bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human capital and professional network effects on women’s odds of corporate board directorships
Authors: Hodigere Renuka , Bilimoria Diana
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to examine the importance of human capital and professional networks for women’s and men’s appointment to the boards of directors of public companies. The study provides an in-depth analysis of how human capital and professional networks contribute to women’s as compared with men’s odds of corporate board membership.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study analyzes the human capital and professional networks of 494 male and female corporate outside (non-executive) directors appointed between 2005 and 2010 to the boards of US public companies listed in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index. Human capital was measured as director age, education and professional experience (function and role). Professional network variables measured included composition of professional network, network centrality, constraint and cohesion.

Findings

– The study’s findings reveal that the characteristics that impact the appointment of women as outside directors to public company boards differ from those of men. Relative to men, certain professions such as government relations and education improve the odds of appointment of women to corporate boards, while age lowers women’s odds. The number of network ties and the degree of network cohesion were also significant in predicting the likelihood of female board appointment to public corporations relative to men’s odds. The final model was able to predict female board membership correctly only in 28 per cent of the cases, while male board membership was predicted in 89 per cent of the cases, suggesting that factors other than human capital and professional networks (e.g. their gender) impact women’s appointment to corporate boards.

Originality/value

– To the authors ' knowledge, this study is the first to comprehensively examine the professional network components of female and male directors along with their human capital in the analysis of their prospects for board appointment. The conceptualization of professional networks as well the depth of quantitative analysis of the network components of the study advance the extant literature on the composition of corporate boards.
Researching Asian consumer culture in the global marketplace
Authors: Seo Yuri , Fam Kim-Shyan
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– In this editorial viewpoint for the special issue, the authors identify a need to deepen our understanding of the important role that Asian consumer culture plays in the global marketplace of the twenty-first century.

Design/methodology/approach

– This editorial article discusses the emergence of Asian consumer culture, offers an integrative summary of the special issue and develops several key directions for future research.

Findings

– The authors observe that Asian consumer culture is not a coherent knowledge tradition that can be described merely as “collectivist” or “Confucianist” in nature. Rather, it is better understood as the confluence of cultural traditions that are characterized by inner differentiation and complexity, various transformations and mutual influences in the Asian region and beyond.

Research limitations/implications

– Although Asia’s economic growth has received much recent attention, extant theory regarding Asian consumer culture is still in its infancy. The authors highlight important developments in this area that show the path for future work.

Originality/value

– The authors make three contributions to the emerging scholarly interest in Asian consumer culture. First, the authors respond to recent calls to increase the use of qualitative methods in Asian contexts. Second, the authors draw attention to the cultural complexities and mutual influences that characterize contemporary Asian consumer cultures, and subcultures in the Asian region and beyond, through the selection of articles for this special issue. Finally, the authors draw the threads together to provide directions for future research in this area.
The discontinuous evolution of women’s fashion in China
Authors: Ucok Hughes Mine , Eckhardt Giana , Kaigler-Walker Karen , Gilbert Zelda
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The aim of this study is to provide an understanding of urban Chinese women’s fashion consumption practices in light of major recent socio-historical events and to demonstrate that changes in fashion are not necessarily continuous, but rather can be discontinuous in the wake of radical disturbances.

Design/methodology/approach

– A phenomenological study was conducted that included group interviews with Chinese women belonging to three age cohorts who experienced different radical changes in recent Chinese history.

Findings

– This study provides insights into how fashion develops when radical economic and social shifts result in a discontinuous rather than continuous fashion evolution. In China, it can be seen that these radical ideological shifts had discontinuous effects on notions of beauty and how identity is expressed through fashion. The changes seen in the past 60 years or so – from the advent of communism in 1949 until now – cannot be explained by theories of imitation and distinction alone. The changes are also anchored to key socio-historic events, and were not necessarily an outgrowth of the period before, or class-based practices, but rather a response to social upheavals.

Originality/value

– This study provides a nuanced understanding of how tumultuous socio-cultural events affect how fashion is experienced in China, which allows us to contribute to the growing understanding of Chinese consumer culture, and demonstrate that the understanding of how fashion evolves needs to accommodate the upheavals in society over the past sixty years.
TUR‐PSO: A cross‐sectional, study investigating quality of life and treatment status of psoriasis patients in Turkey
Authors: Atakan Nilgün , Yazici Ayça Cordan , Özarmağan Güzin , İnalÖz Hüseyin Serhat , Gürer Mehmet Ali , Sabuncu İlham , Kİremİtçİ Ümmühan , Alper Sibel , Aytekİn Sema , Arican Özer , Polat Mualla , Doğan Sibel , Aldİnç Emre
Published: September 2015

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory disease that has a severe impact on quality of life. There is lack of data regarding epidemiological and clinical features of psoriasis patients in Turkey, a country with a population of 76 million. The aim of this study was to define the demographic and clinical characteristics, quality of life and treatment patterns of psoriasis patients in Turkey. A cross‐sectional observational study was conducted at 40 centers, chosen from geographically diverse locations in Turkey. Patients diagnosed with psoriasis were assessed by investigators who were specialists of dermatology using standardized study questionnaire forms. Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and EuroQol‐5 dimension (EQ‐5D) forms were also filled out by each patient. 3971 psoriasis patients were included in this study. 24.2% of plaque psoriasis patients had moderate to severe psoriasis (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, ≥10). Mean DLQI was 7.03 ± 6.02; quality of life was moderately, severely or very severely affected in 49.2% of patients. The most severely affected component of EQ‐5D was anxiety/depression. Among all patients, 22.9% were not receiving any treatment, 39.8% were receiving only topical treatment, 11.5% were on phototherapy, 26.1%, were taking conventional systemic agents and 4.1% were on a biologic treatment. 31.3% of psoriasis patients with moderate to severe disease were treated with only topical agents and only 30.5% of moderate to severe psoriasis patients were receiving systemic therapy. Moderate to severe psoriasis has a considerable impact on quality of life. Treatment in Turkey of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis is insufficient.
Asymmetric dimethylarginine but not osteoprotegerin correlates with disease severity in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis undergoing anti‐tumor necrosis factor‐α therapy
Authors: Pina Trinitario , Genre Fernanda , Lopez‐Mejias Raquel , Armesto Susana , Ubilla Begoña , Mijares Veronica , Dierssen‐Sotos Trinidad , Corrales Alfonso , Gonzalez‐Lopez Marcos A. , Gonzalez‐Vela Maria C. , Blanco Ricardo , Hernández Jose L. , Llorca Javier , Gonzalez‐Gay Miguel A.
Published: September 2015

Patients with psoriasis, in particular those with severe disease, have an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events compared with the general population. The aim of the present study is to determine whether correlation between asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and osteoprotegerin (OPG), two biomarkers associated with CV disease, and disease severity may exist in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. We also aimed to establish if baseline serum levels of these two biomarkers could correlate with the degree of change in the clinical parameters of disease severity following the use of anti‐tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α therapy in these patients. This was a prospective study on a series of consecutive non‐diabetic patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis who completed 6 months of therapy with anti‐TNF‐α‐adalimumab. Patients with kidney disease, hypertension or body mass index of 35 kg/m2 or more were excluded. Metabolic and clinical evaluation was performed immediately prior to the onset of treatment and at month 6. Twenty‐nine patients were assessed. Unlike OPG, a significant positive correlation between ADMA and resistin serum levels was found at the onset of adalimumab and also after 6 months of biologic therapy. We also observed a positive correlation between the percent of body surface area affected (BSA) and ADMA levels obtained before the onset of adalimumab and a negative correlation between baseline ADMA levels and a 6‐month BSA change compared with baseline results. In patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis, ADMA levels correlate with clinical markers of disease severity.
Microstructures of economic action: talk, interaction and the bottom line
Authors: Llewellyn Nick
Published: September 2015

This paper contributes to an expanding body of research that has analysed the interactional foundations of economic activity, and price determination, by quantifying the financial implications of different micro‐interactional practices. Drawing on video recordings of naturalistic interaction the paper analyses a simple consumer choice, whether to pay one of two prices, the lower ‘standard’ price (£8.00) or the higher ‘gift aid’ (£8.80) price, to enter an arts institution. Utilizing resources from conversation analysis, the paper analyses different ways of posing this choice. It describes how, as interactional constraints tighten, standard prices become less socially desirable and customers increasingly ‘volunteer’ to pay the higher price. The paper contributes to sociological understandings of economic activity, demonstrating how simple one‐off choices, and prices, are accountably responsive to micro‐interactional structures.
Evaluating Clinical Practice Guidelines Based on Their Association with Return to Work in Administrative Claims Data
Authors: Roberts Eric T. , DuGoff Eva H. , Heins Sara E. , Swedler David I. , Castillo Renan C. , Feldman Dorianne R. , Wegener Stephen T. , Canudas‐Romo Vladimir , Anderson Gerard F.
Published: September 2015

Objective

To examine the association between non‐adherence to clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and time to return to work (RTW) for patients with workplace injuries.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Secondary analysis of medical billing and disability data for 148,199 for shoulder and back injuries from a workers' compensation insurer.

Study Design

Cox proportional hazard regression is used to estimate the association between time to RTW and receipt of guideline‐discordant care. We test the robustness of our findings to an omitted confounding variable.

Data Collection

Collected by the insurer from the time an injury was reported, through recovery or last follow‐up.

Principal Findings

Receiving guideline‐discordant care was associated with slower RTW for only some guidelines. Early receipt of care, and getting less than the recommended amount of care, were correlated with faster RTW. Excessive physical therapy, bracing, and injections were associated with slower RTW.

Conclusions

There is not a consistent relationship between performance on CPGs and RTW. The association between performance on CPG and RTW is difficult to measure in observational data, because analysts cannot control for omitted variables that affect a patient's treatment and outcomes. CPGs supported by observational studies or randomized trials may have a more certain relationship to health outcomes.
Evidence for facultative deciduousness in Colophospermum mopane in semi‐arid African savannas
Authors: Stevens Nicola , Archibald Sally A. , Nickless Alecia , Swemmer Anthony , Scholes Robert J.
Published: September 2015

Leaf phenology dictates the time available for carbon assimilation, transpiration and nutrient uptake in plants. Understanding the environmental cues that control phenology is therefore vital for predicting climate‐related changes to plant and ecosystem function. In contrast to temperate systems, and to a lesser degree, tropical forest systems, the cues initiating leaf drop in tropical savannas are poorly studied. We investigated the cues for leaf fall in a tropical monodominant arid savanna species, Colophospermum mopane, using an irrigation experiment. We tracked soil moisture, solar radiation, air temperature, leaf water status, leaf health and leaf carbon balance through the dry season in both irrigated and control plants. Water was the primary cue driving leaf loss of C. mopane rather than temperature or light. Trees watered throughout the dry season retained their canopies. These leaves remained functional and continued photosynthesis throughout the dry season. Leaf carbon acquisition rates did not decline with leaf age but were affected by soil moisture availability and temperature. Leaf loss did not occur when leaf carbon gain was zero, or when a particular leaf carbon threshold was reached. Colophospermum mopane is facultatively deciduous as water availability determines leaf drop in this widespread arid savanna species. Obligate deciduosity is not the only successful strategy in climates with a long dry season.
Benefits and problems of health‐care robots in aged care settings: A comparison trial
Authors: Broadbent Elizabeth , Kerse Ngaire , Peri Kathryn , Robinson Hayley , Jayawardena Chandimal , Kuo Tony , Datta Chandan , Stafford Rebecca , Butler Haley , Jawalkar Pratyusha , Amor Maddy , Robins Ben , MacDonald Bruce
Published: September 2015

Aim

This study investigated whether multiple health‐care robots could have any benefits or cause any problems in an aged care facility.

Method

Fifty‐three residents and 53 staff participated in a non‐randomised controlled trial over 12 weeks. Six robots provided entertainment, communication and health‐monitoring functions in staff rooms and activity lounges. These settings were compared to control settings without robots.

Results

There were no significant differences between groups in resident or staff outcomes, except a significant increase in job satisfaction in the control group only. The intervention group perceived the robots had more agency and experience than the control group did. Perceived agency of the robots decreased over time in both groups. Overall, we received very mixed responses with positive, neutral and negative comments.

Conclusions

The robots had no major benefits or problems. Future research could give robots stronger operational roles, use more specific outcome measures, and perform cost–benefit analyses.
Treatment Efficacy and Safety During Plasma Exchange With Citrate Anticoagulation: A Randomized Study of 4 Versus 15% Citrate
Authors: Antonic Manja , Gubensek Jakob , Buturovic‐Ponikvar Jadranka , Ponikvar Rafael
Published: September 2015

In plasma exchange (PE), contrary to dialysis, there is no ultrafiltration, and the volume of anticoagulant contributes to volume overload of the patient and might also reduce PE efficiency through dilution. To reduce the volume of citrate, we compared 4 and 15% citrate anticoagulation protocols in PE in a randomized study, aiming to evaluate PE efficacy, anticoagulation efficiency, and overall safety. In addition to standard biochemical analyses during PE treatments, the elimination rate (ER) of immunoglobulins was calculated to evaluate PE efficacy. Anticoagulation was evaluated by postfilter ionized calcium, visual evaluation of the extracorporeal system, and change in the sieving coefficient (SC) during PE. Accumulation of citrate was determined by calculating the total‐to‐ionized calcium ratio and measuring the citrate concentration after PE. One hundred forty procedures (70 in each group) were performed in 37 patients. The mean citrate infusion rate was 197 ± 10 mL/h in the 4% and 59 ± 5.5 mL/h in the 15% groups, respectively; the total volume of infused citrate was 502 ± 77 mL versus 164 ± 52 mL (P < 0.001). ER for immunoglobulin G (0.57 ± 0.06 vs. 0.55 ± 0.1, P = 0.18), M, and A were comparable. Ionized calcium was stable during the procedures, and there were no significant side effects. Although postfilter ionized calcium was on the upper limit of the target range (0.41 ± 0.16 vs. 0.37 ± 0.14 mmol/L, P = 0.38), the visual assessment score was excellent, and even a rise in SC was observed during the procedures in both groups. The total‐to‐ionized calcium ratio was increased in 20 versus 22% of procedures, and citrate concentrations after PE were also similar (1306 ± 441 vs. 1263 ± 405 μmol/L). To conclude, we were unable to show superior PE efficacy in the 15% citrate group, but we significantly reduced the infused volume, which is important in patients with fluid overload. Both citrate protocols were found to provide excellent anticoagulation without significant metabolic disturbances or other side effects, confirming the safety of 15% citrate as anticoagulant during PE.
Identifying 24 h variation in the pharmacokinetics of levofloxacin: a population pharmacokinetic approach
Authors: Kervezee Laura , Stevens Jasper , Birkhoff Willem , Kamerling Ingrid M. C. , de Boer Theo , Dröge Melloney , Meijer Johanna H. , Burggraaf Jacobus
Published: September 2015

Aim

The objective of this study was to investigate whether the pharmacokinetics of orally administered levofloxacin show 24 h variation. Levofloxacin was used as a model compound for solubility and permeability independent absorption and passive renal elimination.

Methods

In this single centre, crossover, open label study, 12 healthy subjects received an oral dose of 1000 mg levofloxacin at six different time points equally divided over the 24 h period. Population pharmacokinetic modelling was used to identify potential 24 h variation in the pharmacokinetic parameters of this drug.

Results

The pharmacokinetics of levofloxacin could be described by a one compartment model with first order clearance and a transit compartment to describe drug absorption. The fit of the model was significantly improved when the absorption rate constant was described as a cosine function with a fixed period of 24 h, a relative amplitude of 47% and a peak around 08.00 h in the morning. Despite this variation in absorption rate constant, simulations of a once daily dosing regimen showed that tmax, Cmax and the area under the curve at steady‐state were not affected by the time of drug administration.

Conclusion

The finding that the absorption rate constant showed considerable 24 h variation may be relevant for drugs with similar physicochemical properties as levofloxacin that have a narrower therapeutic index. Levofloxacin, however, can be dosed without taking into account the time of day, at least in terms of its pharmacokinetics.
Pharmacological treatment of organophosphorus insecticide poisoning: the old and the (possible) new
Authors: Eddleston Michael , Chowdhury Fazle Rabbi
Published: September 2015

Despite being a major clinical and public health problem across the developing world, responsible for at least 5 million deaths over the last three decades, the clinical care of patients with organophosphorus (OP) insecticide poisoning has little improved over the last six decades. We are still using the same two antidotes – atropine and oximes – that first came into clinical use in the late 1950s. Clinical research in South Asia has shown how improved regimens of atropine can prevent deaths. However, we are still unsure about which patients are most likely to benefit from the use of oximes. Supplemental antidotes, such as magnesium, clonidine and sodium bicarbonate, have all been proposed and studied in small trials without production of definitive answers. Novel antidotes such as nicotinic receptor antagonists, beta‐adrenergic agonists and lipid emulsions are being studied in large animal models and in pilot clinical trials. Hopefully, one or more of these affordable and already licensed antidotes will find their place in routine clinical care. However, the large number of chemically diverse OP insecticides, the varied poisoning they produce and their varied response to treatment might ultimately make it difficult to determine definitively whether these antidotes are truly effective. In addition, the toxicity of the varied solvents and surfactants formulated with the OP active ingredients complicates both treatment and studies. It is possible that the only effective way to reduce deaths from OP insecticide poisoning will be a steady reduction in their agricultural use worldwide.
The Psychological Miscarriage: An Exploration of Women's Experience of Miscarriage in the Light of Winnicott's ‘Primary Maternal Preoccupation’, The Process of Grief According to Bowlby and Parkes, and Klein's Theory of Mourning
Authors: Lloyd Jones Sarah
Published: September 2015

In the light of recent quantitative data showing a correlation between pregnancy loss (miscarriage or stillbirth) and symptoms of depression and trauma, three theories are explored in relation to miscarriage and stillbirth. Winnicott's primary maternal preoccupation, a ‘special psychiatric condition’ in which the pregnant woman identifies with her baby, highlights the crisis a woman faces when the baby with whom she is preoccupied and identified dies; the process of grief according to Bowlby and Parkes helps trace the difficult path a woman treads in mourning a miscarriage; and Klein's theory of mourning describes the internal landscape of depression. Published narratives of personal experience are linked with quantified research into miscarriage and mental health, and psychoanalytic case studies are used to trace connections into infancy and childhood, including one clinical vignette from the author's own practice. Experiences of isolation are explored, and also the sometimes unbridgeable gap between the need for support and what is actually available. The possibility of childhood trauma being re‐evoked is discussed, and different kinds of identification with the dead baby are presented in the case studies, alongside a resume of Klein's theory of mourning in which there is a ‘dread of harbouring dying or dead objects (especially the parents) inside one, and an identification of the ego with objects in this condition’ (1935, p. 150), and where the introjection of the maternal object ‘miscarries, and the consequence is illness’ (1935, p. 146).
Life‐threatening hemorrhage associated with dental implant surgery: a review of the literature
Authors: Tomljenovic Branka , Herrmann Seraina , Filippi Andreas , Kühl Sebastian
Published: September 2015

Objectives

Life‐threatening bleeding may occur during implant placement.

Purpose

The present review was conducted to evaluate the localization, the symptoms, and therapies of life‐threatening bleedings associated with implant placement.

Material and Methods

A literature review including 590 articles was performed in PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane database. Any article reporting on life‐threatening bleeding was included which additionally reported on the site of implant surgery.

Results

Twenty‐seven cases were extracted. In the majority of the cases, bleeding occurred in the anterior interforaminal region. Aside local management stopping the bleedings, most cases required intubation or tracheotomy.

Conclusions

Surgeons must be aware of the risk of severe bleedings during implant surgery and should immediately refer patients to a specialized clinic in suspicious or proved cases.
Design principles for engaging and retaining virtual citizen scientists
Authors: Wald Dara M. , Longo Justin , Dobell A. R.
Published: September 2015

Citizen science initiatives encourage volunteer participants to collect and interpret data and contribute to formal scientific projects. The growth of virtual citizen science (VCS), facilitated through websites and mobile applications since the mid‐2000s, has been driven by a combination of software innovations and mobile technologies, growing scientific data flows without commensurate increases in resources to handle them, and the desire of internet‐connected participants to contribute to collective outputs. However, the increasing availability of internet‐based activities requires individual VCS projects to compete for the attention of volunteers and promote their long‐term retention. We examined program and platform design principles that might allow VCS initiatives to compete more effectively for volunteers, increase productivity of project participants, and retain contributors over time. We surveyed key personnel engaged in managing a sample of VCS projects to identify the principles and practices they pursued for these purposes and led a team in a heuristic evaluation of volunteer engagement, website or application usability, and participant retention. We received 40 completed survey responses (33% response rate) and completed a heuristic evaluation of 20 VCS program sites. The majority of the VCS programs focused on scientific outcomes, whereas the educational and social benefits of program participation, variables that are consistently ranked as important for volunteer engagement and retention, were incidental. Evaluators indicated usability, across most of the VCS program sites, was higher and less variable than the ratings for participant engagement and retention. In the context of growing competition for the attention of internet volunteers, increased attention to the motivations of virtual citizen scientists may help VCS programs sustain the necessary engagement and retention of their volunteers.
Malignant mesothelioma with fungating masses and multiple sites involvement
Authors: Sim Jae Kyeom , Oh Jee Youn , Min Kyung Hoon , Hur Gyu Young , Shim Jae Jeong , Kang Kyung Ho , Lee Sung Yong
Published: September 2015

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a rare tumor associated with asbestos exposure. It typically presents as thickening or nodularity of the pleura, although it can also originate from other sites consisting of mesothelia and have manifestations other than thickening or nodularity. Several studies have implied that these different manifestations are associated with a different tumor biology. We report the case of a 54‐year‐old man with multiple fungating masses diagnosed as MM on histological examination.
Evaluation of bronchoscopic lung volume reduction coil treatment results in patients with severe emphysema
Authors: Gulsen Askin , Sever Fidan , Girgin Pelin , Tamci Necdet Batuhan , Yilmaz Hatice
Published: September 2015

Introduction

Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction coil (BLVR‐C) implantation is an alternative therapeutic approach that can be applied together with medical treatment for patients with severe emphysema. BLVR‐C is both easier and safer in terms of complications than volume reduction surgery. This study aimed to evaluate medium‐term outcomes following BLVR‐C treatment.

Methods

Forty patients who underwent BLVR‐C between September 2013 and March 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. We compared changes between the baseline and 6‐month post‐procedural results with respect to pulmonary function tests, a 6‐min walk test (6MWT), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test (CAT), St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and arterial blood gas analyses. Secondary outcomes included procedure‐related and follow‐up complications.

Results

An average of 9.5 (range: 5–11) coils were placed per lung in an average procedural duration of 20.8 ± 7.0 min (range: 9–45) min. Six months after BLVR‐C treatment, significant improvements were observed in patients’ pulmonary function tests and quality of life. Changes were observed in the forced exhalation volume in 1 s (+150 mL), residual volume (−14.5%), 6MWT (+48 m), SGRQ (−10.5) and CAT Score (−7.5). Changes in the PAP and partial pressure of carbon dioxide values were not significant, and pneumothorax did not occur. In a 6‐month follow‐up, 11 cases of COPD exacerbation (41.4%), 7 cases of pneumonia (16.9%) and 1 death (2%) occurred. Treatment in 1 case was postponed because of hypotension and bradycardia during the process.

Conclusion

BLVR‐C treatment appears to be effective over the medium‐term and safe for patients with severe emphysema.
A Community–Academic Partnered Grant Writing Series to Build Infrastructure for Partnered Research
Authors: King Keyonna M. , Pardo Yvette‐Janine , Norris Keith C. , Diaz‐Romero Maria , Morris D'Ann , Vassar Stefanie D. , Brown Arleen F.
Published: September 2015

Grant writing is an essential skill necessary to secure financial support for community programs and research projects. Increasingly, funding opportunities for translational biomedical research require studies to engage community partners, patients, or other stakeholders in the research process to address their concerns. However, there is little evidence on strategies to prepare teams of academic and community partners to collaborate on grants. This paper presents the description and formative evaluation of a two‐part community–academic partnered grant writing series designed to help community organizations and academic institutions build infrastructure for collaborative research projects using a partnered approach. The first phase of the series was a half‐day workshop on grant readiness, which was open to all interested community partners. The second phase, open only to community–academic teams that met eligibility criteria, was a 12‐week session that covered partnered grant writing for foundation grants and National Institutes of Health grants. Participants in both phases reported an increase in knowledge and self‐efficacy for writing partnered proposals. At 1‐year follow‐up, participants in Phase 2 had secured approximately $1.87 million in funding. This community–academic partnered grant writing series helped participants obtain proposal development skills and helped community–academic teams successfully compete for funding.
Teaching Translational Research to Medical Students: The New York University School of Medicine's Master's of Science in Clinical Investigation Dual‐Degree Program
Authors: Gillman Jennifer , Pillinger Michael , Plottel Claudia S. , Galeano Claudia , Maddalo Scott , Hochman Judith S. , Cronstein Bruce N. , Gold‐von Simson Gabrielle
Published: September 2015

To develop the next generation of translational investigators, New York University School of Medicine (NYUSOM) and the NYU‐NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation Clinical and Translational Science Institute (NYU‐HHC CTSI) developed the Master's of Science in Clinical Investigation dual‐degree (MD/MSCI) program. This 5‐year program dedicates 1 year to coursework and biomedical research, followed by a medical school/research overlap year, to prepare students for academic research careers. This paper details the MD/MSCI program's curriculum and approach to mentorship, describes the research/professional interests of students, and reports student productivity. In the first 4 years of the program (2010–2014) 20 students were matriculated; 7 (35%) were women, and 12 (60%) research projects were in surgical specialties. To date, 14 students have applied to residency, and half pursued surgical residency programs. Our students have produced 68 accepted abstracts, 15 abstracts in submission, 38 accepted papers, and 24 papers in submission. Despite the time‐limited nature of this program, additional training in research design and implementation has promoted a high level of productivity. We conclude that dual‐degree training in medicine and translational research is feasible for medical students and allows for meaningful participation in valuable projects. Follow‐up is warranted to evaluate the academic trajectory of these students.
Substituting cannabis for prescription drugs, alcohol and other substances among medical cannabis patients: The impact of contextual factors
Authors: Lucas Philippe , Walsh Zach , Crosby Kim , Callaway Robert , Belle‐Isle Lynne , Kay Robert , Capler Rielle , Holtzman Susan
Published: September 2015

Introduction and Aims

Recent years have witnessed increased attention to how cannabis use impacts the use of other psychoactive substances. The present study examines the use of cannabis as a substitute for alcohol, illicit substances and prescription drugs among 473 adults who use cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

Design and Methods

The Cannabis Access for Medical Purposes Survey is a 414‐question cross‐sectional survey that was available to Canadian medical cannabis patients online and by hard copy in 2011 and 2012 to gather information on patient demographics, medical conditions and symptoms, patterns of medical cannabis use, cannabis substitution and barriers to access to medical cannabis.

Results

Substituting cannabis for one or more of alcohol, illicit drugs or prescription drugs was reported by 87% (n = 410) of respondents, with 80.3% reporting substitution for prescription drugs, 51.7% for alcohol, and 32.6% for illicit substances. Respondents who reported substituting cannabis for prescription drugs were more likely to report difficulty affording sufficient quantities of cannabis, and patients under 40 years of age were more likely to substitute cannabis for all three classes of substance than older patients.

Discussion and Conclusions

The finding that cannabis was substituted for all three classes of substances suggests that the medical use of cannabis may play a harm reduction role in the context of use of these substances, and may have implications for abstinence‐based substance use treatment approaches. Further research should seek to differentiate between biomedical substitution for prescription pharmaceuticals and psychoactive drug substitution, and to elucidate the mechanisms behind both. [Lucas P, Walsh Z, Crosby K, Callaway R, Belle‐Isle L, Kay B, Capler R, Holtzman S. Substituting cannabis for prescription drugs, alcohol, and other substances among medical cannabis patients: The impact of contextual factors. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:326–333]
Examining Pathways from Innovation Orientation to Patient Satisfaction: A Relational View of Healthcare Delivery*
Authors: Dobrzykowski David D. , Callaway Stephen K. , Vonderembse Mark A.
Published: September 2015

The federal government and industry leaders view innovation as a potentially fruitful way to improve hospital performance, specifically patient satisfaction. However, translating a hospital's innovation orientation into improved performance is challenging given that important network participants—namely physicians—may possess different aims. Grounded in Relational RBV, this study tests a model linking innovation orientation to patient satisfaction through a pathway of knowledge‐sharing routines (physician partnering and customer relationship management) and complementary capabilities (hospital responsiveness). Further, this study investigates the moderating role of physician employment (a form of governance) by examining hospitals with high and low levels of employed physicians. Structural Equation Modeling results from a paired sample of primary survey and secondary data from 173 acute care hospitals in the USA reveal the following. Hospitals with high levels of employed physicians translate innovation orientation into patient satisfaction by using customer relationship management (CRM) programs to influence hospital responsiveness directly, ultimately leading to patient satisfaction. Hospitals with low levels of physician employment use CRM programs in a fully mediated fashion to inform physician partnering activities, which influence hospital responsiveness, driving patient satisfaction.
Genomics in early infantile epileptic encephalopathies – trials and tribulations
Authors: Parker Alasdair
Published: September 2015

This commentary is on the case report by Cellini et al. on pages 93–97 of this issue.
Household Debt and Fiscal Multipliers
Authors: Andrés J. , Boscá J. E. , Ferri J.
Published: September 2015

We study the size of government spending multipliers in a general equilibrium model with search and matching frictions in which we allow for different levels of household indebtedness. The main results are: (a) the presence of impatient households and private debt helps to generate government spending multipliers greater than 1; (b) as financial conditions worsen, the size of the government spending multiplier falls; (c) conversely, employment, vacancies and unemployment multipliers are larger in a credit crunch; (d) the model explains the observed pattern of responses of labour market variables, housing prices and private debt to a fiscal shock reasonably well.
Nipponaphis species (Aphididae: Hormaphidinae) that form green galls on Distylium racemosum in Japan
Authors: Aoki Shigeyuki , Kutsukake Mayako , Kurosu Utako , Yeh Hsin‐Ting , Sano Masakazu , Fukatsu Takema
Published: September 2015

Some species of the aphid genus Nipponaphis (Nipponaphidini) form green, globular or fig‐shaped galls on the evergreen Distylium racemosum, their primary host. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of aphid samples collected from both their galls and secondary hosts indicated the occurrence of four species in Japan: N. distychii, N. distyliicola, N. loochooensis and N. machilicola. The four species could also be discriminated from one another in morphology. The name N. litseae turned out to be a junior synonym of N. distychii. Galls formed by N. machilicola are reported for the first time in this paper. The life cycles of the four species are briefly reviewed.
Maturation of 6S regulatory RNA to a highly elongated structure
Authors: Fadouloglou Vasiliki E. , Lin Hong‐Tin V. , Tria Giancarlo , Hernández Helena , Robinson Carol V. , Svergun Dmitri I. , Luisi Ben F.
Published: September 2015

As bacterial populations leave the exponential growth phase and enter the stationary phase, their patterns of gene expression undergo marked changes. A key effector of this change is 6S RNA, which is a highly conserved regulatory RNA that impedes the transcription of genes associated with exponential growth by forming an inactivating ternary complex with RNA polymerase and sigma factor σ70 (σ70–RNAP). In Escherichia coli, the endoribonuclease RNase E generates 6S RNA by specific cleavage of a precursor that is nearly twice the size of the 58 kDa mature form. We have explored recognition of the precursor by RNase E, and observed that processing is inhibited under conditions of excess substrate. This finding supports a largely distributive mechanism, meaning that each round of catalysis results in enzyme dissociation and re‐binding to the substrate. We show that the precursor molecule and the mature 6S share a structural core dominated by an A‐type helix, indicating that processing is not accompanied by extensive refolding. Both precursor and mature forms of 6S have a highly stable secondary structure, adopt an elongated shape, and show the potential to form dimers under specific conditions; nonetheless, 6S has a high structural plasticity that probably enables it to be structurally adapted upon binding to its cognate protein partners. Analysis of the 6S‐σ70–RNAP complex by native mass spectrometry reveals a stable association with a stoichiometry of 1 : 1 : 1. A theoretical 3D model of mature 6S is presented, which is consistent with the experimental data and supports a previously proposed structure with a small stem‐loop inside the central bubble.
Why do we lose protected areas? Factors influencing protected area downgrading, downsizing and degazettement in the tropics and subtropics
Authors: Symes William S. , Rao Madhu , Mascia Michael B. , Carrasco L. Roman
Published: September 2015

Protected areas (PAs) are an essential tool for the conservation of biodiversity globally. Previous studies have focussed on the effectiveness of PAs and the design of optimal PA networks. However, not all PAs remain intact permanently; many PAs undergo downgrading, downsizing and/or degazettement (PADDD), a fact largely ignored until recently. The drivers of enacted PADDD events and the factors influencing its spatial occurrence are poorly understood, potentially undermining the efficacy of PAs and PA networks. Here we examine the spatial relationship between PADDD and economic, demographic and structural variables, using a 110‐year data set of 342 enacted PADDD events across 44 countries in the tropics and subtropics. We find that the probability of an enacted PADDD event increases with the size of the PA and through a synergistic interaction between PA size and local population densities. Our results are robust to the under‐reporting of enacted PADDD events that occur among smaller PAs and in regions with lower population density. We find an economic motive for PADDD events, given that the opportunity costs associated with larger PAs are higher, on average, than smaller PAs. Our findings suggest a need for conservation practitioners to better consider PA characteristics, as well as the social, economic and political context in which PAs are situated, to aid the creation of more efficient and sustainable PA networks. In particular, the dynamics of enacted PADDD events highlight the need to explicitly consider PA robustness as a core component of systematic conservation planning for PA networks.
Biotic homogenization of three insect groups due to urbanization
Authors: Knop Eva
Published: September 2015

Cities are growing rapidly, thereby expected to cause a large‐scale global biotic homogenization. Evidence for the homogenization hypothesis is mostly derived from plants and birds, whereas arthropods have so far been neglected. Here, I tested the homogenization hypothesis with three insect indicator groups, namely true bugs, leafhoppers, and beetles. In particular, I was interested whether insect species community composition differs between urban and rural areas, whether they are more similar between cities than between rural areas, and whether the found pattern is explained by true species turnover, species diversity gradients and geographic distance, by non‐native or specialist species, respectively. I analyzed insect species communities sampled on birch trees in a total of six Swiss cities and six rural areas nearby. In all indicator groups, urban and rural community composition was significantly dissimilar due to native species turnover. Further, for bug and leafhopper communities, I found evidence for large‐scale homogenization due to urbanization, which was driven by reduced species turnover of specialist species in cities. Species turnover of beetle communities was similar between cities and rural areas. Interestingly, when specialist species of beetles were excluded from the analyses, cities were more dissimilar than rural areas, suggesting biotic differentiation of beetle communities in cities. Non‐native species did not affect species turnover of the insect groups. However, given non‐native arthropod species are increasing rapidly, their homogenizing effect might be detected more often in future. Overall, the results show that urbanization has a negative large‐scale impact on the diversity specialist species of the investigated insect groups. Specific measures in cities targeted at increasing the persistence of specialist species typical for the respective biogeographic region could help to stop the loss of biodiversity.
Visceral fat enhances blood pressure reactivity to physical but not mental challenges in male adolescents
Authors: Van Woudenberg M. , Abrahamowicz M. , Leonard G. , Perron M. , Richer L. , Veillette S. , Gaudet D. , Paus T. , Pausova Z.
Published: September 2015

Background

Excess visceral fat is a major risk factor for hypertension. Enhanced blood pressure (BP) reactivity and delayed BP recovery from physical and mental challenges predict future hypertension.

Objectives

Determine whether visceral fat is associated with higher BP reactivity and delayed BP recovery from physical and mental challenges during adolescence.

Methods

In a community‐based sample of 283 male and 308 female adolescents, we measured visceral fat with magnetic resonance imaging, total body fat with bioimpedance, and beat‐by‐beat BP with a Finometer at rest and during physical (10‐min standing) and mental (2‐min math stress) challenges.

Results

Males vs. females showed greater BP reactivity and no differences in BP recovery from either type of challenges. Visceral fat was positively associated with BP reactivity to standing up only and in males only (+8.4 ± 3.6 mmHg per 1 log cm3 of visceral fat, P = 0.008), and this association was independent of total body fat. No association was seen between visceral fat and BP recovery from either type of challenge in either sex. All these associations were independent of age, puberty stage, height and initial BP.

Conclusions

Adolescent males vs. females demonstrate greater BP reactivity but similar BP recovery from physical and mental challenges. Excess visceral fat enhances BP reactivity to physical but not mental challenges in males only.
Integrative review of benefit levers’ characteristics for system‐wide spread of best healthcare practices
Authors: ten Ham Wilma , Minnie Karin , van der Walt Christa
Published: September 2015

Aim

To critically analyse the characteristics of the benefit levers that are required for effective system‐wide spread of evidence‐based practice.

Background

Evidence‐based nursing practice is the cornerstone of quality patient care and merits system‐wide implementation. Achieving system‐wide spread of evidence‐based innovations requires adoption of four benefit levers (the facilitators for spreading innovations), conceptualized by Edwards and Grinspun: alignment, leadership for change, permeation plans and supporting and reinforcing structures. Although these concepts have been explored and described in primary studies, they were only recently identified as benefit levers and their characteristics have not been reviewed in the context of health care using an integrative literature review.

Design

An integrative literature review using an adapted Whittemore and Knafl design.

Data sources

A comprehensive search using multiple sites such as Scopus, EBSCOhost, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Nexus, SAePublications, Sabinet, Google Scholar and grey literature was conducted (January‐March 2012) and updated (December 2014). After reading the abstracts, titles and full‐text articles, forty (N = 40) research and non‐research documents met the inclusion criteria.

Review methods

Thirty‐five documents remained after critical appraisal. A systematic approach was used to analyse and synthesize the data and formulate concluding statements.

Results

Data revealed characteristics about alignment (personal, organizational and contextual attributes), permeation plans (phases), leadership for change (types, strategies, position, attitude and support) and supporting and reinforcing structures (types and requirements).

Conclusion

Benefit levers should be used to promote the spread of evidence‐based practices. However, more studies concerning benefit levers, specifically regarding ‘alignment’ and ‘permeation plans’, are required to promote system‐wide spread of best healthcare practices.