bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Persistent Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism in Men After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Temporal Hormone Profiles and Outcome Prediction
Authors: Barton David J. , Kumar Raj G. , McCullough Emily H. , Galang Gary , Arenth Patricia M. , Berga Sarah L. , Wagner Amy K.
Published: September 2015

Objective:

To (1) examine relationships between persistent hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (PHH) and long-term outcomes after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI); and (2) determine whether subacute testosterone levels can predict PHH.

Setting:

Level 1 trauma center at a university hospital.

Participants:

Consecutive sample of men with severe TBI between 2004 and 2009.

Design:

Prospective cohort study.

Main Measures:

Post-TBI blood samples were collected during week 1, every 2 weeks until 26 weeks, and at 52 weeks. Serum hormone levels were measured, and individuals were designated as having PHH if 50% or more of samples met criteria for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. At 6 and 12 months postinjury, we assessed global outcome, disability, functional cognition, depression, and quality of life.

Results:

We recruited 78 men; median (interquartile range) age was 28.5 (22-42) years. Thirty-four patients (44%) had PHH during the first year postinjury. Multivariable regression, controlling for age, demonstrated PHH status predicted worse global outcome scores, more disability, and reduced functional cognition at 6 and 12 months post-TBI. Two-step testosterone screening for PHH at 12 to 16 weeks postinjury yielded a sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 100%.

Conclusion:

PHH status in men predicts poor outcome after severe TBI, and PHH can accurately be predicted at 12 to 16 weeks.
Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis Presenting as a Nodulo-Ulcerative Eyelid Lesion
Authors: Lo Christopher , Patel Payal , Charles Norman C.
Published: September 2015

The authors describe a 23-year-old man with unilateral upper eyelid swelling that evolved into a multinodular lesion with central necrosis, mimicking a neoplasm. Biopsy showed a lympho-histiocytic, eosinophil-rich proliferation with positivity for Langerhans cell markers CD1a and S-100 and histiocytic marker CD68. A literature review disclosed 11 documented cases of Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the eyelid with variable clinical presentations. This rare eyelid lesion, nearly always solitary, has no clinically distinctive characteristics and requires biopsy for diagnosis. Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), formerly histiocytosis X, comprises a group of rare disorders characterized by the proliferation of specialized bone marrow-derived Langerhans cells intermingled with mature eosinophils. Proliferations may be multifocal (disseminated) or unifocal (solitary). Ophthalmic lesions are usually unifocal and tend to be located in the orbital region. Isolated eyelid foci are rare and present with variable patterns that preclude clinical diagnosis. In this report, the authors describe a case of multinodular, ulcerative involvement of the eyelid skin that mimicked a basal cell carcinoma. This study was conducted in compliance with the rules and regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Pustular Psoriasis of Pregnancy Successfully Treated With Cyclosporine
Authors: Bangale-Daflapurkar Shruti , Danve Abhijeet
Published: September 2015

Pustular psoriasis of pregnancy is a rare, autoimmune inflammatory disorder, which can be associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Although recovery of the skin lesions after the delivery is the rule, some patients need immunosuppressive treatment mainly with corticosteroids. We describe a patient with pustular psoriasis of pregnancy who needed treatment with cyclosporine for resistant skin psoriasis and systemic inflammatory response.
The Use of a Pediatric Migraine Practice Guideline in an Emergency Department Setting
Authors: Kaar Courtney R.J. , Gerard James M. , Nakanishi Albert K.
Published: September 2015

Objective

The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a standardized pediatric migraine practice guideline in the emergency department (ED).

Methods

Migraine Clinical Practice Guideline (MCPG) was created in collaboration with the Division of Pediatric Neurology and Pediatric Emergency Medicine. The MCPG was established on evidence-based data and best practice after a review of the literature. The MCPG was implemented for patients with a known diagnosis of migraine headaches and a verbal numeric pain score (VPS) greater than 6 on a 0 to 10 scale. Patients received intravenous saline, ketorolac, diphenhydramine, and either metoclopramide or prochlorperazine. After 40 minutes, another VPS was obtained, and if no improvement, a repeat dose of metoclopramide or prochlorperazine was administered. If after 40 minutes and minimal pain relief occurred, a consult to neurology was made. A chart review of patients enrolled in the MCPG from April 2004 to April 2013 was conducted. We recorded demographic data, vital signs, ED length of stay, initial VPS, last recorded VPS, adverse events, and admission rate. Nonparametric statistics were performed.

Results

A total of 533 charts were identified with a discharge diagnosis of migraine headache of which 266 were enrolled in the MCPG (179 females and 87 males). Mean (SD) age was 13.9 (3.1). Mean (SD) initial VPS was 7.8 (2.0). Mean (SD) discharge VPS was 2.1 (2.8), representing a 73% reduction of pain. Twenty patients (7.5%) were admitted for status migrainosus; mean (SD) age was 14.0 (3.5) years and mean (SD) VPS was 6.3 (2.8). Mean (SD) length of stay in ED was 283 (107) minutes. No adverse events were identified.

Conclusions

Our MCPG was clinically safe and effective in treating children with acute migraine headaches. Our data add to the dearth of existing published literature on migraine treatment protocols in the ED setting. We recommend additional prospective and comparative studies to further evaluate the effectiveness of our protocol in this patient population.
A New Paradigm for the Management of Thoracolumbar Pediatric Spine Traumas
Authors: Courvoisier Aurélien , Belvisi Baptiste , Faguet Romain , Eid Ahmad , Bourgeois Emeline , Griffet Jacques
Published: September 2015

Objectives

The transient breath holding sign (TBHS) is a clinical sign often associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) spine traumatic lesions. The aims of this study were to prospectively evaluate the TBHS in the detection of thoracolumbar lesions in a large cohort of children and to establish a comprehensive strategy on the use of MRI in spine traumas in children.

Study Design

All conscious 5- to 16-year-old patients admitted for a spine trauma in our institution were prospectively included in the study. All patients were asked for the TBHS and underwent a full spine MRI. Sensitivity and specificity of the TBHS were derived from the confusion matrix. All MRI lesions were analyzed and classified.

Results

One hundred ninety-eight patients were included. The sensitivity of the TBHS was 92%, the specificity was 83%, the positive predictive value was 83%, and the negative predictive value was 91%. The x-rays missed 67% of the vertebrae injured in the MRI. The MRI lesions consisted in an upper end plate injury, in the sagittal plane only, in 90% of the cases. The vertebral canal and the spinal cord were never injured.

Conclusions

This study confirms that the TBHS is a relevant clinical tool that should be added in the routine questionnaire after any trauma at admission. Magnetic resonance imaging should be restricted to patients with a TBHS positive at admission. A single T2 Short T1 Inversion Recovery (STIR) sagittal sequence seems sufficient to make the diagnosis and could replace the use of standard x-rays in pediatric spine traumas.
Who's at Risk When the Power Goes Out? The At-home Electricity-Dependent Population in the United States, 2012
Authors: Molinari Noelle Angelique M. , Chen Bei , Krishna Nevin , Morris Thomas
Published: September 2015

Objectives:

Natural and man-made disasters can result in power outages that can affect certain vulnerable populations dependent on electrically powered durable medical equipment. This study estimated the size and prevalence of that electricity-dependent population residing at home in the United States.

Methods:

We used the Truven Health MarketScan* 2012 database to estimate the number of employer-sponsored privately insured enrollees by geography, age group, and sex who resided at home and were dependent upon electrically powered durable medical equipment to sustain life. We estimated nationally representative prevalence and used US Census population estimates to extrapolate the national population and produce maps visualizing prevalence and distribution of electricity-dependent populations residing at home.

Results:

As of 2012, among the 175 million persons covered by employer-sponsored private insurance, the estimated number of electricity-dependent persons residing at home was 366 619 (95% confidence interval: 365 700-367 537), with a national prevalence of 218.2 per 100 000 covered lives (95% confidence interval: 217.7-218.8). Prevalence varied significantly by age group (χ2 = 264 289 95, P < .0001) and region (χ2 = 12 286 30, P < .0001), with highest prevalence in those 65 years of age or older and in the South and the West. Across all insurance types in the United States, approximately 685 000 electricity-dependent persons resided at home.

Conclusions:

These results may assist public health jurisdictions addressing unique needs and necessary resources for this particularly vulnerable population. Results can verify and enhance the development of functional needs registries, which are needed to help first responders target efforts to those most vulnerable during disasters affecting the power supply.
Expression of SERPINA3s in cattle: focus on bovSERPINA3-7 reveals specific involvement in skeletal muscle
Authors: Péré-Brissaud Antoine , Blanchet Xavier , Delourme Didier , Pélissier Patrick , Forestier Lionel , Delavaud Arnaud , Duprat Nathalie , Picard Brigitte , Maftah Abderrahman , Brémaud Laure
Published: September 2015

α
1
-Antichymotrypsin is encoded by the unique
SERPINA3
gene in humans, while it is encoded by a cluster of eight closely related genes in cattle. BovSERPINA3 proteins present a high degree of similarity and significant divergences in the reactive centre loop (RCL) domains which are responsible for the antiprotease activity. In this study, we analysed their expression patterns in a range of cattle tissues. Even if their expression is ubiquitous, we showed that the expression levels of each serpin vary in different tissues of 15-month-old Charolais bulls. Our results led us to focus on bovSERPINA3-7, one of the two most divergent members of the bovSERPINA3 family. Expression analyses showed that bovSERPINA3-7 protein presents different tissue-specific patterns with diverse degrees of
N
-glycosylation. Using a specific antibody raised against bovSERPINA3-7, Western blot analysis revealed a specific 96 kDa band in skeletal muscle. BovSERPINA3-7 immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry revealed that this 96 kDa band corresponds to a complex of bovSERPINA3-7 and creatine kinase M-type. Finally, we reported that the bovSERPINA3-7 protein is present in slow-twitch skeletal myofibres. Precisely, bovSERPINA3-7 specifically colocalized with myomesin at the M-band region of sarcomeres where it could interact with other components such as creatine kinase M-type. This study opens new prospects on the bovSERPINA3-7 function in skeletal muscle and promotes opportunities for further understanding of the physiological role(s) of serpins.
Inhibition of hepatitis C virus RNA replication by ISG15 does not require its conjugation to protein substrates by the HERC5 E3 ligase
Authors: Domingues Patricia , Bamford Connor G. G. , Boutell Chris , McLauchlan John
Published: September 2015

Chronic infection of the liver by hepatitis C virus (HCV) induces a range of host factors including IFN-stimulated genes such as ISG15. ISG15 functions as an antiviral factor that limits virus replication. Previous studies have suggested that ISG15 could influence HCV replication in both a positive and a negative manner. In this report, we determined the effect of ISG15 on HCV RNA replication in two independent cell lines that support viral genome synthesis by inhibiting ISG15 expression through small interfering RNA, short-hairpin RNA and CRISPR/Cas9 gene knockout approaches. Our results demonstrated that ISG15 impairs HCV RNA replication in both the presence and absence of IFN stimulation, consistent with an antiviral role for ISG15 during HCV infection. ISG15 conjugation to protein substrates typically requires the E3 ligase, HERC5. Our results showed that the inhibitory effect of ISG15 on HCV RNA replication does not require its conjugation to substrates by HERC5.
Immunosequencing reveals diagnostic signatures of chronic viral infection in T cell memory
Authors: Emerson Ryan O. , DeWitt William S. , Vignali Marissa , Gravley Jenna , Desmarais Cindy , Carlson Christopher S. , Hansen John A. , Rieder Mark , Robins Harlan S.
Published: September 2015

B and T cells expand clonally in response to pathogenic infection, and their descendants, which share the same receptor sequence, can persist for years, forming the basis of immunological memory. While most T cell receptor (TCR) sequences are seen very rarely, ‘public’ TCRs are present in many individuals.

Using a combination of high throughput immunosequencing, statistical association of particular TCRs with disease status, and machine learning, we identified of a set of public TCRs that discriminates cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection status with high accuracy. This pathogen-specific diagnostic tool uses a very general assay that relies only on a training cohort coupled with immunosequencing and sophisticated data analysis. Since all memory T cell responses are encoded in the common format of somatic TCR rearrangements, a key advantage of reading T cell memory to predict disease status is that this approach should apply to a wide variety of diseases. The underlying dataset is the largest collection of TCRs ever published, including ∼300 gigabases of sequencing data and ∼85 million unique TCRs across 640 HLA-typed individuals, which constitutes by far the largest such collection ever published. We expect these data to be a valuable public resource for researchers studying the TCR repertoire.
Lee Kuan Yew’s enduring legacy of good governance in Singapore, 1959-2015
Authors: Quah Jon S.T.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister, who governed the country from 1959 to 1990, passed away on 23 March 2015 at the age of 91. The purpose of this paper is to assess his legacy of good governance in Singapore.

Design/methodology/approach

– The changes in Singapore’s policy context during 1959-2014 are described first before analyzing Lee’s legacy of good governance in Singapore by examining his books and major speeches.

Findings

– Lee Kuan Yew’s commitment to meritocracy, empowerment of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau to curb corruption effectively, reliance on competitive salaries to attract the “best and brightest” citizens to join the civil service, and maintenance of the rule of law, constitute his legacy of good governance in Singapore.

Originality/value

– This paper will be useful to policy-makers, scholars and readers who are interested in learning about Lee Kuan Yew’s contribution to good governance in Singapore.
Gender equalities work in health organisations in England
Authors: Payne Sarah , Bennett Laura
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– An increasing number of countries have introduced duties for public-sector organisations who, in addition to addressing discrimination, are now also required to promote equality of opportunity between different groups. The purpose of this paper is to explore the limited progress of gender equality policies, through a study of the local implementation of equalities policies. The authors highlight the role of equalities leads in the public sector as local “agents of change”, and explore explanations of the implementation gap between policy and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper reports on a small-scale qualitative study with equalities leads in the health sector in England. The study comprised semi-structured interviews with equalities leads from nine health organisations which were purposively selected to include a mix of areas and populations. The interviews focused on the leads’ backgrounds and their perceptions of barriers to their work.

Findings

– The equalities leads had a range of experience prior to their current post, though most had little formal subject-specific training. They highlighted a number of barriers to effective implementation of gender equality strategies, including resource issues, the impact of organisational change, the increased the number of equalities they were expected to address, organisational perceptions that gender was no longer a priority and resistance to what are seen as “tick box” exercises.

Originality/value

– The value of this paper is that it adds to the understanding of the challenges facing the implementation of gender equalities policies in the health sector, the reasons for these and the role of local policy implementers in the effectiveness of national equalities policies.
Polish education in transition: parallel models
Authors: Kola Adam F. , Kola Anna Maria
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Poland’s political and economic transformation after 1989 brought the logic of the neoliberal market into the educational system. These changes, however, were far from the real liberal free market and instead relied on bureaucratic and technocratic local-level apparatus as well as supranational supports (the EU). Moreover, instead of enhancing post-socialist education to bring them up to the level of the core territories, this process pushed education out to the (semi?)periphery. The purpose of this paper is to present selected examples of alternative non-mainstream models of education.

Design/methodology/approach

– Elements analyzed include: non/academic discourses, with particular emphasis on academic texts, media material and public debates concerning the topic in question.

Findings

– Two related fields and levels ought to be distinguished: the descriptive level, focused on presenting non-mainstream educational institutions and initiatives, within the socioeconomic context of Poland’s post-socialist transformation; the normative level, with recommendations for policymakers, NGOs and educational activists.

Practical implications

– Appreciation of systems parallel and alternative to the neoliberal and technocratic mainstream education system in Poland, with a view to encouraging both policymakers to recognise and develop such initiatives, and members of Polish civil society to create and participate in such forms of education.

Originality/value

– Most scholars focus on mainstream education, with a number of exceptions, largely those engaged in the parallel models. This neoliberal model of education is accepted or critically examined, but its technocratic base is not recognised. This text is therefore ground-breaking in that it describes the real mechanisms of the Polish educational system in transition and provides a normative account and recommendations.
Certifying voluntary living wage employers
Authors: Ptashnick Melita , Zuberi Daniyal
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Living wage campaigns are popular responses to counter increasing inequality in advanced industrial countries. The purpose of this paper is to examine how voluntary living wage employer certification engages business in multi-sectoral coalitions to reduce poverty.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors utilize qualitative interviews with 30 members of a living wage employer certification program in Vancouver, Canada as a case study to explore campaign participation by the business community and business case outcomes.

Findings

– Certifying voluntary living wage employers engaged business community members as partners and advocates in a living wage campaign. Certified living wage employers fulfilled business case projections for worker compensation fairness, human resource improvements and corporate branding advantages.

Research limitations/implications

– The study focussed on the early stages of a living wage employer certification program. As the number of living wage certification programs and ordinances grows, future research would benefit from examining how different social policy contexts in other Canadian and international regions affects whether these two avenues support one another or one avenue becomes favoured.

Originality/value

– Most studies of living wage campaigns have not dealt with how voluntary employer certification programs affect campaign participation and outcomes. The approach the authors adopt in the case takes into account the role of voluntary employer certification programs on campaign participation by the business community and business case outcomes. The study findings are of value to businesses, activists and policy analysts, who engage in or study corporate social responsibility initiatives to facilitate the creation of “good jobs” that provide family sustaining wages and benefits, particularly to lower-tier workers.
Political participation and commons
Authors: Belotti Francesca
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The crisis of confidence in political institutions has become a phenomenon with uniform trends across Europe. Nevertheless, citizens still express interest in politics and are engaged in political and social activities. What are the issues that still motivate them to go to the polls and/or engage in non-institutional forms of political participation? The case study of the Italian referendum in favour of the “Water Common Good” (June 2011) is particularly appropriate to explore these issues and motivations. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper proposes a multidisciplinary common good’s framework focusing on its social and political challenges. As the referendum succeeded also thanks to the rhetorical effectiveness of the “common good” epithet, a survey on 120 Roman citizens who voted in favour of the “Water Common Good” was conducted. The hypothesis was that the referendum success could be associated with social needs to defend strategic resources (“commons”) by actively participating in the deliberations on them. A quantitative non-probabilistic research was carried out face-to-face, through a standardized and semi-structured questionnaire.

Findings

– The main findings refer to the leading role that distrust in political institutions, civil society activism and common good rhetorical effectiveness played.

Originality/value

– The most original contribution of this paper is the explanatory and stipulative definition of common good, which reduces the semantic uncertainty of the concept including common sense meanings. This novel conceptualization has practical implications in policy terms, as it explicates the social need to change the way of conceiving the relationship with strategic resources and decision-making processes concerning them.
NGOs helping migrants: an Israeli case study of counterculture
Authors: Moskovich Yaffa , Binhas Adi
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the NGOs in the immigration field as a counterculture working simultaneously with and against the establishment.

Design/methodology/approach

– Case study approach using interviews and documents analysis.

Findings

– This paper studies the cultural features of three civil associations, interested in promoting social welfare for immigrants. These NGOs challenge the Israeli government when it violates human rights. This conflict takes place in the courts, the Knesset (parliament), governmental agencies, the media, and sometimes in the streets. The three NGOs use a variety of political strategies: both collaborating with governmental agencies, while simultaneously fighting against the government authorities. The cultural features of the immigrant NGOs are primarily left-wing, with socialist principles. The organizational culture of this association can be identified as a counterculture, opposing the dominant Israeli right-wing capitalist culture.

Practical implications

– This research can demonstrate how NGOs can use tactics to achieve a high level of success for the underprivileged population.

Originality/value

– This case study is unusual in that it suggests the NGOs are a sophisticated counterculture, with activists knowing how to operate concurrently with and against official authorities. The duality of the political cultural behavior of the NGOs’ social movement is a notable phenomenon of counterculture in the political arena and expands the definition of counterculture.
Alleviating feature fatigue of multi-generation products
Authors: Chai Jinze , Wang Liya , Shi Quanlong , Wu Mingxing
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Feature fatigue (FF) will lead to negative Word-Of-Mouth (WOM), which damages the brand’s long-term profit and ultimately decreases the manufacturer’s customer equity (CE). It becomes severer in multi-generation products because of the significant impacts of earlier generation products on the CE of later ones. The purpose of this paper is to alleviate FF, it is imperative for designers to decide what features should be integrated to balance initial revenue and long-term profit so as to maximize CE.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, a novel method based on the Norton-Bass model is proposed to alleviate FF of multi-generation products to help designers find optimal feature combination that maximizes CE. The authors take the effects of adding features on product capability and usability into account, and integrate product capability, usability, WOM and earlier-generation product’s effects into the Norton-Bass model to predict the impacts of FF on CE in current product development. A case study of a virtual product is presented to illustrate and validate the proposed method.

Findings

– The advantage of the proposed method is highlighted in the cases of large feature number, high-product complexity (low-product usability) and multi-generation products. The experiments show that the earlier generations do affect the later ones from the perspective of maximizing CE. The superiority of the proposed method compared with the traditional way to put all potential features into a product during the product development is demonstrated. And the more features, the larger CE obtained using the proposed model than the one obtained by traditional way.

Originality/value

– Although, there are reports attempting to analyze and alleviate FF, most of these studies still suffer the limitations that cannot point out what features should be added to the product with the objective of maximizing CE. In addition, few studies have been carried out to alleviate FF of multi-generation products. A novel method based on the Norton-Bass model and a genetic algorithm is proposed to alleviate FF of multi-generation products to help designers find optimal feature combination that maximizes CE.
Uncertainty shocks and policymakers’ behavior: evidence from the subprime crisis era
Authors: Donadelli Michael
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the 2007-2009 uncertainty shocks on policymakers’ behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

– Uncertainty shocks in the US credit, financial and production markets are represented by extraordinary events. As in Bloom (2009), these events are associated with significant economic and political shocks (e.g. Lehman Brothers’ collapse). Credit markets uncertainty shocks, which played a crucial role in the aftermath of the house prices collapse in the USA, are first analyzed in a bivariate VAR context, and then, embodied in a simple theoretical framework.

Findings

– The empirical evidence suggests that the US credit, financial and production markets have been affected by a relative large number of uncertainty shocks (i.e. rare events). In a Brainard’s (1967) uncertainty scenario, it is shown that a bizarre money-liquidity relationship exacerbates the “policymakers’ cautiousness-aggressiveness trade-off.” In addition, the model suggests that a “double” dose of policy, in presence of a global credit crunch, might be useless.

Originality/value

– This paper improves the existing literature in two main directions. First, it provides novel empirical evidence on the unusual dynamics of the US credit market and its effects on the real economic activity during the crisis. Second, in a very simple theoretical framework accounting for parameter uncertainty, it addresses whether a bizarre money-credit relationship affects policymakers’ behavior (i.e. cautiousness vs aggressiveness).
Current assets management of small enterprises
Authors: Nobanee Haitham , Abraham Jaya
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between a firm’s net trade cycle, its size and liquidity.

Design/methodology/approach

– The relation between the firm’s net trade cycle and its liquidity is examined using Generalized Method of Moment Dynamic Panel-Data System Estimation with Robust Standard Errors for a sample of 5,802 US non-financial firms listed in the New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange, NASDAQ Stock Market and Over the Counter Market for the period 1990-2004 (87,030 firm-year observations). The analysis is applied at the levels of the full sample and divisions of the sample by size.

Findings

– The results show negative and significant relationship between net trade cycle, as a comprehensive measure of efficiency in working capital management, and liquidity for small firms.

Originality/value

– Most of the existing literature focusses on the large firm’s experience of working capital management. Small firms generally face liquidity problems and have limited access to external capital, and studies on their efficiency in working capital management are scant. Thus the present study is useful in understanding the relation between the firm’s net trade cycle and liquidity of small firms.
Efficiency-driven, comparative institutional analysis in international business
Authors: Hillemann Jenny , Verbeke Alain
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to apply internalization theory in the context of economic efficiency-driven institutions interacting with societal institutions that pursue broader goals.

Design/methodology/approach

– The analysis builds upon Buckley and Boddewyn’s (2015, this issue) recent work on the perceived need for multinational enterprises (MNEs) to supply public goods outside of their sphere of technical competences. This paper proposes a more restrictive approach: external markets will only be internalized if, on balance, the efficiency benefits of internalization outweigh its costs at the firm level, in line with orthodox internalization theory.

Findings

– MNEs replacing the activities of failing (or even absent) public sector institutions is a business phenomenon commonly observed in less developed economies. However, positive distributional effects and societal externalities without the required efficiency benefits at the firm level are insufficient for MNEs’ supply to occur.

Practical implications

– Managerial decisions in the internalization sphere will be guided by the transactional characteristics of the MNEs’ firm-specific advantages (FSAs) and the requisite complementary resources held by host country economic actors. Internalization theory thinking suggests applying various, specific principles to assess in a comparative institutional fashion whether “diversification” into supplying public goods will serve the MNEs’ efficiency goals, namely, the “cost of entry” test, the “better-off” test and the “value capture” test.

Originality/value

– Internalization theory provides a solid, efficiency-driven rationale to guide MNE choices on which activities the firm will conduct internally. The nature of the MNEs FSAs and the most efficient, feasible option to bundle firm-level resources and locally held resources in host environments are critical to these choices.
The internalization of societal failures by multinational enterprises
Authors: Buckley, OBE Peter J. , Boddewyn Jean J.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to show that the market-internalization framework can be applied to non-economic institutions because society’s non-market sub-systems – political, social and cultural – are subject to failures just like economic markets, and firms can contribute to their repair or replacement by selectively, strategically and responsibly internalizing the market and non-market arenas for these sub-systems’ functions.

Design/methodology/approach

– Internalization theory is applied to a new area – that of societal failures.

Findings

– Internalization theory can be applied to the joint failures of economic and non-economic institutions, and this helps explain the growing “political role” of multinational enterprises in economies in transition as well as the phenomenon of increasing multinational firm activity in underdeveloped economies.

Research limitations/implications

– The limits and implications of internalization are drawn in terms of theory development, legitimacy and managerial strategies.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first to analyze the selective internalization of societal failures by the multinational enterprises. It extends internalization theory and examines the contested notion of “public goods”.
The impact of economic and financial development on environmental degradation
Authors: Nasreen Samia , Anwar Sofia
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to validate the impact of economic and financial development along with energy consumption on environmental degradation using dynamic panel data models for the period 1980-2010. The study uses three sub-panels constructed on the basis of income level to make panel data analysis more meaningful.

Design/methodology/approach

– Larsson et al. panel cointegration technique, fully modified ordinary least squares and vector error correction model causality analysis are applied for empirical estimation.

Findings

– Main empirical findings demonstrate that financial development reduces environmental degradation in the high-income panel and increases environmental degradation in the middle- and low-income panels. Hypothesis of the environmental Kuznets curve is accepted in all income panels. Granger causality results show the evidence of bidirectional causality between financial development and CO2 emission in the high-income panel, and unidirectional causality from financial development to CO2 emission in the middle- and low-income panels.

Originality/value

– In empirical literature, only a few studies explain the effect of financial development on environment. The present study is an effort to fill this gap by exploring the effect of economic and financial development on environmental degradation.
On social plasticity: the transformative power of pharmaceuticals on health, nature and identity
Authors: Collin Johanne
Published: September 2015

This article proposes a theoretical framework on the role of pharmaceuticals in transforming perspectives and shaping contemporary subjectivities. It outlines the significant role drugs play in three fundamental processes of social transformation in Western societies: medicalisation, molecularisation and biosocialisation. Indeed, drugs can be envisaged as major devices of a pharmaceutical regime, which is more akin to the notion of dispositif, as used by Foucault, than to the sole result of high‐level scheming by powerful economic interests, a notion which informs a significant share of the literature. Medications serve as a key vector of the transformation of perspective (or gaze) that characterises medicalisation, molecularisation and biosocialisation, by shifting our view on health, nature and identity from a categorical to a dimensional framework. Hence, central to this thesis is that the same underlying mechanism is at work. Indeed, in all three processes there is an evolving polarity between two antinomic categories, the positions of which are constantly being redefined by the various uses of drugs. Due to their concreteness, the fluidity of their use and the plasticity of the identities they authorise, drugs colonise all areas of contemporary social experiences, far beyond the medical sphere.

A video abstract of this article can be found at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djIBY7DHKW4&feature=youtu.be
‘The world has changed’: pharmaceutical citizenship and the reimagining of serodiscordant sexuality among couples with mixed HIV status in Australia
Authors: Persson Asha
Published: September 2015

In this article, I revisit the question of whether HIV can ever be reimagined and re‐embodied as a potentially non‐infectious condition, drawing on a current qualitative study of couples with mixed HIV status (serodiscordance) in Australia. Recent clinical trials have consolidated a shift in scientific understandings of HIV infectiousness by showing that antiretroviral treatment effectively prevents the sexual transmission of HIV. Contrary to common critiques, I explore how the increasing biomedicalisation of public health and the allied discourse of ‘normalisation’ can in fact de‐marginalise stigmatised relationships and sexualities. Invoking Ecks's concept of ‘pharmaceutical citizenship’, I consider whether the emerging global strategy of HIV ‘treatment‐as‐prevention’ (TasP) can open up new trajectories that release serodiscordant sexuality from its historical moorings in discourses of risk and stigma, and whether these processes might re‐inscribe serodiscordant sexuality as ‘normal’ and safe, potentially shifting the emphasis in HIV prevention discourses away from sexual practice toward treatment uptake and adherence.
Optimization of next‐generation sequencing transcriptome annotation for species lacking sequenced genomes
Authors: Ockendon Nina F. , O'Connell Lauren A. , Bush Stephen J. , Monzón‐Sandoval Jimena , Barnes Holly , Székely Tamás , Hofmann Hans A. , Dorus Steve , Urrutia Araxi O.
Published: September 2015

Next‐generation sequencing methods, such as RNA‐seq, have permitted the exploration of gene expression in a range of organisms which have been studied in ecological contexts but lack a sequenced genome. However, the efficacy and accuracy of RNA‐seq annotation methods using reference genomes from related species have yet to be robustly characterized. Here we conduct a comprehensive power analysis employing RNA‐seq data from Drosophila melanogaster in conjunction with 11 additional genomes from related Drosophila species to compare annotation methods and quantify the impact of evolutionary divergence between transcriptome and the reference genome. Our analyses demonstrate that, regardless of the level of sequence divergence, direct genome mapping (DGM), where transcript short reads are aligned directly to the reference genome, significantly outperforms the widely used de novo and guided assembly‐based methods in both the quantity and accuracy of gene detection. Our analysis also reveals that DGM recovers a more representative profile of Gene Ontology functional categories, which are often used to interpret emergent patterns in genomewide expression analyses. Lastly, analysis of available primate RNA‐seq data demonstrates the applicability of our observations across diverse taxa. Our quantification of annotation accuracy and reduced gene detection associated with sequence divergence thus provides empirically derived guidelines for the design of future gene expression studies in species without sequenced genomes.
Postpartum smoking relapse—a thematic synthesis of qualitative studies
Authors: Notley Caitlin , Blyth Annie , Craig Jean , Edwards Alice , Holland Richard
Published: September 2015

Background and aims

Many women quit smoking during pregnancy, but relapse after the baby is born. To understand why and identify ways of preventing this, this study reviewed the qualitative literature on women's experience of postpartum smoking relapse.

Methods

A systematic review of qualitative studies and process evaluations of trials. We undertook a thematic synthesis of published qualitative data.

Results

We screened 1336 papers. Twenty‐two papers reporting on 16 studies were included, reporting on the views of 1031 postpartum women. Factors affecting relapse and barriers and facilitators to relapse prevention were identified around the key themes of beliefs, social influences, motivation, physiological factors and identity. Women's beliefs about smoking as a means of coping with stress and the need for social support, especially from a partner, emerged as important. Extrinsic motivation to quit during the pregnancy (for the health of the fetus) appeared to be a factor in prompting relapse after the baby was born. During the immediate postpartum period women believed that physiological changes influence cigarette cravings. The stress of caring for a newborn, sleeplessness and adjusting to a new mothering identity were also reported to be important.

Conclusions

Among women who quit smoking during pregnancy, those who relapse postpartum talk commonly about no longer needing to protect the baby and the effects of stress. Partner support and a sense of changed identity are cited as factors preventing relapse.
The Australian litigation landscape – oral and maxillofacial surgery and general dentistry (oral surgery procedures): an analysis of litigation cases
Authors: Badenoch‐Jones EK , White BP , Lynham AJ
Published: September 2015

Background

There are persistent concerns about litigation in the dental and medical professions. These concerns arise in a setting where general dentists are more frequently undertaking a wider range of oral surgery procedures, potentially increasing legal risk.

Methods

Judicial cases dealing with medical negligence in the fields of general dentistry (oral surgery procedure) and oral and maxillofacial surgery were located using the three main legal databases. Relevant cases were analysed to determine the procedures involved, the patients’ claims of injury, findings of negligence and damages awarded. A thematic analysis of the cases was undertaken to determine trends.

Results

Fifteen cases over a 20‐year period were located across almost all Australian jurisdictions (eight cases involved general dentists; seven cases involved oral and maxillofacial surgeons). Eleven of the 15 cases involved determinations of whether or not the practitioner had failed in their duty of care; negligence was found in six cases. Eleven of the 15 cases related to molar extractions (eight specifically to third molar).

Conclusions

Dental and medical practitioners wanting to manage legal risk should have regard to circumstances arising in judicial cases. Adequate warning of risks is critical, as is offering referral in appropriate cases. Preoperative radiographs, good medical records and processes to ensure appropriate follow‐up are also important.
Increased risk for substance use and health‐related problems among homeless veterans
Authors: Dunne Eugene M. , Burrell Larry E. , Diggins Allyson D. , Whitehead Nicole Ennis , Latimer William W.
Published: September 2015

Background and Objectives

The first aim of this study was to compare self‐reported causes of homelessness between veterans and nonveterans. A second aim examined whether homeless male veterans were more likely than homeless male nonveterans to experience current problems with addictions, mental health, and physical health. Additionally, a third aim was to compare frequency of emergency room visits and treatment needs between the two groups.

Methods

Secondary data analyses compared male homeless veterans and nonveterans (N = 353) enrolled in the Alachua County Point in Time study in central Florida. Participants completed a questionnaire on demographics and health variables. Additional questions included recent emergency room visits and medical or other needs not being met.

Results

Veterans reported higher rates of substance use and mental health problems as a primary cause of homelessness when compared to nonveterans. Homeless veterans were more likely than nonveterans to report current problems with addictions (OR = 6.29, 95% CI: 3.43–11.53, p < .001), mental health problems (OR = 4.12, 95% CI: 2.28–7.42, p < .001), and physical problems (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.08–3.67, p < .01). Finally, over half of homeless veterans (53.1%) reported an ER visit in the past year compared to only 40.9% of nonveterans (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.07–2.80, p < .05).

Conclusion and Scientific Significance

Veterans may be more likely to become homeless due to addiction and mental health and over half of homeless veterans are presenting to hospital emergency rooms. Given the greater utilization among homeless veterans, emergency rooms may serve as a prime opportunity to provide brief treatment and referrals for needed services. (Am J Addict 2015;XX:1–5)
Structural brain MRI studies in eye diseases: are they clinically relevant? A review of current findings
Authors: Prins Doety , Hanekamp Sandra , Cornelissen Frans W.
Published: September 2015

Many eye diseases reduce visual acuity or are associated with visual field defects. Because of the well‐defined retinotopic organization of the connections of the visual pathways, this may affect specific parts of the visual pathways and cortex, as a result of either deprivation or transsynaptic degeneration. For this reason, over the past several years, numerous structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have examined the association of eye diseases with pathway and brain changes. Here, we review structural MRI studies performed in human patients with the eye diseases albinism, amblyopia, hereditary retinal dystrophies, age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma. We focus on two main questions. First, what have these studies revealed? Second, what is the potential clinical relevance of their findings? We find that all the aforementioned eye diseases are indeed associated with structural changes in the visual pathways and brain. As such changes have been described in very different eye diseases, in our view the most parsimonious explanation is that these are caused by the loss of visual input and the subsequent deprivation of the visual pathways and brain regions, rather than by transsynaptic degeneration. Moreover, and of clinical relevance, for some of the diseases – in particular glaucoma and AMD – present results are compatible with the view that the eye disease is part of a more general neurological or neurodegenerative disorder that also affects the brain. Finally, establishing structural changes of the visual pathways has been relevant in the context of new therapeutic strategies to restore retinal function: it implies that restoring retinal function may not suffice to also effectively restore vision. Future structural MRI studies can contribute to (i) further establish relationships between ocular and neurological neurodegenerative disorders, (ii) investigate whether brain degeneration in eye diseases is reversible, (iii) evaluate the use of neuroprotective medication in ocular disease, (iv) determine optimal timing for retinal implant insertion and (v) establish structural MRI examination as a diagnostic tool in ophthalmology.
A General Class of Recapture Models Based on the Conditional Capture Probabilities
Authors: Farcomeni A.
Published: September 2015

We propose an model for population size estimation in capture-recapture studies. The tb part is based on equality constraints for the conditional capture probabilities, leading to an extremely rich model class. Observed and unobserved heterogeneity are dealt with by means of a logistic parameterization. In order to explore the model class, we introduce a penalized version of the likelihood. The conditional likelihood and penalized conditional likelihood are maximized by means of efficient EM algorithms. Simulations and two real data examples illustrate the approach.