bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visitor composition and event‐related spending
Authors: Taks Marijke , Christine Green B. , Chalip Laurence , Kesenne Stefan , Martyn Scott
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the spending patterns of non‐local participants and spectators at a medium‐sized international sport event, to segment their spending patterns and consider implications for the quality of each segment's event experience.

Design/methodology/approach

Spending in nine sectors of the economy is measured via self‐report, and respondents are segmented into five groups: spectators, athletes, coaches, officials, and other participants (e.g. media, medical staff). The daily and aggregate spend for each segment in each economic sector is calculated and compared. Regression analysis tests differences among segments for each economic sector.

Findings

Participants account for 39 per cent of aggregate spend; coaches are the biggest spenders; athletes spend relatively little. The segments spend differently on hospitality, private transportation, grocery, and retail, with spectators spending significantly more than the participant groups on hospitality and private transportation, and significantly less on groceries and merchandise. Spending in sectors normally associated with celebration and festivity accounts for only 8 per cent of total spend.

Research limitations/implications

Findings are derived from a single event, but are consistent with other work, suggesting that inadequate attention is given to opportunities for festive celebration, especially among athletes.

Practical implications

Coaches are a particularly useful target market for retailers, whereas hoteliers and service stations should target their marketing at spectators. Event organizers should do more to build festivals.

Originality/value

This paper identifies the ways that different segments organize their spending at an event, and demonstrates that greater attention to festivals could enhance a sport event's overall impact.
Adding environmental sustainability to the management of event tourism
Authors: Yuan Yulan Y.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the management principles of environmental sustainability for event tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes a meta‐synthesis approach to review and to analyze collected papers in this subject.

Findings

To manage environmental sustainability in the context of event tourism is to minimize the negative impacts on critical natural capital. The environmental sustainability consists of these three interconnected components: the event organization, a place to host the event and the host community, and event‐goers. One should follow three management principles in attempting to add environmental sustainability to the management. First, sustainable event management requires careful planning prior to events. Second, taking responsibility in event management is crucial in achieving sustainability. Third, offering information and education to raise the awareness of event goers is the key to putting sustainability into practice.

Originality/value

A limited number of papers specifically address the importance of environmental sustainability in the management of event tourism and what their management principles should be. This paper brings together, integrates and synthesizes the different studies. Event organizers and practitioners can have a better understanding of environmental management in the context of event tourism and follow the three managerial principles to build a truly sustainable event.
Qualitative entrepreneurship authorship: antecedents, processes and consequences
Authors: Smith Robert , McElwee Gerard , McDonald Seonaidh , Drakopoulou Dodd Sarah
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on a review of the writing practices and experiences of scholars who have published qualitative papers in the field of entrepreneurship. It evaluates existing knowledge about how “well‐published” entrepreneurship scholars go about writing up qualitative research. It identifies the antecedents, processes, and consequences of qualitative research authorship as self‐described by authors.

Design/methodology/approach

Scholars who had published qualitative papers in the five top‐ranked entrepreneurship journals over a 20‐year period were asked to complete a qualitative survey about their writing practices. A qualitative analysis of 37 usable replies was undertaken.

Findings

Entrepreneurship scholars perceive their qualitative research writing to be more enriching and philosophical than quantitative research. Although they feel strong connections with their research subjects, they find qualitative research difficult and time consuming to write up. It is hard to bridge the gap between working with large amounts of transcribed data and the editorial requirements of journals, without losing the vitality of data. Qualitative research and subsequent writing skills have often been learned by trial and error. Many are inspired by specific texts, which may include novels, poems or plays.

Practical implications

This work shows how useful it is to discuss qualitative writing processes so that we may learn from the “blood, toil, tears and sweat” of those who have already successfully navigated both the writing and publishing of qualitative research.

Originality/value

Although there is a vigorous debate within the entrepreneurship literature about the prevalence and suitability of different methods and methodological approaches, there is no explicit discussion of how researchers engage with writing up qualitative research for publication. The paper addresses this gap and shares insights and guidance from our community of practice.
The impact of the global financial crisis on managing employees
Authors: McDonnell Anthony , Burgess John
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a brief overview of the global financial crisis (GFC), highlighting its most frightening dimensions, the policy responses and issues around the management of labour during and post‐GFC. Further, this paper introduces the five research papers that encompass this special issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The papers presented here are early contributions on how the GFC has impacted the management of people. The key areas focused upon include the human resource management responses of multinational enterprises, the response of trade unions, the roles of employee representative bodies and the rationalisation of post‐crisis managerial strategies.

Findings

The major conclusions of this special issue are that the impact of the GFC was variable across countries and sectors in addition to the process of decision making, the types of decisions made, and the determinants and consequences of those decisions.

Originality/value

The papers of the special issue provide some of the first empirical findings on how the GFC has impacted on people management, trade unions and the HR function in different contexts.
Between “too big to fail” and “too small to matter”
Authors: Le Queux Stéphane , Peetz David
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of union responses to globalisation and, in particular, the global financial crisis; the consequences of the financial crisis for workers; and lessons from the experience.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examined numerous union statements, declarations, reports and actions as well as extensive documentary evidence from other sources. The focus was on the behaviour of supranational trade unions, including the European Trade Union Confederation, the International Trade Union Confederation and Global Unions.

Findings

The supranational unions’ methods gradually shifted in the 2000s from reliance on institutional politics to collaboration with broader alter‐globalisation protest movements, though this carried risks. The global financial crisis appeared to be a strategic opportunity for trade unions, but while they developed sophisticated policy packages, they were unable to change the behaviour of global institutions. This accentuated the shift in union strategy. Governments initially set aside free market ideology for stimulus packages, but failed to regulate to prevent future crises. Workers bore the brunt of the crisis. The experience highlighted the contradictions facing unions dealing with global issues.

Practical implications

The outcomes of crises depend on the actions, strategies and prior strengths of the parties. Different outcomes emerged from prior crises and may emerge from future ones.

Originality/value

Few studies have examined the role of supranational unions in the context of the financial crisis. A clearer understanding of the weaknesses of and impediments to supranational union responses may increase the likelihood that future crises will be better understood and be followed by more effective responses.
Organizational climate and managerial effectiveness: an Indian perspective
Authors: Bamel Umesh Kumar , Rangnekar Santosh , Stokes Peter , Rastogi Renu
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Research on organizational climate has shown a significant upward trend in the recent past. The purpose of the present study is to propose a conceptual model that empirically examines the relationship of dimensions of organizational climate with managerial effectiveness in Indian organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

A data set of 245 managers/executives was collected from Indian organizations through a survey instrument. The collected responses were subsequently tested by using structural equation modeling (SEM). Further, the hypothesized model was tested by employing five stages of hierarchical multiple regressions.

Findings

The findings suggest that organizational climate dimensions, i.e. organizational process, altruistic behaviour, role clarity and communication, results‐rewards orientation and certain aspects of interpersonal relationships play a significant role in increasing managerial effectiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The results indicate ways in which organizations might develop supportive climates in order to reinforce effectiveness of the organizational members.

Originality/value

The role of organizational climate in employee effectiveness is currently under‐researched in the Indian context. The present study is an earnest effort in this direction to analyse the link between organizational climate and managerial effectiveness.
French public management reform: an evaluation
Authors: Jeannot Gilles , Guillemot Danièle
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to measure the dissemination of public management practices in French State administrations and to interpret results in the light of successive reform trends, in order to give an objective evaluation of French public management reform.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a survey on use of management instruments, targeting Heads of Ministry departments (n=298, response rate=80 per cent, use of rigorous sampling techniques). The survey measures actual practices rather than opinions through lists of use of “management instruments”. The method is adapted to evaluate a reform which has mainly been defined in a process of “modernization”.

Findings

The findings demonstrate the high level of dissemination of process innovations, even if as observed in many countries, human resource transformation is more challenging than change in quality methods or user's orientation implementation. The survey also points out major disparities between different Ministries and implies that two different models of reform have been progressively implemented during successive periods.

Research limitations/implications

The survey was conducted in 2007.

Originality/value

The survey is the first attempt to measure public management practices in French State administration conducted by the French National Institute for Statistics (INSEE). The present article is one of the few quantitative appraisals of public management produced in Europe.
E‐governance success factors
Authors: Singh Kalsi Nirmaljeet , Kiran Ravi
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate e‐governance projects for the social and economic development and citizen services by ten major states of India: Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and West Bengal.

Design/methodology/approach

ICT and e‐governance policy framework of these ten states was captured from their published policy documents/ literature, as well as through the in‐person interviews and discussions with the concerned Secretary/Director/Managing Director level officials at different forums on the basis of a structured questionnaire.

Findings

The results highlight the policy gaps and suggest that there is a need to look at improving such factors as capacity building, common standards, security guidelines, quality, completeness, depth and spread of services, coordination, mindset, etc. In terms of overall performance, four e‐governance projects, e‐Sewa in Andhra Pradesh, Bhoomi in Karnataka, Setu in Maharashtra and Suwidha in Punjab had higher scores than other projects.

Originality/value

The paper introduces the best e‐governance projects which can be role models for other states in improving e‐governance initiatives. This will help policy makers to understand the policy gaps and focus on those parameters which lead to good governance, not only in India but in other similar developing economies as well.
Capabilities, urban unrest and social enterprise
Authors: Cornelius Nelarine , Wallace James
Published: June 2013

Purpose

In this article, the aim is to explore the rise of the role of the social enterprise as a “force for good” in the context of social and economic regeneration. Building on the growing importance of the third sector to central government as part of its agenda to diversify the delivery of public services, the paper seeks to question the veracity of the view that social enterprises invariably enable the communities in which they operate.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have developed this conceptual paper by building on the application of Amartya Sen's capabilities approach.

Findings

It is concluded that where social enterprises are contracted to provide services to communities, including those that would previously have been provided by the public sector (within a carefully crafted statutory framework), should have a demonstrable remit for community wide action, as this, it is argued, is more likely to facilitate community wide benefits. Part of any assessment should include, first, the sustainability of the contribution; and second, the extent to which they enable community members to exercise the choice to participate in the mainstream economy and society.

Research limitations/implications

This theoretical account would benefit from empirical assessment.

Practical implications

The article is of potential value to policy makers and researchers of social enterprise in urban, multicultural environments.

Originality/value

The article has attempted to use the capabilities approach to reconcile some of the tensions between the rhetoric and reality of social enterprise activity and its value in the context of the regeneration of communities.
Optimising workplace interventions for health and well‐being
Authors: Karanika‐Murray Maria , Weyman Andrew K.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss contemporary approaches to workplace health and well‐being, articulating key differences in the intervention architecture between public and workplace health contexts and implications for intervention design.

Design/methodology/approach

Contemporary practice is discussed in light of calls for a paradigm shift in occupational health from a treatment orientation to an holistic approach focused on mitigation of the causes of ill health and the promotion of well‐being. In practice, relatively few organizations have or seem able to engage with a broader perspective that encompasses challenges to health and well‐being associated with contextual organizational drivers, e.g. job design/role, workload, systems of reward, leadership style and the underpinning climate. Drawing upon insights from public health and the workplace safety tradition, the scope for broadening the perspective on intervention (in terms of vectors of harm addressed, theory of change and intervention logic) is discussed.

Findings

There are important differences in scope and options for intervention between public health and workplace health contexts. While there is scope to emulate public health practice, this should not constrain thinking over intervention opinions. Increased awareness of these key differences within work organizations, and an evidence‐based epidemiological approach to learning has the potential to strengthen and broaden the approach to workplace health and well‐being management.

Originality/value

The authors argue that approaches to workplace well‐being interventions that selectively cross‐fertilise and adapt elements of public health interventions offer promise for realising a broader change agenda and for building inherently healthy workplaces.
Entrepreneurship education: an insight from Malaysian polytechnics
Authors: Zahari Ismail Mohd , Zamberi Ahmad Syed
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The paper aims to empirically investigate the effectiveness of the entrepreneurship curriculum delivered in Malaysian polytechnics.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected through survey questionnaires, in‐depth interviews, document reviews and focus group discussions. The respondents were drawn from Malaysian polytechnics – training director, centre managers, entrepreneurship instructors in the centre, and polytechnic students who were purposively selected.

Findings

The study identifies that the entrepreneurship curriculum in polytechnics is not effective. Students are not imbued with entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and attributes during their study. Teaching approaches appear to be inappropriate and polytechnic lecturers do not appear to have relevant entrepreneurial skills, knowledge or training.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size was small to be wholly reliable for generalising the findings to a similar problem in other higher learning institutions. However, the insights gained are a crucial basis for further research and give some variables to be investigated on their significance in shaping entrepreneurship education, especially in a developing country like Malaysia.

Practical implications

The findings provide valuable insights for institutional, educators, and policy makers. Stakeholders could use this study to revisit the existing education system and to improve the teaching methodologies in the area of entrepreneurship education in the higher learning institutions.

Originality/value

This is one of the first comprehensive studies to explore how entrepreneurship education is delivered within Malaysian polytechnics.
The Italian system of innovation: strengths and weaknesses
Authors: Caiazza Rosa
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The Italian system of innovation is an aware contest that needs to be developed. The aim of this study is to analyse the current situation and evidence future actions for developing it.

Design/methodology/approach

Through desk analysis and face‐to‐face interview, the author evidences main characteristics and future actions for improving the Italian system of innovation.

Findings

The author identifies the main elements that affect spin‐off in Italy.

Originality/value

The author proposes a deep analysis of an aware contest and identifies some factors for improving it.
The financial performance of life insurance companies in Ghana
Authors: Oscar Akotey Joseph , Sackey Frank G. , Amoah Lordina , Frimpong Manso Richard
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The aim of this research is to assess the financial performance of the life insurance industry of an emerging economy. In particular the study delves into the major determinants of the profitability of the life insurance industry of Ghana. The study also examines the relationship among the three measures of insurers' profitability, which are investment income, underwriting profit and the overall (total) net profit.

Design/methodology/approach

The annual financial statements of ten life insurance companies covering a period of 11 years (2000‐2010) were sampled and analyzed through panel regression.

Findings

The findings indicate that whereas gross written premiums have a positive relationship with insurers' sales profitability, its relationship with investment income is a negative one. Also, the results showed that life insurers have been incurring large underwriting losses due to overtrading and price undercutting. The results further revealed a setting‐off rather than a complementary relationship between underwriting profit and investment income towards the enhancement of the overall profitability of life insurers.

Practical implications

The policy implications of this study for the stakeholders of the life insurance industry are enormous. For instance, insurers must have well‐resourced actuary departments to perform price validation of all policies in order to prevent over‐trading and price undercutting by insurance marketing agents. In addition, the intention of the NIC to adopt a risk‐based approach in its supervision is not only timely but a very significant move that will improve upon the accounting and records keeping standards of the industry as well as the governance and risk management structures of the sector.

Social implications

Being too obsessed with premium growth without adequate price validation can lead to self‐destruction such as huge underwriting losses. Large underwriting losses can lead to insurance insolvency during periods of cluster claims.

Originality/value

This study fulfills an urgent need to investigate the things that are crucial for the survival, growth and profitability of life insurers in an emerging economy.
Accounting and incentives for sustainability in higher education: an interdisciplinary analysis of a needed revolution
Authors: Lange Elizabeth A. , Kerr Stephen G.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this interdisciplinary paper is to explore the constraining role of accounting in the higher education pursuit of sustainability goals and to provide recommendations to transform accounting in ways that create incentives for sustainability and a dialogic reporting culture in higher education accounting.

Design/methodology/approach

Critical social theory and “strong” sustainability provide the theoretical framework for this interdisciplinary analysis. A literature review and collection of anecdotal evidence supports conceptual development of accounting technologies that provide incentives for sustainability practices in higher education.

Findings

Conventional accounting practices are founded on positivism, managerialism, and neo‐classical economics, creating a psychic prison for the accounting discipline that fails to recognize the socially constructed nature of accounting reports and their explicit valuation role. University rewards structures, reporting mechanisms, and curricular foci dictate against the transformation of accounting technologies toward sustainability. Other anecdotes illustrate how accounting processes hinder sustainability initiatives in higher education.

Research limitations/implications

The paper recommends five changes that could be made to existing accounting reports for higher education institutions. It also proposes the adoption of both narrative reporting and a dialogic model of sustainability reporting and expansive learning in higher education organizations that would provide a transitional process for change.

Originality/value

Little literature has addressed the role of accounting in sustainability practices. This paper offers a sociological analysis of the assumptions built into the accounting profession and a reconceptualization of accounting practices that could be pioneered on the campuses of higher education institutions.
Corporate social and environmental reporting in the Caribbean
Authors: Bowrin Anthony R.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the extent to which publicly‐listed Caribbean companies provide social and environmental disclosures (SED), and the factors related to their disclosure practices. It is motivated by the dearth of studies of SED among publicly listed Caribbean firms.

Design/methodology/approach

All 55 companies with common shares listed on the main tier of one of the three major Caribbean stock exchanges in December 2010 were included in the study. The comprehensiveness of SED was measured using an unweighted 43‐item disclosure index. The research hypotheses were examined using multiple regression analysis.

Findings

The level of SED in the Caribbean was relatively low (M=33.7 per cent, SD=25.3 per cent). The amount of SED was positively related to firm size, industry affiliation, foreign influence and organizational culture. Firm profitability, national culture, importance of public equity financing, gender diversity, and director independence were not statistically related to SED comprehensiveness.

Practical implications

To promote the consideration of sustainability issues in national, corporate and individual investment and administration decisions, Caribbean governments may need to implement incentives for public companies to participate in targeted development initiatives and to provide more comprehensive social and environmental disclosures.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine the comprehensiveness and determinants of SED by publicly‐listed Caribbean companies.
How can effective university‐industry partnerships be developed?
Authors: Rawlinson Sarah , Dewhurst Peter
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the concept of a “university learning laboratory” as an example of providing experiential learning opportunities as part of a vocational degree programme. It presents a model of how to extend industry participation in degree programmes beyond internships and work placements and demonstrates the benefits of including knowledge transfer as part of the curriculum design of vocational degrees.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a qualitative case study approach to share experiences of a university based in the UK.

Findings

Vocational degrees that develop the concepts of the discipline within the context of where they are applied are providing “work ready” graduates for industry.

Practical implications

This paper summarizes the key benefits of engaging industry more extensively in the design and delivery of vocational degree programmes. It highlights a new type of stakeholder partnership and a collective responsibility for vocational curricula in higher education.

Originality/value

This paper draws on Michael Eraut's work on the transfer of knowledge between education and the workplace.
Developing effective university‐industry partnerships: an introduction
Authors: Jauhari Vinnie , Thomas Rhodri
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce the theme issue and the reasons for focusing on the strategic question: “How can effective university‐industry partnerships be developed?”

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a broader perspective on university‐industry relationships and explores a variety of associated research themes.

Findings

The paper profiles the approach adopted by theme issue authors and their respective contributions to addressing the strategic question.

Practical implications

The theme issue draws extensively on practitioners' perspectives from a number of different universities and countries.

Originality/value

This issue gives insights into several meaningful university‐industry collaborations.
Recolonizing wolves trigger a trophic cascade in Wisconsin (USA)
Authors: Callan Ramana , Nibbelink Nathan P. , Rooney Thomas P. , Wiedenhoeft Jane E. , Wydeven Adrian P.
Published: June 2013

We tested the hypothesis that wolves are reducing local browse intensity by white‐tailed deer, thus indirectly mitigating the biotic impoverishment of understorey plant communities in northern Wisconsin.

To assess the potential for such a top‐down trophic cascade response, we developed a spatially and temporally explicit model of wolf territory occupancy based on three decades of wolf monitoring data. Using a nested multiscale vegetation survey protocol, we compared the understorey plant communities of northern white cedar wetlands found in high wolf areas with control sites found in low wolf areas.

We fit species–area curves for plant species grouped by vegetation growth form (based on their predicted response to release from herbivory, i.e. tree, seedling, shrub, forb, grass, sedge or fern) and duration of wolf territory occupancy.

As predicted for a trophic cascade response, forb species richness at local scales (10 m2) was significantly higher in high wolf areas (high wolf areas: 10.7 ± 0.9, N = 16, low wolf areas: 7.5 ± 0.9, N = 16, P < 0.001), as was shrub species richness (high wolf areas: 4.4 ± 0.4, N = 16, low wolf areas: 3.2 ± 0.5, N = 16, P < 0.001). Also as predicted, percentage cover of ferns was lower in high wolf areas (high wolf areas: 6.2 ± 2.1, N = 16, low wolf areas: 11.6 ± 5.3, N = 16, P < 0.05).

Beta richness was similar between high and low wolf areas, supporting earlier assumptions that deer herbivory impacts plant species richness primarily at local scales. Sampling at multiple spatial scales revealed that changes in species richness were not consistent across scales nor among vegetation growth forms: forbs showed a stronger response at finer scales (1–100 m2), while shrubs showed a response across relatively broader scales (10–1000 m2).

Synthesis. Our results are consistent with hypothesized trophic effects on understorey plant communities triggered by a keystone predator recovering from regional extinction. In addition, we identified the response variables and spatial scales appropriate for detecting such differences in plant species composition. This study represents the first published evidence of a trophic cascade triggered by wolf recovery in the Great Lakes region.
Effects of mammalian herbivore declines on plant communities: observations and experiments in an African savanna
Authors: Young Hillary S. , McCauley Douglas J. , Helgen Kristofer M. , Goheen Jacob R. , Otárola‐Castillo Erik , Palmer Todd M. , Pringle Robert M. , Young Truman P. , Dirzo Rodolfo
Published: June 2013

Herbivores influence the structure and composition of terrestrial plant communities. However, responses of plant communities to herbivory are variable and depend on environmental conditions, herbivore identity and herbivore abundance. As anthropogenic impacts continue to drive large declines in wild herbivores, understanding the context dependence of herbivore impacts on plant communities becomes increasingly important.

Exclosure experiments are frequently used to assess how ecosystems reorganize in the face of large wild herbivore defaunation. Yet in many landscapes, declines in large wildlife are often accompanied by other anthropogenic activities, especially land conversion to livestock production. In such cases, exclosure experiments may not reflect typical outcomes of human‐driven extirpations of wild herbivores.

Here, we examine how plant community responses to changes in the identity and abundance of large herbivores interact with abiotic factors (rainfall and soil properties). We also explore how effects of wild herbivores on plant communities differ between large‐scale herbivore exclosures and landscape sites where anthropogenic activity has caused wildlife declines, often accompanied by livestock increases.

Abiotic context modulated the responses of plant communities to herbivore declines with stronger effect sizes in lower‐productivity environments. Also, shifts in plant community structure, composition and species richness following wildlife declines differed considerably between exclosure experiments and landscape sites in which wild herbivores had declined and were often replaced by livestock. Plant communities in low wildlife landscape sites were distinct in both composition and physical structure from both exclosure and control sites in experiments. The power of environmental (soil and rainfall) gradients in influencing plant response to herbivores was also greatly dampened or absent in the landscape sites. One likely explanation for these observed differences is the compensatory effect of livestock associated with the depression or extirpation of wildlife.

Synthesis. Our results emphasize the importance of abiotic environmental heterogeneity in modulating the effects of mammalian herbivory on plant communities and the importance of such covariation in understanding effects of wild herbivore declines. They also suggest caution when extrapolating results from exclosure experiments to predict the consequences of defaunation as it proceeds in the Anthropocene.
The Evolution of Citizenship Norms among Scandinavian Adolescents, 1999–2009
Authors: Oser Jennifer , Hooghe Marc
Published: June 2013

In the recent debate about changing citizenship norms in advanced democracies, Scandinavian countries are often considered the frontrunners of the development of a new kind of engaged citizenship. The majority of recent empirical scholarship in this field, however, has focused on the United States. In this article latent class analysis is used to ascertain whether the ideal types of engaged citizenship and duty‐based citizenship norms are relevant concepts for adolescents in Scandinavia, and whether there are significant changes in these norms between 1999 and 2009. The findings confirm that engaged and duty‐based citizens can be clearly identified and that engaged citizenship norms are becoming more prevalent. It is also found, however, that engaged and duty‐based norms are not the only norms identified in the analysis, and that important differences are evident in the background characteristics of those ascribing to different citizen norms that contradict expectations in the literature. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for changing citizenship norms in advanced democracies, including the potential implications of these changing norms for political behaviour.
Detection of progesterone in bovine milk using an electrochemical immunosensor
Authors: Zhang Hong You , Du Xia Yan , Liu Qian , Xia Cheng , Sun Ling Wei
Published: June 2013

To improve the detection of ovulation and early diagnosis of pregnancy on dairy farms, a disposable electrochemical immunosensor was developed using indirect competitive immunoassays and screen‐printed carbon electrodes. After optimisation of the assay conditions, the linear range was from 0.16 to 50 ng/mL. The limit of detection was 0.16 ng/mL. There was no cross‐reactivity with testosterone, 17‐β‐estradiol and estriol. The intra‐assay coefficient of variation was less than 13% and interassay coefficient of variation was < 9%. The percentage recovery was from 95.8% to 115.7%. Stability lasts 4 days at 4 °C. The results of preliminary application trials indicate that the method could have practical potential.
Patient Experiences with Involuntary Out‐of‐Network Charges
Authors: Kyanko Kelly A. , Pong Denise D. , Bahan Kathleen , Curry Leslie A.
Published: June 2013

Background

Approximately 40 percent of individuals using out‐of‐network physicians experience involuntary out‐of‐network care, leading to unexpected and sometimes burdensome financial charges. Despite its prevalence, research on patient experiences with involuntary out‐of‐network care is limited. Greater understanding of patient experiences may inform policy solutions to address this issue.

Objective

To characterize the experiences of patients who encountered involuntary out‐of‐network physician charges.

Methods

Qualitative study using 26 in‐depth telephone interviews with a semi‐structured interview guide. Participants were a purposeful sample of privately insured adults from across the United States who experienced involuntary out‐of‐network care. They were diverse with regard to income level, education, and health status. Recurrent themes were generated using the constant comparison method of data analysis by a multidisciplinary team.

Results

Four themes characterize the perspective of individuals who experienced involuntary out‐of‐network physician charges: (1) responsibilities and mechanisms for determining network participation are not transparent; (2) physician procedures for billing and disclosure of physician out‐of‐network status are inconsistent; (3) serious illness requiring emergency care or hospitalization precludes ability to choose a physician or confirm network participation; and (4) resources for mediation of involuntary charges once they occur are not available.

Conclusions

Our data reveal that patient education may not be sufficient to reduce the prevalence and financial burden of involuntary out‐of‐network care. Participants described experiencing involuntary out‐of‐network health care charges due to system‐level failures. As policy makers seek solutions, our findings suggest several potential areas of further consideration such as standardization of processes to disclose that a physician is out‐of‐network, holding patients harmless not only for out‐of‐network emergency room care but also for non‐elective hospitalization, and designation of a mediator for involuntary charges.
Malpractice Litigation and Nursing Home Quality of Care
Authors: Konetzka R. Tamara , Park Jeongyoung , Ellis Robert , Abbo Elmer
Published: June 2013

Objective

To assess the potential deterrent effect of nursing home litigation threat on nursing home quality.

Data Sources/Study Setting

We use a panel dataset of litigation claims and Nursing Home Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) data from 1995 to 2005 in six states: Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Missouri, and Delaware, for a total of 2,245 facilities. Claims data are from Westlaw's Adverse Filings database, a proprietary legal database, on all malpractice, negligence, and personal injury/wrongful death claims filed against nursing facilities.

Study Design

A lagged 2‐year moving average of the county‐level number of malpractice claims is used to represent the threat of litigation. We use facility fixed‐effects models to examine the relationship between the threat of litigation and nursing home quality.

Principal Findings

We find significant increases in registered nurse‐to‐total staffing ratios in response to rising malpractice threat, and a reduction in pressure sores among highly staffed facilities. However, the magnitude of the deterrence effect is small.

Conclusions

Deterrence in response to the threat of malpractice litigation is unlikely to lead to widespread improvements in nursing home quality. This should be weighed against other benefits and costs of litigation to assess the net benefit of tort reform.
Musculoskeletal lymphoma: MRI of bone or soft tissue presentations
Authors: Carroll Gemma , Breidahl William , Robbins Peter
Published: June 2013

Aim

To assess the MRI findings of musculoskeletal lymphoma primarily presenting clinically as a bone lesion or soft tissue mass.

Methods

Magnetic resonance imaging of 23 cases of musculoskeletal lymphoma were retrospectively reviewed. Features assessed included tumour location, morphology, signal intensity (SI) characteristics, cortical destruction, involvement of multiple anatomic compartments, encasement of adjacent neurovascular structures/tendons and subcutaneous oedema.

Results

Osseous lesions were typically poorly defined and hypointense on T1‐weighted imaging. T2‐weighted SI was usually heterogeneous, with 54% of cases having a ‘mosaic’ pattern of marrow replacement. Ninety‐two per cent of osseous tumours had cortical abnormalities, most commonly a permeative pattern. A periosseous soft tissue cuff was present in 46% of cases while 38% had a more significant extraosseous component. All cases of soft tissue lymphoma were iso‐/slightly hyperintense to muscle on T1‐weighted images and hyperintense on T2‐weighted images. Multicompartment involvement by extraosseous tumour was present in 75% of cases, and 67% had subcutaneous oedema. Eighty‐three per cent of soft tissue tumours showed encasement of adjacent structures. Multifocal lymphoma had similar morphology and SI characteristics to single‐site lesions. Histopathologically, there were 21 cases of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma and two of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Conclusion

Magnetic resonance imaging features of primary osseous lymphoma include T2 heterogeneity, a periosseous soft tissue cuff or a more substantial mass, and cortical disruption often disproportionate to the extent of extraosseous tumour. Features characteristic of soft tissue lymphoma include relative homogeneity on T1‐ and T2‐weighted imaging, multicompartment involvement and encasement of neurovascular structures.
StAMPP: an R package for calculation of genetic differentiation and structure of mixed‐ploidy level populations
Authors: Pembleton Luke W. , Cogan Noel O. I. , Forster John W.
Published: June 2013

Statistical Analysis of Mixed‐Ploidy Populations (StAMPP) is a freely available R package for calculation of population structure and differentiation based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype data from populations of any ploidy level, and/or mixed‐ploidy levels. StAMPP provides an advance on previous similar software packages, due to an ability to calculate pairwise FST values along with confidence intervals, Nei's genetic distance and genomic relationship matrixes from data sets of mixed‐ploidy level. The software code is designed to efficiently handle analysis of large genotypic data sets that are typically generated by high‐throughput genotyping platforms. Population differentiation studies using StAMPP are broadly applicable to studies of molecular ecology and conservation genetics, as well as animal and plant breeding.
A Corn Oil–Based Diet Protects Against Combined Ethanol and Iron‐Induced Liver Injury in a Mouse Model of Hemochromatosis
Authors: Tan Terrence C. H. , Crawford Darrell H. G. , Jaskowski Lesley A. , Murphy Therese L. , Santrampurwala Nishreen , Crane Denis , Clouston Andrew D. , Subramaniam V. Nathan , Anderson Gregory J. , Fletcher Linda M.
Published: June 2013

Background

Combined iron overload and alcohol may promote synergistic chronic liver injury and toxicity. The role of specific dietary fats in influencing the development of co‐toxic alcoholic liver disease needs further evaluation and is investigated in this study.

Methods

Wild‐type (WT) and the iron‐loaded Hfe‐null (Hfe−/−) mice were fed chow (CC), a AIN‐93G standard control (SC), or a corn oil–modified, AIN‐93G‐based (CO) diet with or without the addition of 20% ethanol (EtOH) in the drinking water for 8 weeks and assessed for liver injury.

Results

WT mice on CC, SC, and CO diets had no liver injury, although mild steatosis developed in the SC and CO groups. The addition of EtOH resulted in mild steatohepatitis in WT mice fed SC but not those on a CO diet. EtOH administration in Hfe−/− animals on the CC and SC diets caused marked oxidative stress, inflammatory activity, and subsinusoidal and portal–portal tract linkage fibrosis with significant up‐regulation of genes involved in cellular stress signaling and fibrogenic pathways. These effects were abrogated in the CO‐fed mice, despite elevated serum EtOH levels and hepatic iron concentrations, reduced hepatic glutathione and mitochondrial superoxide dismutase activities. Feeding with the CO diet led to increased hepatic glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities and attenuated alcohol‐induced hepatic steatosis in the Hfe−/− animals. Iron and EtOH feeding markedly reduced p‐STAT3 and p‐AMPK protein levels, but this effect was significantly attenuated when a CO diet was consumed.

Conclusions

A CO‐based diet is protective against combined EtOH‐ and iron‐induced liver toxicity, likely via attenuation of hepatic steatosis and oxidative stress and may have a role in the prevention of fibrosis development in chronic liver disease.
Nationwide time trends in dispensed prescriptions of psychotropic medication for children and adolescents in Denmark
Authors: Steinhausen H.‐C. , Bisgaard C.
Published: June 2013

Objective

The analysis of time trends in dispensed prescriptions of psychotropic medications for children and adolescents in Denmark.

Method

The entire data set of the Danish prescription register covering stimulants, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anxiolytics used in children and adolescents over a 15‐year time span from 1996 to 2010 was analyzed. Both non‐adjusted age‐standardized prevalence rates and adjusted age‐standardized prevalence rates considering the increase in patient numbers over time were calculated, and time trends were assessed based on 105 908 patient‐years.

Results

For stimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics, the non‐adjusted prevalence rates increased significantly. These trends were strongest for the stimulants. However, all adjusted prevalence rates were much lower with the anxiolytics even declining significantly. The prevalence rates of stimulants and antipsychotics were significantly higher among males than females, whereas females received significantly more antidepressants. The increase in prescription rates for both antidepressants and antipsychotics was mainly due to increased use among the 14‐ to 17‐year‐olds. Stratification by diagnoses revealed significantly increasing prevalence rates of dispensed antidepressants and antipsychotics in six major diagnostic indications.

Conclusion

Although increasing, the unadjusted Danish prevalence rates of dispensed prescriptions of psychotropics for children and adolescents are still lower than in many other Western countries.
Promoting the use of enduring powers of attorney in older adults: A literature review
Authors: Mitchell Leander K , Pachana Nancy A , Wilson Jill , Vearncombe Katharine , Massavelli Bronwyn , Byrne Gerard J , Tilse Cheryl
Published: June 2013

This review aims to identify factors that facilitate the establishment of enduring powers of attorney (EPOAs), and those that create a barrier to their establishment. The primary aim was to provide guidance about how to encourage future planning while people are cognitively able to make such important decisions. A detailed search of the literature was conducted to identify research looking at the motivating factors behind putting future‐planning strategies in place. The literature highlighted a number of broad areas motivating the establishment of EPOAs, including: demographic factors; intrapersonal and personality factors; health and psychological factors; cognitive factors; and socio‐emotional factors. While a number of factors play a role in determining whether or not a person establishes an EPOA, the factor most malleable to change is the awareness and knowledge of older adults and their families regarding the utility of EPOAs.