bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The politics of correctional privatization in the United States
Authors: Burkhardt Brett C. 
Published: May 2019

Research SummaryPrivate correctional firms are political actors. They work to create favorable conditions to market their services. At the same time, they are constrained by external political forces, including political parties, social movements, and public opinion. In this article, I review what we know about the reciprocal relationship between the private corrections industry and politics.Policy ImplicationsThrough my review of extant research, I discover several implications for practitioners and policy makers. First, correctional privatization is not uniformly accepted, a fact that presents challenges for the industry and opportunities for critics. Second, punitive policies that seem beneficial to industry (particularly those related to tough immigration policy) may in fact pose real reputational risks. Third, new forms of privatization—namely, social impact bonds—may prove more tolerable to the general public. Finally, consideration of political activity by private industry should not distract from political activity by public‐sector actors (e.g., prison guard unions).
Public opinion and correctional privatization
Authors: Frost Natasha A. , Trapassi Jessica , Heinz Steven 
Published: May 2019

Research SummarySlightly more than half of all states and the federal government currently have contracted with private prison corporations for the incarceration of some of their correctional populations. We use the literature on privatization of prisons to argue that we know surprisingly little about the public's perception of this phenomenon. We summarize what is known from the thin body of research into public opinion in the correctional domain, and then we argue for an expanded research agenda to develop a more extensive (and nuanced) understanding of public perceptions in this context.Policy ImplicationsPrivate correctional facilities run by for‐profit companies, and the privatization of correctional services beyond institutions, have proliferated despite little knowledge regarding public support for the expansion of privatization in the correctional domain. Given that public opinion, or at least perceptions of those opinions, can directly or indirectly influence policy, we argue that expanding our knowledge of the nature, direction, and malleability of public opinion has substantial policy implications for the future of prison privatization.
Cost–benefit analysis and privatized corrections
Authors: Pratt Travis C. 
Published: May 2019

Research SummaryPrivatized corrections and cost–benefit analyses have both been around for a long time in American criminal justice policy and practice. Accordingly, in this article, I review the cost–benefit literature on correctional privatization with respect to three primary issues: (1) what we know from the cost–benefit analyses that have been conducted thus far regarding privatized corrections, (2) the key gaps and challenges that should be addressed if we are to truly understand the “social ledger” associated with privatizing correctional services, and (3) key lessons learned regarding the limited role that cost–benefit analysis plays in policy discussions about punishment policy.Policy ImplicationsThe primary implication for policy is that, for the most part, what we know about the cost‐effectiveness of privatized corrections has been confined to studies of private prisons. Alternatively, on balance, we know little about the cost‐effectiveness of privatized corrections more generally. And even if rigorous cost–benefit analyses did exist in larger quantities, they would still have to face the strong ideological commitment that both proponents and opponents of privatized corrections seem to hold.
Privatized corrections in the 21st century
Authors: Montes Andrea N. , Mears Daniel P. 
Published: May 2019

Research SummaryGovernments historically have relied on private organizations to assist with the provision of correctional punishment and services. This reliance continues but has engendered considerable debate that stems from ideological divides. Debate stems as well from a disjuncture between the limited evidence about privatization and calls for evidence‐based policy. In this article, we present a conceptual framework for identifying what is and is not known about privatization and for guiding scholarship and policy. We then discuss key issues that must be addressed to advance knowledge about privatization and productively inform policy debates.Policy ImplicationsIn our review, we highlight that little is known not only about the benefits and harms of private corrections but also about the operations, impacts, and cost efficiency of public corrections. Scholarship on privatization can be used to shed light on contemporary punishment practices and how they impact individuals and influence corrections systems and society.
Persistent puzzles
Authors: Sparks Richard , Gacek James 
Published: May 2019

Research SummaryIn our article, we attend to the implied outlooks (“philosophies” in the sense of operative practical discourses and assumptions) and the competing ethical concerns that animate differing views on privatizing corrections. We consider some normative arguments and empirical observations that have been mobilized for and against privatization since the inception of the modern version of this debate in the late 1980s, and we seek to place these in the context of accounts of penal problems over that contentious period. We argue that a multidimensional approach to understanding the sociology of punishment and in particular how certain forms of punishment persist, survive, and thrive is required when considering the privatization of corrections. In using such an approach, we raise quizzical questions regarding the pairing together of punishment and privatization, and as a result, we seek to sharpen the discussion about future prospects.Policy ImplicationsGreater attention must be paid toward public involvement, knowledge, and understanding about penal policies. With particular regard to the involvement of private‐sector actors and interests, this has implications both at the initial contract negotiation stages of expanding correctional privatization as well as at the rescission of such contracts. The impact of penal arrangements on the dignity and integrity of offenders—especially but not only prison inmates—their loved ones and communities, and wider considerations of public interest are abiding and unresolved concerns, and privatization policies must be evaluated in light of these.
‘Back to Life’—Using knowledge exchange processes to enhance lifestyle interventions for liver transplant recipients: A qualitative study
Authors: Hickman Ingrid J. , Coran Donna , Wallen Matthew P. , Kelly Jaimon , Barnett Amandine , Gallegos Danielle , Jarrett Maree , McCoy Simone M. , Campbell Katrina L. , Macdonald Graeme A. 
Published: May 2019

AimInterventions to prevent excessive weight gain after liver transplant are needed. The purpose of the present study was to enhance a specialist post‐transplant well‐being program through knowledge exchange with end‐users.MethodsThe study used an interactive process of knowledge exchange between researchers, clinicians and health system users. Data were collected as focus groups or telephone interviews and underwent applied thematic analysis.ResultsThere were 28 participants (age 24–68 years; 64% male). The results identified experiences that may influence decisions around health behaviours during the course of transplant recovery. Three over‐arching themes were identified that impact on liver transplant recipients post‐transplant health behaviours. These include (i) Finding a coping mechanism which highlighted the need to acknowledge the significant emotional burden of transplant prior to addressing long‐term physical wellness; (ii) Back to Life encompassing the desire to return to employment and prioritise family, while co‐ordinating the burden of ongoing medical monitoring and self‐management and (iii) Tailored, Personalised Care with a preference for health care delivery by transplant specialists via a range of flexible eHealth modalities.ConclusionsThis person‐centred process of knowledge exchange incorporated experiences of recipients into service design and identified life priorities most likely to influence health behaviours post‐transplant. Patient co‐creation of services has the potential to improve the integration of knowledge into health systems and future directions will require evaluation of effectiveness and sustainability of patient‐centred multidisciplinary service development.
Uncertainty and Compensation Design in Strategic Interfirm Contracts
Authors: Krishnan Ranjani , Mani Deepa 
Published: May 2019

ABSTRACTIn strategic outsourcing contracts, a substantial portion of implementation occurs at the client's premises and requires integration of effort between the vendor and the client. Compensation design in such contracts involves trade‐offs between the higher (lower) incentive properties of fixed‐price (cost‐plus) contracts and their higher (lower) ex ante contracting and ex post adaptation costs. Uncertainty influences these trade‐offs and affects compensation design. We explore the compensation implications of two types of uncertainty—volatility and ambiguity—which are reflected in the client's accounting measures. Volatility reflects the unpredictability of changes in the future environment, which makes it difficult to contractually specify future contingencies. Ambiguity reflects lack of consensus about the nature, drivers, and value effects of uncertainty, which makes it difficult to contractually specify responses to contingencies if and when they occur. Volatility increases the likelihood of ex post adaptation costs, while ambiguity increases ex ante contracting costs; therefore, volatility and ambiguity decrease the attractiveness of fixed‐price contracts. We use accounting and market measures to calibrate volatility and ambiguity and examine their implications for compensation design and ex post renegotiation. Analysis of archival data for 455 strategic outsourcing contracts valued over $15 million indicates that volatility and ambiguity influence contract compensation design and renegotiation likelihood. These results hold even after controlling for asset specificity, task complexity, and relational factors. We conclude that accounting measures can provide signals of volatility and ambiguity and thereby influence compensation design in strategic interfirm contracts.
Vertical Pay Dispersion, Peer Observability, and Misreporting in a Participative Budgeting Setting
Authors: Guo Lan , Libby Theresa , Liu Xiaotao (Kelvin) , Tian Yu 
Published: May 2019

ABSTRACTIn this study, we examine the joint effect of vertical pay dispersion and peer observability on subordinates' misreporting choices. We adopt a participative budgeting setting in which two subordinates report to one superior, and we manipulate vertical pay dispersion (low/high) and peer observability (absent/present). Subordinates have private information about actual project costs and can over‐report project costs to the superior without detection and thus create budgetary slack. When a peer's reporting choices are observable, we predict and find that peer reporting choices have an asymmetric influence on the focal subordinates' reporting choices, and this asymmetric influence depends on the level of vertical pay dispersion. Specifically, we find that when vertical pay dispersion is low, subordinates who observe peer reports containing low slack misreport less, whereas observing peer reports that contain high slack has no significant effect. However, when vertical pay dispersion is high, subordinates who observe peer reports containing high slack misreport more, whereas observing peer reports that contain low slack has no significant effect. Driven by these asymmetric effects, subordinates misreport less in the presence of peer observability than in its absence when vertical pay dispersion is low and misreport more in the presence of peer observability than in its absence when vertical pay dispersion is high. Overall, our findings suggest that when a firm has a more egalitarian pay structure (i.e., low vertical pay dispersion), an open information policy is conducive to a more honest reporting environment, whereas under a more hierarchical pay structure (i.e., high vertical pay dispersion), open information policies can compromise the honesty of subordinates' reports.
Functional traits of lianas in an Australian lowland rainforest align with post‐disturbance rather than dry season advantage
Authors: Buckton Genevieve , Cheesman Alexander W. , Munksgaard Niels C. , Wurster Chris M. , Liddell Michael J. , Cernusak Lucas A. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractLianas are an important component of tropical forests; they alter tree mortality and recruitment and impact biogeochemical cycling. Recent evidence suggests that the abundance of lianas in tropical forests is increasing. To understand and predict the effect of lianas on ecosystem processes in tropical forests, it is important to understand the mechanisms through which they compete with trees. In this study, we investigated the functional traits of lianas and trees in a lowland tropical forest in northeast Queensland, Australia. The site is located at 16.1° south latitude and experiences significant seasonality in rainfall, with pronounced wet and dry seasons. It is also subject to relatively frequent disturbance by cyclones. We asked the question of whether the canopy liana community at this site would display functional traits consistent with a competitive advantage over trees in response to disturbance, or in response to dry season water stress. We found that traits that we considered indicative of a dry season advantage (xylem water δ18O as an indicator of rooting depth; leaf and stem tissue δ13C and instantaneous gas exchange as measures of water‐use efficiency) did not differ between canopy lianas and canopy trees. On the other hand, lianas differed from trees in traits that should confer an advantage in response to disturbance (low wood density; low leaf dry matter content; high leaf N concentration; high mass‐based photosynthetic rates). We conclude that the liana community at the study site expressed functional traits geared towards rapid resource acquisition and growth in response to disturbance, rather than outcompeting trees during periods of water stress. These results contribute to a body of literature which will be useful for parameterising a liana functional type in ecosystem models.
Development and validation of the Indonesian Well‐being Scale
Authors: Maulana Herdiyan , Khawaja Nigar , Obst Patricia 
Published: May 2019

The present study describes the development and validation of a new instrument to measure the well‐being of Indonesian people. Items were generated by taking into account the recent cross‐cultural developments in the literature. Participants (N = 1,028) from a number of provinces in Indonesia completed an online or a paper questionnaire containing a battery of measures, including the new well‐being instrument. The total sample was randomly split into two equal groups. An exploratory factor analysis (n = 516) was conducted on one half to explore the factor structure of the new scale, which resulted in a 24‐item scale with a four‐factor solution. The four factors were (a) Basic Needs, (b) Social Relation, (c) Acceptance, and (d) Spirituality. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the second half (n = 516), which confirmed the four‐factor structure with 20 items emerging as the best and most parsimonious fit of the data. The psychometric properties of the final scale were tested on the whole sample. The new scale displayed sound internal consistency, test‐retest reliability, and divergent, convergent, and discriminant validity. The scale has the potential to be used in future research which examines well‐being in the Indonesia context. Future directions and limitations of the study are discussed.
Muse and Power: African Women Writers and Digital Infrastructure in World Literature
Authors: Uimonen Paula 
Published: May 2019

SummaryThis article explores how women writers in Nigeria and Tanzania use digital media, drawing parallels between infrastructural enablement and literary worldmaking. It argues that female African writers offer insights into the embodied practices and cultural imaginaries of digitally mediated creativity, which can shed light on the paradoxical entanglements of infrastructure.
Do we need to scan the whole neuraxis for coexistent abnormalities in children with surgically treated occult spinal dysraphism?
Authors: Börcek Alp Ö. , Aslan Ayfer , Uçar Murat 
Published: May 2019

BackgroundSpina bifida occulta (SBO) is generally known as a benign isolated entity; however, there are ambiguous approaches for neuroaxial screening in cases of symptomatic SBO among institutions. This study aims to demonstrate the infrequency of cranial anomalies associated with symptomatic SBO and inquire the necessity of cranial radiological surveillance in those patients.MethodsBetween 2012 and 2016 pediatric patients who were surgically treated in our clinic due to symptomatic SBO were retrospectively evaluated. All radiological findings in craniospinal evaluation were documented.ResultsThere were 76 patients with mean age of 5.3 years (range 2 months to 17 years), and female predominance (53 female and 23 male patients). Of those, 64 patients had whole neuroaxis investigation including cranial imaging. Among 64 patients with cranial screening, only two patients had occipital encephalocele and posterior fossa arachnoid cyst. There was neither hydrocephalus nor Chiari malformation in our case series.ConclusionsWe detected high number of additional spinal abnormalities accompanying to symptomatic SBOs, whereas cranial findings rarely coexisted with them. Therefore, we strongly suggest the radiological screening of whole spinal axis in occult spinal dysraphism with significant spinal findings. On the other hand, cranial imaging as a part of neuraxis screening in cases of symptomatic SBOs is not required in all cases; however, it can be done in selected patients where clinically indicated.
Colorectal cancer in young patients: a retrospective cohort study in a single institution
Authors: Olivo Rebecca , Ratnayake Sujith 
Published: May 2019

BackgroundYoung onset colorectal cancer is on the rise, with a disproportionate increase in incidence among young people, both in Australia and internationally. Current national guidelines for bowel cancer screening in average risk individuals include only patients greater than 50 years of age. It is well recognized that colorectal cancer is a highly treatable malignancy when detected at an early stage, and timely diagnosis yields a greater than 90% chance of cure and survival. The aims of this study were to define the clinical presentations leading to colonoscopy in young patients and assess the incidence of malignancy in this group.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study including all patients ≤35 years of age without any baseline indication for early bowel cancer surveillance that underwent colonoscopy at Caboolture Hospital from January 2017 to April 2018.ResultsA total of 224 patients underwent colonoscopy in the study period. A total of 210 (93.8%) had symptoms including rectal bleeding (51.7%), altered bowel habit (25.9%), abdominal pain (10.3%) and symptomatic anaemia (6.7%) prior to colonoscopy. Two cases of invasive adenocarcinoma were identified (0.89%, P < 0.01), both of which were symptomatic and were defined as stage IIIB disease on histopathology.ConclusionIn a theoretically low‐risk population, the incidence of malignancy was nearly 1%. More advanced disease at diagnosis may be due to a delay in investigating these patients due to an overall low suspicion of cancer in young individuals. As such, investigation should be offered early to young patients presenting with any warning symptoms.
Outcomes of total hip arthroplasty surgery in heart and lung transplant recipients
Authors: Cosic Filip , Kimmel Lara , Valsalan Rejith , Hayes Kate , Liew Susan 
Published: May 2019

BackgroundTraditionally, arthroplasty in heart and lung transplant patients has been undertaken to manage transplant‐related complications. More recently, arthroplasty is increasingly being performed for end‐stage osteoarthritis. This study reviewed short‐term outcomes and complications of total hip arthroplasty (THA) in heart and lung transplant recipients.MethodsA retrospective cohort of heart and lung transplant recipients who underwent THA was identified using ICD‐10 coding. Post‐operative complications and hospital outcomes were collected using the patient medical record.ResultsThirteen patients underwent 17 primary THA between 2008 and 2017, including five for osteoarthritis and 12 for femoral head avascular necrosis. Of the 13 patients, nine were bilateral sequential lung transplant recipients and four were orthotopic heart transplant recipients. The mean patient age was 61 years, with nine being male. Overall, five patients had one post‐operative complication with eight having two or more complications. Surgical complications included three intraoperative fractures, three patients with superficial infection and one with deep infection requiring surgery. Seven patients had significant bleeding requiring blood transfusion. Prosthetic dislocations occurred in two patients, with one patient requiring revision surgery (developing a joint infection). Other complications included one pulmonary embolism, two episodes of pneumonia and six episodes of acute kidney injury, whilst three patients developed post‐operative delirium. At 6‐week follow‐up, five patients had ongoing pain and seven had limitations with mobility. At 12‐month follow‐up, three patients reported ongoing pain.ConclusionComplications following THA after transplant are common. The risks and benefits of THA should be carefully considered preoperatively in this cohort.
Targeted biopsy of the prostate: does this result in improvement in detection of high‐grade cancer or the occurrence of the Will Rogers phenomenon?
Authors: Bass Edward J. , Orczyk Clement , Grey Alistair , Freeman Alex , Jameson Charles , Punwani Shonit , Ramachandran Navin , Allen Clare , Emberton Mark , Ahmed Hashim U. 
Published: May 2019

ObjectiveTo investigate whether patients with Gleason 3 + 4 cancer on transrectal biopsy are upgraded after undergoing transperineal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐targeted biopsy and whether this has implications for current clinical practice.Patients and MethodsIn this retrospective analysis we examined 107 consecutive patients presenting at a single tertiary referral centre (July 2012 to July 2016) with prostate cancer of Gleason score 3 + 4 on transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)‐guided systematic non‐targeted biopsy who then underwent a multiparametric MRI followed by MRI‐targeted transperineal prostate biopsy for accurate risk stratification and localization.ResultsThe patients’ mean (sd) age was 67.0 (8.0) years, and they had a median (interquartile range) PSA concentration of 6.2 (4.7–9.6) ng/mL. Of the 107 patients, 84 (78.5%) had Gleason 3 + 4 on both transrectal systematic biopsy and transperineal MRI‐targeted biopsy. Nineteen patients (17.8%) were upgraded to Gleason 4 + 3, three patients (3.0%) to Gleason 4 + 4 and one patient (1.0%) to Gleason 4 + 5. These differences were significant (P = 0.0006). Likewise, 23/107 patients (22%) had higher‐risk disease based on their targeted biopsies.ConclusionThe use of targeted biopsy in men with impalpable cancer, ultimately upgraded one in five patients from favourable‐intermediate‐ to unfavourable‐intermediate‐risk disease or worse. This has significant clinical implications for men considering active surveillance or radical treatment. Our risk calculators must now be validated using these data from targeted biopsy as the technique becomes widely adopted.