bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How high-tech entrepreneurs bricole the evolution of business process management for their activities
Authors: LeLoarne Severine , Maalaoui Adnane
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on how entrepreneurs anticipate and change their company’s business process management after developing a radical innovation. The paper is based on a critical approach to business process modelling (BPM) that posits that – in spite of all the claims, guides and tools that companies employ to help them modelise their processes – business processes are developed and improved (or at least changed) by individuals who negotiate, anticipate and compromise to make these changes occur. Thus, BPM is more a matter of “bricolage” (Levi-Strauss) than an established and defined plan. Based on this position, the paper analyses how a business process model emerges in the early phases of a high-tech new venture when the entrepreneur lacks a valid template to form a conceptual representation of the firm’s business processes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors adopt a perspective based on the concept of bricolage. By analysing and comparing the discourse of 40 entrepreneurs – involved in an activity based on a radical innovation and 20 involved in an activity based on a more incremental concept – the authors are able to answer the two research questions.

Findings

– Entrepreneurs who develop a new activity based on any radical or incremental innovation generally base the BPM of their company and the evolution of this process on existing models. However, BPM generally differs based on the nature of the innovation. Thus, entrepreneurs who develop a new activity based on a radical innovation do not design a single BPM for their company but a portfolio of BPMs. The process by which such entrepreneurs develop such a portfolio is mainly conducted in a step-by-step and iterative approach that utilises “whatever is at hand” (Levi-Strauss, 1966).

Originality/value

– First, this study extends existing methods for and approaches to considering BPM. Second, this research partly answers the call for integration among different theoretical backgrounds and approaches that consider BPM.
How does management perceive export success? An empirical study of Moroccan SMEs
Authors: El Makrini Hind
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the managerial determinants of the export success of Moroccan small and medium enterprises (SMEs) based on resource-based view (RBV) of a firm.

Design/methodology/approach

– The quantitative design was employed involving a questionnaire completed by 100 managers of Moroccan SMEs. Multiple regression analyses were carried out to confirm or reject eight hypotheses.

Findings

– It was found that management export commitment and management customer orientation are the main managerial factors in the export success of Moroccan SMEs.

Research limitations/implications

– The study was limited to one context, and it followed a cross-sectional approach. Export success was measured by only subjective method with Likert scale. The study suggests that further investigations can be made to incorporate other factors affecting export success.

Practical implications

– The results offer insights into the practices of Moroccan exporting SMEs and recommendations for policy makers as well as an indication for further research. The research can also be used in teaching.

Originality/value

– First, the tested model is one of few that consider developing country contexts. Second, this research can serve as a guide for future researchers who intend to study export success in other developing countries, particularly in Maghreb regions where there is a gross dearth of research. Therefore, the study is of significant value to practitioners and scholars alike.
An activity-based costing approach for detecting inefficiencies of healthcare processes
Authors: Cannavacciuolo Lorella , Illario Maddalena , Ippolito Adelaide , Ponsiglione Cristina
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to set out a methodological framework to investigate how the integration of an activity-based costing (ABC) logic into the pre-existent accounting system supports healthcare organizations in identifying the inefficiencies related to their diagnostic therapeutic pathways (DTP) and related reengineering interventions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The BPM-ABC methodological framework has been applied to the case of a specific surgery pathway, at the Orthopaedic Division of a University Hospital in Italy.

Findings

– The case-study described in the paper points out: first, how the Business Process Management (BPM)-ABC methodology is able to produce significant information about consumed resources and the costs of the activities, useful to highlight opportunities for DTPs improvement; second, the barriers related to a pre-existing accounting system based on cost centres that can hinder the implementation of the BPM-ABC model.

Practical implications

– The case study points out the role of the ABC as a management tool for supporting decision-making processes. The ABC allows inferring information for two purposes. First, ABC supports a cost containment process as it allows highlighting the most cost-consuming activities and resources. Second, the ABC allows identifying reengineering paths, distinguishing between incremental and radical ones.

Originality/value

– This study represents a remarkable reference raising the awareness of the pivotal role accounting systems play in the management of the organizational processes.
Paradoxes of psychic distance and market entry by software INVs
Authors: Sinha Paresha , Wang Mingyang (Ana) , Scott-Kennel Joanna , Gibb Jenny
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the role of psychic distance during the process of international market entry by software international new ventures (INVs) from small, open economies. Specifically, we investigate how home market and global industry contexts influence market-entry strategies, and how psychic distance influences initial then subsequent market-entry choice decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using Atlas.ti7 software, this paper adopts a qualitative, multi-case analysis of ten software INVs based in New Zealand. Thematic coding of interview and secondary data revealed three core processes: pre-entry considerations, market selection criteria and post-entry evaluation, across the stages of initial and subsequent market entry.

Findings

– In the context of the global software industry, the key driver of proactive market entry by INVs from small, open economies is market size rather than psychic distance. During the process of market expansion, firms encounter the psychic distance paradox (PDP). A second paradox arises when, despite experiential learning, managerial perceptions of psychic distance increase, making entry into more distant markets less, rather than more, likely and reactive, rather than proactive.

Originality/value

– This paper addresses contextual differences in software versus more traditional sectors, and the influence of psychic distance on market entry rather than outcomes. Specifically, extending our understanding of the PDP, we find perceptual psychic and cultural distance ignored as criteria for initial market-entry decisions, and initial positive attitudes toward risk-taking become less apparent during subsequent entries.
Involving parents in secondary schools: principals’ perspectives in Greece
Authors: Lazaridou Angeliki , Gravani Kassida Aspasia
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report findings from an investigation of Greek principals’ attitudes and perceptions concerning parental involvement in schools – research prompted by the belief that the information will be useful in attempts to make Greek schools more effective.

Design/methodology/approach

– The participants of the study were secondary school principals and vice principals from one Prefecture in Central Greece. The questionnaire used elicited information about the participants’ demographics, the main features of the schools they were serving in, and their views concerning existing and preferred school-family partnerships.

Findings

– The principals in the investigation seemed to be not only in favor of parental participation, but also saw a need to increase it. In general, then, the findings support others’ reports that parents’ participation in schools – in this instance secondary schools – tends to be less than satisfactory.

Originality/value

– In Greece, the issue of parental involvement in schools has not received adequate attention until recently. The latest school reforms emphasize the notion of parental involvement as a significant factor for the effectiveness of the Greek schools.
Competitive advantage, what does it really mean in the context of public higher education institutions?
Authors: de Haan Haijing Helen
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to critically investigate the discourse on “competitive advantage”, a concept that has been widely applied in the public higher education sector, but rarely defined and conceptualised.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to get some insightful understanding about how “competitive advantage” is actually manifested in the life and activities of public higher education institutions (PHEIs), it is necessary to obtain data about the perceptions held by education practitioners in different sub-sectors and at various job function levels. In total, 73 interviews at 16 Dutch PHEIs were conducted in the period of 2009-2011.

Findings

– By studying the diversified meanings, 13 elements were identified in constructing the competitive advantages sought by PHEIs, and, more importantly the significance of each element is rated and ranked. Furthermore, this research discovered that the research universities and universities of applied sciences perceive this concept differently; also, the practitioners holding different job functions gave divergent meanings to this term. The clarification of this container concept “competitive advantage” leads to the conclusion that the business way of defining “competitive advantage” should be critically reviewed and verified in the context of the public higher education sector.

Research limitations/implications

– This study used just two parameters for the selection of individual respondents: their job function and the length of their working experience. Further studies that adopt different selection parameters are, therefore, encouraged as offering the potential to further enrich our knowledge about how competitive advantage is perceived and put into practice. It is hoped that the findings from this research offer some guidance in developing a framework for such further studies.

Practical implications

– The sectorial differences revealed by this study can help research universities and universities of applied sciences design their competitive strategies more suitable with their specific characteristics. The job function level differences shown by the research findings can help institutions to identify and close the gaps between the central level and faculty level in their strategic planning and implementation.

Originality/value

– The clarification of the container concept “competitive advantage” is unique in the current educational management literature, particularly in both qualitative and quantitative ways. The comparisons between two institutional types and two job function levels may help PHEIs to effectively design competitive strategies according to their specific institutional characteristics and by understanding the gaps between the central and faculty level.
The student-customer orientation questionnaire (SCOQ)
Authors: Koris Riina , Nokelainen Petri
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study Bayesian dependency modelling (BDM) to validate the model of educational experiences and the student-customer orientation questionnaire (SCOQ), and to identify the categories of educatonal experience in which students expect a higher educational institutions (HEI) to be student-customer oriented.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper employs a cross-sectional quantitative survey study, mixed methods research, exploratory factor analysis and BDM.

Findings

– The validated model of educational experiences and the SCOQ; results indicate that students expect to be treated as customers in some, but not all categories of educational experience.

Research limitations/implications

– The authors contribute to existing literature on two fronts: the validated model of educational experiences and the categories of educational experience in which students expect to be treated as customers.

Practical implications

– The validated SCOQ presented in the paper may be used by other HEIs to assess the degree to which students expect a particular HEI to be customer oriented. Also, HEIs should assess students’ expectations concerning student-customer orientation before employing such an approach.

Originality/value

– The paper presents a validated model of educational experiences and a SCOQ. Additionally, the study does not investigate whether students expect a HEI as such to be student-customer oriented (as most studies have done so far); instead, the aim is to find out whether, in which categories of educational experience and to what extent students expect a HEI to be student-customer oriented. Thus, the study explores the phenomenon of student-customer orientation at a deeper level, i.e. separately at the level of educational experiences.
Open innovation and knowledge networking in a multinational corporation
Authors: Schneckenberg Dirk
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to inquire how large multinational firms can develop and implement knowledge-sharing measures that move their corporate strategy towards the open innovation paradigm, since open innovation becomes increasingly important as source for competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

– We review the literature on open innovation and combine it with a single case study of one multinational firm that is gradually implementing its open innovation strategy. We pay special attention to the development and usage of a collaborative IS infrastructure that is deployed to create a culture of openness and to support knowledge networking amongst the workforce.

Findings

– The in-depth case study demonstrates that managers have to balance a complex interplay of human and IT components to make open innovation happen. Measures taken to foster openness and knowledge exchange inside the firm include developing managerial innovation capabilities, creating communities and networks around strategic topics and leveraging the adoption of the collaborative IS infrastructure through piloting use of cases in innovation projects.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings of this case study remain limited to the characteristics of large firms in multinational markets.

Practical implications

– This article offers valuable insights for corporate strategists, IT specialists and change managers who want to open up corporate innovation. We present a range of institutional measures that help to overcome silo mentalities and knowledge-sharing barriers and establish an open innovation culture within large firms operating in multinational markets.

Originality/value

– Complementing previous research, this article highlights how large firms can use a combination of strategic, cultural and technological measures to bring open innovation from strategic vision to organisation-wide reality. We identify in addition factors which either inhibit or foster the implementation of knowledge sharing and open innovation practices inside large firms.
The supplier perspective: forging strong partnerships with buyers
Authors: Roloff Julia , Aßländer Michael S. , Zamantili Nayir Dilek
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify three commonly observed mistakes made when managing suppliers and describe factors that contribute to successful buyer–supplier partnerships.

Design/methodology/approach

– Five extensive case studies in the automotive and clothing industry, as well as cases discussed in the literature, are analysed.

Findings

– Barriers to successful partnerships are a too strong emphasis on cost cutting and a too controlling management approach on the part of the buyer, and the abuse of insider knowledge for faking performances on the side of the supplier. Open communication, willingness to engage in mutual learning and encouraging innovations are observed in successful partnerships.

Research limitations/implications

– A limited number of case studies in the German automotive industry and the Turkish clothing industry are used. Both industries are subject to significant change which means that generalisations should be made with caution. Therefore, we discuss only problems and solutions that have also been identified in studies conducted in other industries and/or countries.

Practical implications

– Managers learn how to best manage partnerships with suppliers and what mistakes to avoid.

Social implications

– Partnerships aiming at improving working conditions are discussed. Findings and recommendations help managers improve their corporate social performance in the supply chain.

Originality/value

– Partnerships are approached from the perspective of the supplier to identify commonly made mistakes and successful practices of buyers.
Measuring intellectual capital in a firm belonging to a strategic alliance
Authors: Veltri Stefania , Venturelli Andrea , Mastroleo Giovanni
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a method to measure intellectual capital (IC) in firms involved in strategic alliances, an area that has received scant attention in the literature, as existing research is focused mainly on organizational level mainly and increasingly on macro-level unit such as regions or nations. There are very few works at the meso-level (i.e. alliances, clusters), and the paper aims to fill this void, by providing researchers and practitioners with a tool capable of combining measurement and management aims, developed at organizational level with the active participation of the researchers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The method of analysis is based on a model formalized through a fuzzy expert system (FES). The FES are able to merge the capabilities of an expert system to simulate the decision-making process with the vagueness typical of human reasoning, maintaining the ability to still have a numeric value as a response. Its construction requires the participation of experts, whose knowledge of the problem is accumulated in the form of blocks of rules. These features make it possible to formalize the decision-making process related to the IC valuation, handling qualitative and quantitative variables, and exploring the cognitive mechanisms underlying this process.

Findings

– The outcome of the application is a system designed to measure the intangible performance deriving from participation in a strategic alliance using FES. This study contributes to the broadening of the research community’s understanding regarding the alternative measurement of IC created within strategic alliances.

Research limitations/implications

– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, IC literature lacks methods expressly designed to measure the incremental value of IC originating from collaboration among firms. From a measurement perspective, the results may be regarded as valuable proof that IC performance within strategic alliances can be measured quantitatively.

Practical implications

– On the management side, the possibility of retracing the determinants of different IC intermediate indicators composing the final IC index allows strategic alliances managers to use this information for decision-making purposes.

Originality/value

– To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first study applying FES to measure IC in a firm belonging to a strategic alliance. In the authors’ opinion, fuzzy logic methodology, recently applied in empirical work designed to evaluate IC, represents a reliable methodology because of the “fuzzy” nature of IC.
Using the Diversity Impact Navigator to move from interventions towards diversity management strategies
Authors: Wondrak Manfred , Segert Astrid
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study current problems of implementing Diversity Management (DM) in businesses and presents a concept for measuring and estimating a value for diversity interventions.

Design/methodology/approach

– An intellectual capital approach is used to identify a matrix of problems while implementing DM. To address the accounting problem for DM, advantages and disadvantages of the Diversity Scorecard are discussed and issues that require further conceptual development are identified.

Findings

– Understanding DM as a part of intellectual capital helps solve accounting problems. The tests of the concept of Diversity Impact Navigator show that measuring DM at this stage requires a simple design, that using key indicators forces diversity interventions and that the process of valuation increases the understanding of DM by all stakeholders and thus its economic legitimation.

Originality/value

– A newly developed concept helps solve the problem of measurement and valuation of DM. The paper presents the first test results.
Determinants of mutual fund flows
Authors: Kopsch Fredrik , Song Han-Suck , Wilhelmsson Mats
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the determinants of aggregate fund flows to both equity and hybrid mutual funds. The authors test three hypotheses that help explaining the relationship between mutual fund flows and stock market returns, namely; the feedback-trader hypothesis, the price-pressure hypothesis, and the information-response hypothesis.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study relies on Swedish quarterly data on mutual fund flows over the period 1998-2013. The methodology is twofold; through the structural models (AR(1)) the authors can say something regarding the relationship between mutual fund flows and financial macro variables. The analysis is further strengthened by utilizing a vector autoregressive model to test for Granger causality in order to determine the order of events.

Findings

– Similar to both Warther (1995) and Jank (2012), the authors only find support for the information-response hypothesis. Additionally, the authors find new financial variables that have predictive power in determining mutual fund flows, namely; market fear (VIX), exchange rate, households’ expectation regarding inflation as well as outflows from mutual bond funds.

Originality/value

– The study contributes to the body of literature in three ways. First, it complements recent findings on determinants of mutual fund flows but the authors also add to the knowledge by included new macro financial variables describing the real economy. Second, the authors include a few additional variables. Third, the vast majority of previous studies have used US data, the authors add to that a deeper understanding of determinants of mutual fund flows in smaller economies by using Swedish data.
Lender evaluations of start-up business prospects
Authors: Miettinen Marika , Niskanen Mervi
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate lender evaluations of start-up success in a sample of Finnish firms that are customers of a state-owned financial institution. The database allows the authors to examine how qualitative information, based on the personal history, firm-specific characteristics, subjective credit-analyst evaluations of business prospects, and market position impact firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data for this study was collected in 2003 and 2005 from the database of Finnvera, a state-owned financial institution. The authors employed logistic regression in the analyses, usingt-test analyses to describe the sample before developing the different models.

Findings

– The results suggest that the lenders’ evaluations of the business prospects at the start are suitable predictors of good performance. However, the determinants of the actual firm performance (att5) and business prospects (att0) are, to some extent, different. The results confirm previous findings indicating that humans display fallibility because they have a tendency to overestimate less relevant cues and, conversely, underestimate the more relevant ones.

Research limitations/implications

– The study data includes only the customers of a state-owned financial institution; therefore, the results cannot be generalized across other financiers. Another constraint relates to the pre-selection bias, since this data excludes information on loan applicants who were rejected, which was not recorded in the lender’s files.

Practical implications

– The findings of this study provide lenders (especially state-owned financiers), policy makers, and entrepreneurs with clearer guidance regarding the important aspects of a firm’s period of establishment. For lenders, this may provide a step toward improving the quality of judgments.

Originality/value

– This paper is one of the few that sheds light on lender evaluations using non-accounting variables in order to examine their ability to predict firm performance, not failure, and to compare it with lenders’ evaluation. Another original contribution is that the data consists of the customers of a state-owned financial institution.
Role of phenolic acids and enzymes of phenylpropanoid pathway in resistance of chayote fruit (Sechium edule) against infestation by melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae
Authors: Shivashankar S. , Sumathi M. , Krishnakumar N.K. , Rao V.K.
Published: January 2015

Melon fly is a serious pest of cucurbits all over the world causing huge losses to yield. However, the only exception is the chayote fruit (Sechium edule) that shows resistance to melon fly infestation. Studies on culture of melon fly indicated the absence of plant traits resisting oviposition on chayote fruit. However, the melon fly was unable to complete its life cycle successfully on chayote showing that factors inhibiting larval development in melon fly could be attributed to biochemical constituents. Studies were, therefore, carried out to compare the biochemical responses of chayote, a melon fly resistant species and bitter gourd, a susceptible species to melon fly infestation with regard to the levels of phenolic acids and activities of the enzymes of phenylpropanoid pathway (PPP) leading to synthesis of lignin. The resistant chayote exhibited significantly higher accumulation of lignin associated with higher activities of phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (PAL), tyrosine ammonia‐lyase (TAL), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and peroxidase (POD). On the contrary, the susceptible bitter gourd recorded lower activities of PAL, CAD and POD and a decreasing trend of TAL during infestation associated with a lower lignin content. The monomer composition of lignin in the resistant chayote showed twofold higher level of guaiacyl (G) and syringyl (S) units compared to susceptible bitter gourd and the G/S ratio during infestation increased in chayote while decreasing in bitter gourd. The levels of PPP intermediates, p‐coumaric acid was higher in chayote while p‐hydroxy benzoic acid, a chemo‐attractant, was higher in bitter gourd. Incorporation of p‐coumaric acid in the larval diet strongly inhibited larval growth even as p‐hydroxy benzoic acid promoted growth confirming the direct role of p‐coumaric acid in conferring resistance to chayote. The level of salicylic acid, a signal molecule involved in induction of defence response, was higher in chayote compared to bitter gourd. Chayote also exhibited higher level of activity of POD in the phloem exudates compared to bitter gourd. The higher concentration of sugars in exudates of chayote might act like signalling molecules causing activation of plant genes, especially of the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway and possibly produce an osmotic effect inducing resistance against the melon fly. Thus, the study revealed that the resistance in chayote to melon fly infestation is a complex, multi‐layered process in which the activities of PPP enzymes generating phenolic intermediates leading to lignin biosynthesis and the composition of exudates appear to play significant roles. Besides, the study also indicated that different forms of lignin might play a role in the resistance of chayote against melon fly infestation.
What Does Remediation and Probation Status Mean? A Survey of Emergency Medicine Residency Program Directors
Authors: Weizberg Moshe , Smith Jessica L. , Murano Tiffany , Silverberg Mark , Santen Sally A.
Published: January 2015

Objectives

Emergency medicine (EM) residency program directors (PDs) nationwide place residents on remediation and probation. However, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the EM PDs have not defined these terms, and individual institutions must set guidelines defining a change in resident status from good standing to remediation or probation. The primary objective of this study was to determine if EM PDs follow a common process to guide actions when residents are placed on remediation and probation.

Methods

An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to EM PDs via e‐mail using SurveyMonkey to determine the current practice followed after residents are placed on remediation or probation. The survey queried four designations: informal remediation, formal remediation, informal probation, and formal probation. These designations were compared for deficits in the domains of medical knowledge (MK) and non‐MK remediation. The survey asked what process for designation exists and what actions are triggered, specifically if documentation is placed in a resident's file, if the graduate medical education (GME) office is notified, if faculty are informed, or if resident privileges are limited. Descriptive data are reported.

Results

Eighty‐one of 160 PDs responded. An official policy on remediation and/or probation was reported by 41 (50.6%) programs. The status of informal remediation is used by 73 (90.1%), 80 (98.8%) have formal remediation, 40 (49.4%) have informal probation, and 79 (97.5%) have formal probation. There was great variation among PDs in the management and definition of remediation and probation. Between 81 and 86% of programs place an official letter into the resident's file regarding formal remediation and probation. However, only about 50% notify the GME office when a resident is placed on formal remediation. There were no statistical differences between MK and non‐MK remediation practices.

Conclusions

There is significant variation among EM programs regarding the process of remediation and probation. The definition of these terms and the actions triggered are variable across programs. Based on these findings, suggestions toward a standardized approach for remediation and probation in GME programs are provided.
Confucianism, Moral Equality, and Human Rights: A Mencian Perspective
Authors: Kim Sungmoon
Published: January 2015

This paper attempts to show the compatibility between Confucianism and human rights, first by revisiting the moral philosophy of Mencius, a key founder of the Confucian tradition, then by reconstructing the Mencian‐Confucian idea of human rights from the perspective of his moral philosophy. One of my central claims is that not only did Mencius acknowledge core human rights—socioeconomic as well as civil‐political—justified by his foundational faith in universal moral equality and human dignity, but he further understood the right to subsistence as an essential part of Confucian‐constitutional rights. Contrary to the widely received notion that in Mencian‐Confucianism the right to subsistence has an overriding value vis‐a‐vis civil‐political rights, I argue that Mencius (and Confucians in general for that matter) never stipulated such a lexical ranking among rights. I conclude by discussing how the type of Confucian moral reasoning that Mencius employs in justifying the moral value of human rights can be re‐appropriated to produce Confucian rights suitable for today.

… … … … … …
Photoallergie
Authors: Wilm Anna , Berneburg Mark
Published: January 2015

Substanzen, die entweder topisch oder systemisch appliziert wurden, können nach Exposition mit ultravioletter (UV‐)Strahlung zu photoallergischen Reaktionen an der Haut führen. In den meisten Fällen handelt es sich dabei um photoallergische Kontaktdermatitiden durch Stoffe, die topisch auf die Haut aufgebracht wurden. Deutlich seltener sind dagegen die systemisch ausgelösten Photoallergien. Zentrale diagnostische Methode zur Sicherung einer photoallergischen oder phototoxischen Reaktion ist der sogenannte Photopatchtest. Hierbei handelt es sich, vereinfacht gesagt, um die belichtete Variante des konventionellen Epikutantests.
Aspekte der Schmerztherapie bei der photodynamischen Therapie
Authors: Fink Christine , Enk Alexander , Gholam Patrick
Published: January 2015

Die topische photodynamische Therapie (PDT) ist eine hocheffektive und sichere Behandlungsmethode für aktinische Keratosen mit exzellentem kosmetischen Ergebnis, und wird üblicherweise für große Areale lichtgeschädigter Haut mit multiplen klinisch manifesten und subklinischen Läsionen verwendet. Der wesentliche Nachteil der Methode liegt in ihrer Schmerzhaftigkeit, die intensiv und bei einigen Patienten nicht tolerabel sein kann, so dass die Behandlung unterbrochen oder beendet werden muss. Verschiedene Strategien der Schmerztherapie während der PDT sind bislang untersucht worden, doch sind bisher nur wenige effektive Verfahren verfügbar. Daher befasst sich dieser Übersichtsartikel mit Prädiktoren der Schmerzintensität und verschiedenen Aspekten der Schmerztherapie während der PDT.
Safety and benefits of self‐expandable metallic stents with chemotherapy for malignant gastric outlet obstruction
Authors: Miyabe Katsuyuki , Hayashi Kazuki , Nakazawa Takahiro , Sano Hitoshi , Yamada Tomonori , Takada Hiroki , Naitoh Itaru , Shimizu Shuya , Kondo Hiromu , Nishi Yuji , Yoshida Michihiro , Umemura Shuichiro , Hori Yasuki , Kato Akihisa , Ohara Hirotaka , Joh Takashi
Published: January 2015

Background and Aim

The influence of chemotherapy on placement of self‐expandable metallic stents

(SEMS) for malignant gastric outlet obstruction (MGOO) has not been evaluated extensively. We investigated the influence of chemotherapy on the clinical outcomes of SEMS placement for MGOO.

Methods

A total of 152 cancer patients with MGOO from a university hospital and affiliate hospitals were included. The patients were classified according to chemotherapy status and evaluated for palliative efficacy and safety of SEMS placement.

Results

Technical success rate, time to oral intake, and parameters indicating improvement of physical condition did not differ between the with‐ and without‐chemotherapy groups after stent placement. Re‐intervention and stent migration were significantly more frequent in the with‐chemotherapy group than in the without‐chemotherapy group after stent placement (re‐intervention, 32.4% vs 7.8%, P = 0.0005; stent migration, 13.5% vs 1.7%, P = 0.0097). The frequency of adverse events did not differ between the with‐ and without‐chemotherapy groups. Although chemotherapy after stent placement was an independent predictive factor for shortening the stent patency period (hazard ratio [HR], 3.10; P = 0.0264), the use of additional stents facilitated uneventful recovery and further prolonged survival time (HR, 0.60; P = 0.0132).

Conclusions

Various cancer patients with MGOO can undergo SEMS placement safely regardless of chemotherapy, and concurrent chemotherapy after stent placement can prolong survival time, although re‐intervention and stent migration may be increased.
Transparent reporting of a multivariable prediction model for individual prognosis or diagnosis (TRIPOD): the TRIPOD Statement
Authors: Collins Gary S. , Reitsma Johannes B. , Altman Douglas G. , Moons Karel G.M.
Published: January 2015

Background

Prediction models are developed to aid healthcare providers in estimating the probability or risk that a specific disease or condition is present (diagnostic models) or that a specific event will occur in the future (prognostic models), to inform their decision‐making. However, the overwhelming evidence shows that the quality of reporting of prediction model studies is poor. Only with full and clear reporting of information on all aspects of a prediction model can risk of bias and potential usefulness of prediction models be adequately assessed.

Materials and methods

The Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis (TRIPOD) initiative developed a set of recommendations for the reporting of studies developing, validating or updating a prediction model, whether for diagnostic or prognostic purposes. This article describes how the TRIPOD Statement was developed. An extensive list of items based on a review of the literature was created, which was reduced after a Web‐based survey and revised during a 3‐day meeting in June 2011 with methodologists, healthcare professionals and journal editors. The list was refined during several meetings of the steering group and in e‐mail discussions with the wider group of TRIPOD contributors.

Results

The resulting TRIPOD Statement is a checklist of 22 items, deemed essential for transparent reporting of a prediction model study. The TRIPOD Statement aims to improve the transparency of the reporting of a prediction model study regardless of the study methods used. The TRIPOD Statement is best used in conjunction with the TRIPOD explanation and elaboration document.

Conclusions

To aid the editorial process and readers of prediction model studies, it is recommended that authors include a completed checklist in their submission (also available at www.tripod-statement.org).
Prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis in haemophilia – how to balance risk of bleeding with risk of ischaemic events
Authors: de Raucourt Emmanuelle , Roussel‐Robert Valérie , Zetterberg Eva
Published: January 2015

Life expectancy for patients with haemophilia (PWH) has significantly increased in the last decades, due to improvement of clotting factor replacement therapy. However, despite a lower cardiovascular mortality rate and contrasting prevalence for non‐fatal ischaemic heart disease (IHD), cardiovascular diseases are increasing in PWH. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in PWH is as prevalent as in the general population, whereas an increased risk of hypertension has been observed in some studies. Furthermore, PWH are not protected against atherosclerosis. Coronary artery disease treatment is extremely challenging in PWH. Two ‘institutional’ guidelines for the management of IHD in PWH have been published. Since these recommendations, the use of new drugs such as prasugrel, ticagrelor, bivalirudin, new oral anticoagulants and new drug‐eluting stents have been recommended in the general population but should be evaluated in PWH. Some questions arise: which trough level during long‐term single or dual antiplatelet treatment (DAT) is really needed? The clinical role of platelet testing remains ill defined but may be considered in selected patients. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary for the management of IHD in PWH in order to treat the patient as any patient according to the cardiological guidelines during the acute phase, and long‐term management should be discussed.
Repeat Testing Effects on Credentialing Exams: Are Repeaters Misinformed or Uninformed?
Authors: Feinberg Richard A. , Raymond Mark R. , Haist Steven A.
Published: January 2015

To mitigate security concerns and unfair score gains, credentialing programs routinely administer new test material to examinees retesting after an initial failing attempt. Counterintuitively, a small but growing body of recent research suggests that repeating the identical form does not create an unfair advantage. This study builds upon and extends this research by investigating changes in responses to specific items encountered on both the first and repeat attempts. Results indicate that scores gains for repeat examinees who were assigned an identical form were not different from repeat examinees who received a different, but parallel, form. Analyses of responses to individual items answered incorrectly on the initial attempt found that examinees 68% of the time selected the same incorrect option on their second attempt, suggesting repeaters are misinformed rather than uninformed. Implications for feedback, remediation, and retesting policies are discussed.
The Issue of Range Restriction in Bookmark Standard Setting
Authors: Wyse Adam E.
Published: January 2015

This article uses data from a large‐scale assessment program to illustrate the potential issue of range restriction with the Bookmark method in the context of trying to set cut scores to closely align with a set of college and career readiness benchmarks. Analyses indicated that range restriction issues existed across different response probability (RP) values and item response theory (IRT) models if one were to apply the Bookmark procedure using intact test forms. Results also suggested that range restriction may still be present if one had access to additional data from an item bank. This demonstration critically highlights challenges that may exist in some practical applications of the Bookmark method due items not being designed to cover the full range of examinee abilities.
Olopatadine, a non‐sedating H1 antihistamine, decreases the nocturnal scratching without affecting sleep quality in atopic dermatitis
Authors: Yamanaka Keiichi , Motomura Eishi , Noro Yuichi , Umeda Koji , Morikawa Takuya , Umeda‐Togami Kumi , Omoto Youichi , Isoda Kenichi , Kondo Makoto , Tsuda Kenshiro , Okuda Masahiro , Gabazza Esteban C. , Mizutani Hitoshi
Published: January 2015

We have demonstrated for the first time that a second‐generation antihistamine ameliorates nocturnal scratching behavior in atopic dermatitis patients using a modified wristwatch‐type acoustic scratching counting system that we have recently developed. We also analyzed the sleep quality by simultaneous recording of electroencephalogram, and found that sleep quality was unaffected.
From Metrics to Knowledge? Quality Assessment in Higher Education
Authors: Pettersen Inger Johanne
Published: January 2015

The qualification frameworks in higher education organizations have initiated standardization across countries. These reform initiatives build on managerial logics from the business world, which create dilemmas as academic institutions have been governed by professional academic logics. Institutions have thus moved from homogeneity towards heterogeneity and multiple institutional logics. How has the concept of students’ learning outcomes been turned into practice? The study is based on the construction of the Norwegian Quality Assessment System and the Swedish development of the External Program Quality Model. These systems are not addressing the students’ learning outcomes, but focus on input and processes. Further, discursive processes enhance multiple logics in the institutions.
Performance Management in the Public Sector: The Ultimate Challenge
Authors: Arnaboldi Michela , Lapsley Irvine , Steccolini Ileana
Published: January 2015

Performance Management is the challenge confronting public service managers. However, the enduring research focus on performance measurement in public services, without resolution, does not offer neat solutions to performance management in public services. This drawback of measurement difficulties has not abated interest in performance management. But there are significant adverse outcomes associated with the clumsy use of performance management systems in public services, particularly negative effects on staff morale. The lack of ready‐made answers to performance management makes this task complex and demanding for public service managers. This paper identifies critical dimensions of effectiveness in performance management systems.
Liquidity Benefits from IPO Underpricing: Ownership Dispersion or Information Effect
Authors: Bouzouita Nesrine , Gajewski Jean‐François , Gresse Carole
Published: January 2015

The positive correlation between initial underpricing and liquidity in the secondary market several months after an initial public offering (IPO) has previously been attributed to ownership dispersion induced by underpricing. We find that public information production is another channel by which underpricing improves liquidity. Using a sample of IPOs from Euronext, we find that analyst coverage engendered by initial underpricing reduces information asymmetry costs and illiquidity in the secondary market. The impact of information asymmetry is statistically more significant on measures based on adverse selection costs than on those based on the proportion of informed traders in the market.
Phylogenetic endemism in terrestrial mammals
Authors: Rosauer Dan F. , Jetz Walter
Published: January 2015

Aim

Phylogenetic endemism (PE) identifies geographic concentrations of evolutionarily isolated and spatially restricted biota. Locations with high PE hold elements of biodiversity with little representation elsewhere and whose loss would impact disproportionately on phylogenetic diversity. We aim to determine the global distribution of PE for the world's mammals and to test hypotheses regarding the role of past and present environment and isolation in creating current patterns of evolutionary and spatial isolation.

Location

Global land.

Methods

IUCN range polygons were combined with a mammal supertree to estimate PE and related measures at three resolutions. We tested the relationship between PE and predictors representing current and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) environment and isolation in a model selection framework, for all terrestrial mammals and separately for bats.

Results

We identified 12 centres of mammal PE, with implications for conservation decisions. Endemism of mammal evolutionary diversity peaks predominantly in tropical and Southern Hemisphere island and montane regions. PE was most strongly associated with energy availability, isolation, elevation and low variability of current climate. Post LGM climate stability was a surprisingly weak predictor of PE compared with LGM climate itself. When controlling for current species ranges, PE is more strongly explained by past climate and past isolation.

Main conclusions

While present conditions better explain species endemism, past climate and isolation are central to explaining PE. Isolation at the LGM was a significantly stronger predictor of PE than current isolation, confirming the key role of persistent barriers, even narrow ones such as Wallace's Line. This global evaluation of PE offers an innovative and effective way to capture and test the evolutionary underpinning of whole‐clade biogeography. With improving spatial and phylogenetic information, integrative measures such as PE offer a substantial contribution toward comprehending and conserving evolutionary diversity.
Enhanced Sunlight Excited 1‐μm Emission in Cr3+–Yb3+ Codoped Transparent Glass‐Ceramics Containing Y3Al5O12 Nanocrystals
Authors: Fang Zaijin , Li Yang , Zhang Fangteng , Ma Zhijun , Dong Guoping , Qiu Jianrong
Published: January 2015

Cr3+–Yb3+ codoped transparent glass‐ceramics containing Y3Al5O12 nanocrystals were prepared by heat treatment of as‐prepared glass sample and characterized by X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The efficient energy transfer from Cr3+ to Yb3+ ions through multi‐phonon‐assisted process was confirmed by the luminescence spectrum and fluorescent lifetime measurements. When excited by the lights from a solar simulator in the wavelength region of 400–800 nm, greatly enhanced near‐infrared emission around 1 μm was achieved from Cr3+–Yb3+ codoped glass ceramic compared with that from as‐prepared glass and Ce3+–Yb3+ codoped glass ceramic. These results demonstrate that the Cr3+–Yb3+ codoped glass ceramic is a promising material for enhancement of the efficiency of solar energy utilization.