bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Staged Approach to Educating Nurses in Health Policy
Authors: Ellenbecker Carol Hall , Fawcett Jacqueline , Jones Emily J. , Mahoney Deborah , Rowlands Beth , Waddell Ashley
Published: May 2017

Nurse leaders and health-care experts agree that nurses have a responsibility to address the health problems facing the nation by participating in health policy development. However, nurses have not fully realized their potential when it comes to engaging in health policy advocacy and leadership. Nurse leaders, professional nursing organizations, accrediting bodies, and the Institute of Medicine have all identified the need to educate nurses in heath policy. Valuable recommendations for content and learning activities in health policy have been made. We argue that nursing education in health policy and the many recommendations offered have been broad and overly ambitious. This article presents a proposal for a staged approach to educating nurses. This approach would tailor content to the role of the nurse at each level of nursing education. The focus of health policy content would progress from the organizational level to local, state, and finally national level health policies. The goal of this approach is to better prepare all levels of nursing students to participate in shaping effective health policies.
Ten Years after the Danish Muhammad Cartoon News Stories: Terror and Radicalization as Predictable Media Events
Authors: Hervik Peter
Published: May 2017

In the tenth year after Danish daily Jyllands-Posten published twelve cartoons, the Muhammad Cartoons, this media event—and the hegemonic understanding behind it—continues to be a discursive reference point for new controversies around national borders and racial boundaries. Then, since late 2010, radicalization as a “pre-terrorist” phase has become the lens through which the category “Muslims” has been represented in much media coverage. In this article, I argue that the dominant hegemonic understanding in Denmark that is based on a certain spatial–racial logic is not a passive production of knowledge. It keeps informing news coverage of media events as terror and thereby risking describing the hegemony more than adequately understanding the events at hand.
Midterm Outcomes of Pharmacomechanical Thrombectomy in the Treatment of Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis With a Rotational Thrombectomy Device
Authors: Yuksel Ahmet , Tuydes Oktay
Published: May 2017

Background:

The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy with midterm outcomes of pharmacomechanical thrombectomy (PMT) performed by using a relatively new thrombectomy device in the treatment of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Methods:

Between February 2014 and February 2016, a total of 46 patients with lower extremity DVT were treated with PMT by using Cleaner rotational thrombectomy system. Preprocedural, intraprocedural, postprocedural, and follow-up records of patients were collected and retrospectively analyzed.

Results:

Mean age of patients was 50.5 (14.8) years, and 58.7% of them were female. Technical success rate of procedure was 91.3%. Mean procedure time was 81.8 (40.3) minutes. Early clinical improvement was observed in all patients with successful treatment. No serious adverse event related to procedure and mortality was observed. Mean follow-up time was 16.0 (7.9) months. Reocclusion was observed in 7 (17.5%) patients during the follow-up period. Venous patency rates of patients at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up visits were 95%, 92.5%, 89.7%, and 79.5%, respectively. Mild, moderate, and severe postthrombotic syndrome were observed in 8 (20%) patients, 4 (10%) patients, and 1 (2.5%) patient, respectively. Postthrombotic syndrome–free survival rate was 67.5%.

Conclusion:

Cleaner rotational thrombectomy system appears to be safe and effective in the treatment of lower extremity DVT. Further larger randomized studies are needed to determine the long-term outcomes of this treatment modality.
Professional Norms and Race in the North American Video Game Industry
Authors: Srauy Sam
Published: May 2017

This article examines North American (i.e., Canada and the United States) video game developers’ understanding of race, how they construct narratives when they include characters of different races, and some of the pressures that may shape that process. Discourse analyses of semistructured interview texts found that video game developers operate under an internalized pressure to create game narratives that are quickly understandable and, thus, sellable. This pressure is normatively internalized in the profession as an attempt to hedge against market uncertainty. Video game developers, therefore, depend on social beliefs from the “real world” to inform how video game players might receive their games as well as narratives and themes from past texts such as the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Therefore, this article argues that racism might be enabled because it is believed to be a hedge against market uncertainty.
Participatory Design of a Social Networking App to Support Type II Diabetes Self-Management in Low-Income Minority Communities
Authors: Zachary Wayne W , Michlig Georgia , Kaplan Avril , Nguyen Ngoc-Tung , Quinn Charlene C. , Surkan Pamela J.
Published: May 2017

Participatory design (PD) is an emerging alternative to existing methods of user-centered design (UCD), and may be a more appropriate approach for designing patient-facing products in the health care sector than conventional UCD. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D) is a serious chronic illness that requires life-long treatment and life-long self-management of food intake, physical activity, and self-testing to avoid complications. T2D disproportionately affects low-income minority communities. Using PD, we have developed an app to help T2D patients. Called the Diabetes Networking Tool (DNT), the app is intended to help patients better self-manage by empowering their network of family and friends to better contribute and support the patient’s self-management needs. PD was used to involve a low-income African American community into the process of identifying the specific problems and issues DNT needed to address. We then used multiple complementary analytical methods to condense and abstract the community inputs to yield a functional and user interface design for DNT.
A System for Rewarding Physical and Cognitive Activity in People with Dementia
Authors: Tong Tiffany , Wilkinson Andrea , Nejatimoharrami Farzad , He Thomas , Matilus Henrique , Chignell Mark
Published: May 2017

Treatment of dementia has, until recently, largely been based on medical models that address the immediate biological needs, but often fail to meet the individualized needs of the person, including social and psychological needs. Recently, Montessori approaches have been used to validate the whole person and to provide engaging alternatives to the responsive behaviors that arise from unmet needs. In this population, sedentary lifestyle is a particularly severe problem, and there is an urgent need for more physical exercise. Given not only the known benefits of exercise, but also the difficulty of providing traditional methods of physiotherapy in the volume required, automated methods for motivating, and rewarding physical exercise are needed. The research reported in this paper focuses on the development of technologies for aging well through increased cognitive and physical activity among people with dementia. Our goal is to develop solutions for some of the issues faced by long-term care environments by creating engaging and rewarding activities that are available to people with dementia on a 24x7 basis. We have developed units called Centivizers (for “in-centivizing” behavior) that show promise in improving or maintaining physical and cognitive status in dementia by providing people with rewarding, and always-on, opportunities for engaging experiences that motivate physical exercise and cognitive activity.
Rendering ICU Data Useful via Formative Evaluations of Trajectory, Tracking, and Trigger (T3TM) Software
Authors: Tremoulet Patrice D , McManus Mike , Baranov Dimitar
Published: May 2017

We describe formative evaluations of a new software tool which aggregates and displays data about Intensive Care Unit patients. T3TM, which stands for Tracking, Trajectory, and Trigger, not only integrates the data being collected from a variety of devices, but also uses these data to assess the patient’s current state of tissue oxygen perfusion. We performed three different evaluation methods to generate recommendations on ways to improve the usability and utility of this software. First, we organized expert reviews, adapting a proven method of conducting a heuristic evaluation of a medical device so it requires less time for clinical experts to participate, and showed that it produces valuable results. Next we conducted contextual inquiry to help understand how differences among pediatric hospitals’ Cardiac Intensive Care Units including equipment, room layout, staff training, policies, and nursing workflows can impact adoption of physiological data aggregation software. Our approach, which is consistent with user centered design best practices, emphasizes understanding potential interactions between existing equipment and new technology. Finally, we describe how we plan to use simulation both to train nurses who work in different hospitals, with different equipment, different policies and different cultures and to capture additional usability feedback.
Engineering Representations to Support Evidence-based Clinical Practice
Authors: Flach John M. , Reynolds Peter , Cao Caroline , Saffell Tiffany
Published: May 2017

This paper provides an introduction to Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) and Ecological Interface Design (EID), as important complements to more conventional Human Factors Engineering approaches. These complementary perspectives are essential for supporting productive thinking in complex work domains, such as healthcare. We suggest that EHR systems provide a unique opportunity to take advantage of these approaches to support Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in healthcare and we show examples of these approaches to three different healthcare problems: cardiovascular health, pain management, and anemia.
Observed Usage Errors During Meaningful-Use Stage 3 Safety-Enhanced Design Summative Testing
Authors: Mauney Jennifer , Barnes Janey , Clarke David , Furlough Caleb , Orrick Erika , Brooks Teri , Brown Megan , Zielinska Olga , Grishin John
Published: May 2017

This report presents data from summative usability tests conducted by User-View on behalf of multiple vendors as part of MU2 and MU3 certification. The objective is to present findings related to performance metrics and use errors associated with each prioritized certification criteria, shine the light on EHR effectiveness, and contribute to ongoing discussions of EHR usability.
Information Display in the Intensive Care Unit – Considerations for System Design and Implementation
Authors: Bitan Yuval , Fuerch Janene H. , Harris Steven D. , Karn Keith S. , Halamek Louis P. , Ilan Roy , Yamada Nicole K.
Published: May 2017

Healthcare working environments are complex, and intensive care units (ICUs) are particularly complex due to the influx of data to the healthcare professionals who are providing continuous care to the most critically ill patients. Systems that are designed to work in these environments should take into consideration varied patient conditions, the clinical professionals who use these systems, and the features and performance requirements that will support their efforts to provide care to their patients. We suggest that developing systems that will meet these challenges requires customized design approach, including cognitive system engineering. Until recently, this work domain has been largely ignored by manufacturers of patient monitoring systems.

This panel brought together two separate teams who have been using such an approach independently to design new systems for information integration and display in ICU settings. The goals of this panel discussion were to take a close look at the tools and methods that are being used for such a cognitive system engineering approach to the design processes, and to review the recommendations and concepts that are emerging from these processes from each of the two independent teams. This paper summarizes the presentations made during the panel by the two teams regarding updates of ongoing work followed by a lively discussion between panelists and the symposium participants in the audience. Each team had its unique design process that was customized to the specific target ICU, the available resources and goals. The designed systems have original features that evolve from the unique needs of the target unit, yet the designs also share some common features.
Designing Diagnostic Medical Devices for Your Lab Tests
Authors: Elson Ila J.
Published: May 2017

Diagnostic medical devices used in homes, hospitals, reference labs, blood banks, and physician offices and clinics generate laboratory data that provide critical information needed to make medical decisions. This article profiles the product development process and sciences used to design these advanced diagnostics systems to be human-centered. Systems are becoming smarter, faster and friendlier for users. Specific benefits are identified along with the methods, challenges and design tradeoffs to achieve them. Users of diagnostic devices will be able to recognize and understand the impact of ergonomics in the design from this product development history.
Novel ethnographic/contextual inquiry techniques for understanding connected device users in their native environment
Authors: Bajars Erika , Larson-Wakeman Molly , Franzese Chris , Biondi Sherri
Published: May 2017

Pharmaceutical and medical device companies are embracing technology to increase patient engagement and improve adherence to costly and sometimes complex medication therapies. One solution includes developing drug delivery devices that connect to mobile medical applications (MMAs) to support patients in managing and tracking their medications. Developing an adherence system requires understanding users in their use environment, their challenges with taking medications, their health goals, and the behaviors to target for change. Device developers have long relied on in-person ethnography or in-person human factors studies in a research facility to gather these data. Unfortunately, this process is time-consuming, labor intensive, and costly. When considering a rare patient population, collecting data in person becomes even more complex. This work explores how collecting patient data using a remote ethnography platform addresses challenges with in-person studies early in the device development process, and shares a case example of the use of remote ethnography to better understand patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) to design and refine a medication adherence system prior to taking prototypes into in-person testing.
Healthcare Facility Access Challenges for Conducting User Research
Authors: Loring Beth , Karn Keith S. , Privitera Mary Beth , Wilcox Stephen B. , McDowell Ryan , Feldman Susan
Published: May 2017

Historically it has not been terribly difficult for researchers to gain access to healthcare facilities to conduct user research such as contextual inquiry and workflow analysis. Today, some practitioners are finding it nearly impossible to get into facilities. One reason is that hospitals are getting progressively more risk-averse regarding patient confidentiality and patient safety and are less willing to have outsiders in the hospital, especially in procedure rooms. Another reason is a lack of understanding regarding how to coordinate with offices of compliance and institutional review boards (IRBs), and the fact that IRBs typically are set up to manage clinical trials rather than human factors research. The purpose of this panel was to raise awareness of healthcare access challenges, discuss solutions, and propose some best practices.
An extended version of the Rasmussen’s Dynamic Safety Model for measuring multitasking behaviors during medical emergency
Authors: Morineau Thierry , Flach John M. , Le Courtois Marion , Chapelain Pascal
Published: May 2017

An extended version of the Rasmussen’s Dynamic Safety Model was implemented to empirically index team activity during a medical emergency. The video recordings of two emergency training sessions during the simulation of an adverse event with two paramedical teams were analyzed with a coding scheme based on the model. We show that individual’s allocation of perceptions and actions to multiple work constraints (i.e., patient’s state monitoring, information processing with team, and equipment management) can be dynamically tracked.
Can Simulation Improve EMR Implementation? Application to Medication Reconciliation
Authors: Kazi Sadaf , Khunlertkit Adjhaporn , Chen Allen
Published: May 2017

Medication reconciliation refers to the process of using multiple sources of information to identify the most accurate list of all medications a patient is taking, and using this list to provide correct medications to the patient for the current setting of care (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS], 2014, Institute for Safe Medication Practices [ISMP], 2005; Institute for Healthcare Improvement [IHI], 2017). Although there is considerable research on perceptions about medication reconciliation and opportunities to improve the process, there is a need to use objective measures to understand how this definition is interpreted by providers. We used a simulation study to investigate the process of performing medication reconciliation with oncology providers in an academic medical center. Contrary to our hypothesis we found that rather than the broad medical category of the medication (cancer-related vs. non-cancer condition vs. supplements), providers were more likely to elicit details about medications that were newly added to the electronic medical record. We discuss implications in terms of system redesign and patient safety.
Validation of an Inventory for Providers to Self-Assess Their Engagement in Patient-Centered Culturally Sensitive Health Care
Authors: Tucker Carolyn M , Roncoroni Julia , Wippold Guillermo , Wall Whitney , Marsiske Michael
Published: May 2017

Objective:

Cultural sensitivity training of health-care providers could help eliminate health disparities. The Tucker-Culturally Sensitive Health-Care Provider Inventory (T-CSHCPI) is an inventory for providers to self-assess their engagement in patient-defined/-centered culturally sensitive health care. The T-CSHCPI is novel in that it assesses providers’ strengths and areas of growth in their efforts to provide culturally sensitive care as defined by culturally diverse patients.

Methods:

Using ratings on this inventory by a sample of culturally diverse providers (N = 291) from 67 health-care sites across the United States, a confirmatory analysis of the T-CSHCPI was conducted, and its validity and reliability were determined.

Results:

Factor analysis produced a final solution with 4 factors (interpersonal skills, conscientiousness, sensitivity, and disrespect/disempowerment) that were reliable. These 4 factors are associated with cultural competence, suggesting validity.

Discussion:

The T-CSHCPI measures independent dimensions of patient-centered care as identified by a national sample of health-care providers. The T-CSHCPI can be used to inform training that promotes patient-centered culturally sensitive health care by providers.
Factors Affecting Older Persons’ Ability to Manage Oral Hygiene: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Grönbeck Lindén I. , Hägglin C. , Gahnberg L. , Andersson P.
Published: May 2017

A great challenge for the dental service is to support the growing group of elderly people with preserving good oral health throughout their lives. Limitations in the ability to manage oral hygiene and an increased number of risk factors are often reflected by poor oral health. Thus, the need for individualized support and oral health procedures based on the older person’s condition is significant. Deficiencies in the motor skills needed to manage oral hygiene are well known, but other factors that affect the ability are not well studied. The aim of the present study was to identify factors that may affect an elderly person’s ability to perform oral hygiene self-care, which is the first step to develop a more comprehensive “oral hygiene ability index.” The design of the study was qualitative. Data were collected from 4 focus group interviews with a total of 23 participants. Three of the groups consisted of dental hygienists, occupational therapists, and assistant nurses, all working with elderly persons. The fourth group was made up of elderly people (72–89 years). Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The latent content was formulated into the core category, “oral hygiene—a complex activity.” Three categories emerged: “psychological,” “environmental,” and “functional” dimensions. The psychological dimension described attitude/motivation, emotions, and cognitive factors. The environmental dimension included practical conditions and social context. The functional dimension dealt with bodily and oral function as well as the senses. In conclusion, self-care with respect to oral hygiene is a complex activity for elderly persons and includes a large number of factors. These factors should be taken into consideration when developing a future oral hygiene ability index.

Knowledge Transfer Statement: Various factors may affect the ability to manage oral hygiene self-care. Impaired ability to manage oral hygiene, in combination with an increased number of risk factors, often results in deteriorating oral health and impaired quality of life in older persons. Factors necessary to manage oral hygiene were identified in a qualitative study of dental hygienists, occupational therapists, and assistant nurses, all working with elderly patients, and a group of elderly persons. The results of this study may be important for clinical oral health work with older patients and for the planning of oral health and social care interventions for the growing group of older people.
Reversion of anergy signatures in clonal CD21low B cells of mixed cryoglobulinemia after clearance of HCV viremia
Authors: Del Padre Martina , Todi Laura , Mitrevski Milica , Marrapodi Ramona , Colantuono Stefania , Fiorilli Massimo , Casato Milvia , Visentini Marcella
Published: May 2017

Key Points

Anergic features of B cells of MC rapidly reverse after eradication of HCV with DAAs. Phenotypic and functional features of virus-specific B-cell exhaustion persist for several months after HCV eradication.
Pseudomonas aeruginosaadaptation and diversification in the non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis lung
Authors: Hilliam Yasmin , Moore Matthew P. , Lamont Iain L. , Bilton Diana , Haworth Charles S. , Foweraker Juliet , Walshaw Martin J. , Williams David , Fothergill Joanne L. , De Soyza Anthony , Winstanley Craig
Published: May 2017

To characterisePseudomonas aeruginosapopulations during chronic lung infections of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients, we used whole-genome sequencing to 1) assess the diversity of P. aeruginosaand the prevalence of multilineage infections; 2) seek evidence for cross-infection or common source acquisition; and 3) characteriseP. aeruginosaadaptations.

189 isolates, obtained from the sputa of 91 patients attending 16 adult bronchiectasis centres in the UK, were whole-genome sequenced.

Bronchiectasis isolates were representative of the widerP. aeruginosapopulation. Of 24 patients from whom multiple isolates were examined, there were seven examples of multilineage infections, probably arising from multiple infection events. The number of nucleotide variants between genomes of isolates from different patients was in some cases similar to the variations observed between isolates from individual patients, implying the possible occurrence of cross-infection or common source acquisition.

Our data indicate that during infections of bronchiectasis patients,P. aeruginosapopulations adapt by accumulating loss-of-function mutations, leading to changes in phenotypes including different modes of iron acquisition and variations in biofilm-associated polysaccharides. The within-population diversification suggests that larger scale longitudinal surveillance studies will be required to capture cross-infection or common source acquisition events at an early stage.
Spigelian hernia in gynaecology
Authors: Ussia Anastasia , Imperato Fabio , Schindler Larissa , Wattiez Arnaud , Koninckx Philippe R.
Published: May 2017

Background

A Spigelian hernia is a rare hernia through the Spigelian fascia between the rectus muscle and the semilunar line. This hernia is well known in surgery. Symptoms vary from insidious to localised pain, an intermittent mass and/or a bowel obstruction.

Results

The Spigelian hernia is poorly known in gynaecology. Spigelian hernias may be causally related to secondary trocar insertion. This review is written to increase awareness in gynaecology and is illustrated by a case report in which the diagnosis was missed for 4 years even by laparoscopy. Smaller hernias risk not to be diagnosed and will thus not be treated. Even larger Spigelian hernias might not be recognised and treated appropriately.

Conclusions

The gynaecologist should consider a Spigelian hernia in women with localised pain in the abdominal wall lateral of the rectus muscle some 5 cm below the umbilicus. Smaller hernias can be closed by laparoscopy without a mesh. Larger hernias require a mesh repair.
Tri-Functional OER, HER and ORR Electrocatalyst Electrodes from In Situ Metal-Nitrogen Co-Doped Oxidized Graphite Rods
Authors: Tsutsumi Mayu , Islam Md Saidul , Karim Mohammad Razaul , Rabin Nurun Nahar , Ohtani Ryo , Nakamura Masaaki , Lindoy Leonard F , Hayami Shinya
Published: May 2017

In contrast to monofunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) or oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), trifunctional catalysts for simultaneously generating H2, O2 and H2O provide a crucial means for improving the overall efficiency of water electrolysis. Herein we present a series of nonnoble metal [M = Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II)]-nitrogen co-doped oxidized graphite rods (M-N/OGRs) that function as in situ working electrodes for tri-functional OER, HER and ORR electrocatalysis. The enhanced performance of the hybrid catalysts appear mostly associated with dual active site mechanisms originating from the synergic effects of M-N/Co-doped on the surface of the OGR. Our findings suggest that, the development of multifunctional electrocatalysts with optimal catalytic activity using transition metals and nitrogen doped OGR opens new doors for in situ synthesized electrocatalysts for use in clean electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies.
Premarathon Evaluations: Is There a Role for Runner Prerace Medical Screening and Education to Reduce the Risk of Medical Complications?
Authors: Schwellnus Martin Peter
Published: May 2017

There is irrefutable evidence that regular participation in physical activity has substantial health benefits, and as such participation in mass community-based sports events should be supported. However, with the promotion of physical activity comes the potential risk of medical complications during an acute exercise session, with this risk varying according to the risk factor profile of an individual and the nature of the event. The demographics of marathon race entrants changed over the past two to three decades, and currently about 50% of runners are older than 40 yr. A consolidated view of previously published research shows that in a marathon with a field of 50,000 runners for example, the medical staff will, on average, encounter a sudden death every 2 to 3 yr, a sudden cardiac arrest every year, 25 runners that present with a serious medical complication requiring specialized management or hospitalization, and 1000 runners that require medical attention. Runners may have several intrinsic risk factors that can predispose them to serious acute cardiovascular or other serious noncardiac medical complications on race day. This intrinsic risk can be exacerbated by several extrinsic risk factors as well. As health care professionals, we are obliged to give the best medical advice to individuals who wish to participate in moderate- and high-intensity endurance activities, and at the same time reduce their risk of a medical complication during exercise. Preliminary data indicate that an online prerace medical screening and targeted educational intervention program can be successfully implemented and is effective in reducing the risk of acute medical complications during a race.
Patient Presentations and Medical Logistics at Full and Half Ironman Distance Triathlons
Authors: Turris Sheila A. , Lund Adam , Bowles Ron R. , Camporese Michael , Green Tom
Published: May 2017

We describe logistical challenges, illness/injury rates, as well as medical and ambulance transfer rates (ATR) at an annual large-scale half/full triathlon in a remote location. Prospective observational study; registry data. Data on patient presentation rates, percentage of patients transferred by ambulance, transfer to hospital rates (TTHR), ATR, and medical usage rates were collected and analyzed. In total, 1923 athletes participated in the 2016 triathlon (1404 in the full-length race and 519 in the half) and 181 patient encounters were documented. The patient presentation rate (PPR) was 94 in 1000 patients, and 1.6% of patients seen onsite required offsite medical care. TTHR and ATR were 1.6 in 1000 and 0.5 in 1000, respectively. Gastrointestinal issues were the most common presentation (50/181; 27.6%), followed by musculoskeletal injury (46/181; 25.4%) and nonspecific dizziness (37/181; 20.4%). The incorporation of a coordinated event medical plan and team, with integrated on-course and at-finish coverage, may have minimized presentations of patients to local health care services; therefore, decreasing the effect on the local ambulance service and health infrastructure of the host community.
Aggregate Demand and the Top 1 Percent
Authors: Auclert Adrien , Rognlie Matthew
Published: May 2017

There has been a large rise in US top income inequality since the 1980s. We merge a widely studied model of the Pareto tail of labor incomes with a canonical model of consumption and savings to study the consequences of this increase for aggregate demand. Our model suggests that the rise of the top 1 percent may have led to a large increase in desired savings and can explain a 0.45pp to 0.85pp decline in long-run real interest rates. This effect arises from both a wealth effect at the top and increased precautionary savings from declines lower in the income distribution.
Earnings Inequality and Other Determinants of Wealth Inequality
Authors: Benhabib Jess , Bisin Alberto , Luo Mi
Published: May 2017

We study the relation between the distribution of labor earnings and the distribution of wealth. We show, theoretically as well as empirically, that while labor earnings and precautionary savings are important determinants of wealth inequality factors, they cannot by themselves account for the thick tail of (the large top shares in) the observed distribution of wealth. Other determinants, like stochastic returns to wealth, as well as savings rates and rates of returns increasing in wealth, need to be accounted for.
Big Banks, Idiosyncratic Volatility, and Systemic Risk
Authors: Fernholz Ricardo T. , Koch Christoffer
Published: May 2017

Starting in the 1990s, US bank assets grew more concentrated among a few large institutions. We explore the changing role of idiosyncratic volatility as a shaping force of the bank asset power law distribution. Our results reveal that idiosyncratic asset volatilities for bank-holding companies declined since the 1990s. To the extent that firm-specific shocks can have significant macroeconomic consequences, this result implies that even as one obvious source of aggregate risk and contagion--bank asset concentration--has increased, another important source--idiosyncratic volatility--has diminished.
The Impact of Entrepreneurship Programs on Minorities
Authors: Lyons Elizabeth , Zhang Laurina
Published: May 2017

We document the impact of an entrepreneurship training program on startup activity of minorities (females and non-Caucasians). We compare entrepreneurial activity between applicants who are accepted into the program with applicants who are program finalists but not accepted. We find that the effect of the program is small for minorities in the short run. However, the effect of the program is more pronounced for minorities' likelihood of longer run startup activity, whereas the effect on non-minorities is small and statistically insignificant. We suggest that such programs are most effective for individuals that may otherwise have limited access to entrepreneurial opportunities.
Gender, Competitiveness, and Study Choices in High School: Evidence from Switzerland
Authors: Buser Thomas , Peter Noemi , Wolter Stefan C.
Published: May 2017

Willingness to compete has been found to predict individual and gender differences in educational choices and labor market outcomes. We provide further evidence for this relationship by linking Swiss students' Baccalaureate school (high school) specialization choices to an experimental measure of willingness to compete. Boys are more likely to specialize in math in Baccalaureate school. In line with previous findings, competitive students are more likely to choose a math specialization. Boys are more likely to opt for competition than girls and this gender difference in competitiveness could partially explain why girls are less likely to choose a math-intensive specialization.
Gender Differences in the Allocation of Low-Promotability Tasks: The Role of Backlash
Authors: Babcock Linda , Recalde Maria P. , Vesterlund Lise
Published: May 2017

This paper examines whether backlash exacerbates gender differences in time spent on low-promotability tasks. We ask whether gender differences found in previous research--women receiving more requests than men to do these tasks and women being more likely to accept such requests--amplify by the prospect of penalties for declining the request. We replicate prior findings but find no evidence that penalties increase the gender differences in task allocation. In addition, we find that the penalties men impose on others for saying “no” are larger than those imposed by women.
Immigration and the Rise of American Ingenuity
Authors: Akcigit Ufuk , Grigsby John , Nicholas Tom
Published: May 2017

We build on the analysis in Akcigit, Grigsby, and Nicholas (2017) by using US patent and census data to examine the relationship between immigration and innovation. We construct a measure of foreign born expertise and show that technology areas where immigrant inventors were prevalent between 1880 and 1940 experienced more patenting and citations between 1940 and 2000. The contribution of immigrant inventors to US innovation was substantial. We also show that immigrant inventors were more productive than native born inventors; however, they received significantly lower levels of labor income. The immigrant inventor wage-gap cannot be explained by differentials in productivity.
Transferability of Skills across Sectors and Heterogeneous Displacement Costs
Authors: Yi Moises , Mueller Steffen , Stegmaier Jens
Published: May 2017

We use rich German administrative data to estimate new measures of skill transferability between manufacturing and other sectors. These measures capture the value of workers' human capital when applied in different sectors and are directly related to workers' displacement costs. We estimate these transferability measures using a selection correction model, which addresses workers' endogenous mobility, and a novel selection instrument based on the social network of workers. Our results indicate substantial heterogeneity in how workers can transfer their skills when they move across sectors, which implies heterogeneous displacement costs that depend on the sector to which workers reallocate.
What Is Meant by “Replication” and Why Does It Encounter Resistance in Economics?
Authors: Duvendack Maren , Palmer-Jones Richard , Reed W. Robert
Published: May 2017

This paper discusses recent trends in the use of replications in economics. We include the results of recent replication studies that have attempted to identify replication rates within the discipline. These studies generally find that replication rates are relatively low. We then consider obstacles to undertaking replication studies and highlight replication initiatives in psychology and political science, behind which economics appears to lag.
China's Gradualistic Economic Approach and Financial Markets
Authors: Brunnermeier Markus K. , Sockin Michael , Xiong Wei
Published: May 2017

China's gradualistic approach allowed the government to learn how the economy reacts to small policy changes, and to adjust its reforms before implementing them in full. With fully developed financial markets, however, private actors may front-run future policy changes, making it impossible to implement policies gradually. With financial markets, the government faces a time-inconsistency problem. The government would like to commit to a gradualistic approach, but after it observes the economy's quick reaction, it has no incentive to implement its policies in small steps.
Testing-Based Forward Model Selection
Authors: Kozbur Damian
Published: May 2017

This paper defines and studies a variable selection procedure called Testing-Based Forward Model Selection. The procedure inductively selects covariates which increase predictive accuracy into a working statistical regression model until a stopping criterion is met. The stopping criteria and selection criteria are defined using statistical hypothesis tests. The paper explicitly describes a testing procedure in the context of high-dimensional linear regression with heteroskedastic disturbances. Finally, a simulation study examines finite sample performance of the proposed procedure and shows that it behaves favorably in high-dimensional sparse settings in terms of prediction error and size of selected model.
Discrete Pricing and Market Fragmentation: A Tale of Two-Sided Markets
Authors: Chao Yong , Yao Chen , Ye Mao
Published: May 2017

Security trading now fragments into more than ten almost identical stock exchanges in the United States. We show that discrete pricing is one economic force that prevents the consolidation of trading volume. The uniform one-cent tick size (minimum price variation), imposed by the SEC's Rule 612, leads to more dispersed trading for lower priced securities. When a security reverse splits, its price increases and relative tick size (one cent divided by the price) decreases. We find that reverse splits consolidate trading of securities, using securities with identical underlying fundamentals that do not reverse split as the control group.
Asylum Applications and Migration Flows
Authors: Missirian Anouch , Schlenker Wolfram
Published: May 2017

We discuss an underutilized dataset to examine the causes of migration. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees publishes annual binational asylum applications and the resulting decisions. Asylum is granted to protect individuals from persecution. They are a small part of overall migration patterns: one-tenth of overall migration flows into OECD countries. The European Union receives the largest share of asylum applicants and has a low acceptance rate, but the rate increases when source countries have positive deviations from historic trends. Countries outside the EU and OECD receive almost all of the applications from neighbors with a contiguous land border.
Validating Migration Responses to Flooding Using Satellite and Vital Registration Data
Authors: Chen Joyce J. , Mueller Valerie , Jia Yuanyuan , Tseng Steven Kuo-Hsin
Published: May 2017

Rainfall measures may be imperfect proxies for floods, given factors such as upstream water balance, proximity to rivers, and topography. We check the robustness of flooding-migration relationships by combining nationally-representative survey data with measures of flooding derived from weather stations, gridded products, and remote sensing tools. Linear probability models reveal that extreme flooding is negatively associated with out-migration. Rainfall-based proxies produce results qualitatively similar to those using the satellite-based measure of inundation, but only the latter is able to discern non-monotonic effects throughout the distribution. Moreover, estimates differ widely across areas, suggesting that households respond differently to rainfall and flooding.
Heat Exposure and Youth Migration in Central America and the Caribbean
Authors: Baez Javier , Caruso German , Mueller Valerie , Niu Chiyu
Published: May 2017

We employ a triple difference-in-difference approach, using censuses and georeferenced temperature data, to quantify heat effects on internal migration in Central America and the Caribbean. A 1-standard deviation increase in heat would affect the lives of 7,314 and 1,578 unskilled young women and men. The effect is smaller than observed in response to droughts and hurricanes but could increase with climate change. Interestingly, youth facing heat waves are more likely to move to urban centers than when exposed to disasters endemic to the region. Research identifying the implications of these choices and interventions available to minimize distress migration is warranted.
Challenges to Replication and Iteration in Field Experiments: Evidence from Two Direct Mail Shots
Authors: Bowers Jake , Higgins Nathaniel , Karlan Dean , Tulman Sarah , Zinman Jonathan
Published: May 2017

We conducted an experiment marketing microloans to farmers in the USA during Spring 2015 and found a simple direct mail letter increased borrowing from a government program. The subsequent spring, we built on this finding and enriched the design to test for information spillovers. The direct effect result did not replicate in the second year, thus lowering the likelihood that spillovers would be present and detectable. These results add to recent evidence on how (seemingly subtle) differences in context and treatment content affect consumer responses.
Government-Academic Partnerships in Randomized Evaluations: The Case of Inappropriate Prescribing
Authors: Sacarny Adam , Yokum David , Agrawal Shantanu
Published: May 2017

There is growing evidence that inappropriate prescribing is harming patients and raising costs in the US health care system. Through a partnership between the federal government and academics, we seek to develop evidence on reducing this prescribing. We conduct several randomized letter interventions targeting high-volume prescribers of drugs that can harm patients. We take a continuous improvement approach, rapidly evaluating each round and using the results to inform subsequent work. The first round of letters yielded no effects, and we responded with new interventions that are now under evaluation. We discuss lessons our work provides for future government-academic partnerships.
Trends in Economics and Other Undergraduate Majors
Authors: Stock Wendy A.
Published: May 2017

Although economics' share of Bachelor's degrees awarded in the United States has been flat for over a decade, its share of second majors is growing. This paper documents trends and correlations in disciplines' shares of first and second majors for Bachelor's degrees conferred in the United States during 2001-2014. First majors in math, engineering, computer science, and technology and in the life and medical sciences (now the modal major among female students) are complements to second majors in economics. Encouraging double majoring in economics among students in these disciplines could grow and diversify the economics discipline while also benefiting graduates.
Composition and Aggregate Real Wage Growth
Authors: Daly Mary C. , Hobijn Bart
Published: May 2017

Aggregate real wages exhibit less procyclicality than most macroeconomic models predict. We use 35 years of Current Population Survey data to confirm that the puzzling behavior of wages largely owes to changes in the composition of the employed over the business cycle. This composition effect relates to changes in both the number and the relative wage levels of those entering and exiting. The changing gap in wages of entrants and exiters is especially important for the unemployed. A large part of this wage gap is due to differences in average Mincer residuals between entrants and exiters.
How the Second-Order Free Rider Problem Is Solved in a Small-Scale Society
Authors: Mathew Sarah
Published: May 2017

Moralistic punishment enables human cooperation, but an outstanding question is why people voluntarily sanction when they can obtain the benefits of punishment without being enforcers themselves. To address how decentralized societies solve this second-order free rider issue, I examine why people punish among the Turkana, a population in Kenya in which informal peer sanctioning sustains participation in high-stakes interethnic warfare. Using vignette experiments I show that Turkana subjects express punitive sentiments toward second-order free riders and those who sanction irresponsibly. The prevalence of such meta norms regulating punishment reveal a possible pathway by which moralistic punishment could have evolved.
Why Being Wrong Can Be Right: Magical Warfare Technologies and the Persistence of False Beliefs
Authors: Nunn Nathan , Sierra Raul Sanchez de la
Published: May 2017

Across human societies, one sees many examples of deeply rooted and widely held beliefs that are almost certainly untrue. Examples include beliefs about witchcraft, magic, ordeals, and superstitions. Why are such incorrect beliefs so prevalent and how do they persist? We consider this question through an examination of superstitions and magic associated with conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Focusing on superstitions related to bullet-proofing, we provide theory and case-study evidence showing how these incorrect beliefs persist. Although harmful at the individual-level, we show that they generate Pareto efficient outcomes that have group-level benefits.
Global Inequality Dynamics: New Findings from WID.world
Authors: Alvaredo Facundo , Chancel Lucas , Piketty Thomas , Saez Emmanuel , Zucman Gabriel
Published: May 2017

This paper presents new findings on global inequality dynamics from the World Wealth and Income Database (WID.world), with particular emphasis on the contrast between the trends observed in the United States, China, France, and the United Kingdom. We observe rising top income and wealth shares in nearly all countries in recent decades. But the magnitude of the increase varies substantially, thereby suggesting that different country-specific policies and institutions matter considerably. Long-run wealth inequality dynamics appear to be highly unstable. We stress the need for more democratic transparency on income and wealth dynamics and better access to administrative and financial data.
Economic Development and the Regulation of Morally Contentious Activities
Authors: Elías Julio J. , Lacetera Nicola , Macis Mario , Salardi Paola
Published: May 2017

The regulation of many activities depends on whether societies consider them morally controversial or “repugnant.” Not only have regulation and related ethical concerns changed over time, but there is also heterogeneity across countries at a given time. We provide evidence of this heterogeneity for three morally contentious activities, abortion, prostitution, and gestational surrogacy, and explore the relationship between a country's economic conditions and how these activities are regulated. We propose a conceptual framework to identify mechanisms that can explain our findings (including the role of non-economic factors), and indicate directions for future research.