bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Prospective Evaluation of Complications after Use of Exposed Pins in the Hand and Wrist
Authors: Lutsky Kevin F. , Edelman David , Leinberry Charles , Takei T. Robert , Kwok Moody , Gallant Greg , Beredjiklian Pedro
Published: June 2019

Background:

Kirschner wires are commonly used during hand surgical procedures. These pins are often left exposed (protruding from the skin) for ease of removal. Complications such as loosening, migration, or infection are not uncommon (ranging from 7 to 18 percent in current retrospective studies) and can compromise surgical outcome. This study evaluated the frequency of Kirschner wire–related complications.

Methods:

All patients who had Kirschner wires placed as part of their surgical procedure in the hand or wrist by one of 12 attending hand surgeons over a 6-month period were enrolled prospectively. Complications were recorded by the attending surgeon at follow-up visits. Demographics and patient comorbidities including diabetes mellitus and smoking history were recorded.

Results:

There were 141 patients enrolled and 230 pins used, including 65 women and 76 men. The mean age was 40.7 years. Thirteen patients were smokers, and eight had a history of diabetes. There were 35 soft-tissue procedures and 106 fractures. There were 35 complications (25 percent). There was a 12 percent rate of infection (n = 17), including two cases of osteomyelitis. There were 18 other complications, nine of which were major complications (6.4 percent). Smoking, age, and location (hand/fingers versus wrist) were significantly associated with infection.

Conclusions:

In this study, one in four patients treated with Kirschner wires developed a minor or major complication, a rate that is substantially higher than reported in existing retrospective studies. Although Kirschner wires are often needed during hand surgery, surgeons should be aware that adverse events are frequent. Patients and surgeons should be vigilant in the perioperative period.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, IV.
The Modified Sliding Alar Cartilage Flap: A Novel Way to Preserve the Internal Nasal Valve as Illustrated by Three-Dimensional Modeling
Authors: Racy Emmanuel , Fanous Amanda , Pressat-Laffouilhere Thibaut , Benmoussa Nadia
Published: June 2019

Background:

Preservation of the scroll area is essential when performing rhinoplasty to achieve a good functional outcome. This is of particular concern with tip-plasty procedures. The objectives of this study were (1) to describe a novel tip-plasty procedure consisting of sliding the cephalic portion of the alar cartilage beneath its caudal portion to preserve the scroll area and (2) to present the authors’ prospective case series, which includes Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation and peak nasal inspiratory flow scores to objectively evaluate functional outcomes.

Methods:

The modified sliding alar cartilage surgical technique is described and illustrated by intraoperative photographs and videos and by three-dimensional modeling software. A prospective study of all patients undergoing tip-plasty with alar reduction by the sliding alar cartilage technique was performed from September of 2016 to December of 2017. Peak nasal inspiratory flow and Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scores were collected preoperatively and at 1 week and 6 months postoperatively.

Results:

Twenty-five patients were included in the study. Aesthetic outcomes were good, with no major complications. The average preoperative peak nasal inspiratory flow score was 114 liters/minute (95 percent CI, 108.1321 to 119.8679 liters/minute), whereas the average score at 6 months postoperatively was 115.82 liters/minute (95 percent CI, 106.6241 to 125.0159 liters/minute; p = 0.513). The average preoperative Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation score was 17.2 (95 percent CI, 15.99655 to 18.40345), whereas the average score at 6 months postoperatively was 15.2 (95 percent CI, 13.18131 to 17.21869; p = 0.08353), indicating no significant change.

Conclusion:

The sliding alar cartilage is a simple technique allowing tip definition while maintaining nasal airway function by preserving the crucial anatomical scroll area.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, IV.
Grief: A Brief History of Research on How Body, Mind, and Brain Adapt
Authors: O’Connor Mary-Frances
Published: June 2019

Objective

Using an integrative view of psychology, neuroscience, immunology, and psychophysiology, the present review of literature curates the findings that have had an impact on the field of bereavement research and shaped its development.

Methods

Beginning with pivotal systematic descriptions of medical and psychological responses to the death of a loved one by Lindemann in the mid-1940s, this selective review integrates findings in bereavement research from studies that investigate medical outcomes after loss, their psychological predictors, and biopsychosocial mechanisms.

Results

Morbidity and mortality after the death of a loved one have long been a topic of research. Early researchers characterized somatic and psychological symptoms and studied immune cell changes in bereaved samples. More recent research has repeatedly demonstrated increased rates of morbidity and mortality in bereaved samples, as compared with married controls, in large epidemiological studies. Recent developments also include the development of criteria for prolonged grief disorder (also termed complicated grief). Newer methods, including neuroimaging, have observed that the greatest impact of the death of a loved one is in those who have the most severe psychological grief reactions. Research addressing the mechanisms tying bereavement to medical outcomes is relatively scarce, but differences in rumination, in inflammation, and in cortisol dysregulation between those who adapt well and those who do not have been offered with some evidence.

Conclusions

Recommendations to propel the field forward include longitudinal studies to understand differences between acute reactions and later adaptation, comparing samples with grief disorders from those with more typical responses, and integrating responses in brain, mind, and body.
Quantitative Assessment of Muscular Stiffness in Children With Chronic Kidney Disease Using Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Ultrasound Elastography
Authors: Bekci Tumay , Bilgici Meltem Ceyhan , Tekcan Demet , Ulus Yasemin , Akyuz Behic
Published: June 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of quantitative analysis of muscle stiffness in the rectus femoris muscle (RFM) by acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) ultrasound elastography in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Twenty-three children with CKD and 22 healthy children participated in the study in our radiology department. The strength of each CKD group and healthy group participants' tight extensors was assessed by a physiatrist using a handheld dynamometer. Acoustic radiation force impulse was used to measure the shear wave velocities (SWVs) of the RFM. The mean SWV value of the RFM correlated with the strengths of the tight extensors in the CKD and healthy groups. The mean ± SD SWV values of the RFM in the CKD group for the right (n = 23) and left sides (n = 21) were 1.23 ± 0.25 and 1.26 ± 0.30 m/s, respectively. The mean ± SD SWV values of the RFM in the healthy group for the right (n = 23) and left sides (n = 21) were 1.62 ± 0.33 and 1.65 ± 0.35 m/s, respectively. The SWV of the RFM significantly decreased in the patients with CKD when compared with controls (P < 0.001). The SWV values were not correlated to the handheld dynamometry. The interobserver agreement expressed as the interclass correlation coefficient was 0.65 (95% confidence interval, 0.33–0.84; P < 0.001). The acoustic radiation force impulse demonstrates a difference in RFM muscle stiffness between the CKD and healthy groups. This method is a feasible imaging method for the noninvasive assessment of muscle weakness in children with CKD.
Metagenomic Next-generation Sequencing of Cerebrospinal Fluid for the Diagnosis of Central Nervous System Infections: A Multicentre Prospective Study
Authors: Fan Siyuan , Wang Xiaojuan , Hu Yafang , Shi Jingping , Zou Yueli , Zhao Weili , Qiao Xiaodong , Wang Chunjuan , Chin Jerome H. , Liu Lei , Qin Lingzhi , Wang Shengnan , Li Hongfang , Yue Wei , Zhang Weihe , Li Xiaohua , Ge Ying , Wu Honglong , Chen Weijun , Li Yongjun , Guan Tianjia , Li Shiying , Wu Yihan , Zhou Gaoya , Liu Zheng , Piao Yushun , Zhang Jianzhao , Ren Changhong , Cui Li , Liu Caiyun , Ren Haitao , Zhao Yanhuan , Feng Shuo , Jiang Haishan , Wang Jiawei , Bu Hui , Guo Shougang , Peng Bin , Cui Liying , Li Wei , Guan Hongzhi
Published: June 2019

Background

Infectious encephalitis and meningitis are often treated empirically without identification of the causative pathogen. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a high throughput technology that enables the detection of pathogens independent of prior clinical or laboratory information.

Methods

The present study was a multicentre prospective evaluation of mNGS of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for the diagnosis of suspected central nervous system infections.

Results

A total of 276 patients were enrolled in this study between Jan 1, 2017 and Jan 1, 2018. Identification of an etiologic pathogen in CSF by mNGS was achieved in 101 patients (36.6%). mNGS detected 11 bacterial species, 7 viral species, 2 fungal species, and 2 parasitic species. The five leading positive detections were varicella-zoster virus (17), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (14), herpes simplex virus 1 (12), Epstein-Barr virus (12), and Cryptococcus neoformans (7). False positives occurred in 12 (4.3%) patients with bacterial infections known to be widespread in hospital environments. False negatives occurred in 16 (5.8%) patients and included bacterial, viral and fungal aetiologies.

Conclusions

mNGS of CSF is a powerful diagnostic method to identify the pathogen for many central nervous system infections.
Hyperspectral environmental illumination maps: Characterizing directional spectral variation in natural environments
Authors: Morimoto Takuma , Kishigami Sho , Linhares João M.M. , Nascimento Sérgio M.C. , Smithson Hannah E.
Published: June 2019

Objects placed in real-world scenes receive incident light from every direction, and the spectral content of this light may vary from one direction to another. In computer graphics, environmental illumination is approximated using maps that specify illumination at a point as a function of incident angle. However, to-date, existing public databases of environmental illumination maps specify only three colour channels (RGB). We have captured a new set of 12 environmental illumination maps (eight outdoor scenes; four indoor scenes) using a hyperspectral imaging system with 33 spectral channels. The data reveal a striking directional variation of spectral distribution of lighting in natural environments. We discuss limitations of using daylight models to describe natural environmental illumination.
PHISDetector: a tool to detect diverse in silico phage-host interaction signals for virome studies
Authors: Zhang Fan , Zhou Fengxia , Gan Rui , Ren Chunyan , Jia Yuqiang , Yu Ling , Huang Zhiwei
Published: June 2019

Phage-microbe interactions not only are appealing systems to study coevolution but also have been increasingly emphasized due to their roles in human health, diseases, and novel therapeutic development. Meanwhile, their interactions leave diverse signals in bacterial and phage genomic sequences, defined as phage-host interaction signals (PHISs), such as sequence composition, CRISPR targeting, prophage, and protein-protein interaction signals. We infer that proper detection and integration of these diverse PHISs will allow us to predict phage-host interactions. Here, we developed PHISDetector, a novel tool to predict phage-host interactions by detecting and integrating diverse in silico PHISs and scoring the probability of phage-host interactions using machine-learning models based on PHIS features. PHISDetector is available as a one-stop web service version for general users to study individual inputs. A stand-alone software version is also provided to process massive phage contigs from virome studies. PHISDetector is freely available at http://www.microbiome-bigdata.com/PHISDetector/ and https://github.com/HIT-ImmunologyLab/PHISDector.
Leveraging Family History in Case-Control Analyses of Rare Variation
Authors: Solis-Lemus Claudia R. , Fischer S. Taylor , Todor Andrei , Liu Cuining , Leslie Elizabeth J. , Cutler David J. , Ghosh Debashis , Epstein Michael P.
Published: June 2019

Standard methods for case-control association studies of rare variation often treat disease outcome as a dichotomous phenotype. However, both theoretical and experimental studies have demonstrated that subjects with a family history of disease can be enriched for risk variation relative to subjects without such history. Assuming family history information is available, this observation motivates the idea of replacing the standard dichotomous outcome variable used in case-control studies with a more informative ordinal outcome variable that distinguishes controls (0), sporadic cases (1), and cases with a family history (2), with the expectation that we should observe increasing number of risk variants with increasing category of the ordinal variable. To leverage this expectation, we propose a novel rare-variant association test that incorporates family history information based on our previous GAMuT framework (Broadaway et al., 2016) for rare-variant association testing of multivariate phenotypes. We use simulated data to show that, when family history information is available, our new method outperforms standard rare-variant association methods like burden and SKAT tests that ignore family history. We further illustrate our method using a rare-variant study of cleft lip and palate.
Distinct extracellular-matrix remodeling events precede symptoms of inflammation
Authors: Shimshoni Elee , Adir Idan , Afik Ran , Solomonov Inna , Shenoy Anjana , Adler Miri , Puricelli Luca , Ghini Veronica , Mouhadeb Odelia , Gluck Nathan , Fishman Sigal , Werner Lael , Shouval Dror S. , Varol Chen , Podestà Alessandro , Turano Paola , Geiger Tamar , Milani Paolo , Luchinat Claudio , Alon Uri , Sagi Irit
Published: June 2019

Identification of early processes leading to complex tissue pathologies, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, poses a major scientific and clinical challenge that is imperative for improved diagnosis and treatment. Most studies of inflammation onset focus on cellular processes and signaling molecules, while overlooking the environment in which they take place, the continuously remodeled extracellular matrix. In this study, we used colitis models for investigating extracellular-matrix dynamics during disease onset, while treating the matrix as a complete and defined entity. Through the analysis of matrix structure, stiffness and composition, we unexpectedly revealed that even prior to the first clinical symptoms, the colon displays its own unique extracellular-matrix signature and found specific markers of clinical potential, which were also validated in human subjects. We also show that the emergence of this pre-symptomatic matrix is mediated by sub-clinical infiltration of neutrophils and monocytes bearing remodeling enzymes. Remarkably, whether the inflammation is chronic or acute, its matrix signature converges at pre-symptomatic states. We suggest that the existence of a pre-symptomatic extracellular-matrix is general and relevant to a wide range of diseases.
Genome analysis and Hi-C assisted assembly of Elaeagnus angustifolia L., a deciduous tree belonging to Elaeagnaceae
Authors: Mao Yunfei , Hu Qin , Zhang Manman , Yang Lu , Zhang Lulu , Wang Yunyun , Yin Yijun , Pang Huiling , Liu Yeping , Su Xiafei , Li Song , Cui XinXing , Ma Fengwang , Duan Naibin , Zhang Donglin , Hu Yanli , Mao Zhiquan , Chen Xuesen , Shen Xiang
Published: June 2019

Elaeagnus angustifolia L. is a deciduous tree of the Elaeagnaceae family. It is widely used in the study of abiotic stress tolerance in plants and for the improvement of desertification-affected land due to its characteristics of drought resistance, salt tolerance, cold resistance, wind resistance, and other environmental adaptation. Here, we report the complete genome sequencing using the Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) platform and Hi-C assisted assembly of E. angustifolia. A total of 44.27 Gb raw PacBio sequel reads were obtained after filtering out low-quality data, with an average length of 8.64 Kb. And 39.56 Gb clean reads was obtained, with a sequencing coverage of 75×, and Q30 ratio > 95.46%. The 510.71 Mb genomic sequence was mapped to the chromosome, accounting for 96.94% of the total length of the sequence, and the corresponding number of sequences was 269, accounting for 45.83% of the total number of sequences. The genome sequence study of E. angustifolia can be a valuable source for the comparative genome analysis of the Elaeagnaceae family members, and can help to understand the evolutionary response mechanisms of the Elaeagnaceae to drought, salt, cold and wind resistance, and thereby provide effective theoretical support for the improvement of desertification-affected land.
The Typhoid Toxin Produced by the Nontyphoidal Salmonella Serovar Javiana Can Utilize Multiple Binding Subunits, which Compete for Inclusion in the Holotoxin
Authors: Gaballa A , Harrand AS , Cohn AR , Wiedmann M , Cheng RA
Published: June 2019

Salmonella enterica encodes a wide array of virulence factors. One novel virulence factor, a DNA-damaging toxin known as the typhoid toxin (TT), was recently characterized in >40 nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars. Interestingly, these NTS serovars, including S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Javiana, also encode artB, a homolog of the binding subunit (PltB) of the TT. Here, we show that ArtB and PltB compete for inclusion in the pentameric binding subunit of the TT. Using a combination of in silico modeling, a bacterial two-hybrid system expressed in S. Javiana, and tandem affinity purification (TAP) of the holotoxin subunits, we show that ArtB and PltB interact in vivo. Furthermore, binding subunits composed of homo- and heteropentamers of ArtB and PltB are able to associate with CdtB and PltA to form biologically active toxins. As artB was, (i) conserved among S. Javiana isolates, and (ii) co-expressed with pltB and cdtB under Mg2+-limiting conditions, we hypothesized that ArtB and PltB compete for inclusion in the binding subunit. Using a novel competition assay, we show that PltB outcompetes ArtB for inclusion in the binding subunit, when cultured at neutral pH. Together, our results suggest that the TT produced by S. Javiana utilizes multiple configurations of the binding subunit, representing a novel toxin form and adaptation mechanism for the AB5 toxin family. Our work suggests that Salmonella serovars, including S. Javiana, evolved to encode and maintain multiple binding subunits that can be used to form an active toxin, which may enhance the variety of cells, tissues, or hosts susceptible to this novel form of the TT.
High-resolution mapping of forest vulnerability to wind for disturbance-aware forestry and climate change adaptation
Authors: Suvanto Susanne , Peltoniemi Mikko , Tuominen Sakari , Strandström Mikael , Lehtonen Aleksi
Published: June 2019

Windstorms cause major disturbances in European forests and forest management can play a key role in making forests more persistent to disturbances. However, better information is needed to support decision making that effectively accounts for wind disturbances. Here we show how empirical probability models of wind damage, combined with existing spatial datasets, can be used to provide fine-scale spatial information about disturbance probability over large areas. First, we created stand-level damage probability models with predictors describing forest characteristics, recent forest management history and local wind, soil, site and climate conditions. We tested three different methods for creating the damage probability models - generalized linear models (GLM), generalized additive models (GAM) and boosted regression trees (BRT). Then, the damage probability maps were calculated by combining the models (GLM, GAM and BRT) with GIS data sets representing the model predictors. Finally, we demonstrated the predictive performance of the maps with a large, independent test data, which shows that the damage probability maps are able to identify vulnerable forests also in new wind damage events (AUC > 0.7). Use of the more complex methods (GAM and BRT) was not found to improve the predictive performance of the map compared to GLM, and therefore we would suggest using the more simple GLM method that can be more easily interpreted. The map allows identification of vulnerable forest areas in high spatial resolution (16 × 16 m2raster resolution), making it useful in assessing the vulnerability of individual forest stands when making management decisions. The map is also a powerful tool for communicating disturbance risks to forest owners and managers and it has the potential to steer forest management practices to a more disturbance aware direction. Our study showed that in spite of the inherent stochasticity of the wind and damage phenomena at all spatial scales, it can be modelled with good accuracy across large spatial scales when existing ground and earth observation data sources are combined smartly. With improving data quality and availability, map-based risk assessments can be extended to other regions and other disturbance types.
Changes in the allosteric site of human liver pyruvate kinase upon activator binding include the breakage of an intersubunit cation–π bond
Authors: McFarlane Jeffrey S. , Ronnebaum Trey A. , Meneely Kathleen M. , Chilton Annemarie , Fenton Aron W. , Lamb Audrey L.
Published: June 2019

Human liver pyruvate kinase (hLPYK) converts phosphoenolpyruvate to pyruvate in the final step of glycolysis. hLPYK is allosterically activated by fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (Fru-1,6-BP). The allosteric site, as defined by previous structural studies, is located in domain C between the phosphate-binding loop (residues 444–449) and the allosteric loop (residues 527–533). In this study, the X-ray crystal structures of four hLPYK variants were solved to make structural correlations with existing functional data. The variants are D499N, W527H, Δ529/S531G (called GGG here) and S531E. The results revealed a conformational toggle between the open and closed positions of the allosteric loop. In the absence of Fru-1,6-BP the open position is stabilized, in part, by a cation–π bond between Trp527 and Arg538′ (from an adjacent monomer). In the S531E variant glutamate binds in place of the 6′-phosphate of Fru-1,6-BP in the allosteric site, leading to partial allosteric activation. Finally, the structure of the D499N mutant does not provide structural evidence for the previously observed allosteric activation of the D499N variant.
Cause-related marketing: an exploration of new avenues through conjoint analysis
Authors: Kulshreshtha Kushagra , Bajpai Naval , Tripathi Vikas , Sharma Gunjan
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Cause-related marketing (CrM) is one of the effective marketing concepts which draw high public exposure and make the cause and the organization known in the market. Further, it develops a higher inclination of the customers associating themselves with CrM-related campaigns. In this regard, CrM campaigns generally take hedonic products into consideration. The purpose of this paper (comprises two studies) is to: study 1, examine the attributes leading to successful CrM campaign and afterward when the results of Study 1 were found in line with the existing literature; and, Study 2, empirically examine the consumer preference for hedo-utilitarian products type in the CrM context.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 316 respondents participated in the survey. For selecting the appropriate research technique under the CrM study, the systematic review was conducted to arrive at a decision. Finally, conjoint analysis, a decompositional approach, was used for its ability to provide real-world setup to the respondents and keeping the social desirability bias at the minimum while assessing the consumer preference in the context of CrM.

Findings

Much literature is available in favor of using hedonic products for successful CrM activities. However, none has conceptualized the hedo-utilitarian products that have an equally fair chance to succeed under CrM strategy. The present study confirmed the relevance of hedo-utilitarian products (utilitarian products having hedonic features) for attracting the consumers having cognitive and affective responses altogether.

Practical implications

The novel concept of hedo-utilitarian product is introduced and empirically examined. The propositions and findings will facilitate the organizations in developing the products and marketing strategies in the context of CrM, giving them the option beyond the two product categories, i.e. hedonic and utilitarian. Accordingly, the companies may also focus and strategize for the “causmers,” i.e. the consumers who pay heed to the cause of the campaign during the purchase.

Originality/value

While several of the dimensions in marketing have been explored, CrM is the least explored area in the Asian region. The attributes that may affect CrM were taken all together as another product feature/attribute under conjoint analysis exploring the attributes affecting CrM most, eventually, leading to higher consumer preference. Further, the concept of hedo-utilitarian products was introduced, empirically examined and recommended to future researchers for bringing it forward.
Dichotomies of disaster management: a reflection on the politics of efficient decision making
Authors: Kasdan David Oliver
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the variety of dichotomies related to disaster management with an objective to gain a better understanding of how and when dichotomous thinking can improve disaster management, especially in the discourse of disaster management politics.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a reflective essay that surveys dichotomies from multiple disciplines in respect to their potential contributions to disaster management.

Findings

Thinking about disaster management as a collection or series of dichotomies may help to better understand the sources, vulnerabilities, approaches, modes, methods and modes for related decision-making scenarios, particularly in the political realm.

Research limitations/implications

The world is not so simply divided at every turn and dichotomous thinking may harbor biases, mask ignorance and/or offend postmodern notions of alterity.

Practical implications

Portraying disaster management through dichotomies is an efficient way for experts to convey information and structure decisions for political agendas.

Originality/value

This study presents a unique perspective of disaster management and how it may shape the thinking and decision making of disaster management politics.
The Ecovillage of Pescomaggiore (L’Aquila)
Authors: Tomassi Isabella , Forino Giuseppe
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to aim at exploring the relationship between community building and the changes occurred in the context of a post-disaster self-built ecovillage (EcoVillaggio Autocostruito (EVA)), spontaneously born after the L’Aquila earthquake in 2009. The community eventually dissolved in 2014, following a series of changes in the organization, that resulted in an increasingly centralized decision-making process, and in individual and community relationships, that were fueled by conflicts and contrasts.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a self-ethnography method, the paper provides the insider perspective of the lead author who was a part of EVA since the beginning. Self-ethnography allowed developing a narrative of EVA across its life course.

Findings

Findings reveal that the community into EVA was initially pursuing community-building goals through self-construction, sustainability, mutuality and reciprocity relationships out of market. However, several events occurred and changed community goals, organization and decision making. Eventually, individual goals and vertical decision making emerged among the community members, leading to the death of EVA.

Research limitations/implications

The paper just considered those main events that marked the collective and individual life of the lead author since the beginning until the end of the ecovillage. Others events, equally important, were not considered due to word length. In addition, self-ethnography is still considered by some authors as a subjective method.

Originality/value

The paper is one of the few exploring community experiences into post-disaster ecovillages. Moreover, there are no papers investigating post-disaster ecovillages through a self-ethnography approach. Therefore, the paper offers an innovative and original perspective on the under-investigated topic of post-disaster ecovillages and employs a promising research method in disaster studies.
Defensible decisions
Authors: Kurlychek Megan , Bushway Shawn , Denver Megan
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Employers using criminal background checks to make hiring determinations must carefully balance the need to protect themselves and their clients against legal mandates designed to protect the rights of individuals with criminal records. Yet, surprisingly little research examines this balancing act. The purpose of this paper is to examine how one large agency, the New York Department of Health (DOH), navigates a myriad of mandates to convey and create legitimacy in compliance with complex legal mandates and contrasting interests.

Design/methodology/approach

Prior research on civil right legislation suggests that while companies may create regulations that appear to comply with such mandates, their actual practice does not always comply with their own rules (Dobbin et al., 1988). Therefore, this study addresses two key questions: do the DOH policies appear to comply with the relevant New York State law and does the DOH effectively implement the policies in a way that upholds New York State law. Specifically, this study estimates probit models on a sample of over 7,000 potential employees with criminal records to determine compliance with the criteria established by law and policy.

Findings

Findings show that the variables indicated by law/regulations such as offense severity and time since conviction work in the intended direction. Using only these criteria the models are able to correctly predict clearance decisions approximately of the time and that extra-legal factors such as race and gender do not further influence final determinations.

Practical implications

These findings have practical implications for employers as they show that it is possible for employers to design formal rules that navigate this complex landscape while still opening up employment opportunities for individuals with criminal records.

Originality/value

This is important as many employers either utilize criminal background checks without regulation or are fearful of embarking on efforts to meet regulations such as those promulgated by the EEOC. This research is the first of its kind to actually document and explore the ability of a large employer to conduct socially responsible criminal history background checks.
Effects of clothing ease and body postures on the air gap and clothing coverage
Authors: Wang Shitan , Wang Xiuhua , Wang Yunyi
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of clothing ease and body postures on the size and distribution of the air gap as well as the body coverage with the clothing.

Design/methodology/approach

Visual and quantitative analyses were conducted using a 3D body scanner and Geomagic Software. The air gap size and clothing area factor (fcl) in three test coverall and seven selected postures were calculated and compared.

Findings

The results indicated that both the clothing ease and body postures had a strong effect on the air gap and clothing coverage, especially the more complex the postures, the wider the range of influence. Nevertheless, these effects varied over body regions, being stronger at the lower body than the upper body. The air gap size at the left side of the body was generally larger than the right side. It was also found that the clothing coverage was linearly correlated with the air gap size and could be employed as an indicator to evaluate clothing protective capabilities.

Practical implications

The findings suggested that greater attention should be paid to the protection and flexibility at the lower body and asymmetrical distribution of the air gap should be considered in the future air gap modeling.

Originality/value

The outcomes provided useful information to improve the protective clothing and develop more realistic air gap models to simulate the heat and mass transfer.
An implementation model of performance-based budgeting
Authors: Amirkhani Tayebe , Aghaz Asal , Sheikh Alireza
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a dynamic model for implementing performance-based budgeting (PBB) in Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) in Iran.

Design/methodology/approach

The insights from PBB, organizational theory and theory of system were integrated based on system dynamic approach. The primary data were gathered in a two-step process through in-depth interviews and focus groups. The data gathered from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis and were considered as a basis for modeling based on system dynamic. The dynamic model was verified in the MOHME of Iran based on the data gathered from the focus group.

Findings

An analytical implementation model was adopted for the PBB, including comprehensive variables at both external (country) and internal (organizational) levels and accordingly the relationships were established among these variables based on system dynamics (SD). In addition, verifying this model in the MOHME of Iran sets the stage for gaining a deeper understanding of what is required for successful implementation of PBB.

Originality/value

This paper introduces an efficient modeling methodology based on SD, which explains how soft methodology can be used in management science for designing an implementation model of PBB in healthcare sector of Iran.
Cultural diversity and operational performance: entrepreneurial orientation as a mediator
Authors: Aljanabi Abdulqadir Rahomee Ahmed , Hamasaleh Salah Hamasaeed , Mohd Noor Nor Azila
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation in the nexus between cultural diversity (CD) and firm operational performance (OP).

Design/methodology/approach

The population of the current study is foreign industrial firms listed in the tax directorate of the Kurdistan region of Iraq (KRI). A stratified random sampling technique was applied to select 136 firms in KRI, with a response rate of 57 per cent. Smart-PLS was used to examine the hypothesised relationships in the proposed framework.

Findings

The results indicate that CD is significantly related to a firm’s OP. Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is, in turn, significantly related to a firm’s OP. Furthermore, the results provide evidence that EO plays a mediating role in the nexus between CD and a firm’s OP.

Originality/value

The study highlights the importance of CD and EO in supporting a firm’s OP. In addition, the findings will provide scholars and managers a deeper understanding of the role of EO as a mediator through which CD enhances a firm’s OP.
Consumer cultural identity: local and global cultural identities and measurement implications
Authors: Strizhakova Yuliya , Coulter Robin
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer a framework for considering the interplay between local (national) and global (world-based) identities and consumption practices with attention to various conceptualizations and measurements of consumer cultural identity.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper reviewing major works on consumer cultural identities and offering a framework for future considerations of the interplay between global and local identities.

Findings

The framework identifies two dimensions which underlie consumer cultural identity conceptualizations and measurements: first, consumer engagement with globalization–localization discourses, and second, more general identity beliefs vs consumption-based identity beliefs. Clustering and categorical measure approaches (vs a compensatory approach) are preferred for identifying and exploring global/local/glocal and unengaged consumer cultural identity segments. Research foci should guide use of global and/or local general identity vs consumption-based identity beliefs as predictors of marketplace outcomes or as segmentation variables.

Research limitations/implications

The conceptualization of consumer cultural identity is based on Berryet al.’s (1986) early work on acculturation and Arnett’s (2002) bicultural identity theorizing, and thus the authors acknowledge four consumer segments, those with: stronger global (weaker local) identity, stronger local (weaker global) identity, strong global and local identities and those unengaged with global–local discourses. The authors review measurement approaches to examine consumer cultural identity and determine that categorical and clustering (vs compensatory) approaches are consistent with the conceptualization of consumer cultural identity segments.

Practical implications

International marketers can gain insights into major conceptualizations and measurements of consumer cultural identity, and understand the advantages and limitations of different measurement approaches. The authors highlight two important dimensions underlying cultural identity that demand managers’ attention and consideration for strategic decisions. Social implications – this paper brings attention to various conceptualizations and measures of consumer cultural identity, highlighting the need to further examine differences between various cultural identity segments, specifically the unengaged consumers and glocally engaged consumers.

Originality/value

The paper provides a broadened lens to understanding conceptualizations and measurements of consumer cultural identity, identifying two dimensions underlying consumer cultural identity: consumer engagement with globalization–localization discourses, and more general identity beliefs vs consumption-based identity beliefs.
The Industrial Revolution remembers
Authors: Roulac Stephen
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the significant structural forms and influencing factors that shape the adoption of technology advances and innovations in society, generally and the property sector specifically.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses action learning and interviews, literature review, thought experiment and comparative/conceptual/qualitative analysis.

Findings

For two centuries, the property sector was essentially “exempt from” and essentially a passive by standing in the industrialization and innovations that transformed the economy. In recent decades, the circumstances changed dramatically; the property sector is rapidly making up for the lost time.

Practical implications

The property market participants who long relied upon, while many property market participants prospered in relying upon long established practices – in some ways more reminiscent of a medieval guild than a contemporary long-standing practice with little attention to, or need to, be concerned about change forces – those circumstances have profoundly changed. Understanding the forces leading to that change and the implications of that change is essential for effective property involvements in the twenty-first century.

Social implications

Whereas the property sector largely was dominated by a product-focused supplier mentality, the major change forces are shifting more and more access, power to consumers. The result is that society shall have more robust and more user-oriented offerings of property goods and services.

Originality/value

This research distilling the results of the featured keynote address to the London 2000 Cutting Edge Conference provides, and is, the first thoughtful assessment, combining both rigor and relevance to address these profoundly important developments that are shaping and informing the property sector in the twenty-first century.
Catch and release? NHL expansion draft endowment effects
Authors: Tingling Peter M. , Masri Kamal , Chu Dani
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate National Hockey League (NHL) expansion draft decisions to measure divestment aversion and endowment effects, and analyze bias and its affect on presumed rational analytic decision making.

Design/methodology/approach

A natural experiment with three variables (age, minutes played and presence of a prior relationship with a team’s management), filtered athletes that were exposed or protected to selection. A machine learning algorithm trained on a group of 17 teams was applied to the remaining 13 teams.

Findings

Athletes with pre-existing management relationships were 1.7 times more likely to be protected. Athletes playing fewer relative position minutes were less likely to be protected, as were older athletes. Athlete selection was predominantly determined by time on ice.

Research limitations/implications

This represents a single set of independent decisions using publicly available data absent of context. The results may not be generalizable beyond the NHL or sport.

Practical implications

The research confirms the affect of prior relationships on decision making and provides further evidence of measurable sub-optimal decision making.

Social implications

Decision making has implications throughout human resources and impacts competitiveness and productivity. This adds to the need for managers to recognize and implement de-biasing in areas such as hiring, performance appraisal and downsizing.

Originality/value

This natural experiment involving high-stakes decision makers confirms bias in a setting that has been dominated by students, low stakes or artificial settings.
Two cases of aplasia cutis congenita with hair collar signs and macrophage hyperplasia
Authors: Takayama Eriko , Harada Atsuko , Ikura Yoshihiro , Seto Hidenobu
Published: June 2019

We report two cases of aplasia cutis congenita associated with hair collar signs and hemangioma simplex in their parietal regions. A hair collar sign and a hemangioma are known to suggest the possibility of underlying neural tube defects. However, no obvious bone defects or heterotopic neural tissue were observed in the imaging and histopathological examinations. Nevertheless, some pathological observations similar in both cases suggested abnormalities in the process of ectodermal fusion. A flat epidermis and a lack of appendages were recognized. Both cases also exhibited the presence of melanocytes in a portion of the superficial dermal layer. An increase in the number of macrophages was observed in the dermal area with neither elastic fibers nor normal collagen fibers. The peripheral hair follicles grew horizontally.
Dynamics of neutrophil and C‐reactive protein reflect the clinical course of pyrexia during combination therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib
Authors: Maeda Takuya , Yoshino Koji , Yamashita Chisato , Nagai Kojiro , Oaku Satoe , Kato Megumi , Hiura Azusa , Uehara Jiro , Fujisawa Yasuhiro
Published: June 2019

Pyrexia is the most common adverse event in patients with melanoma or other solid organ malignancies that are treated with the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib (combi‐DT). Given the expanded indication for combi‐DT, management of pyrexia is a high priority. No previous case series has revealed which blood markers reflect the course of pyrexia and there is no consensus on the management strategy for pyrexia. The current case series study describes the utility of neutrophil count (NC), neutrophil ratio (NR) and C‐reactive protein (CRP) in 11 patients with metastatic melanoma and BRAF V600 mutations who experienced pyrexia during combi‐DT in our department. We also described the clinical course of pyrexia episodes that were managed with the concomitant use of oral prednisolone and immediate withdrawal of combi‐DT. Consequently, the analysis of 37 pyrexia episodes in 11 patients showed that the differences in NC, NR and CRP at the onset of pyrexia were significantly different from those at pyretolysis (P = 0.01, 0.006 and 0.03, respectively). Additionally, in the 24 pyrexia episodes treated with the concomitant use of oral prednisolone and the immediate withdrawal of combi‐DT, the mean duration of pyrexia and the mean time to restart combi‐DT were 3 and 6 days, respectively. Therefore, the blood markers that reflect the course of pyrexia during combi‐DT may be helpful for the appropriate management of pyrexia; also, our management strategy for pyrexia successfully reduced the duration of pyrexia and did not require a long‐term drug holiday. Further large‐scale studies are required to verify our results.
Social work reframed? The experiences of social workers applying systemic ideas in child protection
Authors: Flynn Kiran
Published: June 2019

The crossover between systemic psychotherapy and social work has received renewed attention in recent years. Expanding numbers of local authorities are commissioning systemic training and encouraging social workers to apply these ideas within the field of child protection. It is therefore vital and timely to listen to social workers’ experiences, in order to attain feedback on how this can best be achieved. This research study interviewed five case‐holding social workers in a London local authority child protection team about their experiences, and used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse the data. This paper discusses two themes: ‘the importance of the organisation’ and ‘the process of applying learning’. Recommendations for improvements are made for academic and employment organisations from the research findings. The overall argument is that there is a significant opportunity for the field of systemic psychotherapy to learn from and improve the social work field, and vice versa.

Practitioner points

Organisational stability, clarity and commitment to systemic practice has a significant impact on social workers’ abilities to apply systemic ideas in their practice

Social workers value being able to put systemic ideas into practice and learning the ‘doing’ of as well as the ‘thinking’ behind systemic practice

Systemic psychotherapy has an opportunity to learn from its application to social work, particularly if applied to diverse workforces, who in turn work with diverse client groups