bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding Hospital Volume–Outcome Relationship in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Alali Aziz S. , Gomez David , McCredie Victoria , Mainprize Todd G. , Nathens Avery B.
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND: The hospital volume–outcome relationship in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) population remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between volume of patients with severe TBI per hospital and in-hospital mortality, major complications, and mortality following a major complication (ie, failure to rescue).

METHODS: In a multicenter cohort study, data on 9255 adults with severe TBI were derived from 111 hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program over 2009-2011. Hospitals were ranked into quartiles based on their volume of severe TBI during the study period. Random-intercept multilevel models were used to examine the association between hospital quartile of severe TBI volume and in-hospital mortality, major complications, and mortality following a major complication after adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics. In sensitivity analyses, we examined these associations after excluding transferred cases.

RESULTS: Overall mortality was 37.2% (n = 3447). Two thousand ninety-eight patients (22.7%) suffered from 1 or more major complication. Among patients with major complications, 27.8% (n = 583) died. Higher-volume hospitals were associated with lower mortality; the adjusted odds ratio of death was 0.50 (95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.85) in the highest volume quartile compared to the lowest. There was no significant association between hospital-volume quartile and the odds of a major complication or the odds of death following a major complication. After excluding transferred cases, similar results were found.

CONCLUSION: High-volume hospitals might be associated with lower in-hospital mortality following severe TBI. However, this mortality reduction was not associated with lower risk of major complications or death following a major complication.
Safety and Feasibility of a Protocolized Approach to In-Bed Cycling Exercise in the Intensive Care Unit: Quality Improvement Project
Authors: Kimawi Ibtehal , Lamberjack Bryanna , Nelliot Archana , Toonstra Amy Lee , Zanni Jennifer , Huang Minxuan , Mantheiy Earl , Kho Michelle E. , Needham Dale M.
Published: March 2017

Background. In-bed, supine cycle ergometry as a part of early rehabilitation in the intensive care unit (ICU) appears to be safe, feasible, and beneficial, but no standardized protocol exists. A standardized protocol may help guide use of cycle ergometry in the ICU.

Objective. This study investigated whether a standardized protocol for in-bed cycling is safe and feasible, results in cycling for a longer duration, and achieves a higher resistance.

Design. A quality improvement (QI) project was conducted.

Methods. A 35-minute in-bed cycling protocol was implemented in a single medical intensive care unit (MICU) over a 7-month quality improvement (QI) period compared to pre-existing, prospectively collected data from an 18-month pre-QI period.

Results. One hundred and six MICU patients received 260 cycling sessions in the QI period vs. 178 MICU patients receiving 498 sessions in the pre-QI period. The protocol was used in 249 (96%) of cycling sessions. The QI group cycled for longer median (IQR) duration (35 [25–35] vs. 25 [18–30] minutes, P < .001) and more frequently achieved a resistance level greater than gear 0 (47% vs. 17% of sessions, P < .001). There were 4 (1.5%) transient physiologic abnormalities during the QI period, and 1 (0.2%) during the pre-QI period (P = .031).

Limitations. Patient outcomes were not evaluated to understand if the protocol has clinical benefits.

Conclusions. Use of a protocolized approach for in-bed cycling appears safe and feasible, results in cycling for longer duration, and achieved higher resistance.
K-Cl Cotransporter 2–mediated Cl− Extrusion Determines Developmental Stage–dependent Impact of Propofol Anesthesia on Dendritic Spines
Authors: Puskarjov Martin , Fiumelli Hubert , Briner Adrian , Bodogan Timea , Demeter Kornel , Lacoh Claudia-Marvine , Mavrovic Martina , Blaesse Peter , Kaila Kai , Vutskits Laszlo
Published: March 2017

Background

General anesthetics potentiating γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)–mediated signaling are known to induce a persistent decrement in excitatory synapse number in the cerebral cortex when applied during early postnatal development, while an opposite action is produced at later stages. Here, the authors test the hypothesis that the effect of general anesthetics on synaptogenesis depends upon the efficacy of GABA receptor type A (GABAA)–mediated inhibition controlled by the developmental up-regulation of the potassium-chloride (K-Cl) cotransporter 2 (KCC2).

Methods

In utero electroporation of KCC2 was used to prematurely increase the efficacy of (GABAA)–mediated inhibition in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the immature rat somatosensory cortex. Parallel experiments with expression of the inward-rectifier potassium channel Kir2.1 were done to reduce intrinsic neuronal excitability. The effects of these genetic manipulations (n = 3 to 4 animals per experimental group) were evaluated using iontophoretic injection of Lucifer Yellow (n = 8 to 12 cells per animal). The total number of spines analyzed per group ranged between 907 and 3,371.

Results

The authors found a robust effect of the developmental up-regulation of KCC2–mediated Cl− transport on the age-dependent action of propofol on dendritic spines. Premature expression of KCC2, unlike expression of a transport-inactive KCC2 variant, prevented a propofol-induced decrease in spine density. In line with a reduction in neuronal excitability, the above result was qualitatively replicated by overexpression of Kir2.1.

Conclusions

The KCC2–dependent developmental increase in the efficacy of GABAA–mediated inhibition is a major determinant of the age-dependent actions of propofol on dendritic spinogenesis.
Comparison of Multipole Stimulus Configurations With Respect to Loudness and Spread of Excitation
Authors: Vellinga Dirk , Briaire Jeroen Johannes , van Meenen David Michael Paul , Frijns Johannes Hubertus Maria
Published: March 2017

Objective:

Current spread is a substantial limitation of speech coding strategies in cochlear implants. Multipoles have the potential to reduce current spread and thus generate more discriminable pitch percepts. The difficulty with multipoles is reaching sufficient loudness. The primary goal was to compare the loudness characteristics and spread of excitation (SOE) of three types of phased array stimulation, a novel multipole, with three more conventional configurations.

Design:

Fifteen postlingually deafened cochlear implant users performed psychophysical experiments addressing SOE, loudness scaling, loudness threshold, loudness balancing, and loudness discrimination. Partial tripolar stimulation (pTP, σ = 0.75), TP, phased array with 16 (PA16) electrodes, and restricted phased array with five (PA5) and three (PA3) electrodes was compared with a reference monopolar stimulus.

Results:

Despite a similar loudness growth function, there were considerable differences in current expenditure. The most energy efficient multipole was the pTP, followed by PA16 and PA5/PA3. TP clearly stood out as the least efficient one. Although the electric dynamic range was larger with multipolar configurations, the number of discriminable steps in loudness was not significantly increased. The SOE experiment could not demonstrate any difference between the stimulation strategies.

Conclusions:

The loudness characteristics all five multipolar configurations tested are similar. Because of their higher energy efficiency, pTP and PA16 are the most favorable candidates for future testing in clinical speech coding strategies.
Biosimilars: implications for rheumatoid arthritis therapy
Authors: Cohen Stanley , Kay Jonathan
Published: March 2017

Purpose of review

Abbreviated pathways for the approval of biosimilars have been established in the European Union (EU), the United States, and other countries. Biosimilar TNF inhibitors have been available in South Korea and the EU since 2012 and 2013, respectively, and the first biosimilar infliximab was introduced to the clinic in the United States in November 2016. Five TNF inhibitor biosimilars have now been approved, and many other biosimilars to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases are in development.

Recent findings

Over the last 18 months, published results of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have shown equivalent efficacy and comparable safety and immunogenicity of biosimilars with their reference products. ‘Real world’ experience with biosimilars in the EU continues to increase and provides evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of using biosimilars in the clinic and of switching from bio-originators to their biosimilars.

Cost implications of using biosimilars and extrapolation of their use to treat diseases in which they were not tested in RCTs are of great interest. We review the results of RCTs and available experience with biosimilars in the clinic.
Effect of Preoperative Inspiratory Muscle Training on Alveolar-Arterial Oxygen Gradients After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Authors: Turky Khalid , Afify Amera M. Abdelaziz
Published: March 2017

Purpose:

Gas exchange abnormalities and inspiratory muscle dysfunction are common postoperative pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the alveolar arterial oxygen gradients and inspiratory muscle power after preoperative inspiratory muscle training (IMT) followed by postoperative IMT and early mobilization after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Methods:

Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 20) or the usual care group (n = 20). The intervention group received preoperative IMT by a threshold load inspiratory muscle trainer and education followed by postoperative IMT and early mobilization. The usual care group received preoperative education and postoperative routine physical therapy care. Alveolar-arterial oxygen gradients and oxygen saturation were measured before induction of anesthesia and postoperatively immediately after extubation, at 24 hours, 48 hours, and on day 8 postsurgery. Inspiratory muscle power was measured before surgery, after 48 hours, and on day 8.

Results:

Forty male patients underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The intervention group showed significant (P < .05) improvement of alveolar arterial-oxygen gradients and inspiratory muscle power at all measurement points. The mean of inspiratory muscle power at discharge was significantly higher than at baseline but not statistically significantly different from the preoperative measurement.

Conclusion:

Pre- and postoperative IMT by the threshold load inspiratory muscle trainer resulted in improvement of inspiratory muscle power, alveolar-arterial gradient, and oxygen saturation.
MACULAR MACROVESSELS ASSOCIATED WITH SELF-LIMITING LEAKAGE IN A YOUNG PATIENT
Authors: Savastano Alfonso , Tartaro Ruggero , Savastano Maria C. , Rizzo Stanislao
Published: March 2017

Purpose:

To report a case of congenital retinal macrovessels associated with cystoid macular edema.

Methods:

We evaluated a 33-year-old, 2-month pregnant female with sudden decreased central vision in her left eye.

Results:

We observed congenital retinal venous macrovessels that were related to cystoid macular edema development. After 3 months, her clinical condition improved with a spontaneous solution of the edema and visual acuity recovery.

Conclusion:

Congenital retinal macrovessels can be complicated by macular edema. The high levels of hormones during pregnancy can affect the vessels' permeability and make this condition symptomatic through cystoid macular edema development.
Reliability and validity study of a Turkish version of the fatigue severity scale in Parkinson’s disease patients
Authors: Ozturk Erhan A. , Gonenli Kocer Bilge , Gundogdu Ibrahim , Umay Ebru , Cakci Fatma Aytul
Published: March 2017

The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients for use in clinical settings. A consecutive 106 patients with PD were included in the study. The Turkish version of FSS was analyzed for reliability (internal consistency and reproducibility) and validity (convergent and discriminant). The Turkish version of FSS yielded an acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.960 and corrected item-total correlations: 0.761–0.891), and it was established as reproducible (test–retest intraclass correlations for items: 0.887–0.936). The FSS total score was correlated significantly with PD-related variables. Between-group differences on both items and the total score of FSS by modified Hoehn and Yahr staging were found to be statistically significant. The present study has shown that the Turkish version of the FSS is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of fatigue in PD patients.
A marker-free co-selection strategy for high efficiency human genome engineering
Authors: Agudelo Daniel , Bozoyan Lusiné , Duringer Alexis , Huard Caroline C. , Carter Sophie , Loehr Jeremy , Synodinou Dafni , Drouin Mathieu , Salsman Jayme , Dellaire Graham , Laganière Josée , Doyon Yannick
Published: March 2017

Targeted genome editing using engineered nucleases facilitates the creation ofbona fidecellular models for biological research and may be applied to human cell-based therapies. Broadly applicable and versatile methods for increasing the levels of gene editing in cell populations remain highly desirable due to the variable efficiency between distinct genomic loci and cell types. Harnessing the multiplexing capabilities of CRISPR-Cas9 and Cpf1 systems, we designed a simple and robust co-selection strategy for enriching cells harboring either nuclease-driven non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homology-directed repair (HDR) events. Selection for dominant alleles of the endogenous sodium-potassium pump (Na+,K+-ATPase) that render cells resistant to ouabain is used to enrich for custom modifications at another unlinked locus of interest, effectively increasing the recovery of engineered cells. The process was readily adaptable to transformed and primary cells, including hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). The use of universal CRISPR reagents and a commercially available small molecule inhibitor streamlines the incorporation of marker-free genetic changes in human cells.
Destructive disinfection of infected brood prevents systemic disease spread in ant colonies
Authors: Pull Christopher D. , Ugelvig Line V. , Wiesenhofer Florian , Tragust Simon , Schmitt Thomas , Brown Mark J.F. , Cremer Sylvia
Published: March 2017

Social insects protect their colonies from infectious disease through collective defences that result in social immunity. In ants, workers first try to prevent infection of colony members. Here, we show that if this fails and a pathogen establishes an infection, ants employ an efficient multicomponent behaviour – “destructive disinfection” – to prevent further spread of disease through the colony. Ants specifically target infected pupae during the pathogen’s non-contagious incubation period, relying on chemical ‘sickness cues’ emitted by pupae. They then remove the pupal cocoon, perforate its cuticle and administer antimicrobial poison, which enters the body and prevents pathogen replication from the inside out. Like the immune system of a body that specifically targets and eliminates infected cells, this social immunity measure sacrifices infected brood to stop the pathogen completing its lifecycle, thus protecting the rest of the colony. Hence, the same principles of disease defence apply at different levels of biological organisation.
Genotoxin-induced transcriptional repression regulates selective protein aggregation
Authors: Mathew Veena , Tam Annie S. , Milbury Karissa L. , Hofmann Analise K. , Hughes Christopher S. , Morin Gregg B. , Loewen Christopher J. R. , Stirling Peter C.
Published: March 2017

Upon genotoxic stress, dynamic relocalization events control DNA repair, and alterations of the transcriptome and proteome enabling stress recovery. How these events may influence one another is only partly known. Beginning with a cytological screen for genome maintenance proteins that move under stress, we find that, upon alkylation stress, the splicing factor Hsh155 localizes to both intranuclear and cytoplasmic protein quality control aggregates. Under stress, an ordered sequestration of Hsh155 occurs at nuclear and then cytoplasmic aggregates in a manner that is regulated by molecular chaperones. This dynamic behavior is preceded by a decrease in splicing efficiency. While DNA replication stress signaling is not required for Hsh155 sequestration, Hsh155 aggregation is cell cycle and TOR pathway dependent. Indeed, loss of a TORC1 regulated ribosomal protein gene transcription factor Sfp1 allows general aggregate formation but prevents Hsh155 recruitment. Together, our analyses suggest a model in which some proteins evicted from chromatin undergoing transcriptional remodeling during stress are targeted to protein quality control sites.
Reconstructing Promoter Activity From Lux Bioluminescent Reporters
Authors: Iqbal Mudassar , Doherty Neil , Page Anna M.L. , Qazi Saara N.A. , Ajmera Ishan , Lund Peter A. , Kypraios Theodore , Scott David J. , Hill Philip J. , Stekel Dov J.
Published: March 2017

The bacterial Lux system is used as a gene expression reporter. It is fast, sensitive and non-destructive, enabling high frequency measurements. Originally developed for bacterial cells, it has been adapted for eukaryotic cells, and can be used for whole cell biosensors, or in real time with live animals without the need for slaughter. However, correct interpretation of bioluminescent data is limited: the bioluminescence is different from gene expression because of nonlinear molecular and enzyme dynamics of the Lux system. We have developed a modelling approach that, for the first time, allows users of Lux assays to infer gene transcription levels from the light output. We show examples where a decrease in bioluminescence would be better interpreted as a switching off of the promoter, or where an increase in bioluminescence would be better interpreted as a longer period of gene expression. This approach could benefit all users of Lux technology.
Orienting the causal relationship between imprecisely measured traits using genetic instruments
Authors: Hemani Gibran , Tilling Kate , Smith George Davey
Published: March 2017

Inference of the causal structure that induces correlations between two traits can be achieved by combining genetic associations with a mediation-based approach, as is done in the causal inference test (CIT) and others. However, we show that measurement error in the phenotypes can lead to mediation-based approaches inferring the wrong causal direction, and that increasing sample sizes has the adverse effect of increasing confidence in the wrong answer. Here we introduce an extension to Mendelian randomisation, a method that uses genetic associations in an instrumentation framework, that enables inference of the causal direction between traits, with some advantages. First, it is less susceptible to bias in the presence of measurement error; second, it is more statistically efficient; third, it can be performed using only summary level data from genome-wide association studies; and fourth, its sensitivity to measurement error can be evaluated. We apply the method to infer the causal direction between DNA methylation and gene expression levels. Our results demonstrate that, in general, DNA methylation is more likely to be the causal factor, but this result is highly susceptible to bias induced by systematic differences in measurement error between the platforms. We emphasise that, where possible, implementing MR and appropriate sensitivity analyses alongside other approaches such as CIT is important to triangulate reliable conclusions about causality.
Category-selective human brain processes elicited in fast periodic visual stimulation streams are immune to temporal predictability
Authors: Quek Genevieve L. , Rossion Bruno
Published: March 2017

Recording direct neural activity when periodically inserting exemplars of a particular category in a rapid visual stream of other objects offers an objective and efficient way to quantify perceptual categorization and characterize its spatiotemporal dynamics. However, since periodicity entails predictability, perceptual categorization processes identified within this framework may be partly generated or modulated by temporal expectations. Here we present a stringent test of the hypothesis that temporal predictability generates or modulates category-selective neural processes. In Experiment 1, we compare neurophysiological responses to periodic and nonperiodic (i.e., unpredictable) variable face stimuli in a fast (12 Hz) visual stream of nonface objects. In Experiment 2, we assess potential responses to rare (10%) omissions of periodic face events (i.e., violations of periodicity) in the same fast visual stream. Overall, our observations indicate that long duration category(face)-selective processes elicited in a fast periodic stream of visual objects are immune to temporal predictability. These observations do not support a predictive coding framework interpretation of category-change detection in the human brain and have important implications for understanding human perceptual categorization in a rapidly changing (i.e., dynamic) visual scene.
metaSPAdes: a new versatile metagenomic assembler
Authors: Nurk Sergey , Meleshko Dmitry , Korobeynikov Anton , Pevzner Pavel A.
Published: March 2017

While metagenomics has emerged as a technology of choice for analyzing bacterial populations, the assembly of metagenomic data remains challenging, thus stifling biological discoveries. Moreover, recent studies revealed that complex bacterial populations may be composed from dozens of related strains, thus further amplifying the challenge of metagenomic assembly. metaSPAdes addresses various challenges of metagenomic assembly by capitalizing on computational ideas that proved to be useful in assemblies of single cells and highly polymorphic diploid genomes. We benchmark metaSPAdes against other state-of-the-art metagenome assemblers and demonstrate that it results in high-quality assemblies across diverse data sets.
Methyl 4-methyl-2-oxo-3,4-dihydrodibenzo[b,d]furan-4a(2H)-carboxylate
Authors: Jiang Yidong , Wang Yifeng
Published: March 2017

The title compound, C15H14O4, has structural similarities to the alkaloid galanthamine, used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The structure consists of a fused three-ring system comprising benzene and cyclohexenone fused to a central furan ring. The furan ring exhibits an envelope conformation with the carboxylate-substituted C atom as the flap, deviating by 0.352 (3) Å from the mean plane of other four furan-ring atoms. The cyclohexenone ring also exhibits an envelope conformation, with the methyl-substituted C atom as the flap. The methyl and carboxylate groups are on opposite side of the plane of the other five atoms of the cyclohexenone ring. In the crystal, other than van der Waals contacts, there are weak intermolecular C—H...O interactions present linking the molecules to form a one-dimensional zigzag chain along the b-axis direction.
Farm entry and exit from US agriculture
Authors: Katchova Ani L. , Ahearn Mary Clare
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to use a linked-farm approach and a cohort approach to estimate farm entry and exit rates using the US Census of Agriculture. The number of new farms entering agriculture was re-estimated and adjusted upward since not all new and beginning farmers are known to US Department of Agriculture.

Design/methodology/approach

In addition to a linked-farm approach (linking farms over time), a cohort approach (farms that started operating in the same year) is used to determine exit rates conditional on the number of years a farm has been operating. Linear forecasting, moving-average forecasting, and using data from a later Census are used to re-estimate the number of new farms in their first year of operating.

Findings

Using the linked-farm approach, an average annual entry rate of 7.5 percent and exit rate of 8.5 percent is estimated for 2007 to 2012, which vary based on the farmer’s lifecycle. The cohort approach shows that exit rates are lower than 4 percent for the first 40 years of operating a farm business and then exit rates gradually increase. Revised estimates of approximately 70-80,000 new farms entering each year are calculated, which are considerably higher numbers than the 30-40,000 new farm entrants participating in the Census of Agriculture.

Originality/value

The linked-farm and cohort approaches are used to provide updated estimates for farm entry and exit using new Census data and to make comparisons with previous years. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to provide revised estimates for new farm entrants into US agriculture.
Historical developments in agricultural finance and the genesis of America’s farm credit system
Authors: Turvey Calum G.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of major historical developments in agricultural finance, with particular emphasis on agricultural credit. It reviews the development of Raiffeisen and related banks that emerged in Germany and Europe throughout the nineteenth century and how the cooperative banking system made its way into the banking system of the USA in the early twentieth century. The paper emphasizes the role of the state in the developing of agricultural credit, especially with respect to farm mortgages, securitization, and bond structures.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a historical synthesis of historical literature on agricultural credit.

Findings

This paper shows the direct linkage between the developments in Raiffeisen credit cooperatives and the Farm Credit System (FCS) and details the emergence of the land banks, farm credit banks, agricultural bonds and the role of joint-stock banks in agricultural credit policy.

Originality/value

In total, 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 1916 Federal Farm Loan Act which set in motion the USs’ first Government Sponsored Enterprise and catalyzed the formation of the FCS as it operates today to provide credit to farmers and rural communities on a cooperative basis. Although there are a few wonderful books written on certain aspects of the FCS the story of how the FCS was initiated and the many struggles it faced up to the 1933 Act has not been told often enough. This paper tells the story of the evolution of agricultural credit that ultimately led to the formation of the FCS.
Culture and context matter: gender in international business and management
Authors: Eden Lorraine , Gupta Susan Forquer
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue that culture and context (policy and environment) are key factors affecting gender inequalities within and across countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper applies conceptual and descriptive statistics.

Findings

The authors found evidence of increasing gender equality in the workplace, but only for rich countries. Gender inequalities persist in the poorest countries, and the gap between rich and poor countries appears to be widening not narrowing.

Research limitations/implications

This paper demonstrates the need for a comprehensive research program on gender and international business.

Practical implications

The authors provided useful statistics that could possibly be picked up by newspapers. The paper also highlights the need for a more sustained research program on gender and development.

Social implications

This paper demonstrates that the public perception of increasing gender equality applies only in very high development (rich) countries. In fact, gender inequality rises as economic development levels decline across countries, and the gap between very high and low countries has widened over the past 15 years.

Originality/value

The empirical findings with respect to gender inequality across United Nations Development Program country categories over time are, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, novel and original. Relating the gender inequality gap to culture and context highlights the roles that social issues and the environment play in affecting gender inequality across countries and across time.
An empirical competence-capability model of supply chain resilience
Authors: Mandal Santanu
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the influence of supply and demand competence on supply chain (SC) resilience and its impact on a firm’s operational and relational performance. While the former competence refers to production and supply management-related activities, the latter refers to distribution and demand management-related activities. Within this framework, process compliance, i.e. how well SC management processes are internally executed by the firm’s employees, is observed as an enabler (moderator) on the relationship between SC competence and SC resilience. Further the model also explores the moderating influence of environmental uncertainty (EU) on the linkage between SC resilience and firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a Web-based cross-sectional survey from SC professionals working in different industries at various designations. Further, the collected data were analyzed using partial least squares for hypotheses’ testing.

Findings

The findings suggest a positive influence of demand- and supply-side competences on SC resilience. Supply chain resilience was also found to have a positive influence on operational and relational performance. Further, process compliance was found to positively moderate the relationship between the competences and resilience. Lastly, the relationship between resilience and performance was found to gain momentum in the presence of EU.

Research limitations/implication

Data were collected from a single respondent per firm. Hence, future research should attempt to collect data from multiple respondents for increased generalization.

Originality/value

The study holds significance for academicians and practitioners, as it investigates the importance of supply- and demand-side competences on the development of SC resilience and its impact on performance. This investigation showed that building resilience in a SC is dependent on the degree to which firms are process-compliant. Further, it was empirically proved that resilience’s positive influence on performance increases more with the presence of uncertainties.
Residential satisfaction and housing modifications
Authors: Carrasco Sandra , Ochiai Chiho , Okazaki Kenji
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This study focuses on residents’ perceptions of the permanent houses built by various implementing agencies on the Calaanan site as part of post-Typhoon Washi resettlement in the city of Cagayan de Oro. This research aims to make a comparative analysis of the communities’ pre- and post-disaster situation, their satisfaction with the housing provided and the factors influencing housing modification.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyzes the data obtained from a questionnaire survey of residents, interviews with stakeholders involved in resettlement, observation survey and graphic documentation between July and August 2014.

Findings

The analysis of residents’ perspectives revealed that their building of extensions to houses was a response to a lack of consideration of their needs and of local environmental and cultural patterns in the planning and construction of permanent housing.

Originality/value

The findings are used to develop points to consider to gain a better understanding of residents’ adaptation to their environment. These points may be useful in improving future resettlement projects in a country permanently exposed to disasters.
Executing strategy through comprehensive performance measurement systems
Authors: Micheli Pietro , Mura Matteo
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of comprehensive performance measurement systems (PMS) – i.e. measurement systems that comprise financial and non-financial indicators, and which also consist of indicators related to different aspects of an organisation’s operations – in the relationship between strategy and company performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data of top managers of large European companies were collected and analysed by means of exploratory factor analyses and hierarchical regressions in order to validate the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

This research shows that different strategies lead to the use of different types of performance indicators. Also, it finds that the utilisation of a comprehensive PMS enables the implementation of both differentiation and cost-leadership strategies. Specifically, a comprehensive PMS positively mediates the effect of differentiation strategy on organisational and innovative performance, and of cost-leadership strategy on organisational performance.

Research limitations/implications

Further research could be undertaken in other contexts and consider additional factors, such as the structure, maturity and different uses of PMS, and the cost of measuring performance. Qualitative studies could examine the role of PMS in dynamic environments, as well as the evolution of PMS during strategic transitions.

Practical implications

Greater consideration should be given to the utilisation of different types of performance indicators when implementing and re-formulating strategy.

Originality/value

This study clarifies the links between strategy and performance measurement, and it is the first to identify the mediating effect of comprehensive PMS between strategy and company performance.
Driving green supply chain management performance through supplier selection and value internalisation
Authors: Roehrich Jens K. , Hoejmose Stefan U. , Overland Victoria
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply self-determination theory (SDT) to green supply chain management (GSCM) and explore how green supplier selection (GSS) drives GSCM performance and how realisation of improved GSCM performance is contingent upon SDT mechanisms of autonomy, competence and relatedness.

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws on 18 semi-structured interviews and secondary data from a Germany-based first-tier aircraft interior manufacturer and its six key suppliers. The focal company was selected because it is recognised as having achieved high GSCM standards in the aerospace industry.

Findings

The study draws out the importance of GSS, distinguishing between new and legacy suppliers, and offers significant insights into how suppliers’ motivation and downstream GSCM criteria can be internalised in second-tier suppliers to drive GSCM performance.

Practical implications

GSS should be considered not only for new suppliers but also at an ongoing basis for legacy suppliers. Focal companies must realise the importance of motivating supply chain partners to realise GSCM practices and need to first build-up autonomy before focussing on competence and relatedness sub-dimensions.

Originality/value

The authors make a significant contribution to the GSCM literature by conducting a study of first-tier-second-tier relationships, thus moving beyond the buyer-supplier relationships investigated in extant studies. The results theoretically and empirically draw out key factors in GSS and supplier motivation in engaging with GSCM practices, thus driving GSCM performance.
Family planning services for incarcerated women: models for filling an unmet need
Authors: Sufrin Carolyn , Baird Sara , Clarke Jennifer , Feldman Elizabeth
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Incarcerated women around the globe are predominantly of reproductive age. Most of these women have been pregnant before, and many want to be sexually active and avoid pregnancy upon release. Yet few of these women are on a regular method of contraception. Providing contraceptive services for women in custody benefits individual and public health goals of reducing unintended pregnancy. This policy briefing reviews evidence for an unmet need for family planning in the correctional setting, and policy implications for expanding services. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors describe four model programs in the USA with established contraceptive services on site, highlighting practical steps other facilities can implement.

Findings

Correctional facilities health administrators, providers, advocates, and legislators should advance policies which should counsel women on family planning and should make a range of contraceptive methods available before release, while remaining sensitive to the potential pressure these women may feel to use birth control in this unique environment.

Practical implications

Family planning services for incarcerated women benefits individuals, facilities, and the community.

Social implications

Policies which enable correctional facilities to provide comprehensive family planning to incarcerated women – including reproductive life goals counseling and contraceptive method provision – promote equity in access to critical reproductive health services and also provide broad scale population level benefits in preventing unintended pregnancy or enabling counseling for healthy pregnancies for a group of women who often have limited access to such services.

Originality/value

This policy briefing highlights an area of health care in prisons and jails which gets little attention in research and in policy circles: family planning services for incarcerated women. In addition to reviewing the importance of such services for this population, the authors also highlight model family planning programs in correctional facilities. These provide actionable insights for other administrators and providers.
Addressing excess risk of overdose among recently incarcerated people in the USA: harm reduction interventions in correctional settings
Authors: Brinkley-Rubinstein Lauren , Cloud David H. , Davis Chelsea , Zaller Nickolas , Delany-Brumsey Ayesha , Pope Leah , Martino Sarah , Bouvier Benjamin , Rich Josiah
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss overdose among those with criminal justice experience and recommend harm reduction strategies to lessen overdose risk among this vulnerable population.

Design/methodology/approach

Strategies are needed to reduce overdose deaths among those with recent incarceration. Jails and prisons are at the epicenter of the opioid epidemic but are a largely untapped setting for implementing overdose education, risk assessment, medication assisted treatment, and naloxone distribution programs. Federal, state, and local plans commonly lack corrections as an ingredient in combating overdose. Harm reduction strategies are vital for reducing the risk of overdose in the post-release community.

Findings

Therefore, the authors recommend that the following be implemented in correctional settings: expansion of overdose education and naloxone programs; establishment of comprehensive medication assisted treatment programs as standard of care; development of corrections-specific overdose risk assessment tools; and increased collaboration between corrections entities and community-based organizations.

Originality/value

In this policy brief the authors provide recommendations for implementing harm reduction approaches in criminal justice settings. Adoption of these strategies could reduce the number of overdoses among those with recent criminal justice involvement.
Achieving successful implementation of value-based property tax reforms in emerging European economies
Authors: Grover Richard , Törhönen Mika-Petteri , Munro-Faure Paul , Anand Aanchal
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to report the findings of a study of nine countries in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) that have either recently introduced or are working towards the introduction of value-based recurrent property taxes. Although many countries have recurrent property taxes, often, they are not value-based and raise relatively little revenue. This paper examines the barriers to the introduction of value-based property taxes and discusses how they can be overcome.

Design/methodology/approach

Case studies of recurrent property taxation were undertaken for eight countries from the World Bank’s ECA region. The sample included countries at different stages in the development of value-based property tax systems. A ninth country, The Netherlands, which has a well-developed mass valuation system, was included for comparison.

Findings

Barriers to the introduction of value-based recurrent property taxes are technical and political or governance ones. The technical barriers include the comprehensiveness of property registration, the quality of transaction price data, the extent to which the valuation infrastructure meets internationally recognised standards and the quality of tax collection systems. The principal political and governance problems are the unpopularity of property taxes, the need to convince the public that they are fair and the lack of champions of property taxation in government.

Research limitations/implications

The case studies are drawn from the ECA region, but the issues raised apply in many other parts of the world. A case study approach produces rich data for each example that enables key issues to be explored in depth.

Practical implications

The study has identified issues and ways of approaching them that are relevant to countries seeking to introduce value-based recurrent property taxes so that they can learn from the experience of others.

Originality/value

The approach has enabled a systematic comparison between countries so that common experiences and issues are identified.
Threatened identities: adjustment narratives of expatriate spouses
Authors: Collins Heidi Ellise , Bertone Santina
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore changes in the identity constructions of expatriate accompanying spouses, as experienced throughout their first year of adjustment to living in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

Using interview data collected longitudinally throughout ten participants’ first year of living in Malaysia, changes observed in participants’ adjustment narratives over time form the basis of an analysis of successful and unsuccessful cases of identity adjustment.

Findings

An international relocation presents varying degrees of threat or challenge to expatriate spouses’ central identities. The degree of threat posed will predict the amount of redefinition of social, role, and personal identities required for successful adjustment across social, cultural, and personal domains. Men experienced threats to their career/worker identity, whereas women faced multiple threats to identities such as mother, wife/partner, child, and also their career/worker identity.

Research limitations/implications

Results of this small-n research may not be generalisable, but do offer new interpretations of adjustment processes, including potential gender differences. The usefulness of longitudinal narrative inquiry for exploring experience of change is highlighted.

Practical implications

Conversations about identity constructions should be held with expatriate spouses in order to support relocation decision making, and to customise support programmes. Governments wanting to attract and retain foreign talent should consider policies that address employment options for spouses, which will allow for the continuation of central career identities.

Originality/value

Longitudinal case study analysis results in new interpretations of the adjustment experiences of expatriate spouses over time.
SEC fines non-US entities for unregistered cross-border brokerage and advisory activities
Authors: Burns James , Saunders Kimberly Beattie
Published: March 2017

Purpose

To explain a settlement involving a foreign financial institution, its non-US subsidiaries, and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) that reveals an SEC focus on policing the activities of foreign firms that reach into the United States and helps further define the scope of activities that require registration under the federal securities laws.

Design/methodology/approach

Provides insight into a recent area of focus for SEC regulators and introduces the potential regulatory implications for non-US firms with activities that reach into the United States.

Findings

Given the SEC’s current enforcement focus, it is critical that financial institutions take care to conduct their activities with an understanding of the regulatory requirements associated with the provision of brokerage and advisory services to US clients and customers – including, for many firms, registration as an investment adviser, broker-dealer, or both.

Originality/value

Practical regulatory guidance regarding SEC registration requirements that may reach non-US firms from experienced financial services lawyers specializing in asset management.
Three financial regulators issue reports on product and service innovations
Authors: Brody Melanie , Lev Ori , Taft Jeffrey P. , Wilkes Guy , Bisanz Matthew , Shinohara Tori , Tsai Joy
Published: March 2017

Purpose

To summarize developments by the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”), and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) in their respective efforts to facilitate responsible financial innovation, and to predict what the financial services industry may expect in coming months.

Design/methodology/approach

This article summarizes financial marketplace developments of particular interest to the CFPB based on the CFPB’s report on its initiative to support responsible financial innovation and CFPB Director Richard Cordray’s speech at the Money 20/20 conference. The article also discusses the OCC’s release of a framework for its “Innovation Initiative”, providing insight to how the agency intends to engage with the fintech industry. Finally, this article explains how the FCA has identified the first cohort of firms to participate in its regulatory sandbox to test new financial products and services as part of the FCA’s wider “Project Innovate” initiative.

Findings

Financial technology innovators should closely monitor the agencies’ recent regulatory and policy developments to facilitate responsible financial innovation to be aware of new opportunities and regulatory consequences.

Originality/value

This article provides practical advice for fintech companies and other financial innovators on regulatory and policy updates from experienced financial services lawyers.