bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Angiographic Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Impella-Supported High-Risk Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From the cVAD PROTECT III Study
Authors: Bharadwaj Aditya S. , Abu-Much Arsalan , Maini Aneel S. , Zhou Zhipeng , Li Yanru , Batchelor Wayne B. , Grines Cindy L. , Baron Suzanne J. , Redfors Björn , Lansky Alexandra J. , Basir Mir B. , O’Neill William W.
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND:

Prior studies have found that patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have worse outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). There are no data about patients with advanced CKD undergoing Impella-supported high-risk PCI. We, therefore, aimed to evaluate angiographic characteristics and clinical outcomes in patients with CKD who received Impella-supported high-risk PCI as part of the catheter-based ventricular assist device PROTECT III study (A Prospective, Multi-Center, Randomized Controlled Trial of the IMPELLA RECOVER LP 2.5 System Versus Intra Aortic Balloon Pump [IABP] in Patients Undergoing Non Emergent High Risk PCI).

METHODS:

Patients enrolled in the PROTECT III study were analyzed according to their baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The primary outcome was 90-day major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischemic attack, and repeat revascularization).

RESULTS:

Of 1237 enrolled patients, 1052 patients with complete eGFR baseline assessment were evaluated: 586 with eGFR ≥60 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
, 190 with eGFR ≥45 to <60, 105 with eGFR ≥30 to <45, and 171 with eGFR <30 or on dialysis. Patients with lower eGFR (all groups with eGFR <60) were more frequently females and had a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, anemia, and peripheral artery disease. The baseline Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery score was similar between groups (28.2±12.6 for all groups). Patients with lower eGFR were more likely to have severe coronary calcifications and higher usage of atherectomy. There were no differences in individual PCI–related coronary complications between groups, but the rates of overall PCI complications were less frequent among patients with lower eGFR. Major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events at 90 days and 1-year mortality were significantly higher among patients with eGFR <30 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
or on dialysis.

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients with advanced CKD undergoing Impella-assisted high-risk PCI tend to have higher baseline comorbidities, severe coronary calcification, and higher atherectomy usage, yet CKD was not associated with a higher rate of immediate PCI–related complications. However, 90-day major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events and 1-year mortality were significantly higher among patients with eGFR<30 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
or on dialysis. Future studies of strategies to improve intermediate and long-term outcomes of these high-risk patients are warranted.

REGISTRATION:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT04136392.
Infliximab Limits Injury in Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Livia Christopher , Inglis Sara , Crespo‐Diaz Ruben , Rizzo Skylar , Mahlberg Ryan , Bagwell Monique , Hillestad Matthew , Yamada Satsuki , Meenakshi Siddharthan Dhivya Vadhana , Singh Raman Deep , Li Xing , Arrell D. Kent , Stalboerger Paul , Witt Tyra , El Sabbagh Abdallah , Rihal Munveer , Rihal Charanjit , Terzic Andre , Bartunek Jozef , Behfar Atta
Published: May 2024

Background

The purpose of this study was to investigate a therapeutic approach targeting the inflammatory response and consequent remodeling from ischemic myocardial injury.

Methods and Results

Coronary thrombus aspirates were collected from patients at the time of ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction and subjected to array‐based proteome analysis. Clinically indistinguishable at myocardial infarction (MI), patients were stratified into vulnerable and resilient on the basis of 1‐year left ventricular ejection fraction and death. Network analysis from coronary aspirates revealed prioritization of tumor necrosis factor‐α signaling in patients with worse clinical outcomes. Infliximab, a tumor necrosis factor‐α inhibitor, was infused intravenously at reperfusion in a porcine MI model to assess whether infliximab‐mediated immune modulation impacts post‐MI injury. At 3 days after MI (n=7), infliximab infusion increased proregenerative M2 macrophages in the myocardial border zone as quantified by immunofluorescence (24.1%±23.3% in infliximab versus 9.29%±8.7% in sham;
P
<0.01). Concomitantly, immunoassays of coronary sinus samples quantified lower troponin I levels (41.72±7.34 pg/mL versus 58.11±10.75 pg/mL;
P
<0.05) and secreted protein analysis revealed upregulation of injury‐modifying interleukin‐2, ‐4, ‐10, ‐12, and ‐18 cytokines in the infliximab‐treated cohort. At 4 weeks (n=12), infliximab treatment resulted in significant protective influence, improving left ventricular ejection fraction (53.9%±5.4% versus 36.2%±5.3%;
P
<0.001) and reducing scar size (8.31%±10.9% versus 17.41%±12.5%;
P
<0.05).

Conclusions

Profiling of coronary thrombus aspirates in patients with ST‐segment–elevation MI revealed highest association for tumor necrosis factor‐α in injury risk. Infliximab‐mediated immune modulation offers an actionable pathway to alter MI‐induced inflammatory response, preserving contractility and limiting adverse structural remodeling.
Racial Disparities in Blood Pressure at Time of Acute Ischemic Stroke Presentation: A Population Study
Authors: Aziz Yasmin N. , Sucharew Heidi , Stanton Robert J. , Alwell Kathleen , Ferioli Simona , Khatri Pooja , Adeoye Opeolu , Flaherty Matthew L. , Mackey Jason , De Los Rios La Rosa Felipe , Martini Sharyl R. , Mistry Eva A. , Coleman Elisheva , Jasne Adam S. , Slavin Sabreena J. , Walsh Kyle , Star Michael , Ridha Mohamed , Ades Laura M. C. , Haverbusch Mary , Demel Stacie L. , Woo Daniel , Kissela Brett M. , Kleindorfer Dawn O.
Published: May 2024

Background

Hypertension is a stroke risk factor with known disparities in prevalence and management between Black and White patients. We sought to identify if racial differences in presenting blood pressure (BP) during acute ischemic stroke exist.

Methods and Results

Adults with acute ischemic stroke presenting to an emergency department within 24 hours of last known normal during study epochs 2005, 2010, and 2015 within the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study were included. Demographics, histories, arrival BP, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and time from last known normal were collected. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine differences in mean BP between Black and White patients, adjusting for age, sex, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, stroke, body mass index, and study epoch. Of 4048 patients, 853 Black and 3195 White patients were included. In adjusted analysis, Black patients had higher presenting systolic BP (161 mm Hg [95% CI, 159–164] versus 158 mm Hg [95% CI, 157–159],
P
<0.01), diastolic BP (86 mm Hg [95% CI, 85–88] versus 83 mm Hg [95% CI, 82–84],
P
<0.01), and mean arterial pressure (111 mm Hg [95% CI, 110–113] versus 108 mm Hg [95% CI, 107–109],
P
<0.01) compared with White patients. In adjusted subanalysis of patients <4.5 hours from last known normal, diastolic BP (88 mm Hg [95% CI, 86–90] versus 83 mm Hg [95% CI, 82–84],
P
<0.01) and mean arterial pressure (112 mm Hg [95% CI, 110–114] versus 108 mm Hg [95% CI, 107–109],
P
<0.01) were also higher in Black patients.

Conclusions

This population‐based study suggests differences in presenting BP between Black and White patients during acute ischemic stroke. Further study is needed to determine whether these differences influence clinical decision‐making, outcome, or clinical trial eligibility.
Does Distance Matter? How Physical and Social Distance Shape Our Perceived Obligations to Others
Authors: Marshall Julia , Wilks Matti
Published: May 2024

Debates within moral philosophy have long centered on the question of whether we are more obligated to help those close to us compared to those who are farther away. Despite these debates, we have little understanding of our psychological intuitions about these issues. In the current study, we presented adults and children (5- to 9-year-olds) in the United States (N = 406) with hypothetical scenarios involving pairs of socially and physically close and far strangers and asked about their obligations to help one another. In general, younger children (∼6-year-olds) were more inclined to describe strangers as obligated to help one another compared to older children (∼8-year-olds) and adults. For physical distance, we documented an age-related trend where younger children were less inclined to consider physical distance when ascribing obligations to help compared to older children and adults. For social distance, we found different results depending on how social distance was manipulated. In Study 1, where social distance was manipulated via mere similarity, we found an age-related effect where adults, but not younger or older children, judged that individuals are more obligated to help socially close others relative to far ones. In Study 2, where social distance was manipulated via explicit group membership, we did not find an age trend. Instead, participants generally described individuals as more obligated to help an ingroup member relative to an outgroup one. These results demonstrate that the tendency to deny obligations towards distant others is a belief that emerges relatively late in development.
Examining the Impact of Reading Fluency on Lexical Decision Results in French 6th Graders
Authors: Lubineau Marie , Watkins Cassandra Potier , Glasel Hervé , Dehaene Stanislas
Published: May 2024

Purpose: How does lexical decision behavior vary in students with the same grade level (all students were in their first year of middle-school), but different levels of reading fluency? Here, we tested a prediction of the dual-route model: as fluency increases, variations in the results may reflect a decreasing reliance on decoding and an increasing reliance on the lexical route. Method: 1,501 French 6th graders passed a one-minute speeded reading-aloud task evaluating fluency, and a ten-minute computerized lexical decision task evaluating the impact of lexicality, length, word frequency and pseudoword type. Results: As predicted, the word length effect varied dramatically with reading fluency, with the least fluent students showing a length effect even for frequent words. The frequency effect also varied, but solely in proportion to overall reading speed, suggesting that frequency affects the decision stage similarly in all readers, while length disproportionately impacts poor readers. Response times and errors were also affected by pseudoword type (e.g., letter substitutions or transpositions), but these effects showed minimal variation with fluency. Overall, lexical decision variables were excellent predictors of reading fluency (r = 0.62). Conclusion: Our results highlight the variability in middle-school reading ability and describe how a simple lexical decision task can be used to assess students’ mental lexicon (vocabulary) and the automatization of reading skills.
A multilevel analysis of data quality for formal software citation
Authors: Schindler David , Hossain Tazin , Spors Sascha , Krüger Frank
Published: May 2024

Software is a central part of modern science, and knowledge of its use is crucial for the scientific community with respect to reproducibility and attribution of its developers. Several studies have investigated in-text mentions of software and its quality, while the quality of formal software citations has only been analyzed superficially. This study performs an in-depth evaluation of formal software citation based on a set of manually annotated software references. It examines which resources are cited for software usage, to what extent they allow proper identification of software and its specific version, how this information is made available by scientific publishers, and how well it is represented in large-scale bibliographic databases. The results show that software articles are the most cited resource for software, while direct software citations are better suited for identification of software versions. Moreover, we found current practices by both publishers and bibliographic databases to be unsuited to represent these direct software citations, hindering large-scale analyses such as assessing software impact. We argue that current practices for representing software citations—the recommended way to cite software by current citation standards—stand in the way of their adoption by the scientific community, and urge providers of bibliographic data to explicitly model scientific software.
A critical review of large language models: Sensitivity, bias, and the path toward specialized AI
Authors: Hajikhani Arash , Cole Carolyn
Published: May 2024

This paper examines the comparative effectiveness of a specialized compiled language model and a general-purpose model such as OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 in detecting sustainable development goals (SDGs) within text data. It presents a critical review of large language models (LLMs), addressing challenges related to bias and sensitivity. The necessity of specialized training for precise, unbiased analysis is underlined. A case study using a company descriptions data set offers insight into the differences between the GPT-3.5 model and the specialized SDG detection model. While GPT-3.5 boasts broader coverage, it may identify SDGs with limited relevance to the companies’ activities. In contrast, the specialized model zeroes in on highly pertinent SDGs. The importance of thoughtful model selection is emphasized, taking into account task requirements, cost, complexity, and transparency. Despite the versatility of LLMs, the use of specialized models is suggested for tasks demanding precision and accuracy. The study concludes by encouraging further research to find a balance between the capabilities of LLMs and the need for domain-specific expertise and interpretability.
Linking science with media and policy: The case of academics in Flanders, Belgium
Authors: Jonker Hans , Vanlee Florian
Published: May 2024

There is a growing expectation for academics to go public, that is, to actively engage with the media and supply policy advice for decision-makers. Data showing these interactions are scarce. By linking data from FRIS, BelgaPress, and Overton, this study reveals a first snapshot of academics’ media mentions and policy citations for all active academics from Dutch-speaking universities in Belgium. Exploratory analysis reveals distinct sector differences, with academics from Social sciences, Medical, and Health sciences being most visible. A small minority of mostly male academics featured very often in media as media figures, contrasted by much more discrete policy pillars whose publications were cited often but hardly featured in traditional media.
Knowledge Access: The Effects of Carnegie Libraries on Innovation
Authors: Berkes Enrico , Nencka Peter
Published: May 2024

Between 1883 and 1919, Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of over 1,500 public libraries across the United States, reducing the costs of accessing knowledge for millions. We study the effect of these libraries on innovation. Patenting in recipient places increased on average by 10–12 percent in the 20 years following library construction relative to a novel control group of cities that applied for but did not build libraries. We show that access to scientific knowledge and increased collaboration opportunities are possible mechanisms.
Orchestration of talk and gestures for dialogic scaffolding: a case study of reading instruction / Orquestación del habla y los gestos para un andamiaje dialógico: un estudio de caso de la enseñanza de la lectura
Authors: Patel Nadya Shaznay
Published: May 2024

Scholars agree that talk and scaffolding are critical to students’ learning in reading instruction. However, while many studies have focused on the role of talk, few have studied the use of gestures as scaffolding strategies. This paper answers the following questions: (i) How does the use of gestures complement a teacher’s construction of scaffolding strategies? (ii) How can the use of talk and gestures achieve dialogic scaffolding? This observation research focuses on a case study of a secondary teacher. Participants’ semiotic mediation of talk and gestures was examined closely using an analytical approach, informed by theories of scaffolding and gesture. The findings show that teacher gestures were used as learning support while students used gestures to visually represent and demonstrate their understanding. Through this interplay between talk and gesture, effective meaning-making and understanding were achieved in reading instruction.
Do Emplyees Act like They Hunk! Exploring the Dichotomy between Moral Judgment and Ethical Behavior
Authors: White Richard D.
Published: May 2024

One frontier of ethics is a debate. Ethical scholars and psychologists look at how people act ethically and some argue that it is done from a point of view of rationality and others argue it is from habit or other less rational basis of decision-making. Some argue such decisions are made from a person's inner sense of morality which directly affects ethical behavior. Thus. morality is the result of long-term, irreversible cognitive development and the most dominant determinants of overall ethical behavior. A principled, highly moral person behaves ethic ally over the long haul and is, able to withstand short-term environmental pressures to act unethically. Others, argue that disconnect exists between moral thought and action. They say that moral development plays a less powerful role because the dominant factors affecting ethical behavior are more environmental, short-term, reversible, and manipulative. Thus, an otherwise highly moral person could be induced through brief but intense environmental changes to act quite unethically and even pathologically. This article addresses this debate.
Beyond the Confines of Compliance and Virtue: Honing a Set of Global Ethics for South Africa and the United States of America
Authors: Hilliard Victor G.
Published: May 2024

Another practical frontier of ethics is global ethics which this article examines in terms of South Africa and the United States of America. Both nations wish to entrench ethics and ethical behaviour in their societies in general and their public sectors in particular. The author devoted special attention to the notion of a global ethic as a possible alternative approach to embedding ethical behaviour in the two countries. Notwithstanding the glaring differences between the USA and South Africa in terms of socioeconomic development, few can dispute the need for an ethical society in both nations. He argues that the proper yardstick to judge American and South Africa's morality will be, or should be, a global one, especially if South Africa, just as the USA, hopes to compete on a global scale for trade, investment, and other types of bilateral or multilateral agreements. There is a need for a trans-cultural corporate ethic which is a business and governmental ethic that is acceptable across the borders, traverses and transcends nations and nationalities.

A huge development in post-apartheid South Africa is the focus on th global ethics that is a honing and refining of a set of “universal” ethics for the “new” South Africa (Hilliard and Kemp, 2000c). South Africa is now functioning and doing business in a global environment; since 1994 it has once more gained legitimacy in the international arena. In the wake of large-scale globalisation of all facets of human endeavour, speculating about the need for universal, global or cosmic values and norms is appropriate. If judged by international development, South Africa may, consequently, not want to be isolated from
Latin American Ancient Civilizations and Their Administrative Legacies
Authors: Garcia-Zamor Jean-Claude
Published: May 2024

This article reviews the legacies of the civilizations of the Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas. It specifically deals with five administrative problems faced by these civilizations, which include: an unorganized and inefficient bureaucracy, an inadequate and unfair tax collection system, nugatory agricultural practices, a warped judicial order, and a poor educational system. The article further discusses the relevance to contemporary administration of these civilizations' solutions to the aforementioned five administrative problems.
Anticipating Change in the Higher Civil Service: Affective Commitment, Organizational Ideology, and Political Ideology
Authors: Maranto Robert , Skelley B. Douglas
Published: May 2024

Although both academics and practitioners recognize that relationships exist between cultural predisposition and support for reform, few attempts have been made in the public sector to gauge them. This study applies the concepts affective commitment, organizational ideology,and political ideology, as established in the organizational behavior literature, to data taken from higher-level federal civil servants at the inception of the Clinton Administration's National Performance Review (NPR). Quantitative analyses confirm the importance of affective commitment to support for NPR and demonstrate that affective commitment varies greatly with organizational type. The study also lends credence to the hypothesis that strong ideologies can prove resistant to induced change. Political ideology appears a relevant factor but only in select agency cultures.
Reconsidering Economic Development: The Prospects for Economic Gardening
Authors: Barrios Sharon , Barrios David
Published: May 2024

For decades many local development and community leaders have been questioning the effectiveness of business attraction to create new jobs and expand local economies. At the same time, there has been growing interest among some professional planners and citizen groups in the concept of sustainable development, which suggests replacing short-sighted development plans which convey limited benefits with future-thinking strategies that improve and preserve the quality of life for the entire community. And yet, many local governments continue to rely on business attraction as a key component of their economic development strategies. This paper attempts to explain why these governments are resistant to more progressive economic development strategies. It first examines how and why traditional strategies are ineffective. It then argues that, by contrast, the more recent "economic gardening" approach, which centers on the cultivation of local entrepreneurship, is more effective, particularly with regard to long-term sustainability issues. The paper concludes by discussing economic gardening's prospects of becoming the dominant approach to economic development, and the key role coordinating agencies play in helping communities build the capacity to meet this challenge.
Building Communities While Building Plans: A Review of Techniques for Participatory Planning Processes
Authors: English Mary R. , Peretz Jean H. , Manderschied Melissa J.
Published: May 2024

There is no single recipe for a successful planning process. Instead, communities must take advantage of the ingredients at their disposal. A variety of techniques, both high- and low-tech, can be used. None is failsafe; each has pros and cons. Typically, their success will depend on both the community's resources and its resourcefulness. In this review, we briefly describe and assess techniques that can be used to aid five phases of a participatory planning process: those concerning goals, information, options, decisions, and monitoring. We conclude with recommendations for ways to build, not simply a plan, but a stronger social fabric. In particular, we argue that participants in a planning process should be treated, not primarily as representatives of vested interests, but as citizens with the responsibility and capability to plan for the common good.
The History of the Certified Public Manager: How the Application of Management Principles Contributed to Success and Sustained Growth over A Three Decade Organizational Journey
Authors: Patterson Thomas H. , Henning Kenneth K.
Published: May 2024

This history describes the birth of the Certified Public Manager concept, the establishment of the Society concept in Georgia, and the transfer of the model to other states. It also details the formation of the National Certified Public Manager Consortium as the higher education instructional and program standards organization, and the formation of the American Academy of Certified Public Managers as the national association of State CPM Societies and their professional members. In addition, Mr. Henning identifies major management concerns as the organizational process evolved and the strategies that were successful in their resolution.
Implementation in A Wired World: Obstacles to Facilitating Information-Sharing Procedures in North-Central Alabama
Authors: Haque Akhlaque
Published: May 2024

Information Sharing (IS) among public and nonprofit organizations is quintessential for making meaningful decisions that serve the greater needs of 21st Century citizens. Unlike more traditional areas of public activity, IS does not constitute a public policy enacted by elected leaders. Rather, IS represents an inter-agency agreement over information technology (IT) procedure and processes. Consequently this makes the implementation of IS somewhat unique yet increasingly common in the new century. Based on examination of 35 agencies in north central Alabama, this study examines factors which tend to facilitate and hinder the implementation of IS procedures.
The Discretionary Function Exemption: Legislation and Case Law
Authors: Giannatasio Nicholas A.
Published: May 2024

Public administrators are often left without a decision schematic in the execution of public policy. All decisions are not made with certitude; rather, discretionary decisions are frequently made in deciding the who, what, where, and how of politics. The Discretionary Function Exemption of the Federal Tort Claims Act offers immunity from prosecution to public administrators who exercise discretion within the scope of their employment. This paper will explore the political rationale of discretion and the protection of discretion by the legislatures and courts. Furthermore, it offers a perspective on the future of the Discretionary Function Exemption.
A New Systems Thinking: Implications of the Sciences of Complexity for Public Policy and Administration
Authors: Morçöl Göktuğ
Published: May 2024

This paper discusses the implications of the sciences of complexity for public policy and administration. It is argued that the sciences of complexity have implications for our thinking in mainly three areas. First, they revise our conceptions of systems, causal relations, and determinism and depict a picture of mostly indeterministic reality composed of open systems. Second, they offer an “endophysical” and phenomenological view of system - observer relations. Third, although they are heavily quantitative, they illustrate the importance of qualitative interpretations in quantitative analyses and thus bridge the chasm between quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The insights of the sciences of complexity can help us improve our understanding of the complexities of public policy and administrative processes.
Dotted Lines: Networks, Quantum Holism, and the Changing Nation State
Authors: Mingus Matthew S.
Published: May 2024

Borders and the nation-state model are increasingly under stress. This article demonstrates how networks and network structures are currently holding the nation-state model together while some as-yet-unknown future model of collective action develops. Networks are particularly useful at helping to overcome three acute problems associated with the nation state: (1) the internal clash of interests, (2) system externalities, and (3) synergy dysfunction. In keeping with a quantum, holistic view of reality, borders are best viewed as dotted lines on our maps. Another way to state this argument is that networks and network structures may now be viewed as constructs to help societies maintain the belief that national borders are still meaningful although for numerous specific policies these borders mutated or even disappeared long ago.
E-Government and Local Governance in Canada: An Examination of Front Line Challenges and Federal Tensions
Authors: Roy Jeffrey
Published: May 2024

The purpose of this article is to examine the impacts of e-government in Canada on both inter-governmental relations and local governance. The rationale for such an examination stems from the emergence, over the past decade of two parallel discourses in public sector and governance reform: first, e-government as primarily a set of national and provincial strategies for public sector reforms, and secondly, a discourse has focused on the rising importance of municipal government and local governance systems. The main problem at present remains the absence of more holistic thinking on the need for a new enterprise, federated architecture for collaboration that entails an overhaul of the existing political arrangements of the federation. An additional lesson to draw at present is that the weak status and limited capacities of Canada's municipalities, a concern predating e-government's emergence, risk amplification as a governance handicap for both individual communities and the country in adapting to a more digital age. However, the consequences of the weakness also depend on how provincial and federal governments respond to the erosion of public trust by adapting their own structures, as well as the effectiveness of emerging top-down mechanisms being deployed to strengthen the infrastructure of cities and communities.
Action Learning and Its Applications in Government: The Case of South Korea
Authors: Kim Pan Suk , Jin Jongsoon
Published: May 2024

Action learning has become popular in government and business training programs around the world. The adoption of action learning by multinational corporations, such as GE and others, has stimulated the Korean government into utilizing it for management and leadership development. The Korean government is a latecomer in adopting action learning. In other words, the application and utilization of action learning in central government training programs are basically new developments over the last couple of years. We report the experiences of the Korean central government in using action learning. We also present some lessons learned and implications for further developments.
Leadership Behaviors and Trust in Leaders: Evidence from the U.S. Federal Government
Authors: Asencio Hugo , Mujkic Edin
Published: May 2024

This study contributes to our knowledge about the effectiveness of different leadership behaviors in building interpersonal trust within public organizations. It employs survey data on U.S. federal employees to investigate the relationship between employee perceptions of transactional and transformational leadership behaviors and employee perceptions of trust in leaders. Findings from OLS multivariate regression analysis indicate that both transactional and transformational leadership behaviors are positively related to employee trust in leaders. On average, transformational leadership behaviors were found to build higher levels of interpersonal trust. Thus, given the fundamental differences between private and public organizations, this study suggests that public sector leaders need to emphasize transformational leadership behaviors to build higher levels of interpersonal trust within their organizations. Since doing so is crucial for motivating employees and thus for increasing organizational performance, in their leadership development programs, public agencies—particularly those managed by transactional leaders—need to invest more in improving the transformational leadership competencies of their executives, managers, and supervisors.
Charities and Good Governance: A Case for A Common Measure for Public Accountability
Authors: Robinson Chester A. , Billingsley Gloria
Published: May 2024

The general social expectation is that funds donated directly or provided through tax benefits to charitable organizations should be used to perform good works in the community. It is assumed that these activities will be performed as efficiently and effectively as possible. This paper is a policy analysis using existing literature and data sources to explain the impact of current tax policy, and the value and shortcomings of employing financial efficiency and effectiveness measures to evaluate charities. The paper examines the social governance expectations accompanying these good works and the historical concerns on the constitutionality of government support for charitable activities. It examines the difficulty in establishing common standards to evaluate performance across the large and varied group of charities. Efforts to establish a common evaluation yardstick in both the public and private sectors are described. The paper concludes by highlighting the key public policy questions that should be addressed and provides recommendations for further actions.
Citizens Engaging Government: Participatory Budgeting in Greensboro, North Carolina
Authors: Afonso Whitney B.
Published: May 2024

Local governments are responding to growing pressures to increase transparency and citizen engagement, particularly in light of the fiscal stress created by the Great Recession. Historically, the budget process has been a target for these efforts, generally through public hearings and requirements for publicly available budget documents. However, there is growing interest in moving past information sharing to more dynamic and interactive engagement. A review of citizen engagement literature reveals the diverse ways in which local governments and citizens engage with each other. It also reveals that most studies are presented primarily from the perspective of the local government. This article responds by presenting a case study on Greensboro, North Carolina, where a citizen-led effort successfully introduced participatory budgeting (PB). In October 2014, Greensboro passed a resolution in which it committed $500,000 annually to PB, allowing citizens to develop and vote on budget proposals. The research presented here is a first step toward understanding efforts to increase transparency and engagement from a citizen perspective, and it highlights some of the unique challenges that citizens face when they take on such an initiative.
Organization Development and Management History: A Tale of Changing Seasons
Authors: Schachter Hindy Lauer
Published: May 2024

This article situates organization development (OD) in public administration history as a case study in understanding how the popularity of interventions to enhance agency performance rise and decline in academic literature. Using Barley and Kunda's (1992) tripartite historical analysis of management paradigms it discusses OD's surge, its rhetoric, and the challenges it confronted, especially from the alternative intervention of total quality management. The article shows how the rise and relative decline of OD within the PA literature coincided with important public administration theory developments in the mid and late twentieth century.
Does Stakeholder Participation Influence Epa's Chemical Risk Values?
Authors: Graff Michelle , Francis Royce
Published: May 2024

Limited empirical evidence exists regarding the precise impact of stakeholder involvement on regulatory decision-making. Therefore, this research serves as a case study aimed at qualitatively characterizing how stakeholder participation impacts EPA's chemical toxicological assessments in its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). IRIS is considered the gold standard human health assessment database for the federal government, industry, and consumers. During EPA's lengthy 26-month IRIS review process, external peer reviewers and agencies have opportunities to comment on proposed human health risk values (HHRV). This research compares the draft and final HHRVs and analyzes the stakeholder comments for nine published chemicals. Our results show that EPA is responsive to stakeholder comments. We found that when a majority of external peer reviewers and agencies agree that a draft HHRV requires updates, EPA makes alterations in its final toxicological assessment to respond to these recommendations over 80% of the time. Furthermore, our research indicates that EPA is slightly more responsive to comments submitted by external peer reviewers as compared to comments offered by other federal agencies. This study also suggests future research should investigate whether the IRIS assessment process could be further streamlined. One possibility to explore is EPA's distribution of a general charge survey with a Likert scale at the beginning of each question. This delimited survey style would allow EPA to streamline the IRIS assessment process, simplify the comments to facilitate public comprehension, and preserve the opportunity for robust stakeholder commentary.
Critical Evaluations of the French Health Care Accounting Indicators: The Use of Drgs
Authors: Simonet Daniel , Alkafaji Yass
Published: May 2024

Responding to legitimate public demand for a more effective government, and pressed by EU authorities to achieve fiscal balance, and to reorient the economy toward an export model (Lux, 2015), French authorities embraced New Public Management (NPM). The aims were: to modernize the public sector; to introduce some elements of economic performance in the administration; and to enhance accountability (Bezes, 2008). The health care sector was not spared. Diagnostic-Related Groups (DRG) was one of the new accounting tools designed to effect changes in this sector. The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the appropriateness of the DRG system and the challenges associated with its implementation in the health system. We evaluate the impact of DRGs using the four evaluation dimensions of the World Health Organization: efficiency, quality, relevancy and equity. Our findings indicate that although DRGs contributed to improving the relevance of the system and its efficiency (the ‘reality axis’ of WHO model), it has failed to meet what the society expects of an ‘ideal’ health care system: an increase in the quality of care and the promotion of equity between public and private care providers (the ‘ideal axis’ of the WHO model).
The Varieties of Theory and Their Roles in Public Administration
Authors: Abel Charles
Published: May 2024

The truth is that the whole fabric of our knowledge is one matted felt of pure hypothesis … Not the smallest advance can be made in knowledge beyond the stage of vacant staring, without making an abduction at every step. (Peirce, 1901)
Archeology of Exclusion: Counter-Mapping Sites of Exclusion and Oppression in the Administrative State Using Gis
Authors: Santis Esteban Leonardo
Published: May 2024

As public administration continues to explore geographic information systems (GIS), the field needs to take critical GIS seriously. Herein, I demonstrate that critical GIS can help public administration scholars and practitioners counter-map sites of oppression and exclusion, which has important implications for a socially just administrative state. This study begins with a theoretical discussion about the role of exclusion and oppression in the administrative state by way of Agamben's (1998; 2004) state of exception, Kristeva's (1982) abjection, and Quijano's (1992; 2000) coloniality of power thesis. Thereafter, I look at exclusion and oppression in praxis, followed by a case study that examines the shooting of seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, on the evening of February 26, 2012. Here, counter-maps show a stark juxtaposition of concentrated affluence and disadvantage in Sanford; which points to a series of inequalities that quite possibly empowered George Zimmerman's decision to abject Trayvon Martin.
Expectation versus Reality: Political Expediency and Implementation of Right to Information Laws
Authors: Bashir Mohsin , Nisar Muhammad Azfar
Published: May 2024

The Right to Information laws have been seen as a critical step in the global movement towards increased transparency of governments. In this article, we empirically analyze the implementation of the RTI law in Punjab, Pakistan by studying the experiences of citizens as they try to access information from different government departments. Our research suggests that the RTI law of Punjab incurs a disproportionate administrative burden in the form of high compliance, learning and cognitive costs on citizens. More importantly, a combination of lack of political interest, bureaucratic inertia and low local demand suggest that the RTI law is merely a ceremonial law with the government having limited interest in its effective implementation. Hence, our research suggests going beyond the mere introduction of RTI laws and calls for increased empirical inquiry of the local demand, policy formulation process, and the implementation of such laws.
Volunteers, Civil Servants, and Street-Level Bureaucrats: What Motivates Poll Workers to Serve on the Front-Lines of Elections?
Authors: Barsky Christina S.
Published: May 2024

As election officials have come under increased scrutiny in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, research considering poll workers’ motivations offers a window into the human dimension of election administration. As public employees that work infrequently, poll workers perform their roles as government agents a few times a year (at most) for long hours and very low pay. Drawing upon original survey data collected from more than 1,000 poll workers in four Arizona counties between April and May, 2019, this study utilizes public service motivation (PSM) as a theoretical framework to explore whether and to what extent election workers express PSM. Ultimately, concepts of civic duty, social engagement, compensation, and social desirability are uncovered as factors motivating front-line election workers. The findings offer actionable insight on how workers can be better recruited to implement U.S. elections.
More Money or More Problems? Assessing the Fiscal Impact of Consolidation in Macon-Bibb County, Georgia
Authors: Acuff Christopher
Published: May 2024

Attempts to create consolidated city-county governments have persisted in recent decades, with many local government reformers touting this type of organizational change as a solution to a number of challenges in metropolitan areas. Overall, research in this area has generally shown no conclusive outcomes related to achieving greater efficiencies as measured by a reduction in expenditures. However, the 2014 consolidation of Macon-Bibb County, Georgia presents an opportunity to explore a substantively important case due to a mandated 20% reduction in expenditures over a 5-year period. This analysis finds that while officials generally met their goal of reducing budgeted expenditures, an analysis of actual expenditures and questions pertaining to longer-term outcomes, including reductions in staffing, performance, and credit ratings may be a cautionary tale for similar efforts in the future.
Asbestos exposures associated with the use and handling of drilling mud additives
Authors: Anderson Evan , Holton Michael , Ellis Jennifer , Meyler Shannon , Adams Robert , Daniel Gina
Published: May 2024

This paper summarizes historical asbestos exposure data collected during the handling of short-fiber chrysotile asbestos that was used as an additive to drilling fluid in oil and gas exploration. A total of 1171 industrial hygiene (IH) personal and area air samples were collected and analyzed from more than 20 drilling rigs between 1972 and 1985. The dataset consists of 1097 short-term samples (<240 min) with more than 80% having sample durations less than 30 min. Average airborne fiber concentrations measured during asbestos handling activities ranged from 0.62 f/cc to 3.39 f/cc using phase-contrast microscopy (PCM). An additional 14 samples were considered long-term samples (>240 min) and there were 60 samples with no reported sample duration. Eight-hour time-weighted average (8-h TWA) results, calculated using short-term samples, along with long-term samples greater than 240 min, did not exceed contemporaneous Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limits (PELs). This analysis fills a data gap in the evaluation of asbestos exposures from the use of drilling mud additives (DMAs) that contained chrysotile asbestos.
The Role of Money in India’s Elections: How Effective Is the Political Finance Regime?
Authors: Kumar Ashutosh
Published: May 2024

Political finance does play a positive role in democratic regimes as it enables parties to strengthen their organizations and also run a dynamic electoral campaign. However, for the well-being of electoral democracies, it is imperative that political party funding/campaign finance is neither illegal nor illicit. Violation of political finance-related regulations erodes the citizens’ confidence in the fairness of the electoral system and also weakens trust in political parties. Like other democracies, India also faces the challenge of the infusion of big money, a large component of which remains unaccounted, corroding the fairness of what is otherwise a robust electoral system. The efforts of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to enforce a stringent political finance regime with the help of existing electoral laws, enforcement agencies and judicial intervention have so far met with limited success in checking the illegal and illicit money inflow and large-scale unaccounted expenditure. The task has been difficult due to perceived apathy of political parties, inadequate regulations and enforcement powers with the ECI.
“Run Forrest Run!”: Measuring the Impact of App-Enabled Performance and Social Feedback on Athletic and Usage Outcomes
Authors: Babar Yash , Chan Jason , Choi Ben
Published: May 2024

Exercise-tracking apps are digital tools for delivering personalized behavioral interventions. Despite the growing usage of exercise applications, the efficacy of in-exercise app features in driving usage and athletic outcomes remains poorly understood. To remain competitive, sports organizations now need to leverage tracking tools to efficiently allocate resources and streamline training regimens and interventions for their core assets (i.e., athletes). In response to these operational needs, we examine two specific forms of such in-exercise interventions, namely performance feedback and social feedback. We conducted an 18-month-long field study with 1,037 uniformed group servicemen to assess the effect of these feedback types on running and usage outcomes. Results from the field study provided evidence that these two app features improved the servicemen’s running times and frequency of application usage, on average. Contrary to the common belief that more features are better, the joint usage of two feedback features does not produce additive effects. Tests at more granular levels suggest that users who received both feedback types in exercise episodes exhibit overconfidence behavior by participating in fewer subsequent exercises. The receipt of both feedback may be redundant and can cause user annoyance. Heterogeneity tests revealed that while performance feedback benefited most runners, social features were effective only for already stronger runners. Also, only positive social feedback had a significant impact on running performance. The results further indicate that performance feedback generated a slow but sustained increase in usage frequency, while social feedback spurred quick initial growth in usage but dwindled in effectiveness over time. Implications for theory and practice, as well as directions for further research, are discussed.