bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The pre‐ and post‐IPOs gender composition of board of directors in Malaysia
Authors: Ahmad‐Zaluki Nurwati A.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the gender composition of the board of directors of Malaysian initial public offering (IPO) companies. This study also examines the business case for having women on boards.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 228 IPO companies that went public during the period 1999‐2006, this study tracks the changes in the gender composition of these companies prior to the IPO year, IPO year and three‐year post‐IPOs. This study also tracks the changes in the gender composition between the pre‐IPO period and some 5 to 12 years later after the IPOs for a subsample of 89 companies that appear as top 500‐companies on the Malaysian Stock Exchange (Bursa Malaysia) in 2011. The compounded buy‐and‐hold returns method is used to measure the post‐IPO company performance.

Findings

This study finds that female representation as board of directors in 228 Malaysian companies prior to the IPO is only about 8 percent. This percentage is almost similar for the subsequent four years (IPO year and three‐year post‐IPOs). By using a subsample of 89 companies that appear as top 500‐companies in 2011, the percentage of female directors increases only 2.5 percent from the pre‐IPO year. However, the increment is not statistically significant. An extended analysis on the business case for women on boards reveals that greater percentage of female representation leads to lower long run underperformance. This underperformance is much lower for companies having more foreign ethnic female representation.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study suggest that there is still a long way to realize the benefits of having female directors in Malaysian companies. Malaysia needs to create an environment that realizes the benefits of having women in the top management levels.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the existing literature on gender especially in the context of IPO companies. This is the first comprehensive study on gender composition using Malaysian IPOs data. Prior studies on gender mainly focus on established listed companies.
Development of a climate change risk and vulnerability assessment tool for urban areas
Authors: Cavan Gina , Kingston Richard
Published: September 2012

Purpose

Assessment of climate change risks and vulnerability is essential in order to inform and implement appropriate adaptation strategies. Disastrous effects of extreme weather events such as the heat waves across Europe in 2003 highlight the adaptation imperative. Regional spatial planning and urban design can help to reduce the vulnerability of communities to these risks. The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of an assessment tool, which highlights climate change risks and vulnerabilities in urban areas, and the results of pilot and user testing with the Green and Blue Space Adaptation for Urban Areas and Eco Towns (GRaBS) project partners.

Design/methodology/approach

The tool follows the principles of an online public participation GIS, and is built using the Google Maps Interface. The approach is based on a risk framework, focusing on the three elements; hazard, vulnerability and exposure. Thus, the assessment tool assesses vulnerability of population and infrastructure in urban areas to climate change impacts (in particular flooding and heat stress). It also enables spatially relating patterns of vulnerability with risk where data are available.

Findings

A key finding of the project has been the need to break down silos between departments in order to build an evidence base for decision makers for adaptation plans and strategies. The tool is considered to be an excellent means of raising awareness, and the results of the pilot study confirm the assessment tool is seen as innovative, cost effective, intuitive and simple to use and navigate. Furthermore, by helping to visualise vulnerability of urban areas it may be useful in supporting planning of both emergency responses and long‐term land use changes.

Research limitations/implications

The tool is limited by the availability of geospatial data and information, which has implications for the types of outputs the tool can produce.

Practical implications

The tool has been implemented in all of the case study partner areas, which will be affected to a greater or lesser extent by a range of climate change impacts requiring responses, depending on the severity and likelihood of the hazard, vulnerability, and exposure. The methodological approach adopted in the project has to take account of this important issue.

Originality/value

The tool brings together diverse data and information from a large number of European partners, and provides users with an understanding of climate change issues, many of whom may not have been familiar with the topic at the outset. The tool delivers GIS data and analysis functions on the web through the internet, widening the possibilities for participation in climate change adaptation planning.
Disparate coping strategies for gendered effects of drought
Authors: Mpuya Madaha Rasel
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to facilitate an understanding of influence of gender roles in drought so as to come with relevant recommendation aimed at bettering the lives of men, women and female children.

Design/methodology/approach

Data have been collected via participant observation, interviews and collection of unpublished primary and secondary data generated by case studies conducted by the author. After which, content analysis was employed for its potentiality as a means of systematically identifying, classifying and analyzing information relevant to this study.

Findings

It is argued in this study that the survival of the community, in Central Tanzania, is questionable because effects of drought have reached intolerable levels and strategies adopted aren't that helpful. More specifically, socially assigned gender roles, position women and female children at the most disadvantageous position as the main victims of the disaster. Accordingly, gender roles have to be changed, if the effects of drought have to be mitigated and the community rescued from disappearance.

Originality/value

The research is original as data obtained cannot be easily accessed by short term researchers who have inadequate knowledge of the community and cannot observe season changes. Practitioner, social scientists and natural scientists, engineers and contractors included, can have their confidence in the findings: the findings are ready to be used.
The Pierre Part Store: a case study
Authors: Cater John James
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this case study is to examine the impact of regional culture and family dynamics on firm survival and longevity. Secondary issues include operations management in a retail grocery, hardware, and building supply store.

Design/methodology/approach

The author performed in‐depth qualitative interviews with the business owners and visited on site. The tape‐recorded interviews followed a formal list of questions, but were semi‐structured in nature.

Findings

Although the store was remotely located, wise management and intelligent leadership have contributed to business success and survival into the fourth generation of family ownership.

Research limitations/implications

As an exploratory qualitative case study, there are limitations concerning generalizability. Additionally, the findings here relate particularly to small family businesses.

Practical implications

Family firms possess a business side and a family side. In this case, success factors on the business side included merchandising skills, responsiveness to customer needs, profitable sales margins, and reinvestment in facilities. On the family side, success factors included harmonious relations among family members, the incumbent leaders’ desire for succession to occur, incumbent leaders’ financial forbearance or sacrifice, solid education of successors, mentoring of the next generation, and willing and able successors.

Originality/value

This case analyzed characteristics that lead to long term survival, examined the process of succession, and assessed the two‐sided nature – business side and family side – of a small family business.
Tackling entrepreneurship in the informal economy: evaluating the policy options
Authors: Williams Colin C. , Nadin Sara J.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

Although there is emerging an understanding that many entrepreneurs conduct some or all of their transactions off‐the‐books, there has so far been little attempt to consider what can and should be done about entrepreneurship in the informal economy. The purpose of this paper is to bridge this gap.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a review of what is known about the prevalence and nature of informal entrepreneurship, this paper evaluates what can and should be done about informal entrepreneurs by analyzing the various policy options and their implications.

Findings

Evaluating the possible policy approaches of doing nothing, eradication, de‐regulation and facilitating formalisation, the finding is that doing nothing leaves intact the existing negative impacts on formal and informal businesses, customers and governments, whilst eradicating informal entrepreneurship results in governments stamping out precisely the entrepreneurship and enterprise culture that they wish to nurture, and de‐regulation results in a levelling down rather than up of working conditions. Only facilitating the formalisation of informal entrepreneurship is found to be a viable policy approach. How this might be achieved is then considered.

Research limitations/implications

More research is required on the hurdles informal entrepreneurs witness when seeking to legitimize their business ventures in different populations before it can be known whether specific policy measures to facilitate formalisation are appropriate.

Practical implications

This paper evaluates various public policy options for tackling informal entrepreneurship and their impacts.

Originality/value

This is one of the first evaluations of the policy options available for tackling informal entrepreneurship.
Why do nascent entrepreneurs use external assistance programs?
Authors: Yusuf Juita‐Elena (Wie)
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study support factors influencing the entrepreneur's use of external assistance programs and explain why some entrepreneurs obtain support from these programs while others do not. The proposed framework suggests that outside assistance programs are a support option of last resort that entrepreneurs utilize only when the start‐up team and personal network are incapable of providing support.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics I are used to perform logistic regression of use of assistance programs on the entrepreneur's human capital and characteristics of the start‐up team and personal network.

Findings

A total of 26 percent of entrepreneurs in the sample made contact with assistance programs. Regression results suggest that entrepreneurs who are more educated and experienced, rely extensively on the start‐up team, have a less experienced start‐up team, and have larger personal networks are more likely to use assistance programs.

Practical implications

This study informs policy and support practices about the different factors that drive entrepreneurs to use assistance programs provided by public agencies, professional organizations, and educational institutions.

Originality/value

This research fills the gap in existing research of entrepreneurial assistance programs by studying both entrepreneurs who do and do not obtain support, thus addressing the selection bias problem.
Classification of cesarean sections among immigrants in Belgium
Authors: MINSART ANNE‐FREDERIQUE , DE SPIEGELAERE MYRIAM , ENGLERT YVON , BUEKENS PIERRE
Published: September 2012

Objective. To provide insight into the differential effect of immigration on cesarean section (CS) rates, using the Robson classification. Design. A population‐based study using birth certificates from the birth registry of 2009. Setting. All births in two of the three Belgian regions excluding Flanders. Population. 37 628 deliveries from Belgian and immigrant mothers from sub‐Saharan Africa, Maghreb and Eastern Europe. Methods. Multivariate analyses using CS as the dependent variable and immigration status as the primary independent variable. Several multivariate logistic regression models were built including medical, anthropometric, socio‐economic characteristics, and medical interventions. The impact of analyzing all delivery sites together was tested using mixed‐effect analyses. Main outcome measures. CSs of immigrant subgroups compared with Belgian women. Results. CS rates varied according to immigrant subgroups. Mothers from sub‐Saharan Africa had an adjusted odds ratio of 2.06 (1.62–2.63) for CS compared with Belgian natives. Increased risk for mothers from sub‐Saharan Africa compared with Belgian natives was found among nulliparous and multiparous women without previous CS, and a term, singleton fetus in cephalic position. In comparison, nulliparous East European mothers with a term singleton fetus in cephalic position in spontaneous labor had an adjusted odds ratio of 0.29 (0.08–0.99) for CS. Conclusions. CS rates currently vary between Robson categories in immigrant subgroups. Immigrant mothers from sub‐Saharan Africa with a term, singleton infant in cephalic position, without previous CS, appear to carry the highest burden.
Improving the quality of educational strategies in postgraduate dental education using student and graduate feedback: findings from a qualitative study in New Zealand
Authors: Subramanian J. , Anderson V. R. , Morgaine K. C. , Thomson W. M.
Published: September 2012

Introduction

Research suggests that students' perceptions should be considered in any discussion of their education. However, to date, there has been no systematic examination of New Zealand postgraduate dental students' learning processes in both the research and clinical settings. This study aimed to obtain in‐depth qualitative insights into student and graduate perspectives of effective and ineffective learning experiences during their postgraduate dental education.

Methods

Data were collected in 2010 using semi‐structured individual interviews. Participants included 2010 final‐year students and 2009 graduates of the University of Otago Doctor of Clinical Dentistry programme. Using the Critical Incident Technique, participants were asked to describe at least one effective and one ineffective learning experience in detail. Interview transcripts were analysed using a general inductive approach.

Results

Broad themes which emerged included supervisory approaches, characteristics of the learning process and characteristics of the physical learning environment. The focus of this article is to report and discuss the learning processes that participants identified as promoting and precluding effective learning experiences in the clinical and research settings. Students and graduates in the study had largely similar perspectives of learning processes likely to result in effective clinical and research learning. These included self‐directed and collaborative learning; timely, constructive and detailed feedback with directions for further improvement; and discreet clinical feedback. Learning processes that precluded effective learning included unsupported and isolated learning, delayed and overly critical/destructive feedback and open criticism in the clinical context.

Conclusion

The in‐depth findings of this study contribute to the scientific literature that identifies learning process characteristics which facilitate effective learning from New Zealand postgraduate students' and graduates' perspectives. Additional cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies (both qualitative and quantitative) would lead to a better understanding of what constitutes effective teaching in postgraduate dental education.
20‐Residue and 11‐residue peptaibols from the fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum are synergistic in forming Na+/K+‐permeable channels and adverse action towards mammalian cells
Authors: Mikkola Raimo , Andersson Maria A. , Kredics László , Grigoriev Pavel A. , Sundell Nina , Salkinoja‐Salonen Mirja S.
Published: September 2012

Certain species of the filamentous fungal genus Trichoderma (e.g. Trichoderma longibrachiatum and Trichoderma citrinoviride) are among the emerging clinical pathogens and also the most common species in the indoor space of mould‐damaged buildings. The molecules involved in its pathology are not known. In the present study, we report that 0.5–2.6 wt% of the T. longibrachiatum mycelial biomass consisted of thermostable secondary metabolites mitochondriotoxic to mammalian cells. These were identified by LC/MS as one 11‐residue and eight 20‐residue peptaibols, AcAib‐Asn‐Leu/Ile‐Leu/Ile‐Aib‐Pro‐Leu/Ile‐Leu/Ile‐Aib‐Pro‐Leuol/Ileol (1175 Da) and AcAib‐Ala‐Aib‐Ala‐Aib‐Ala/Aib‐Gln‐Aib‐Val/Iva‐Aib‐Gly‐Leu/Ile‐Aib‐Pro‐Val/Iva‐Aib‐Val/Iva/Aib‐Gln/Glu‐Gln‐Pheol(1936–1965 Da) (Aib, α‐aminoisobutyric acid; Ac, acetyl; Ileol, isoleucinol; Iva, isovaline; Leuol, leucinol; Pheol, phenylalaninol). The toxic effects on boar sperm cells depended on these peptaibols, named trilongins. The trilongins formed voltage dependent, Na+/K+ permeable channels in biomembranes. The permeability ratios for Na+ ions, relative to K+, of the 11‐residue trilongin channel (0.95 : 1) and the 20‐residue trilongin channel (0.8 : 1) were higher than those of alamethicin. The combined 11‐residue and 20‐residue trilongins generated channels that remained in an open state for a longer time than those formed by either one of the peptaibols alone. Corresponding synergy was observed in toxicokinetics. With 11‐residue and 20‐residue trilongins combined 1 : 2 w/w, an effective median concentration (EC50) of 0.6 μg·mL−1 was reached within 30 min, and the EC50 shifted down to 0.2 μg·mL−1 upon extended exposure. By contrast, with 11‐residue or 20‐residue trilonging separately in 30 min of exposure, the EC50 values were 15 and 3 μg·mL−1, respectively, and shifted down to 1.5 and 0.4 μg·mL−1 upon extended exposure. This is the first report on ion‐channel forming peptaibols with synergistic toxicity from T. longibrachiatum strains isolated from clinical samples.

Database

Nucleotide sequence data have been deposited in the GenBank database under accession numbers HQ593512 and HQ593513

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Analysis of isopropyl para‐toluenesulphonate in palm‐based esters by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and confirmed with mass spectrometry
Authors: Tay B. Y. P.
Published: September 2012

Synopsis

A simple and rapid gas chromatography (GC) method with flame ionization detector was developed for detection of isopropyl para‐toluenesulphonate (IPTS) in palm‐based isopropyl palmitate (IPP) and isopropyl myristate (IPM). The method involved spiking the IPP/IPM samples with IPTS and directly injecting the spiked samples into GC without undergoing clean‐up steps. The calibration curves for IPTS showed good linearity with coefficient correlation of 0.9999 for six‐point calibration from 0.5 to 50 μg mL−1 and 0.9996 for six‐point calibration from 0.5 to 200 μg mL−1. IPTS recoveries from IPP were 98.6–103.5% with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.40–2.80%, whereas recoveries from IPM were 97.0–107.2% with RSD of 0.42–4.21%. The identity of IPTS recovered from the isopropyl esters was confirmed by a GC‐mass spectrometer detector. The method was successfully applied to the analyses of IPTS in commercial samples. It was found that there were IPTS in the range of 34.8–1303.0 μg g−1 in the palm‐based esters for some of the samples analysed.
Advanced care planning in health service users
Authors: Van Leuven Karen A
Published: September 2012

Aims and objectives.  To examine the use of advanced directives (ADs) in patients actively using health services in the USA.

Background.  Since 1991, USA law (PSDA 1991) has required hospitals, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and home health services to inquire, at admission, if patients have in place ADs, to provide patients with a written summary of their rights in regard to health‐related decision‐making and to provide education to staff and the community about ADs.

Design.  Via chart review and observation, the AD status of patients residing in three SNFs during a six‐week period was ascertained (n = 272). Those with ADs were further evaluated to examine the timing of the directive in regards to their health status.

Methods.  Patients residing at SNFs were selected for study because SNF patients are admitted from the hospital; therefore, there are at least two opportunities – at hospital admission and at SNF admission – to inquire and educate about advance directives.

Results.  Residents ranged in age from 35 to 100 years and included patients admitted for short‐term rehabilitation after hospitalisation, as well as residents who were initially admitted after a hospitalisation but required long‐term care. A full 90·44% (n = 246) entered skilled care without an AD, and 69·11% (n = 188) remained without an AD. The most likely reason for the development of an AD was lengthy decline in health status associated with multiple hospitalisations.

Conclusions.  Current law appears ineffective. A more appropriate approach is to encourage open dialogue about treatment options and quality of life.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Given the rapidity with which populations are ageing in countries worldwide, ADs would appear to be a phenomenon that should be embraced. However, experience in the USA has called into question their usefulness.
Identifying and acquiring the contextual skills and knowledge for nursing practice in assisted reproductive technology: a grounded theory study
Authors: Applegarth Judith , Dwyer Trudy , Moxham Lorna , Happell Brenda
Published: September 2012

Aims and objectives.  To identify the contextual knowledge and skills required for practice.

Background.  Nursing practice in assisted reproductive technology (ART) makes a significant contribution to patient care. Despite this, the knowledge and skills integral to this area of practice have not been clearly articulated, particularly from an Australian perspective.

Design.  A constructivist grounded theory design was used to gain the perspective of ART nurses in relation to how they understood their clinical practice as well as the issues and challenges that they faced.

Methods.  Individual in‐depth interviews were undertaken with 15 registered nurses working in ART units across Australia. Constant comparative data analysis was used to determine the main categories.

Results.  Contextual knowledge and skills was one category to emerge from this research, and this is the focus of this paper. The findings in respect of knowledge and skill included three main subcategories: required skills and knowledge; acquisition of skills and knowledge; and factors influencing acquisition.

Conclusions.  The role of the ART nurse which must be performed within the context and competency standards of nursing requires a framework that could define and contribute to specialised ART nursing practice standards.

Relevance to clinical practice.  The nursing role is instrumental to effective ART treatment and care. The standard of clinical practice will depend in part on the ability of specialist nurses to articulate their practice, and their professional development needs to optimise quality and effectiveness. The results of this study demonstrate that contextual knowledge and skills are a key aspect of this specialised nursing role.
Cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations of functional and health status with institutional care use: Results from the Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan
Authors: Tsai Hsin‐Jen
Published: September 2012

Aim:  This study evaluated the cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations of functional and health status with institutional care, and examined determinants of institutional care use over time.

Methods:  Data of this study were obtained from the Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan (SHLSET), which was launched in 1989 and involved a nationally representative sample of nearly‐old and old Taiwanese. The baseline data in this present study were collected in 1999, and followed in 2003 and 2007.

Results:  Participants with institutional care use had a higher activities of daily living (ADL) score, more self‐reported diseases and poorer self‐reported health status than participants without institutional care use (all P < 0.05). Cross‐sectional analysis showed that a higher ADL score, having heart diseases and having a stroke were positively associated with institutional care use (P < 0.05); whereas the number of self‐reported diseases and poor self‐reported health status were not associated with institutional care use. Longitudinal analysis showed that increased ADL scores and the number of self‐reported diseases over 4‐ and 8 years were associated with an increased likelihood of subsequent institutional care use (all P < 0.05). Worsening health status over 4 years was associated with an increased likelihood of subsequent institutional care use, but this association did not exist over 8 years.

Conclusions:  Only ADL and ADL deterioration over time are cross‐sectionally and longitudinally associated with increased institutional care use. Declining functional status is a major determinant of institutional care use for Taiwanese aged over 53 years. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 597–606.
The Frailty Instrument for primary care of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe predicts mortality similarly to a frailty index based on comprehensive geriatric assessment
Authors: Romero‐Ortuno Roman
Published: September 2012

Aim:  Frailty is an emerging concept in primary care, which potentially can provide healthcare commissioners with a clinical focus for targeting resources at an aging population. However, primary care practitioners need valid instruments that are easy to use. With that purpose in mind, we created a Frailty Instrument (FIt) for primary care based on the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The aim of the present study was to compare the mortality prediction of the five‐item SHARE‐FIt with that of a 40‐item Frailty Index (FIx) based on comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA).

Methods:  The participants were 15 578 women and 12 783 men from the first wave of SHARE. A correspondence analysis was used to assess the degree of agreement between phenotypic classifications. The ability of the continuous frailty measures (FIt score and FIx) to predict mortality (mean follow up of 2.4 years) was compared using receiver–operating characteristic (ROC) plots and areas under the curve (AUC).

Results:  In both sexes, there was significant correspondence between phenotypic categories. The two continuous measures performed equally well as mortality predictors (women: AUC‐FIx = 0.79, 95% CI 0.75–0.82, P < 0.001; AUC‐FIt = 0.77, 95% CI 0.73–0.81, P < 0.001; men: AUC‐FIx = 0.77, 95% CI 0.74–0.79, P < 0.001; AUC‐FIt = 0.76, 95% CI 0.74–0.79, P < 0.001). Their equivalent performance was confirmed by statistical comparisons of the AUC.

Conclusions:  SHARE‐FIt is simpler and more usable, and predicts mortality similarly to a more complex FIx based on CGA. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 497–504.
Morbidity and mortality among newly hospitalized patients with community‐acquired pneumococcal bacteremia: A retrospective cohort study in three teaching hospitals in Japan
Authors: Suzuki Hiromichi , Tokuda Yasuharu , Shichi Daisuke , Ishikawa Hiroichi , Maeno Tetsuhiro , Nakamura Hidenori
Published: September 2012

Aim:  Although the mortality rate of pneumococcal bacteremia has been intensively studied, few studies have examined how it influences patient morbidity. This study aimed to fill this research gap by clarifying the impact of pneumococcal bacteremia on mortality and morbidity.

Methods:  We carried out a retrospective cohort study of adult patients hospitalized with community‐acquired pneumococcal bacteremia in three teaching hospitals in Japan from January 2003 to December 2010. Morbidity was defined as a worsening Katz Index score compared with that before infection onset, new impairment of oral intake or new requirement for oxygen assistance at discharge.

Results:  Of 135 patients identified (mean age 70 years; 38% female), 116 (86%) were able to carry out activities of daily living independently before the onset of the infection. Pneumonia was found to be the most common infective source (69%), followed by meningitis (10%) and septic arthritis or vertebral osteomyelitis (8.1%). The 14‐day, 30‐day, and inpatient mortality rates were found to be 15%, 20% and 25%, respectively. The morbidity at discharge was 26 out of 101 (26%) among all survivors and 18 out of 42 (43%) among survivors who were aged ≥75 years. Multivariate analysis showed that an age of ≥75 years is an independent predictor of morbidity (adjusted odds ratio 16.3, 95% CI 2.0–135.9).

Conclusions:  Our study showed that a high proportion of inpatient morbidity and mortality occurs in adult patients with pneumococcal bacteremia, especially among those aged ≥75 years. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 607–615..
The Common Arguments for Fair Trade
Authors: Walton Andrew
Published: September 2012

In this article I consider the connection between individual morality and Fair Trade goods. In particular, I consider whether a number of arguments commonly advanced in defence of Fair Trade can defend the conclusion that individuals ought to purchase Fair Trade goods in particular, or whether they are sufficient to show only that purchasing Fair Trade goods is one of a number of acceptable ways to meet more general moral duties. Although various points are made in the article, its main theme is that it is difficult to show that purchasing Fair Trade goods is, even in one way, preferable to donating to charity, at least without advancing certain highly contentious moral claims. I argue that unless defenders of Fair Trade can address these issues, it will be difficult to defend the view that individuals should purchase Fair Trade goods in particular.
Research Integrity in Greater China: Surveying Regulations, Perceptions and Knowledge of Research Integrity from a Hong Kong Perspective
Authors: Jordan Sara R. , Gray Phillip W.
Published: September 2012

In their 2010 article ‘Research Integrity in China: Problems and Prospects’, Zeng and Resnik challenge others to engage in empirical research on research integrity in China. Here we respond to that call in three ways: first, we provide updates to their analysis of regulations and allegations of scientific misconduct; second, we report on two surveys conducted in Hong Kong that provide empirical backing to describe ways in which problems and prospects that Zeng and Resnik identify are being explored; and third, we continue the discussion started by Zeng and Resnik, pointing to ways in which China's high‐profile participation in international academic research presents concerns about research integrity. According to our research, based upon searches of both English and Chinese language literature and policies, and two surveys conducted in Hong Kong, academic faculty and research post‐graduate students in Hong Kong are aware of and have a positive attitude towards responsible conduct of research. Although Hong Kong is but one small part of China, we present this research as a response to concerns Zeng and Resnik introduce and as a call for a continued conversation.
Diversity and host associations of parasitoids attacking mycophagous drosophilids (Diptera:Drosophilidae) in northern and centralJapan
Authors: Kasuya Nazuki , Mitsui Hideyuki , Aotsuka Tadashi , Kimura Masahito T.
Published: September 2012

The diversity and host associations of parasitoids attacking mycophagous drosophilids were studied inTokyo (a warm‐temperate region) andSapporo (a cool‐temperate region) inJapan. Field collections were carried out using traps baited with mushrooms inMay,June,September andOctober 2009 inTokyo and inJuly andAugust 2010 inSapporo. The major drosophilid species that emerged from mushroom baits wasDrosophila bizonatainTokyo andD. orientaceainSapporo. In total, 13 parasitoid species emerged from drosophilids occurring in mushroom baits, and 11 of them were larval parasitoids belonging toBraconidae andFigitidae. Among the 11 larval parasitoids, 10 were collected inTokyo, while only two were collected inSapporo. It is not known why their diversity differed so much between these two regions. Four of the 11 larval parasitoids have also been recorded from drosophilid larvae occurring in fruit (banana). The use of these two habitats (mushrooms and fruit) by these four species seems to reflect the occurrence (i.e. resource use) of their suitable hosts. On the other hand, most larval parasitoids fromTokyo attackedD. bizonata, and two larval parasitoids fromSapporo attackedD. orientacea, suggesting that the abundance of potential hosts is one of the important factors affecting their host use.
Influence of four host‐plants on feeding, growth and reproduction of Diacrisia casignetum (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)
Authors: Roy Nayan , Barik Anandamay
Published: September 2012

Effects of four host‐plants, sunflower, castor, jute and sesame, on feeding, growth and reproduction of Diacrisia casignetum Kollar (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) were studied under laboratory conditions (27 ± 0.5°C, 12 h light : 12 h dark, 65 ± 5% RH). Total larval developmental time of D. casignetum was highest on sesame than the other three host‐plants used in this study, but pupal duration was higher on sesame than sunflower but not for other dietary treatments. The longevity of females was generally longer than males. Male and female longevity was higher in sunflower than sesame (P < 0.05), but it did not differ significantly among other treatments. Fecundity was highest in sunflower followed by castor, jute and sesame. The growth and development of D. casignetum were related to nutrient and phenol contents of these four host‐plants. Total carbohydrates and amino acids were present in rich quantities in sunflower when compared to other three host leaves, while nitrogen, protein and lipid contents were comparatively higher in sunflower and castor than jute and sesame. Phenol content was greatest in sesame, and least in castor and sunflower. Higher levels of total carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nitrogen and amino acids including water content and lower phenol content of sunflower have influenced higher growth rate and fecundity of D. casignetum.
Safety and tolerability of rivastigmine transdermal patch formulation in newly diagnosed patients with Alzheimer's dementia in naturalistic conditions
Authors: PREGELJ Peter
Published: September 2012

Aim:  The majority of available data on safety and tolerability issues regarding cholinesterase inhibitors used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease has been available for orally administered formulations. The objective of this prospective, 24 week, observational, non‐interventional post‐marketing surveillance study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability, as well as the efficacy, of the rivastigmine transdermal patch formulation in newly diagnosed patients with Alzheimer's dementia in naturalistic conditions.

Methods:  Safety and tolerability assessment included the monitoring and recording of adverse events and withdrawals at any time during the study. The efficacy parameter was determined based on the score of the Mini‐Mental State Examination.

Results:  Out of the 433 patients, 11 patients (2.54%) suffered serious adverse events. Non‐serious adverse events were reported in 179 patients (41.34%). As adverse event is defined as any untoward medical occurrence that may present during treatment with a pharmaceutical product but that does not necessarily have a causal relationship with this treatment. The most common adverse event in the present study was a decline in the Mini‐Mental State Examination score in 97 patients (22.40%). The second most common non‐serious adverse event was a skin reaction in 61 patients (14.09%). Treatment with rivastigmine continued in 139 cases (32.10%) and was discontinued in 40 cases (9.24%). The median Mini‐Mental State Examination score observed at the time of inclusion was 21.0, and after 6 months, it was 22.0 (W 63441; P < 0.001). Because of several limitations, the open‐label design of the present study necessitates caution when interpreting the results.

Conclusions:  The results of this study suggest that the rivastigmine transdermal patch is safe and tolerable for Alzheimer's dementia patients in naturalistic conditions.
Functional dependence and caregiver burden in Alzheimer's disease: a controlled trial on the benefits of motor intervention
Authors: CANONICI Ana Paula , ANDRADE Larissa Pires de , GOBBI Sebastião , SANTOS‐GALDUROZ Ruth Ferreira , GOBBI Lílian Teresa Bucken , STELLA Florindo
Published: September 2012

Background:  Cognitive decline has a negative impact on functional activities in Alzheimer's disease. Investigating the effects of motor intervention with the intent to reduce the decline in functionality is an expected target for patients and caregivers. The aim of this study was to verify if a 6‐month motor intervention programme promoted functionality in Alzheimer's patients and attenuated caregivers' burden.

Methods:  The sample comprised 32 community patients with Alzheimer's disease and their 32 respective caregivers. Patients were divided into two groups: 16 participated in the motor intervention programme and 16 controls. Subjects performed 60 minutes of exercises, three times per week during the 6‐month period, to improve flexibility, strength, agility and balance. Caregivers followed the procedures with their patients during this period. Functionality was evaluated by the Berg Functional Balance Scale and the Functional Independence Measure. Caregivers completed the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Caregiver Distress Scale and the Zarit Carer Burden Scale. Two‐way ANOVA was used to verify the interaction between time (pre‐ and post‐intervention) and the motor intervention program.

Results:  While patients in the motor programme preserved their functionality, as assessed by the Functional Independence Measure, the controls suffered a relative decline (motor intervention group: from 109.6 to 108.4 vs controls: from 99.5 to 71.6; P= 0.01). Patients from motor intervention also had better scores than the controls on functional balance assessed by Berg scale (F: 22.2; P= 0.001). As assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory and Zarit scale, burden was reduced among caregivers whose patients participated in the motor intervention programme compared with caregivers whose patients did not participate in this programme (Neuropsychiatric Inventory, caregiver's part: F: 9.37; P= 0.01; Zarit: F: 11.28; P= 0.01).

Conclusion:  Patients from the motor intervention group showed reduced functional decline compared to the controls, and there was an associated decrease in caregivers' burden.
Delayed onset and prolonged interictal delirium following electroconvulsive therapy
Authors: SELVARAJ Arun G. , PRAHARAJ Samir Kumar
Published: September 2012

Electroconvulsive therapy is safe and effective in the treatment of depression in older individuals. Minor cognitive side effects of electroconvulsive therapy include acute postictal confusion and reversible short‐term memory deficits. However, interictal delirium is uncommon in absence of risk factors. Herein, we report the case a depressed male patient without any known risk factors who developed interictal delirium 2 days after his sixth electroconvulsive therapy session. Interictal delirium improved with treatment within 1 week.
High‐Volume Hemofiltration Reduces the Expression of Myocardial Tumor Necrosis Factor‐Alpha in Septic Shock Pigs
Authors: Li Chunmei , Zhang Ping , Cheng Xiuju , Chen Jianghua
Published: September 2012

Increasing evidence indicates that the expression of tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) in myocardium correlates with the severity of cardiac dysfunction in septic shock. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of high‐volume hemofiltration (HVHF) on the expression of TNF‐α in myocardium in septic shock pigs. Sixteen male Landrace pigs weighing 31 ± 5 kg were randomly assigned to control group (n = 4), septic shock group (n = 6), and HVHF group (septic shock + HVHF, n = 6). All animals were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated. After baseline examinations, septic shock group and HVHF group underwent induction of peritonitis. One hour later, the animals in HVHF group received treatment with HVHF and the treatment was continued for 12 h. As the control of HVHF group, the animals in septic shock group received the same support but hemofiltration. Twelve hours after HVHF therapy, all the animals were sacrificed. TNF‐α and nitric oxide (NO) levels in both circulation and myocardium were measured. Compared with those of septic shock animals, the levels of cardiac output, stroke volume, and mean arterial pressure were better maintained in HVHF group. The expression of TNF‐α in myocardium in HVHF group was lower than that in septic shock group (44.17 ± 18.70 vs. 92.50 ± 33.89 pg/mg protein, P = 0.015). The difference of TNF‐α in circulation between HVHF group and septic shock group was no significance at different time. However, circulating NO in HVHF group was lower than that in septic shock group. These results suggest that HVHF improves hemodynamics and heart dysfunction in septic shock pigs, which may be attributed to reduction of TNF‐α in myocardium but not in circulation.
Putting the New Keynesian DSGE Model to the Real‐Time Forecasting Test
Authors: KOLASA MARCIN , RUBASZEK MICHAŁ , SKRZYPCZYŃSKI PAWEŁ
Published: September 2012

The paper compares the quality of real‐time forecasts from a standard medium‐scale New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model to those from the Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF) and DSGE‐VARs. It is shown that the DSGE model is relatively successful in forecasting the U.S. economy. This is especially true for forecasts conditional on SPF nowcasts, in which case the forecasting power of the DSGE turns out to be similar or better than that of the SPF for all the variables and horizons. An important weakness of the benchmark DSGE model is the poor absolute performance of its point forecasts and rather badly calibrated forecast densities.
The Role of Media for Inflation Forecast Disagreement of Households and Professional Forecasters
Authors: LAMLA MICHAEL J. , MAAG THOMAS
Published: September 2012

This paper investigates the effects of media coverage about consumer price inflation on inflation forecast disagreement of German households and professional forecasters. We adopt a Bayesian learning model in which media coverage of inflation affects forecast disagreement by influencing information sets as well as predictor choice. Our empirical results show that disagreement of households depends on the heterogeneity of story content and on the reporting intensity, especially of news on rising inflation. Disagreement of professional forecasters does not depend on media coverage. With respect to the influence of macroeconomic variables, we provide evidence that disagreement of professional forecasters primarily depends on the inflation rate and on inflation volatility. The response of households to inflation is much less pronounced.
Price Stickiness and Sectoral Inflation Persistence: Additional Evidence
Authors: LE BIHAN HERVÉ , MATHERON JULIEN
Published: September 2012

In this paper, using U.S. as well as French sectoral data and indicators of price rigidity, we reexamine the (lack of) relation between price stickiness and inflation persistence. This has recently been put forward by Bils and Klenow (2004) as evidence against time‐dependent price setting models. We obtain that, when filtering out sector‐specific shocks along the lines of Boivin, Giannoni, and Mihov (2009), and allowing for an alternative assumption on the marginal cost process, the case against the time‐dependent Calvo model is substantially weakened.
Efficacy of Ascorbic Acid, N‐Acetylcysteine, or Combination of Both on Top of Saline Hydration versus Saline Hydration Alone on Prevention of Contrast‐Induced Nephropathy: A Prospective Randomized Study
Authors: ALBABTAIN MONIRAH A. , ALMASOOD ALI , ALSHURAFAH HYTHAM , ALAMRI HUSSAIN , TAMIM HANI
Published: September 2012

Background

Antioxidant drugs such as N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) and ascorbic acid have been evaluated in interventional studies to prevent contrast‐induced nephropathy (CIN), however, there are limited data on comparing either or both, with background of standard intravenous saline hydration versus the standard intravenous saline hydration alone in preventing CIN.

Methods

We conducted a single‐center randomized trial among patients undergoing coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention who had serum creatinine ≥ 1.3 mg/dL or were on diabetes mellitus medication. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to one of the following 4 groups: (1) NAC, (2) ascorbic acid, (3) combination of both drugs, and (4) control group. Additionally, all the groups received the standard intravenous saline hydration. Creatinine was measured 4–5 days after procedure.

Results

A total of 243 patients were randomized; 62 to NAC, 57 to ascorbic acid, 58 to both drugs, and 66 to placebo. The development of 0.5 mg/dL absolute increase of serum creatinine, 25% relative decrease of creatinine clearance, or either (CIN) were measured in the ascorbic acid group (3.6% for all), NAC group (6.8%, 3.4%, 8.5%, respectively), combined group (5.5%, 5.5%, 9.1%, respectively), and control group (6.2%, 6.2%, 7.7%, respectively). None of these differences were significant (P = 0.896 for serum creatinine, P = 0.863 for creatinine clearance, and P = 0.684 for CIN).

Conclusions

In a cohort of patients at risk of developing CIN, we could not detect any significant benefit of the use of ascorbic acid, NAC, or a combination of both drugs over the standard hydration regimen in preventing CIN. (J Interven Cardiol 2013;26:90–96)
A Hierarchical Semiparametric Model for Incorporating Intergene Information for Analysis of Genomic Data
Authors: Qu Long , Nettleton Dan , Dekkers Jack C. M.
Published: September 2012

Summary For analysis of genomic data, e.g., microarray data from gene expression profiling experiments, the two‐component mixture model has been widely used in practice to detect differentially expressed genes. However, it naïvely imposes strong exchangeability assumptions across genes and does not make active use of a priori information about intergene relationships that is currently available, e.g., gene annotations through the Gene Ontology (GO) project. We propose a general strategy that first generates a set of covariates that summarizes the intergene information and then extends the two‐component mixture model into a hierarchical semiparametric model utilizing the generated covariates through latent nonparametric regression. Simulations and analysis of real microarray data show that our method can outperform the naïve two‐component mixture model.