bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High production of endothelin after foam sclerotherapy: a new pathogenetic hypothesis for neurological and visual disturbances after sclerotherapy
Authors: Frullini A , Felice F , Burchielli S , Di Stefano R
Published: April 2011

Background

Visual and neurological disturbances have always been reported following liquid sclerotherapy (LS) for venous insufficiency. In 1993 Cabrera introduced foam sclerotherapy (FS) using a detergent sclerosant as Lauromacrogol 400 or sodium tetradecyl sulphate. Several authors have reported with FS an increased incidence of such transient visual disturbances and neurological complications. This has been associated with gas or air used to generate the sclerosing foam. The frequent association of the presence of a patent foramen ovale, a common condition in normal population, and such complications has led several authors to consider neurological and visual disturbances as paradoxical gas embolism.

Objective

We are introducing a new pathogenetic hypothesis for sclerotherapy complications. Medical literature shows evidence of a clear relationship among cerebral and retinal vasospasm, migraine and intimal irritation. We think that the irritating sclerosant agent may stimulate a significant release of vasoactive substances from the venous wall, specifically endothelin 1 (ET-1), the most powerful vasoconstricting agent.

Method

We have studied systemic ET-1 levels after LS and FS with Lauromacrogol 400 in a group of 13 rats at one and five minutes after injection.

Results

While ET-1 levels did not change significantly in control and in the LS group, a significant increase was detected after FS at one and five minutes.

Conclusion

We conclude that should the same results be found in patients treated using sclerosing foam (SF), ET-1 levels may closely correlate to the onset of visual or cerebral complications. Due to the bronchoconstrictor activity of ET-1, a relationship with post-treatment cough can be also postulated.
Development of a device to determine the stiffness of elastic garments and bandages
Authors: Hirai M , Niimi K , Miyazaki K , Iwata H , Sugimoto I , Ishibashi H , Ota T , Kominami Y
Published: April 2011

Objective

To evaluate the reliability of a newly developed stiffness-determining device, composed of a leg mannequin and air-pack type analyser, for measuring the interface pressure.

Method

The correlation of stiffness values obtained employing the Hohenstein method and this new method was investigated using 17 different brands of medical elastic compression stocking.

Results

A significant correlation in stiffness values using the two methods was obtained ( P < 0.01). When this new method was applied to the bandages, the stiffness was significantly correlated with the initial pressure when assessing both short-stretch and long-stretch bandages. On the comparison of stiffness values between elastic stockings and bandages with the same initial pressure, the short-stretch bandages showed a predominantly higher value than long-stretch bandages and stockings ( P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The reliability of this new method, which can be easily applied to not only elastic stockings but also elastic bandages, was verified. In clinical practice, the compression pressure should be selected in consideration of the prospective stiffness.
Calcium dobesilate in patients suffering from chronic venous insufficiency: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial
Authors: Rabe E , Jaeger K A , Bulitta M , Pannier F
Published: April 2011

Objective

To test the efficacy of calcium dobesilate (CaD) in chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).

Method

Double-blind, parallel groups, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial in adult patients with symptomatic CVI and pitting oedema. Wearing of compression stockings Class II was admitted. During treatment period of eight weeks, the patients received CaD 3 × 500 mg/day or placebo. The leg volume calculation was based on a truncated cone model.

Results

A total of 256 patients was randomized to treatment (dobesilate: n = 132, placebo: n = 124); the demographic and anamnestic data at admission were comparable in the two therapeutic groups. The volume of the lower calf diminished in the dobesilate group at the end of the active treatment period by −64.72 ± 111.93 cm3 (mean ± SD), independent of the concomitant usage of compression stockings versus placebo +0.8 ± 152.98 cm3 ( P = 0.0002). The symptoms of pain, discomfort, heavy legs, tired legs, tingling, itching and cramps, as well as the global assessments by investigators and patients, also improved significantly ( P < 0.05) better in the dobesilate group at the end of the treatment. The observed adverse events correspond to the known profile.

Conclusion

Dobesilate reduces leg oedema and improves the symptoms of objectively diagnosed CVI, independent of the concomitant usage of compression stockings.
Online and Offline Demand and Price Elasticities: Evidence from the Air Travel Industry
Authors: Granados Nelson , Gupta Alok , Kauffman Robert J.
Published: April 2011

The Internet has brought consumers increased access to information to make purchase decisions. One of the expected consequences is an increase in the price elasticity of demand, or the percent change in demand caused by a percent change in price, because consumers are better able to compare offerings from multiple suppliers. In this paper, we analyze the impact of the Internet on demand, by comparing the demand functions in the Internet and traditional air travel channels. We use a data set that contains information for millions of records of airline ticket sales in both online and offline channels. The results suggest that consumer demand in the Internet channel is more price elastic for both transparent and opaque online travel agencies (OTAs), in part, because of more leisure travelers self-selecting the online channel, relative to business travelers. Yet, after controlling for this channel self-selection effect, we still find differences in price elasticity across channels. We find that the opaque OTAs are more price elastic than the transparent OTAs, which suggests that product information can mitigate the price pressures that arise from Internet-enabled price comparisons. We discuss the broader implications for multichannel pricing strategy and for the transparency-based design of online selling mechanisms.
Research Note—The Halo Effect in Multicomponent Ratings and Its Implications for Recommender Systems: The Case of Yahoo! Movies
Authors: Sahoo Nachiketa , Krishnan Ramayya , Duncan George , Callan Jamie
Published: April 2011

Collaborative filtering algorithms learn from the ratings of a group of users on a set of items to find personalized recommendations for each user. Traditionally they have been designed to work with one-dimensional ratings. With interest growing in recommendations based on multiple aspects of items, we present an algorithm for using multicomponent rating data. The presented mixture model-based algorithm uses the component rating dependency structure discovered by a structure learning algorithm. The structure is supported by the psychometric literature on the halo effect. This algorithm is compared with a set of model-based and instance-based algorithms for single-component ratings and their variations for multicomponent ratings. We evaluate the algorithms using data from Yahoo! Movies. Use of multiple components leads to significant improvements in recommendations. However, we find that the choice of algorithm depends on the sparsity of the training data. It also depends on whether the task of the algorithm is to accurately predict ratings or to retrieve relevant items. In our experiments a model-based multicomponent rating algorithm is able to better retrieve items when training data are sparse. However, if the training data are not sparse, or if we are trying to predict the rating values accurately, then the instance-based multicomponent rating collaborative filtering algorithms perform better. Beyond generating recommendations we show that the proposed model can fill in missing rating components. Theories in psychometric literature and the empirical evidence suggest that rating specific aspects of a subject is difficult. Hence, filling in the missing component values leads to the possibility of a rater support system to facilitate gathering of multicomponent ratings.
Information Technology and Intangible Output: The Impact of IT Investment on Innovation Productivity
Authors: Kleis Landon , Chwelos Paul , Ramirez Ronald V. , Cockburn Iain
Published: April 2011

Prior research concerning IT business value has established a link between firm-level IT investment and tangible returns such as output productivity. Research also suggests that IT is vital to intermediate processes such as those that produce intangible output. Among these, the use of IT in innovation and knowledge creation processes is perhaps the most critical to a firm's long-term success. However, little is known about the relationship between IT, knowledge creation, and innovation output. In this study, we contribute to the literature by comprehensively examining the contribution of IT to innovation production across multiple contexts using a quality-based measure of innovation output. Analyzing annual information from 1987 to 1997 for a panel of large U.S. manufacturing firms, we find that a 10% increase in IT input is associated with a 1.7% increase in innovation output for a given level of innovation-related spending. This relationship between IT, research and development (R&D), and innovation production is robust across multiple econometric methodologies and is found to be particularly strong in the mid to late 1990s, a period of rapid technological innovation. Our results also demonstrate the importance of IT in creating value at an intermediate stage of production, in this case, through improved innovation productivity. However, R&D and its related intangible factors (skill, knowledge, etc.) appear to play a more crucial role in the creation of breakthrough innovations.
Social Networks and the Diffusion of User-Generated Content: Evidence from YouTube
Authors: Susarla Anjana , Oh Jeong-Ha , Tan Yong
Published: April 2011

This paper is motivated by the success of YouTube, which is attractive to content creators as well as corporations for its potential to rapidly disseminate digital content. The networked structure of interactions on YouTube and the tremendous variation in the success of videos posted online lends itself to an inquiry of the role of social influence. Using a unique data set of video information and user information collected from YouTube, we find that social interactions are influential not only in determining which videos become successful but also on the magnitude of that impact. We also find evidence for a number of mechanisms by which social influence is transmitted, such as (i) a preference for conformity and homophily and (ii) the role of social networks in guiding opinion formation and directing product search and discovery. Econometrically, the problem in identifying social influence is that individuals' choices depend in great part upon the choices of other individuals, referred to as the reflection problem. Another problem in identification is to distinguish between social contagion and user heterogeneity in the diffusion process. Our results are in sharp contrast to earlier models of diffusion, such as the Bass model, that do not distinguish between different social processes that are responsible for the process of diffusion. Our results are robust to potential self-selection according to user tastes, temporal heterogeneity and the reflection problem. Implications for researchers and managers are discussed.
Research Note—Online Users' Switching Costs: Their Nature and Formation
Authors: Ray Soumya , Kim Sung S. , Morris James G.
Published: April 2011

The highly competitive and rapidly changing market for online services is becoming increasingly effective at locking users in through the coercive effects of switching costs. Although the information systems field increasingly recognizes that switching costs plays a big part in enforcing loyalty, little is known about what factors users regard as switching costs or why they perceive these costs. Consequently, it is hard for online services to know what lock-in strategies to use and when to apply them. We address this problem by first developing a theory-driven structure of online users' perceived switching costs that distinguishes between vendor-related and user-related factors. We then propose that important antecedent influences on switching costs from economic value, technical self-efficacy, and past investments are more complex and intertwined than previously thought. We empirically validated the proposed model using data collected from home users of Internet service providers. Our findings demonstrate that an online service's economic value more heavily influences users' perceptions of vendor-related switching costs than does technical self-efficacy. However, users' technical abilities outweigh economic value in influencing user-related switching costs. Furthermore, although we confirmed the commonly held notion that deeply invested users are generally more vulnerable to lock-in, we also found that this relationship is contingent on users' technical abilities. Finally, we found that our multidimensional measure of switching costs is a valid predictor of user loyalty and is more powerful than previous global measures. Overall, this study uncovered a finer network of switching-cost production than had been previously established and suggests a new approach to modeling and exploiting online users' perceived switching costs.
When Hackers Talk: Managing Information Security Under Variable Attack Rates and Knowledge Dissemination
Authors: Mookerjee Vijay , Mookerjee Radha , Bensoussan Alain , Yue Wei T.
Published: April 2011

This paper analyzes interactions between a firm that seeks to discriminate between normal users and hackers that try to penetrate and compromise the firm's information assets. We develop an analytical model in which a variety of factors are balanced to best manage the detection component within information security management. The approach not only considers conventional factors such as detection rate and false-positive rate, but also factors associated with hacker behavior that occur in response to improvements in the detection system made by the firm. Detection can be improved by increasing the system's discrimination ability (i.e., the ability to distinguish between attacks and normal usage) through the application of maintenance effort. The discrimination ability deteriorates over time due to changes in the environment. Also, there is the possibility of sudden shocks that can sharply degrade the discrimination ability. The firm's cost increases as hackers become more knowledgeable by disseminating security knowledge within the hacker population. The problem is solved to reveal the presence of a steady-state solution in which the level of system discrimination ability and maintenance effort are held constant. We find an interesting result where, under certain conditions, hackers do not benefit from disseminating security knowledge among one another. In other situations, we find that hackers benefit because the firm must lower its detection rate in the presence of knowledge dissemination. Other insights into managing detection systems are provided. For example, the presence of security shocks can increase or decrease the optimal discrimination level as compared to the optimal level without shocks.
Research Note—To Continue Sharing or Not to Continue Sharing? An Empirical Analysis of User Decision in Peer-to-Peer Sharing Networks
Authors: Xia Mu , Huang Yun , Duan Wenjing , Whinston Andrew B.
Published: April 2011

Peer-to-peer sharing networks have seen explosive growth recently. In these networks, sharing files is completely voluntary, and there is no financial reward for users to contribute. However, many users continue to share despite the massive free-riding by others. Using a large-scale data set of individual activities in a peer-to-peer music-sharing network, we seek to understand users' continued-sharing behavior as a private contribution to a public good. We find that the more benefit users “get from” the network, in the form of downloads, browses, and searches, the more likely they are to continue sharing. Also, the more value users “give to” the network, in the form of downloads by other users and recognition by the network, the more likely they are to continue sharing. Moreover, our findings suggest that, overall, “getting from” is a stronger force for the continued-sharing decision than “giving to.”
Relative Industry Concentration and Customer-Driven IT Spillovers
Authors: Cheng Zhuo (June) , Nault Barrie R.
Published: April 2011

We examine how one industry's productivity is affected by the IT capital of its customers and how this effect depends on industries' relative concentration. These customer-driven IT spillovers result from customers' IT investments in various information systems that reduce transaction costs through information sharing and coordination and lead to more efficient production and logistics upstream. The magnitude of IT spillovers depends on relative industry concentration because customers in more concentrated industries relative to those of their suppliers are better able to retain the benefits from their IT investments. We model customer-driven effects based on production theory and empirically test the model using two industry-level data sets covering different and overlapping time periods (1987–1999 and 1998–2005), different scopes of the economy (manufacturing only versus all industries), and different levels of industry aggregation. We find that, given an increase in a downstream industry's IT capital, there is a significant increase in downstream industry output as well as significant increases in upstream industry output. Moreover, the magnitude of IT spillovers is related to relative industry concentration: A 1% decrease in a customer's relative industry concentration increases spillovers by roughly 1%. Thus, further increases in IT capital can be justified along the supply chain, and an industry's relative concentration—which can reflect market power—in part determines the distribution of productivity benefits.
Research Note—Codiffusion of Wireless Voice and Data Services: An Empirical Analysis of the Japanese Mobile Telecommunications Market
Authors: Niculescu Marius F. , Whang Seungjin
Published: April 2011

Wireless telecommunications have become over time a ubiquitous tool that not only sustains our increasing need for flexibility and efficiency, but also provides new ways to access and experience both utilitarian and hedonic information goods and services. This paper explores the parallel market evolution of the two main categories of wireless services—voice and data—in leading technology markets, inspecting the differences and complex interactions between the associated adoption processes. We propose a model that addresses specific individual characteristics of these two services and the stand-alone/add-on relationship between them. In particular, we acknowledge the distinction between the nonoverlapping classes of basic consumers, who only subscribe to voice plans, and sophisticated consumers, who adopt both services. We also account for the fact that, unlike voice services, data services rapidly evolved over time due to factors such as interface improvement, gradual technological advances in data transmission speed and security, and the increase in volume and diversity of the content and services ported to mobile Internet. Moreover, we consider the time gap between the market introduction of these services and allow for different corresponding consumer learning curves. We test our model on the Japanese wireless market. The empirical analysis reveals several interesting results. In addition to an expected one-way effect of voice on data adoption at the market potential level, we do find two-way codiffusion effects at the speed of adoption level. We also observe that basic consumers impact the adoption of wireless voice services in a stronger way compared to sophisticated consumers. This, in turn, leads to a decreasing average marginal network effect of voice subscribers on the adoption of wireless voice services. Furthermore, we find that the willingness of voice consumers to consider adopting data services is positively related to both time and penetration of 3G-capable handsets among voice subscribers.
Cooperative Cashing? An Economic Analysis of Document Duplication in Cooperative Web Caching
Authors: Hosanagar Kartik , Tan Yong
Published: April 2011

Cooperative caching is a popular mechanism to allow an array of distributed caches to cooperate and serve each others' Web requests. Controlling duplication of documents across cooperating caches is a challenging problem faced by cache managers. In this paper, we study the economics of document duplication in strategic and nonstrategic settings. We have three primary findings. First, we find that the optimum level of duplication at a cache is nondecreasing in intercache latency, cache size, and extent of request locality. Second, in situations in which cache peering spans organizations, we find that the interaction between caches is a game of strategic substitutes wherein a cache employs lesser resources towards eliminating duplicate documents when the other caches employs more resources towards eliminating duplicate documents at that cache. Thus, a significant challenge will be to simultaneously induce multiple caches to contribute more resources towards reducing duplicate documents in the system. Finally, centralized decision making, which as expected provides improvements in average latency over a decentralized setup, can entail highly asymmetric duplication levels at the caches. This in turn can benefit one set of users at the expense of the other, and thus will be challenging to implement.
Optimal Software Free Trial Strategy: The Impact of Network Externalities and Consumer Uncertainty
Authors: Cheng Hsing Kenneth , Liu Yipeng
Published: April 2011

Many software firms offer a fully functional version of their products free of charge, for a limited trial period, to ease consumers' uncertainty about the functionalities of their products and to help the diffusion of their new software. This paper examines the trade-off between the effects of reduced uncertainty and demand cannibalization, uncovers the condition under which software firms should introduce the time-locked free trial software, and finds the optimal free trial time. As software firms have the option of providing free trial software with full functionalities but a limited trial time or limited functionalities for an unlimited trial time, we develop a unified framework to provide useful guidelines for deciding which free trial strategy is preferred in the presence of network externalities and consumer uncertainty.
An Analysis of the Adoption of Digital Health Records Under Switching Costs
Authors: Ozdemir Zafer , Barron Jack , Bandyopadhyay Subhajyoti
Published: April 2011

We investigate the incentive issues that surround the adoption and sharing of electronic health records (EHR) and the potential role of a personal health record (PHR) platform in facilitating data sharing. Through our analysis, we find evidence that health-care providers may not have an incentive to share patients' records electronically even though EHR systems will increase consumer surplus, especially in the presence of provider heterogeneity and myopic consumers. In this context, we find that an independent PHR platform can create incentives for the providers to share their patients' records electronically with other providers by selectively subsidizing them. In a pluralistic health-care system like that in the United States, where health-care providers have varying incentives to implement electronic health records, an online PHR platform can provide a proxy for a “national health information network,”' wherein consumers can freely exchange their health records among competing providers.
The Impact of Automation of Systems on Medical Errors: Evidence from Field Research
Authors: Aron Ravi , Dutta Shantanu , Janakiraman Ramkumar , Pathak Praveen A.
Published: April 2011

We use panel data from multiple wards from two hospitals spanning a three-year period to investigate the impact of automation of the core error prevention functions in hospitals on medical error rates. Although there are studies based on anecdotal evidence and self-reported data on how automation impacts medical errors, no systematic studies exist that are based on actual error rates from hospitals. Further, there is no systematic evidence on how incremental automation over time and across multiple wards impacts the rate of medical errors. The primary objective of our study is to fill this gap in the literature by empirically examining how the automation of core error prevention functions affects two types of medical errors. We draw on the medical informatics literature and principal-agency theory and use a unique panel data set of actual documented medical errors from two major hospitals to analyze the interplay between automation and medical errors. We hypothesize that the automation of the sensing function (recording and observing agent actions) will have the greatest impact on reducing error rates. We show that there are significant complementarities between quality management training imparted to hospital staff and the automation of control systems in reducing interpretative medical errors. We also offer insights to practitioners and theoreticians alike on how the automation of error prevention functions can be combined with training in quality management to yield better outcomes. Our results suggest an optimal implementation path for the automation of error prevention functions in hospitals.
Research Commentary—Moving Beyond the Single Site Implementation Study: How (and Why) We Should Study the Biography of Packaged Enterprise Solutions
Authors: Williams Robin , Pollock Neil
Published: April 2011

The single site implementation study is an invaluable tool for studying the large-scale enterprise solution. Together with constructivist frameworks and ethnographic approaches it has allowed the development of rich local pictures of the immediate and adaptive response by user organizations to the take-up of what are, today, often generic packaged systems. However, to view the packaged enterprise solution principally at the place where the user encounters it also has limitations. It produces somewhat partial understandings of these complex artifacts. In particular, it downplays important influences from other sites and time frames. This paper argues that if we are to understand the full implications of enterprise solutions for organizations then we should study their “biography.” This idea points to how the career of workplace technology is often played out over multiple time frames and settings. To understand its shaping therefore requires scholars to go beyond the study of technology at a single locale or moment and, rather, attempt to follow it through space and time. The paper develops two ideas to aid this kind of study. We discuss better spatial metaphors that might help us explore the hybrid and extended spaces in which packaged software systems develop and evolve. We also review improved temporal understandings that may capture the multiple contemporary and historical time frames at play. The paper concludes by discussing some possible research directions that a focus on the biography of a technology might allow.
Rape Treatment: An Overview of Current Knowledge
Authors: Thakker Jo , Gannon Theresa A.
Published: April 2011

Sexual offending is frequently seen by the lay person as being a result of an innate abnormality that is relatively fixed and unchangeable. Accordingly, sexual offenders are seen as more likely to recidivate than other types of offenders. In fact, this is not the case, and most sexual offenders do not re-offend. Also, contemporary research has shown that treatment programs driven by cognitive behaviour therapy significantly reduce rates of sexual offender recidivism. Nevertheless, while there has been a great deal of research on the treatment of child sexual offenders, the treatment of rapists has received comparatively less attention. Thus, the main aim of this article is to summarise current knowledge of sexual offender treatment, paying specific attention to the needs of rapists. In particular, we pay attention to the content of sexual offender treatment programs, and the relevance of this content to rape. We also discuss therapeutic issues of relevance for rapist treatment that are typically ignored or underestimated in the research literature. Finally, based upon our analysis of the literature, we present a schematic overview of rape treatment and identify important areas for further research.
Cytochromes P450: Roles in the Biotransformation of Chemicals in Cigarette Smoke and Impact of Smoking Cessation on Concurrent Drug Therapy
Authors: Murray Michael
Published: April 2011

Cigarette smoke contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that activate the expression of cytochrome P450 family 1 (CYP1) enzymes in liver and other tissues; this process is dependent on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) transcription factor. An important CYP1 enzyme, CYP1A2, has a critical role in the oxidation of drugs such as clozapine, olanzapine and theophylline; these drugs exhibit a high incidence of adverse effects that are linked to plasma concentrations. This article reviews the impact of smoking and smoking cessation on therapy with toxic drugs that undergo CYP-mediated elimination. PAHs in cigarette smoke activate the AhR and upregulate CYP1A2, which enhances the clearance of these drugs, diminishes their efficacy and necessitates the use of higher doses. However, smoking cessation decreases PAH exposure, which leads to a decline in clearance of CYP1A2 substrate drugs. Dose reductions and close therapeutic monitoring for such drugs are recommended in patients who cease smoking.
Smoking Cessation Online Service (SCOS) in Thailand: A Pilot Study
Authors: Chaikoolvatana Anun , Vathesathogkit Kronggit , Chanakit Teeraporn
Published: April 2011

The purpose of the study was to develop a smoking cessation online service (SCOS) for cigarette smokers. The SCOS website was developed via Flash Professional® program version 9.0 with software that included Mozilla™, Java®, and Windows™. Twenty-five volunteers accessed SCOS. Five trained hospital pharmacists were responsible for the online counselling service. Most volunteers were males with a history of smoking of at least ten years, were aged between 21 to 30 years, and were in the low income bracket. Twenty-five per cent of the volunteers stated that they were ready to quit smoking. The most common method of smoking cessation was to give up smoking at once (48%). Results showed that attitudes towards smoking perceptions were positively high with a mean score of 28.52 out of 30. Volunteers also stated they thought SCOS was interesting and useful. They liked the functions of the program as well as its benefits. Recommendations included the extension of the study into different areas, the continuation of SCOS as an alternative for quitting smoking and the evaluation of the effectiveness of SCOS alongside current methods of smoking cessation, such as face-to-face counselling, home visits and phone calls.
Cutting Down One Puff at a Time: The Acute Effects of Exercise on Smoking Behaviour
Authors: Faulkner Guy E. , Arbour-Nicitopoulos Kelly P. , Hsin Agnes
Published: April 2011

Research consistently demonstrates that a bout of moderate exercise alleviates cravings to smoke among abstaining smokers. This pilot study examined the effects of an acute bout of brisk walking on cigarette cravings and smoking topography. Using a within-subject, crossover design, two 10-minute treatment sessions were conducted on separate days by 19 participants(Mage = 24.6 years): passive (i.e., sitting) and brisk walking conditions. Participants rated cravings at baseline, midcondition, and at 0-, 10-, and 20-minutes postcondition and objective measures of smoking topography (puff count, puff duration, puff volume, interpuff interval [IPI], time to first puff [TTFP]) were obtained with the first cigarette smoked postcondition. A 2 (condition) × 4 (time) ANCOVA indicated lower desire to smoke (p< .05) during the walking condition than the passive condition. After the brisk walking condition, a series of ANOVAs demonstrated a significantly increased delay to first puff in comparison to the passive condition. Posthoc analyses (controlling for abstinence period) indicated significant lower puff volume and a trend for shorter puff duration following brisk walking in comparison to the passive sitting condition. A greater reduction in cravings was associated with a longer delay to first puff. In addition to reducing cravings, these results suggest that a bout of brisk walking may also change an individual's smoking behaviour.
Predictors of Successful Smoking Cessation in a Family Practice-Based Cardiovascular Risk Factor Intervention Program: ‘Real-World’ Experience From the Heartwatch Program
Authors: McGorrian Catherine , Lonergan Moira , Kelleher Cecily , Daly Leslie , Fitzpatrick Patricia
Published: April 2011

Heartwatch is an Irish primary care-delivered secondary prevention program for patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to describe the patterns of smoking cessation in Heartwatch and examine the associates of successful smoking cessation. Participants with established CAD were invited to baseline and three-monthly clinic visits. Data on all persons reporting tobacco use at baseline were examined. Associations between smoking cessation and baseline factors were examined using logistic regression models. Data were available on 1,679 Heartwatch patients who were smoking at first visit. One third of smokers (581 participants: 34.6%) achieved smoking cessation during the study period (2003 to 2007), 80.4% of whom remained nonsmokers at end of follow-up. Positive associates of successful smoking cessation included increasing age, male sex, a body mass index > 25 and increasing number of study visits. Negative associates included having a means-tested general medical services allocation, being unemployed, and documentation of stop-smoking advice. All factors except employment status retained statistical significance when examined in a multivariable model. In conclusion, high levels of smoking cessation were achieved in this secondary prevention population of persistent smokers. Associates of successful smoking cessation were identified. Specific stop-smoking strategies should be considered for those subpopulations less likely to quit.
State Smoking Cessation Quitlines and Smokers With Mental Illness
Authors: Rogers Erin , Sherman Scott E.
Published: April 2011

Objective:State smoking cessation telephone quitlines have become an integral part of the U.S. public health strategy for helping smokers quit. It is unclear whether these quitlines meet the needs of smokers with a mental illness, who have unique challenges during the quitting process and may benefit from more intensive treatment compared to smokers without mental illness. We conducted a needs assessment survey of U.S. state quitlines (N= 51 including Washington DC) to learn how they work with mentally ill callers.Methods:Quitline representatives were asked whether they have, or perform, six services chosen to represent basic elements of treatment access, process and structure for mentally ill smokers.Findings:We had a 96% response rate to our survey. All surveyed quitlines accept calls from mentally ill smokers, and all either train their counsellors in mental health or their counsellors have past mental health training. In addition, all quitlines encourage mentally ill callers to discuss quitting with their regular healthcare providers for safety reasons. However, only eight surveyed quitlines (16%) screen callers for mental illness, few (18%) use specific counselling protocols for mentally ill callers, and even fewer (6%) have self-help materials tailored for the mentally ill.Conclusions:Future studies are needed to analyse these variations in state quitline operations to identify the most effective approaches to providing telephone-based treatment for smokers with mental illness.
Identifying Barriers to Entering Smoking Cessation Treatment Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Smokers
Authors: Copeland Amy L. , Businelle Michael S. , Stewart Diana W. , Patterson Scott M. , Rash Carla J. , Carney Colleen E.
Published: April 2011

Background:Efficacious smoking cessation interventions exist, yet few smokers utilise available resources such as psychosocial treatment programs and pharmacotherapy. The goals of the present study were to (1) identify perceived barriers to entering smoking cessation treatment programs among socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers, who are presently underrepresented in smoking cessation interventions; (2) determine what variables are most important in predicting the barriers identified (i.e., age, gender, ethnicity, income, nicotine dependence level, smoking rate, years smoking, stage of change, presence of smoking-related illness and medical insurance status).Methods:Responses from socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers (N= 343) were collected in 2004–2005 and analysed to develop the Treatment Barriers Questionnaire, a 40-item measure of reasons for not entering smoking cessation programs. Study methods were approved by the Institutional Review Board of Louisiana State University; informed consent procedures were employed.Results:Principal components analysis yielded seven scales named for their theme: (1) Preparedness to Quit Smoking; (2) Work and Time Constraints; (3) Smokers Can or Should Quit on Own; (4) Opinions about Professional Assistance; (5) Mobility Limitations; (6) Insurance Limitations and (7) Misinformation about Professional Assistance. Gender, ethnicity, daily smoking rate, nicotine dependence and stage of change were significant predictors in regression analyses for scales 1,F(10, 201) = 7.83,p< .001,R2= .29, 2F(10, 201) = 2.30,p< .05,R2= .11, and 3,F(10, 201) = 3.58,p< .001,R2= .16. Conclusions: Results can inform efforts to facilitate entry and retention of smokers in cessation programs.
Culture and Psychopathology: Foundations, Issues, Directions
Authors: Marsella Anthony J. , Yamada Ann Marie
Published: April 2011

The present article offers an overview of the historical influences, conceptual assumptions, and major findings and issues associated with the study of culture and psychopathology. The article traces continuing reductionistic resistance to the incorporation of cultural considerations in the etiology, expression, and treatment of psychopathology to historical and contemporary forces. These forces include ‘cultural context’ of Western psychiatry and psychology, which choose to locate the determinants of behaviour in the human mind and brain. A definition of culture that acknowledges its internal and external representations is offered, and steps in the cultural construction of reality are proposed. Within this context, the risks of imposing Western cultural views universally are noted, especially attempts to homogenise classification and diagnostic systems across cultures. ‘Culture-bound’ disorders are used as example of Western bias via the assumption that they have ‘real’ disorders, while the other cultures have disorders that are shaped by culture. Cultural considerations in understanding the rate, etiology, and expression are presented, including recommended criteria for conducting epidemiological studies across cultural boundaries, especially ‘schizophrenic’ disorders as this problematic diagnostic category is subject to multiple cultural variations. The article closes with discussions of ‘cultural competence’ and ‘multilevel’ approaches to behaviour.
Black African Immigrants to Australia: Prejudice and the Function of Attitudes
Authors: Khan Safiyya , Pedersen Anne
Published: April 2011

In recent years there has been an increase in Black African immigrants to Australia; however, there is no social psychological research that directly examines community attitudes towards this group. Here, the findings of a community survey in Western Australia are reported using data collected from 184 Australian participants. We were particularly interested in prejudiced attitudes and the function of attitudes towards Black African immigrants. On prejudice, a reliable and valid instrument measuring attitudes towards Black African immigrants was constructed. On functions, the most frequently reported function of attitude was ‘value-expressive’ (‘My attitudes give expression to my values’), followed by experiential-schematic (‘Helps me to make sense of the world’) and indirect experiential-schematic (‘Media, friends and family help me to make sense of the world’). While there was no significant difference between immigrant-accepting versus immigrant-rejecting participants on the value expressive or the experiential schematic functions, rejecting participants scored higher on the indirect experiential schematic function, highlighting the salience of second-hand information. The participants' most important reason for potentially changing their own attitudes towards Black African immigrants, however, were direct experience (experiential-schematic), followed by values (value expressive) and indirect experience (indirect experiential-schematic), two functions that were equally important. Qualitative open-ended interviews about attitudes converged with these themes, and added ‘integration’ by assimilating Australian culture, and not being involved in criminal activities (which highlights again a role for the media). We discuss these findings and derive a clear direction for anti-prejudice strategies at community and government levels.
Individualism/Collectivism and Academic Self-Enhancement in New Zealand Māori University Students
Authors: Tassell Natasha A. , Flett Ross A. , Gavala Jhanitra R.
Published: April 2011

The present study had several aims: to examine horizontal/vertical individualism/collectivism in a New Zealand Māori sample; to determine whether these cultural orientations contribute to academic self-enhancement; and to investigate if self-enhancement affects intentions to continue studies in higher education. A quantitative questionnaire was distributed to a nonprobability convenience sample of 71 Māori university students. All participants had either studied within the past year or were currently studying, and were recipients of a Māori-specific bursary for higher education studies. Results revealed the sample scored high on measures of horizontal collectivism and academic self-enhancement. ANOVAs showed some significant differences between our sample and other cultural samples on some of the cultural orientations. A series of standard multiple regressions revealed that combined, the cultural orientations predicted academic self-enhancement, although only horizontal collectivism made a significant negative contribution. Academic intentions were not predicted by self-enhancement. The findings have implications for policy development and educational strategies oriented toward enhancing the academic success of Māori in higher education.
Culture Shock: Literature Review, Personal Statement and Relevance for the South Pacific
Authors: Furnham Adrian
Published: April 2011

This article considers the popular concept of culture shock from three perspectives. The first is from the academic perspective, considering how researchers from different disciplines (anthropology, education, psychiatry, psychology, sociology) attempted to operationalise the concept and understand the process behind it. It represents 50 years of research using different methodologies and trying to answer different questions about the experience of travel for many reasons. This section of the article also considers issues concerned with the ‘overseas’ student; of which there are ever more travelling abroad to study. They can have serious culture shock difficulties. This is followed by a short section on migration in the South Pacific and the consequences for large and small countries, particularly that of sojourning, migration and refugees. The final section is a personal statement and reflection on culture shock and how I came to write two books and around a dozen papers on the topic.
Intercultural Relations and Acculturation in the Pacific Region
Authors: Berry John W.
Published: April 2011

The Pacific region is one of the most culturally diverse areas of the world; societies within this region are also culturally diverse. For both these reasons, intercultural relations and acculturation phenomena are at the forefront of psychological interests there. This paper first situates these phenomena in their ecological and cultural contexts, in which human diversity and individual behaviour can be examined and understood as adaptations to these contexts. Then the notion of differentiation in psychological and sociocultural phenomena is discussed, linking them to the concept of social capital. The processes involved in acculturation and intercultural relations are then described, and linked to the concept of differentiation. The argument is presented (with an empirical example from research with immigrant youth) that the more differentiated are a person's psychological life, as well as their social and cultural engagements, then the better adapted they are to living interculturally. Suggestions for policy and programme development and implementation are made: these include advancing the multicultural way of living together, and of accepting the need for mutual accommodation.
Zygosity Assessment by Self-Report; Research Reports; Human Interest
Authors: Segal Nancy L.
Published: April 2011

The research implications and personal perspectives associated with twins' and families' self-reports of zygosity are reviewed. This is followed by summaries of recent research reports including a possible first case of the freemartin effect in humans, twin-singleton comparisons of mental health in Japanese students and mechanisms associated with ART-induced monozygotic twinning. A look at twin stories in the media includes the extraordinary revival of an infant male twin, the career decision of a pair of MZ twin basketball players and the loss of a five-year-old triplet.
Variance Components Models for Physical Activity With Age as Modifier: A Comparative Twin Study in Seven Countries
Authors: Vink Jacqueline M. , Boomsma Dorret I. , Medland Sarah E. , de Moor Marleen H. M. , Stubbe Janine H. , Cornes Belinda K. , Martin Nicholas G. , Skytthea Axel , Kyvik Kirsten O. , Rose Richard J. , Kujala Urho M. , Kaprio Jaakko , Harris Jennifer R. , Pedersen Nancy L. , Cherkas Lynn , Spector Tim D. , de Geus Eco J. C.
Published: April 2011

Physical activity is influenced by genetic factors whose expression may change with age. We employed an extension to the classical twin model that allows a modifier variable, age, to interact with the effects of the latent genetic and environmental factors. The model was applied to self-reported data from twins aged 19 to 50 from seven countries that collaborated in the GenomEUtwin project: Australia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom. Results confirmed the importance of genetic influences on physical activity in all countries and showed an age-related decrease in heritability for 4 countries. In the other three countries age did not interact with heritability but those samples were smaller or had a more restricted age range. Effects of shared environment were absent, except in older Swedish participants. The study confirms the importance of taking age effects into account when exploring the genetic and environmental contribution to physical activity. It also suggests that the power of genome-wide association studies to identify the genetic variants contributing to physical activity may be larger in young adult cohorts.