bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
State of the Art Review
Authors: Macera Caroline A. , Cavanaugh Alyson , Bellettiere John
Published: February 2015

Physical activity is an important component of a healthy lifestyle for all adults and especially for older adults. Using information from the updated 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines, 3 dimensions of physical activity are identified for older adults. These include increasing aerobic activity, increasing muscle-strengthening activity, and reducing sedentary or sitting behavior. Although the overall goal of the physical activity recommendations is to prevent chronic diseases and conditions from developing, many older adults are already affected. Therefore, suggested types of physical activity are described for specific diseases and conditions that are designed to mediate the condition or prevent additional disability. Finally, barriers to participation in physical activity specific to older adults are described, and possible solutions offered. Encouraging older adults to continue or even start a physical activity program can result in major health benefits for these individuals.
Human rights and peace education in the Lebanese civics textbooks
Authors: Shuayb Maha
Published: February 2015

In 1997 the Lebanese government published its newly developed curriculum and textbooks following a long and fierce civil war, which started in 1975. The new curriculum emphasized nation building, reconciliation and citizenship. This study aims to examine how the civics textbooks in Lebanon addressed human rights and peace education, both of which are crucial in any attempt to build cohesion in a post-conflict society. Findings revealed that human rights and peace education were endorsed in the aims and objectives of the 1997 curriculum. The textbooks directly addressed some of these themes, particularly human rights and to a lesser degree peace education. The pedagogy followed in the textbooks to teach the two concepts was primarily descriptive. Despite the fact that the constructivist approach has been adopted as part of the curriculum objectives, implementation of this approach is almost absent from the civics textbooks. The study compares these results to citizenship education in two other countries in the region, Turkey and Palestine.
Drowning under: Small island states and the right to exist
Authors: Vaha Milla Emilia
Published: February 2015

This article considers the phenomenon of ‘state-extinction’: a situation in which a state faces a very real and imminent threat of literal disappearance from the surface of the Earth. By looking at the case of sinking small island states, this article explores the role and meaning of territory to statehood, while advancing the idea that rather than as a claim-right to territory, the situation of sinking island states should be understood through a state-right to exist as a state – an internationally recognised political authority – in the system of states. If and when this is the case, states under the threat of physical state-extinction may have claims towards international community to continuing existence as political entities without necessarily having a right to new territory.
Vascular endothelial growth factor is an autocrine growth factor, signaling through neuropilin-1 in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Barr Martin P , Gray Steven G , Gately Kathy , Hams Emily , Fallon Padraic G , Davies Anthony Mitchell , Richard Derek J , Pidgeon Graham P , O’Byrne Kenneth J
Published: February 2015

Background

The VEGF pathway has become an important therapeutic target in lung cancer, where VEGF has long been established as a potent pro-angiogenic growth factor expressed by many types of tumors. While Bevacizumab (Avastin) has proven successful in increasing the objective tumor response rate and in prolonging progression and overall survival in patients with NSCLC, the survival benefit is however relatively short and the majority of patients eventually relapse. The current use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors alone and in combination with chemotherapy has been underwhelming, highlighting an urgent need for new targeted therapies. In this study, we examined the mechanisms of VEGF-mediated survival in NSCLC cells and the role of the Neuropilin receptors in this process.

Methods

NSCLC cells were screened for expression of VEGF and its receptors. The effects of recombinant VEGF and its blockade on lung tumor cell proliferation and cell cycle were examined. Phosphorylation of Akt and Erk1/2 proteins was examined by high content analysis and confocal microscopy. The effects of silencing VEGF on cell proliferation and survival signaling were also assessed. A Neuropilin-1 stable-transfected cell line was generated. Cell growth characteristics in addition to pAkt and pErk1/2 signaling were studied in response to VEGF and its blockade. Tumor growth studies were carried out in nude mice following subcutaneous injection of NP1 over-expressing cells.

Results

Inhibition of the VEGF pathway with anti-VEGF and anti-VEGFR-2 antibodies or siRNA to VEGF, NP1 and NP2 resulted in growth inhibition of NP1 positive tumor cell lines associated with down-regulation of PI3K and MAPK kinase signaling. Stable transfection of NP1 negative cells with NP1 induced proliferation in vitro, which was further enhanced by exogenous VEGF. In vivo, NP1 over-expressing cells significantly increased tumor growth in xenografts compared to controls.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that VEGF is an autocrine growth factor in NSCLC signaling, at least in part, through NP1. Targeting this VEGF receptor may offer potential as a novel therapeutic approach and also support the evaluation of the role of NP1 as a biomarker predicting sensitivity or resistance to VEGF and VEGFR-targeted therapies in the clinical arena.
Dexmedetomidine versus standard care sedation with propofol or midazolam in intensive care: an economic evaluation
Authors: Turunen Heidi , Jakob Stephan M , Ruokonen Esko , Kaukonen Kirsi-Maija , Sarapohja Toni , Apajasalo Marjo , Takala Jukka
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Dexmedetomidine was shown in two European randomized double-blind double-dummy trials (PRODEX and MIDEX) to be non-inferior to propofol and midazolam in maintaining target sedation levels in mechanically ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Additionally, dexmedetomidine shortened the time to extubation versus both standard sedatives, suggesting that it may reduce ICU resource needs and thus lower ICU costs. Considering resource utilization data from these two trials, we performed a secondary, cost-minimization analysis assessing the economics of dexmedetomidine versus standard care sedation.

Methods

The total ICU costs associated with each study sedative were calculated on the basis of total study sedative consumption and the number of days patients remained intubated, required non-invasive ventilation, or required ICU care without mechanical ventilation. The daily unit costs for these three consecutive ICU periods were set to decline toward discharge, reflecting the observed reduction in mean daily Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS) points between the periods. A number of additional sensitivity analyses were performed, including one in which the total ICU costs were based on the cumulative sum of daily TISS points over the ICU period, and two further scenarios, with declining direct variable daily costs only.

Results

Based on pooled data from both trials, sedation with dexmedetomidine resulted in lower total ICU costs than using the standard sedatives, with a difference of €2,656 in the median (interquartile range) total ICU costs—€11,864 (€7,070 to €23,457) versus €14,520 (€7,871 to €26,254)—and €1,649 in the mean total ICU costs. The median (mean) total ICU costs with dexmedetomidine compared with those of propofol or midazolam were €1,292 (€747) and €3,573 (€2,536) lower, respectively. The result was robust, indicating lower costs with dexmedetomidine in all sensitivity analyses, including those in which only direct variable ICU costs were considered. The likelihood of dexmedetomidine resulting in lower total ICU costs compared with pooled standard care was 91.0% (72.4% versus propofol and 98.0% versus midazolam).

Conclusions

From an economic point of view, dexmedetomidine appears to be a preferable option compared with standard sedatives for providing light to moderate ICU sedation exceeding 24 hours. The savings potential results primarily from shorter time to extubation.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00479661 (PRODEX), NCT00481312 (MIDEX).
Dynamic changes of microbial flora and therapeutic consequences in persistent peritonitis
Authors: Montravers Philippe , Dufour Guillaume , Guglielminotti Jean , Desmard Mathieu , Muller Claudette , Houissa Hamda , Allou Nicolas , Marmuse Jean-Pierre , Augustin Pascal
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Persistent peritonitis is a frequent complication of secondary peritonitis requiring additional reoperations and antibiotic therapy. This situation raises specific concerns due to microbiological changes in peritoneal samples, especially the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. Although this complication has been extensively studied, the rate and dynamics of MDR strains have rarely been analysed.

Methods

We compared the clinical, microbiological and therapeutic data of consecutive ICU patients admitted for postoperative peritonitis either without subsequent reoperation (n = 122) or who underwent repeated surgery for persistent peritonitis with positive peritoneal fluid cultures (n = 98). Data collected on index surgery for the treatment of postoperative peritonitis were compared between these two groups. In the patients with persistent peritonitis, the data obtained at the first, second and third reoperations were compared with those of index surgery. Risk factors for emergence of MDR strains were assessed.

Results

At the time of index surgery, no parameters were able to differentiate patients with or without persistent peritonitis except for increased severity and high proportions of fungal isolates in the persistent peritonitis group. The mean time to reoperation was similar from the first to the third reoperation (range: 5 to 6 days). Septic shock was the main clinical expression of persistent peritonitis. A progressive shift of peritoneal flora was observed with the number of reoperations, comprising extinction of susceptible strains and emergence of 85 MDR strains. The proportion of patients harbouring MDR strains increased from 41% at index surgery, to 49% at the first, 54% at the second (P = 0.037) and 76% at the third reoperation (P = 0.003 versus index surgery). In multivariate analysis, the only risk factor for emergence of MDR strains was time to reoperation (OR 1.19 per day, 95%CI (1.08 to 1.33), P = 0.0006).

Conclusions

Initial severity, presence of Candida in surgical samples and inadequate source control are the major risk factors for persistent peritonitis. Emergence of MDR bacteria is frequent and increases progressively with the number of reoperations. No link was demonstrated between emergence of MDR strains and antibiotic regimens, while source control and its timing appeared to be major determinants of emergence of MDR strains.
Superior vena cava drainage improves upper body oxygenation during veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in sheep
Authors: Hou Xiaotong , Yang Xiaofang , Du Zhongtao , Xing Jialin , Li Hui , Jiang Chunjing , Wang Jinhong , Xing Zhichen , Li Shuanglei , Li Xiaokui , Yang Feng , Wang Hong , Zeng Hui
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Differential hypoxia is a pivotal problem in patients with femoral veno-arterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Despite recognition of differential hypoxia and attempts to deliver more oxygenated blood to the upper body, the mechanism of differential hypoxia as well as prevention strategies have not been well investigated.

Methods

We used a sheep model of acute respiratory failure that was supported with femoral VA ECMO from the inferior vena cava to the femoral artery (IVC-FA), ECMO from the superior vena cava to the FA (SVC-FA), ECMO from the IVC to the carotid artery (IVC-CA) and ECMO with an additional return cannula to the internal jugular vein based on the femoral VA ECMO (FA-IJV). Angiography and blood gas analyses were performed.

Results

With IVC-FA, blood oxygen saturation (SO2) of the IVC (83.6 ± 0.8%) was higher than that of the SVC (40.3 ± 1.0%). Oxygen-rich blood was drained back to the ECMO circuit and poorly oxygenated blood in the SVC entered the right atrium (RA). SVC-FA achieved oxygen-rich blood return from the IVC to the RA without shifting the arterial cannulation. Subsequently, SO2 of the SVC and the pulmonary artery increased (70.4 ± 1.0% and 73.4 ± 1.1%, respectively). Compared with IVC-FA, a lesser difference in venous oxygen return and attenuated differential hypoxia were observed with IVC-CA and FA-IJV.

Conclusions

Differential venous oxygen return is a key factor in the etiology of differential hypoxia in VA ECMO. With knowledge of this mechanism, we can apply better cannula configurations in clinical practice.
Rare variant association studies: considerations, challenges and opportunities
Authors: Auer Paul L , Lettre Guillaume
Published: February 2015

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have successfully uncovered thousands of robust associations between common variants and complex traits and diseases. Despite these successes, much of the heritability of these traits remains unexplained. Because low-frequency and rare variants are not tagged by conventional genome-wide genotyping arrays, they may represent an important and understudied component of complex trait genetics. In contrast to common variant GWASs, there are many different types of study designs, assays and analytic techniques that can be utilized for rare variant association studies (RVASs). In this review, we briefly present the different technologies available to identify rare genetic variants, including novel exome arrays. We also compare the different study designs for RVASs and argue that the best design will likely be phenotype-dependent. We discuss the main analytical issues relevant to RVASs, including the different statistical methods that can be used to test genetic associations with rare variants and the various bioinformatic approaches to predicting in silico biological functions for variants. Finally, we describe recent rare variant association findings, highlighting the unexpected conclusion that most rare variants have modest-to-small effect sizes on phenotypic variation. This observation has major implications for our understanding of the genetic architecture of complex traits in the context of the unexplained heritability challenge.
Follow-up plasma apolipoprotein E levels in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing (AIBL) cohort
Authors: Gupta Veer B , Wilson Andrea C , Burnham Samantha , Hone Eugene , Pedrini Steve , Laws Simon M , Lim Wei Ling Florence , Rembach Alan , Rainey-Smith Stephanie , Ames David , Cobiac Lynne , Macaulay S Lance , Masters Colin L , Rowe Christopher C , Bush Ashley I , Martins Ralph N ,   for the AIBL Research Group
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a growing socioeconomic problem worldwide. Early diagnosis and prevention of this devastating disease have become a research priority. Consequently, the identification of clinically significant and sensitive blood biomarkers for its early detection is very important. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a well-known and established genetic risk factor for late-onset AD; however, the impact of the protein level on AD risk is unclear. We assessed the utility of plasma ApoE protein as a potential biomarker of AD in the large, well-characterised Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study of Ageing (AIBL) cohort.

Methods

Total plasma ApoE levels were measured at 18-month follow-up using a commercial bead-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay: the Luminex xMAP human apolipoprotein kit. ApoE levels were then analysed between clinical classifications (healthy controls, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD) and correlated with the data available from the AIBL cohort, including but not limited to APOE genotype and cerebral amyloid burden.

Results

A significant decrease in ApoE levels was found in the AD group compared with the healthy controls. These results validate previously published ApoE protein levels at baseline obtained using different methodology. ApoE protein levels were also significantly affected, depending on APOE genotypes, with ε2/ε2 having the highest protein levels and ε4/ε4 having the lowest. Plasma ApoE levels were significantly negatively correlated with cerebral amyloid burden as measured by neuroimaging.

Conclusions

ApoE is decreased in individuals with AD compared with healthy controls at 18-month follow-up, and this trend is consistent with our results published at baseline. The influence of APOE genotype and sex on the protein levels are also explored. It is clear that ApoE is a strong player in the aetiology of this disease at both the protein and genetic levels.
Metastatic neuroblastoma cancer stem cells exhibit flexible plasticity and adaptive stemness signaling
Authors: Pandian Vijayabaskar , Ramraj Satishkumar , Khan Faizan H , Azim Tasfia , Aravindan Natarajan
Published: February 2015

Introduction

High-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB) presenting with hematogenous metastasis is one of the most difficult cancers to cure. Patient survival is poor. Aggressive tumors contain populations of rapidly proliferating clonogens that exhibit stem cell properties, cancer stem cells (CSCs). Conceptually, CSCs that evade intensive multimodal therapy dictate tumor progression, relapse/recurrence, and poor clinical outcomes. Herein, we investigated the plasticity and stem-cell related molecular response of aggressive metastatic neuroblastoma cells that fit the CSC model.

Methods

Well-characterized clones of metastatic site-derived aggressive cells (MSDACs) from a manifold of metastatic tumors of clinically translatable HR-NB were characterized for their CSC fit by examining epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) (E-cadherin, N-Cadherin), survival (NFκB P65, p50, IκB and pIκB) and drug resistance (ABCG2) by immunoblotting; pluripotency maintenance (Nanog, SOX2) by immunofluorescence; and EMT and stemness related transcription of 93 genes by QPCR profiling. Plasticity of MSDACs under sequential alternation of culture conditions with serum and serum-free stem-cell conditions was assessed by clonal expansion (BrdU incorporation), tumorosphere formation (anchorage independent growth), EMT and stemness related transcriptome (QPCR profiling) and validated with MYC, SOX2, EGFR, NOTCH1 and CXCL2 immunoblotting.

Results

HR-NB MSDACs maintained in alternated culture conditions, serum-free stem cell medium to growth medium with serum and vice versa identified its flexible revocable plasticity characteristics. We observed signatures of stem cell-related molecular responses consistent with phenotypic conversions. Successive reintroduction to the favorable niche not only regained identical EMT, self-renewal capacity, pluripotency maintenance, and other stem cell-related signaling events, but also instigated additional events depicting aggressive adaptive plasticity.

Conclusions

Together, these results demonstrated the flexible plasticity of HR-NB MSDACs that typically fit the CSC model, and further identified the intrinsic adaptiveness of the successive phenotype switching that clarifies the heterogeneity of HR-NB. Moreover, the continuous ongoing acquisition of stem cell-related molecular rearrangements may hold the key to the switch from favorable disease to HR-NB.
Microbial production of Propionic and Succinic acid from Sorbitol using Propionibacterium acidipropionici
Authors: Duarte Juliana C , Valença Gustavo P , Moran Paulo J S , Rodrigues J Augusto R
Published: February 2015

Three sequential fermentative batches were carried out with cell recycle in four simultaneously operating bioreactors maintained at pH 6.5, 30°C, and 100 rpm. P. acidipropionici ATCC 4875 was able to produce propionic and succinic acid from sorbitol. The concentration of propionic acid decreased slightly from 39.5 ± 5.2 g L−1 to 34.4 ± 1.9 g L−1, and that of succinic acid increased significantly from 6.1 ± 2.1 g L−1 to 14.8 ± 0.9 g L−1 through the sequential batches. In addition, a small amount of acetic acid was produced that decreased from 3.3 ± 0.4 g L−1 to 2.0 ± 0.3 g L−1 through the batches. The major yield for propionic acid was 0.613 g g−1 in the first batch and succinic acid it was 0.212 g g−1 in the third batch. The minor yield of acetic acid was 0.029 g g−1, in the second and third batches.
Entrapment and Release of Guest Molecules by Reduction-Responsive Cyclophane Dimers Based on Disulfide Linkage
Authors: Hayashida Osamu , Kojima Keiko
Published: February 2015

Reduction-responsive cyclophane dimer 2 having a disulfide linkage derived from an l-cystine residue was synthesized. Complex formation of 2 with anionic guests such as 6-p-toluidinonaphthalene-2-sulfonate (TNS) and 6-anilinonaphthalene-2-sulfonate (2,6-ANS) were proven by fluorescence titration experiments. The evaluated 1:1 binding constants (K) of 2 with TNS and 2,6-ANS were calculated to be 7.6 × 104 and 5.5 × 104 M−1, respectively. These binding affinities were increased 11- and 13-fold in comparison with those of a corresponding monocyclic cyclophane 3, respectively. Reduction of disulfide bond of 2 by dithiothreitol (DTT) gave the corresponding monocyclic cyclophanes having less guest-binding affinity. Consequently, such a DTT treatment promotes release of guest molecules entrapped by 2 to the bulk aqueous media.
Solid-State Optical Properties and Crystal Structures of 1,4-Dipropoxy-9,10-anthraquinone Polymorphs
Authors: Kitamura Chitoshi , Li Sining , Takehara Munenori , Inoue Yoshinori , Ono Katsuhiko , Kawase Takeshi , Fujimoto Kazuhiro J
Published: February 2015

Recrystallization of 1,4-dipropoxy-9,10-anthraquinone from hexane solution afforded two polymorphs: red prisms and yellow needles. X-ray crystallographic analyses revealed that the molecular arrangement was an anti-parallel orientation for red solids and a slipped-parallel orientation for yellow solids. The difference in solid-state color was analyzed by TD-DFT calculations of their multimers.
FDA approved drugs as potential Ebola treatments
Authors: Ekins Sean , Coffee Megan
Published: February 2015

In the search for treatments for the Ebola Virus, multiple screens of FDA drugs have led to the identification of several with promising in vitro activity. These compounds were not originally developed as antivirals and some have been further tested in mouse in vivo models. We put forward the opinion that some of these drugs could be evaluated further and move into the clinic as they are already FDA approved and in many cases readily available. This may be important if there is a further outbreak in future and no other therapeutic is available.
Indifference Curve Analysis: The Correct and the Incorrect
Authors: Aguirre Sotelo Jose Antonio Manuel , Block Walter E.
Published: February 2015

The thesis of this paper is that when the indifference curve is concave to the origin, the optimal point on the budget line is not the corner solution on the highest (most north eastern) indifference curve, the analysis all too often offered in the literature, but, rather, somewhat paradoxically, the lowest (most south western) indifference curve. The economics profession, as articulated through the megaphone of intermediate micro economics texts, offers a mixed result in this regard. Some few do offer a correct analysis, but many do not; others ignore the issue entirely. The contribution of the present paper and the aim of our research is to provide a correction of the widespread but erroneous indifference curve analysis that appears in many of our intermediate microeconomics texts. Our methodology is one of contrast: we offer what we see as both the correct and the incorrect versions of indifference curve analysis.
Coopetition as the Factor of Increasing Level of Innovativeness in the SME Sector in Poland
Authors: Ejsmont Aneta
Published: February 2015

Companies in Poland can realize their goals by assuring the necessary organizational conditions and by partially restricting opportunistic behavior within the limits sufficient to take stable coopetitive actions. In the face of the present financial crisis, innovativeness is one of the basic parameters in evaluation of the SME sector in Poland. The goal of the present article is to show that enhanced coopetition of the researched entities with huge holdings or concerns from Poland and with economic entities from the remaining countries of the European Union is a sine qua non of improving the level of innovativeness in the SME sector. The coopetition is defined as a phenomenon of simultaneous cooperation and competition of at least two entities, the aim of which is to better realize their goals or to work towards the common end. If levels of competition and cooperation are low, companies assume the strategies of the owners of micro-, small- or medium-sized enterprises. Being a condition necessary to improve the level of innovativeness in the Polish SME sector, coopetition is characteristic of the companies whose activities are narrowly specialized.
Significance of the EU Funds in Investments of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Authors: AnnSpoz Anna
Published: February 2015

Nowadays competitiveness of enterprises is determined by the size and range of implemented investment projects. The investments need to involve necessary resources. In the case of the SME sector, enterprises have limited financial assets. Therefore, Poland’s accession to the European Union and the opportunity to use its funding is a chance for development of this sector. The aim of the paper is to discuss the significance of EU funds in investments of SMEs and to present the most important advantages and barriers to their spending. The research methods used in this paper are: study of literature and analysis of secondary data. The research material comprises programming documents and the results of research carried out at the request of the European Leasing Fund, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and the Polish Confederation Lewiatan. Conclusions: EU funding is an attractive source of financing investments for enterprises. It is one of the most affordable forms of obtaining capital. Acquisition of additional financial means can determine the start of an investment, extend its scope, increase its rate and improve its quality. However, in practice the share of EU funds in financing SMEs investments is still small and entrepreneurs face many barriers to using this form of support. Major obstacles include: excessive bureaucracy, strict procedures, over-scrupulous office workers, lengthy verification of payment applications, as well as delays in payments to beneficiaries.
Model of Evaluation of the Management Effectiveness of State Corporate Rights of Industrial Enterprises in Ukraine
Authors: Galchinsky Leonid
Published: February 2015

This paper proposes a method for increasing the efficiency of state corporate rights management of industrial enterprises by clarifying the evaluation of the efficiency of their management. This method is a model of comprehensive evaluation of enterprises on the basis of data that resulted in the reporting documents. Three groups of indicators were adopted and included: commercial, non-commercial and managing criteria. Integral performance criterion is the weighted sum of those three groups. Model performance evaluation was built using ordinal regression. Based on this model estimate the efficiency of state corporate rights management of industrial enterprises was obtained more accurately, providing a wide range of estimates.
Modeling of the Excise Taxation Influence on Components of Human Potential
Authors: Londar Serhii , Kozarezenko Liudmila
Published: February 2015

The purpose of the research is analysis of a model of influence of excise tax rate increase for tobacco products in Ukraine on financial indices of state funds, prevalence of tobacco smoking, and indices of society health. Due to the results of research, the author determined the opportunities of the excise tax for tobacco smoking prevalence regulation in Ukraine. The dynamics of changes of specific and ad valorem rates of the excise tax and the dynamics of its contribution to the revenues of the State Budget of Ukraine were analyzed. The author estimated the changes of tobacco smoking prevalence in Ukraine on the basis of an adapted imitation model under conditions of increase of excise tax rates to the level of rates of the European Union countries. The research shows the excise tax is an effective financial regulator of tobacco smoking prevalence in Ukraine and it influences a population health condition. Increase of the excise tax rates causes reduction of amounts of tobacco product consumption and decrease of the share of smoking adults. Gradual increase of the Ukrainian rates to the level of the EU before 2018 may allow pulling from 1.0 to 1.9 million of people through premature death. Aside from a positive social effect of health enhancement, increase of the share of excise tax within a structure of a retail price of tobacco products will positively influence the growth of tax incomings to the State Budget. Consequently, under the Ukrainian contemporary economic environment the excise tax is an effective financial regulator of tobacco smoking prevalence.
An Interproduct Competition Model Incorporating Branding Hierarchy and Product Similarities Using Store-Level Data
Authors: Voleti Sudhir , Kopalle Praveen K. , Ghosh Pulak
Published: February 2015

We develop and implement a Bayesian semiparametric model of demand under interproduct competition that enables us to assess the respective contributions of brand-SKU (stock keeping unit) hierarchy and interproduct similarity to explaining and predicting demand. To incorporate brand-SKU hierarchy effects, we use Bayesian hierarchical clustering inherent in a nested Dirichlet process to simultaneously partition brands, and SKUs conditional on brands, into groups of “similarity clusters.” We examine cluster memberships and postprocess the Markov chain Monte Carlo output to infer cluster properties by accounting for parameter uncertainty. Our proposed approach lends to a spatial competition interpretation in latent attribute space and helps uncover the extent to which competition across SKUs in the latent attribute space is local or global. In a related vein, we discuss the implications of well-defined groups of similar SKUs as subcategory or submarket boundaries in latent attribute space. We empirically test our model using aggregate beer category sales data from a midsize U.S. retail chain. We find that branding hierarchy effects dominate those from product similarity. We find that the model partitions the 15 brands in the data into 4 brand clusters and the 96 SKUs into 25 SKU clusters conditional on brand cluster membership. In estimating a set of models of spatial interproduct competition, we find that SKU competition is more local than global in that only subsets of products compete within groups of comparable products. Finally, we discuss the substantive implications of our results.

This paper was accepted by Pradeep Chintagunta, marketing.
Dynamic Knowledge Transfer and Knowledge Development for Product and Process Design Teams
Authors: Özkan-Seely Gülru F. , Gaimon Cheryl , Kavadias Stylianos
Published: February 2015

We consider a manager who invests in knowledge development of a product and a process design team as well as knowledge transfer between teams throughout a new product development (NPD) project. Knowledge development at a particular time (e.g., prototyping and experimentation) increases a team’s level of knowledge at that time. In contrast, the recipient’s benefits from knowledge transfer may be lagged because of the difficulties in articulating and documenting knowledge as well as the challenges regarding its interpretation and application. Over time, as each team embeds knowledge in the NPD project, the levels of product and process performance increase, thereby increasing the net revenue earned at the product launch time. In a key contribution to the literature, analytic conditions are given that characterize the dynamic rates at which knowledge development and knowledge transfer occur throughout the project. We show that the investment in knowledge development for each team and knowledge transfer between teams may be constant, front-loaded, back-loaded, U-shaped, or the peak rate may be delayed over time. As such, we show how concurrent engineering is optimally pursued throughout the NPD project.
Experiences of men who support their partners during childbirth in lowresource settings: A descriptive review
Authors: Chimwaza Angela , Kabuluzi Ezereth , Hami Melanie , Mbiza Christina , Smyth Rebecca
Published: February 2015

Male involvement in maternal and child health has been promoted since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. Literature from high-resource settings demonstrates the benefits of involving males in maternal and child health including improvement in maternal mental health, increased assistance from partners and reduced stay in hospital; however, little is known about the situation in low-income countries. This paper aims to provide a descriptive review of qualitative studies on experiences of men who supported their partners during labour and birth in low-resource settings. Themes identified from the literature include: unpreparedness, pleasant but frightening experience, loss of interest in wife and lack of privacy. Further good quality studies should be performed in addition to the need for adequate preparation of men for involvement during labour and birth.
‘Phase 3 delay’ threats to labouring women
Authors: Laisser Rose , Manangwa Saturine , Libaba Evans , Kimweri Margareth , Bedwell Carol
Published: February 2015

This paper describes a two-phase study with the aim to determine factors associated with delay in accessing maternity care by labouring women in three districts of Tanzania. Three hundred and sixty-nine women and 167 midwives were surveyed between July and September 2014. The three phases of delay were explored: 1) delay in decision to seek care, 2) delay in reaching a health care facility, 3) delay in receiving adequate care at the facility. In this study, labouring women were more challenged by the third delay—receiving adequate care at the facility. Poor quality maternity care was reported by 74% of mothers and 88% of midwives. A wait time of more than 3 hours was noted by 61% of mothers and 52% of midwives. Inadequate supplies were experienced by 54% of mothers and 90% of midwives; 60% of midwives reported to have inadequate competencies while all midwives reported that unskilled personnel are conducting births as a result of shortages of qualified midwives. Education and cost play a part in the decision to attend health facilities. However, delay in receiving care at a facility and poor quality care clearly has consequences for outcomes indicating an urgent need to improve quality.
Surviving the histopathology report in an MDT meeting, and understanding its implications in patient management: 1
Authors: Zanetto Ulises
Published: February 2015

For most gastroenterology nurses, there is an evident gap in the training curriculum for histology and histopathology; hence, the staff at the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust have been working toward covering this gap. This two-part series forms the basis of the one-day histology course for nurse endoscopists that has now been running for 4 years at the Trust and has received positive feedback. Apart from being an educational event, the course offers all nurse endoscopists, histopathologists, gastroenterologists, and biomedical scientists the opportunity to interact in a relaxed environment where questions, no matter how basic or complex, can be asked freely during the sessions. This article series is by no means a scholastic or academic lecture on histology, nor is it meant to depict every cell or tissue type within the digestive tract. Instead, it intends to be a compendium of relevant material put together in the hope that it will be useful to readers.
Cost-effective collaboration between stoma care nurses and the medicines management team
Authors: Skipper Gill , Fake Jeanette
Published: February 2015

Working in stoma care allows health professionals in the acute hospital setting to collaborate with their peers in the community. In the current NHS climate where cost-efficiency is key, the stoma department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Norfolk, England, forged a strong relationship with the medicines management team in the community. This article demonstrates the effective collaborative working between the authors' local acute hospital NHS Trust and the clinical commissioning group (CCG). The article documents the authors' success in developing prescription guidelines to assist pharmacists/dispensers and ostomates, and encouraging the cost-effective order and supply of stoma products. This article gives a detailed description of the key messages front-line staff—pharmacists and dispensers—need to bear in mind, with a summary of the advice given in the form of tables.
“’Little Girls are Even More Perfect When They Bleed”’: Monstrosity, Violence, and the Female Body in Kristin Cashore’s Graceling Trilogy”
Authors: Kennon Patricia
Published: February 2015

This article examines concepts of humanity, monstrosity, and female agency in Kristin Cashore’s recent Graceling trilogy of fantasy novels for young adults. In particular, the teenage protagonists of Graceling (2008), Fire (2009) and Bitterblue (2012) struggle to resist and to reconfigure their societies’ conservative systems of prejudice, fear, desire, difference, and violence regarding “natural” and “unnatural” female bodily experience. Cashore’s trilogy interrogates traditional concepts of normal and aberrant female embodiment and offers thought-provoking opportunities for personal and collective transformation.
Unlocking Insights about Military Children and Families
Authors: Chandra Anita , London Andrew S.
Published: February 2015

As this issue of the Future of Children makes clear, we have much yet to learn about military children and their families. A big part of the reason, write Anita Chandra and Andrew London, is that we lack sufficiently robust sources of data. Until we collect more and better data about military families, Chandra and London say, we will not be able to study the breadth of their experiences and sources of resilience, distinguish among subgroups within the diverse military community, or compare military children with their civilian counterparts.

After surveying the available sources of data and explaining what they are lacking and why, Chandra and London make several recommendations. First, they say, major longitudinal national surveys, as well as administrative data systems (for example, in health care and in schools), should routinely ask about children’s connections to the military, so that military families can be flagged in statistical analyses. Second, questions on national surveys and psychological assessments should be formulated and calibrated for military children to be certain that they resonate with military culture. Third, researchers who study military children should consider adopting a life-course perspective, examining children from birth to adulthood as they and their families move through the transitions of military life and into or out of the civilian world.
Military Children from Birth to Five Years
Authors: Osofsky Joy D. , Chartrand Lieutenant Colonel Molinda M.
Published: February 2015

Because most research on military families has focused on children who are old enough to go to school, we know the least about the youngest and perhaps most vulnerable children in these families. Some of what we do know, however, is worrisome—for example, multiple deployments, which many families have experienced during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, may increase the risk that young children will be maltreated.

Where the research on young military children is thin, Joy Osofsky and Lieutenant Colonel Molinda Chartrand extrapolate from theories and research in other contexts—especially attachment theory and research on families who have experienced disasters. They describe the circumstances that are most likely to put young children in military families at risk, and they point to ways that families, communities, the military, and policy makers can help these children overcome such risks and thrive. They also review a number of promising programs to build resilience in young military children.

Deployment, Osofsky and Chartrand write, is particularly stressful for the youngest children, who depend on their parents for nearly everything. Not only does deployment separate young children from one of the central figures in their lives, it can also take a psychological toll on the parent who remains at home, potentially weakening the parenting relationship. Thus one fundamental way to help young military children become resilient is to help their parents cope with the stress of deployment. Parents and caregivers themselves, Osofsky and Chartrand write, can be taught ways to support their young children’s resilience during deployment, for example, by keeping routines consistent and predictable and by finding innovative ways to help the child connect with the absent parent. The authors conclude by presenting 10 themes, grounded in research and theory, that can guide policies and programs designed to help young military children.
How Wartime Military Service Affects Children and Families
Authors: Lester Patricia , Flake Lieutenant Colonel Eric
Published: February 2015

How are children’s lives altered when a parent goes off to war? What aspects of combat deployment are most likely to put children at risk for psychological and other problems, and what resources for resilience can they tap to overcome such hardships and thrive?

To answer these questions, Patricia Lester and Lieutenant Colonel Eric Flake first examine the deployment cycle, a multistage process that begins with a period of anxious preparation after a family receives notice that a parent will be sent into combat. Perhaps surprisingly, for many families, they write, the most stressful part of the deployment cycle is not the long months of separation that follow but the postdeployment period, when service members, having come home from war, must be reintegrated into families whose internal rhythms have changed and where children have taken on new roles. Lester and Flake then walk us through a range of theoretical perspectives that help us understand the interconnected environments in which military children live their lives, from the dynamics of the family system itself to the external contexts of the communities where they live and the military culture that helps form their identity.

The authors conclude that policy makers can help military-connected children and their families cope with deployment by, among other things, strengthening community support services and adopting public health education measures that are designed to reduce the stigma of seeking treatment for psychological distress. They warn, however, that much recent research on military children’s response to deployment is flawed in various ways, and they call for better-designed, longer-term studies as well as more rigorous evaluation of existing and future support programs.
When a Parent Is Injured or Killed in Combat
Authors: Holmes Allison K. , Rauch Paula K. , Cozza Colonel Stephen J.
Published: February 2015

When a service member is injured or dies in a combat zone, the consequences for his or her family can be profound and long-lasting. Visible, physical battlefield injuries often require families to adapt to long and stressful rounds of treatment and rehabilitation, and they can leave the service member with permanent disabilities that mean new roles for everyone in the family. Invisible injuries, both physical and psychological, including traumatic brain injury and combat-related stress disorders, are often not diagnosed until many months after a service member returns from war (if they are diagnosed at all—many sufferers never seek treatment). They can alter a service member’s behavior and personality in ways that make parenting difficult and reverberate throughout the family. And a parent’s death in combat not only brings immediate grief but can also mean that survivors lose their very identity as a military family when they must move away from their supportive military community.

Sifting through the evidence on both military and civilian families, Allison Holmes, Paula Rauch, and Stephen Cozza analyze, in turn, how visible injuries, traumatic brain injuries, stress disorders, and death affect parents’ mental health, parenting capacity, and family organization; they also discuss the community resources that can help families in each situation. They note that most current services focus on the needs of injured service members rather than those of their families. Through seven concrete recommendations, they call for a greater emphasis on family-focused care that supports resilience and positive adaptation for all members of military families who are struggling with a service member’s injury or death.
Family Assets and Child Outcomes: Evidence and Directions
Authors: Grinstein-Weiss Michal , Williams Shanks Trina R. , Beverly Sondra G.
Published: February 2015

For poor families, the possession of assets—savings accounts, homes, and the like—has the potential not only to relieve some of the stress of living in poverty but also to make a better future seem like a real possibility. If children in families that own certain assets fare better than children in families without them, then helping poor families build those assets would be an effective strategy for two-generation programs.

Indeed, write Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Trina Williams Shanks, and Sondra Beverly, plenty of evidence shows that assets are connected to positive outcomes for poor children. For example, young people who have any college savings at all, even a very small amount, are more likely to go to college; children in households with assets score higher on standardized achievement tests; and children of homeowners experience fewer behavioral problems. But this evidence comes from longitudinal data sets and is therefore correlational.

Looking for causal relationships, the authors examine the results of experimental programs that opened various types of savings accounts for poor people and matched their contributions. Several of these trials included a control group that did not receive a savings account, making it possible to attribute any positive outcomes directly to the savings accounts rather than to their owners’ personal characteristics. These programs dispelled the myth that poor people can’t save; participants were generally able to accumulate savings. It’s too early to tell, however, whether assets and asset-building programs have long-term effects on children’s wellbeing, though one experiment found positive impacts on disadvantaged children’s social-emotional development at age four. The most promising programs share several features: they are opened early in life; they are opened automatically, with no action required from the recipients; and they come with an initial deposit.