bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dyslipidemia management in overweight or obese adolescents: A mixed-methods clinical trial of motivational interviewing
Authors: Chahal Nita , Rush Janet , Manlhiot Cedric , Boydell Katherine M , Jelen Ahlexxi , McCrindle Brian W
Published: May 2017

Background:

Lifestyle management for dyslipidemic adolescents often occurs in the context of family-centered care, which necessitates adaptation of counseling strategies.

Objective:

To determine the effectiveness of motivational interviewing for lifestyle behavior change for dyslipidemic adolescents in a dyad with a parent versus alone.

Methods:

A total number of 32 adolescents were randomized 1:1 to receive a series of motivational interviewing sessions either together with a parent or alone for a 6-month intervention, with both quantitative and qualitative assessment of outcomes.

Results:

Both groups were similar at baseline. Following the intervention, there were no significant differences between groups in physical, laboratory, lifestyle or psychosocial measures, except for a reduction in dietary fats/sugars (p = 0.02) and in screen time (p = 0.02) in the alone group. When both groups were combined, significant reductions at 6 months were noted for body mass index (p < 0.001), waist circumference (p < 0.001), total cholesterol (p < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.001), triglycerides (p = 0.01), non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.001), fasting insulin (p = 0.01), and homeostatic model (p = 0.02). Reduced screen time and increased fruit and vegetable intake were also noted for both groups combined. These changes were also reflected in self-efficacy (p = 0.004), self-esteem (p = 0.03), and improvement in quality of life measures. Interview data provided insights into the utility and acceptability of the motivational interviewing intervention.

Conclusion:

Motivational interviewing was an efficient strategy for inspiring healthy lifestyle and physiological changes among adolescents in both groups. Family centered pediatric approaches should consider the autonomy and individual preferences of the adolescent prior to counseling.
No Rest for the Wicked? The Consequences of Incarceration for Sleep Problems
Authors: Testa Alexander , Porter Lauren C.
Published: May 2017

About one in every five Americans suffers from inadequate sleep, a key indicator of physical and mental well-being. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we investigate the association between incarceration and two related sleep problems: short sleep duration and symptoms of insomnia. We find that relative to those who have not been incarcerated, those with a history of incarceration have an elevated risk of short sleep duration and insomnia symptoms. These associations persist even after controlling for a host of potential confounders, including prior sleep problems. Additionally, the associations do not differ significantly across race.
Making the Case for Real Diversity: Redefining Underrepresented Minority Students in Public Universities
Authors: Mukherji B. Runi , Neuwirth Lorenz S. , Limonic Laura
Published: May 2017

Immigration to the United States has been a major catalyst for population growth and is the significant factor in the changing racial/ethnic composition of our population. The specific changes in the racial/ethnic mix in United States in recent times are due in large part to a surge in immigration from diverse sending countries. However, much of the terminology that continues to be used in the context of higher education to describe diversity in the student populations are anachronistic and serves actually to occlude true diversity. We argue that variables such as country of birth of the student, the country of origin of the parent, and parental educational achievement, all have significant impact on the academic progress and success of undergraduate underrepresented minority students. These are variables that should be used to disaggregate the traditional racial and ethnic categories, to really serve the needs of the increasingly diverse student body. These are not data typically collected by institutions of higher education, but without which appropriate needs assessments and targeted interventions cannot occur.
Passenger-Driver Distinguishing Test for Pokémon Go
Authors: Khanade Kunal , Sasangohar Farzan
Published: May 2017

Distracted driving while gaming is a serious hazard especially for young drivers. Increasing popularity of augmented reality games may increase distracted driving incidents. The main purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of an identification test to differentiate between drivers and passengers to prevent drivers from playing augmented reality games while driving to reduce distracted driving incidents. We hypothesized that increased cognitive burden will reduce vigilance on the secondary task which will reduce attention and increase the risk associated with the secondary task. An experiment with a driving simulator tested university students’ performance to evaluate the efficacy of the distinguishing test. The results show that the test shows promise to distinguish between drivers and passengers. Such tests can be used in applications when users perform two tasks that require the same modality leading to decreased performance in both tasks.
Simulated Motivations: Understanding Influences on Medical Professionals Decision Making to Participate in Human Factors Research Studies
Authors: Hoffman Daniel J. , Benda Natalie C. , Fairbanks Rollin J. , Auguste Tamika C.
Published: May 2017

Human factors research often involves the use of domain experts as research subjects, and in studies that target healthcare providers as participants, recruitment can be challenging. Physicians are particularly difficult to recruit given their time constraints and relatively high threshold for financial incentive. Understanding the motivation for physician participation in healthcare studies can allow researchers to better design their recruitment tactics. The purpose of this study is to look at themes that influenced obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) physicians to participate or not participate in a research study. OB-GYN physicians were interviewed regarding their perceptions around their decision to participate (or not) in a recently completed study which aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of serious game simulation training. Factors that influenced their motivation to participate were uncovered. Compensation, professional respect, and novel-learning experiences were factors found to motivate participation while time and awareness of the study were found to deter participation. Developing flexible recruitment strategies tailored to the factors that influence recruitment and participation may increase OB-GYN participation rates in human factors studies.
Applying Human Factors Engineering to Improve Usability and Workflow in Pathology Informatics
Authors: Mount-Campbell Austin F. , Hosseinzadeh Dan , Gurcan Metin , Patterson Emily S.
Published: May 2017

Human factors engineering is an underutilized approach in the design, evaluation, and implementation of health information technology. Heuristic evaluation of the usability of an interface is a ‘low-hanging fruit’ for identifying a set of relatively simple modifications to a software program that can make software easier to use. In this paper, we describe recommendations to improve the usability of a software package used to view digitized images of tissues by pathologists. Several recommendations were immediately implemented, and others are planned for future releases. The changes are anticipated to be more compatible with user expectations from interacting with similar elements in other packages, and thus easier to learn and use.
Generative Design Research: Using Metaphor to Capture Complexity
Authors: Tatro Claire , Fleming Jack
Published: May 2017

Generative design research is a collection of methodologies centered around the creation of ideas and designs from the needs and values of the users as opposed to the usability of the system. In this paper, you learn how we utilized collaging activity to understand patient’s views of trust and healthcare. Specifically, we will discuss the utility of generative design research as it applies to managing complex discussions, gathering multiple feedback resources, and using your role as the researcher to enable the team.
Development and Description of a Synthetic, High-Fidelity, Emergency Department Patient Dataset for the Evaluation of Healthcare IT Products
Authors: LaVergne David , Casucci Sabrina , McGeorge Nicolette , Guarrera-Schick Theresa , Clark Lindsey , Hettinger Zach , Wears Robert , Perry Shawna , Lin Li , Fairbanks Terry , Bisantz Ann
Published: May 2017

Developing novel interfaces for high-risk situations, such as the Emergency Department, requires a sufficient quantity of detailed patient data to support usability and evaluation activities, yet patient privacy restrictions often prevent the use of actual patient data for these activities. We developed a synthetic dataset to provide a suitable alternative to the use of actual patient data that can be integrated into a variety of research activities. The Emergency Department Information Systems (EDIS) Dataset was developed through close collaboration of experts in Emergency Medicine, Human Factors, and Systems Engineering and provides an ecologically valid set of data for 54 patients, treated in an Emergency Department operating at steady-state, with realistic patient loads and flow. The dataset includes both static and dynamic data for each patient case over a 500-minute time period. A sample application of the dataset is provided to demonstrate how the dataset was used to support the design and evaluation of novel EDIS interface displays and its potential adaptation for future HIT research. This dataset provides a readily adaptable alternative to researchers in need of synthetic patient data to support HIT research and development activities. The EDIS dataset and supporting material are freely available through the University at Buffalo Institutional Repository and can be directly accessed with the URL: hdl.handle.net/10477/75188 .
Developing Persuasive Health Messages for a Behavior-Change-Support-System That Promotes Physical Activity
Authors: Rezai Leila Sadat , Chin Jessie , Bassett-Gunter Rebecca , Burns Catherine
Published: May 2017

This paper describes the first of three experiments conducted to investigate the efficacy of a proposed persuasive mHealth messaging intervention that motivates individuals to become more physically active. In order to develop a set of persuasive health messages that can be used in the principal experiment, which examines a particular message-tailoring strategy, we conducted an online survey through Amazon Mechanical Turk. In this online study participants rated a series of health messages to indicate each message’s level of persuasiveness, as well as the message’s focus. This study was essential, as disagreements exist on how to frame persuasive health messages in the context of promoting physical activity. Among the proposed 57 messages, 14 messages rated as the most persuasive were selected for the principal experiment.
Local Lexicon Extraction and Language Processing in Facilitating Language Awareness and Informing User-Centered Design in the Health Care Environment
Authors: Arnold Tim , Fuller Helen J. A.
Published: May 2017

The written word is a ubiquitous, critical, and time-sensitive design feature in the health care environment. Language critically influences understanding, decision making and subsequent actions. Words can influence usability, be confusing and cluttering, contribute to distraction and task disruption, and subsequently contribute to issues with clinician workload and patient safety. Design team members often hotly and at length deliberate over word selection during user centered design (UCD) efforts. Usability evaluation methods, when applied, can be valuable in facilitating a match between the system and the language spoken by users. In particular, usability evaluations can help designers identify confusing and ambiguous words and may suggest alternative choices. However, even with a hearty approach to design, word selection can be a bear of a task. This task can be time consuming, resource intensive, and frustrating for the design team, and suboptimal term selection may increase the risk of patient harm. The purpose of this paper is to encourage discussion on the use of natural language processing (NLP) approaches in facilitating local language awareness and informing UCD. The use of NLP in the health care domain is well documented when applied to narrative text for assisting in behind-the-scenes clinical decision support mechanisms and for assisting in risk analysis. Additionally, NLP may also be a valuable arrow in the designer’s quiver to inform conceptual design and the selection of user-facing terminology. This discussion attempts to expand upon documented uses of NLP in health care to its use in informing the selection of terminological design features with an emphasis on local design efforts in fostering safer patient care environments.
Studying Paramedics Working Environment in a Trauma Scene
Authors: Bitan Yuval , Jaffe Eli
Published: May 2017

Paramedics work in changing working environments, under varied constrains. The goal of this study is to evaluate the way paramedics arrange their equipment when they are working in a trauma scene. We analyzed video that was captured during seven training simulation sessions, counting equipment movements at the scene during patient treatment.

We found that in 86% of the sessions paramedics changed their equipment positions during patient treatment. Our analysis also found that the monitor and the medication bag moved at the beginning of the sessions, while the air-way bag moved during the middle part of the session.

This study demonstrates that paramedics are operating in a working environment that is not designed for the tasks they need to perform. This suboptimal setting results in paramedics’ need to change equipment positions while they are taking care of the patient. Future studies need to be done in order to develop recommendations for how to arrange the equipment around the patient in a way that would better fit the paramedics work around the patient.
Evaluating a Smartwatch-based Notification System in a Simulated Nursing Home: The Method
Authors: Ali Haneen , Li Huiyang , Wong Jesse
Published: May 2017

Lack of notification and communication technologies that connect the staff and the residents was found to be one of the main challenges that face nursing homes. Call light systems provide two-way communication that notifies the staff about the residents’ needs. It was found to have a direct impact on the safety and quality of care. However, current call light systems might not be effective or have many usability issues. Thus, we developed a smartwatch-based notification system for nursing homes and evaluated the effectiveness of a high-fidelity prototype of the system in a simulated nursing home. Certified Nurse Aids (CNAs) working in local nursing homes were invited to perform routine tasks using a traditional call light system and the smartwatch system. This paper focuses on the method part of the evaluation study. In particular we provide details about the process of setting up the simulated nursing home environment and the methods for obtaining the dependent measurements.
The Clean and Dirty of Redesigning Reprocessing Instructions for Use
Authors: Choi Julia , Seraphina Stephanie , Knudsen Kate
Published: May 2017

Over the last decade, the human factors (HF) community has actively worked to improve use safety and effectiveness into design. Yet, an area that has been neglected is reprocessing of reusable devices. Intuitive Surgical, manufacturer of da Vinci robotics surgical systems, recently redesigned reprocessing instructions for use (IFU) incorporating an HF process and iterative design.

It may appear that reprocessing is simply another design effort where the standard human factors process is applied. However, it is essential to consider the intersection of hospitals’ needs and limitations, the actual requirements for effective cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization, regulatory requirements, and the manufacturer’s maturity in developing instructions.

The redesign effort involved a process based on user-centered design with interdisciplinary team inputs. The focus was on improving comprehension and performance through the use of simple illustrated steps, concise text, improved headings, workflow aids, and intuitive navigation. In addition, a workflow-based use error risk analysis identified critical tasks, and was used to guide the redesign. Eight (8) reprocessing IFUs were revised simultaneously for two (2) robotics platforms, adding to the challenge. The IFUs addressed reprocessing for robotic surgical endoscopes, instruments, and accessories. The reprocessing of robotic devices is complex, requiring multiple steps that are at times inconsistent between devices.

An iterative process was used for drafting versions of the IFUs, conducting usability testing, making improvements to the IFUs, and then in retesting. A final validation test was conducted and provided evidence for the use safety and effectiveness of the IFUs. Throughout the redesign process, challenges were encountered, which required solutions through cross-functional alignment. As IFUs are part of the user experience, the process and design elements described may help guide the development of usable IFUs, and are shared in a broader context to help further improve experiences for user and patients.
Medical Device Design: Applying a Human-Centered Design Methodology
Authors: Bowman Matthew L. , Taylor Gina A. , McDonagh Deana , Labriola Leanne T. , Pan Dipanjan
Published: May 2017

The OcuCheck is a novel ocular device that will disrupt the healthcare industry by reducing the need for Slit Lamps when evaluating corneal integrity. Ocular leaks should be detected and repaired quickly for the best vision outcomes. Patient comfort, user needs, and usability informed the design of the device. Key design objectives included ease of use by persons with all levels of skill, portability, and the ability to assess the patient regardless of the patient’s position or level of consciousness. We utilized a human-centric design approach, driven by the needs of both the patient and medical professionals, to elicit visual cues, patterns of behavior, and product design opportunities.

We incorporated sociology, ergonomics, sustainability, human factors, business models, and marketing into the development process early on and worked in parallel with the engineers to integrate the needs of the user from the very beginning. Design, research, and prototype testing were focused upon use of materials, patient needs, ease of use, scale, location of device when not in use, and product protocols. Rather than simply creating a utilitarian solution we strove to pre-empt usability and implementation challenges through use of empathy.
Design Considerations for Life-Sustaining Medical Devices Used at Home
Authors: Branaghan Russell J. , Foster L. Bryant , Palmer Mark , Crosby Jessica
Published: May 2017

New technologies follow a predictable pattern of democratization over time. Specifically, a product that begins as merely useful over time often evolves into one that is usable, providing easy access to all functionality. If the technology survives the usability transition, it must become desirable. In this stage, the product evokes positive emotions from its users. This has been the case for the automotive industry as it moved from black colored cars driven by professional drivers and provided with its own toolbox to computers which initially required mathematicians and physicists to operate but which can now be operated by a four-year-old. This transition is now occurring before our eyes in healthcare, as medical diagnostic and treatment devices are taken out of the hands of specialized healthcare providers and placed into the hands, and homes, of patients. These useful devices now need to become usable and desirable. A successful transition will require the contributions of many disciplines, from environmental psychology, to user experience, from biomedical engineering to furniture design. It is exactly the kind of situation in which user experience thrives. This panel discusses the human capabilities, limitations, emotions and motivations which will determine whether this transition is a success. SynCardia’s Total Artificial Heart (TAH) Freedom Driver is an example of a life-sustaining medical device that is used by patients and caregivers at-home. To design the next generation Freedom Driver, SynCardia has implemented a user centered design approach. A research team performed contextual interviews and participatory design sessions with current patients, former patients, caregivers, and experienced clinicians. The research uncovered the following design considerations to be addressed in the design of the new Freedom Driver.
UI Form design considerations for ergonomists evaluating computer workstations
Authors: Yagjian Allen S.
Published: May 2017

A professional ergonomist performing a workplace evaluation identifies risk factors and provides recommendations to mitigate these risks. This system involves analysis of the interaction between a human subject and the subject’s computer based work environment. Since the data required to be collected is more than the average person can keep in their short term memory, it is safe to say the ergonomist will need to record observations. This will have to be done while simultaneously interacting with the employee performing work. Human-computer interaction is observed by the ergonomist, but ergonomists themselves also use a computer or tablet to take records and produce a report.

The interaction and interface of the data collection form for ergonomic evaluations should cater to the needs and capabilities of the ergonomist in the field (Kim, 2015) and so it is not a surprise that most forms are designed by the ergonomists themselves. These forms are also typically tailored to the type of task being evaluated (i.e. computer, laboratory, industrial) because each of their environments have particular equipment or tools these need to be recorded. For example, a computer workstation will include a chair, desk, displays, etc. while a lap will have a stool chair, bench height seating, rack, flow hood, etc.

This paper will describe key user-interface form design considerations for office ergonomic evaluation forms with the purpose of optimizing the user-experience for an ergonomic professional. Applications include the use of a form on a laptop computer, tablet, or phone in a computer workstation environment. This paper will consider factors related to the working environment, reliability, input requirements, form structure and flow, and front end to back end management agents.

The goal of any interface is to be intuitive enough that it would require minimal familiarization to be reliably implemented (Norman, 2002). As users gain familiarity with the form entries, the ergonomist can benefit from increased speed, accuracy and consistency of their evaluations. The report generated by these completed forms can be utilized in legal and workers compensation cases and therefore they require special consideration in the way the questions are phrased and ordered to reduce potential for error and opportunities to place blame. This added complexity makes their design more than a simple task.

Guidelines are included in this article that will proactively assist ergonomists in designing effective forms.
The Use of Eye-Tracking in Usability Testing of Medical Devices
Authors: Koester Thomas , Brøsted Jesper E. , Jakobsen Jeanette J. , Malmros Heike P. , Andreasen Niels K.
Published: May 2017

The study presented here was made in collaboration with a medical device manufacturer. Normally, the device manufacturer uses verbal self-reporting protocols, interviews and observations in their formative usability tests during product development. The objective of our study was to investigate whether the use of eye-tracking technology can contribute to the data collection and bring new data and knowledge into the product development. The use of eye-tracking provided five unique insights and findings. Although the evaluated significance of them varied, a couple of findings stands out as important, indicating that the use of eye-trackers can indeed contribute positively to the results obtained from a usability test based on traditional ethnographic methods. It should be noted that use of eye-tracking requires additional time, resources and technical skills including optimal light conditions. However, with the promising perspectives in mind, eye-tracking is recommendable as an additional tool for usability studies.
A Pilot Study of Precautions Regarding Macro Air Gaps While Wearing Hygiene Masks
Authors: Morishima Mika , Mitsuno Tamaki
Published: May 2017

Hygiene masks are worn in medical facilities by healthcare workers, patients, and hospital visitors. The three primary objectives of this presentation are to present on why and how a mask should be worn and what facial areas the mask protects. Usually, the mask covers the wearer’s nose and mouth. In this presentation, we first present the results of a physics experiment aimed at identifying the precise facial area that needs to be protected from the external environment. Second, we describe observational results relating to the macro air gap between the mask and facial surface that is present when wearing a mask. Third, we propose the most appropriate manner to wear a mask by considering the air gap between a mask and face and based on the analysis of our experimental and observational results.
Understanding Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Environments – A Management’s Perspective
Authors: Neo Jun Rong Jeffrey , Sagha-Zadeh Rana
Published: May 2017

The current policies and strategies on hand hygiene, and the current management view on the influence of facility design, operations, and management on hand hygiene were documented through a series of interviews with personnel in key management positions. The study proposes for the need for better planning and management of hand hygiene resources by encouraging interdisciplinary dialogues between various groups of healthcare providers to mitigate potential infectious disease control issues and facility operational challenges.
Unintended Consequences of EHR Systems: A Narrative Review
Authors: Vanderhook Stephanie , Abraham Joanna
Published: May 2017

Healthcare is at a different place than it once was, over the past few decades, there has been an accelerated revolution with information technology (IT) and how it is used. Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems are a common healthcare IT deemed as a crucial step in advancing healthcare with both positive and negative impacts. Many unintended consequences stem from technical issues and/or sociotechnical issues – workflows, culture and interactions with the EHR system. The complexity of both the healthcare industry and EHR systems demonstrate the criticality to keep investigating and addressing issues with interaction of the two. This paper reports on the common factors leading to unintended consequences and medical errors, while exploring mitigation factors to address the associated risks.
Exploring Information Seeking Behaviors in Inter-unit Clinician Handoffs
Authors: Abraham Joanna , Ihianle Imade , Burton Shirley
Published: May 2017

Inter-unit resident handoffs involves the transfer of information, responsibility and authority between sending and receiving units. In this exploratory study, we highlight the nature of questions and responses communicated during inter-unit handoffs and discuss their potential implications for the design of handoff tools and training of clinicians.
Testing Portable Medical Device Instructions: Comparing Experts and Non-Experts
Authors: Borkenhagen David , Hallihan Greg , Davies Jan
Published: May 2017

Point-of-care testing devices providing medically relevant information are increasingly used by members of the public without any formal medical knowledge. As a result, these devices may be used in extremely different contexts of use by users with different knowledge bases, whether that was the original designers’ intent or not. In this study, we first conducted out-of-the-box testing of a device for non-invasive blood hemoglobin measurement, for its potential for use by individuals with no healthcare-specific training. To do so, we photographed each step, condensing these into five higher-order categories, which we considered potential generic instructions for any point-of-care testing device. We then had individuals with no specific healthcare training test use of the device. We asked two groups of participants, one with Human Factors experience in healthcare and another with no Human Factors or healthcare specific training, to use the device and to list the steps they followed when using the device, keeping in mind if another individual was to follow the same steps to successfully use the device. The results from our study demonstrated that all users were able successfully complete the primary user task (i.e., to measure their hemoglobin) and to develop defined steps of device use. The latter were compared with a set of generic instructions developed by the study team. Our generic instructions may provide a standardized and generally applicable approach to using point-of-care testing devices.
“A Problem of Humanity”: The Human Rights Framework and the Struggle for Racial Justice
Authors: Rosino Michael L.
Published: May 2017

While the historical and ongoing symbolic and material inequalities and violence faced by African Americans can be understood as a human rights violation, the efficacy of the human rights framework for addressing racial injustice in the United States remains contested. In this article, I examine the relationship between the emergence and dominance of the geopolitical doctrine of human rights and the struggle for racial justice in the United States. Through historical, legal, and sociological analysis of relevant issues and cases, I discern the benefits and limitations of the human rights framework for achieving racial justice and elucidate dynamics between relevant institutional, political, and social actors. I argue that the human rights framework opens international pathways for information, accountability, and symbolic politics conducive to combating racial injustice, particularly regarding overt manifestations of oppression and violence, but enduring issues such as the role of the state in racial politics and the dehumanization of people of color present hindrances.
Israel–South Korea Relations: The Military Dimension
Authors: Ningthoujam Alvite Singh
Published: May 2017

As Southeast Asia gains prominence in global geostrategic and geoeconomic environment, Israel’s overture to South Korea is not an exception. Despite prolonged frosty relations between Israel and South Korea between the 1970s and late 1980s, both have managed to strengthen military–security relationship after reopening their embassies in the early 1990s. Currently, their defense cooperation revolves around arms trade but is expanding toward joint ventures, coproduction, and upgrading programs. Arms export is an important component in promoting Israeli foreign policy goals. At the same time, South Korea requires constant defense upgrade as it faces a hostile neighborhood. Within this context, the article argues that military and defense relations are the driving forces in flourishing Israel–South Korea relations.
Looking Through the Patients’ Eyes
Authors: Carretta Elisa , Bond Trevor G , Cappiello Giuseppe , Fantini Maria Pia
Published: May 2017

Objective:

Patient satisfaction is a personal evaluation of health-care services that is often used as an indicator of quality of care. The aim of this study was to identify aspects of hospital care that affect patient satisfaction by examining the structural and convergent validity of an in-house questionnaire.

Methods:

The sample consisted of 3320 patients discharged from an Italian public hospital. The questionnaire included items exploring communication with nurses and physicians, pain management, quality of accommodation, and discharge information. Data were analyzed using the Rasch model.

Results:

From the patients’ perspective, the number of response options was excessive and the questionnaire proved to have both medical and accommodation dimensions. Patients, on average, gave higher satisfaction scores to the medical dimension over the accommodation dimension. Higher satisfaction was associated with kindness and courtesy of the nursing staff, doctors’ courtesy, and the quality of bed linen.

Conclusion:

The results support the administration of the questionnaire but suggest change in the hospital’s analytical procedures in order to match the drivers of satisfaction as seen by the patients.
Rp58 and p27kip1 coordinate cell cycle exit and neuronal migration within the embryonic mouse cerebral cortex
Authors: Clément Olivier , Hemming Isabel Anne , Gladwyn-Ng Ivan Enghian , Qu Zhengdong , Li Shan Shan , Piper Michael , Heng Julian Ik-Tsen
Published: May 2017

Background

During the development of the mammalian cerebral cortex, newborn postmitotic projection neurons are born from local neural stem cells and must undergo radial migration so as to position themselves appropriately to form functional neural circuits. The zinc finger transcriptional repressor Rp58 (also known as Znf238 or Zbtb18) is critical for coordinating corticogenesis, but its underlying molecular mechanism remains to be better characterised.

Findings

Here, we demonstrate that the co-expression of Rp58 and the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKI) p27kip1 is important for E14.5-born cortical neurons to coordinate cell cycle exit and initiate their radial migration. Notably, we find that the impaired radial positioning of Rp58-deficient cortical neurons within the embryonic (E17.5) mouse cortex, as well as their multipolar to bipolar transition from the intermediate zone to the cortical plate can be restored by forced expression of p27kip1 in concert with suppression of Rnd2, a downstream target gene of Rp58. Furthermore, the restorative effects of p27kip1 and Rnd2 abrogation are reminiscent of suppressing RhoA signalling in Rp58-deficient cells.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate functional interplay between a transcriptional regulator and a CDKI to mediate neuroprogenitor cell cycle exit, as well as to promote radial migration through a molecular mechanism consistent with suppression of RhoA signalling.
A seismic to simulation unconventional workflow using automated fault-detection attributes
Authors: Lomask Jesse , Hernandez Luisalic , Liceras Veronica , Kumar Amit , Khadeeva Anna
Published: May 2017

Natural fracture networks (NFNs) are used in unconventional reservoir simulators to model pressure and saturation changes in fractured rocks. These fracture networks are often derived from well data or well data combined with a variety of seismic-derived attributes to provide spatial information away from the wells. In cases in which there is a correlation between faults and fractures, the use of a fault indicator can provide additional constraints on the spatial location of the natural fractures. We use a fault attribute based on fault-oriented semblance as a secondary conditioner for the generation of NFNs. In addition, the distribution of automatically extracted faults from the fault-oriented semblance is used to augment the well-derived statistics for natural fracture generation. Without the benefit of this automated fault-extraction solution, to manually extract the fault-statistical information from the seismic data would be prohibitively tedious and time consuming. Finally, we determine, on a 3D field unconventional data set, that the use of fault-oriented semblance results in simulations that are significantly more geologically reasonable.
Adhesion and friction of the smooth attachment system of the cockroachGromphadorhina portentosaand the influence of the application of fluid adhesives
Authors: Betz Oliver , Frenzel Melina , Steiner Michael , Vogt Martin , Kleemeier Malte , Hartwig Andreas , Sampalla Benjamin , Rupp Frank , Boley Moritz , Schmitt Christian
Published: May 2017

Two different measurement techniques were applied to study the attachment of the smooth foot pads of the Madagascar hissing cockroach Gromphadorhina portentosa. The attachment of the non-manipulated adhesive organs was compared with that of manipulated ones (depletion or substitution by artificial secretions). From measurements of the friction on a centrifuge, it can be concluded that on nanorough surfaces, the insect appears to benefit from employing emulsions instead of pure oils to avoid excessive friction. Measurements performed with a nanotribometer on single attachment organs showed that, in the non-manipulated euplantulae, friction was clearly increased in the push direction, whereas the arolium of the fore tarsus showed higher friction in the pull direction. The surface of the euplantulae shows an imbricate appearance, whereupon the ledges face distally, which might contribute to the observed frictional anisotropy in the push direction. Upon depletion of the tarsal adhesion-mediating secretion or its replacement by oily fluids, in several cases, the anisotropic effect of the euplantula disappeared due to the decrease of friction forces in push-direction. In the euplantulae, adhesion was one to two orders of magnitude lower than friction. Whereas the tenacity was slightly decreased with depleted secretion, it was considerably increased after artificial application of oily liquids. In terms of adhesion, it is concluded that the semi-solid consistence of the natural adhesion-mediating secretion facilitates the detachment of the tarsus during locomotion. In terms of friction, on smooth to nanorough surfaces, the insects appear to benefit from employing emulsions instead of pure oils to avoid excessive friction forces, whereas on rougher surfaces the tarsal fluid rather functions in improving surface contact by keeping the cuticle compliable and compensating surface asperities of the substratum.
The Effect of Criminal Records on Access to Employment
Authors: Agan Amanda , Starr Sonja
Published: May 2017

This paper adds to the empirical evidence that criminal records are a barrier to employment. Using data from 2,655 online applications sent on behalf of fictitious male applicants, we show that employers are 60 percent more likely to call applicants that do not have a felony conviction. We further investigate whether this effect varies based on applicant race (black versus white), crime type (drug versus property crime), industry (restaurants versus retail), jurisdiction (New Jersey versus New York City), local crime rate, and local racial composition. Although magnitudes vary somewhat, in every subsample the conviction effect is large, significant, and negative.
Returns to Education through Access to Higher-Paying Firms: Evidence from US Matched Employer-Employee Data
Authors: Engbom Niklas , Moser Christian
Published: May 2017

We use administrative US matched employer-employee data merged with detailed information on individuals' academic records to assess the extent to which returns to education are mediated by the sorting of workers across firms. We present three results. First, we confirm findings in the earlier literature of large pay differences across higher education degrees. Second, we show that up to one quarter of pay premiums for higher degrees are explained by between-firm pay differences. Third, higher degrees are associated with greater representation at the best-paying firms. We conclude that employer heterogeneity is an important factor in mediating the returns to education.
Wage Inequality and Firm Growth
Authors: Mueller Holger M. , Ouimet Paige P. , Simintzi Elena
Published: May 2017

We discuss firm-level evidence based on UK data showing that within-firm pay inequality--wage differentials between top- and bottom-level jobs--increases with firm size. Moreover, within-firm pay inequality rises as firms grow larger over time. Lastly, using wage data from 15 developed countries, we document a positive association between aggregate wage inequality at the country level and growth by the largest firms in the country. We conclude that part of what may be perceived as a global trend toward more wage inequality may be driven by an increase in the size of the largest firms in the economy.
The Role of Firms in Gender Earnings Inequality: Evidence from the United States
Authors: Sorkin Isaac
Published: May 2017

This paper documents that in the US, men are more likely than women to work in both high-wage firms and high-wage industries. I then ask why this sorting occurs. I consider two main explanations: men and women have different preferences, and men and women have different opportunities. Through the lens of a simple random search model, I find that the dominant explanation for sorting is differences in opportunities. One implication of this result is that women are at firms that offer better nonpay characteristics, and this plays an important role in explaining the gender earnings gap.
Declining Dynamism, Allocative Efficiency, and the Productivity Slowdown
Authors: Decker Ryan A. , Haltiwanger John , Jarmin Ron S. , Miranda Javier
Published: May 2017

A large literature documents declining measures of business dynamism including high-growth young firm activity and job reallocation. A distinct literature describes a slowdown in the pace of aggregate labor productivity growth. We relate these patterns by studying changes in productivity growth from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s using firm-level data. We find that diminished allocative efficiency gains can account for the productivity slowdown in a manner that interacts with the within-firm productivity growth distribution. The evidence suggests that the decline in dynamism is reason for concern and sheds light on debates about the causes of slowing productivity growth.
The Mechanism Is Truthful, Why Aren't You?
Authors: Hassidim Avinatan , Marciano Déborah , Romm Assaf , Shorrer Ran I.
Published: May 2017

Honesty is the best policy in the face of a strategy-proof mechanism--irrespective of others' behavior, the best course of action is to report one's preferences truthfully. We review evidence from different markets in different countries and find that a substantial percentage of participants do not report their true preferences to the strategy-proof Deferred Acceptance mechanism. Two recurring correlates of preference misrepresentation are lower cognitive ability and the expectation of stronger competition. We evaluate possible explanations, which we hope will inform practicing market designers.
Mistaken Play in the Deferred Acceptance Algorithm: Implications for Positive Assortative Matching
Authors: Rees-Jones Alex
Published: May 2017

Recent literature has documented failures of truthful preference reporting in the strategy-proof deferred acceptance algorithm. I consider the implications of these strategic mistakes for a common welfare consideration: the ability of the mechanism to sort the best students to the best schools. I find that these mistakes have the potential to significantly help or significantly hinder sorting. Through this channel, the presence of mistaken play may have widely varying welfare effects. I discuss related considerations in the welfare evaluation of mistaken play in the deferred acceptance algorithm and the implications for “nudges” that correct these mistakes.
Obvious Ex Post Equilibrium
Authors: Li Shengwu
Published: May 2017

I propose a new solution concept, obvious ex post (OXP) equilibrium. This is a formal standard of cognitive simplicity for mechanisms, in settings with interdependent values. Under some standard assumptions, the ascending auction has an efficient OXP equilibrium. I discuss a decision theoretic foundation for OXP mechanisms.
Bounded Rationality and Robust Mechanism Design: An Axiomatic Approach
Authors: Zhang Luyao , Levin Dan
Published: May 2017

We propose an axiomatic approach to study the superior performance of mechanisms with obviously dominant strategies to those with only dominant strategies. Guided by the psychological inability to reason state-by-state, we develop Obvious Preference as a weakening of Subjective Expected Utility Theory. We show that a strategy is an obviously dominant if and only if any Obvious Preference prefer it to any deviating strategy at any reachable information set. Applying the concept of Nash Equilibrium to Obvious Preference, we propose Obvious Nash Equilibrium to identify a set of mechanisms that are more robust than mechanisms with only Nash Equilibria.
Rents, Technical Change, and Risk Premia Accounting for Secular Trends in Interest Rates, Returns on Capital, Earning Yields, and Factor Shares
Authors: Caballero Ricardo J. , Farhi Emmanuel , Gourinchas Pierre-Olivier
Published: May 2017

The secular decline in safe interest rates since the early 1980s has been the subject of considerable attention. In this short paper, we argue that it is important to consider the evolution of safe real rates in conjunction with three other first-order macroeconomic stylized facts: the relative constancy of the real return to productive capital, the decline in the labor share, and the decline and subsequent stabilization of the earnings yield. Through the lens of a simple accounting framework, these four facts offer suggestive insights into the economic forces that might be at work.
Double/Debiased/Neyman Machine Learning of Treatment Effects
Authors: Chernozhukov Victor , Chetverikov Denis , Demirer Mert , Duflo Esther , Hansen Christian , Newey Whitney
Published: May 2017

Chernozhukov et al. (2016) provide a generic double/de-biased machine learning (ML) approach for obtaining valid inferential statements about focal parameters, using Neyman-orthogonal scores and cross-fitting, in settings where nuisance parameters are estimated using ML methods. In this note, we illustrate the application of this method in the context of estimating average treatment effects and average treatment effects on the treated using observational data.
L2-Boosting for Economic Applications
Authors: Luo Ye , Spindler Martin
Published: May 2017

We present the L2Boosting algorithm and two variants, namely post-Boosting and orthogonal Boosting. Building on results in Ye and Spindler (2016), we demonstrate how boosting can be used for estimation and inference of low-dimensional treatment effects. In particular, we consider estimation of a treatment effect in a setting with very many controls and in a setting with very many instruments. We provide simulations and analyze two real applications. We compare the results with Lasso and find that boosting performs quite well. This encourages further use of boosting for estimation of treatment effects in high-dimensional settings.
Core Determining Class and Inequality Selection
Authors: Luo Ye , Wang Hai
Published: May 2017

The relations between unobserved events and observed outcomes can be characterized by a bipartite graph. We propose an algorithm that explores the structure of the graph to construct the “exact Core Determining Class,” i.e., the set of irredudant inequalities. We prove that in general the exact Core Determining Class does not depend on the probability measure of the outcomes but only on the structure of the graph. For more general linear inequalities selection problems, we propose a statistical procedure similar to the Dantzig Selector to select the truly informative constraints. We demonstrate performances of our procedures in Monte-Carlo experiments.