bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
U.S. Compounding Pharmacy-Related Outbreaks, 2001–2013: Public Health and Patient Safety Lessons Learned
Authors: Shehab Nadine , Brown Megan N. , Kallen Alexander J. , Perz Joseph F.
Published: May 2015

Objectives

Pharmacy-compounded sterile preparations (P-CSPs) are frequently relied upon in U.S. health care but are increasingly being linked to outbreaks of infections. We provide an updated overview of outbreak burden and characteristics, identify drivers of P-CSP demand, and discuss public health and patient safety lessons learned to help inform prevention.

Methods

Outbreaks of infections linked to contaminated P-CSPs that occurred between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2013, were identified from internal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, Food and Drug Administration drug safety communications, and published literature.

Results

We identified 19 outbreaks linked to P-CSPs, resulting in at least 1000 cases, including deaths. Outbreaks were reported across two-thirds of states, with almost one-half (8/19) involving cases in more than 1 state. Almost one-half of outbreaks were linked to injectable steroids (5/19) and intraocular bevacizumab (3/19). Non–patient-specific compounding originating from nonsterile ingredients and repackaging of already sterile products were the most common practices associated with P-CSP contamination. Breaches in aseptic processing and deficiencies in sterilization procedures or in sterility/endotoxin testing were consistent findings. Hospital outsourcing, preference for variations of commercially available products, commercial drug shortages, and lower prices were drivers of P-CSP demand.

Conclusions

Recognized outbreaks linked to P-CSPs have been most commonly associated with non–patient-specific repackaging and nonsterile to sterile compounding and linked to lack of adherence to sterile compounding standards. Recently enhanced regulatory oversight of compounding may improve adherence to such standards. Additional measures to limit and control these outbreaks include vigilance when outsourcing P-CSPs, scrutiny of drivers for P-CSP demand, as well as early recognition and notification of possible outbreaks.
Adverse Events in Korean Traditional Medicine Hospitals: A Retrospective Medical Record Review
Authors: Hwang Jee-In , Kim Jinsung , Park Jae-Woo
Published: May 2015

Objectives

Traditional medicine has been used worldwide in recent decades. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of adverse events (AEs) in traditional medicine hospitals and investigate patient and health-care utilization factors associated with AE occurrence.

Methods

A 2-stage review of 1152 randomly sampled charts in 2 teaching Korean traditional medicine hospitals was conducted. Three physicians and a quality improvement specialist identified AE occurrence, severity, and preventability using the Global Trigger Tool (Appendix 1, Supplemental Digital Content, http://links.lww.com/JPS/A19). Two traditional Korean medicine professors validated the findings. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with AE occurrence.

Results

One hundred twenty-two admissions (10.6%) had at least one AE (7.39 events per 1000 patient days and 14.5 events per 100 admissions). Among 167 AEs, 73.7% were mild and 70.7% were judged preventable. Procedure-related AEs were most common. After considering other patient and health-care utilization characteristics, factors associated with AE occurrence were altered mental status on admission (OR, 3.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20–12.44), use of various traditional medicine therapies (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.32–2.15), length of stay (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01–1.03), and number of unique triggers (OR, 6.35; 95% CI, 4.54–8.89).

Conclusions

Approximately 11% of inpatients in traditional medicine hospitals experienced AEs. Because patients have a higher risk of AEs, special attention should be paid to those with altered mental status on admission, receiving various traditional medicine therapies, staying for a longer period, and having various positive triggers.
Acute Fracture Neck of Femur Among Inpatients: Severe Injuries Which Need to be Taken Seriously
Authors: Green Carl M. , Zeiton Moez , Foulkes Katherine , Barrie Jim
Published: May 2015

Objectives

This study assesses fall prevention measures and subsequent incident reporting of falls resulting in an “inpatient fracture neck of femur (FNOF)” within a single NHS Trust, with the aim of identifying potential areas of improvement and changing practice within a Trust.

Methods

Forty patients (mean age, 82.6 years) sustained an injury while being treated in hospital for an unrelated cause between January 2012 and June 2013. Case notes and incident reports were analyzed retrospectively.

Results

Thirty-three (82.5%) of 40 patients had at least 1 fall screen on admission, with 27 patients (81.8%) identified as a fall risk. Fifteen patients (37.5%) had at least one fall before sustaining a FNOF. Fifteen falls occurred between midnight—0500 hours and only 4 falls were witnessed. Thirty-nine of 40 falls were reported, but none were rated as “severe” injuries. Twenty-eight (71.8%) of 39 patients had a root cause analysis performed for the injury, but only 10 root cause analyses (25.6%) produced an action plan. Fifty percent of patients died within 1 year of injury.

Conclusion

Accurate fall risk assessments and adequate patient supervision are essential to minimize risks of falls, as the inpatient FNOF is linked to a higher mortality rate than patients injured in the community. A standardized method of analyzing such incidents and dissemination of the results of investigation are also required to reduce the risk of similar incidents from occurring within the hospital environment.
Structured Handover in General Surgery: An Audit of Current Practice
Authors: Jones Huw Geraint , Watt Bethany , Lewis Lauren , Chaku Shiban
Published: May 2015

Introduction

Verbal handover alone compromises patient safety, and supporting written documents significantly increases retention of information, with printed handover sheets being the best at avoiding data loss. The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) has produced guidelines on safe handover practice, in which a minimum dataset is recommended for inclusion when handing over patients to incoming surgical teams, and studies have indicated better adherence to these guidelines when preprinted handover proformas are used.

Methods

All surgical handover sessions were attended for a one-week period, and copies of handover sheets were taken. These were analyzed against RCS guidelines on the essential dataset for safe handover practice. A standardized handover sheet, developed in accordance with these guidelines and designed to encourage impartation of this minimum dataset, was then circulated among members of the surgical department and made readily available on wards. After a 6-week period, a postintervention audit was conducted using the same methods.

Results

Striking differences were seen in the quality of information handed over preintervention and postintervention. The documentation of patient location increased significantly (56%–87%, P < 0.0001; 95% CI, 0.460–0.151), as did the documentation of important outstanding clinical tasks (45%–89%, P = 0.004; 95% CI, 0.439–0.089). Documentation of blood results increased (P < 0.0001; 95% CI, 0.523–0.226), and the proportion of patients for whom the occurrence of a senior review was documented increased from 28% (18) to 85% (45) (P < 0.0001; 95% CI, 0.717–0.419)

Conclusions

The use of a structured, computer-generated handover proforma significantly improved compliance with RCS guidelines within the surgical department of our hospital, and we recommend its continued use among on-call surgical teams.
Simple graph models of information spread in finite populations
Authors: Voorhees Burton , Ryder Bergerud
Published: May 2015

We consider several classes of simple graphs as potential models for information diffusion in a structured population. These include biases cycles, dual circular flows, partial bipartite graphs and what we call ‘single-link’ graphs. In addition to fixation probabilities, we study structure parameters for these graphs, including eigenvalues of the Laplacian, conductances, communicability and expected hitting times. In several cases, values of these parameters are related, most strongly so for partial bipartite graphs. A measure of directional bias in cycles and circular flows arises from the non-zero eigenvalues of the antisymmetric part of the Laplacian and another measure is found for cycles as the value of the transition probability for which hitting times going in either direction of the cycle are equal. A generalization of circular flow graphs is used to illustrate the possibility of tuning edge weights to match pre-specified values for graph parameters; in particular, we show that generalizations of circular flows can be tuned to have fixation probabilities equal to the Moran probability for a complete graph by tuning vertex temperature profiles. Finally, single-link graphs are introduced as an example of a graph involving a bottleneck in the connection between two components and these are compared to the partial bipartite graphs.
Re-Annotator: Annotation Pipeline for Microarrays
Authors: Arloth Janine , Bader Daniel Magnus , Röh Simone , Altmann Andre
Published: May 2015

Background

Microarray technologies are established approaches for high throughput gene expression, methylation and genotyping analysis. An accurate mapping of the array probes is essential to generate reliable biological findings. Manufacturers typically provide incomplete and outdated annotation tables, which often rely on older genome and transcriptome versions differing substantially from up-to-date sequence databases.

Results

Here, we present the Re-Annotator, a re-annotation pipeline for microarrays. It is primarily designed for gene expression microarrays but can be adapted to other types of microarrays. The Re-Annotator is based on a custom-built mRNA reference, used to identify the positions of gene expression array probe sequences. A comparison of our re-annotation of the Human-HT12-v4 microarray to the manufacturer’s annotation led to over 25% differently interpreted probes.

Conclusions

A thorough re-annotation of probe information is crucial to any microarray analysis. The Re-Annotator pipeline consists of Perl and Shell scripts, freely available athttp://sourceforge.net/projects/reannotator. Re-annotation files for Illumina microarrays Human HT-12 v3/v4 and MouseRef-8 v2 are available as well.
A non-local model for cancer stem cells and the tumor growth paradox
Authors: Borsi I. , Fasano A. , Primicerio M. , Hillen T.
Published: May 2015

Thetumor growth paradoxrefers to the observation that incomplete treatment of cancers can enhance their growth. As shown here and elsewhere, the existence of cancer stem cells (CSC) can explain this effect. CSC are less sensitive to treatments, hence any stress applied to the tumor selects for CSC, thereby increasing the fitness of the tumor. In this paper we use a mathematical model to understand the role of CSC in the progression of cancer. Our model is a rather general system of integro-differential equations for tumor growth and tumor spread. Such a model has never been analysed, and we prove results on local and global existence of solutions, their uniqueness and their boundedness. We show numerically that this model exhibits the tumor growth paradox for all parameters tested. This effect becomes more relevant for small renewal rate of the CSC.
Characterizing and Prototyping Genetic Networks with Cell-Free Transcription-Translation Reactions
Authors: Takahashi Melissa K. , Hayes Clarmyra A. , Chappell James , Sun Zachary Z. , Murray Richard M. , Noireaux Vincent , Lucks Julius B.
Published: May 2015

A central goal of synthetic biology is to engineer cellular behavior by engineering synthetic gene networks for a variety of biotechnology and medical applications. The process of engineering gene networks often involves an iterative ‘design-build-test’ cycle, whereby the parts and connections that make up the network are built, characterized and varied until the desired network function is reached. Many advances have been made in the design and build portions of this cycle. However, the slow process ofin vivocharacterization of network function often limits the timescale of the testing step. Cell-free transcription-translation (TX-TL) systems offer a simple and fast alternative to performing these characterizations in cells. Here we provide an overview of a cell-free TX-TL system that utilizes the nativeEscherichia coliTX-TL machinery, thereby allowing a large repertoire of parts and networks to be characterized. As a way to demonstrate the utility of cell-free TX-TL, we illustrate the characterization of two genetic networks: an RNA transcriptional cascade and a protein regulated incoherent feed-forward loop. We also provide guidelines for designing TX-TL experiments to characterize new genetic networks. We end with a discussion of current and emerging applications of cell free systems.

Abbreviations

TX-TL

(transcription-translation),

I1-FFL

(incoherent feed-forward loop type 1)

GFP

(green fluorescent protein)
Structure of the RsbX phosphatase involved in the general stress response of Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Teh Aik-Hong , Makino Masatomo , Hoshino Takeshi , Baba Seiki , Shimizu Nobutaka , Yamamoto Masaki , Kumasaka Takashi
Published: May 2015

In the general stress response of Bacillus subtilis, which is governed by the sigma factor σB, stress signalling is relayed by a cascade of Rsb proteins that regulate σB activity. RsbX, a PPM II phosphatase, halts the response by dephosphorylating the stressosome composed of RsbR and RsbS. The crystal structure of RsbX reveals a reorganization of the catalytic centre, with the second Mn2+ ion uniquely coordinated by Gly47 O from the β4–α1 loop instead of a water molecule as in PPM I phosphatases. An extra helical turn of α1 tilts the loop towards the metal-binding site, and the β2–β3 loop swings outwards to accommodate this tilting. The residues critical for this defining feature of the PPM II phosphatases are highly conserved. Formation of the catalytic centre is metal-specific, as crystallization with Mg2+ ions resulted in a shift of the β4–α1 loop that led to loss of the second ion. RsbX also lacks the flap subdomain characteristic of PPM I phosphatases. On the basis of a stressosome model, the activity of RsbX towards RsbR-P and RsbS-P may be influenced by the different accessibilities of their phosphorylation sites.
Entrepreneurship and socioeconomic development
Authors: Edoho Felix Moses
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of public policies on engendering entrepreneurship and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) development in Nigeria. Gaps in policies and factors that impede entrepreneurship and MSME development are identified and proposals are offered to address the impediments.

Design/methodology/approach

– A thorough review of the mainstream literature on entrepreneurship and MSME development is undertaken. This constitutes the reference point for identifying and reviewing specific public policies formulated and programs designed to stimulate entrepreneurial activities and facilitate MSME development. Data were obtained from federal government agencies. This paper contends that for public policies to accomplish their designed objectives of engendering entrepreneurship and MSME development, strategic realignments of various policy dimensions and programs are imperative.

Findings

– Misalignments occur when existing public policies in other domains are in conflict with policies to promote entrepreneurship and MSME development. Policy misalignments negate the profit motive of entrepreneurship; stifle business innovation and expansion; and contribute to survivalist mode of entrepreneurship in the country. This thwarts the public policy goals of creating jobs and alleviating poverty.

Practical implications

– Government needs to streamline current regulatory requirements and revamp tax policies to encourage entrepreneurs and MSMEs. Improvements in infrastructure (road networks, highways, power supply, and telecommunications) will significantly reduce overhead costs for entrepreneurs and help MSMEs to grow.

Originality/value

– The paper demonstrates that without strategic realignments of public policies to ensure consistency and coherency in various dimensions, efforts to promote entrepreneurship and MSME development will not yield positive results. Existing public policies and programs need to be brought into tight realignment with policies and regulations in other domains to galvanize entrepreneurial efforts.
Determinants of SMEs growth and performance in Cameroon’s central and littoral provinces’ manufacturing and retail sectors
Authors: Akinboade Oludele Akinloye
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss growth and performance of small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Central and Littoral provinces of Cameroon’s manufacturing and retail sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

– A full survey of 700 randomly selected SMEs owner-managers was conducted though only 575 enterprises were retained for analysis after performing the coherence test. The survey was conducted in the central and littoral regions, the location of almost 70 per cent of the SMEs in Cameroon. The survey questionnaire administered consisted of about 50-60 questions covering the profile of the business owner, and business growth and performance. The full sample consists mainly of enterprises in the tertiary and secondary sectors. They were mostly retails and wholesales (supermarket, hardware shop, clothing shop, perfume shops and liquor store). Although, the secondary sector contributes 31 per cent of Cameroon's GDP and employs 15 per cent of the population, they are mostly large enterprises, with very few SMEs. Hence few businesses were interviewed in this sector.

Findings

– Business location affects turnover growth. The likelihood of negative growth or zero growth decreases with the age of enterprise. Increased levels of education result in improved turnover growth. There is no association of gender of with growth of business turnover. The burden imposed by municipal regulation and compliance with it negatively affects turnover growth. Time taken to be in compliance with tax regulations overall also negatively affects turnover growth.

Social implications

– Disseminating regulatory information to SMEs would be useful in order to improve compliance in general and newly formed enterprises located in the Littoral Province in particular. It is important to reduce regulatory burden on SMEs overall. Restrictive trade and business regulations in Africa tend to be largely devised through negotiated settlements with large corporates, and the onerous requirements tend to be inappropriate and out of reach for small, medium and micro firms. The business environment in the Littoral Province should be improved.

Originality/value

– Studies that examine econometric determinants of the growth of SMEs in Africa, and especially in Cameroon are few indeed. This is an area that is very crucial to examine and fully understand for policy development.
Theoretical study of fiber tension distributions at the twist point
Authors: Liu Xinjin , Su Xuzhong , Zhang Hong
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– Spinning triangle is a critical region in the spinning process of staple yarn, which geometry influences the distribution of fiber tension and determines the qualities of yarn directly. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the fiber tension distribution at the twist point.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, one theoretical model of fiber tension distributions at the twist point is given according to the motion law of fibers in the spinning triangle. Then, one calculation method of fiber tension at the twist point is given by two steps. First, the initial tension of each fiber at the front nip line caused by the yarn load should be calculated according to the models obtained based on the principle of minimum potential energy. Second, the fiber tensions at the twist point can be calculated using the obtained model in this paper. Finally, as an application of the proposed method, spinning triangles of a modified ring spinning system with a pair of offset device which can change the horizontal offset of the twist point to the symmetric axis of nip line of the spinning triangle continuously are studied. The fiber tension distributions are simulated numerically.

Findings

– It is shown that the fiber tension distributions at the twist point can be determined by fiber feeding into and out the spinning triangle speed, the initial tension of each fiber at the front nip line, fiber tensile Young’s modulus and cross-sectional area, the number of fibers at spinning triangle and the individual fiber angle with the center fiber. The spinning experiment shows that taking appropriate right or left offset of the spinning triangle can help to improve the spun yarn qualities.

Originality/value

– In this paper, the fiber tension distribution at the twist point is investigated. One theoretical model of fiber tension distributions at the twist point is given according to the motion law of fibers in the spinning triangle first. Then, one calculation method of fiber tension at the twist point has been given under the assumption that the initial tension of each fiber at the front nip line is caused by the yarn load.
Extraction of pectin from flax fiber by chemical means
Authors: Wang Lu , Liu Xiaolan , Zheng Xiqun , Tian Yinghua
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– Building the relationship between retting termination and pectin content remained in the fiber is crucial for ensuring the identity quality of retted flax. In order to measure the pectin content, pectin must be removed thoroughly from the fiber. The purpose of this paper is to find the most suitable method to extract pectin from flax phloem fiber.

Design/methodology/approach

– Methods of extracting pectin from fruits were employed to ensure the complete removal of pectin from flax for the first time, including extraction with ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, hydrochloric acid and ion exchange resin. Traditional ammonium oxalate-KOH method was adopted as control. Each procedure was optimized according to the yield of pectin. A characteristic chromogenic technique for determining the exact pectin amount was used, which ensured the precise measurement of pectin extracted.

Findings

– Results showed that comparing with the traditional ammonium oxalate-KOH method, methods of hydrochloric acid and ion exchange resin extract >95 percent (w/w) pectin and the extract conditions are much milder.

Originality/value

– Bulk of literatures have covered the problem of how to define the quality of retted flax. But the flax industry in China still uses sensory method to check the retting termination. Connect the fiber quality with pectin content is a brand new idea. Also, the exaction method employed from fruit pectin extract is applied in flax pectin for the first time. These methods are essential for building the relationship between the pectin content and retting termination and also significant for discovering the suitable enzyme for enzyme retting.
How golf players’ satisfaction from golf experience predicts their loyalty intentions? Mediating role of perceived value
Authors: Akinci Serkan , Kiymalioğlu Aslıhan , Atilgan Inana Eda
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to evaluate the perceptions and behavioral intentions of golf players by means of the relationship between customer satisfaction, perceived value and loyalty concepts.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data used in testing the hypothesis developed were gathered by face-to-face survey method from the golf players using four golf courses in Antalya, Turkey during the peak season (March, April, May, October). At the end of the data screening period, 351 usable questionnaires were gathered. The proposed model was estimated through a mediation analysis with parallel multiple mediator model.

Findings

– The roles of perceived value dimensions between satisfaction and loyalty were revealed within the context of the proposed model. Moreover, the relative importance of perceived value dimensions in the causal relationship between satisfaction and loyalty were determined.

Research limitations/implications

– The research was limited to a specific topic in service industry. The possible effect of several demographic factors, such as country-of-origin of the respondents, their experience levels, etc. has been overlooked. Future studies could measure the mediating role of perceived value between satisfaction and loyalty intention in different service settings and could obtain specific results for consumer segments with more homogenous subsamples. Further studies also would provide knowledge on the role of social value dimension, which could not be proved in the current research.

Practical implications

– The research underlines the relative importance of perceived value dimensions in affecting loyalty intentions. That will enable managers to focus on the effective dimensions in creating customer loyalty.

Originality/value

– The effects of satisfaction on loyalty have long been known, yet the function of value dimensions as mediators between satisfaction and loyalty intention in a service setting is the original contribution of the study.
The mediating effect of situation involvement of novelty seeking and satisfaction for Yanshuei Fireworks Festival in Taiwan
Authors: Cheng Tien-ming , Chang Shu-yun , Dai Zhong-Ping
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to probe into the effect of tourists’ novelty-seeking on situation involvement and satisfaction for the Yanshuei Fireworks Festival in Taiwan.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study investigated 302 tourists participating in the Fireworks Festival and constructed causal relations among variables by structural equation modeling.

Findings

– The results suggested that when tourists’ novelty-seeking in fireworks festival is stronger, their situation involvement in the activity will be immediately enhanced. When fireworks festival participants’ situation involvement is higher, their satisfaction is also higher. Situation involvement has a complete mediating effect between novelty-seeking and satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

– Because the fireworks festival only lasts for 48 hours, and the subjects must be tourists who have just experienced fireworks, it can only adopt convenience sampling instead of random sampling. However, to avoid homogeneity, in each group, this study only selected one person for the questionnaire survey.

Practical implications

– First, they should enhance the designed activities to create novelty; for instance, design the instruction and practice of the manufacturing of fireworks. By explanation, they enhance tourists’ learning about the display of fireworks and folk religion to satisfy participants with different degrees of novelty-seeking. Second, they can enhance the construction of situations for playfulness. For instance, upon the condition of security, the units can allow tourists to arrange fireworks independently or by group to have more fun. In addition, every year, they can display fireworks according to the Chinese Zodiac symbols to satisfy tourists’ desire of novelty-seeking and enhance their satisfaction.

Originality/value

– From the perspective of theoretical development, this study explores and validates the mediating effects of tourists’ situation involvement in festivals between novelty-seeking and satisfaction to fill the gap of previous research.
Determinants of homeownership affordability in Nigeria’s urban housing markets
Authors: Nwuba Chukwuma Christopher , Kalu Iche U. , Umeh John A.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate homeownership affordability in Nigeria’s urban housing market to establish the determinants of households’ affordability outcomes, and the nature of their impact.

Design/methodology/approach

– The cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of households selected through a stratified random technique across Kaduna State, the study area. The binary logistic regression was used to model the probability of homeownership affordability as a function of specified explanatory variables.

Findings

– Household income, savings, construction period and education are determinants of homeownership affordability with positive impact. Conversely, household size, cost of land, building cost inflation, current rental housing expenditures, non-housing expenditures and building cost relative to income are determinants of affordability with negative impact.

Practical implications

– The findings have the potential to provide a framework for formulation of policy measures to improve access to homeownership.

Social implications

– Delayed access to homeownership places pressure on the rented sector with the potential for rental housing affordability problems. It is a deferment of the actualisation of a strong aspiration which is detrimental to individual and family well-being and stability.

Originality/value

– The study extends the housing affordability debate to housing markets operating on informal financing where households build rather than buy their homes, an area hitherto not deeply explored. It provides empirical basis for problem-solving on housing affordability and can be a framework for housing policy reforms in Nigeria.
The influence of corporate social performance on employer attractiveness in the transport and logistics industry
Authors: Sohn Matthias , Sohn Werner , Klaas-Wissing Thorsten , Hirsch Bernhard
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– Job markets in the transport and logistics industry are characterized by a scarcity of well-educated junior talent. Employer attractiveness is becoming more important in order to win the most talented junior staff. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how corporate social performance (CSP) profiles of logistics companies influence their attractiveness for job seekers.

Design/methodology/approach

– In a computerized laboratory experiment, the authors provided 95 students in their final year with job offer data that include general and CSP information about the company, and the job seeker’s potential salary. The authors manipulated how the CSP information was presented and monitored the information accessed during job seekers’ decision-making processes. The authors investigated how information presentation affected choices.

Findings

– The vast majority of talent acquires CSP information in the pre-decision phase of the judgment, compares this information across companies, and trades off this information with the conditions of employment. The authors find that the ease of comparability of corporate social responsibility (CSR) information, expressed by meaningful indicators of CSP, increased preference for high CSP.

Research limitations/implications

– The study enriches existing studies of voluntary disclosure, which argue that voluntary disclosing sustainability-related information can be a tool of impression management.

Practical implications

– Companies with a compelling CSP should push for a broadly accepted methodology to benchmark CSP within industry-specific sectors, such as logistics services.

Social implications

– Potential employees demand that companies should consider their social impact on individuals and society as a whole. To remain attractive for employees companies in transport and logistics industry have to cope with a broader scope of expectations.

Originality/value

– The authors provide the first analysis on the relevance of CSP information for employer attractiveness in the transport and logistics industry. This research provides insights into the relevance of CSP criteria, information provision, and comparability processes from the perspective of young job seekers.
Belk’s (1988) “Possessions and the extended self” revisited
Authors: Ladik Daniel , Carrillat Francois , Tadajewski Mark
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to revisit Russell Belk’s (1988) landmark paper “Possessions and the extended self”. The authors provide a prehistory of related ideas and then examine the controversy it triggered regarding the different paradigms of research in marketing (Cohen, 1989) some 26 years ago.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper takes Belk seriously when he argues that his work is a synthesis and extension of prior studies leading to the novel production of the “extended self” concept. Via a close reading of the history of self-constitution, the authors highlight a number of thinkers who were grappling with similar issues now associated in our disciplinary consciousness to the idea of the “extended self”. To assess the contribution of Belk’s work, the authors engage in citation and interpretive analyses. The first analysis compared scholarly citations of Belk (1988) with the top ten most-cited Journal of Consumer Research (JCR) papers published in the same year. The second citation analysis compared Belk (1988) to the top ten most-cited JCR papers in the history of the journal. The authors follow this with an interpretive analysis of Belk’s contribution to consumer research via his 1988 paper.

Findings

– Belk (1988) had the most citations (N = 934) of any paper published in JCR in 1988. When compared to all papers published in the history of JCR, Belk (1988) leads with the most overall citations. Moreover, Belk (1988) is the most prominent interpretive paper that appeared in JCR and one of the top three, regardless of paradigm. The analysis illustrates diversity in topic and methodology, thus indicating that Belk’s contribution impacted a wide variety of scholars. Interpretive analysis indicates the importance of Belk’s work for subsequently impactful consumer researchers.

Originality/value

– The authors offer a prehistory of the “extended self” concept by highlighting literature that many consumer researchers will not have explored previously. With citations spanning over three decades, consumer behavior scholars recognize Belk (1988) as an important paper. Our analysis reveals that contrary to received wisdom, it is not only important for interpretive researchers or scholars within the consumer culture theory, but it is significant for the entire discipline, irrespective of paradigmatic orientation. The research presented here demonstrates that Belk’s (1988) paper is arguably one of the most influential papers ever published in JCR.
The contribution of the BQA method to the analysis of the work procedures violation
Authors: Mébarek Djebabra , Mohamed Mouda , Djamel Bellaala
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assist organizations in the professional risk prevention.

Design/methodology/approach

– It consists of a proposal for a BQA method of the work procedures analysis.

Findings

– In the suggested method, the authors use the principles of BQA and propose a new formulation of parameters of a work procedures simplification.

Practical implications

– The suggested method constitutes an invaluable help to implementation of the work permits system.

Originality/value

– The suggested method facilitates the process of working safety assessment providing substantial assistance to one of the most important stages that is to decide which particular indicators will be considered.
Business ethics in Canada, China and Taiwan
Authors: Xiao Huilin , Ma Zhenzhong
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore cross-cultural differences in perceived ethicality of negotiation strategies among China, Taiwan and Canada by examining five categories of strategies often used in business negotiations.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper uses a survey method to investigate a group of over 600 business students’ opinions on the ethicality of a variety of negotiation strategies often used during the bargaining process.

Findings

– The results show that the Chinese both from the mainland and from Taiwan consider it more appropriate to use ethically questionable negotiation strategies than Canadians. In addition, significant gender differences are found for Canadians, in that male Canadians are more likely to consider it appropriate to use ethically questionable strategies in all five categories than females, while no gender differences are found for mainland Chinese in all but one category, with a moderate level of gender differences found for the Taiwanese.

Practical implications

– The findings of this paper help explain why there are different understandings toward what is ethical and what is not in negotiations, which can be used to better equip practitioners to accurately label and understand negotiation strategies they may otherwise deem unethical. A better understanding of cross-cultural differences in business ethics can also help practitioners avoid the feelings of anger and mistrust toward their opponents and thus avoid using tactics that might incite more anger and hatred from the other party.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to the cross-cultural literature on ethical attitudes and behaviors and helps us better understand cross-cultural differences in business ethics in a negotiation context. This paper narrows this gap by empirically validating some of the Western findings in China and Taiwan. The results also provide support for a set of commonly accepted strategies to be used in business negotiation.
Economic growth and market-based financial systems: a review
Authors: Nyasha Sheilla , Odhiambo N.M.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to survey the existing literature on the causal relationship between market-based financial development and economic growth – in both developed and developing countries, highlighting the theoretical and the empirical evidence.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper divides financial development into bank-based and market-based financial development, and it closely reviews the international literature on the relationship between market-based financial development and economic growth.

Findings

– The direction of causality between market-based financial development and economic growth varies from one country to another, depending on various country-specific characteristics, data sets and the methodology used by the researcher. On balance, there is predominant support for the supply-leading response, where the development of the market-based financial sector is expected to precede the development of the real sector.

Originality/value

– This review differs fundamentally from previous reviews, in that it divides financial development into bank-based and market-based financial development, and it focuses closely on market-based financial development and economic growth. The majority of the previous studies on this subject failed to make such a distinction, thereby focusing mainly on the general causal relationship between the overall financial development and economic growth. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this may be the first review of its kind to survey the existing research in detail on the causal relationship between market-based financial development and economic growth, in both developed and developing countries.
Perceptions of care home staff on the effect of the care home environment for individuals living with dementia
Authors: Boyden Sally Dawn
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore what existing literature about the care home environment for people with dementia reveals. It also evaluates the implications for practice, to show which parts of the care home environment staff feel have the most impact on the day to day lives of residents living with dementia. In turn, this paper seeks to feedback to care home management to improve practice and to contribute to research in care homes in the future.

Design/methodology/approach

– A literature review forms the basis of this research, in addition to four semi-structured interview conducted with care home staff of different roles; allowing them to share their experiences with little restriction. Participants were recruited through informal discussions with the researcher before the research took place, as part of her job role and using purposive sampling.

Findings

– Data were analysed using computer software Nvivo and identified four main categories which all participants discussed: social interaction, staff involvement, staff restrictions, staff involvement and physical elements of the environment. This research has shown the importance of staff presence in the care home environment to facilitate social interaction among residents with dementia.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample is very small due to staff not having the time to take part in the interview and this itself is a key finding. Interviews were able to capture feelings but not the overall experience of interaction between resident and staff, which observations would have achieved if there was more time to conduct the research.

Originality/value

– A literature review and qualitative research signifying the importance of staff presence in the care home setting in order for the residents to socially engage in their environment. However, it has also show the lack of time that is face by staff and the impact this has on people living with dementia.
Surveillance technologies in care homes: seven principles for their use
Authors: Fisk Malcolm John
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider the use of surveillance technologies in care homes and the way in which they can help protect older people. It signals an ethical way forward for their use that de-fuses the heightened rhetoric associated with concerns about the abuse. Totally, seven principles are put forward by which the use of surveillance technologies can be supported.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper recognises the significance of technological developments and the key part that they now play in helping people live more independently. Surveillance technologies have a part in this within care homes, but there are important ethical considerations – notably around the way in which concerns for privacy are balanced with those about people’s safety and autonomy.

Findings

– The paper points to an approach that can guide the use of surveillance technologies within care homes. The seven principles put forward will be built on through further work in 2015 including care home residents, family carers, formal care providers and others. In setting out these principles the paper mediates between the positions of those who argue the merits of such technologies and those who point to some of them, notably cameras, as undermining people’s privacy and the nature of the “care relationship”.

Originality/value

– The subject matter of the paper is important because of the attention being given to problems of abuse in care settings; and the freedom by which anyone can access technologies that can be used for surveillance. The paper is timely and carries substantial originality.
Iptakalim protects against ischemic injury by improving neurovascular unit function in the mouse brain
Authors: Ji Juan , Yan Hui , Chen Zheng‐Zhen , Zhao Zhan , Yang Dan‐Dan , Sun Xiu‐Lan , Shi Yong‐Ping
Published: May 2015

It has been reported that the novel ATP‐sensitive potassium (K‐ATP) channel opener iptakalim (IPT) decreases ischemic neuronal damage in rats. However, the mechanisms underlying neuroprotection are still to be fully elucidated. The results of this study showed that mice with ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion exhibited higher mortality and more neurological deficits, as well as larger infarct volume, compared with sham mice. Moreover, it was found that ischemia activated astrocytes surrounding CA1 neurons with an increased expression of D‐serine, induced greater microglial activation accompanied by higher tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) production, and caused higher expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP‐9) in the endothelial cells of mice. Pretreatment with IPT significantly attenuated the neurological deficits and decreased the infarct volume in mice. IPT treatment could decrease MMP‐9 secretion, inhibit astrocytic activation with decreasing D‐serine and elevating connexin43 expression. Microglial activation was also inhibited and TNF‐α production was decreased by IPT. Taken together, a K‐ATP channel opener may improve the function of neurovascular unit and protect against ischemic injury. These findings suggest that targeting K‐ATP channels provides a promising therapeutic approach for stroke.
‘He's One of Ours’: A Case Study of a Campus Response to Crisis
Authors: Jenkins Shannon , Goodman Michael
Published: May 2015

Early on Friday, 19 April 2013, officials at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth learned that one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects was an enrolled student. That morning, the entire campus was transformed into both a crime scene and a potential target for an act of domestic terrorism. This article examines the campus response to this crisis, based on interviews with campus officials and a review of a task force report produced to review the campus response. This case study speaks to three important issues in the crisis management literature. Having a crisis plan helps (1), but testing of these plans is critical for an effective response (2). Furthermore, the plan must allow for real‐time decision making that is both centralized and decentralized (3).
Duration of ruptured membranes and mother‐to‐child HIV transmission: a prospective population‐based surveillance study
Authors: Peters H , Byrne L , De Ruiter A , Francis K , Harding K , Taylor GP , Tookey PA , Townsend CL
Published: May 2015

Objective

To investigate the association between duration of rupture of membranes (ROM) and mother‐to‐child HIV transmission (MTCT) rates in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).

Design

The National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood (NSHPC) undertakes comprehensive population‐based surveillance of HIV in pregnant women and children.

Setting

UK and Ireland.

Population

A cohort of 2398 singleton pregnancies delivered vaginally, or by emergency caesarean section, in women on cART in pregnancy during the period 2007–2012 with information on duration of ROM; HIV infection status was available for 1898 infants.

Methods

Descriptive analysis of NSHPC data.

Main outcome measures

Rates of MTCT.

Results

In 2116 pregnancies delivered at term, the median duration of ROM was 3 hours 30 minutes (interquartile range, IQR 1–8 hours). The overall MTCT rate for women delivering at term with duration of ROM ≥4 hours was 0.64% compared with 0.34% for ROM <4 hours, with no significant difference between the groups (OR 1.90, 95% CI 0.45–7.97). In women delivering at term with a viral load of <50 copies/ml, there was no evidence of a difference in MTCT rates with duration of ROM ≥4 hours, compared with <4 hours (0.14% for ≥4 hours versus 0.12% for <4 hour; OR 1.14, 95% CI 0.07–18.27). Among infants born preterm with infection status available, there were no transmissions in 163 deliveries where the maternal viral load was <50 copies/ml.

Conclusions

No association was found between duration of ROM and MTCT in women taking cART.

Tweetable abstract

Rupture of membranes of more than 4 hours is not associated with MTCT of HIV in women on effective ART delivering at term.