George Tony P
Published: July 2017

People with mental health and addictive (MHA) disorders smoke at high rates and require tobacco treatment as a part of their comprehensive psychiatric care. Psychiatric care providers often do not address tobacco use among people with mental illness, possibly owing to the belief that their patients will not be able to quit successfully or that even short-term abstinence will adversely influence psychiatric status. Progress in the development of treatments has been slow in part because smokers with current MHA disorders have been excluded from most smoking cessation trials. There are several smoking cessation treatment options, including psychological and pharmacological interventions, that should be offered to people with an MHA disorder who smoke. Building motivation and readiness to quit smoking is a major challenge, and therefore motivational interventions are essential. We review the treatment options for people with tobacco dependence and MHA disorders, offer recommendations on tobacco assessment and tailored treatment strategies, and provide suggestions for future research. Treatment efficacy could be enhanced through promoting smoking reduction as an initial treatment goal, extending duration of treatment, and delivering it within an integrated care model that also aims to reduce the availability of tobacco in MHA treatment settings and in the community.
Use of Administrative Data for the Surveillance of Mental Disorders in 5 Provinces
Authors: Kisely Stephen , Lin Elizabeth , Lesage Alain , Gilbert Charles , Smith Mark , Campbell Leslie Anne , Vasiliadis Helen-Maria
Published: July 2017

Objective:

To evaluate the usefulness of administrative data for the surveillance of mental illness in Canada using databases in the following 5 provinces: British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Alberta.

Method:

We used a population-based record-linkage analysis with data from physician billings, hospital discharge abstracts, and community-based clinics. The following diagnostic codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, were used to define cases: 290 to 319, inclusive.

Results:

The prevalence of treated psychiatric disorder was similar in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario at about 15%. The prevalence for Quebec was slightly lower at 12%. Findings from the provinces showed remarkable consistency across age and sex, despite variations in data coding. Women tended to show a higher prevalence overall of treated mental disorders than men. Prevalence increased steadily to middle age, declining in the 50s and 60s, and then increasing again after age 70 years.

Conclusions:

Provincial and territorial administrative data can provide a useful, reliable, and economical source of information for the surveillance of treated mental disorders. Such a surveillance system can provide longitudinal data at little cost to support health service provision and planning.
The National Trajectory Project of Individuals Found Not Criminally Responsible on Account of Mental Disorder in Canada. Part 4: Criminal Recidivism
Authors: Charette Yanick , Crocker Anne G , Seto Michael C , Salem Leila , Nicholls Tonia L , Caulet Malijai
Published: July 2017

Objective:

To examine criminal recidivism rates of a large sample of people found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (NCRMD) in Canada's 3 most populous provinces, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. Public concern about the dangerousness of people found NCRMD has been fed by media attention on high-profile cases. However, little research is available on the rate of reoffending among people found NCRMD across Canadian provinces.

Method:

Using data from the National Trajectory Project, this study examined 1800 men and women in British Columbia ( n = 222), Ontario ( n = 484), and Quebec ( n = 1094) who were found NCRMD between May 2000 and April 2005 and followed until December 2008.

Results:

Recidivism was relatively low after 3 years (17%). There were interprovincial differences after controlling for number of prior criminal offences, diagnosis, seriousness of the index offence, and supervision by the review boards. British Columbia (10%) and Ontario (9%) were similar, whereas Quebec had almost twice the recidivism (22%). People who had committed severe violent index offences were less likely to reoffend than those who had committed less severe offences. People from the sample were less likely to reoffend when under the purview of review boards, across all 3 provinces.

Conclusion:

The results of this study, along with other research on processing differences, suggest systemic differences in the trajectories and outcomes of persons found NCRMD need to be better understood to guide national policies and practices.
Is Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Being Overdiagnosed?
Authors: Paris Joel , Bhat Venkat , Thombs Brett
Published: July 2017

This review offers a perspective on the question as to whether attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is being overdiagnosed in adults. Considering underlying causes as well as consequences, we conclude that the diagnosis of adult ADHD should be made cautiously, making use of multiple sources of information, including self-report, clinical interviews, collateral information, childhood documentation, and neuropsychological testing. Routine screening with symptom checklists is insufficient, and stimulant response is diagnostically uninformative. The causes of overdiagnosis may include changes in diagnostic thresholds, poor diagnostic practices, and advertising by the pharmaceutical industry. Overdiagnosis leads to overtreatment, and dramatic increases in prescriptions for adult ADHD during the last decade should arouse concern.
Explicit and Implicit Attitudes of Canadian Psychiatrists toward People with Mental Illness
Authors: Dabby Layla , Tranulis Constantin , Kirmayer Laurence J
Published: July 2017

Objective:

People with mental illness suffer stigma and discrimination across various contexts, including the health care setting, and clinicians' attitudes play an important role in perpetuating stigma. Effective stigma-reduction interventions for physicians require a better understanding of explicit (that is, conscious and controllable) and implicit (that is, subconscious and automatic) forms of bias, and of predictors and moderators of stigma.

Methods:

Members of a Canadian university psychiatry department and of the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) were invited to participate in a web-based study consisting of 2 measures of explicit attitudes, the Social Distance Scale (SDS) and the Opening Minds Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC), and 1 measure of implicit attitudes, the Implicit Association Test (IAT).

Results:

Thirty-five psychiatry residents and 68 psychiatrists completed the study (response rates of 12.1% for the university sample and 3.3% for the CPA sample). Participants desired greater social distance from the vignette patient with schizophrenia. Mean IAT scores, although negative, did not reach the threshold for a meaningful effect size. Patient contact positively predicted IAT scores, while age, sex, and level of training (resident, compared with psychiatrist) did not. Neither patient contact nor implicit attitudes predicted SDS or OMS-HC scores.

Conclusion:

Psychiatrists did not differ from psychiatry residents on any measures of explicit or implicit attitudes toward mental illness. Explicit attitudes toward people with mental illness were relatively negative; implicit attitudes were neither negative nor positive; and implicit and explicit attitudes were not correlated. Greater patient contact predicted more positive implicit attitudes, but did not predict explicit attitudes.
An Exceptional Sociology: Nathan Glazer and the Intransigence of Race
Authors: Loyal Steven
Published: July 2017

This comment on Nathan Glazer's essay sets it in the context of Glazer's distinguished academic career, discusses contemporary sociological thinking about American exceptionalism in race relations, and considers how the reproduction of certain beliefs and values, including diversity and inequality, can be explained sociologically.
National Identity, Rugby Union and Notions of Ireland and the ‘Irish’
Authors: Maguire Joseph , Tuck Jason
Published: July 2017

This paper seeks to examine issues of identity and national habitus from an Eliasian perspective. In doing so, it casts critically light on the making of Irish identity in the post-Second World War period. Specific reference is given to one case study, namely the sport of rugby union. This sport does appear to have been significantly connected to the national habitus of Ireland during the post-war period (especially since the 1960s) and creates a highly visible, ‘glocal’, arena for the testing of ‘Irish’ and ‘British/English’ identity. This case study highlights how contested notions of Irish identity are, and how, in this post-war period, a less deferential and more assertive Irish habitus was and is evident relative to their former colonial masters, the English. In that sense, instead of exhibiting a sense of group disgrace, the Irish now claim a widening field of identification and a more confident group charisma.
Catholicism and the Construction of Communal Identity in Northern Ireland
Authors: Mitchell Claire
Published: July 2017

It is a common misconception that religion in Northern Ireland is merely a marker of ethnicity. Particularly for Catholics, religion is thought to represent, but not play a part in constructing, social differences. This paper urges re-examination of how the relationships between religion and politics are conceived, and argues that analysis must extend beyond linkages between theological beliefs and political preferences. Other dimensions of religion, such as its role in the construction of community and identity as well as its institutional influence, are much more useful in understanding the social significance of Catholicism. The paper concludes that when these dimensions of religion are examined, we find that Catholicism is much more than an ethno-national marker, and has in fact been enormously important in the politics of conflict, and in the continuing construction of communal identity, in Northern Ireland.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Employer Matching of Employees’ Monetary Contributions to Deposit Contracts to Promote Weight Loss
Authors: Kullgren Jeffrey T. , Troxel Andrea B. , Loewenstein George , Norton Laurie A. , Gatto Dana , Tao Yuanyuan , Zhu Jingsan , Schofield Heather , Shea Judy A. , Asch David A. , Pellathy Thomas , Driggers Jay , Volpp Kevin G.
Published: July 2017

Purpose:

To test whether employer matching of employees’ monetary contributions increases employees’ (1) participation in deposit contracts to promote weight loss and (2) weight loss.

Design:

A 36-week randomized trial.

Setting:

Large employer in the northeast United States.

Participants:

One hundred thirty-two obese employees.

Interventions:

Over 24 weeks, participants were asked to lose 24 pounds and randomized to monthly weigh-ins or daily weigh-ins with monthly opportunities to deposit $1 to $3 per day that was not matched, matched 1:1, or matched 2:1. Deposits and matched funds were returned to participants for each day they were below their goal weight.

Measures:

Rates of making ≥1 deposit, weight loss at 24 weeks (primary outcome), and 36 weeks.

Analysis:

Deposit rates were compared using χ2 tests. Weight loss was compared using t tests.

Results:

Among participants eligible to make deposits, 29% made ≥1 deposit and matching did not increase participation. At 24 weeks, control participants gained an average of 1.0 pound, whereas 1:1 match participants lost an average of 5.3 pounds ( P = .005). After 36 weeks, control participants gained an average of 2.1 pounds, whereas no match participants lost an average of 5.1 pounds ( P = .008).

Conclusion:

Participation in deposit contracts to promote weight loss was low, and matching deposits did not increase participation. For deposit contracts to impact population health, ongoing participation will need to be higher.
Improving Healthy Eating and the Bottom Line
Authors: Patsch Amy J. , Smith Jennifer Howard , Liebert Mina L. , Behrens Timothy K. , Charles Tami
Published: July 2017

Purpose:

To evaluate the impact of a health-promoting price intervention on food sales and profit.

Design:

Nonrandomized evaluation study.

Setting:

Two hospital cafeterias.

Participants:

Hospital employees (2800) were the priority population.

Intervention:

During baseline phase, healthy versions of existing unhealthy items were introduced. The intervention phase included marketing and price incentives/disincentives for healthy and unhealthy items, with a 35% price differential.

Measures:

Average and proportional change in sales and impact on financial outcomes were assessed.

Analysis:

Two-way factorial analyses of variance and two-proportion Z-score tests were run to assess change in sales. Independent samples t tests were used to test for changes in profit.

Results:

Significant impact was demonstrated on all burger sales in the desired direction during intervention ( P < .001). Most notably, the average weekly turkey burger sales at Penrose Hospital (PH) increased 13-fold (10.85-145.59) and became the majority of the market share (51.8%, P < .001). For salads, significant interaction between phase and food type was found at St. Francis Medical Center (SFMC) ( P = .002) but not at PH ( P = .304). Healthy PH salads were popular at baseline and intervention, comprising the majority of the market share throughout the entire study (68.4%-70.2%, respectively, P = .238). Cafeteria gross sales and burger profit ( P < .001) increased at both cafeterias.

Conclusion:

Incentivizing consumers through price interventions changed hospital cafeteria food sales in the desired direction while improving the bottom line.
How ‘healthy’ are healthcare organizations? Exploring employee healthcare utilization rates among Dutch healthcare organizations
Authors: Bronkhorst Babette
Published: July 2017

Occupational health and safety research rarely makes use of data on employee healthcare utilization to gain insight into the physical and mental health of healthcare staff. This paper aims to fill this gap by examining the prevalence of two relevant types of healthcare utilization among staff working in healthcare organizations: physical therapy and mental healthcare utilization. The paper furthermore explores what role employee and organizational characteristics play in explaining differences in healthcare utilization between organizations. A Dutch healthcare insurance company provided healthcare utilization records for a sample of 417 organizations employing 136,804 healthcare workers in the Netherlands. The results showed that there are large differences between and within healthcare industries when it comes to employee healthcare utilization. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that employee characteristics such as age and gender distributions, and healthcare industry, explain some of the variance between healthcare organizations. Nevertheless, the results of the analyses showed that for all healthcare utilization indicators there is still a large amount of unexplained variance. Further research into the subject of organizational differences in employee healthcare utilization is needed, as finding possibilities to influence employee health and subsequent healthcare utilization is beneficial to employees, employers and society as a whole.
The Use, Design, Synthesis, and Properties of High Performance/High Temperature Polymers: An Overview
Authors: Hergenrother Paul M.
Published: July 2017

An overview of the definition and development of, factors that contribute to, applications and markets for and the design of high performance/high temperature polymers is presented. Of the many families of high performance/high temperature polymers known, the most popular families consisting of polyimides, polyarylene ethers and phenylethynyl-terninated oligomers are used to demonstrate the basic principles in polymer development. Chemical structure/property relationships are used to show how polymers can be designed with a unique combination of properties. The estimated worldwide market for high temperature polymers in 2000 was 206,700,000 kgs constituting $4.36B with polyimides comprising 3,982,000 kgs or $1 .07B (24% of the dollar value). With an improvement in the world economy, this market is predicted to grow substantially
Polyimides Containing Trans-1,4-cyclohexane Unit. Polymerizability of their Precursors and Low-CTE, Low-K and High-Tg Properties
Authors: Hasegawa Masatoshi , Koyanaka Masaki
Published: July 2017

The structure-polymerizability relationship has been investigated in a series of polyimide (PI) precursor, poly(amic acid) systems obtained from trans-1,4-cyclohexanediamine (CHDA) and various dianhydrides. The results have shown that the systems examined in this work can be classified into three groups on the basis of the solubility of the salt formed at the initial reaction stage: (A) polymerization proceeds at room temperature via gradual salt dissolution; (B) polymerization is initiated upon heating at an appropriate temperature; (C) no reaction takes place under any conditions owing to the formation of completely insoluble salt. The polymerizability based on the salt solubility in each system was considered from the points of view of the strength of acid in an initially formed low-molecular weight amic acid and their steric structures. In order to improve the non-polymerizability in the systems of group C, sequencecontrolled copolymerization was carried out using a rod-like fluorinated diamine as a comonomer and this resulted in high-molecular weight CHDA-containing copoly(amic acid)s. The properties of a series of CHDA-based PIs have also been investigated. Some of them simultaneously achieved a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), a low dielectric constant (K), a high glass transition temperature (T9) and good film flexibility The structure-property relationship indicates the molecular-design of low-K and low-CTE PI materials.
Impacts of multiple pilot diesel injections on the premixed combustion of ethanol fuel
Authors: Gao Tongyang , Yu Shui , Li Tie , Zheng Ming
Published: July 2017

Engine experiments were carried out to study the impact of multiple pilot injections of a diesel fuel on dual-fuel combustion with a premixed ethanol fuel, using compression ignition. Because of the contrasting volatility and the reactivity characteristics of the two fuels, the appropropriate scheduling of pilot diesel injections in a high-pressure direct-injection process is found to be effective for improving the clean and efficient combustion of ethanol which is premixed with air using a low-pressure port injection. The timing and duration of each of the multiple pilot injections were investigated, in conjunction with the use of exhaust gas recirculation and intake air boosting to accommodate the variations in the engine load. For correct fuel and air management, an early pilot injection of fuel acted effectively as the reactivity improver to the background ethanol, whereas a late pilot injection acted deterministically to initiate combustion. The experimental results further revealed a set of pilot injection strategies which resulted in an increased ethanol ratio, thereby reducing the emission reductions while retaining a moderate pressure rise rate during combustion.
Design and optimization of a cam-actuated electrohydraulic brake system
Authors: Durali Laaleh , Khajepour Amir , Jeon Soo
Published: July 2017

Although different types of brake-by-wire mechanism including electrohydraulic brakes, electromechanical brakes, electronic wedge brakes and distributed electrohydraulic brakes have been developed in the past two decades, there is still an increasing demand for further improvement and also for development of new brake mechanisms in the automotive industry because of the escalating requirements for higher safety and better performance. This paper proposes a novel brake-by-wire system based on the cam actuation mechanism. The proposed cam-actuated electrohydraulic brake system is a combination of an electrical component, a mechanical component and a hydraulic component. The unique feature of the proposed cam-actuated electrohydraulic brake system is that the characteristics of the motor torque amplification can be optimized by careful design of the cam shape. The overall structure of the cam-actuated electrohydraulic brake system is described, and the dynamic model of the system is developed. Optimum design of the cam-actuated electrohydraulic brake system is obtained by multi-objective optimization, and the obtained simulation results are discussed. The compactness and the self-contained characteristics of the design enable the brake system to be installed on each wheel, allowing fully independent control of each wheel for better stability control.
Diffusion nonlinear Kalman filter with intermittent observations
Authors: Wang Guoqing , Li Ning , Zhang Yonggang
Published: July 2017

In this article, we consider the distributed nonlinear state estimation over sensor networks under the diffusion Kalman filter paradigm, where data only exchanges among the neighbourhoods of sensors. We first obtain a novel nonlinear Kalman filter with intermittent observations based on cubature Kalman filter. After that, its equivalent information filter is derived, and the proposed diffusion cubature Kalman filter with intermittent observations is designed based on this information filter. The effectiveness of proposed algorithms is demonstrated by a typical target tracking example, and our algorithm has similar estimation accuracy when comparing with existing algorithms while consuming less computation and communication resources.
Simulation and analysis of flow around tilting asymmetric ducted fans mounted at the wing tips of a vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle
Authors: Raeisi Bahram , Alighanbari Hekmat
Published: July 2017

Tilting ducted fans attached to the wing tips of vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicles define new applications for these types of aerial vehicles. This new configuration gives vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicles the ability to hover like helicopters and fly forward like airplanes, which results in using any arbitrary location for take-off and landing combined with increasing range and speed. Furthermore, generating additional lift using asymmetrical shape for the external body of the ducted fans can lead to reducing the wing area and related overall drag, which results in saving more energy. This research provides experimental results from wind tunnel tests in addition to computational fluid dynamics simulations to investigate the advantages of using an asymmetrical tilting ducted fan instead of a symmetrical one. “actuator disk model” combined with the assumption of “constant delivered power” to the propeller were used successfully to calculate the induced velocity to the rotor plane of the ducted fan in the computational fluid dynamics simulations. The effects of the stall and flow separation on the aerodynamic coefficients were also studied and compared for the symmetrical and asymmetrical ducted fans. Both computational fluid dynamics and experimental results showed noticeable improvement in the lift coefficient using an asymmetrical shape for the external body of the tilting ducted fans.
Managing potential interactions of subsurface resources
Authors: Field B , Barton B , Funnell R , Higgs K , Nicol A , Seebeck H
Published: July 2017

Subsurface resources include oil, gas, coal, groundwater, saline aquifer minerals, and heat (for geothermal use). Pore space itself should also be considered as a resource as it can be used for injection of waste fluids, produced water, storage of natural gas, compressed air, and supercritical CO2. Use of subsurface resources can overlap in space, and pressure changes at one site can remotely influence resource use at other sites. Resource use can also vary in time, such as the use of depleted oil or gas fields for natural gas or CO2 storage. Before allocation of a subsurface resource it is therefore useful to understand the potentially wide range of resources available in an area, how they might be developed successively, and how they could affect each other if used concurrently. While these issues are primarily geological, they have critical significance for legal, environmental, and economic considerations.
Effects of the impeller–volute tongue interaction on the internal flow in a low-specific-speed centrifugal pump with splitter blades
Authors: Gu Yandong , Yuan Shouqi , Pei Ji , Zhang Jinfeng , Zhang Fan , Huang Xi
Published: July 2017

To investigate the effects of the main blades and splitter blades interacting with the volute tongue on the internal flow in a low-specific-speed centrifugal pump, the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equation, coupled with SST k-ω turbulence model, is employed to simulate the transient turbulent flow in the whole flow passage. The numerical simulation results have been verified with the experimental measurements by comparing the head and efficiency. The pressure fluctuation caused by impeller–volute tongue interaction, including time–history and frequency characteristics, is calculated and analyzed at five monitoring points adjoining the impeller outlet and tongue, as well as the torque of a single main blade and a single splitter blade. After that, both the energy loss and vorticity distributions on the middle section are discussed when the impeller rotates to four circumferential positions relative to the cutwater. The results show that the maximum pressures at the monitoring points occur before the blades reach the closest circumferential position with respect to the cutwater, and the peak pressure near the trailing edge of splitter blades is larger than main blades. There is only one torque peak of a single blade in one revolution when the angle between the monitoring blade and tongue is about 15°. Additionally, the torque peak arises before the torque valley, but the pressure valley at monitoring points in the impeller comes earlier than the pressure peak. Both the energy loss and vorticity are enlarged around the volute tongue evidently after the blades pass by the cutwater, and the splitter blades produce more unsteadiness and energy dissipation than main blades.
Time perspective as an antecedent of trust in a manager and its impact on employee attitudes
Authors: Gupta Ritu , Hershey Douglas A
Published: July 2017

A manager’s personality has been demonstrated to have an influence on employees’ level of trust. However, it has yet to be demonstrated whether trust levels are based, in part, on a manager’s time perspective. In this study a between-subjects scenario-based experimental approach was employed, which involved administration of six different scenarios. Each described a hypothetical manager who exhibited one of six time perspectives: past positive, past negative, present hedonistic, present fatalistic, future oriented, and balanced. Participants (N = 630) rated the extent to which the manager could be trusted and what they believed their attitude would be if they were to work for the individual. Findings revealed that managers who exhibited a past positive, future oriented, or balanced time perspective were perceived to be more trustworthy and had higher ratings of trust than supervisors with a past negative or present fatalistic orientation. A path analysis model further demonstrated that employee perceptions of trustworthiness (an antecedent of trust) covary with time perspective, as did employee attitudes (a trust-linked outcome). This research contributes to the development of theory by shedding light on the way interpersonal perceptions shape employee attitudes. From an applied perspective, the findings suggest interpersonal perceptions influence workers’ attitudes toward their manager and their job.
Testing for qualitative heterogeneity: An application to composite endpoints in survival analysis
Authors: Oulhaj Abderrahim , El Ghouch Anouar , Holman Rury R
Published: July 2017

Composite endpoints are frequently used in clinical outcome trials to provide more endpoints, thereby increasing statistical power. A key requirement for a composite endpoint to be meaningful is the absence of the so-called qualitative heterogeneity to ensure a valid overall interpretation of any treatment effect identified. Qualitative heterogeneity occurs when individual components of a composite endpoint exhibit differences in the direction of a treatment effect. In this paper, we develop a general statistical method to test for qualitative heterogeneity, that is to test whether a given set of parameters share the same sign. This method is based on the intersection–union principle and, provided that the sample size is large, is valid whatever the model used for parameters estimation. We propose two versions of our testing procedure, one based on a random sampling from a Gaussian distribution and another version based on bootstrapping. Our work covers both the case of completely observed data and the case where some observations are censored which is an important issue in many clinical trials. We evaluated the size and power of our proposed tests by carrying out some extensive Monte Carlo simulations in the case of multivariate time to event data. The simulations were designed under a variety of conditions on dimensionality, censoring rate, sample size and correlation structure. Our testing procedure showed very good performances in terms of statistical power and type I error. The proposed test was applied to a data set from a single-center, randomized, double-blind controlled trial in the area of Alzheimer’s disease.
Equity in nursing care: A grounded theory study
Authors: Rooddehghan Zahra , ParsaYekta Zohreh , Nasrabadi Alireza N
Published: July 2017

Background:

Equity in providing care is also a major value in the nursing profession. Equitable care aims to provide the entire population with safe, efficient, reliable, and quality nursing services at all levels of health.

Objectives:

This study was conducted to explain the process of the realization of equity in nursing care.

Research design:

This qualitative study uses Glaser’s approach to grounded theory.

Participants and research context:

Sample selection began with convenience sampling and continued with purposive sampling. A total of 27 people were ultimately selected as the study subjects. Data were mainly collected through unstructured in-depth individual interviews plus observation and field notes. The data were then analyzed using the “Six C’s” coding family of Glaser.

Ethical considerations:

The study protocol was approved by the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (91D1302870). Written informed consent was also obtained from all subjects.

Findings:

According to the findings, participants’ main concern in providing equitable care is the rationing of nursing care. The identification of participants’ main concern led to the emergence of the core category of the study, that is, “nurses’ domination.” The other categories revolving around the core category were conceptualized according to the six C’s coding family: “nurses being dominated,” “nurses’ ineffective power in the health system,” “low attention to equitable care in health system,” “lack of clarity in measuring equitable care,” “the health structure’s inconsistency with equity,” and “the inefficiency of the care system.”

Conclusion:

There is a mutual relationship between providing fair care and nurses’ perceptions of equity. Nurses who have themselves experienced equity can provide their patients the experience of equity. This mutual relationship is actualized in a context in which fair care is clearly defined and demanded.
A Case for the Centrality of Ethics in Organizational Transformation
Authors: Smith Raymond D.
Published: July 2017

The author offers a modification and extension of existing organizational transformation approaches by drawing on values-oriented and stakeholder management paradigms currently popular in literature. Many of the current values-based change paradigms offer vague guidance as to how to actually create, implement and sustain a strategically and operationally excellent organization as an extension of a stakeholder-based cultural mindset. Sharing the belief that organizations should be operationally and strategically sound in addition to being stakeholder centred, the suggestions presented represent an attempt to combine the altruism of stakeholder-based management with practical organizational transformation theory to suggest steps for transformation. The approach suggested here, which places a primary emphasis on the organization's moral standing from the individual employee's perspective, is also supported by existing literature on the need for values congruence between organizations and individuals. Thus, the paper's central premise is that organizational transformation, commonly called OT, should begin with a cultural transformation, aimed at raising the level of moral reasoning of the firm as a necessary precursor to a subsequent operational and strategic transformation.
Spandan and the Integral Development of the Human Person: Indian Insights, Experiences and Experiments
Authors: Rao G.P.
Published: July 2017

This paper addresses the issue of dehumanization in the workplace and attempts to offer directions to restore the balance between ‘results’ and ‘relations’ in organizations: The author has drawn inspiration from the classical Indian concept of spandan (vibration) and translates it into actionable values for integral development of the human being at three levels—interpersonal, institutional and cosmic. Using insights from empirical work done in Indian organizations, the author advocates a maternalistic style of management based on human values against the backdrop of an overaching unitarian (advaita) philosophy for evolving holistic management principles and practices in future.
The Investigation of Relationships between MNEs and their Supply Chain Participants: An Examination of Steel and Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: Weisz Saule , Deshpande Anant
Published: July 2017

In this article, the authors have sought to discover an insight into the relationships between multi-national enterprises (MNEs) and their supply chain (SC) participants in the steel and pharmaceutical industries. The authors wanted to gain an insight into how the SC participants viewed their working relationships with MNEs and how this relationship was affected by the growth in size of the MNE and the recent economic downturn. The results obtained confirmed some but not all of the research questions of the authors. The results confirmed that MNEs within the steel and pharmaceutical industry had increased in size and the balance of power in the relationship was firmly with the MNE. The authors presented conclusions based upon the results obtained and factors that limited the authors’ research. In addition the authors also present recommendations and discuss potential areas of further research.
Paradigm Shift from Attracting Footfalls for Retail Store to Getting Hits for E-stores: An Evaluation of Decision-making Attributes in E-tailing
Authors: Kotni V.V. Devi Prasad
Published: July 2017

With the advent of e-tailing, there is a paradigm shift in job of the retailers, where the main concentration is on getting more hits to their website (e-store) rather than attracting the footfalls of customers to their retail outlets. In this changing retail landscape, an attempt has been made to find out the new touch points that influence e-sales. The basic objective of the study is to identify and evaluate the attributes of decision-making of online customers. The attributes in pre-purchase stage, purchase process stage and post-purchase stage of online shopping are listed out separately from the previous studies.
Corporate Governance Codes in BRICS Nations: A Comparative Study
Authors: Majumder Amit , Maiti Sajal Kr. , Banerjea Sudipti
Published: July 2017

The present work attempts to make a comparative analysis among major corporate governance codes of five emerging economies in this world-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa on 14 different significant parameters of corporate governance. The similarities and distinguishing features of corporate governance codes of these five nations are reviewed.
‘Prophets of Doom’: The Zimbabwean Christian Community and Contemporary Politics
Authors: Hove Mediel , Chenzi Vincent
Published: July 2017

Since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, the Christian community was largely silent about Zimbabwe’s economic and political quagmire. However, the country’s growing political and economic turmoil drew the Zimbabwean Christian community into direct confrontation with Mugabe’s administration. The community experienced political awakening after decades of political indifference, passivity and silence. In 2016, several Christian leaders and their denominations publicly challenged the government on several occasions calling for Mugabe to step down and demanded economic reforms. In response, the Mugabe regime employed different tactics to silence and undermine the Christian community.
The role of Capon in multiple myeloma
Authors: Shen Yaodong , Liu Haiyan , Gu Siyu , Wei Ziwei , Liu Hong
Published: July 2017

Capon is a ligand protein of nitric oxide synthase 1. Recently, studies have shown that Capon is involved in the development of tumors. It is independent of the regulation of nitric oxide synthase 1 in this process. At the same time, studies have found that nitric oxide synthase 1 is expressed in multiple myeloma, but its role in the development and progression of myeloma remains unclear. In this study, we found that there was a different expression of Capon between the normal multiple myeloma cells and the adherent multiple myeloma cells. In the process of myeloma cell proliferation, the reduced expression of Capon reduces the arrest of the cell cycle in the G1 phase and promotes the proliferation of myeloma cells. Cell adhesion–mediated drug resistance is one of the most important factors, which affect the chemotherapy effect of multiple myeloma. If the expression of Capon is decreased, myeloma cells are adhered to fibronectin or bone marrow stromal cells (bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells). In addition, the sensitivity of the cell line to chemotherapeutic agents was reduced after silencing Capon in the myeloma cell line which was adhered to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. We also found that reduced expression of Capon resulted in the activation of the AKT signaling pathway. In conclusion, these results may be helpful in studying the role of Capon in multiple myeloma.
Managing Care and the Risk for Managing Quality
Authors: Mulholland Daniel M.
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this paper is to outline the potential liability of managed care organizations. Specifically, the paper enumerates the various types of liability of health maintenance organizations for the negligent acts of its contracting physicians. The recent cases discussed below demonstrate both the extent to which courts are willing to stretch the liability of HMOs and also the limits that courts place on that liability.
Compensation and Accountability: The Way to Improve Peer Review
Authors: Hershey Nathan
Published: July 2017

This article discusses reasons for the failure of peer review in health care today, possible review options, and the effects of one option—compensation—on those common review problems.
Programming for the Academically Gifted
Authors: Murphy Susanne
Published: July 2017

Richard Lester's early Beatle movie, A Hard Day's Night, had an extraordinary impact on modern film making. This article has been written to suggest that it might also have something valid to say to us in the business of devising and defending special programs for academically talented children and youth.

A character in the movie, Paul McCartney's grandfather, is very much in the tradition of the “dirty old man.” At one point he says to a book-reading Ringo, “Any organ not in constant use atrophies and falls off.” Now, it is obvious, as the camera focuses in closely on Ringo's expressive face, that Paul's grandad is not speaking of the brain as the organ which ought to be kept in constant use. Ringo puts down his book and promptly goes out “parading.”
National Survey on Gifted Education
Authors: Gallagher James J.
Published: July 2017

The thirteen-member Advisory Committee to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Gifted and Talented* in a recent meeting, felt a strong need to make a definite statement on gifted education based upon the widest possible sampling of interested parents and professionals. We need your help and support.

We hope, through this survey, to answer several questions regarding priorities on procedures, philosophies, and program support strategies. We will seek through other means to gather accurate program cost figures and program effectiveness data. Our goal is to provide a strong document that can be used to discuss educational resources needed for gifted children with public and private leaders interested in these issues.
Double Perspective
Authors: Ginsberg-Riggs Gina , Weiner Ann
Published: July 2017

I don't know what to do with my eight year old daughter. We are getting tired of waiting until “next year” in school for her to get the extra attention she needs to learn something she does not already know. She has been reading since she was almost four and is prepared to discuss - argue! - any subject. When a child in nursery school teaches herself to say the alphabet backwards - something I still cannot do - you know something is ticking in that brain. Is it giftedness? Please help. Our six year old daughter, Mandy, has been identified as an intellectually gifted child. Educators at our public elementary school have recommended we enroll Mandy in a full-time program for gifted children so that she might realize her full potential. If you know of any such program in any part of the United States, please let us know. We are willing to move to an area that has such a program.
The Murfreesboro Program for the Gifted and Talented
Authors: Swick Dana F.
Published: July 2017

The starting of a new program is always interesting. The ability to start new programs in times of fiscal restraint is especially rewarding. What follows is an account of how one system did it.
Myths and Realities of Giftedness: A Test
Authors: Wilson Susan
Published: July 2017

Zeus, mythical ruler of Mount Olympus and king of gods and men, could kill any of his enemies by hurling a thunderbolt of forked lightning at them. The ancient Greeks, puzzled by natural phenomena, could understand a terrifying lightning bolt if they thought an angry Zeus had thrown it. The myth was both imaginative and comforting — especially to a mortal who had remembered his sacrifices to Zeus. If the mortal was wayward, however, and had decided to seek fate's blessing under a large pine tree during a thunderstorm, he may have soon learned more about lightning than myth had told.

Myths are often dangerous - not just to wayward ancient Greeks but also to the modern-day gifted child. Can you distinguish modern myths about giftedness from the realities revealed by educational research?Simply put a check beside the answer you think is correct. The answer key beginning on the next page will let you know your Reality Quotient.
For More Able Learners
Authors: Williams Frank E.
Published: July 2017

With the current flurry about excellence in education and returning to basics, there remains an often neglected but important ingredient to learning: that of student motivation. As teachers, we know that education has never been without content or “the basics.” A well-known principle is that learning does not occur in a vacuum. Students must have many pieces of information in order to learn. A person cannot think or act without something to think or act upon. That something is basic knowledge. Most importantly, acquiring and using basic facts and skills must be accomplished by wanting to learn. This also cannot be accomplished in a vacuum. A strong willingness to learn on the part of the student must exist. Wanting to know and to learn has been called motivation.
A Rating Scale for Parents
Authors: Hayes Donald G.
Published: July 2017

This rating scale includes ten important principles of motivation and discipline. Its use by parents may be helpful in identifying more effective ways to motivate and discipline their children. *In rating, use the numbers from 1 to 5:1 = ineffective, 5=effective. (If individual items are scored, average the results.)
A Look Back at …: Educational Non-Acceleration an International Tragedy
Authors: Stanley Julian C.
Published: July 2017

In 1977 Dr. Stanley addressed the Second World Conference on Gifted and Talented Children at the University of San Francisco. His topic, educational non-acceleration, was of interest to our readers and was developed into an article for C/C/T (the former title of The Gifted Child Today) in 1978. This article reviews events subsequent to Dr. Stanley's speech.
Scenario Writing
Authors: Shewach Dawn L.
Published: July 2017

The seer focused intently on the shimmering orb in front of her. The glow emanating from the glass cast an eery illumination on the woman's still features. Her concentration intensified and the globe became the center of her universe. As her gaze disappeared into the crystal ball, the seer murmured, “Show me, magic sphere, a vision of the future.”
Challenges in Math
Authors: Feng Chengde
Published: July 2017

In China, we know very well what the contest problems for various levels are in the U.S., since they are often published in a lot of Chinese periodicals. It is quite hard to believe that there are only a few or even no mathematical contest problems of other countries in numerous (math) educational magazines here in the United States. Frankly speaking, the American math competition problems look much easier in comparison with those of China. So, I think it is worthwhile to introduce some Chinese math competition problems to the American teachers and parents.

The problems compiled here are from the second round of the Chinese Primary School Mathematics Examination 1987 (for 5th and 6th graders). It is a 14-question, 90-minute examination.