bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Symptoms and Adverse Effects Associated With Energy Drink Consumption in Adolescents
Authors: Bashir Dalia , Reed-Schrader Essie , Olympia Robert P. , Brady Jodi , Rivera Ruby , Serra Theresa , Weber Christopher
Published: May 2016

Objective

The aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of energy drink consumption by adolescents, to identify associated clinical symptoms and adverse effects, and to gain an understanding to the motivation behind its consumption.

Methods

A prospective, questionnaire-based study was conducted at 2 emergency departments from June 2011 to June 2013. The questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. Stratification was performed on the basis of frequency of consumption: frequent consumption (at least once a month) and infrequent consumption (less frequent than once a month).

Results

Data analysis was performed on 612 completed questionnaires. Two hundred two responders (33%) were considered frequent energy drink consumers. Frequent consumers were more likely to be involved in high-risk behaviors and more likely to consume other caffeinated drinks. In the previous 6 months, frequent energy drink consumers were more likely to report headache (76%), anger (47%), and increased urination (24%) and were more likely to require medical evaluation for headache (41%) and difficulty breathing (22%). Frequent energy drink consumers were more likely to believe that energy drinks “help me do better in school” (12%), “help me do better in sports” (35%), “are just for fun” (46%), “help me stay up at night” (67%), and “make me concentrate/focus better” (34%).

Conclusions

Clarifying common misconceptions associated with energy drink consumption, especially in high-risk adolescents and frequent energy drink consumers, may decrease the frequency of symptoms experienced by adolescents, such as headache and difficulty breathing, requiring medical evaluation.
Emergency and Disaster Preparedness of School Transportation Staff and School Buses in the United States: Compliance With Recommendations for School Transportation Safety
Authors: Olympia Robert P. , Weber Christopher , Brady Jodi , Ho Susana
Published: May 2016

Objective

The aim of the study was to determine the compliance of school transportation staff and school buses with recommendations for the safe transportation of children to and from school and school-related activities.

Methods

An electronic questionnaire was distributed to school transportation staff represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters during the 2013–2014 academic year.

Results

Analysis was performed on 558 completed questionnaires (13% usable response rate). Responders had previous training in first aid (89%), basic life support (28%), and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (52%). Seventy-eight percent of school buses in our sample had restraint devices and 87% had seat belt cutters. Responders reported the immediate availability of the following on their bus: communication devices (81%), first aid kits (97%), fire extinguishers (89%), automated external defibrillators (1%), and epinephrine autoinjectors (2%). Thirty percent of responders have had no previous training in the management of emergencies such as trouble breathing, severe allergic reaction, seizures, cardiac arrest or unresponsiveness, and head, neck, or extremity trauma. Thirteen percent of responders are unfamiliar with or have had no previous training on protocols regarding emergency shelters and community evacuation plans in the event of a disaster.

Conclusions

Variability exists in the compliance of school transportation staff and school buses with recommendations for the safe transportation of children. Areas for improvement were identified, such as educating school transportation staff in the recognition and initial management of pediatric emergencies, ensuring the presence of restraint devices, increasing the immediate availability of certain emergency medications and equipment, and familiarizing school transportation staff with designated emergency shelters and community evacuation plans.
The Validity of the Pediatric Assessment Triangle as the First Step in the Triage Process in a Pediatric Emergency Department
Authors: Fernández Ana , Ares Maria Isabel , Garcia Sara , Martinez-Indart Lorea , Mintegi Santiago , Benito Javier
Published: May 2016

Objective

This study aimed to assess the association between pediatric assessment triangle (PAT) findings during triage and markers of severity in a pediatric emergency department (PED).

Methods

During the study period, patients arriving to the PED were classified by trained nurses with the Pediatric Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale using a computer system, from which data were obtained and analyzed retrospectively. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of children hospitalized related with PAT findings. The secondary outcome measures were the admission to the intensive care unit (%), PED length of stay, and performance of blood tests (%).

Results

Among the 302,103 episodes included, there were abnormal PAT findings in 24,120 cases (7.9%). Multivariate analysis adjusted for age confirmed that PAT findings and triage level were independent risk factors for admission (odds ratio [OR], 2.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.13–2.29; OR, 6.01; 95% CI, 5.79–6.24, respectively). Abnormal findings in appearance or in more than 1 PAT component were even more strongly associated with admission (3.99; 95% CI, 3.63–4.38; 14.99, 95% CI, 11.99–18.74, respectively). When adjusted for triage level and age, abnormal PAT findings were also an independent risk factor for intensive care unit admission (OR, 4.44; 95% CI, 3.77–5.24) and a longer stay in the PED (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.72–1.84).

Conclusions

Abnormal findings in the PAT applied by trained nurses at triage identify patients with a higher risk of hospitalization. The PAT seems to be a valid tool for identifying the most severe patients as a first step in the triage process.
Relative Effectiveness of Dopamine Antagonists for Pediatric Migraine in the Emergency Department
Authors: Sheridan David C. , Laurie Amber , Pacheco Stephanie , Fu Rongwei , Hansen Matthew L. , Ma O. John , Meckler Garth D.
Published: May 2016

Objective

Migraine headaches are common in the pediatric emergency department. The mainstay of abortive treatment consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories and dopamine antagonists. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of 3 commonly used dopamine antagonists to abort pediatric migraine.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients who presented to the pediatric emergency department at a tertiary care pediatric hospital between January 2010 and December 2013. Patients were treated for a migraine headache with a combination of ketorolac and one of the following dopamine antagonists: prochlorperazine, metoclopramide, or promethazine. The primary outcome was treatment failure and receiving non–evidence-based treatment defined by the need for opioids. Secondary outcomes included pain score reduction and return visit within 48 hours.

Results

There were 57 patients during this period with 67 visits that met inclusion criteria: 27 (40.3%) visits in which patients were treated with prochlorperazine, 23 (34.3%) visits in which patients were treated with metoclopramide, and 17 (25.4%) visits in which patients were treated with promethazine. Across visits, the mean age was 14.5 years, and 63% were women. Opioids were given for treatment failure in 8.7% of visits in which patients received prochlorperazine, 25% in which patients received metoclopramide, and 42.8% in which patients received promethazine. Patients treated with promethazine had significantly higher odds of needing opioids and experiencing less than 50% reduction in pain score compared with prochlorperazine after adjusting for patient characteristics.

Conclusions

This study suggests variable efficacy among 3 commonly used dopamine antagonists for pediatric migraine headache. Promethazine seems least effective and results in higher use of opioids compared with other available dopamine antagonists.
Pediatric Exposures to Bombina Toads Reported to Poison Centers
Authors: Forrester Mathias B.
Published: May 2016

Objectives

Fire-bellied toads (genus Bombina) secrete toxins from their skin that may cause problems to humans, particularly if they get in the eye. This study aimed to describe pediatric exposures to fire-bellied toads reported to a large poison center system.

Methods

Cases were fire-bellied toad exposures among patients aged 13 years or younger reported to Texas poison centers during 2000–2014. The distribution by various demographic and clinical factors was determined.

Results

Of 20 total exposures, the mean patient age was 5.8 years (range, 2–13 years); 70% of the patients were boys. The exposure route was ocular (70%), dermal (55%), and ingestion (20%). Eighty-five percent of the exposures occurred at the patient's own residence. Sixty percent of the patients were managed onsite, and 40% were already at or en route to a health care facility. The medical outcome was as follows: minor effects (45%), moderate effects (5%), and not followed but judged to have minimal clinical effects (50%). The most common reported symptoms were ocular irritation/pain (65%), dermal irritation/pain (30%), and red eye (20%). Decontamination by dilution/irrigation/wash was reported in 95% of the patients.

Conclusions

Few pediatric exposures to fire-bellied toads were reported. Those that were reported were most likely to involve ocular followed by dermal routes. The exposures tended not to be serious and could be managed outside of a health care facility.
Proteasome dysfunction triggers activation of SKN-1A/Nrf1 by the aspartic protease DDI-1
Authors: Lehrbach Nicolas J. , Ruvkun Gary
Published: May 2016

Proteasomes are essential for protein homeostasis in eukaryotes. To preserve cellular function, transcription of proteasome subunit genes is induced in response to proteasome dysfunction caused by pathogen attacks or proteasome inhibitor drugs. In Caenorhabditis elegans, this response requires SKN-1, a transcription factor related to mammalian Nrf1/2. Here, we use comprehensive genetic analyses to identify the pathway required for C. elegans to detect proteasome dysfunction and activate SKN-1. Genes required for SKN-1 activation encode regulators of ER traffic, a peptide N-glycanase, and DDI-1, a conserved aspartic protease. DDI-1 expression is induced by proteasome dysfunction, and we show that DDI-1 is required to cleave and activate an ER-associated isoform of SKN-1. Mammalian Nrf1 is also ER-associated and subject to proteolytic cleavage, suggesting a conserved mechanism of proteasome surveillance. Targeting mammalian DDI1 protease could mitigate effects of proteasome dysfunction in aging and protein aggregation disorders, or increase effectiveness of proteasome inhibitor cancer chemotherapies.
Host Gut Motility and Bacterial Competition Drive Instability in a Model Intestinal Microbiota
Authors: Wiles Travis J. , Jemielita Matthew L. , Baker Ryan P. , Schlomann Brandon H. , Logan Savannah L. , Ganz Julia , Melancon Ellie , Eisen Judith S. , Guillemin Karen , Parthasarathy Raghuveer
Published: May 2016

The gut microbiota is a complex consortium of microorganisms with the ability to influence important aspects of host health and development. Harnessing this ‘microbial organ’ for biomedical applications requires clarifying the degree to which host and bacterial factors act alone or in combination to govern the stability of specific lineages. To address this we combined bacteriological manipulation and light sheet fluorescence microscopy to monitor the dynamics of a defined two-species microbiota within the vertebrate gut. We observed that the interplay between each population and the gut environment produced distinct spatiotemporal patterns. Consequently, one species dominates while the other experiences dramatic collapses that are well fit by a stochastic mathematical model. Modeling revealed that bacterial competition could only partially explain the observed phenomena, suggesting that a host factor is also important in shaping the community. We hypothesized the host determinant to be gut motility, and tested this mechanism by measuring colonization in hosts with enteric nervous system dysfunction due to mutation in the Hirschsprung disease locusret. In mutant hosts we found reduced gut motility and, confirming our hypothesis, robust coexistence of both bacterial species. This study provides evidence that host-mediated spatial structuring and stochastic perturbation of communities along with bacterial competition drives population dynamics within the gut. In addition, this work highlights the capacity of the enteric nervous system to affect stability of gut microbiota constituents, demonstrating that the ‘gut-brain axis’ is bidirectional. Ultimately, these findings will help inform disease mitigation strategies focused on engineering the intestinal ecosystem.
Quantification of telomere features in tumor tissue sections by an automated 3D imaging-based workflow
Authors: Gunkel Manuel , Chung Inn , Wörz Stefan , Deeg Katharina I. , Simon Ronald , Sauter Guido , Jones David T.W. , Korshunov Andrey , Rohr Karl , Erfle Holger , Rippe Karsten
Published: May 2016

The microscopic analysis of telomere features provides a wealth of information on the mechanism by which tumor cells maintain their unlimited proliferative potential. Accordingly, the analysis of telomeres in tissue sections of patient tumor samples provides can be exploited to obtain diagnostic information and to define tumor subgroups. In many instances, however, analysis of the image data is conducted by manual inspection of 2D images at relatively low resolution for only a small part of the sample. As the telomere feature signal distribution is frequently heterogeneous, this approach is prone to a biased selection of the information present in the image and lacks subcellular details. Here we address these issues by using an automated high-resolution imaging and analysis workflow that quantifies individual telomere features on tissue sections for a large number of cells. The approach is particularly suited to assess telomere heterogeneity and low abundant cellular sub-populations with distinct telomere characteristics in a reproducible manner. It comprises the integration of multi-color fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence and DNA staining with targeted automated 3D fluorescence microscopy and image analysis. We apply our method to telomeres in glioblastoma and prostate cancer samples, and describe how the imaging data can be used to derive statistically reliable information on telomere length distribution or colocalization with PML nuclear bodies. We anticipate that relating this approach to clinical outcome data will prove to be valuable for pretherapeutic patient stratification.

Abbreviations

3D-TIM

3D targeted imaging

ALT

alternative lengthening of telomeres

APB

ALT-associated PML-NB

CLSM

confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy

ECTR

extrachromosomal telomeric repeat

FFPE

formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded

FISH

fluorescence in situ hybridization

IF

Immunofluorescence

pedGBM

pediatric glioblastoma

PML

promyelocytic leukemia

PML-NB

PML nuclear body

PNA

peptide nucleic acid

ROI

region of interest

TMA

tissue microarray

TMM

telomere maintenance mechanism

SMLM

single molecule localization microscopy
Infantile onset spinocerebellar ataxia caused by compound heterozygosity for Twinkle mutations and modeling of Twinkle mutations causing recessive disease
Authors: Pierce Sarah B. , Gulsuner Suleyman , Stapleton Gail A. , Walsh Tom , Lee Ming K. , Mandell Jessica B. , Morales Augusto , Klevit Rachel E. , King Mary-Claire , Rogers R. Curtis
Published: May 2016

Mutations in nuclear genes required for the replication and maintenance of mitochondrial DNA cause progressive multisystemic neuromuscular disorders with overlapping phenotypes. Biallelic mutations in C10orf2, encoding the Twinkle mitochondrial DNA helicase, lead to infantile-onset cerebellar ataxia (IOSCA), as well as milder and more severe phenotypes. We present a 13-year-old girl with ataxia, severe hearing loss, optic atrophy, peripheral neuropathy, and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. Whole-exome sequencing revealed that the patient is compound heterozygous for previously unreported variants in the C10orf2 gene: a paternally inherited frameshift variant (c.333delT; p.L112Sfs*3) and a maternally inherited missense variant (c.904C>T; p.R302W). The identification of novel C10orf2 mutations extends the spectrum of mutations in the Twinkle helicase causing recessive disease, in particular the intermediate IOSCA phenotype. Structural modeling suggests that the p.R302W mutation and many other recessively inherited Twinkle mutations impact the position or interactions of the linker region, which is critical for the oligomeric ring structure and activity of the helicase. This study emphasizes the utility of whole-exome sequencing for the genetic diagnosis of a complex multisystemic disorder.
Supramolecular architecture in a co-crystal of the N(7)—H tautomeric form ofN6-benzoyladenine with adipic acid (1/0.5)
Authors: Swinton Darious Robert , Thomas Muthiah Packianathan , Perdih Franc
Published: May 2016

The asymmetric unit of the title co-crystal, C12H9N5O·0.5C6H10O4, consists of one molecule ofN6-benzoyladenine (BA) and one half-molecule of adipic acid (AA), the other half being generated by inversion symmetry. The dihedral angle between the adenine and phenyl ring planes is 26.71 (7)°. TheN6-benzoyladenine molecule crystallizes in the N(7)—H tautomeric form with three non-protonated N atoms. This tautomeric form is stabilized by intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonding between the carbonyl (C=O) group and the N(7)—H hydrogen atom on the Hoogsteen face of the purine ring, forming anS(7) ring motif. The two carboxyl groups of adipic acid interact with the Watson–Crick face of the BA molecules through O—H...N and N—H...O hydrogen bonds, generating anR22(8) ring motif. The latter units are linked by N—H...N hydrogen bonds, forming layers parallel to (10-5). A weak C—H...O hydrogen bond is also present, linking adipic acid molecules in neighbouring layers, enclosingR22(10) ring motifs and forming a three-dimensional structure. C=O...π and C—H...π interactions are also present in the structure.
Ethyl 2-(6-bromo-2-phenyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridin-1-yl)acetate
Authors: Hjouji Mohammed Yassin , Kandri Rodi Youssef , Mague Joel T. , Ouzidan Younes , Essassi El Mokhtar , Zouihri Hafid
Published: May 2016

In the title compound, C16H14BrN3O2, the fused-ring system is essentially planar, with the largest deviation from the mean plane being 0.0216 (15) Å for the substituted N atom of the five-membered ring, the plane of which makes dihedral angles of 28.50 (7) and 77.48 (7)° with the terminal phenyl ring and the ethoxycarbonylmethyl group mean planes, respectively. In the crystal, C—H...N hydrogen bonds link the molecules into inversion dimers. These combine with weak C—H...N contacts to stack the molecules into columns along theb-axis direction.
Competition and bank efficiency in emerging markets: empirical evidence from Ghana
Authors: Alhassan Abdul Latif , Ohene-Asare Kwaku
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between competition and efficiency in the Ghanaian banking industry.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data on 26 banks from 2004 to 2011 is used to estimate technical and cost-efficiency scores by the data envelopment analysis while the Boone indicator is employed to proxy for competition. Controlling for bank size, lending, income diversification, tangibility, leverage and profitability, ordinary least squares, instrumental variables and fixed effects estimations are used to estimate the panel regression model. The authors also apply the growth convergence theory to examine the existence of efficiency convergence.

Findings

– The results points to improvements in cost efficiency (CE) and competition within the banking industry. From the empirical estimations, the findings suggest that competition exerts a positive influence on CE. The authors also find evidence of convergence in both technical and CE.

Research limitations/implications

– The study recommends that efforts at improving competitiveness of the banking industry will translate into lower interest rate spread through improved CE. This will ultimately improve access to bank credit and impact positively on economic growth. Future studies could also examine productivity changes and scale economies in the banking industry.

Originality/value

– To the authors best knowledge, this is the first study to apply the Boone (2001) indicator in assessing the competitiveness of the Ghanaian banking industry. This is also the first study to examine efficiency convergence within the banking industry in Ghana.
Fiscal variables and growth convergence in the ECOWAS
Authors: Magazzino Cosimo
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship among fiscal variables (net lending, government expenditure and revenue) and economic growth in Sub-Saharan African countries.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using yearly data for the period between 1980 and 2011 in 15 Economic Communities Of West African States (ECOWAS) countries, the relationship among fiscal variables, economic growth and trade is investigated, through various econometric techniques.

Findings

– Government expenditure and revenue show pro-cyclical effects in West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and ECOWAS countries, while fiscal balance has a pro-cyclical nature for WAEMU during the years 1999-2011. Moreover, a weak long-run relationship between government expenditure and revenue emerge, but only in the case of West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) countries. Granger causality analysis showed mixed results for WAEMU countries, while for four out of six WAMZ countries (Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone) the “tax-and-spend” hypothesis holds, since government revenue would drive the expenditure. Finally, in the last three decades, cyclical component of economic growth has reduced its fluctuations, both for WAEMU and WAMZ member States.

Originality/value

– This is the first study on the effects of fiscal policies in the ECOWAS countries.
The role of local financial market on economic growth
Authors: Aregbeshola Rafiu Adewale
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– Capital market development has been identified as one of the critical underpinnings of economic growth, in the developed but more essentially in the developing economies. Evidence abounds on the virtues of adequately spanned capital markets to provide requisite capital needed to fund investment activities as well as infrastructural developments. Although, foreign capital may be sourced to supplement inadequate local capital base, the associated costs (both logistics and supervisory) are generally daring to consider as convenient alternatives. Various studies have examined the role of local financial market development on economic growth, but none have strictly generated a combined focus on the three major African groupings – the Southern, the Western and the Northern African regions. In addition, there is no documented study that has compared the economic performance of each of these three major economic groupings in Africa. The purpose of this paper is to fill these voids.

Design/methodology/approach

– Various econometric techniques that include descriptive statistics, unit root tests, dynamic panel estimations and Granger causality tests.

Findings

– Using data generated from the African development indicators between 1980 and 2012 in contemporary econometric estimations, this study finds that local financial markets play crucial roles in economic development of each of these groupings, albeit in varying magnitude. The study also observes that local financial market plays very little role in the overall economic development of the three groupings when interacted.

Research limitations/implications

– A limited dataset, which reduces the time span as well as the number of countries covered in the study. A wider coverage may have altered the result generated, especially for the pooled estimation.

Practical implications

– That African countries should develop local financial markets in order to improve their level of economic growth.

Social implications

– Low rate of economic development has created a lot of social stress in Africa. Further, the fact that African leaders have largely not been able to grow their national economies in a meaningful and sustainable manner further unnerves skittish entrepreneurial underdevelopment on the continent, thereby exacerbates incidence and prevalence of poverty, and consequent social uprisings on a number of occasions.

Originality/value

– This study finds that financial market plays an important role on economic growth, whereas the effects are lower in the Southern African region. More specifically, the effects of financial market development on economic growth are stronger in North and West Africa than in Southern African regions. Given that Southern Africa financial market is more developed than the other two regions, this finding buttresses the fact that financial market development is significantly more important as a growth-driver in less developed financial markets than in developed ones.
Time your investment on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE)
Authors: Mensah Lord , Bokpin Godfred Alufar , Owusu-Antwi George
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the day of the week effect on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) by using the GSE all-share index from November 1990 to August 2012. The presence of the day of the week effect has been reported on several markets.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study utilizes one-sample t-test, dummy variable regression, autoregressive and generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic models to investigate whether day of the week effect exist on the GSE.

Findings

– The study reveals the presence of day of the week effect on the GSE, specifically, highest returns on Tuesday and lowest on Thursday. Monday, Wednesday and Friday also record significant positive returns, however, the significance returns is captured by a strong auto-regression in the returns. Therefore, investors may not have the opportunity to increase their returns by timing their investments. Further, the significance of the anomalies is not robust across time since different sub periods with different trading days per week shows different results.

Originality/value

– The study provides additional evidence on the day of the week effect by using utilizing frontier market data.
In search of structural change surplus and perpetual growth in Ethiopia
Authors: Eshete Zerayehu Sime , Kimuyu Peter Kiko
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The Ethiopian economy is characterized by erratic and poor performance with negative growth rates, seven times over the period 1981-2010. This trapped per capita income at 358 USD in 2010 staying far away from middle-income country status. A lot of unsolved debates regarding perpetual growth, structural change and sectoral allocation of resource emerged overtime. The purpose of this paper is to examine the alternative effects of induced sectoral total factor productivity and makes comparisons of various sectoral growth options.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study uses a recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model based on neoclassical-structuralist thought. It also calibrates coefficients that capture the impacts of openness, imported capital and liberalization on sectoral total factor productivity growth using a model of vector auto-regressive with exogenous variables.

Findings

– Future economic growth rate is expected to grow at a declining trend and to be dominated by the service sector. If it keeps growing on the current path it will expose the economy to a severe structural change burden problem. Openness induced agricultural total factor productivity highly improves the welfare of households while imported capital goods induced industrial total factor productivity is also better in fostering structural change of the economy. The broad-based growth option that combines the induced total factor productivity of all sectors also enables the economy to achieve more sustainable growth, rapid structural change and welfare gain at the same time.

Originality/value

– There are intensive and charged debates regarding alternative sectoral growth options. However, the debate does not derive from a rigorous analysis and holistic economy-wide approach. It is rather affiliated with politics. Therefore, the paper is original and investigates these issues meticulously.
Revolving doors: are they valued in the Spanish stock market?
Authors: Farinós Viñas J. Emilio , García Martin C. José , Herrero Piqueras Begoña , Ibáñez Escribano Ana M.
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of political connections in the value of companies listed on the Spanish stock market.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors study two issues on this topic: the impact on the company value of the appointment as director of an ex-politician through an event study; and the long run stock market performance of companies with political connections. The authors employ a sample of listed firms in the Spanish stock market for which the authors collected data about their political connections. The authors perform the study during a wide period (1996-2011), comprising four legislatures.

Findings

The results show that from the market perspective the value ex-politicians bring to the company outweigh their costs, especially in times of crisis or economic recession.

Originality/value

Given the concern of regulators and legislators to increase transparency and good governance of companies, this paper shed light on the role that politicians play on the company boards and and their contribution to their value.
Persistence in generating and adopting product innovations
Authors: Juliao-Rossi Jorge , Schmutzler Jana
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the existence of true persistence in the generation and adoption of product innovations in the context of a developing country.

Design/methodology/approach

A dynamic probit model with random effects is used to test true persistence relying on a panel data set constructed from three waves of the Colombian innovation survey (Encuesta de Desarrollo e Innvovación Tecnológica) covering the time span from 2003 to 2008.

Findings

This paper empirically shows the existence of true innovation persistence for two of the three types of product innovation studied: the adoption of product innovation that is new to the firm; and the adoption of product innovation that is new to the national market. However, the study could not confirm true persistence in the generation of product innovation.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that systematically tests innovation persistence differentiating between the adoption of innovations that are new to the firm and innovation that is new to the national market. It is also the first study in this research area that uses a dynamic probit model with random effects according to the original specification by Wooldridge (2005).
Project risk planning in high-tech new product development
Authors: Ayala-Cruz Jorge
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the implementation and testing of a modified project risk management framework that integrates PMI’s framework with Monte Carlo simulation to improve the effectiveness in high-tech new product development (NPD) projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The modified framework considers three bodies of knowledge: project management, risk management, and Monte Carlo simulation to produce an enhance project risk management framework. Its application is shown through a case study.

Findings

Using the integrated framework in a recent case study project and prior NPD projects measures (as benchmarks), it was shown that it could help to enhance risk responses caused by task durations and costs’ uncertainties. The framework proved to be better than segregated generic best practices and was key in providing insight to the issue of early project risk assessment.

Research limitations/implications

More experimental replications are required for enhancement effectiveness assertions of the framework, through the application of the framework to similar case studies. Furthermore, this could improve its reliability and soundness.

Practical implications

Future directions for research could include case and empirical studies that include hypothesis’s testing, and the integration of optimization procedure for improved NPD project’s planning and execution.

Originality/value

This paper outlines a way to close the gap of project risks management planning in NPD’s initiatives. It was motivated by a relatively new tendency in exploring integrated frameworks to deal with complex project risks issues.
Analysis of causes and impact of variation order on educational building projects
Authors: Oyewobi Luqman Oyekunle , Jimoh Richard , Ganiyu Bashir Olanrewaju , Shittu Abdullateef Adewale
Published: May 2016

Purpose

Construction process is complex and traditionally fragmented; thus, it is almost impossible to have a project completed without changes to the original plan or the construction process. The purpose of this study is to identify and examine the causes of variation orders, ascertain their effects and establish the cost and time performance implication as a result of variation orders.

Design/methodology/approach

This study obtained information from 90 construction stakeholders on 30 completed educational building projects to ascertain the causes and effects of variation orders on project delivery using questionnaire survey. In addition to this, a pro forma document was designed to obtain the project characteristics, cost and time data from these 30 completed educational building projects. Factor analysis was used to categorise the causes of variation orders, while severity index was used to examine their effects on project delivery. The hypothesised statement was tested using paired t-statistics to examine whether a statistically significant difference existed between variation orders, cost and time performance of the projects.

Findings

The study identified 13 main factors as causes of variation orders and the results revealed that the most frequent effects of variations were increase in construction costs, time, client dissatisfaction, increase construction project rework and demolition and project abandonment. The results also showed that variation orders had significant effects on both cost and scheduled performance of the educational building projects with average cost and time escalation of 33.95 and 29.45 per cent of the original project cost and time, respectively, for the entire projects studied, while average cost implication of variation orders is 23.79 per cent.

Practical implications

The findings in this study will be of assistance to government agencies and management of public works in higher institutions of learning in managing variations in construction projects. The study will also add to the current literature on the impact of variation orders on educational building projects in developing countries. Finally, it will create the much-needed awareness on the severity and implication of change or variation orders on project delivery.

Originality/value

The study identified and examined the causes of variation orders, ascertained their effects and established the cost and time effects of the causes of variation order on project performance. This will assist project initiators, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders to fully appreciate and understand the significant effects of variation orders on project performance.
Front and backstage in the workplace
Authors: Ekstrand Mari , Damman Sigrid
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The ability of employees to handle work-related demands, structure their own work and manage workflow is highly important in today’s complex organisations. This paper aims to explore the impact of the office environment on employees’ ability to control interaction, structure their own work processes and handle work-related demands. The focus is on the influence of the physical premises, especially on how work within private, privileged and public work zones may affect perceptions of, and possibilities to control, customer interactions and other work-related demands.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a qualitative case study of a Norwegian finance corporation. The core method was semi-structured interviews, carried out with 29 employees and managers. The triangulated research design included observations, field notes, user logs and document analyses.

Findings

The findings indicate that, in a customer-centred work process, separate zones for customer-related work and for internal work provide employees with increased scope to handle work demands and perceive control in their work. Zoning helped structure the workflow and provided employees with new resources in customer interaction and other work tasks.

Originality/value

Broadening the focus on environmental control and work-related demands from individual coping to social interaction may provide more insight into factors influencing work processes and employee well-being in emerging workplace concepts.
Women on management board and ESG performance
Authors: Velte Patrick
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse women on management board and their impact on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance in two European two-tier countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical quantitative paper covers a sample of German and Austrian companies which are listed at the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt and Vienna Stock Exchange for the business years 2010-2014 (1,019 firm-year observations). A correlation and regression analysis is conducted to measure a possible link between gender diversity and ESG performance in these European countries.

Findings

Multiple regressions state that female members in the management board do have a positive impact on ESG performance, measured by the AssetFour database by Thomson Reuters. Surprisingly, CSR expertise does not have a significant impact on ESG performance, whether the implementation of a CSR committee has a positive and significant link with ESG performance.

Originality/value

The analysis is the first empirical study that has a focus on Germany and Austria as the main representatives of the European two-tier system. Findings have implications for both users and public policy and suggest that current national and European regulations on corporate governance and CSR could have a great impact on future CSR performance and market reactions.
Leadership as enabling function for flourishing by design
Authors: Elkington Rob , Upward Antony
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to alert the reader to the urgent need to address the most pressing challenge and opportunity of the twenty-first century, namely, leadership that enables flourishing for all forever.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper suggests a heuristic for the reader and supplies a working model of leadership as enabling function for flourishing that arises from a survey of the literature around leadership development, as well as a brief review of the literature on flourishing.

Findings

The paper highlights the reality that there are, as yet, only a small number of organizations and leadership that have conceptualized and implemented the notion of flourishing by design and that a great deal more research and implementation needs to occur to prove the validity of the model.

Research limitations/implications

There is a need to undertake quasi-experimental research in which leadership development praxis incorporates the element of flourishing by design and then action research through which the outcomes can be measured, modified and ongoing improvements iterated into the organizational design.

Practical implications

This paper suggests a different mindset and skillset for leadership and, by implication, leadership development. The ongoing research into “Seeking Best Methods for Leadership Development”, through the authors’ Round 1 Delphi survey has uncovered the elements of Human Capital, Social Capital, Structural Capital and Self Leadership, as core elements desired by global CEOs as necessary for an effective leadership development program. What the authors did not probe for, and need to probe for, is the element of “Flourishing Capital” or the degree to which the leadership might be developed to serve as an enabling function for flourishing for all forever.

Social implications

If organizations design flourishing into the raison d‘être of the organization, then organizations will seek and develop leadership that has flourishing as a core motif and focus. If organizational leadership supports and enhances flourishing as a central motif, then a shift will occur from profit only to profit that supports flourishing for all forever.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the reality that there are, as yet, only a small number of organizations and leadership that have conceptualized and implemented the notion of flourishing by design and that a great deal more research and implementation needs to occur to prove the validity of the model.
How green are you, really? Consumers’ skepticism toward brands with green claims
Authors: Ulusoy Emre , Barretta Paul G.
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between perceptions of brands advertising claims of environmental sustainability, intention to purchase such brands and the role of trust.

Design/methodology/approach

Adapted scales were used to measure perceptions of price–value perception, environmental concern, brand trust and purchase intention. Relationships were tested using simple regression and structural equations modeling.

Findings

The results suggest that consumers who did not report high environmental concern had high brand trust but no significant purchase intention; consumers who reported high environmental concern had significant intention to purchase green products, but negative trust in brands which were advertised with a claim to be green.

Research limitations/implications

Efforts to advertise green claims may only be effective for consumers without an intention to purchase green products, and may alienate consumers who are interested in purchasing such products. Structural equations modeling was tested on apost hocbasis with a sample size that did not warrant very good fit ratios.

Originality/value

The present study indicates that green claims may be misguided, and that products that have genuine green benefits may need to find alternative methods of communicating those benefits to consumers who intend to engage in sustainable consumption behavior.
Theoretical derivation of a Brie‐like fluid mixing law
Authors: Papageorgiou Giorgos , Amalokwu Kelvin , Chapman Mark
Published: May 2016

Prediction of the velocity of acoustic waves in partially saturated rocks is very important in geophysical applications. The need to accurately predict acoustic velocities has resulted in a widespread popularity of Brie's effective fluid mixing law. This empirical model together with Gassmann's formula are used routinely in fluid substitution problems in petroleum geophysics and seismic monitoring of carbon capture and storage. Most attempts to justify Brie's model have been focused on interpretation in terms of patchy saturation models and attaching meaning to the Brie parameter in terms of the patch size. In this paper, using a microstructural description of the rock and a parameter relating to capillary pressure, we calculate an effective fluid modulus that is very similar to Brie's law. The fluid mixing law we propose is independent of frequency and has a solid theoretical foundation. This proposed law produces analytically harmonic and arithmetic averaging at the endpoints. Our results indicate that Brie‐like behaviour may not necessarily be related to frequency‐ and patch‐size‐ dependent phenomena.
Quantifying spatial resilience
Authors: Allen Craig R. , Angeler David G. , Cumming Graeme S. , Folke Carl , Twidwell Dirac , Uden Daniel R.
Published: May 2016

Anthropogenic stressors affect the ecosystems upon which humanity relies. In some cases when resilience is exceeded, relatively small linear changes in stressors can cause relatively abrupt and nonlinear changes in ecosystems.

Ecological regime shifts occur when resilience is exceeded and ecosystems enter a new local equilibrium that differs in its structure and function from the previous state. Ecological resilience, the amount of disturbance that a system can withstand before it shifts into an alternative stability domain, is an important framework for understanding and managing ecological systems subject to collapse and reorganization.

Recently, interest in the influence of spatial characteristics of landscapes on resilience has increased. Understanding how spatial structure and variation in relevant variables in landscapes affects resilience to disturbance will assist with resilience quantification, and with local and regional management.

Synthesis and applications. We review the history and current status of spatial resilience in the research literature, expand upon existing literature to develop a more operational definition of spatial resilience, introduce additional elements of a spatial analytical approach to understanding resilience, present a framework for resilience operationalization and provide an overview of critical knowledge and technology gaps that should be addressed for the advancement of spatial resilience theory and its applications to management and conservation.