bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of Big 4 consulting on audit reporting lag and restatements
Authors: Meckfessel Michele D. , Sellers Drew
Published: January 2017

Purpose

This paper responds to concerns raised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and scholars over the rapid growth of Big 4 consulting practices. This paper aims to explores the question: Does the regrowth of sizable consulting practices by the Big 4 influence audit reporting lag and restatement rates?

Design/methodology/approach

A population of the SEC-registered US audit clients of the Big 4 was used in this study. Longitudinal data on Big 4 audit clients from 2000 through 2009 were analyzed to determine the impact of consulting practice size on the clients’ audit reporting lag and restatement rate.

Findings

This paper finds that consulting practice size has a positive and statistically significant influence on audit reporting lag and restatement rate. The results are robust to alternative specifications of the sample and controlling for the level of non-audit services provided to audit clients.

Practical implications

The findings contribute to the discussion of the scope-of-services issue. They provide empirical support for Zeff’s (2003) and Wyatt’s (2004) intuition that the loss of Big 4 professional focus – not simply conflicts of interests – is a major factor affecting the audit quality.

Originality/value

The uniqueness of this paper is in how it counts restatements. Each year this paper counts that annual financial statements are restated as opposed to each disclosure of a restatement. This paper’s contribution is to examine the association between the regrowth of Big 4 accounting firm consulting practices with audit reporting lag and restatements.
Why papers are rejected and how to get yours accepted
Authors: Fischer Eileen , Gopaldas Ahir , Scaraboto Daiane
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Interpretive consumer researchers frequently devote months, if not years, to writing a new paper. Despite their best efforts, the vast majority of these papers are rejected by top academic journals. This paper aims to explain some of the key reasons that scholarly articles are rejected and illuminate how to reduce the likelihood of rejection.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a dialogical collaboration between a co-editor of theJournal of Consumer Researchand two junior scholars who represent the intended audience of this paper. Each common reason for rejecting papers, labeled as Problems 1-8, is followed by precautionary measures and detailed examples, labeled as solutions.

Findings

The paper offers eight pieces of advice on the construction of interpretive consumer research articles: (1) Clearly indicate which theoretical conversation your paper is joining as early as possible. (2) Join a conversation that belongs in your target journal. (3) Conclude your review of the conversation with gaps, problems and questions. (4) Only ask research questions that your data can answer. (5) Build your descriptive observations about contexts into theoretical claims about concepts. (6) Explain both how things are and why things are the way that they are. (7) Illustrate your theoretical claims with data and support them with theoretical argumentation. (8) Advance the theoretical conversation in a novel and radical way.

Originality/value

The goal of this paper is to help interpretive consumer researchers, especially junior scholars, publish more papers in top academic journals such as theJournal of Consumer Research.
A systematic literature review on total quality management critical success factors and the identification of new avenues of research
Authors: Aquilani Barbara , Silvestri Cecilia , Ruggieri Alessandro , Gatti Corrado
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic literature review to identify new avenues of research in line with the ongoing changes in quality and management required to firms, especially regarding customers.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a systematic review of the literature contained in the three databases Ebsco, JSTOR, and Springerlink and on the search engine Google Scholar.

Findings

An analysis of the literature identifies three different clusters of papers: “identification” papers, which show that customer focus has gained importance in recent times; “implementation” papers, which highlight that a general or shared model or scale to successfully implement total quality management (TQM) does not yet exist; and “impact-on-performance” papers, which show that few studies have considered the relationship between TQM and the issues of both marketing and performance, underlining the most significant gap in the TQM literature.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited by the small number of databases and search engines used and by the restricted number of keywords used in searching these sources.

Practical implications

This work highlights a gap in the existing research and thus an incomplete consideration of the interplay between management, marketing, and quality issues, all centered on customers and other stakeholders. Researchers and firms are thus advised to adopt a wider view that considers the role of the quality process to support the firm’s engagement of customers in activities that enhance both the customer role and customer satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study uses a systematic literature review to review all critical factors of TQM and identifies new research avenues and different approaches to implementing TQM, focusing on the central role that customers play in achieving firm success.
Interrelationships among quality enablers, service quality, patients’ satisfaction and loyalty in hospitals
Authors: Sadeh Ehsan
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify how enablers of quality management can secure the satisfaction and loyalty of patients through increasing service quality in hospitals.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study conducted a review of the existing literature to identify operational dimensions of the research variables. As a result of the review, 17 dimensions were identified; five European foundation for quality management enablers, five SERVQUAL service quality dimensions, four patients’ satisfaction elements and three patients’ loyalty components. To evaluate interrelationships among these 17 research dimensions, decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory technique was applied using experts’ opinions.

Findings

Several key relations were found among research dimensions. Research findings could provide a scientific insight for hospital managers to understand how they could increase the level of patients’ satisfaction and loyalty through high-quality services provided by quality management enablers.

Research limitations/implications

This study has been conducted based on the expert’s opinions from private hospitals located in Tehran and Alborz provinces, Iran. Although the results could be useful for hospital managers in different places and could provide them a valuable insight and knowledge, findings are limited to Iranian private hospitals.

Originality/value

It is taken for granted that patients’ satisfaction and loyalty could increase as a result of high-quality medical and treatment services in hospitals. On the other hand, offering excellent services meeting all the needs and expectations of customers could be consequence product of quality management enablers. Even though satisfaction and loyalty of customers, i.e. patients, is the primary target of quality management, there is little research in the literature as to how enablers of quality management can secure the satisfaction and loyalty through increasing service quality in hospitals. The gap is more critical because the specialized dimensions of four research variables have not been previously integrated into a coherent framework and interrelationships among them have not been studied and clarified in detail. The current study attempts to bridge this gap.
Leader personality traits and employee job satisfaction in the media sector, Kenya
Authors: Kiarie Mary Agnes Wambui , Maru Loice C. , Cheruiyot Thomas Kimeli
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of leader personality traits on employee job satisfaction. A leader personality trait on employee job satisfaction remains a cause of concern in the contemporary business environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed an explanatory research design to establish the cause-effects between leader personality traits and employee job satisfaction. Path goal theory and Big Five-factor model of personality traits underpinned the study. Questionnaire was used to obtain data pertaining to the model’s constructs. A multiple regression equation model tested the hypotheses.

Findings

The study showed that leader extraversion; openness to new experiences; emotional stability; conscientiousness and agreeableness have significant effects on employee job satisfaction. The study thus concluded that leaders who portray extraversion; openness to new experiences; emotional stability; conscientiousness and agreeableness enhance employee job satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

This study was only limited to leader personality traits and employee job satisfaction; as such further research area could be undertaken in leader personality traits and organizational adaptation to change.

Practical implications

Leaders need to communicate to employees effectively, listen to their input and feedback, mentoring and empowering them, be innovative and creative, embracing the determination of standards for task performance and be empathetic.

Social implications

As organizations are exposed to changes, not only to prosper but also to survive in the current dynamic changing environment, leaders must be cognizant of the fact that employee job satisfaction is the bedrock of sustainable organizational performance.

Originality/value

The paper enhances on how leader personality traits (Big Five-factor model of personality traits) affects employee job satisfaction and performance in organizations.
Gender Differences in Affects and Craving in Alcohol‐Dependence: A Study During Alcohol Detoxification
Authors: Petit Géraldine , Luminet Olivier , Cordovil de Sousa Uva Mariana , Monhonval Pauline , Leclercq Sophie , Spilliaert Quentin , Zammit François , Maurage Pierre , de Timary Philippe
Published: January 2017

Background

Alcohol craving is a major cause of relapse in alcohol‐dependent (AD) patients. It is closely related to the high depression and anxiety symptoms that are frequently observed at the early stages of abstinence, and these comorbid symptoms might thus constitute a relapse factor when they persist after detoxification. As these negative affects are known to evolve during the detoxification process, the aim of this study was to investigate the course of the relation between affects and craving during detoxification, with a particular attention given to gender in light of the known differences in affects betweenADmen and women.

Methods

AD patients (n = 256) undergoing a detoxification program were evaluated for positive (PA) and negative affectivity (NA), depression and anxiety symptoms, and craving, twice within a 3‐week interval (on the first [T1] and the eighteenth day [T2] of abstinence).

Results

Detoxification course was associated with improvements regardingNA, depression and anxiety symptoms, and craving. Moreover, these negative affects were related to craving intensity. However, for men, the relation was only present at the beginning of detoxification, while, for women, it persisted at the end of detoxification as did high levels of depression. Furthermore, only with women was the level of craving at T2 proportional to negative affects reported at T1, and depression symptoms experienced at T1 were reliable predictors of craving at T2.

Conclusions

Given the importance of craving in relapse, special care should be given to improve depressive symptoms inADwomen to promote long‐term abstinence. Also, the remaining portion ofADwomen who still exhibit substantial symptoms of anxiety and depression at the end of detoxification could benefit from an integrated treatment simultaneously tackling mood and alcohol‐dependence disorders.
Trajectories of heroin use: 10–11‐year findings from the Australian Treatment Outcome Study
Authors: Teesson Maree , Marel Christina , Darke Shane , Ross Joanne , Slade Tim , Burns Lucy , Lynskey Michael , Memedovic Sonja , White Joanne , Mills Katherine L.
Published: January 2017

Aims

To identify trajectories of heroin use in Australia, predictors of trajectory group membership and subsequent outcomes among people with heroin dependence over 10–11 years.

Design

Longitudinal cohort study.

Setting

Sydney, Australia.

Participants

A total of 615 participants were recruited between 2001 and 2002 as part of the Australian Treatment Outcome Study (66.2% male; mean age 29 years). The predominance of the cohort (87.0%) was recruited upon entry to treatment (maintenance therapies, detoxification and residential rehabilitation), and the remainder from non‐treatment settings (e.g. needle and syringe programmes). This analysis focused upon 428 participants for whom data on heroin use were available over 10–11 years following study entry.

Measurements

Structured interviews assessed demographics, treatment history, heroin and other drug use, overdose, criminal involvement, physical health and psychopathology. Group‐based trajectory modelling was used to: (i) identify trajectory groups based on use of heroin in each year, (ii) examine predictors of group membership and (iii) examine associations between trajectory group membership and 10–11‐year outcomes.

Findings

Six trajectory groups were identified [Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) = –1927.44 (n = 4708); −1901.07 (n = 428)]. One in five (22.1%) were classified as having ‘no decrease‘ in heroin use, with the probability of using remaining high during the 10–11 years (> 0.98 probability of use in each year). One in six (16.1%) were classified as demonstrating a ‘rapid decrease to maintained abstinence’. The probability of heroin use among this group declined steeply in the first 2–3 years and continued to be low (< 0.01). The remaining trajectories represented other fluctuating patterns of use. Few baseline variables were found to predict trajectory group membership, but group membership was predictive of demographic, substance use and physical and mental health outcomes at 10–11 years.

Conclusions

Long‐term trajectories of heroin use in Australia appear to show considerable heterogeneity during a decade of follow‐up, with few risk factors predicting group membership. Just more than a fifth continued to use at high levels, while fewer than a fifth become abstinent early on and remained abstinent. The remainder showed fluctuating patterns.
Proximations of Public Religion: Worship, Spiritual Warfare, and the Ritualization of Christian Dance
Authors: Elisha Omri
Published: January 2017

This essay is about a group of neo‐Pentecostal evangelists who decided to represent their church in the New York Dance Parade, which they regarded as an opportunity to promote worship as the true purpose of art and engage in spiritual warfare. Their participation was predicated on a distinction between “performance” and “ministry,” privileging the latter. I argue that upholding this distinction in the immersive context of a secular festival required a process of intensive ritualization, involving physical and spiritual preparations and symbolic boundary maintenance. I further argue that anthropological perspectives on such instances of public religion should seek to account for how ritual forms produce and are shaped by the effects of what I call proximation, a condition of “closeness” between categories of activity otherwise regarded as separate and autonomous (e.g., religion and the arts). The concept is a means to explore how religious ministries are influenced by ostensibly external factors and the need to manage them, and by the various opportunities, tensions, and moral associations that arise when ritual strategies evoke comparisons with secular genres and domains. The proximations of religion highlight the ethnographic significance of ideal‐typical categories and spheres, including their potential to intersect, which is a byproduct of how they have been differentiated. [Christianity, ritual, performance, evangelicalism, secularism]
Bronchopulmonary pharmacokinetics of (R)‐salbutamol and (S)‐salbutamol enantiomers in pulmonary epithelial lining fluid and lung tissue of horses
Authors: Jacobson Glenn A. , Raidal Sharanne , Robson Kate , Narkowicz Christian K. , Nichols David S. , Haydn Walters E.
Published: January 2017

Aims

Salbutamol is usually administered as a racemic mixture but little is known about the enantioselectivity of salbutamol pharmacokinetics in the lung. This study was designed to investigate enantiomer concentrations in lung tissue after inhaled dosing.

Methods

Horses (n = 12) received racemic salbutamol 1000 μg via inhalation. Enantioselective ultra performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine salbutamol concentrations in pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) sampled 2, 5, 10 and 15 min after administration, in central lung (endoscopic bronchial biopsy) and peripheral lung (percutaneous pulmonary biopsy) tissues (at 20 and 25 min respectively), and in plasma samples.

Results

Mean ± 95% confidence interval (CI) yield of PELF was 57 ± 10 mg. Initial mean ± 95%CI (R)‐ and (S)‐salbutamol PELF concentrations were 389 ± 189 ng g–1 and 378 ± 177 ng g–1 respectively, and both reduced approximately 50% by 15 min. Mean ± 95%CI central lung levels of drug were higher than peripheral lung tissue for both (R)‐salbutamol (875 ± 945 vs. 49.5 ± 12 ng g–1) and (S)‐salbutamol (877 ± 955 vs. 50.9 ± 12 ng g–1) respectively. There was no evidence of enantioselectivity in PELF or central lung but minor (~2%) enantioselectivity was observed in the peripheral lung. Enantioselectivity was clearly evident in plasma with (S):(R) ratio of 1.25 and 1.14 for both area under the concentration–time curve (0–25 min) and Cmax respectively.

Conclusions

PELF sampling in horses offers sufficient yield allowing direct detection of drug and, combined with tissue sampling, is a valuable model to investigate bronchopulmonary pharmacokinetics. Salbutamol did not demonstrate enantioselectivity in PELF or central lung tissue uptake following acute dosing, however, enantioselective plasma concentrations were demonstrated, with minor enantioselectivity in the peripheral lung.
Multilocus analysis reveals three candidate genes for Chinese migraine susceptibility
Authors: An X.‐K. , Fang J. , Yu Z.‐Z. , Lin Q. , Lu C.‐X. , Qu H.‐L. , Ma Q.‐L.
Published: January 2017

Several genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) in Caucasian populations have identified 12 loci that are significantly associated with migraine. More evidence suggests that serotonin receptors are also involved in migraine pathophysiology. In the present study, a case–control study was conducted in a cohort of 581 migraine cases and 533 ethnically matched controls among a Chinese population. Eighteen polymorphisms from serotonin receptors andGWASswere selected, and genotyping was performed using a SequenomMALDI‐TOFmass spectrometryiPLEXplatform. The genotypic and allelic distributions ofMEF2Drs2274316 andASTN2rs6478241 were significantly different between migraine patients and controls. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed significant associations of polymorphisms in theMEF2DandASTN2genes with migraine susceptibility.MEF2D,PRDM16andASTN2were also found to be associated with migraine without aura (MO) and migraine with family history. And,MEF2DandASTN2also served as genetic risk factors for the migraine without family history. The generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis identified thatMEF2DandHTR2Econstituted the two‐factor interaction model. Our study suggests that theMEF2D,PRDM16andASTN2genes fromGWASare associated with migraine susceptibility, especiallyMO, among Chinese patients. It appears that there is no association with serotonin receptor related genes.
The Crisis Map of the Czech Republic: the nationwide deployment of an Ushahidi application for disasters
Authors: Pánek Jiří , Marek Lukáš , Pászto Vít , Valůch Jaroslav
Published: January 2017

Crisis mapping is a legitimate component of both crisis informatics and disaster risk management. It has become an effective tool for humanitarian workers, especially after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. Ushahidi is among the many mapping platforms on offer in the growing field of crisis mapping, and involves the application of crowdsourcing to create online and interactive maps of areas in turmoil. This paper presents the Crisis Map of the Czech Republic, which is the first such instrument to be deployed nationwide in Central Europe. It describes the methodologies used in the preparatory work phase and details some practices identified during the creation and actual employment of the map. In addition, the paper assesses its structure and technological architecture, as well as its potential possible development in the future. Lastly, it evaluates the utilisation of the Crisis Map during the floods in the Czech Republic in 2013.
Effect of gemigliptin on glycaemic variability in patients with type 2 diabetes (STABLE study)
Authors: Park Se E. , Lee Byung W. , Kim Jae H. , Lee Woo J. , Cho Jae H. , Jung Chang H. , Lee Seung H. , Suh Sunghwan , Hur Gwong C. , Kim Sung H. , Jang Young H. , Park Cheol Y. ,   STABLE Study Group
Published: January 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of gemigliptin vs sitagliptin or glimepiride as initial combination therapy with metformin on glycaemic variability and to assess the correlation between glycaemic variability reduction and the dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibition in patients with type 2 diabetes. This multicentre, randomized, active‐controlled, open‐label exploratory study included 69 patients with HbA1c > 7.5%. Subjects were randomized to receive gemigliptin 50 mg (n = 24), sitagliptin 100 mg (n = 23) or glimepiride 2 mg (n = 22) for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, the change in mean amplitude of glycaemic excursion (MAGE) compared with baseline was significantly lower in the DPP‐4 inhibitor groups compared with that in patients who received glimepiride. Furthermore, the standard deviation (SD) of glucose was significantly lower in patients who received gemigliptin than that in patients who received sitagliptin or glimepiride. The DPP‐4 inhibition was significantly correlated with changes in MAGE and SD of glucose. In conclusion, gemigliptin and sitagliptin were more effective than glimepiride in reducing glycaemic variability as initial combination therapy with metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes, and the DPP‐4 inhibition was associated with a reduction in glycaemic variability.
Efficacy and safety of adding evogliptin versus sitagliptin for metformin‐treated patients with type 2 diabetes: A 24‐week randomized, controlled trial with open label extension
Authors: Hong Sang‐Mo , Park Cheol‐Young , Hwang Dong‐Min , Han Kyung Ah , Lee Chang Beom , Chung Choon Hee , Yoon Kun‐Ho , Mok Ji‐Oh , Park Kyong Soo , Park Sung‐Woo
Published: January 2017

Aims

This trial consisted of a 24‐week multicentre, randomized, double‐blind, double‐dummy, active‐controlled study and a 52‐week open label extension study to assess the efficacy and safety of evogliptin, a novel dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor, compared to sitagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes who have inadequate glycaemic control with metformin alone.

Methods

Adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (N = 222) with HbA1c 6.5% to 11% who were receiving stable doses of metformin (≥1000 mg/d) were randomized 1:1 to add‐on evogliptin 5 mg (N = 112) or sitagliptin 100 mg (N = 110) once daily for 24 weeks. The primary efficacy analysis consisted of a comparison of the change from baseline HbA1c at week 24. Non‐inferiority was concluded if the upper limit of the 2‐sided 95% confidence interval for the HbA1c difference between treatments was <0.35%.

Results

Mean changes in HbA1c following addition of evogliptin or sitagliptin were −0.59% and −0.65%, respectively. The between‐group difference was 0.06% (2‐sided 95% confidence interval, −0.10 to 0.22), demonstrating non‐inferiority. After the 52‐week treatment, evogliptin caused a persistently decreased level of HbA1c (−0.44% ± 0.65%,
P
 < .0001). In general, both treatments were well tolerated, with incidences and types of adverse events comparable between the two groups. Hypoglycaemic events, mostly mild, were reported in 0.9% of patients treated with evogliptin and in 2.8% of patients treated with sitagliptin for 24 weeks.

Conclusions

Evogliptin 5 mg added to metformin therapy effectively improved glycaemic control and was non‐inferior to sitagliptin and well tolerated in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus that was inadequately controlled by metformin alone.
Elevated CO2 does not exacerbate nutritional stress in larvae of a Pacific flatfish
Authors: Hurst Thomas P. , Laurel Benjamin J. , Hanneman Eric , Haines Scott A. , Ottmar Michele L.
Published: January 2017

Multiple aspects of climate change are expected to co‐occur such that ocean acidification will take place in conjunction with warming and a range of trophic changes. Previous studies have demonstrated that nutritional condition plays a significant role in the responses of invertebrates to ocean acidification, but similar studies have yet to be conducted with marine fishes. In this study, we examined the potential interactive effects of elevated CO2 levels and nutritional stress on the growth and development of northern rock sole (Lepidopsetta polyxystra). Separate experiments examined the effects of these two environmental stressors during the pre‐flexion (3–31 days) and post‐flexion (31–87 days) larval stages. In both stages, the larval feeding regime has a much larger impact on growth rates than did the CO2 level, and there was no observed interaction between stressors. By 31 days post‐hatch, larvae in the high‐feeding treatment were 84.2% heavier than the fish in the low‐feeding treatments, but there was no significant effect of CO2 level on body size or condition. While overall growth rates were faster during the pre‐flexion stage, the effects of food limitation were greater for post‐flexion larvae undergoing metamorphosis, with the high‐feeding treatment fish being 3.3 times as heavy as fish in the low‐feeding treatments. These results have important implications for understanding the impacts of the multi‐faceted nature of climate change on population productivity of commercial fish species in the North Pacific.
Effects of selection for ethanol preference on gene expression in the nucleus accumbens of HS‐CC mice
Authors: Colville A. M. , Iancu O. D. , Oberbeck D. L. , Darakjian P. , Zheng C. L. , Walter N. A. R. , Harrington C. A. , Searles R. P. , McWeeney S. , Hitzemann R. J.
Published: January 2017

Previous studies on changes in murine brain gene expression associated with the selection for ethanol preference have used F2 intercross or heterogeneous stock (HS) founders, derived from standard laboratory strains. However, these populations represent only a small proportion of the genetic variance available in Mus musculus. To investigate a wider range of genetic diversity, we selected mice for ethanol preference using an HS derived from the eight strains of the collaborative cross. These HS mice were selectively bred (four generations) for high and low ethanol preference. The nucleus accumbens shell of naive S4 mice was interrogated using RNA sequencing (RNA‐Seq). Gene networks were constructed using the weighted gene coexpression network analysis assessing both coexpression and cosplicing. Selection targeted one of the network coexpression modules (greenyellow) that was significantly enriched in genes associated with receptor signaling activity including Chrna7, Grin2a, Htr2a and Oprd1. Connectivity in the module as measured by changes in the hub nodes was significantly reduced in the low preference line. Of particular interest was the observation that selection had marked effects on a large number of cell adhesion molecules, including cadherins and protocadherins. In addition, the coexpression data showed that selection had marked effects on long non‐coding RNA hub nodes. Analysis of the cosplicing network data showed a significant effect of selection on a large cluster of Ras GTPase‐binding genes including Cdkl5, Cyfip1, Ndrg1, Sod1 and Stxbp5. These data in part support the earlier observation that preference is linked to Ras/Mapk pathways.
Factors associated with unexpected admissions and mortality among low‐functioning older patients receiving home medical care
Authors: Umegaki Hiroyuki , Asai Atushi , Kanda Shigeru , Maeda Keiko , Shimojima Takuya , Nomura Hideki , Kuzuya Masafumi
Published: January 2017

Aim

The need for and availability of home medical care for elderly patients with limitations in terms of access to medical facilities has been increasing. We investigated the association between low function, malnutrition, dementia and multicomorbidity with patient prognosis, focusing on unexpected hospital admissions and mortality in elderly non‐cancer patients receiving home care.

Methods

The study included 124 Japanese patients receiving home medical care in the form of regular visits from doctors and nurses for physical and/or mental disability.

Results

Of the patients studied, 36.2% experienced hospital admission. Student's t‐test showed that admitted patients had significantly higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores. Meanwhile, 19.6% of patients died during the course of the study. Student's t‐test showed that older patients had a higher risk of mortality, and significantly lower activities of daily living and Mini‐Nutritional Assessment Short‐Form scores. Cox hazard analysis showed that multicomorbidity was a risk for unexpected hospital admission, and malnutrition was a risk for mortality in frail older adults receiving home medical care.

Conclusions

We found that multicomorbidity was a risk for unexpected hospital admission, and malnutrition was a risk for mortality in frail older adults receiving home medical care. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1623–1627.
Effects of rapid aging and lower participation rate among younger adults on the short‐term trend of physical activity in the National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan
Authors: Nishi Nobuo , Yoshizawa Takeshi , Okuda Nagako
Published: January 2017

Aim

The National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan, has annually monitored two indicators of physical activity in adults. They are contrasting in the association with age; the prevalence of exercise habit is lower and step counts are higher among younger participants. The present study aimed to examine the effects of rapid aging of the Japanese population and the lower participation rate among younger adults on the short‐term trend of two indicators of physical activity using tabulated data.

Methods

The prevalence of exercise habit and step counts by age groups (≥20 years) from 2003 to 2010 were estimated using tabulated data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey by calculating sex‐specific means weighted by age‐specific Japanese population data for each year (population‐weighted estimates) and for a fixed year (2005; age‐standardized estimates). Linear regression analyses were used to test the statistical significance of their trends.

Results

Statistically significant increasing trends in the prevalence of exercise habit were observed for the crude means (P = 0.029), the population‐weighted estimates (P = 0.007) and the age‐standardized estimates (P = 0.016) only in men. Statistically significant decreasing trends in the step counts were observed for the crude means (P = 0.006 in men and P = 0.033 in women) and the population‐weighted estimates (P = 0.008 in men and P = 0.049 in women) both in men and women, but for the age‐standardized estimates (P = 0.039) only in men.

Conclusions

The effects of rapid aging of the Japanese population and the lower participation rate among younger adults on the short‐term trend are not small, and age‐standardization is necessary to observe even the short‐term trend of physical activity data. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1677–1682.
Fear of falling and mortality among community‐dwelling older adults in the Shih‐Pai study in Taiwan: A longitudinal follow‐up study
Authors: Chang Hsiao‐Ting , Chen Hsi‐Chung , Chou Pesus
Published: January 2017

Aim

Little is known about the association between fear of falling (FOF) and the risk of mortality. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between FOF and mortality among community‐dwelling older adults.

Methods

A total of 3814 older adults aged 65 years and older living in the Shih‐Pai area in Taiwan participated in this 7‐year follow‐up longitudinal study. A structured questionnaire was used to record participants’ FOF, history of falling, demographic characteristics, medical conditions, history of insomnia, depression symptoms and subjective health from 1999 to 2002. Follow‐up all‐cause mortality data were obtained from the National Death Registry of the Department of Health to identify the occurrence of deaths from the initial interview through to 31 December 2008.

Results

At the baseline assessment, the mean age of the participants was 73.8 ± 5.8 years, 56.4% were men and 53.4% had FOF. Cox regression showed that participants with FOF had an increased risk of mortality (aHR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02–1.33) after adjusting for sex, history of falling, age, body mass index, marital status, education level, smoking status, alcohol use, living status, chronic condition, depression and subjective health. Furthermore, FOF was a significant risk factor for male participants (aHR 1.17, 95% CI 1.00–1.38), but had a marginal risk for female participants (aHR 1.24, 95% CI 0.95–1.60) after adjusting for other risk factors, as in the full model except for sex.

Conclusions

The findings of the present study suggest that FOF is a significant risk factor of mortality, especially in older male adults. Further research on the mechanism and effects of fear of falling on mortality is necessary. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2216–2223.
Therapeutic effects of drug switching between acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in patients with Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Ohta Yasuyuki , Darwish Mohamed , Hishikawa Nozomi , Yamashita Toru , Sato Kota , Takemoto Mami , Abe Koji
Published: January 2017

Aim

To evaluate the therapeutic effects of switching from one acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI), donepezil, galantamine or rivastigmine, to another in Alzheimer's disease patients.

Methods

We retrospectively enrolled 171 Alzheimer's disease patients, whose ChEI medication was changed. The patients were evaluated on three major aspects of dementia – cognitive, affective and activities of daily living (ADL) measures – at 6 months (M) before the drug switch, at the time of drug switch (baseline), and at 3 M and 6 M after the drug switch.

Results

The doses of the three ChEI were significantly lower at 6 M after the switch compared with the pre‐switch doses. Improvements in apathy were found at 3 M when switching from donepezil to galantamine, but not to rivastigmine, but this switch had adverse effects on ADL. Improvements in cognitive scores at 3 M were also found when switching from galantamine to rivastigmine, but not to donepezil. However, both of these changes improved Abe's Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia scores (ABS), except ADL. Switching from rivastigmine to donepezil worsened ABS at 6 M, but preserved cognitive and ADL scores.

Conclusions

The present study suggests that despite a relatively lower dose of ChEI after the switch, switching from donepezil or rivastigmine preserved cognitive functions for at least 6 M. Switching from galantamine to rivastigmine improved Mini‐Mental State Examination and ABS at 3 M, but did not improve ADL scores. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1843–1848.
Effects of 6 months of aerobic and resistance exercise training on carotid artery intima media thickness in overweight and obese older women
Authors: Park Jinkee , Park Hyuntea
Published: January 2017

Aim

We studied the effects of exercise on carotid intima‐media thickness, luminal diameter, and flow velocity in overweight and obese older women, and the associations between carotid parameters changes and other variables.

Methods

A total of 41 overweight and obese older women (aged 65–77 years, fat mass percent ≥ 32%), who were divided into a control group (n = 20) and a supervised combined exercise group (n = 21). The 24‐week combined exercise program (aerobic and resistance exercise) consisted of sessions 40–80 min in length 5 days per week under the supervision of an exercise specialist. Body composition, blood pressure, physical function and carotid variables were assessed. The differences in all variables, and the relative changes between baseline and 24 weeks’ follow up were evaluated.

Results

Carotid intima‐media thickness, systolic carotid luminal diameter, peak systolic flow velocity and end diastolic flow velocity showed a significant group × time interaction. No interaction was observed for diastolic luminal diameter. In the exercise group, the change of carotid intima‐media thickness was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure, maximal walking speed, 1‐mile walking time and maximal oxygen uptake. Also, the change of peak systolic flow velocity was significantly associated with skeletal muscle mass, diastolic blood pressure and maximum walking speed.

Conclusions

Combined exercise can effectively improve carotid intima‐media thickness in overweight and obese older women. In addition, exercise training increases the systolic carotid luminal diameter and flow velocity in older women. Therefore, regular combined exercise might help prevent atherosclerotic disease by improving the carotid artery. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2304–2310.
Diagnosis and treatment guidelines for aberrant portal hemodynamics
Authors:   Working Subgroup for Clinical Practice Guideline for Aberrant Portal Hemodynamics
Published: January 2017

Idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH), causing aberrant portal hemodynamics, is a disease with an as yet unidentified cause and no established treatment protocol. The Japanese research group on IPH in Japan was set up in 1975 by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Extrahepatic portal obstruction and Budd–Chiari syndrome (BCS) have since been added to the group's research subjects. The aims of the research group are to accurately evaluate the current status of the three diseases in Japan, elucidate their etiology and pathogenesis, and develop new treatments. Due to the long‐term efforts of the Japanese research group, aberrant portal hemodynamics has been investigated in a variety of aspects, from epidemiological and pathological studies to molecular biology analyses. As a result, it has been shown that there are abnormal genes in the liver, specific for IPH. In addition, pathological findings of BCS were internationally compared and the difference in findings between Japan and Europe (or North America) has been clarified. Furthermore, it was found that complication rates of hepatocellular carcinoma in BCS were higher in Japan. Based on the research, “Diagnosis and treatment of aberrant portal hemodynamics (2001)”, including diagnostic criteria for aberrant portal hemodynamics, was published in 2001. In 2013, it was revised to “Diagnosis and treatment guidelines for aberrant portal hemodynamics (2013)” after the incorporation of diagnosis and treatment in accordance with its current status.
How clinical nurses in South Korea perceive the status of the nursing profession: A Q‐methodological approach
Authors: Ha Eun‐Ho
Published: January 2017

Professional self‐image among nurses is shaped by subjective perceptions, feelings, and tacit views. A perceived positive status reflects and influences the nurse's self‐esteem, professional empowerment, and nursing performance. The aim of this study was to examine the perceived status of the nursing profession among clinical nurses in South Korea. Q‐methodology was used with data collected from September to December 2014. Forty‐four Q statements were selected and scored by the 31 participants on a 9‐point scale with normal distribution. The data were analyzed using the pc‐QUANL program. Thirty‐one nurses were classified into 3 factors based on the following viewpoints: as professional (I am proud of my nursing job), subprofessional (I am not proud of my nursing job), and developmental (advocating for change and improvement). The major finding of this study included clinical nurses' subjective perception toward the status of nursing profession. The results indicated that to raise the status of nursing profession, nurses need to understand the value of nursing and their contribution to patients and public.
Why Childhood is Bad for Children
Authors: Hannan Sarah
Published: January 2017

This article asks whether being a child is, all things considered, good or bad for children. I defend a predicament view of childhood, which regards childhood as bad overall for children. I argue that four features of childhood make it regrettable: impaired capacity for practical reasoning, lack of an established practical identity, a need to be dominated, and profound and asymmetric vulnerability. I consider recent claims in the literature that childhood is good for children since it allows them to enjoy special goods that aren't available in adulthood, or which are harder to access in adulthood. I raise some difficulties for these claims. Then I argue that whatever version of these views survives my criticism will not establish that childhood is overall good for children. This is because the goods of childhood aren't significant enough to outweigh the bad features associated with being a child. I conclude by suggesting that the badness of childhood for children means that we are likely to owe more to children than to adults.
The Levelling Up of Constituent Power in the European Union
Authors: Patberg Markus
Published: January 2017

In this article, I elaborate a conceptual innovation that underlies, if only in nascent form, Jürgen Habermas's notion of pouvoir constituant mixte and could significantly advance research on the democratic legitimacy of EU constitutional politics: the levelling up of constituent power. According to this idea, state‐level pouvoirs constituants may issue an authorization for constitutional decision‐making at the supra‐state level and thereby bring about a new constituent power whose composition can take a variety of forms. This conceptual framework paves the way for a systematic analysis of the EU's pouvoir constituant and its relation to the demoi of the member states. At the same time, it renders it an open normative question of who should be in charge of EU constitutional politics.
Anxious Attachment to God, Spiritual Support, and Obesity: Findings from a Recent Nationwide Survey
Authors: Krause Neal , Hayward R. David
Published: January 2017

Some researchers report that people who are more deeply involved in religion may be more obese, but other investigators have been unable to replicate these findings. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between religious life and obesity with data from a recent nationwide survey, the Landmark Spirituality and Health Survey (N = 1,497). The core measure of religion is an anxious or insecure attachment to God. It is hypothesized that study participants with a more anxious attachment to God are more likely to be obese. However, it is further proposed that this relationship will only hold for study participants who receive little spiritual or emotional support from fellow church members. Spiritual support is assistance that is provided with the explicit purpose of bolstering the religious beliefs and behaviors of the recipient. The findings reveal that having an anxious attachment to God is associated with a greater risk of being obese, but this relationship becomes progressively weaker as the level of spiritual and emotional support increases.
Is This Relevant? Physician Perceptions, Clinical Relevance, and Religious Content in Clinical Interactions
Authors: Franzen Aaron B.
Published: January 2017

Despite wide support among physicians for practicing patient‐centered care, clinical interactions are primarily driven by physicians’ perception of relevance. While some will perceive a connection between religion and patient health, this relevance will be less apparent for others. I argue that physician responses when religious/spiritual topics come up during clinical interactions will depend on their own religious/spiritual background. The more central religion is for the physician, the greater his or her perception of religion's impact on health outcomes and his or her inclusion of religion/spirituality within clinical interactions. Using a nationally representative sample of physicians in the United States and mediated path models, I estimate models for five different physician actions to evaluate these relationships. I find that a physician's religious background is strongly associated with whether or not he or she thinks religion impacts health outcomes, which is strongly predictive of inclusion. I also find that not all of the association between inclusion and physicians’ religious background is mediated by thinking religion impacts health outcomes. Issues of religion's relevance for medicine are important to the degree that religious beliefs are an important dimension of patients’ lives.
Serum microRNA profiles as diagnostic biomarkers for HBV‐positive hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhu Hao‐Tu , Liu Rong‐Bin , Liang Ya‐Yong , Hasan Abdulbaqi M. E. , Wang Hai‐Yun , Shao Qiong , Zhang Zi‐Chen , Wang Jing , He Cai‐Yun , Wang Fang , Shao Jian‐Yong
Published: January 2017

Background & Aims

The discovery of effective and reliable biomarkers to detect hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at an early stage may improve the survival of HCC. The aim of this study was to establish serum microRNA (miRNA) profiles as diagnostic biomarkers for HBV‐positive HCC.

Methods

We used deep sequencing to screen serum miRNAs in a discovery cohort (n=100). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays were then applied to evaluate the expression of selected miRNAs. A diagnostic 2‐miRNA panel was established by a logistic regression model using a training cohort (n=182). The predicted probability of being detected as HCC was used to construct the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to assess the diagnostic performance of the selected miRNA panel.

Results

The predicted probability of being detected as HCC by the 2‐miRNA panel was calculated by: logit P=−2.988 + 1.299 × miR‐27b‐3p + 1.245 × miR‐192‐5p. These results were further confirmed in a validation cohort (n=246).The miRNA panel provided a high diagnostic accuracy of HCC (AUC=0.842, P<.0001 for training set; AUC=0.836, P<.0001 for validation set respectively). In addition, the miRNA panel showed better prediction of HCC diagnosis than did alpha‐foetoprotein (AFP). The miRNA panel also differentiated HCC from healthy (AUC=0.823, P<.0001), and cirrhosis patients (AUC=0.859, P<.0001) respectively.

Conclusions

Differentially expressed serum miRNAs may have considerable clinical value in HCC diagnosis, and be particularly helpful for AFP‐negative HCC.