bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Employee health codes of conduct: what would they look like and who wants to accept them?
Authors: Robbins Rebecca , Wansink Brian
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Most workplace health promotion efforts have failed to consistently and sustainably encourage employees to take responsibility for their health. The purpose of this paper is to explore a potentially high-impact solution – Health Codes of Conduct – for engaging and motivating employees to assume responsibility for their health.

Design/methodology/approach

– This mixed methods study draws on interview and survey methodology with a sample of 149 working adults to examine the feasibility of Health Codes of Conduct. Descriptive and inferential statistics are calculated to understand reactions, characteristics of the companies likely to support the idea, and components of a Health Code of Conduct.

Findings

– Nearly all employees offered moderate to high support for Health Codes of Conduct; this included overweight but not obese employees. Additionally, all demographic groups either moderately or strongly supported the policy when they included either monetary incentives (such as prescription discounts) or often overlooked non-monetary incentives (such as employee recognition). Some of the more popular features of Health Codes of Conduct included annual physical exams, exercise routines, and simply being encouraged to stay home when ill.

Research limitations/implications

– Health Codes of Conduct offer a surprisingly well-supported potential solution. Favorable reactions were observed across all examined segments of workers, even overweight (but not obese) employees. Using the specific features of Health Codes identified here, visionary companies can tailor their company’s Health Code of Conduct with the appropriate monetary and non-monetary incentives and disincentives.

Social implications

– What if the workplace could be a positive source of health and empowerment for valued employees? The authors show employee Health Codes of Conduct could be this empowering, engaging solution that has been missing.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first to propose the concept Health Codes of Conduct and solicit feedback from employees on this novel idea. Furthermore, the authors identify both the monetary and non-monetary incentives and disincentives that employees believe would be most compelling.
Testing messages to promote stair climbing at work
Authors: Thomas Erica Lynn , Puig Ribera Anna , Senye-Mir Anna , Greenfield Sheila , Eves Frank
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Worksites have been targeted as an important setting for physical activity interventions. A recent emphasis for health promoters is the use of point-of-choice interventions to encourage stair climbing at work. The purpose of this paper is to explore three point-of-choice campaigns to increase stair climbing at work.

Design/methodology/approach

– Ten focus groups and a rating task were conducted with 59 employees from a University and a University Hospital in the UK. Focus groups were structured around three messages and four prompts and sought to explore the motivational power of the resources, identify factors contributing to their effectiveness and provide recommendations to improve and optimize content. Benefits and barriers to stair climbing at work were also explored. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed and coded to identify key themes.

Findings

– Intra-personal factors health, motivation, social norms and time management influence stair climbing at work. Critically, extra-personal factors associated with the worksite itself can also bias a traveler’s choice independently of any intervention. Results suggest that messages targeting heart health have the greatest impact on reported propensity to climb the stairs at work. Messages targeting rate of respiration for fitness, however, may have a negative effect given that most people want to avoid getting out of breath at work.

Originality/value

– Qualitative research is essential for developing and refining the design detail of point-of-choice interventions and tailoring their components to address individuals’ needs in different settings but there is little evidence of this in practice.
Workplace health programme among individuals with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Huei Phing Chee , Abu Saad Hazizi , Mohd Yusof Barakatun Nisak , Mohd Taib Mohd Nasir
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the effect of a physical activity intervention using a combination of Facebook and standing banners on improvements in metabolic syndrome.

Design/methodology/approach

– In all, 120 (82.8 per cent) government employees with metabolic syndrome completed the programme. A Lifecorder e-STEP accelerometer (Suzuken Company Limited, Nagoya, Japan) was utilized to quantify physical activity. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to “Harmonized” definition at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up.

Findings

– There were significantly higher step counts in the intervention group as compared to the control group over time. There were significant within-group differences in the step count at the baseline, post-intervention and follow-up assessments (p
<
0.001) in both the intervention and control groups. The step count of the intervention group increased by 4,522 steps in the post-intervention assessment compared to the assessment at baseline. The step count of the intervention group in the follow-up assessment was lower than in the post-intervention assessment, but it was still 2,126 steps higher than at baseline. For control group, the difference between the post-intervention assessment and the assessment at baseline was 520 steps per day, while the difference between the follow-up assessment and assessment at baseline was 379 steps per day. The greatest decrease in the percentage of metabolic syndrome was observed in the intervention group, with a reduction of 88.6 per cent in the post-intervention assessment as compared to that at baseline.

Research limitations/implications

– Future studies should incorporate measures which will be of interest to employers. Greater understanding and assessment of desirable employer-related outcomes are warranted, such as decreased job stress, turnover, absenteeism and improved job satisfaction, productivity and exploration of how these associated with physical activity.

Practical implications

– The findings show that delivering information on physical activity through an easily implemented and low-cost physical activity intervention via a combination of Facebook and standing banners was successful in improving step counts and metabolic parameters among individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Social implications

– The findings draw on supporting evidence for advocacy, which is about influencing the larger environment of public policy, and raising awareness of a single programme is insufficient to create lasting social change. Public policy must be shaped in a way that will sustain change across institutions.

Originality/value

– Despite the well-documented health benefits of physical activity, a growing number of people not achieving the recommended levels of physical activity necessary for good health. Importantly, the study provides a new insight on lifestyle-based physical activity interventions capable of improving step counts and metabolic parameters.
Increasing knowledge of personality disorders in detained women with an intellectual disability
Authors: Morris Deborah , Gray Nathalie
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe the evaluation of the “Living with a Personality Disorder” group (Morris, 2011a). This intervention is a psycho-education group for women with an intellectual disability (ID) and a personality disorder (PD). It draws on psycho-education, biosocial theory (Linehan, 1993) and compassionate mind approaches (Gilbert, 2009). It aims to increase knowledge of personality, PDs, to increase awareness of the “non-disordered” parts of self and to increase knowledge of psychological treatments for PD’s.

Design/methodology/approach

– The intervention was delivered to women detained in a specialist women’s learning disability forensic service. It was delivered over 12 group and two individual sessions. The Knowledge of Personality Disorders Questionnaire (D’Silva and Duggan, 2002), the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003), the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment scale (McConnaughy et al., 1983) and a series of Likert scale questions and statements were used to assess the utility of the intervention. The intervention was piloted between 2012 and 2014 in a series of small groups. The lead facilitator for each intervention was a registered psychologist with training in dialectical behaviour therapy.

Findings

– Completing the intervention resulted in an increase in knowledge of PDs, treatments, increased self-compassion and therapeutic optimism and awareness of the limitations of a PD diagnosis.

Originality/value

– A new intervention that may increase knowledge of PDs, of personal strengths and increase optimism about change that may be a useful component to the treatment for service users with PDs and an ID.
Vicarious experience of justice: when unfair treatment of one’s colleague matters
Authors: Huang Jason L. , Ryan Ann Marie , Mujtaba Bahaudin G.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which perceptions of one’s colleague’s fair treatment by an authority, termed vicarious justice, can affect an individual’s satisfaction with and cooperation toward the authority, after controlling one’s personal justice experience from the same authority figure.

Design/methodology/approach

– In Study 1,172 employees filled out a survey about personal and vicarious justice experience at work. In Study 2,208 undergraduate students participated in an online scenario experiment that manipulated vicarious justice experience.

Findings

– Across both studies, results indicated that, controlling for personal justice perceptions, vicarious justice perceptions positively influenced individuals’ satisfaction with the authority; the effect on satisfaction was stronger for individuals who saw themselves as more similar to the colleague. Results of the experiment also suggested that vicarious justice led to higher cooperation intentions, and such effect was moderated by similarity as well.

Research limitations/implications

– The current studies demonstrate that vicarious justice perceptions can influence individuals beyond the effects of their own treatment, and such influence depends on perceived similarity between the focal individual and the colleague.

Practical implications

– The paper highlights the importance of managers’ treatment of other employees, especially when managing employees that are homogeneous in various characteristics.

Originality/value

– The studies extend the current understanding on vicarious justice effects and underscore the role of similarity in moderating such effects. The combination of field survey and online experiment provides evidence for causal inference for the findings.
Enhancing perceived employability
Authors: Veld Monique , Semeijn Judith , Vuuren Tinka van
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating role of employees’ willingness to invest in training and development and willingness for mobility on the relationship between human resource (HR) management practices and employability. As such, the study takes an interactionist perspective, building on human capital theory and social exchange theory. Investigating possible interaction effects is highly relevant as little is known yet on how organizational efforts (i.e. policies and activities) and individual effort of employees might strengthen each other in their aim of enhancing employability.

Design/methodology/approach

– Analyses were based on a sample of 1,346 respondents from 91 primary school locations in the Netherlands. Hypotheses were tested using regression analyses controlling for nesting of the data.

Findings

– The results indicate that HR activities and employees’ willingness are positively related to employability. Furthermore, only employees’ willingness for mobility strengthens this relationship, not their willingness for training and development. These results indicate that both organizations and employees are responsible for enhancing employability.

Practical implications

– Both HR activities and employee willingness appear to play a significant and interactive role for enhancing employability. Therefore, explicit cooperation between employee and organization in light of optimizing employability seems warranted.

Originality/value

– This study extends current research on enhancing employability, by theorizing and testing the combined efforts of organizations and employees from an interactionist perspective.
Trade‐offs in juvenile growth potential vs. shade tolerance among subtropical rain forest trees on soils of contrasting fertility
Authors: Sendall Kerrie M. , Lusk Christopher H. , Reich Peter B.
Published: September 2015

Plant adaptation to gradients of light availability involves a well‐studied functional trade‐off, as does adaptation to gradients of nutrient availability. However, little is known about how these two major trade‐offs interact, and thus, it remains unclear whether and how the nature of the growth–shade tolerance trade‐off differs on soils of contrasting fertility.

We asked whether juvenile growth–shade tolerance trade‐offs differed in slope and elevation between tree assemblages on nutrient‐rich basalt and nutrient‐poor rhyolite soils in an Australian subtropical rain forest.

We measured the growth of, and the range of light environments occupied by, juveniles (40–120 cm tall) of eight basalt specialists, six rhyolite specialists, and one generalist that was common on both substrates. In situ minimum light requirements were estimated from the 5th percentile of the distribution of naturally regenerated juveniles in relation to daily light transmittance. Stem growth was measured for 12–16 months across a wide range of light environments to estimate the light compensation point of growth of each species.

Light compensation points of growth showed nearly a 1 : 1 correspondence with in situ minimum light requirements of species, indicating that whole‐plant carbon balance is a key driver of ecological success in low light. Minimum light requirements were negatively correlated with relative growth rate in low light, but correlated positively with growth in high light. Soil type had no effect on either the slope or the elevation of this trade‐off, all species aligning around a common growth–shade tolerance trade‐off, but our results do show a wider range of growth rates and shade tolerance on the nutrient‐rich basalt soil than on the nutrient‐poor rhyolite.

Our results suggest that adaptation to light availability involves fundamentally similar trade‐offs on these two substrates of differing fertility. However, a wider range of growth rates and shade tolerance on the nutrient‐rich basalt soil than on the nutrient‐poor rhyolite may help to explain the higher species richness and greater structural complexity of forest stands on the former substrate.
Reef flattening effects on total richness and species responses in the Caribbean
Authors: Newman Steven P. , Meesters Erik H. , Dryden Charlie S. , Williams Stacey M. , Sanchez Cristina , Mumby Peter J. , Polunin Nicholas V. C.
Published: September 2015

There has been ongoing flattening of Caribbean coral reefs with the loss of habitat having severe implications for these systems. Complexity and its structural components are important to fish species richness and community composition, but little is known about its role for other taxa or species‐specific responses.

This study reveals the importance of reef habitat complexity and structural components to different taxa of macrofauna, total species richness, and individual coral and fish species in the Caribbean.

Species presence and richness of different taxa were visually quantified in one hundred 25‐m2 plots in three marine reserves in the Caribbean. Sampling was evenly distributed across five levels of visually estimated reef complexity, with five structural components also recorded: the number of corals, number of large corals, slope angle, maximum sponge and maximum octocoral height. Taking advantage of natural heterogeneity in structural complexity within a particular coral reef habitat (Orbicella reefs) and discrete environmental envelope, thus minimizing other sources of variability, the relative importance of reef complexity and structural components was quantified for different taxa and individual fish and coral species on Caribbean coral reefs using boosted regression trees (BRTs).

Boosted regression tree models performed very well when explaining variability in total (82·3%), coral (80·6%) and fish species richness (77·3%), for which the greatest declines in richness occurred below intermediate reef complexity levels. Complexity accounted for very little of the variability in octocorals, sponges, arthropods, annelids or anemones. BRTs revealed species‐specific variability and importance for reef complexity and structural components. Coral and fish species occupancy generally declined at low complexity levels, with the exception of two coral species (Pseudodiploria strigosa and Porites divaricata) and four fish species (Halichoeres bivittatus, H. maculipinna, Malacoctenus triangulatus and Stegastes partitus) more common at lower reef complexity levels. A significant interaction between country and reef complexity revealed a non‐additive decline in species richness in areas of low complexity and the reserve in Puerto Rico.

Flattening of Caribbean coral reefs will result in substantial species losses, with few winners. Individual structural components have considerable value to different species, and their loss may have profound impacts on population responses of coral and fish due to identity effects of key species, which underpin population richness and resilience and may affect essential ecosystem processes and services.
Seed germination and seedling emergence of Euryodendron excelsum H. T. Chang: implications for species conservation and restoration
Authors: Shen Shi‐Kang , Wu Fu‐Qin , Yang Guan‐Song , Wang Yue‐Hua , He Shu‐Zhuang
Published: September 2015

Euryodendron excelsum H. T. Chang is a critically endangered plant from the family Theaceae that is endemic to China. It is now present in only one remnant population in a very narrow range and with a highly isolated and fragmented distribution pattern. The species is distributed close to the local villages and faces extinction because of the high level of anthropogenic disturbance. Thus, conservation and restoration of this species is urgent. The species reproduces by seed, but its germination requirements and seedling emergence are rarely understood. In this study, the germination requirements, desiccation tolerance and seedling emergence of the species were studied under controlled laboratory conditions. The results indicated that seeds of E. excelsum were non‐dormant. Optimal temperatures for germination were 15°C to 25°C; the germination percentage decreased and the mean germination time increased at high temperature. Seed germination was inhibited in the dark, suggesting that the seeds were positive photoblastic. Water stress also significantly inhibited germination percentage; no seeds germinated at 15% polyethylene glycol 6000. The fresh seeds had moderate moisture content of 28.6% and showed strong tolerance of dehydration. Thus, the seeds of E. excelsum tended to be orthodox. Seeds on the soil surface had the highest emergence percentage, which declined with depth of burial. Soil types significantly affected seedling emergence; seeds had higher emergence percentage in sandy soil than in mixed soil and clayed soil. Our study demonstrated that ex situ conservation and reintroduction of E. excelsum using seedling propagation from seeds is feasible.
Children with ASD can use gaze to map new words
Authors: Bean Ellawadi Allison , McGregor Karla K.
Published: September 2015

Background: The conclusion that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) do not use eye gaze in the service of word learning is based on one‐trial studies.

Aims: To determine whether children with ASD come to use gaze in the service of word learning when given multiple trials with highly reliable eye‐gaze cues.

Methods & Procedures: Fifteen children with ASD with a mean age of 59 months (range = 36–92 months) and 15 typically developing (TD) peers with a mean age of 37 months (range = 16–92 months), and matched to the ASD group on receptive vocabulary raw scores, participated in four conditions formed by crossing‐gaze load (high versus low) and attention load (high versus low). The high eye‐gaze load condition required the children to shift attention to the examiner and follow her gaze to fast map new words correctly. The low‐gaze load did not require shift and follow behaviours. The high‐attention condition involved three (as opposed to one) distracter objects.

Outcomes & Results: As compared with the TD group, a lower proportion of the ASD group shifted and followed the examiner on the initial trial of the high‐gaze load condition, but there was not a significant difference between groups when shift and follow behaviours were averaged over subsequent trials, nor was there a difference between groups in fast‐mapping performance. Fast‐mapping outcomes were correlated with gaze shift and follow behaviours in the high‐gaze load condition.

Conclusions & Implications: The finding that the children with ASD altered their looking behaviour over the course of the experiment suggests that children with ASD were sensitive to statistical regularities present in the examiner's gaze cues and used this information to alter their looking behaviour over the course of the experiment.
‘You're Not Going Anywhere’: Employee Retention, Symbolic Violence and the Structuring of Subordination in a UK-Based Call Centre
Authors: Brannan Matthew J.
Published: September 2015

This article explores practices that produce and reproduce domination in and through organizational hierarchies and shows how high levels of employee turnover were managed within a UK-based call centre through the use of culturally bound employment practices. Using ethnographic methods the paper explores the experience of managerial retention strategies from the perspective of employees and draws upon some of the theoretical resources employed by Pierre Bourdieu, specifically in relation to his concern with structures of subordination, and with the ways that processes of symbolic violence appear legitimate. The paper therefore makes three contributions to our understanding of the sociology of work generally and the management of labour turnover in service industries specifically; first, it extends understanding of the cultural basis of retention strategies. Second, it explores the ‘lived experience’ of these strategies. Finally, it considers the relevance of Bourdieu's analysis for making sense of these practices in action.
The Monarchy Shapes Up: Arboreal Metaphors in Royal Propaganda and Court Panegyrics during the Reign of Louis XV
Authors: Pacini Giulia
Published: September 2015

On 25 February 1745, during a ball celebrating the Dauphin's marriage to the Infanta of Spain, Louis XV dressed up as a pruned yew tree. A large watercolour and hundreds of prints produced by the royal office of the Menus Plaisirs offered contemporaries a stunning image of this event. This article analyses the self‐fashioning implicit in the king's sartorial choice, arguing that it informed a new political script characterised by an increasingly technical arboreal discourse. Royal epithalamia in particular drew on tree metaphors to describe the health of the body politic in the second half of the eighteenth century.
Familial expansile osteolysis: An Australian case report of a Paget's Disease Mimic
Authors: Topham Dean Grant , Sampson Matthew John
Published: September 2015

We report a case of familial expansile osteolysis (FEO) with multimodality imaging findings and histopathological correlation in a 42‐year‐old man presenting to a South Australian Emergency Department. FEO is a unique metabolic bone condition that is similar in some respects to Paget's disease but distinct enough in its clinical, radiological and histological findings to be classified as a separate disease process. It is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern and typified by increased osteoclast activity, medullary expansion, and hearing and dental problems. These changes can lead to significant morbidity with individuals affected suffering from bone pain and pathological fractures. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there are no reported cases in the literature documenting this disease in Australia.
Diagnostic services in Australia: service rates and characteristics of patients
Authors: Brennan DS , Balasubramanian M , Spencer AJ
Published: September 2015

Background

Diagnostic services are the most common area of dental service in Australia. The objective was to investigate differences in services per visit for examinations and radiographs in relation to the characteristics of patients receiving these services in terms of age and gender, aspects of visiting such as dental insurance and reasons for visit, and oral health such as number of teeth and presence of decay.

Methods

A random sample of Australian dentists was surveyed in 2009–2010. Data on diagnostic services and patient characteristics were collected from a service log.

Results

A total of 1148 dentists responded (response rate = 67%). Models adjusted for age and gender of patients showed that rates [Rate Ratio, 95% CI] of examinations were higher for insured patients [1.13; 1.06–1.21], while rates of radiographs were higher for emergency visits [1.25; 1.11–1.48]. Patients with 20 or more teeth had higher rates for examinations [1.15; 1.01–1.32] and radiographs [1.28; 1.02–1.60]. Decayed teeth were associated with lower examination rates [0.70; 0.65–0.76] but higher rates of radiographs [1.34; 1.16–1.55].

Conclusions

The finding that number of teeth was associated with higher rates of examinations and radiographs suggests that retention of teeth could be influencing the increasing rates of diagnostic services in Australia.
Sun‐protection practices among undergraduates at an Australian University
Authors: Shahnam Adel , Samarawickrema Indira , Ali Sayed
Published: September 2015

Background/Objectives

To assess the sun‐protection practices of undergraduates at the Australian National University.

Methods

We sent emails with links to the questionnaire on the use of five sun‐protection practices in the last fortnight of the summer to 3341 randomly selected students aged 18–24 years in this cross‐sectional study. The response rate was 19% and 507 students met the inclusion criteria.

Results

The sample consisted of 338 female and 169 male students with a mean age of 20.5 years (SD ± 1.9). Any method of sun protection was used always or often by 32% of respondents. The commonest method used was shade (58%) while the least common was wearing a hat (8%). Domestic students (44%) used sunglasses more than the international students (23%, P < 0.05) and female students used sunscreen (48%) and sunglasses (37%) more than male students (33% and 23% respectively) (P < 0.05). In the 22–24‐year‐old age group non‐medical students (54%) used sunglasses more than the medical students (36%, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Only a third of the sample practiced any method of sun protection and there were significant differences in the practices between subgroups, suggesting they were at an increased risk of sun damage.
A clinical audit of high‐cost and off‐label drug use in dermatology
Authors: Ong Natalie , McMeniman Erin , Pillans Peter , Soyer H Peter
Published: September 2015

Background/Objectives

The use of high‐cost, off‐label, unsubsidised drugs has become valuable in the management of dermatology patients with challenging conditions unresponsive to conventional therapy. Currently, there is no dedicated funding and a paucity of evidence for such drugs. The aim of this audit was to review outcomes and costs.

Methods

A retrospective clinical audit of high‐cost off‐label dermatology drug applications to the High Cost Drug's Subcommittee was undertaken at a tertiary public hospital in Brisbane, Queensland, between 2002 and 2013.

Results

Of 28 applications, 25 were approved. The medications included thalidomide, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporin, infliximab, rituximab and adalimumab. Over 70% of patients responded to treatment. Individual annual costs for these medications ranged from $2068 to $36 984. Adverse effects resulted in drug withdrawal in five cases.

Conclusions

Despite the absence of dedicated funding for high‐cost drugs and a rigorous committee approval process, most applications were approved, of which >70% benefited from treatment. This audit provides useful clinical experience with off‐label use of high‐cost drugs in difficult dermatological conditions.
Black Liberation and the Foundations of Social Control
Authors: Gavin Marshall Andrew
Published: September 2015

In regards to funding for the civil rights and black power movements in the United States, the major philanthropic foundations pursued their primary goals of social engineering and implementation of reforms designed to establish and maintain social control. They operated in the ultimate interests of the wealthy corporate and financial interests that dominated foundation boards and founders, promoting incremental reforms in order to secure their own long‐term systemic interests.
The Gates Foundation, Ebola, and Global Health Imperialism
Authors: Levich Jacob
Published: September 2015

Powerful institutions of Western capital, notably the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, viewed the African Ebola outbreak of 2014–2015 as an opportunity to advance an ambitious global agenda. Building on recent public health literature proposing “global health governance” (GHG) as the preferred model for international healthcare, Bill Gates publicly called for the creation of a worldwide, militarized, supranational authority capable of responding decisively to outbreaks of infectious disease—an authority governed by Western powers and targeting the underdeveloped world. This article examines the media‐generated panic surrounding Ebola alongside the response and underlying motives of foundations, governments, and other institutions. It describes the evolution and goals of GHG, in particular its opposition to traditional notions of Westphalian sovereignty. It proposes a different concept—“global health imperialism”—as a more useful framework for understanding the current conditions and likely future of international healthcare.
Making Public Policy: The New Philanthropists and American Education
Authors: Rogers Robin
Published: September 2015

Power in K–12 education is rapidly moving from local school boards and government to extraordinarily wealthy private philanthropists. Building networks among nonprofits, government agencies, school districts, and others, private foundations such as the Gates, Broad, and Walton family foundations are fundamentally restructuring American K–12 education. The Common Core State Standards, teacher evaluation, and charter schools are a few of the initiatives these funders are backing. The massive influx of private money into education policy and its influence over public education raises questions around the proper role of philanthropy in a democracy. In a society with increasing wealth inequality, should the economic elite be able to gain further power to shape social institutions through giving? Are there or should there be any limits to this power? Examining specific trends and events in education philanthropy over the last 10 years, this article identifies key players in philanthropic education reform and argues that philanthropy in education is now playing a policy‐making role—without checks and balances—that is qualitatively and quantitatively different than before. I conclude with a cautionary note on the dangers of letting education policy become the domain of the economic elite.
The “Big 3” Foundations and American Global Power
Authors: Parmar Inderjeet
Published: September 2015

This article shows how the major foundations were extremely influential in America's rise to global hegemony over the past century. The leadership of these foundations was part of the eastern foreign policy establishment that initially mobilized support for a globalist, anti‐isolationist agenda and after World War II worked to construct a viable intellectual framework promoting American perspectives in world affairs. The development of foundation leadership in international relations took place in three phases with different emphases, aimed at softening the sharper edges of globalization and elite dominance to retain public legitimacy: 1) shifting American public opinion from the 1920s to the 1950s in favor of liberal internationalism and a strong national government, 2) creating an integrated global elite from the 1950s to the 1970s that could serve as conduits for American interests within the institutions of each nation, and 3) developing democratic reforms in response to neoliberalism after 1980 to gain legitimacy for the international order, in order to sustain the idea that the political and economic systems work for everyone. In this fashion, foundations were able publicly to espouse principles of self‐determination and economic development for every nation, even though their actions paved the way for the continuation of neocolonialism.
Opportunistic bilateral salpingectomy during gynaecological surgery for benign disease: A survey of current Australian practice
Authors: Kapurubandara Supuni , Qin Victoria , Gurram Divya , Anpalagan Anbu , Merkur Harry , Hogg Russell , Brand Alison
Published: September 2015

Background

Recent evidence supports the fallopian tube as the site of origin for many pelvic serous cancers (PSC) including epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC). As a result, a change in practice with opportunistic bilateral salpingectomy (OBS) at the time of hysterectomy has been advocated as a preventative strategy for PSC in a low‐risk population.

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess current clinical practice in Australia with respect to OBS during gynaecological surgery for benign indications.

Materials and Methods

An anonymous online survey was sent to all active Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RANZCOG) Fellows in Australia. Data regarding clinician demographics and the proportion of clinicians offering OBS were collected. Reasons for and against offering or discussing OBS were sought. A descriptive analysis was performed.

Results

The response rate was 26% (280/1490) with 70% of respondents offering or discussing OBS to women undergoing gynaecological surgery for benign indications, usually at the time of abdominal (96%) or laparoscopic (76%) hysterectomy. The main reason for offering or discussing OBS was current evidence to suggest the fallopian tubes as the site of origin for most EOC. Main reasons for not offering OBS were insufficient evidence to benefit the woman (36%) or being unaware of recent evidence (33%).

Conclusions

The survey responses indicate that OBS is frequently discussed or offered in Australia, usually at the time of hysterectomy. Given the lack of robust evidence to suggest a benefit at a population‐based level, a national registry is recommended to monitor outcomes.
Surgical management of abnormally invasive placenta: a retrospective cohort study demonstrating the benefits of a standardized operative approach
Authors: Brennan Donal J. , Schulze Brittany , Chetty Naven , Crandon Alex , Petersen Scott G. , Gardener Glenn , Perrin Lewis
Published: September 2015

Introduction

Abnormally invasive placenta is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a standardized operative approach performed by gynecological oncologists in the surgical management of abnormally invasive placenta.

Materials and methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of all cases of morbid placental adherence managed at the Mater Mothers’ Hospitals, Brisbane, Australia between January 2000 and June 2013. A standard operative approach involving extensive retro‐peritoneal and bladder dissection before delivery of the fetus, was undertaken when a gynecological oncologist was present at the start of the procedure. Main outcome measures were estimated blood loss, transfusion requirements, and maternal and neonatal morbidity.

Results

The study includes 98 cases of histologically confirmed abnormally invasive placenta. Median estimated blood loss for the entire cohort was 2150 mL (range 300–11 500 mL). Women were divided into three groups, (1) those who had a gynecological oncologist present at the start of the procedure (group 1; n = 43), (2) those who had a gynecological oncologist called in during the procedure (group 2; n = 23), and (3) those who had no gynecological oncologist involved (group 3; n = 32). Group 2 had a significantly higher blood loss than the other groups (p = 0.001) (median 4400 mL). Transfusion requirements were higher in groups 2 and 3 compared with group 1 (p = 0.004). Other maternal and neonatal morbidity was similar across all three groups.

Conclusion

This study supports the early presence of a gynecological oncologist at delivery when abnormally invasive placenta is suspected and demonstrates that a “call if needed” approach is not acceptable for these complex cases.
The influence of sperm motility and cryopreservation on the treatment outcome after intracytoplasmic sperm injection following testicular sperm extraction
Authors: Hessel Marloes , Robben Johanna C.M. , D'Hauwers Kathleen W.M. , Braat Didi D.M. , Ramos Liliana
Published: September 2015

Introduction

It is already known that embryo quality is a major contributing factor to the outcome of assisted reproduction techniques. This study focuses on treatment variables that might be of importance to the outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection following testicular sperm extraction (TESE‐ICSI) in non‐obstructive azoospermia.

Material and methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a Dutch tertiary care academic training hospital between July 2009 and December 2013. With logistic regression analysis we explored the influence of treatment variables, including testicular sperm parameters – (i) motile or tail touch spermatozoa, and (ii) use of fresh or frozen testicular semen‐samples – on biochemical and ongoing pregnancy rates after single (n = 393) and double embryo transfer (n = 352).

Results

Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the rank of the TESE‐ICSI attempt [odds ratio (OR) 0.8, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.70–0.93], the number of embryos available for transfer (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.06–1.19) and quality of the embryo(s) transferred (OR 12.8, 95% CI 5.00–32.67) as possible predictors of biochemical pregnancy, whereas only embryo quality (OR 16.9, 95% CI 5.23–54.87) was independently associated with ongoing pregnancy.

Conclusions

The use of cryopreserved testicular sperm does not negatively influence the ongoing pregnancy and live birth rate after TESE‐ICSI. However, sperm motility seems to increase the pregnancy rate through its influence on embryo quality. Therefore, fresh TESE has no added value when there is still cryopreserved testicular sperm available. Motile sperm is preferred for injection, but the use of tail touch sperm results in an acceptable treatment outcome.
A linked and open dataset from a network of learning repositories on organic agriculture
Authors: Rajabi Enayat , Sanchez‐Alonso Salvador , Sicilia Miguel‐Angel , Manouselis Nikos
Published: September 2015

Exposing eLearning objects on the Web of Data leads to sharing and reusing of educational resources and improves the interoperability of data on the Web. Furthermore, it enriches e‐learning content, as it is connected to other valuable resources using the Linked Data principles. This paper describes a study performed on the Organic.Edunet repository, as an e‐learning portal in an agricultural context. In this research, we experiment with exposing the Organic.Edunet metadata as Linked Open Data and interlinking its contents to several relevant datasets on the Web. An analysis of the metadata and of the interlinking results is presented in this paper as well.
Evaluation of the International Prognostic Score (IPS‐7) and a Simpler Prognostic Score (IPS‐3) for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma in the modern era
Authors: Diefenbach Catherine S. , Li Hailun , Hong Fangxin , Gordon Leo I. , Fisher Richard I. , Bartlett Nancy L. , Crump Michael , Gascoyne Randy D. , Wagner Henry , Stiff Patrick J. , Cheson Bruce D. , Stewart Douglas A. , Kahl Brad S. , Friedberg Jonathan W. , Blum Kristie A. , Habermann Thomas M. , Tuscano Joseph M. , Hoppe Richard T. , Horning Sandra J. , Advani Ranjana H.
Published: September 2015

The International Prognostic Score (IPS‐7) is the most commonly used risk stratification tool for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), however recent studies suggest the IPS‐7 is less discriminating due to improved outcomes with contemporary therapy. We evaluated the seven variables for IPS‐7 recorded at study entry for 854 patients enrolled on Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 2496 trial. Univariate and multivariate Cox models were used to assess their prognostic ability for freedom from progression (FFP) and overall survival (OS). The IPS‐7 remained prognostic however its prognostic range has narrowed. On multivariate analysis, two factors (age, stage) remained significant for FFP and three factors (age, stage, haemoglobin level) for OS. An alternative prognostic index, the IPS‐3, was constructed using age, stage and haemoglobin level, which provided four distinct risk groups [FFP (P = 0·0001) and OS (P < 0·0001)]. IPS‐3 outperformed the IPS‐7 on risk prediction for both FFP and OS by model fit and discrimination criteria. Using reclassification calibration, 18% of IPS‐7 low risk patients were re‐classified as intermediate risk and 13% of IPS‐7 intermediate risk patients as low risk. For patients with advanced HL, the IPS‐3 may provide a simpler and more accurate framework for risk assessment in the modern era. Validation of these findings in other large data sets is planned.
Health management in cancer survivors: Findings from a population‐based prospective cohort study—the Yamagata Study (Takahata)
Authors: Nakamura Sho , Narimatsu Hiroto , (Ito) Sasahara Yuriko , Sho Ri , Kawasaki Ryo , Yamashita Hidetoshi , Kubota Isao , Ueno Yoshiyuki , Kato Takeo , Yoshioka Takashi , Fukao Akira , Kayama Takamasa
Published: September 2015

The number of cancer survivors is increasing; however, optimal health management of cancer survivors remains unclear due to limited knowledge. To elucidate the risk of non‐communicable diseases, and the effect of lifestyle habits on risk of non‐communicable diseases, we compared cancer survivors and those who never had cancer (non‐cancer controls) using a population‐based prospective cohort study. The baseline survey of 2292 participants was carried out from 2004 to 2006, and the follow‐up survey of 2124 participants was carried out in 2011. We compared the baseline characteristics and the risk of non‐communicable diseases between cancer survivors and non‐cancer controls. Analyzed participants included 124 cancer survivors (men/women, 57/67), and 2168 non‐cancer controls (939/1229). Several lifestyle factors and nutritional intake significantly differed between survivors and non‐cancer controls, although smoking status did not differ between the groups (P = 0.30). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed increased risk of death (odds ratio [OR], 3.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.19–6.05) and heart disease (OR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.06–6.39) in cancer survivors. Increased risk of heart disease was also significant (OR, 2.95; 95% CI, 1.05–8.26; P = 0.04) in the multivariate analysis of the smoking‐related cancer subgroup. Current smoking significantly increased risk of death (OR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.13–5.18). Specific management should be implemented for cancer survivors. More intense management against smoking is necessary, as continued smoking in cancer survivors may increase the risk of second primary cancer. Moreover, cancer survivors are at a high risk of heart disease; thus, additional care should be taken.
I Forget What That's Called! Children's Online Processing of Disfluencies Depends on Speaker Knowledge
Authors: Orena Adriel John , White Katherine S.
Published: September 2015

Speech disfluencies can convey information to listeners: Adults and children predict that filled pauses (e.g., uhh) will be followed by referents that are difficult to describe or are new to the discourse. In adults, this is driven partly by an understanding that disfluencies reflect processing difficulties. This experiment examined whether 3½‐year‐olds' use of disfluencies similarly involves inferences about processing difficulty. Forty children were introduced to either a knowledgeable or a forgetful speaker, who then produced fluent and disfluent utterances. Children exposed to the knowledgeable speaker looked preferentially at novel, discourse‐new objects during disfluent utterances. However, children who heard the forgetful speaker did not. These results suggest that, like adults, children modify their expectations about the informativeness of disfluencies on a speaker‐specific basis.
Blood cytotoxic/inflammatory mediators in non‐eosinophilic asthma
Authors: Hodge S. , Hodge G. , Simpson J. L. , Yang I. A. , Upham J. , James A. , Gibson P. G. , Reynolds P.N. ,   AMAZES Study Research Group
Published: September 2015

Background

Non‐eosinophilic asthma (NEA) is a distinct, often corticosteroid‐resistant inflammatory asthma phenotype. NK and NKT‐like cells are effector lymphocytes that we have shown, like CD28null T cells, to be relatively resistant to steroids and major sources of pro‐inflammatory/cytotoxic mediators. We hypothesized that these cells and mediators would be increased in peripheral blood in NEA.

Methods

Adults with severe asthma and variable airflow obstruction, poorly controlled despite maintenance therapy with inhaled glucocorticosteroids and long‐acting bronchodilators, were recruited. Blood was assessed in those with eosinophilic asthma (n = 12), NEA (n = 25) and healthy non‐smoking controls (n = 30). We applied flow cytometry to measure T, CD28null, NK and NKT‐like cells and their expression of granzyme B, perforin, and killer inhibitory/activating receptors CD94(Kp43), CD158b and CD107A. Intracellular pro‐inflammatory cytokine production (IFN‐γ and TNF‐α) was assessed in 18 controls and 10 patients with asthma/group.

Results

In NEA, there was increased expression of granzyme B by CD8+ T cells vs. controls. There was increased expression of granzyme B and CD158 and decreased CD94 on NK cells, vs. healthy controls and those with eosinophilic asthma. IFN‐γ production by NK cells and TNF‐α production by NKT‐like cells in NEA were significantly increased vs. controls. In both eosinophilic and NEA phenotypes, there were significant increases in CD4+28null T cells (72% and 81% increases, respectively, vs. controls) and their expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Significant correlations were noted between blood CD4+28null T cells and neutrophil numbers in induced sputum, and between corticosteroid dose and blood NKT‐like cells, and their production of granzyme B and TNF‐α and NK IFN‐γ.

Conclusion and clinical relevance

In poorly controlled asthma, altered expression of cytotoxic/pro‐inflammatory mediators can be seen on a variety of lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood; these changes are most apparent in NEA. Whether this pattern of expression is a marker of treatment responsiveness and future risk of exacerbations remains to be determined.