bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns and trends in engineering education in sustainability
Authors: Tejedor Gemma , Rosas-Casals Martí , Segalas Jordi
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to identify patterns and trends taking place in engineering education in sustainability, through analyzing the evolution of research conducted in relevant publications in the field of engineering education for sustainability in the past decades.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a bibliometric approach has been applied, adopting a co-word analysis based on co-occurrence of the keywords (300 items) in articles from three indexed journals related to engineering, education or sustainability. The selection of the articles has been based on the appearance of the previous three terms in the topic and title fields of the journal, where journal scope (based in the categories of the InCites Journal Citation Reports) covered at least two topics, and the third topic was applied in the search, as follows: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education – Scope of the journal: sustainability and education, Keyword search: engineering (20 papers); Journal of Cleaner Production – Scope of the journal: sustainability and engineering, Keyword search: education (122 papers); International Journal of Engineering Education – Scope of the journal: engineering and education, Keyword search: sustainability (29 papers); Second, to identify topological patterns and their evolution, a structural and temporal analysis of the network of keywords and a categorization of the keywords in thematic clusters (named categories) have been performed.

Findings

The most relevant categories in terms of corresponding number of keywords, even though these have decreased in recent years, are those related with institutional and policy aspects to embedding or applying sustainability in higher education. At the same time, categories related to the professional development of faculty members, implementation and use of learning strategies (i.e. real-world learning experiences, educational innovative initiatives/tools/techniques) and cross-boundary schemes (i.e. transdisciplinarity, ethics, networking, etc.) increase their relevance in the past five years, signaling some of the challenging fields of interest in engineering higher education in sustainability in the near future.

Practical implications

Knowledge of the trends in devising sustainability education in engineering allows for designing curricular schemes and learning strategies to achieve competences, which are key factors for the change toward sustainability.

Originality/value

This research has a strong strategic value, as it indicates the focus of future research efforts and networking on some of the topics of greatest concern in engineering higher education for sustainability.
The effects of video game making within science content on student computational thinking skills and performance
Authors: Garneli Varvara , Chorianopoulos Konstantinos
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This study aims to explore the effects of an alternative learning environment, such as the video game making (VGM) within science content, on computational thinking (CT) skills development and student performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A didactic intervention was performed for five weeks. Two student groups were taught the same computational concepts in two ways. One group was taught by constructing a video game within science content to practice science and computing curriculum while the other group constructed appropriately designed projects to practice only the computing curriculum. Additionally, the students constructed a pretest project before the beginning of the intervention and a post-test project after its end. Results were based on quantitative and qualitative code analysis and interviews from the students.

Findings

VGM within science content resulted in projects with more CT skills and also supported students to effectively apply their acquired coding skills, after the end of the intervention.

Practical implications

The results of this study suggest an interdisciplinary environment, such as the VGM within science content, which can effectively support CT skills development and computing curriculum.

Originality/value

Although VGM has been successfully applied to teach science content, this study explored the potential influence of this learning environment on CT skills development and coding fluency. Such interdisciplinary educational environments could be applied in the typical school settings to promote a plethora of skills and academic contents.
Opportunities and challenges for NGOs amid competing institutional logics
Authors: Glazer Joshua L. , Groth Laura , Beuche Blair
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This paper considers the implications of reform efforts that rely on charter management organizations to assume operational control of underperforming neighborhood schools. The purpose of this paper is to examine the way in which changes to the education sector place enormous pressure on these organizations to both manage instruction and their social environments.

Design/methodology/approach

The research presents the results from a longitudinal case study of two organizations operating within the Tennessee Achievement School District (ASD). Interviews, observations and document analysis provided insight into the perspectives of school operators, state officials and community leaders. The study design allowed researchers to observe the influence of the environment on school operators over a four-year period.

Findings

Results show that the environment that included a muscular state, market pressures, NGOs and local communities placed an extreme and contradictory set of demands on organizations operating schools, pressing them to develop robust systems of instruction, leadership and teacher development while actively working to ensure social legitimacy in the community. Neither a national network nor a small local startup began with a strategy aligned to these environmental demands, and both needed to make substantial revisions.

Research limitations/implications

Research into contemporary educational reform should account for rapidly evolving environments that feature a complex mix of resources and incentives. Careful examination of the consequences of these environments for educational organizations will further our understanding of how markets, communities and governments are shaping the education sector.

Practical implications

The extraordinary challenges that confront organizations that operate in crowded and contested environments preclude fast or dramatic results. Policymakers and the public should assume an incremental process of organizational learning and improvement. Setting unrealistic expectations and focusing exclusively on impact risks delegitimizing organizations and policy initiatives before they have time to adapt.

Originality/value

This research reported here is among the few studies that have explored the experiences and implications of NGOs that have attempted to assume operational control of underperforming neighborhood schools. The popularity of this approach among a growing number of states highlights the importance of this topic.
The role of downward assets volatility in assessing the book-value distance to default
Authors: Coccorese Paolo , Santucci Laura
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the different definitions of “book-value distance to default” (BVDD) to assess whether using downward assets volatility provides some advantage to the index performance or produces adverse impacts on its effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Our BVDD is a modification of the Merton’s “distance to default” and relies on accounting data only. A survival analysis is conducted by estimating a Cox semiparametric hazard model where the BVDD is built as a function of a parameterθ, which indicates the percentage of upward assets volatility incorporated in its calculation so as to compare its success in predicting banks’ distress over different levels ofθ. The investigation is performed on panel data regarding 866 Italian banks over 21 years.

Findings

Results show that while the “pure” downward assets volatility does not catch all the nuances of risk, a small portion of upward deviation allows to notably increase the probability of identifying a distressed bank beforehand.

Originality/value

This study adds to the literature by providing two main contributions. First, it confirms that the BVDD is a reliable measure, being able to predict whether a bank is going to face distress. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to appraise BVDD’s accuracy as an index for banks’ soundness through a rigorous econometric experiment. Second, some important insights regarding the Italian banking system may be inferred: larger well-capitalized banks seem to be less likely to fail, whereas credit institutions with higher loans-to-assets ratios are found to be riskier.
The effect of symmetric and asymmetric information on volatility structure of crypto-currency markets
Authors: Othman Anwar Hasan Abdullah , Alhabshi Syed Musa , Haron Razali
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether the crypto-currencies’ market returns are symmetric or asymmetric informative, through analysing the daily logarithmic returns of bitcoin currency over the period of 2011-2017.

Design/methodology/approach

In doing so, the symmetric informative analysis is estimated by applying the generalised auto-regressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) (1,1) model, whereas asymmetric informative or leverage effects analysis is estimated by exponential GARCH (1,1), asymmetric power ARCH (1,1) and threshold GARCH (1,1) models. In addition, the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity in mean (GARCH-M (1,1)) was applied to examine whether the risk-return trade-off phenomenon was persistent in crypto-currencies market.

Findings

The main findings indicate that bitcoin market return or volatility is symmetric informative and has a long memory to persist in the future. Furthermore, the sympatric volatility is found to be more sensitive to its past values (lagged) than to the new shock of the market values. However, asymmetric informative response of volatility to the negative and the positive shocks do not exist in the bitcoin market or, in other words, there is no leverage effect. This suggests that the bitcoin market is in harmony with the efficient market hypothesis (EMH) with respect to the asymmetric information and violated the EMH with regard to the symmetric information. Hence, the market price or return of bitcoin currency could not be predicted by simply exercising such past market information in the short-run investment. In addition, the estimated coefficient of conditional variance or risk premium (λ) in the mean equation of CHARCH–M (1,1) model is positive however, statistically insignificant. This indicates the absence of risk-return trade-off, in which case the higher market risk will not essentially lead to higher market returns. This paper has proposed that an investment in the crypto-currency market is more appropriate for risk-averse investors than risk takers.

Originality/value

The findings of the study will provide investors with necessary information about the bitcoin market price efficiency, hedging effectiveness and risk management.
Consequences of supervisor self-interested behavior: a moderated mediation
Authors: Mao Jih-Yu , Zhang Ye , Chen Lifan , Liu Xin
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the negative consequences of employee perceptions of supervisor self-interested behavior (SIB). Using social exchange theory, the authors argue that perceived supervisor SIB reduces affective commitment to the supervisor (ACS), which in turn fosters employees’ negative reciprocal behavior in the form of counterproductive work behavior – interpersonal (CWBI) and counterproductive work behavior – organizational (CWBO). In addition, the authors identify employee power distance orientation (PDO) as an important contingent factor that influences the indirect effects.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a final sample of 441 employees from 146 workgroups across 6 firms in China, the hypotheses are tested using multilevel path analysis to account for the nesting effects.

Findings

Perceived supervisor SIB is negatively related to ACS, which in turn is related to employee CWBI and CWBO. Furthermore, employee PDO moderates the indirect effects of perceived supervisor SIB on employee CWBI and CWBO through decreased ACS. Specifically, when employee PDO is low, the indirect effects on employee CWBI and CWBO are stronger.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to investigate the influence of employee perceptions of supervisor SIB on negative employee behavior in the workplace. Furthermore, it furthers our understanding of how negative exchange can stimulate negative reciprocal behavior, which is a relatively underexplored area. Another strength of this paper is the multi-time survey design and the adoption of multilevel path analysis.
The generalizability of transformational leadership across cultures: a meta-analysis
Authors: Crede Marcus , Jong Jaehee , Harms Peter
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the effectiveness of transformational leadership behaviors are moderated by a country’s cultural values and cultural practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors describe a meta-analytic review of the relationship between transformational leadership and employee performance (task performance and OCBs) using data from over 57,000 individuals, 215 samples and 34 countries. The authors examine whether this relationship is moderated by the cultural values and practices of the country in which the study was located – after first controlling for methodological factors.

Findings

The authors find that cultural values and practices moderate the transformational leadership – employee performance relationship such that the relationship is much stronger in countries whose culture is incongruent with transformational leadership.

Research limitations/implications

Data were only available for 34 countries and it is unclear what role industry type and job type play in determining transformational leadership effectiveness or if these situational variables are confounded with culture. The findings call into question the generalizability of transformational leadership across countries and cultures.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that the value of transformational leadership behaviors may be limited in developed economies such as Western Europe and North America, while transformational leadership is most effective in Africa, the Middle East, South America and parts of Southeast Asia.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to examine the generalizability of transformational leadership across 34 countries and is by far the largest review ever conducted into the relationship between transformational leadership and subordinate performance.
Corporate social responsibility and financial stability: evidence from the Troubled Asset Relief Program
Authors: Cooper Elizabeth , Henderson Christopher , Kish Andrew
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the banking industry using Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) as an experimental backdrop.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors match banks that received TARP with CSR data on publicly available firms. Using this data set, the authors are able to perform both univariate and multivariate analyses to determine the impact of CSR on bank management behavior.

Findings

The authors find evidence that supports stakeholder theory as applied to a sample of large financial institutions. The authors show that banks increased their CSR involvement and intensity following TARP, evidence that CSR is not merely transitory in nature but structural and an important aspect of firm value. The authors also find that capital ratios increase to a greater degree in banks whose CSR ratings were stronger prior to TARP. Finally, while all banks in the sample repaid Treasury, it took strong CSR banks a longer time to repay than banks with weaker CSR. The authors show how CEO compensation played a role in this relationship.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are limited to large banks.

Practical implications

Practically speaking, this study helps to discern the motivations and actions of large financial institutions. This is especially important from a regulator perspective, whose function is to maintain overall national financial stability.

Originality/value

This is the first study to link TARP and CSR literatures. Overall, there are a limited number of studies on CSR in the banking industry, and this paper adds to this burgeoning area. It is important and valuable to managers and policymakers to understand implications of CSR in the financial sector.
Role of affect in marketplace rumor propagation
Authors: Sudhir Subin , Unnithan Anandakuttan B.
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Rumors about products and brands are common occurrence in the marketplace. Often these rumors are shared among consumers using the word of mouth channel. The spread of these rumors is fast and can lead to significant consequences to products and brands. The purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamics of such rumor sharing behavior among consumers. Specifically, this paper investigates the role of positive affect and negative affect in rumor sharing behavior. Three key rumor characteristics (valence, involvement and credibility) are explored as antecedents to positive affect and negative affect.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper collects data from 236 respondents using Amazon MTurk, and conducts a PLS–SEM analysis to explore the role of positive affect and negative affect in rumor sharing contexts.

Findings

Both positive affect and negative affect were found to be significant factors leading to rumor sharing, furthermore positive affect was found to have a stronger influence on rumor sharing as compared to negative affect. The study also delineates the role of valence, involvement and credibility in rumor sharing scenarios, all of which have a strong role in shaping positive affect and negative affect.

Originality/value

The study is novel in using cognitive appraisal theory to illustrate the formation of positive affect and negative affect in rumor encounters. The study conclusively illustrates the role of cognitive appraisal and emotional experiences in the rumor propagation context, and advances the marketing scholarship’s understanding significantly.
Enabling control in a radically decentralized organization
Authors: O’Grady Winnie
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to consider the enabling and coercive features of formal control in non-hierarchical settings and the factors influencing perceptions of controls.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a qualitative case study of a single organization. Data are collected via semi-structured interviews, a range of published materials and a management presentation. Analysis considered the features of coercive and enabling control at the level of individual controls.

Findings

In this highly decentralized organization, internal and global transparency predominate and help managers respond to contingencies in flexible ways. Managers cannot repair certain elements of controls to ensure there is stability in an otherwise flexible system. The existence (absence) of enabling features combined with the type of controls (e.g. action or results controls) lacking enabling features influence managers’ perceptions of control.

Research limitations/implications

Few studies have considered formal controls in non-hierarchical organizations. The findings reveal the importance of minimally coercive control features in creating a stable structure for controlling performance. The findings may not be relevant to other hierarchical organizations.

Originality/value

The study is conducted in a highly decentralized context where managers have extensive autonomy (flexibility). The context allows the role of minimally coercive control features to be explored in an essentially enabling organizational setting.
Evaluation of influenza vaccine‐induced cell‐mediated immunity: Comparison between methods using peripheral blood mononuclear cells and whole blood
Authors: Otani Naruhito , Shima Masayuki , Ueda Takashi , Ichiki Kaoru , Nakajima Kazuhiko , Takesue Yoshio , Okuno Toshiomi
Published: May 2019

Assessment of cell‐mediated immunity (CMI) may be critical to evaluating the ability of individuals to protect themselves against influenza virus infection. However, it has been difficult to evaluate CMI because no simple means of measuring it is currently available. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of a CMI measurement method developed by us, which involves reacting whole blood with antigen, with the conventional method, which is based on isolating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Correlations between these methods before and after vaccination of 26 healthy adults (aged 28–58 years; 12 men and 14 women) were assessed and changes in CMI after influenza vaccination in PBMCs cultured with antigen for 48 and 96 hr and whole blood cultured with antigen for 48 hr were studied. Results of CMI measurement using whole blood on Day 2 and PBMCs on Day 4 were found to be correlated. Spearman's correlation coefficients with four antigens (A [H1N1], A [H3N2], B [Yamagata lineage], and B [Victoria lineage]) before vaccination were 0.55, 0.61, 0.58, and 0.70, respectively and 0.40, 0.45, 0.62, and 0.52, respectively, after vaccination. CMI was detected sooner when whole blood was reacted with antigen than when PBMCs were reacted with antigen. The rate of positive reaction of influenza A (H1N1 and H3N2) in whole blood on Day 2 was higher than that in PBMCs on Day 2. Our method is simple and may be useful for vaccine development because it can measure CMI in a small amount of blood without separating off PBMCs.
Air pollution as an experimental probe of insect population dynamics
Authors: Liebhold Andrew M.
Published: May 2019

In Focus: Hunter, M. D., & Kozlov, M. V. (2019) . Journal of Animal Ecology, 88, 665–676.

Teasing apart the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors affecting animal population dynamics is a difficult task when based solely on the analysis of natural populations. Experimental manipulations of systems using microcosm studies can be powerful tools for probing such interactions, but microcosms are ultimately limited by their lack of complexity compared with nature. Hunter and Kozlov (2019) take a novel field‐based experimental approach to studying abiotic influences on biotic interactions by quantifying how the presence of a pollutant source alters biotic processes driving populations of a forest leaf miner. They find that populations in proximity to a pollutant source show weaker direct density dependence and stronger delayed density dependence than more distant populations unaffected by pollution. These differences in density dependence cause higher equilibrium densities near the pollution source but surprisingly they do not alter leaf miner oscillatory dynamics. This creative study provides useful insight into how abiotic forces alter biotic population processes and how density dependence shapes the spatial dynamics of animal populations.
Meanings and Misunderstandings: A Social Determinants of Health Lexicon for Health Care Systems
Authors: ALDERWICK HUGH , GOTTLIEB LAURA M.
Published: May 2019

Policy Points

Health care systems and policymakers in the United States increasingly use language related to social determinants of health in their strategies to improve health and control costs, but the terms used are often misunderstood, conflated, and confused.

Greater clarity on key terms and the concepts underlying them could advance policies and practices related to social determinants of health—including by defining appropriate roles and limits of the health care sector in this multisector field.
Identification of a PP2A gene in Bombyx mori with antiviral function against B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus
Authors: Hu Zhi‐Gang , Dong Zhan‐Qi , Dong Fei‐Fan , Zhu Yan , Chen Peng , Lu Cheng , Pan Min‐Hui
Published: May 2019

Ser/Thr protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is one of the type 2 protein phosphatases, which is required for many intracellular physiological processes and pathogen infection. However, the function of PP2A is unclear in silkworm, Bombyx mori. Here, we cloned and identified BmPP2A, a PP2A gene from B. mori, which has two HEAT domains and a high similarity to PP2A from other organisms. Our results showed that BmPP2A is localized in the cytoplasm and highly expressed in silkworm epidermis and midgut, and that Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection induces down‐regulation of BmPP2A expression. Furthermore, up‐regulation of BmPP2A via overexpression significantly inhibited BmNPV multiplication. In contrast, down‐regulation of BmPP2A via RNA interference and okadaic acid (a PP2A inhibitor) treatment allowed robust BmNPV replication. This is the first report of PP2A having an antiviral effect in silkworm and provides insights into the function of BmPP2A, a potential anti‐BmNPV mechanism, and a possible target for the breeding of silkworm‐resistant strains.
Controlled Release Mechanism and Antibacterial Effect of Layer‐By‐Layer Self‐Assembly Thyme Oil Microcapsule
Authors: Zhang Zhao , Zhang Shanshan , Su Rongrong , Xiong Die , Feng Wu , Chen Jiaping
Published: May 2019

Thyme essential oil‐loaded microcapsules (TMS) were fabricated using natural polysaccharide chitosan (CS) and sodium alginate (SA) as the shell material via the method of layer‐by‐layer (LBL) assembly. The accumulated release rates of thyme oil and microcapsules at 4 °C were 42.50% and 10.16%, respectively. After heating at 100 °C for 5 hr, the release rate of the 0, 2, 4, 6 layers assembled microcapsules were 100%, 48.84%, 28.38%, 19.3%, severally. Microcapsules also had good pH sensitivity in the range of 4 to 10. Antimicrobial function studies showed that the microcapsules are more effective than thyme oil for three tested microorganisms. When the temperature rose from 37 °C to 121 °C, the antibacterial zone of thyme oil gradually decreased from 18.5 ± 0.6 mm to 12.3 ± 0.6 mm, although inhibition rate of microcapsules increased from 87.97% to 99.75%. The antibacterial effect of thyme oil declined with the increase of pH, in terms of microcapsules, the efficiency was better under acidic or alkaline conditions. The thyme oil microcapsules can suppress the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in milk and prolong its shelf life. It was determined that this microcapsule could be a potential alternative as a natural antimicrobial agent in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Practical Application

This work provided release performance and mechanism of layer‐by‐layer (LBL) thyme oil microcapsule under different conditions, and further studies showed its antibacterial ability to explore how herb essential oils can be potentially applied in food packaging and antibacterial areas.
A reliable detachable balloon that prevents abdominal cavity contamination during transrectal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery
Authors: Du Bing , Fan Yu Jing , Zhao Li Xia , Geng Xin Yu , Li De Liang , Wu Xiu Wen , Zhang De Kai , Liu Bing Rong
Published: May 2019

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a detachable endoluminal balloon in the prevention of abdominal cavity contamination during transrectal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES).

Methods

The efficacy and safety of a detachable endoluminal balloon to maintain disinfection in the distal colon of the pigs were evaluated. The bacterial loads and colonic cleanliness were monitored. Additionally, the device was applied to another nine pigs that underwent a cholecystotomy by transrectal NOTES. Necropsy and pathological examination were performed after 28‐day follow‐up.

Results

All animals exposed to the device and one of the seven pigs not exposed to the device scored three points on the bowel cleanliness scale (P < 0.001). After 30 min bacterial loads of the test (with balloon occlusion) and control (without balloon occlusion) groups showed a significant difference (0.8 × 103 CFU/mL vs 186.8 × 103 CFU/mL, P < 0.01). Cholecystotomy by transrectal NOTES with the device was successfully performed. The mean intraperitoneal procedure time was 102.9 ± 37.7 min. There were no procedure‐related adverse events. During the follow‐up, all animals presented normal behavior and appetite. No peritoneal infection or adhesion was detected at autopsy. Cholecystotomy and rectal incision were histologically healed and no histological abnormalities were detected in the colon related to balloon placement.

Conclusions

The detachable balloon provides a reliable solution for preventing peritoneal contamination during transluminal operations. The technique may assist in future transrectal NOTES.
MicroRNA‐195 suppresses the progression of lung adenocarcinoma by directly targeting apelin
Authors: Zhou Yongchun , Zhao Ming , Du Yaxi , Liu Yajie , Zhao Guangqiang , Ye Lianhua , Li Quan , Li Hongsheng , Wang Xiaoxiong , Liu Xin , Guo Yinjin , Liu Junxi , Huang Yunchao
Published: May 2019

Background

Apelin plays an important role in many types of tumors. We aimed to identify the effects of miR‐195 on inhibiting apelin and clarify the regulating mechanism of miR‐195‐apelin in lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Methods

We detected the expression levels of apelin and miR‐195 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and lung cancer cell lines using Western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription PCR assay, respectively. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the target gene of miR‐195. The effects of miR‐195 and apelin on the proliferation and cell cycle of lung adenocarcinoma cells were assessed by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and colony formation assays, and flow cytometry. Wound‐healing and transwell invasion experiments were employed to examine cellular migration and invasion. A tumor xenograft model was then used to investigate the role of miR‐195 on tumor growth in vivo.

Results

The expression level of apelin and miR‐195 showed an inverse correlation in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines. Luciferase reporter assay suggested that miR‐195 directly targets apelin messenger RNA. Overexpression of miR‐195 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Further analysis revealed that apelin is one of the functional target genes of miR‐195, and the overexpression of apelin efficiently inhibits the promotion of cell proliferation and invasion mediated by miR‐195 mimics in lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Conclusions

Our data constitute evidence that miR‐195 inhibits lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation and invasion though targeting apelin and provides novel insight into the mechanism underlying the development of lung adenocarcinoma.
Saturday allied health services for geriatric evaluation and management: A controlled before‐and‐after trial
Authors: Taylor Nicholas F. , Lawler Katherine , Brusco Natasha K. , Peiris Casey L. , Harding Katherine E. , Scroggie Grant D. , Boyd Jude N. , Wilton Anita M. , Coker Freya , Ferraro John G. , Shields Nora
Published: May 2019

Objective

To assess the effect of Saturday allied health services on a geriatric evaluation and management ward.

Methods

A controlled before‐and‐after trial at two wards. Allied health services were added to usual weekday staffing on Saturdays for 6 months on the experimental ward. Length of stay, functional independence, readmissions, discharge destination and costs were evaluated at pre‐intervention (N = 331) and intervention (N = 462).

Results

Relative to the comparison ward, the experimental ward had longer length of stay (mean 7.8 days, 95% CI 4.7‐10.8), fewer readmissions (mean 3.1 days, 95% CI 0.6‐5.7) and no difference in the proportion discharged home. Cost‐effectiveness demonstrated no significant difference in cost ($2639, 95% CI $‐386 to $5647) and functional independence gain (3.6 units, 95% CI 0.8‐6.5) favouring the experimental ward.

Conclusion

These findings do not support the provision of additional Saturday allied health services in geriatric evaluation and management to reduce length of stay.
Help, I'm a specialist!—Perspectives of recently qualified geriatricians on the experiences and challenges of working as a consultant geriatrician
Authors: Simpkins Daniel Mark , Hohenberg Mark Ian , Naganathan Vasikaran , White Kate
Published: May 2019

Objective

To gain insights into the experience and challenges faced by Australasian geriatricians who have recently made the transition from advanced trainee to consultant.

Methods

An interpretative exploratory qualitative study. Geriatricians with five or less years of experience as consultants were recruited by email. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews, with themes identified through open axial coding.

Results

Respondents (n = 20) experienced a transition period in which they adjusted to the roles of final decision‐maker and manager. Respondents felt relatively confident with their clinical skills, but under‐prepared for non‐clinical roles associated with becoming a consultant. Most respondents described challenges with career planning. Support networks were considered critical.

Conclusions

This is the first study in Australasia exploring the transition from trainee to consultant geriatrician. Training programs should endeavour to create “consultant‐like roles” during advanced training and address non‐clinical competencies. Participants perceived that there should be more emphasis on career planning and mentorship.
Patterns of prostate‐specific antigen testing by remoteness of residence and socio‐economic status: An Australian population‐based study
Authors: Calopedos Ross J. S. , Bang Albert , Baade Peter , Yu Xue Q. , Ruthven Stephen , Patel Manish I. , Smith David P.
Published: May 2019

Objective

Describes the variation in prostate cancer testing by the remoteness of residence and socio‐economic status groups in Australia.

Design

A national population‐based descriptive study using Medicare data extracted by the Department of Health (formerly the Department of Health and Ageing).

Setting

Australia.

Participants

All men, with a Medicare‐reimbursed prostate‐specific antigen test conducted in Australia between 2002 and 2017, were included. We focused on “screening and case finding” tests (Medicare Benefits Schedule item number 66655) from 1 April 2005 to 31 December 2009, to describe testing differences in subgroups. Groups were categorised into State and Territory, socio‐economic status and region of residence. A negative binomial regression model was fitted to measure the incidence rate ratios of those who had a screening prostate‐specific antigen test by group.

Main outcome measures

Age‐standardised testing rates and incidence rate ratios.

Results

Between 2002 and 2017, 11 588 775 screening prostate‐specific antigen tests were reimbursed by the Department of Human Services. During 2005‐2009, 52% of all Australian men, aged 40 years and over, had a screening test. The incidence rate ratios differed by State and Territory. Men aged 40 years and over, living in very remote areas, were 43% less likely to have had a screening test than residents of major cities. Prostate‐specific antigen testing rates fell in all age groups between 2007 and 2009 and 2017.

Conclusions

The prostate‐specific antigen testing behaviour differs between community groups in Australia. Men were less likely to have had a screening prostate‐specific antigen test the farther they lived from the major cities. This highlights the need for a more targeted approach to achieve an equitable and evidence‐based prostate cancer care across all sectors of the community.
Snapshot of medication abortion provision in the primary health care setting of regional and rural Victoria
Authors: de Moel‐Mandel Caroline , Graham Melissa , Taket Ann
Published: May 2019

Objective

This study aimed to identify enablers and barriers to the provision of medication abortion in the primary health care setting of regional and rural areas of Victoria, Australia.

Design

An online cross‐sectional questionnaire was used.

Setting

Regional and rural areas of Victoria, Australia.

Participants

Thirty‐nine GPs and 30 primary health care nurses.

Main outcome measures

Abortion views, medication abortion knowledge and practice, interest in medication abortion training and provision, and perceived uptake barriers.

Results

Most participants reported being consulted by women with unintended pregnancies and most of them included abortion counselling in their consultation. However, familiarity with provision of medication abortion was limited, and only five GPs and two primary health care nurses were currently medication abortion providers. The majority of participants expressed a high level of interest in receiving medication abortion training, but indicated a wide range of barriers to service provision, such as a lack of training opportunities, legal uncertainties or surgical access concerns in case of complications.

Conclusions

Findings demonstrate the need for education on medication abortion and training opportunities. Most identified barriers to service uptake are addressable and relate to a lack of local support services, including the absence of a 24‐hour contact advice service, insufficient follow‐up access and a lack of local ultrasound facilities. These barriers require educational programs at professional, organisational and community level to ensure that interested rural and regional primary health care providers can start offering medication abortion for their patients.
Liberal–conservative dimension of moral concerns underlying political faction formation in Taiwan
Authors: Hsu Han‐Yu , Huang Li‐Li , Hwang Kwang‐Kuo
Published: May 2019

Moral foundations theory provides a framework for understanding the traditional liberal–conservative dichotomy in political factions. Typically, factions on the liberal side are more concerned with individualizing foundations—including care/harm and fairness/cheating—for the protection of individual rights and welfare whereas factions on the conservative side are concerned with both individualizing and binding foundations—including loyalty/betrayal, authority/subversion, and sanctity/degradation—for the maintenance of existing social ethics. Our research extended this framework to the analysis of Taiwanese political factions, which are not distributed conspicuously along the liberal–conservative line but instead on whether Taiwan should become a legally independent state or unify with the People's Republic of China (Mainland China). Our results indicate that despite the scarce use of the terms liberal or left and conservative or right in common communication, a liberal–conservative dimension underlies the Taiwanese political spectrum. Specifically, supporters of Taiwan independence exhibit liberal‐like moral concerns whereas supporters of China unification and the status quo demonstrate conservative‐like moral concerns. Moreover, indirect effects exist through moral foundations from political factions to stances on social issues; this is especially prevalent in the case of Taiwan independence camp's clear support for the legalization of same‐sex marriage, a stance resulting from anti‐authoritarian moral and political characteristics.
Requirement for urgent tracheal intubation after traumatic injury: a retrospective analysis of 11,010 patients in the Trauma Audit Research Network database
Authors: Crewdson K. , Fragoso‐Iniguez M. , Lockey D. J.
Published: May 2019

Advanced airway management is a treatment priority in trauma care. It is likely that a proportion of patients who receive urgent airway management on arrival in the emergency department represent an unmet demand for airway intervention in the pre‐hospital phase. This study aimed to investigate emergency airway practice in major trauma patients and establish any unmet demand in this patient group. A retrospective review of the Trauma Audit and Research Network database was performed to identify airway intervention(s) performed for patients admitted to major trauma centres in England from 01 April 2012 to 27 June 2016. In total, 11,010 patients had airway interventions: 4375 patients (43%) had their tracheas intubated in the pre‐hospital setting compared with 5889 patients (57%) in the emergency department. Of the patients whose tracheas were intubated in the emergency department, this was done within 30 min of hospital arrival in 3264 patients (75%). Excluding tracheal intubation, 1593 patients had a pre‐hospital airway intervention of which 881 (55%) subsequently had their trachea intubated in the emergency department; tracheal intubation was done within 30 min of arrival in the majority of these cases (805 patients (91%)). Over 70% of emergency department tracheal intubations in patients with traumatic injuries were performed within 30 min of hospital arrival; this suggests there may be an unmet demand in pre‐hospital advanced airway management for trauma patients in England.
Management of peripartum intra‐abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome
Authors: Lozada M. James , Goyal Varun , Levin Danielle , Walden Rachel L. , Osmundson Sarah S. , Pacheco Luis D. , Malbrain Manu L. N. G.
Published: May 2019

Normal pregnancy leads to a state of chronically increased intra‐abdominal pressure. Obstetric and non‐obstetric conditions may increase intra‐abdominal pressure further, causing intra‐abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome, which leads to maternal organ dysfunction and a compromised fetal state. Limited medical literature exists to guide treatment of pregnant women with these conditions. In this state‐of‐the‐art review, we propose a diagnostic and treatment algorithm for the management of peripartum intra‐abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome, informed by newly available studies.
Bullying, pain and analgesic use in school‐age children
Authors: Garmy Pernilla , Hansson Erika , Vilhjálmsson Rúnar , Kristjánsdóttir Gudrún
Published: May 2019

Aim

The aim of this study was to examine whether the self‐reported use of analgesics is associated with being a victim of bullying.

Methods

This cross‐sectional, school‐based survey included all students in grades 6 (11 years old), 8 (13 years old) and 10 (15 years old) in Iceland (response rate: 84%; n = 11 018). The students filled out an anonymous standardised questionnaire: the Icelandic Contribution to the International Health Behavior in School‐Aged Children (HBSC) Study.

Results

Being bullied was associated with increased use of analgesics even after controlling for self‐reported pain.

Conclusion

Bullying occurs in all schools, and its effects on health are pervasive. Interventions aimed at reducing bullying and promoting health in schools are important and may reduce the use of analgesics in adolescents.
Worse global intellectual and worse neuropsychological functioning in preterm‐born children at preschool age: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Arpi Elena , D'Amico Roberto , Lucaccioni Laura , Bedetti Luca , Berardi Alberto , Ferrari Fabrizio
Published: May 2019

Aim

Preterm births (<32 weeks of gestational age) are associated with cognitive problems that are difficult to diagnose in infancy but potentially detectable at preschool age. This review aimed to evaluate the extent to which total intelligence quotient (IQ) and neuropsychological functions at ages three to five years differ between children born at <32 weeks gestational age or < 1500 g birth weight and children born at term. The secondary aim was to determine whether cognitive performance differs between extremely preterm (EPT)/extremely low birth weight (ELBW) children and very preterm (VPT) or very low birth weight (VLBW) children.

Methods

PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched for cohort studies comparing IQ and neuropsychological functions in term‐born and preterm‐born children born after 1994.

Results

At ages three to five years, preterm‐born children, compared with term‐born ones, had worse IQ mean score (d = −0.77 [95% confidence interval −0.88 to −0.66]), attention, memory, visuomotor integration skill and executive functions. No differences were found between VPT/VLBW and EPT/ELBW children.

Conclusion

Preterm‐born children showed poorer IQ and neuropsychological functions compared with term‐born subjects already at preschool age. The extent of differences is similar to that detected at a later age.
Detection of indocyanine green fluorescence to determine tumor location during laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer: Results of a prospective study
Authors: Tanaka Chie , Kanda Mitsuro , Funasaka Kohei , Miyahara Ryoji , Murotani Kenta , Tanaka Yuri , Takeda Shigeomi , Kobayashi Daisuke , Hirooka Yoshiki , Fujiwara Michitaka , Goto Hidemi , Kodera Yasuhiro
Published: May 2019

Introduction

In laparoscopic gastrectomy, a method to locate the margin of an early‐stage cancerous lesion that is invisible from the serosal surface and impalpable during laparoscopic procedures is needed to determine an appropriate transection line. We conducted a prospective study to develop a new marking method using preoperative submucosal injection of indocyanine green (ICG).

Methods

Patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrectomy for T1 gastric cancer were recruited. The first 11 patients comprised the learning set and the subsequent 18 patients the validation set. ICG was endoscopically injected in the submucosal layer of the stomach approximately 1 cm away from the tumor edge 1 or 3 days before surgery. The diameters of the visualized ICG were compared with those of a conventional marking method using India ink in 10 historical controls.

Results

In the learning set, the optimal amount of ICG was determined to be 0.1 mL at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL. In the validation set, the same procedure was repeated. No technical problems or adverse reactions related to ICG injection were observed. In all cases, ICG was successfully detected, and negative surgical margins were pathologically confirmed. The mean long diameter of the visualized ICG fluorescence measured at the mucosal surface of the stomach was significantly smaller in the current study than in the historical controls in whom India ink was used (21 vs 52 mm, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

The preoperative submucosal ICG marking was safely performed and successfully detected without excessive blurring during laparoscopic gastrectomy.