bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Information mirages and financial contagion in an asset market experiment
Authors: Noussair Charles , Xu Yilong
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider whether asymmetric information about correlations between assets can induce financial contagion. Contagion, unjustified by fundamentals, would arise if participants react in one market to uninformative trades in the other market that actually convey no relevant information. The authors also consider whether the market accurately disseminates insider information about fundamental value correlations when such information is indeed present.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors employ experimental asset markets to answer the research questions. The experimental markets allow participants to simultaneously trade two assets for multiple rounds. In each round, a shock occurs, which either have an idiosyncratic effect on the shocked asset, or a systematic effect on both assets. Half of the time, there exist insiders who know the true nature of the shock and how it affects the value of the other asset. The other half of the time, no agent knows whether there is a correlation between the assets. In such cases, there is the potential for the appearance of information mirages. Uninformed traders, in either condition, do not know whether or not there exist insiders, but can try to infer this from the market activity they observe.

Findings

– The results of the experiment show that when inside information about the nature of the correlation between assets does exist, it is readily disseminated in the form of market prices. However, when there is no private information (PI), mirages are common, demonstrating that financial contagion can arise in the absence of any fundamental relationship between assets. An analysis of individual behavior suggests that some unprofitable decisions appear to be related to an aversion to complex distributions of lottery payoffs.

Originality/value

– The study focusses on one of the triggers of unjustified financial contagion, namely, asymmetric information. The authors have studied financial contagion in a controlled experimental setting where the authors can carefully control information, and specify the fundamental interdependence between assets traded in different markets.
Education and earnings within dual-earner couples in Central Europe
Authors: Mysíková Martina
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on earnings inequality within dual-earner couples in four Central-East European (CEE) countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. It aims to analyse the factors that influence earnings distribution within couples.

Design/methodology/approach

– The analysis uses OLS regression applied on the Statistics on Income and Living Conditions 2011 survey to reveal the various influence of relevant factors, especially relative education and the presence of children, on relative earnings.

Findings

– Women, on average, contribute less to a couple’s income than men. While considerably higher in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, such disparity is relatively low in Hungary and Poland. These countries have the highest share of dual-earner couples where the woman outearns her partner. The factor that substantially reduces the within-couple earnings inequality in all the analysed countries is a higher relative education of women. On the contrary, the presence of children, especially those of younger age, increases this disparity in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Originality/value

– The research on within-couple earning inequality in CEE countries lags behind the relatively rich evidence from western Europe. This is the first study which systematically describes the situation in CEE countries from a comparative perspective.
Lessons from Albion
Authors: Norman Richard , Robinson Suzanne
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– As Australia struggles to meet increased demand for healthcare and contain expenditure there has been a focus on primary care and its role in demand management and keeping people out of expensive secondary care. However, with domestic policy struggling to find a suitable approach consideration of English policy could well be fruitful in the quest to strengthen and develop primary care in Australia. The purpose of this paper is to consider policy developments in England and explores these in relation to the Australian healthcare system.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors highlight the key changes to policy that have occurred in the English healthcare system in recent years, and discuss whether they have proven successful. The authors discuss the barriers to implementing similar approaches in Australia, particularly the difference in system structure that would necessitate policy adaptation.

Findings

– Whilst there are differences in the structure and organisation of funding and service provision between countries, there are developments in England that are worthy of consideration from an Australian perspective. These include a focus on funding and commissioning that rewards quality not just activity and volume. As Australia sees the development of new primary care organisations that are tasked with commissioning then developments and lessons around the technical and relational aspects will be important to consider.

Originality/value

– The work highlights that Australia might consider learning from the English experience in this area and the types of incentives that may increase efficiency and quality of health service provision. This is important as it potentially gives greater certainty about those approaches most likely to yield beneficial outcomes for patients and the broader system.
Examining challenges to reliability of health service accreditation during a period of healthcare reform in Australia
Authors: Greenfield David , Debono Deborah , Hogden Anne , Hinchcliff Reece , Mumford Virginia , Pawsey Marjorie , Westbrook Johanna , Braithwaite Jeffrey
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– Health systems are changing at variable rates. Periods of significant change can create new challenges or amplify existing barriers to accreditation program credibility and reliability. The purpose of this paper is to examine, during the transition to a new Australian accreditation scheme and standards, challenges to health service accreditation survey reliability, the salience of the issues and strategies to manage threats to survey reliability.

Design/methodology/approach

– Across 2013-2014, a two-phase, multi-method study was conducted, involving five research activities (two questionnaire surveys and three group discussions). This paper reports data from the transcribed group discussions involving 100 participants, which was subject to content and thematic analysis. Participants were accreditation survey coordinators employed by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.

Findings

– Six significant issues influencing survey reliability were reported: accreditation program governance and philosophy; accrediting agency management of the accreditation process, including the program’s framework; survey coordinators; survey team dynamics; individual surveyors; and healthcare organizations’ approach to accreditation. A change in governance arrangements promoted reliability with an independent authority and a new set of standards, endorsed by Federal and State governments. However, potential reliability threats were introduced by having multiple accrediting agencies approved to survey against the new national standards. Challenges that existed prior to the reformed system remain.

Originality/value

– Capturing lessons and challenges from healthcare reforms is necessary if improvements are to be realized. The study provides practical and theoretical strategies to promote reliability in accreditation programs.
Reorganising hospitals to implement a patient-centered model of care
Authors: Liberati Elisa Giulia , Gorli Mara , Scaratti Giuseppe
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand how the introduction of a patient-centered model (PCM) in Italian hospitals affects the pre-existent configuration of clinical work and interacts with established intra/inter-professional relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

– Qualitative multi-phase study based on three main sources: health policy analysis, an exploratory interview study with senior managers of eight Italian hospitals implementing the PCM, and an in-depth case study that involved managerial and clinical staff of one Italian hospital implementing the PCM.

Findings

– The introduction of the PCM challenges clinical work and professional relationships, but such challenges are interpreted differently by the organisational actors involved, thus giving rise to two different “narratives of change”. The “political narrative” (the views conveyed by formal policies and senior managers) focuses on the power shifts and conflict between nurses and doctors, while the “workplace narrative” (the experiences of frontline clinicians) emphasises the problems linked to the disruption of previous discipline-based inter-professional groups.

Practical implications

– Medical disciplines, rather than professional groupings, are the main source of identification of doctors and nurses, and represent a crucial aspect of clinicians’ professional identity. Although the need for collaboration among medical disciplines is acknowledged, creating multi-disciplinary groups in practice requires the sustaining of new aggregators and binding forces.

Originality/value

– This study suggests further acknowledgment of the inherent complexity of the political and workplace narratives of change rather than interpreting them as the signal of irreconcilable perspectives between managers and clinicians. By addressing the specific issues regarding which the political and workplace narratives clash, relationship of trust may be developed through which problems can be identified, mutually acknowledged, articulated, and solved.
Is psychotropic medication use related to organisational and treatment culture in residential care
Authors: Peri Kathryn , Kerse Ngaire , Moyes Simon , Scahill Shane , Chen Charlotte , Hong Jae Beom , Hughes Carmel M
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to establish the relationship between organisational culture and psychotropic medication use in residential care.

Design/methodology/approach

– Cross-sectional analyses of staff and resident’s record survey in residential aged care facilities in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ). The competing values framework categorised organisational culture as clan, hierarchical, market driven or adhocracy and was completed by all staff. The treatment culture tool categorised facilities as having resident centred or traditional culture and was completed by registered nursing staff and general practitioners (GP). Functional and behavioural characteristics of residents were established by staff report and health characteristics and medications used were ascertained from the health record. Multiple regression was used to test for associations between measures of culture with psychotropic medication use (anxiolytics, sedatives, major tranquillisers).

Findings

– In total 199 staff, 27 GP and 527 residents participated from 14 facilities. On average 8.5 medications per resident were prescribed and 42 per cent of residents received psychotropic medication. Having a diagnosis of anxiety or depression (odds ratio (OR) 3.18, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 1.71, 5.91), followed by persistent wandering (OR 2.53, 95 per cent CI 1.59, 4.01) and being in a dementia unit (OR 2.45, 95 per cent CI 1.17, 5.12) were most strongly associated with psychotropic use. Controlling for resident- and facility-level factors, health care assistants’ assignation of hierarchical organisational culture type was independently associated with psychotropic medication use, (OR 1.29, CI 1.08, 1.53) and a higher treatment culture score from the GP was associated with lower use of psychotropic medication (OR 0.95, CI 0.92, 0.98).

Originality/value

– Psychotropic medication use remains prevalent in residential care facilities in NZ. Interventions aimed at changing organisational culture towards a less hierarchical and more resident-centred culture may be another avenue to improve prescribing in residential aged care.
The importance of role sending in the sensemaking of change agent roles
Authors: Tucker Danielle A , Hendy Jane , Barlow James
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate what happens when a lack of role-sending results in ambiguous change agent roles during a large scale organisational reconfiguration. The authors consider the role of sensemaking in resolving role ambiguity of middle manager change agents and the consequences of this for organisational restructuring.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected from a case study analysis of significant organisational reconfiguration across a local National Health Service Trust in the UK. Data consists of 82 interviews, complemented by analysis of over 100 documents and field notes from 51 hours of observations collected over five phases covering a three year period before, during and after the reconfiguration. An inductive qualitative analysis revealed the sensemaking processes by which ambiguity in role definition was resolved.

Findings

– The data explains how change agents collectively make sense of a role in their own way, drawing on their own experiences and views as well as cues from other organisational members. The authors also identified the organisational outcomes which resulted from this freedom in sensemaking. This study demonstrates that by leaving too much flexibility in the definition of the role, agents developed their own sensemaking which was subsequently very difficult to manipulate.

Practical implications

– In creating new roles, management first needs to have a realistic vision of the task and roles that their agents will perform, and second, to communicate these expectations to both those responsible for recruiting these roles and to the agents themselves.

Originality/value

– Much of the focus in sensemaking research has been on the importance of change agents’ sensemaking of the change but there has been little focus on how change agents sensemake their own role in the change.
Intelligence management opportunities for SMEs
Authors: Ojiako Udechukwu , Chipulu Maxwell , Karatas-Ozkan Mine , Siao Mei-Jyun , Maguire Stuart
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– Unfortunately, the majority of studies examining business intelligence (BI) have focused on its exploitation in large firms. Often studies appear to assume that smaller firms have limited interest or capabilities in intelligence. The purpose of this paper is to redress this imbalance by extending the role of intelligence (intelligence management (IM)) to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

– Data from a sample of 650 SMEs are analysed using multivariate techniques.

Findings

– The results of the data analysis suggest that entrepreneurial pro-activeness is dependent on IM and Knowledge management; but also that a model fit exists between the IM and the ability of SMEs to enact and sustain entrepreneurial opportunities. The authors also found that firm size is a determining factor in the effectiveness of IM.

Originality/value

– This study seeks to extend prior research which alludes to the fact that the decision-making capabilities of firms can be substantially enhanced through the exploitation of BI capabilities among SMES, which traditionally have not considered intelligence as a key competitive competency.
Factors explaining the use of management accounting practices in Malaysian medium-sized firms
Authors: Ahmad Kamilah , Mohamed Zabri Shafie
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that affect the use of management accounting practices (MAPs) in Malaysian medium-sized firms in manufacturing sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– A quantitative research design involving the use of postal questionnaire was carried out to investigate the influences of key contingent factors on MAPs. The survey was conducted to 500 Malaysian medium-sized firms in manufacturing sector which elicited 110 useable responses.

Findings

– The results indicates that size of the firm, intensity of market competition, commitment of owner/manager of firm and advanced manufacturing technology have significant influences on the use of certain MAPs. Thus the research provides support for a contingency-based explanation for the use of MAPs and identifies new variable such as commitment of owner/manager as one of a key factor that affect the extent of use of MAPs in smaller firms.

Research limitations/implications

– The research focused on medium-sized firms in manufacturing sector. Therefore the empirical research results may lack generalizability to the overall Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Future study might investigate whether there is a variation of the significant contingent factors in medium-sized firms across economies.

Practical implications

– This research fills in the significant research gap and provides a start for further research into MAPs among SMEs based on a contingency approach.

Social implications

– The results contribute to a better understanding of the factors underlying the development of MAPs among smaller firms.

Originality/value

– The paper discusses key contingency factors influencing MAPs in larger firms and SMEs and how these factors could affect the use of MAPs in smaller firms’ context.
Impact of social media on small businesses
Authors: Jones Nory , Borgman Richard , Ulusoy Ebru
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the role and economic impact that the internet, specifically websites and social media, have on small businesses. It aims to investigate the benefits available from the use of the internet and social media sites for small businesses that operate in underserved regions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research utilizes a case study methodology based on two surveys and semi-structured interviews with the owners or managers of five small companies in the western mountain region of Maine, a region described as underserved by the state departments of tourism and economic development – generally economically depressed, where the businesses are often struggling to survive.

Findings

– Benefits from the use of websites and social media sites include an increase in awareness and inquiries, enhanced relationships with customers, an increase in the number of new customers, enhanced ability to reach customers on a global scale, and co-promotion of local businesses that enhance the image of small businesses in the region.

Research limitations/implications

– The small number of firms from a specific region in the USA limits generalizations from this study’s findings. However, the findings offer preliminary insights for future studies on the use of the internet and social media sites for small businesses.

Practical implications

– The research provides evidence of potential advantages of utilizing web pages and social media sites for small businesses in underserved locations. The findings show that a web presence integrated with meaningful and sustained social media promotion can have a positive impact on business success in terms of increased traffic, awareness and revenues. This study has the potential to shed light on how internet technologies and social media can help struggling small businesses to communicate cost effectively with customers on a global scale, opening new opportunities for sales and growth.

Social implications

– By exploring the value of social media to small businesses, the authors hope to contribute to enhancement of the quality of life in small business and society as a whole.

Originality/value

– This paper is among the few reports on how small businesses learn about, utilize, and benefit from the web pages and social media sites.
Modifying an information literacy game for outreach events
Authors: Martin Lisa , Martin Will
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss how to use a web-based library game as an outreach tool at events. Games in higher education are a trend that libraries have used for information literacy but less frequently for outreach. Although there are relatively few examples of the use of games in academic library outreach events, games have the potential to be excellent outreach tools by engaging students and presenting them with the opportunity to change their perceptions of the library.

Design/methodology/approach

– The University of North Dakota (UND) Libraries successfully connected with students at an outreach event by using a modified version of the Information Literacy Game originally developed by the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG). UND Librarians created specific technical modifications and an event workflow, highlighted here, that other academic libraries can adapt for use at outreach events to attract both students who are and those who are not typically users of the library.

Findings

– The information literacy game, with some specific technical changes, is customizable in relatively inexpensive ways that allow librarians from institutions of all sizes to engage students with a game at outreach events.

Originality/value

– Games, especially Web-based games, have not previously been used in outreach events. The literature on the use of games in information literacy sessions but outreach is an even more logical fit for gaming. This paper presents a practical, value-oriented method for academic libraries to modify an information literacy game for use in outreach.
The Traditional Arab House in the Eastern Mediterranean and its Adaptation to the Mediterranean Climate
Authors: Hamza Efat , Paz Shlomit
Published: November 2015

This study examines the climate‐related methods of adaptation on which the traditional Arab house in the Eastern Mediterranean was based. We analysed nine old houses (from the 18th century to the early 20th century), built in the Arab vernacular tradition style, in three areas of Israel with different climatic conditions. Three houses in each area were chosen at random. Only nine were chosen because of the difficulty in finding houses whose state of preservation was in keeping with the aims of the research. For each house, climate‐related elements of the construction were documented. We found elements included at the design stage indicating climate consciousness, climate‐related elements due to building constraints, and building constraints in a cultural context with implications for the balance of climatic efficiency. The findings showed that climatic considerations were an integral part of the design while the principles crossed the boundaries of the three areas. Temperature, relative humidity, and heat intensity were measured, both inside and outside the house on selected days in each season. The research showed that the house moderates the impact of the outside temperature, inside the house in winter and mainly during the hot hours of the day in summer. Most of the climate‐related elements are still relevant. They can be used in regions with Mediterranean‐type climates (in the Mediterranean Basin, South Africa, central Chile, and southwestern Australia), especially when global warming and air pollution demand a substantial revolution of building design philosophies, strategies, technologies, and management methods.
Human–animal relations and the celebration of place‐identity: A case study of the Scone Racing Carnival, New South Wales
Authors: Graham Raewyn
Published: November 2015

Festivals and carnivals are social‐cultural assemblages of human and non‐human entities. This paper investigates interactions between humans and animals by focusing on the Scone Racing Carnival, a key event in the Scone and Upper Hunter Horse Festival. This paper contributes to existing studies of non‐metropolitan festivals and animal–human relations by questioning how and why non‐humans are enrolled in these cultural events, and the impact this has on place identity. The central argument is that the relationship between humans and thoroughbred horses, in particular, has played a significant role in the creation of a distinctive landscape, a regional identity for the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales, and a local identity for Scone. In turn, the carnival has assisted in maintaining an ‘eque‐cultural’ identity through the marketing and annual public celebration of human–horse relationships.
Cholesterol Oxidation in Fish and Fish Products
Authors: Dantas Natalie Marinho , Sampaio Geni Rodrigues , Ferreira Fernanda Silva , Labre Tatiana da Silva , Torres Elizabeth Aparecida Ferraz da Silva , Saldanha Tatiana
Published: November 2015

Fish and fish products are important from a nutritional point of view due to the presence of high biological value proteins and the high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially those of the n‐3 series, and above all eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. However, these important food products also contain significant amounts of cholesterol. Although cholesterol participates in essential functions in the human body, it is unstable, especially in the presence of light, oxygen, radiation, and high temperatures that can cause the formation of cholesterol oxidation products or cholesterol oxides, which are prejudicial to human health. Fish processing involves high and low temperatures, as well as other methods for microbiological control, which increases shelf life and consequently added value; however, such processes favor the formation of cholesterol oxidation products. This review brings together data on the formation of cholesterol oxides during the preparation and processing of fish into food products which are recognized and recommended for their nutritional properties.
Effects of Chilling and Partial Freezing on Rigor Mortis Changes of Bighead Carp (Aristichthys nobilis) Fillets: Cathepsin Activity, Protein Degradation and Microstructure of Myofibrils
Authors: Lu Han , Liu Xiaochang , Zhang Yuemei , Wang Hang , Luo Yongkang
Published: November 2015

To investigate the effects of chilling and partial freezing on rigor mortis changes in bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis), pH, cathepsin B, cathepsin B+L activities, SDS‐PAGE of sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins, texture, and changes in microstructure of fillets at 4 °C and –3 °C were determined at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after slaughter. The results indicated that pH of fillets (6.50 to 6.80) was appropriate for cathepsin function during the rigor mortis. For fillets that were chilled and partially frozen, the cathepsin activity in lysosome increased consistently during the first 12 h, followed by a decrease from the 12 to 24 h, which paralleled an increase in activity in heavy mitochondria, myofibrils and sarcoplasm. There was no significant difference in cathepsin activity in lysosomes between fillets at 4 °C and –3 °C (P > 0.05). Partially frozen fillets had greater cathepsin activity in heavy mitochondria than chilled samples from the 48 to 72 h. In addition, partially frozen fillets showed higher cathepsin activity in sarcoplasm and lower cathepsin activity in myofibrils compared with chilled fillets. Correspondingly, we observed degradation of α‐actinin (105 kDa) by cathepsin L in chilled fillets and degradation of creatine kinase (41 kDa) by cathepsin B in partially frozen fillets during the rigor mortis. The decline of hardness for both fillets might be attributed to the accumulation of cathepsin in myofibrils from the 8 to 24 h. The lower cathepsin activity in myofibrils for fillets that were partially frozen might induce a more intact cytoskeletal structure than fillets that were chilled.
Multiphysics Modeling of Microwave Heating of a Frozen Heterogeneous Meal Rotating on a Turntable
Authors: Pitchai Krishnamoorthy , Chen Jiajia , Birla Sohan , Jones David , Gonzalez Ric , Subbiah Jeyamkondan
Published: November 2015

A 3‐dimensional (3‐D) multiphysics model was developed to understand the microwave heating process of a real heterogeneous food, multilayered frozen lasagna. Near‐perfect 3‐D geometries of food package and microwave oven were used. A multiphase porous media model combining the electromagnetic heat source with heat and mass transfer, and incorporating phase change of melting and evaporation was included in finite element model. Discrete rotation of food on the turntable was incorporated. The model simulated for 6 min of microwave cooking of a 450 g frozen lasagna kept at the center of the rotating turntable in a 1200 W domestic oven. Temperature‐dependent dielectric and thermal properties of lasagna ingredients were measured and provided as inputs to the model. Simulated temperature profiles were compared with experimental temperature profiles obtained using a thermal imaging camera and fiber‐optic sensors. The total moisture loss in lasagna was predicted and compared with the experimental moisture loss during cooking. The simulated spatial temperature patterns predicted at the top layer was in good agreement with the corresponding patterns observed in thermal images. Predicted point temperature profiles at 6 different locations within the meal were compared with experimental temperature profiles and root mean square error (RMSE) values ranged from 6.6 to 20.0 °C. The predicted total moisture loss matched well with an RMSE value of 0.54 g. Different layers of food components showed considerably different heating performance. Food product developers can use this model for designing food products by understanding the effect of thickness and order of each layer, and material properties of each layer, and packaging shape on cooking performance.
Assessment of Enterotoxin Production and Cross‐Contamination of Staphylococcus aureus between Food Processing Materials and Ready‐To‐Eat Cooked Fish Paste
Authors: Tango Charles Nkufi , Hong Sung‐Sam , Wang Jun , Oh Deog‐Hwan
Published: November 2015

This study evaluated Staphylococcus aureus growth and subsequent staphylococcal enterotoxin A production in tryptone soy broth and on ready‐to‐eat cooked fish paste at 12 to 37 °C, as well as cross‐contamination between stainless steel, polyethylene, and latex glove at room temperature. A model was developed using Barany and Roberts's growth model, which satisfactorily described the suitable growth of S. aureus with R2‐adj from 0.94 to 0.99. Except at 12 °C, S. aureus cells in TSB presented a lag time lower (14.64 to 1.65 h), grew faster (0.08 to 0.31 log CFU/h) and produced SEA at lower cell density levels (5.65 to 6.44 log CFU/mL) compare to those inoculated on cooked fish paste with data of 16.920 to 1.985 h, 0.02 to 0.23 log CFU/h, and 6.19 to 7.11 log CFU/g, respectively. Staphylococcal enterotoxin type A (SEA) visual immunoassay test showed that primary SEA detection varied considerably among different storage temperature degrees and media. For example, it occurred only during exponential phase at 30 and 37 °C in TSB, but in cooked fish paste it took place at late exponential phase of S. aureus growth at 20 and 25 °C. The SEA detection test was negative on presence of S. aureus on cooked fish paste stored at 12 and 15°C, although cell density reached level of 6.12 log CFU/g at 15 °C. Cross‐contamination expressed as transfer rate of S. aureus from polyethylene surface to cooked fish paste surface was slower than that observed with steel surface to cooked fish paste under same conditions. These results provide helpful information for controlling S. aureus growth, SEA production and cross‐contamination during processing of cooked fish paste.
Conditions of Successful Land Reform: A Study of Micronesia
Authors: Yoo Dongwoo , Harris Edwyna
Published: November 2015

During the twentieth century Japan and the United States attempted land reform in Micronesia. Japan was more successful because a growing population had led to an increasing demand for agricultural products, which could only be met by expanding agriculture across its empire. This required investment in land reform to transfer ownership from common to private rights. Conversely, the Americans faced no such domestic pressures, valuing Micronesia only for its strategic location and military testing. We formulate a model to examine the outcomes of Micronesian land reform under the long‐sighted policy of the Japanese compared with short‐sighted approach of the Americans.
Cross‐Sectional Study of Respiratory Symptoms, Spirometry, and Immunologic Sensitivity in Epoxy Resin Workers
Authors: Hines Stella E. , Barker Elizabeth A. , Robinson Maura , Knight Vijaya , Gaitens Joanna , Sills Michael , Duvall Kirby , Rose Cecile S.
Published: November 2015

Objectives

An epoxy resin worker developed hypersensitivity pneumonitis requiring lung transplantation and had an abnormal blood lymphocyte proliferation test (LPT) to an epoxy hardener. We assessed the prevalence of symptoms, abnormal spirometry, and abnormal epoxy resin LPT results in epoxy resin workers compared to unexposed workers.

Methods

Participants completed questionnaires and underwent spirometry. We collected blood for epoxy resin LPT and calculated stimulation indices for five epoxy resin products.

Results

We compared 38 exposed to 32 unexposed workers. Higher exposed workers were more likely to report cough (OR 10.86, [1.23‐infinity], p = 0.030) or wheeze (OR 4.44, [1.00‐22.25], p = 0.049) than unexposed workers, even controlling for smoking. Higher exposed workers were more likely to have abnormal FEV1 than unexposed workers (OR 10.51, [0.86‐589.9], p = 0.071), although not statistically significant when adjusted for smoking. There were no differences in proportion of abnormal epoxy resin system LPTs between exposed and unexposed workers.

Conclusions

In summary, workers exposed to epoxy resin system chemicals were more likely to report respiratory symptoms and have abnormal FEV1 than unexposed workers. Use of epoxy resin LPT was not helpful as a biomarker of exposure and sensitization.
Co‐morbid personality disorder in early intervention psychosis clients is associated with greater key worker emotional involvement
Authors: Fornells‐Ambrojo Miriam , Pocock Phil , Mintah Ruth , Barker Chris , Craig Thomas , Lappin Julia M.
Published: November 2015

Aim

Co‐morbid personality disorder (PD) is associated with poorer outcomes in psychosis patients, but it is not known whether these patterns are present at illness onset. This study investigated the prevalence of co‐morbid PD in clients of an Early Intervention in Psychosis Service (EIPS) and compared key worker engagement and service use between patients with and without co‐morbid PD.

Method

Forty‐nine participants were recruited from an inner London NHS EIPS. The Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM‐IV) Axis II Disorders was administered to identify whether participants met criteria for a diagnosis of PD. Key workers completed measures investigating the therapeutic relationship and emotional involvement. Data on service use over a 2‐year period from the date on which the patient was accepted by the EIPS were collected from electronic clinical records. Service use and key worker informed data were collected blind to PD diagnosis.

Results

Twenty‐two of the 49 (45%) patients met criteria for co‐morbid PD. Keyworker worry and tension were significantly higher in relation to patients with co‐morbid PD compared with those without. There were no significant differences between groups in appointments offered or attended, but patients with co‐morbid PD were significantly less likely to be admitted to hospital than those without.

Conclusions

Co‐morbid PD is common in EIPS patients. The EIPS model is both assertive and intensive; although this appears to be effective in preventing hospital admissions, this does not equip professionals to manage the higher emotional burden associated with a co‐morbid PD diagnosis.
Increased taxonomic and functional similarity does not increase the trophic similarity of communities
Authors: Pool Thomas K. , Cucherousset Julien , Boulêtreau Stéphanie , Villéger Sébastien , Strecker Angela L. , Grenouillet Gaël
Published: November 2015

Aim

Despite a long‐standing research interest in the association between the biodiversity (i.e. taxonomic and functional composition) and trophic structure of communities, our understanding of the relationship remains limited. Community assembly theory predicts that niche partitioning will result in communities with a diverse array of functional traits, which in turn may facilitate a correspondingly diverse array of trophic interactions that define the trophic niche of those communities. The aim of our study is to test this prediction.

Location

North America.

Methods

We built a database composed of functional traits and stable isotope values (δ13C and δ15N) for 63 freshwater fish communities containing 109 species in 34 lentic and 29 lotic ecosystems. First, using linear mixed models (i.e. an alpha‐diversity approach), we tested whether the taxonomic diversity of communities was positively associated with their functional diversity and if their functional diversity was positively associated with their trophic diversity. Second, we assessed the taxonomic, functional and trophic similarity of communities using multiple regression on distance matrices (MRM) and their respective ‘turnover’ and ‘nestedness‐resultant’ components to test if the taxonomic similarity of communities was positively correlated with their functional similarity and if their functional similarity was positively associated with their trophic similarity (i.e. a beta‐diversity approach).

Results

We found that the functional diversity of communities increased as their taxonomic diversity increased. Similarly, the trophic diversity of communities increased as their functional diversity increased. The pairwise taxonomic and functional similarity of communities were also positively associated, but there was a weak relationship between the functional and trophic similarities of communities.

Main conclusions

Our study demonstrates that communities with similar functional characteristics can have disparate food web structures, suggesting that additional site‐specific factors influence community variation in trophic niche geometry. Determining the relative importance of functional characteristics and site‐specific factors in shaping trophic interactions is crucial for a better understanding of how future species loss and species introductions will affect food web structure and ecosystem functioning.
Training reflective processes in military aircrews through holistic debriefing: the importance of facilitator skills and development of trust
Authors: Moldjord Christian , Hybertsen Ingunn Dahler
Published: November 2015

This paper explores how Holistic Debrief, a new concept in the field of debriefing and reflective processes, can contribute to restitution, reflection and learning in professional teams following stressful events and routine tasks. Interviews were conducted with Norwegian military aircrew mission commanders following deployment to Afghanistan in 2010. Phenomenological analysis in the frame of social learning theory revealed that reflective processes were easier to facilitate after stressful events than after routine tasks. Challenges identified included lack of trust during the early stages of team establishment and poor conceptual repertoires among aircrew commanders undertaking facilitation. Relational trust and reflective processes tended to improve after stressful events. Repeated interactions in Holistic Debrief tend to increase familiarity, trust and learning potential over time. This study reports data from the war context, an environment not often available for qualitative research. The findings are relevant for military and other operational units who wish to develop their debriefing practice and create an experience‐based learning environment.
Impact of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy on Atrial Electromechanical Delay in Obesity‐Hypoventilation Syndrome Patients
Authors: RUSSO VINCENZO , DI MEO FEDERICA , RAGO ANNA , MOSELLA MARCO , MOLINO ANTONIO , RUSSO MARIA GIOVANNA , NIGRO GERARDO
Published: November 2015

Impact of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Background

Obesity‐hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is defined as daytime hypercapnia and hypoxemia in obese patients with sleep‐disordered breathing. We evaluated the electrocardiographic P‐wave duration and dispersion (PD) and echocardiographic noninvasive indicators of atrial conduction heterogeneity in OHS patients and the impact of CPAP on atrial conduction and atrial fibrillation incidence.

Methods and Results

We enrolled 50 OHS patients and 50 sex‐ and age‐matched obese subjects as control. Study population underwent cardiologic evaluation and polysomnography before enrollment, at 1‐ and 6‐month follow‐ups after CPAP therapy. The OHS group showed a significant increase in inter‐atrial (35.2 ± 8 milliseconds vs. 20.1 ± 2.7 milliseconds, P < 0.0001), intra‐left (30.5 ± 7.2 milliseconds vs. 16.5 ± 2 milliseconds, P < 0.0001), and intra‐right atrial electromechanical delays (AEMD)(24.8 ± 10 milliseconds vs. 15 ± 2.6 milliseconds, P < 0.0001) as well as in Pmax (130 ± 7.4 milliseconds vs. 97 ± 7.2 milliseconds, P = 0.002) and PD (56.5 ± 8.5 milliseconds vs. 31 ± 7.2 milliseconds, P = 0.002) compared to the control group. Significant improvement was noted after 6 months of CPAP therapy in inter‐atrial (35.2 ± 8 milliseconds vs. 24.5 ± 6.3 milliseconds, P < 0.0001), intra‐left (30.5 ± 7.2 milliseconds vs. 20.6 ± 5 milliseconds, P = 0.003), and intra‐right AEMD (24.8 ± 10 milliseconds vs. 17 ± 7.5 milliseconds, P < 0.0001), as well as in Pmax (130 ± 7.4 milliseconds vs. 95 ± 10 milliseconds, P < 0.0001) and in PD (56.5 ± 8.5 milliseconds vs. 32.5 ± 6 milliseconds, P < 0.0001) in the OHS group. External loop recorder monitoring detected paroxysmal AF in 19 OHS patients (38%) with significant reduction in paroxysmal AF episodes (12 ± 6 vs. 47 ± 12, P < 0.0001) after 6‐month CPAP therapy.

Conclusion

Our findings showed a significant increase of electrocardiographic and echocardiographic indexes of atrial conduction heterogeneity in OHS patients. The CPAP therapy, having a positive impact on atrial conduction time, seems to reduce AF incidence in OHS patients
Correction of Retrograde Ejaculation in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Using Endourethral Collagen Injection: Preliminary Results
Authors: Kurbatov Dmitry , Russo Giorgio Ivan , Galstyan G.R. , Rozhivanov Roman , Lepetukhin Alexander , Dubsky Sergey , Shwartz Y.G. , Cimino Sebastiano , Morgia Giuseppe , Sansalone Salvatore
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Diabetic neuropathy secondary to diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) is responsible for retrograde ejaculation (RE) in 5–18% of cases. Medical treatment of RE is based either on increasing the sympathetic tone of the bladder or on decreasing the parasympathetic activity. However, the onset of side effects and the lack of response should be considered.

Aims

The aim of this study was to analyze long-term outcome of endourethral injection of volume-forming material (VFM) of collagen type 2 into bladder neck submucosa in patients with RE secondary to DM1.

Methods

Twenty-four patients with complete RE refractory to imipramine and DM1 were included in the study. Patients were single-blinded randomized according to a computer-generated random sequence with a 1:1 ratio in two treatment groups, namely group A (endourethral collage type 2 injection) and group B (endourethral saline water injection). New technique includes an endoscopic injection of VFM such as collagen (Correcting MIT®, Ltd. minimally invasive technologies, Moscow, Russia) into bladder neck submucosa. Primary endpoint of the study was the reduction of semen antegrade volume (mL). Secondary endpoints were considered as the changes of antegrade count (millions/mL), antegrade total motility (%), antegrade progressive motility (%), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Questionnaire and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). Pregnancy rate was calculated in each group.

Results

Twenty-three patients completed the study. In group A, significant differences from baseline to 12 months were observed relative to antegrade volume (mL) (mean difference: 0.71, P < 0.05), antegrade count (millions/mL) (mean difference: 45.6, P < 0.05), antegrade total motility (%) (mean difference: 15.4, P < 0.05) and antegrade progressive motility (%) (mean difference: 8.4, P < 0.05). In group A, we observed significant differences in terms State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (mean difference: −20.5, P < 0.05) and Beck Depression Inventory (mean difference: −8.4, P < 0.05) with significant differences compared with group B. We observed significant improvements in group A vs. group B when considering primary and secondary endpoints of the study, but not for the IIEF-5.

Conclusion

Correction of RE in DM1 patients could be achieved with endourethral injection of collagen type 2.
Interplay Between Premature Ejaculation and Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Corona Giovanni , Rastrelli Giulia , Limoncin Erika , Sforza Alessandra , Jannini Emmanuele A. , Maggi Mario
Published: November 2015

Introduction

The specific determinants and underlying factors linking erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE) have yet to be clearly identified.

Aim

The aim of this study was to review and meta-analyze all available data regarding the link between ED and PE.

Methods

An extensive Medline Embase and Cochrane search was performed including the following words: “premature ejaculation” and “erectile dysfunction”.

Main Outcome Measures

All observational trials comparing the risk of ED in relation to PE were included. Data extraction was performed independently by two of the authors (G.R, G.C.), and conflicts resolved by the third investigator (M.M.).

Results

Out of 474 retrieved articles, 18 were included in the study for a total of 57,229 patients, of which 12,144 (21.2%) had PE. The presence of PE, however defined, was associated with a significant increase in ED risk (odds ratio: 3.68[2.61;5.18]; P < 0.0001). Meta-regression analysis showed that the risk of ED in PE subjects was higher in older individuals as well as in those with a lower level of education and in those who reported a stable relationship less frequently. In addition, subjects with PE and ED more often reported anxiety and depressive symptoms and a lower prevalence of organic associated morbidities, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia. All the latter associations were confirmed even after adjustment for age. Finally the risk of PE-related ED increased with the increased proportion of acquired ejaculatory problems (adj r = 0.414; P < 0.0001 after the adjustment for age).

Conclusions

In conclusion, the present data showed that ED and PE are not distinctly separate entities, but should be considered from a dimensional point of view. Understanding this dimensional perspective might help sexual health care professionals in providing the most appropriate therapeutic approach to realistically increase patient related outcomes in sexual medicine.