bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weaning Off Prognosis Factors of Home Parenteral Nutrition for Children With Primary Digestive Disease
Authors: Petit Laetitia‐Marie , Girard Delphine , Ganousse‐Mazeron Solene , Talbotec Cécile , Pigneur Benedicte , Elie Caroline , Corriol Odile , Poisson Catherine , Goulet Olivier , Colomb Virginie
Published: September 2015

Objectives:

The aim of the present study was to describe the indications for home parenteral nutrition (HPN) in children with primary digestive diseases and to identify factors associated with weaning off.

Methods:

All the children initially discharged on HPN between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2009, for chronic intestinal failure (IF) were included. The associations between clinical factors and weaning off of HPN were assessed using a multivariable Cox regression model.

Results:

Among the 151 children (boys = 58%) included in this study, 98 (65%) presented with short bowel syndrome (SBS), 17 (11%) with digestive neuromuscular disorders, 14 (9%) with mucosal diseases, 13 (9%) with inflammatory bowel disease, and 9 (6%) with other primary digestive diseases. The probability of survival was ~100%. At the end of the follow‐up, the probability for weaning off of HPN was 0.73 (95% confidence interval 0.54–0.84) but varied according to the underlying cause of IF (for example, SBS and inflammatory bowel disease had a better prognosis). The median time until weaning off was 21 months (95% confidence interval 18–38 months). Unfavourable prognostic factors for weaning off of HPN included a bowel remnant of <40 cm, the presence of <50% of the colon, and daily lipid intakes >1.5 g · kg−1 · day−1. Underlying disease was also associated with weaning off.

Conclusions:

HPN is a safe therapeutic option for children with chronic IF requiring long‐term nutritional management. Prognostic factors for weaning off of HPN were identified, and they highlight the relevance of SBS anatomy and parenteral nutrition caloric intake. The outcome of children on HPN was primarily dependent on the underlying disease.
Fluidic origami with embedded pressure dependent multi-stability: a plant inspired innovation
Authors: Li Suyi , Wang K. W.
Published: September 2015

Inspired by the impulsive movements in plants, this research investigates the physics of a novelfluidic origamiconcept for its pressure-dependent multi-stability. In this innovation, fluid-filled tubular cells are synthesized by integrating different Miura-Orisheets into a three-dimensional topological system, where the internal pressures are strategically controlled similar to the motor cells in plants. Fluidic origami incorporates two crucial physiological features observed in nature: one is distributed, pressurized cellular organization, and the other is embedded multi-stability. For a single fluidic origami cell, two stable folding configurations can coexist due to the nonlinear relationships among folding, crease material deformation and internal volume change. When multiple origami cells are integrated, additional multi-stability characteristics could occur via the interactions between pressurized cells. Changes in the fluid pressure can tailor the existence and shapes of these stable folding configurations. As a result, fluidic origami can switch between being mono-stable, bistable and multi-stable with pressure control, and provide a rapid ‘snap-through’ type of shape change based on the similar principles as in plants. The outcomes of this research could lead to the development of new adaptive materials or structures, and provide insights for future plant physiology studies at the cellular level.
Tight knit under stress: colony resilience to the loss of tandem leaders during relocation in an Indian ant
Authors: Kolay Swetashree , Annagiri Sumana
Published: September 2015

The movement of colonies from one nest to another is a frequent event in the lives of many social insects and is important for their survival and propagation. This goal-oriented task is accomplished by means of tandem running in some ant species, such asDiacamma indicum. Tandem leaders are central to this process as they know the location of the new nest and lead colony members to it. Relocations involving targeted removal of leaders were compared with unmanipulated and random member removal relocations. Behavioural observations were integrated with network analysis to examine the differences in the pattern of task organization at the level of individuals and that of the colony. All colonies completed relocation successfully and leaders who substituted the removed tandem leaders conducted the task at a similar rate having redistributed the task in a less skewed manner. In terms of network structure, this resilience was due to significantly higher density and outcloseness indicating increased interaction between substitute leaders. By contrast, leader–follower interactions and random removal networks showed no discernible changes. Similar explorations of other goal-oriented tasks in other societies will possibly unveil new facets in the interplay between individuals that enable the group to respond effectively to stress.
Numerical study of mechanisms to minimize failure in a metal with soft backing under plane shock loading
Authors: Siva Prasad A. V. S. , Basu Sumit
Published: September 2015

In recent times, several experimental studies have reported improved ballistic penetration resistance and blast survivability of metallic structures to which an external coating of a soft elastomeric material has been applied. This work is aimed at understanding, through numerical simulations on a simple metal/elastomer flat plate geometry subjected to planar blast waves, the detailed mechanics of wave propagation, damage evolution and mitigation in a bilayer system. Void nucleation, growth and coalescence is assumed to be the damaging mechanism in the metal. A meshless technique based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics is used within the framework of large deformation elasto-viscoplasticity in the metal and nonlinear elasticity in the elastomer. We show that the thickness of the elastomer plays an important role in shielding void activity in the metal, by creating a sequence of closely spaced pulses that reflect from the interface and free surfaces to maintain non-tensile or weakly tensile states of stress. Moreover, a fictitious material that is capable of undergoing a transformation to a harder material under pressure is studied that proves to be an ideal candidate for damage mitigation.
Two-dimensional phonon hydrodynamics in narrow strips
Authors: Sellitto A. , Carlomagno I. , Jou D.
Published: September 2015

Heat flow along two-dimensional strips as a function of the Knudsen number is examined in two different versions of heat-transport equations with non-local terms, with or without heat slip flow. In both of them, a parabolic heat profile corresponding to the Poiseuille phonon flow may appear in some domains of temperature, or of the Knudsen number, in the transition from the Fourier regime to the ballistic one. The influence of the slip heat flow on such a transition is discussed.
Sex, long life and the evolutionary transition to cooperative breeding in birds
Authors: Downing Philip A. , Cornwallis Charlie K. , Griffin Ashleigh S.
Published: September 2015

Long life is a typical feature of individuals living in cooperative societies. One explanation is that group living lowers mortality, which selects for longer life. Alternatively, long life may make the evolution of cooperation more likely by ensuring a long breeding tenure, making helping behaviour and queuing for breeding positions worthwhile. The benefit of queuing will, however, depend on whether individuals gain indirect fitness benefits while helping, which is determined by female promiscuity. Where promiscuity is high and therefore the indirect fitness benefits of helping are low, cooperation can still be favoured by an even longer life span. We present the results of comparative analyses designed to test the likelihood of a causal relationship between longevity and cooperative breeding by reconstructing ancestral states of cooperative breeding across birds, and by examining the effect of female promiscuity on the relationship between these two traits. We found that long life makes the evolution of cooperation more likely and that promiscuous cooperative species are exceptionally long lived. These results make sense of promiscuity in cooperative breeders and clarify the importance of life-history traits in the evolution of cooperative breeding, illustrating that cooperation can evolve via the combination of indirect and direct fitness benefits.
Glucose modulatesDrosophilalongevity and immunity independent of the microbiota
Authors: Galenza Anthony , Hutchinson Jaclyn , Hazes Bart , Campbell Shelagh D. , Foley Edan
Published: September 2015

The acquisition of nutrients is essential for maintenance of metabolic processes in all organisms. Nutritional imbalance contributes to myriad metabolic disorders that include malnutrition, diabetes, and even cancer. Recently, the importance of macronutrient ratio of food has emerged as a critical factor to determine health outcomes. Here we show that individual modifications to a completely defined diet markedly impact multiple aspects of organism wellbeing inDrosophila melanogaster.Through a longitudinal survey of several diets we demonstrate that increased levels of dietary glucose significantly improve longevity and immunity in adultDrosophila.Our metagenomic studies, show that relative macronutrient levels not only influence the host, but also have a profound impact on microbiota composition. However, we found that elevated dietary glucose extended the lifespan of adult flies even when raised in a germ-free environment. Furthermore, when challenged with a chronic enteric infection, flies fed a diet with added glucose had increased survival times even in the absence of an intact microbiota. Thus, in contrast to known links between the microbiota and animal health, our findings uncover a novel microbiota-independent response to diet that impacts host wellbeing. As dietary responses are highly conserved in animals, we believe our results offer a general understanding of the association between glucose metabolism and animal health.
Glial and neuronal Semaphorin signaling instruct the development of a functional myotopic map forDrosophilawalking
Authors: Syed Durafshan Sakeena , Swetha BM , Reddy O. Venkateswara , Reichert Heinrich , K. VijayRaghavan
Published: September 2015

Motoneurons developmentally acquire appropriate cellular architectures that ensure connections with postsynaptic muscles and presynaptic neurons. InDrosophila,leg motoneurons are organized as a myotopic map, where their dendritic domains represent the muscle field. Here we investigate mechanisms underlying development of aspects of this myotopic map, required for walking. A behavioral screen identified roles for Semaphorins (Serna) and Plexins (Plex) in walking behavior. Deciphering this phenotype, we show that PlexA/Sema1a mediates motoneuron axon branching in ways that differ in the proximal femur and distal tibia, based on motoneuronal birth order. Importantly, we show a novel role for glia in positioning dendrites of specific motoneurons; PlexB/Sema2a is required for dendritic positioning of late-born motoneurons but not early-born motoneurons. These findings indicate that communication within motoneurons and between glia and motoneurons, mediated by the combined action of different Plexin/Semaphorin signaling systems, are required for the formation of a functional myotopic map.
Enhanced virome sequencing using targeted sequence capture
Authors: Wylie Todd N. , Wylie Kristine M. , Herter Brandi N. , Storch Gregory A.
Published: September 2015

Metagenomic shotgun sequencing (MSS) is an important tool for characterizing viral populations. It is culture independent, requires no a priori knowledge of the viruses in the sample, and may provide useful genomic information. However, MSS can lack sensitivity and may yield insufficient data for detailed analysis. We have created a targeted sequence capture panel, ViroCap, designed to enrich nucleic acid from DNA and RNA viruses from 34 families that infect vertebrate hosts. A computational approach condensed ∼1 billion bp of viral reference sequence into <200 million bp of unique, representative sequence suitable for targeted sequence capture. We compared the effectiveness of detecting viruses in standard MSS versus MSS following targeted sequence capture. First, we analyzed two sets of samples, one derived from samples submitted to a diagnostic virology laboratory and one derived from samples collected in a study of fever in children. We detected 14 and 18 viruses in the two sets, comprising 19 genera from 10 families, with dramatic enhancement of genome representation following capture enrichment. The median fold-increases in percentage viral reads post-capture were 674 and 296. Median breadth of coverage increased from 2.1% to 83.2% post-capture in the first set and from 2.0% to 75.6% in the second set. Next, we analyzed samples containing a set of diverse anellovirus sequences and demonstrated that ViroCap could be used to detect viral sequences with up to 58% variation from the references used to select capture probes. ViroCap substantially enhances MSS for a comprehensive set of viruses and has utility for research and clinical applications.
Fluorite-related one-dimensional units in natural bismuth oxysulfates: the crystal structures of Bi14O16(SO4)5and Bi30O33(SO4)9(AsO4)2
Authors: Pinto Daniela , Garavelli Anna , Bindi Luca
Published: September 2015

The crystal structures of two new natural Bi oxysulfates with the formula Bi14O16(SO4)5[labellednew phase I; monoclinic, space groupC2,a= 21.658 (4),b= 5.6648 (9),c= 15.092 (3) Å, β = 119.433 (11)° andZ= 2] and Bi30O33(SO4)9(AsO4)2[labellednew phase II; triclinic, space groupP1,a= 5.670 (3),b= 13.9408 (9),c= 22.7908 (18) Å, α = 80.903 (5), β = 82.854 (14), γ = 78.27 (2)° andZ= 1] from the high-temperature fumarole deposit of the La Fossa crater at Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy) are reported. The structures are built up by a combination of fluorite-related Bi—O units and isolated (SO4)2−tetrahedra (new phase I) or both (SO4)2−and (AsO4)3−tetrahedra (new phase II). Owing to the effect of stereoactive lone pairs of Bi3+, Bi—O units in both the structures can be suitably described in terms of oxo-centered OBi4tetrahedra. The structure of Bi14O16(SO4)5is based upon one-dimensional [O16Bi14]10+ribbons formed by six chains of edge-sharing OBi4tetrahedra extending along [010]. In the structure of Bi30O33(SO4)9(AsO4)2the same ribbon type coexists with another one-dimensional ribbon formed by seven chains of edge-sharing OBi4tetrahedra and with the composition [O17Bi16]14+. Ribbons of the same type are joined by (SO4)2−and (AsO4)3−tetrahedra along [010] – if a reduced triclinic unit-cell setting is considered – so forming two different (001) slabs which alternate to each other along [001] and are joined by additional (SO4)2−tetrahedra.New phase Irepresents the natural analogues of synthetic Bi14O16(SO4)5, but with an ordered structure model.
Structure of DnmZ, a nitrososynthase in the Streptomyces peucetius anthracycline biosynthetic pathway
Authors: Sartor Lauren , Ibarra Charmaine , Al-Mestarihi Ahmad , Bachmann Brian O. , Vey Jessica L.
Published: September 2015

The anthracyclines are a class of highly effective natural product chemotherapeutics and are used to treat a range of cancers, including leukemia. The toxicity of the anthracyclines has stimulated efforts to further diversify the scaffold of the natural product, which has led to renewed interest in the biosynthetic pathway responsible for the formation and modification of this family of molecules. DnmZ is an N-hydroxylating flavin monooxygenase (a nitrososynthase) that catalyzes the oxidation of the exocyclic amine of the sugar nucleotide dTDP-L-epi-vancosamine to its nitroso form. Its specific role in the anthracycline biosynthetic pathway involves the synthesis of the seven-carbon acetal moiety attached to C4 of L-daunosamine observed in the anthracycline baumycin. Here, X-ray crystallography was used to elucidate the three-dimensional structure of DnmZ. Two crystal structures of DnmZ were yielded: that of the enzyme alone, solved to 3.00 Å resolution, and that of the enzyme in complex with thymidine diphosphate, the nucleotide carrier portion of the substrate, solved to 2.74 Å resolution. These models add insights into the structural features involved in substrate specificity and conformational changes involved in thymidine diphosphate binding by the nitrososynthases.
Relationship of budget participation conflict and job performance of South Korean managers
Authors: Leach-López Maria A. , Stammerjohan William W. , Lee Eunsuh , Stammerjohan Claire Allison
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of budget participation conflict (BPC) on job performance and the mediating effect of job satisfaction and job tenure on this relationship in a South Korean setting. BPC is defined as the difference between a manager’s actual budget participation and the same manager’s preferred level of budget participation.

Design/methodology/approach

– Survey data, analyzed using path analysis, were used to measure the direct effect of BPC on performance, and the indirect effects between BPC and performance running through job satisfaction and job tenure.

Findings

– Findings suggest that BPC does not directly impact job performance. Overall, this study suggests that BPC has a negative impact on job satisfaction and that job satisfaction in turn can significantly influence job performance. The authors also find some marginal effect of job satisfaction on job tenure, implying that increasing satisfaction can marginally increase job tenure.

Research limitations/implications

– Limitations of this study are those usually found in cross-sectional survey research.

Originality/value

– Despite its limitations, this study has both academic and practical implications. The study adds to the job performance literature in an Asian country which has not been widely researched. The study also finds that managers’ job performance and job satisfaction can be improved by minimizing BPC. Future research should study other variables that influence job performance of South Korean managers.
Alcohol use among Bhutanese refugees in Nepal
Authors: Hewlett Montana , Merry Lisa , Mishra Anit , Islam Risatul , Wali Raz Mohammad , Gagnon Anita
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore factors associated with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, where there has been a mass third-country resettlement operation in place since 2007.

Design/methodology/approach

– A case-control study was conducted in which the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to confirm AUDs and participants’ eligibility for placement in a case or control group. A translated questionnaire measuring demographic variables and context of drinking was also administered.

Findings

– In total, 128 questionnaires were completed (32 cases, 96 controls). Compared to participants without AUDs, those with AUDs were more likely to be older (36-50 years) (OR=10.5, 95 per cent CI 2.17-50.81), (50+years) (OR=10.3, 95 per cent CI 2.02-52.71), illiterate (OR=7.3 (2.80-18.42)), use tobacco (smoking or chewing) (OR=4.3 (1.84-10.01)) and be male (OR=3.5 (1.35-8.67)). Reasons for excessive alcohol use included unemployment, unoccupied time and increased family tensions.

Originality/value

– The study is the first of which the authors are aware that attempts to examine risk factors associated with AUDs within the context of a mass resettlement operation where camp services are winding down. The findings of this study suggest that greater attention needs to be given toward creating meaningful activities for adult, less educated male migrants awaiting resettlement.
Dissecting sources of price momentum: evidence from India
Authors: Sehgal Sanjay , Jain Kanu
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Momentum is an unresolved puzzle for the financial economists. The purpose of this paper is to dissect the sources of momentum profits and investigate the possible role played by the macro-economic variables in explaining them.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data for 493 companies that form part of Bombay Stock Exchange 500 index in India is used for calculating 6-6 momentum profits. Profits from the strategy are regressed on Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and Fama-French (FF) model to see whether they can explain these profits. Guided by prior research, three methodologies are used to see the possible role played by macro-economic variables in explaining momentum payoffs.

Findings

– The empirical results show that momentum profits are persistent in the intermediate horizon. CAPM and FF three-factor model fail to explain these returns. Price momentum seems to be explained in one of the model by lagged macro-economic variables which lend an economic foundation to the Carhart factor. The “Winner minus Loser” factor explains about 37 percent of abnormal returns on the winner portfolio that are missed by the FF model. The unexplained momentum profits seem to be an outcome of investors’ over-reaction to past information. Hence, the sources of price momentum profits seem to be partially behavioral and partially rational.

Practical implications

– The failure of risk models in fully explaining the momentum profits may be good news for portfolio managers who are looking out for stock market arbitrage opportunities.

Originality/value

– This paper fulfills an identified need to study the sources behind price momentum profits in Indian context.
Relationship between quality management, innovation and competitiveness. Evidence from Greek companies
Authors: Kafetzopoulos Dimitrios , Gotzamani Katerina , Gkana Vasiliki
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which five core dimensions of quality management, as a single factor, are associated with product innovation and process innovation; and finally how these two affect a firm’s competitive advantage in the market.

Design/methodology/approach

– The analysis followed in order to investigate the relations between the constructs of the proposed model, includes an initial exploratory factor analysis (EFA), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and finally structural equation modelling (SEM)

Findings

– According to the study findings, quality management (QM) directly contributes to product and process innovation. Furthermore, product and process innovation have a direct impact on companies’ competitive advantage. Thus, the study proves that QM is an opportunity for a firm to improve its innovation and consequently its competitiveness.

Research limitations/implications

– This study relies on the perceptions of the respondents to operationalize the survey instrument. In addition, all variables are measured in the year that the survey was carried out. However, since the research exams the relationship between QM, technical innovation and competitive advantage across various organizations, it would be interesting to conduct a longitudinal study within these organizations.

Practical implications

– Our study offers clear implications for managers, proving that they should give higher emphasis on QM and innovation in order to prioritize their product, production and technology strategies, to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

Originality/value

– Based on the multi-dimensional structure of QM, this empirical study determines the contribution of QM to specific innovation performance and overall competitiveness of companies.
Impact of lean practices on performance measures in context to Indian machine tool industry
Authors: Sharma Vikram , Dixit Amit Rai , Qadri Mohammad Asim
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of lean production practices on performance measures in machine tool industry and determines the lean criteria that can have significant positive impact on performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research paper presents a blend of theoretical framework and practical applications. Extant literature was reviewed and to achieve the research objectives, an exploratory survey was carried out in machine tool supply chains located in the national capital region of India. Reliability test, factor analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis bring out several lean criteria that can affect key performance measures.

Findings

– It was found that two lean criteria, namely, strategic partnership with suppliers and cross-functional cross-organizational design and development teams significantly influenced most of the key performance measures. Some lean criteria were found to negatively affect the overall competitive potential of machine tool firms.

Originality/value

– The findings can encourage the management of non-adopter firms to adopt lean thinking and to select the lean production criteria that can be implemented to have significant positive impact on key performance indicators in machine tool value chains. This study is perhaps among the first few that focus on machine tool industry in India. The paper provides useful insights to the lean production implementers, consultants and researchers.
The role of relationship integration in supply chain agility and flexibility development
Authors: Fayezi Sajad , Zomorrodi Maryam
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the supply chain management literature by presenting the Australian practitioners’ perception of the role of relationship integration in developing supply chain agility and flexibility.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research takes semi-structured, indepth interviews with ten operations and supply chain practitioners in the Australian manufacturing sector. A systematic qualitative data analysis approach grounded on cross-interview synthesis was used.

Findings

– Findings contributed into understanding of the manufacturing companies’ implementation of relationship integration with respect to decision trade-offs involved in contract design. Moreover, the findings revealed the significant perceived importance and impact of relationship integration on supply chain agility and flexibility development. This was, however, found to be a function of things such as upstream or downstream focus and organisational size. These findings were expressed in terms of seven propositions.

Practical implications

– Analysis of the interviews substantiates the criticality of informed allocation of resources to relationship-intensive activities and investments across the supply chain to develop agility and flexibility. International businesses can gain insights into Australian manufacturing businesses’ perception of relationship integration, which can be invaluable for strategic planning to develop agile and flexible supply chains with their Australian partners.

Originality/value

– This paper takes an original approach to present operations and supply chain practitioners’ perception of manufacturing businesses’ use of relationship integration for supply chain agility and flexibility development.
Women as a stakeholder: a qualitative study in Turkey
Authors: Oruc Ilke
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to determine the efforts in the topic of women in the direction of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities as one of the stakeholders of the companies.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study is based on a survey of what has been written on the topic of women and CSR in Turkey. The data obtained, and the methodology used, come from Web sites belonging to the top 50 of Turkey’s 500 Big Industrial Organizations as determined by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO) and sustainability reports. The data obtained were assessed through content analysis; they were categorized by themes and sub-themes.

Findings

– In analyzing the research data, CSR activities involving women as external and internal stakeholders were classified as direct, indirect or both.

Research limitations/implications

– Because this study is qualitative in nature, the findings cannot be generalized. At the same time, as the enterprises in the state sector do not have CSR links, the results focus primarily on the private sector.

Practical implications

– The results indicate that there have been efforts in Turkey to consider women as stakeholders in CSR activities; however, these efforts are limited.

Social implications

– Women are a part of community and they are stakeholders to businesses. Businesses could support women with CSR activities.

Originality/value

– A study such as this one of the role of women as stakeholders in Turkish enterprises may contribute to understanding the role of women in Turkey today.
Does organizational learning lead to higher firm performance?
Authors: Zhou Wencang , Hu Huajing , Shi Xuli
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for studying organizational learning, firm innovation and firm financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper examines the effects of organizational learning on innovation and performance among 287 listed Chinese companies.

Findings

– The results indicate a positive association between organizational learning dimensions and firm performance (both objective financial performance and perceptual innovation measure).

Research limitations/implications

– The sample includes only firms for which secondary data are available. Different results might have been obtained if we include smaller, private firms into the sample. This paper only includes a limited number of measures of financial performance to assess the relationship between organization learning dimensions and firm performance. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further with different performance measures.

Practical implications

– The results showed that it is the combination of several learning characteristics and not a single dimension that influenced the variance of firm performance. The findings reinforce the notion that systemic interventions that address a variety and different combinations of learning organization characteristics will be more likely to be successful than interventions that solely focus on singular or a limited number of dimensions.

Originality/value

– The integration of objective measures of firms’ financial performance with perceptual survey data represents a unique methodology that has not been widely used in the organizational learning literature. The positive correlations between the eight learning dimensions and the measures of firms’ performance lend credence to the efficacy of the organizational learning concepts.
Organizational learning goes virtual?
Authors: Lau Kung Wong
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to deepen understanding of the use of stereoscopic 3D technology (stereo3D) in facilitating organizational learning. The emergence of advanced virtual technologies, in particular to the stereo3D virtual reality, has fundamentally changed the ways in which organizations train their employees. However, in academic or professional studies, there is hitherto, very limited research has been found in understanding the framework of distributed organizational learning in stereo3D virtual reality.

Design/methodology/approach

– The aim of this research is to investigate the employees’ learning achievement in both the conventional in-house training program and distributed organizational learning approach in a designed stereo3D virtual reality to deepen our understanding of this undiscovered framework. In all, 76 employees from local fashion and apparel organizations were recruited in this empirical study. The quasi-experimental method was adopted to compare the experimental and control groups. The criterion-referenced assessment scale was applied as a post-test to assess employees’ learning achievement in a customer service management training course. A tailor-made stereo3D virtual learning environment was established to conduct the virtual training program.

Findings

– Surprisingly, the results of this research found no significant difference in both the groups, which indicates that, nowadays, the two completely different learning formats have become similar in organizational learning practices.

Originality/value

– This research, therefore, suggests a new organizational learning framework with three components: a blended in-house training, a distributed enhancement program in stereo3D virtual reality and an organizational memory system.
Learning organisation review – a “good” theory perspective
Authors: Santa Mijalce
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to perform integrative literature review of the learning organisation (LO) concept, on the basis of the results of the literature review to assess the concept on the principles of “good” theory, and provide future avenues for LO concept clarification and development.

Design/methodology/approach

– The “good” theory properties approach is used to present, synthesise and discuss studies that focus on the LO. The paper reviews in more detail the definitions (Who? and What?), the domain (When? and Where?), the relationships (How? and Why?) and the predictions by the LO theory (Would? Should? and Could?).

Findings

– The review revealed that the LO violates the properties of the “good” theory, especially the definitions’ and relationships’ properties. As a result, it is suggested for the research in the future to be focused on creation of formal conceptual definitions, development of ontology as a base for clarification of the relationship property and improve the instruments for measurement of the LO.

Originality/value

– Previously published literature reviews have advanced the clarification of the LO concept. However, there remains a need for evaluation of the concept in light of approach to concept formation. By using the “good” theory approach, this paper identified the shortcomings and laid down the ground for future research that will improve the LO concept.
Research priorities in mental health occupational therapy: A study of clinician perspectives
Authors: Hitch Danielle , Lhuede Kate
Published: September 2015

Background/aim

The evidence to support mental health occupational therapy has proliferated in the early years of this century, but this growth has tended to be organic rather than targeted. Previous efforts to identify research priorities in this area of practice are either out dated, or encompass discrete areas of practice. The aim of this study was to identify priority areas for research in mental health occupational therapy from clinician's perspectives.

Methods

A Policy Delphi method was used to enable occupational therapists to define and differentiate their perspectives on research priorities. Forty‐two occupational therapists took part in the first two rounds of this method, with 69% (n = 29) going on to complete the third and final round of data collection. A Likert scale was used to rate the importance of each priority, and descriptive quantitative analysis undertaken to identify those most consistently identified as being highly important.

Results

Four research priorities were identified as being highly important in this study: (i) working in an occupationally focussed way; (ii) consumer experience of therapy groups; (iii) identifying factors which increase consumer engagement in occupation; and (iv) engaging patients on the inpatient unit in meaningful and positive occupation.

Conclusions

Two of the priority areas are already the subject of substantial evidence bases, but there has been far less research into consumer experiences of groups and occupational engagement in acute settings. Collaboration between research teams and greater consumer inclusion are recommended for the future.

Significance of the study

This study provides an updated indication of research priorities for mental health occupational therapy in Australia.
Brain sparing effect in growth‐restricted fetuses is associated with decreased cardiac acceleration and deceleration capacities: a case–control study
Authors: Stampalija T , Casati D , Monasta L , Sassi R , Rivolta MW , Muggiasca ML , Bauer A , Ferrazzi E
Published: September 2015

Objective

Phase rectified signal averaging (PRSA) is a new method of fetal heart rate variability (fHRV) analysis that quantifies the average acceleration (AC) and deceleration capacity (DC) of the heart. The aim of this study was to evaluate AC and DC of fHR [recorded by trans‐abdominal fetal electrocardiogram (ta‐fECG)] in relation to Doppler velocimetry characteristics of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

Design

Prospective case–control study.

Setting

Single third referral centre.

Population

IUGR (n = 66) between 25 and 40 gestational weeks and uncomplicated pregnancies (n = 79).

Methods

In IUGR the nearest ta‐fECG monitoring to delivery was used for PRSA analysis and Doppler velocimetry parameters obtained within 48 hours. AC and DC were computed at s = T = 9. The relation was evaluated between either AC or DC and Doppler velocimetry parameters adjusting for gestational age at monitoring, as well as the association between either AC or DC and IUGR with or without brain sparing.

Results

In IUGRs there was a significant association between either AC and DC and middle cerebral artery pulsatility index (PI; P = 0.01; P = 0.005), but the same was not true for uterine or umbilical artery PI (P > 0.05). Both IUGR fetuses with and without brain sparing had lower AC and DC than controls, but this association was stronger for IUGRs with brain sparing.

Conclusions

Our study observed for the first time that AC and DC at PRSA analysis are associated with middle cerebral artery PI, but not with uterine or umbilical artery PI, and that there is a significant decrease of AC and DC in association with brain sparing in IUGR fetuses from 25 weeks of gestation to term.

Tweetable abstract

Brain sparing in IUGR fetuses is associated with decreased acceleration and deceleration capacities of the heart.
Underemployment among Mature‐Age Workers in Australia
Authors: Li Jinjing , Duncan Alan , Miranti Riyana
Published: September 2015

Underemployment is a serious and pervasive problem both in terms of its impact on those individuals affected, and for the economy as a whole. Underemployment is associated with job insecurity, increased casualisation and lower savings, and from a macroeconomic standpoint, underemployment is a signal of inefficiency in the utilisation of skilled labour. This article explores the patterns of underemployment for mature‐age workers in Australia, a group for whom the prevalence of long spells of underemployment is especially marked. The research uses a 12‐year panel dataset to analyse factors that contribute to a heightened risk of underemployment. Significant path dependency is revealed, whereby previous periods of underemployment increase the propensity towards further underemployment in the current period. Interestingly, most demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, except for the presence of older dependent children and a non‐English‐speaking foreign‐born background for women, tend not to have any direct impact on the propensity for underemployment. These findings suggest the need for targeted interventions to triage these barriers aimed at highlighting the role of improved labour market attachment in promoting the well‐being and economic contribution of mature‐age workers.
A Tale of Two Tensions: Balancing Access to Credit and Credit Risk in Mortgage Underwriting
Authors: Courchane Marsha J. , Kiefer Leonard C. , Zorn Peter M.
Published: September 2015

Over the years 2000–2007, mortgage market underwriting conditions eased in response to public policy demands for increased homeownership. This easing of acceptable credit risk in order to accommodate increased access to credit, when coupled with the unanticipated house price declines during the Great Recession, resulted in substantial increases in delinquencies and foreclosures. The response to this mortgage market crisis led to myriad changes in the industry, including tightened underwriting standards and new market regulations. The result is a growing concern that credit standards are now too tight, restricting the recovery of the housing market.

Faced with this history, policy analysts, regulators and industry participants have been forced to consider how best to balance the tension inherent in managing mortgage credit risk without unduly restricting access to credit. Our research is unique in providing explicit consideration of this trade‐off in the context of mortgage underwriting.

Using recent mortgage market data, we explore whether modern automated underwriting systems (AUS) can be used to extend credit to borrowers responsibly, with a particular focus on target populations that include minorities and those with low and moderate incomes. We find that modern AUS do offer a potentially valuable tool for balancing the tensions of extending credit at acceptable risks, either by using scorecards that mix through‐the‐cycle and stress scorecard approaches or by adjusting the cutpoint—more relaxed cutpoints allow for higher levels of default while providing more access, tighter cutpoints accept fewer borrowers while allowing less credit risk.
Gallium‐68 PSMA uptake in adrenal adenoma
Authors: Law W Phillip , Fiumara Frank , Fong William , Miles Kenneth A
Published: September 2015

Gallium‐68 (Ga‐68) labelled prostate‐specific membrane antigen (PSMA) imaging by positron emission tomography (PET) has emerged as a promising tool for staging of prostate cancer and restaging of disease in recurrence or biochemical failure after definitive treatment of prostate cancer. Ga‐68 PSMA PET produces high target‐to‐background images of prostate cancer and its metastases which are reflective of the significant overexpression of PSMA in these cells and greatly facilitates tumour detection. However, relatively little is known about the PSMA expression of benign neoplasms and non‐prostate epithelial malignancies. This is a case report of PSMA uptake in an adrenal adenoma incidentally discovered on PET performed for restaging of biochemically suspected prostate cancer recurrence. With the increasing use of PSMA PET in the management of prostate cancer – and the not infrequent occurrence of adrenal adenomas – the appearance of low‐ to moderate‐grade PSMA uptake in adrenal adenomas should be one with which reporting clinicians are familiar.
Did the Mandatory Adoption of IFRS Affect the Earnings Quality of Canadian Firms?
Authors: Liu Guoping , Sun Jerry
Published: September 2015

This study examines whether the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) affected the earnings quality of Canadian public firms. We compare the pre‐IFRS versus the post‐IFRS earnings quality, as measured by discretionary accruals, performance‐matched discretionary accruals, small positive earnings, earnings persistence, and the earnings response coefficient. Using a sample of 274 firms, we find no significant difference in discretionary accruals, performance‐matched discretionary accruals, the likelihood of small positive earnings, and the earnings response coefficient between the pre‐ and post‐IFRS periods, despite the finding that firms have more persistent earnings in the post‐IFRS period than in the pre‐IFRS period. Overall, results from this study are mixed and suggest that there has been no significant change in earnings quality for public Canadian firms after the adoption of IFRS.
Earnings Quality: Evidence from Canadian Firms' Choice between IFRS and U.S. GAAP
Authors: Burnett Brian M. , Gordon Elizabeth A. , Jorgensen Bjorn N. , Linthicum Cheryl L.
Published: September 2015

For fiscal years starting on or after January 1, 2011, Canada abandoned Canadian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), but permitted firms cross‐listed in the United States to adopt U.S. GAAP instead. We document that the number of Canadian firms reporting under U.S. GAAP increased after Canada adopted IFRS. We find that cross‐listed firms are more likely to choose IFRS, if IFRS is the standard most commonly used by the leading global firms in their industry. In addition, we find that firms more likely to choose IFRS are larger, of civil law legal origin, have less U.S. operations, report exploration expense, have fewer U.S. shareholders, and report higher stockholders' equity under Canadian GAAP than under U.S. GAAP. Of these, we find that the convergence benefits of comparability with industry peers are the most significant determinant in firms' choice of standard. Further, we are unable to document changes in earnings quality from cross‐listed firms adopting IFRS or U.S. GAAP or that earnings quality changed for firms adopting IFRS relative to firms adopting U.S. GAAP.
Variation and Trends in Charges for Pediatric Care in Massachusetts Emergency Departments, 2000–2011
Authors: Monuteaux Michael C. , Bourgeois Florence T. , Mannix Rebekah , Samnaliev Mihail , Stack Anne M.
Published: September 2015

Objectives

Emergency department (ED) utilization by children is common and growing more expensive. Tracking trends and variability in ED charges is essential for policymakers who strive to improve the efficiency of the health care system and for payers who prepare health care budget forecasts. Our objective was to examine trends and variability in ED charges for pediatric patients across Massachusetts.

Methods

This was a comprehensive analysis of the statewide database containing all the visits of children aged 0 to 18 years evaluated in any of the state's EDs from 2000 to 2011, excluding patients with chronic medical conditions and those whose visits resulted in hospital admission. A validated system designed to specifically classify pediatric emergency patients into major diagnostic groups was used. Mean charges as well as interhospital variability of charges over time were examined for the most common diagnostic groups.

Results

Seventy‐six hospitals provided emergency care in Massachusetts during the study period, with 6,249,923 pediatric patients treated and discharged. Statewide charges significantly increased from 2000 until 2007/2008, before plateauing or decreasing through 2011. There was no evidence that interhospital variability changed over time. With the exception of academic teaching status, no hospital‐level factors emerged as consistent predictors of charges.

Conclusions

Charges for common pediatric emergency conditions varied widely across Massachusetts EDs, and hospital‐level factors by and large could not consistently explain the variability. Although a plateau (and in some cases decrease) of statewide pediatric emergency health care charges was observed after 2007, no evidence was found that interhospital variability decreased. These data may be useful in the ongoing effort to reform the economics of health care delivery systems.
Analgesia, nil or placebo to babies, in trials that test new analgesic treatments for procedural pain
Authors: Bellieni Carlo V. , Johnston C Celeste
Published: September 2015

This review assessed how often neonates in control groups experienced unnecessary pain during clinical trials involving procedural pain. We retrieved 45 studies in the 30 months up to June 2015 and found that in 29 (64%) the control babies received either placebos or no treatment. Placebos were used in 15/25 (60%) studies involving heel pricks and in 6/8 (75%) involving venepuncture.

Conclusion

Despite international guidelines, neonates included in control groups during painful procedures do not receive analgesia in the majority of cases. Several historical reasons can explain this, but in the light of present knowledge, this should not continue. Ethical committees are thereof invited since now to not permit clinical trials that do not explicitly rule out pain during treatments and journals are invited to not publish them.