bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Family history of alcohol dependence modulates functional neurophysiology in mood/anxiety disorders
Authors: Sjoerds Z. , van Tol M.-J. , van den Brink W. , van der Wee N. J. A. , Aleman A. , Beekman A. T. F. , Penninx B. W. J. H. , Veltman D. J. 
Published: October 2012

BackgroundA family history (FH) of alcohol dependence (AD) not only increases the risk for AD, but is also associated with an increased risk for mood and anxiety disorders. However, it is unknown how a FH of AD affects neural substrates in patients with mood and anxiety disorders. In this study we examined the effects of an alcoholic FH on cognitive and emotional functions in these patients using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).MethodIn a sample of non-alcoholic patients with depressive and/or anxiety disorders from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) neuroimaging study, patients with a first-degree FH of AD (FH + ; n = 31) were compared with patients without a FH (FH–; n = 77) on performance and brain activation during visuospatial planning and emotional word encoding. Results were compared with those of healthy controls (HCs) without a FH of AD (n = 31).ResultsFH+ patients performed slower during planning with increasing task load, coupled with stronger blood oxygen level-dependent responses in dorsal prefrontal areas compared with FH− patients and HCs. FH was not associated with performance differences during word encoding, but right insula activation during positive word encoding was present in FH+ patients, comparable with HCs, but absent in FH− patients.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates subtle impairments during planning in FH+ compared with FH− patients and HCs, whereas activation during mood-incongruent stimuli in FH+ patients was similar to HCs but not FH− patients, suggesting that the presence of a FH of AD is a useful marker for the neurophysiological profile in mood/anxiety disorders and possible predictor for treatment success.
Experimental study of hard x-rays emitted from metre-scale positive discharges in air
Authors: Kochkin P O , Nguyen C V , van Deursen A P J , Ebert U 
Published: October 2012

Abstract
We investigate structure and evolution of long positive spark breakdown; and we study at which stage pulses of hard x-rays are emitted. Positive high-voltage pulses of standardized lightning impulse wave form of about 1 MV were applied to about 1 m of ambient air. The discharge evolution was imaged with a resolution of tens of nanoseconds with an intensified CCD camera. LaBr3(Ce+) scintillation detectors recorded the x-rays emitted during the process. The voltage and the currents on both electrodes were measured synchronously. All measurements indicate that first a large and dense corona of positive streamers emerges from the high-voltage electrode. When they approach the grounded electrode, negative counter-streamers emerge there, and the emission of hard x-rays coincides with the connection of the positive streamers with the negative counter-streamers. Leaders are seen to form only at later stages.
Relationship between average leucocyte telomere length and the presence or severity of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in black Africans
Authors: Raymond Andrew R. , Norton Gavin R. , Sareli Pinhas , Woodiwiss Angela J. , Brooksbank Richard L. 
Published: October 2012

AimsA reduced average leucocyte telomere length is associated with ischaemic heart failure. Whether this relationship represents a cause or consequence of heart failure or is attributed to associated risk factors and coronary artery disease is uncertain. We evaluated if average leucocyte telomere length is associated with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) or its severity.Methods and resultsWe compared average leucocyte telomere length in 223 patients with heart failure due to IDC and 227 healthy controls of black African ancestry. We also evaluated the relationship between average leucocyte telomere length and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). LVEF was determined using echocardiography and radionuclide multiple‐gated acquisition (MUGA) scan in patients with IDC. Relative leucocyte telomere length (T/S) was measured using a quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay. Log T/S was negatively correlated with age in patients with IDC (P = 0.0007) and in controls (P = 0.030), and with alcohol consumption (P = 0.032) and regular smoking (P = 0.021) in patients with IDC. Log T/S did not differ between IDC and control groups either before (P = 0.11) or after (IDC = 0.071 ± 0.187, control = 0.071 ± 0.187, P = 0.99) adjustments for confounders. Log T/S was not associated with echocardiographic (P = 0.47) or MUGA (P = 0.99) LVEF or LV end‐diastolic diameter (LVEDD) (P = 0.34) in patients with IDC. With adjustments for age, sex, alcohol consumption, and smoking, log T/S was similarly not associated with echocardiographic (P = 0.60) or MUGA (P = 0.91) LVEF or LVEDD (P = 0.53) in patients with IDC.ConclusionsAverage relative leucocyte telomere length is not associated with IDC or its severity in groups of black African ancestry.
Social and political economy of care in Japan and South Korea
Authors: Peng Ito 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe two East Asian developmental states of Japan and South Korea share very similar familialistic male breadwinner welfare regimes. However, in the recent years, both countries have made significant social policy reforms that are gradually modulating their familialistic male breadwinner welfare regimes. Both countries have extended public support for the family and women by provisioning, regulating, and coordinating childcare, elder care, and work‐family reconciliation programs. At the same time, labour market deregulation reforms have also made employment more insecure, and created greater pressures on women to seek and maintain paid work outside the home. The purpose of this paper is to compare recent social policy reforms in Japan and Korea and discuss their implications for welfare state changes and gender equality. More specifically, it asks whether this signals the end of the old developmental state paradigm and a shift to a more gender equal policy regime.Design/methodology/approachTo answer this question, the paper examines recent social policy reforms in conjunction with economic and labour market policy reforms that have also been introduced since 1990.FindingsThe analysis of social and economic policy reforms in Japan and South Korea shows a combination of both progressive and instrumentalist motivations behind social care expansions in these countries. Social care reforms in both countries were responses to the evident need for more welfare and gender equality determined by the structural and ideational changes that were taking place. But they were also a remodelling of the earlier developmental state policy framework. Indeed, social care expansions were not merely timely family friendly social policies that aimed to address new social risks; they were also important complements to the employment policy reforms that were being introduced at the same time. By investing in the family, the Japanese and Korean governments sought to mobilize women's human capital, encourage higher fertility, and facilitate job creation in social welfare and care services.Originality/valueThis paper shows how Japanese and South Korean developmental states might be changing and remodelling themselves in the recent decades, and how new social policies are evolving in close coordination with economic and labor market policy reforms.
The impact of banking development on the size of shadow economies
Authors: Bose Niloy , Capasso Salvatore , Andreas Wurm Martin 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between banking development and the size of shadow economies by employing data on 137 countries over the period from 1995 to 2007. Both cross‐sectional and panel analysis suggest that an improvement in the development of the banking sector is associated with a smaller shadow economy. In addition, the authors find that both the depth and the efficiency of the banking sector matter in reducing the size of shadow economies. These results are robust to a variety of specifications that address multi‐colinearity and endogeneity issues.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical cross‐section and panel analysis were undertaken.FindingsThe authors find that both the depth and the efficiency of the banking sector matter in reducing the size of shadow economies.Originality/valueThis paper is original. Existing literature has identified a number of factors (e.g. the burden of taxation or regulation, the quality of government, legal enforcement, corruption, etc.) that create such incentives. In this paper the authors highlight another factor – the level of banking development – as a determinant of the shadow economy.
Private sector balance, financial markets, and US cycle: a SVAR analysis
Authors: Casadio Paolo , Paradiso Antonio 
Published: October 2012

PurposeConsidering the sectoral balance approach of Godley, and focusing only on the two main components of the private sector balance for the US economy (household and non‐financial corporate balance), the purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between these two sectors, the financial variables, and economic cycle. In particular, the paper considers all these relationships endogenously.Design/methodology/approachThe authors estimate a structural VAR model between household and (non‐financial) corporate financial balances, financial markets, and economic cycle and the authors perform an impulse response analysis. All the variables are expressed as cyclical components applying the Hodrick‐Prescott filter.FindingsThe main result is that: household and corporate balances react to financial markets in the way the authors expected and discussed; the economic cycle influences the two financial balances; the corporate balance has a positive impact on the cycle; the economic cycle and financial balances influence the financial variables. In particular, the point that shows that the corporate balance has a positive impact on the cycle shows that the corporate balance is a leading component of the cycle as suggested by Casadio and Paradiso and accords with Minsky's theory of financial instability.Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis does not include the foreign sector (current‐account balance).Originality/valueThis study is an important step forward with respect to the two main contributions in literature which use this approach: the Levy Institute macroeconomic team and Goldman Sachs. Methodologically their models are based on assumptions (such as exogeneity or market clearing price mechanism for the financial markets) that the authors overcome considering all the relationships studied in an endogenous manner.
Perceptions of performance in US financial regulatory programs
Authors: Greitens Thomas J. , Ernita Joaquin M. 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the accuracy of program performance measurement in US financial regulatory programs.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses the US Government's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) system of output and outcome data collection, performance data from financial regulatory programs were examined to determine: if PART data revealed any degradation in external financial conditions or internal regulatory performance prior to the Great Recession of 2008, and whether output performance influenced outcome performance.FindingsThe results indicate that outcome measures did “capture” some deterioration in the performance of the financial industry before the Great Recession, but these measures were arguably not influenced by program outputs. This represents a potentially problematic use of performance measures in that programs used outcome measures which were not controlled by programmatic actions.Originality/valueThis project adds to a growing body of literature on the challenges of program performance measurement in government. However, this analysis is unique in that it specifically examines the performance of the US Government's financial regulatory programs, as measured by PART, before the Great Recession of 2008.
Retrospective medical record evaluation
Authors: Verelst Sandra , Jacques Jessica , Van den Heede Koen , Gillet Pierre , Kolh Philippe , Vleugels Arthur , Sermeus Walter 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to assess the reliability of an in‐depth analysis on causation, preventability, and disability by two separate review teams on five selected adverse events in acute hospitals: pressure ulcer, postoperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis, postoperative sepsis, ventilator‐associated pneumonia and postoperative wound infection.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis uses a retrospective medical record review of 1,515 patient records by two independent teams in eight acute Belgian hospitals for the year 2005. The Mann‐Whitney U‐test is used to identify significant differences between the two review teams regarding occurrence of adverse events as well as regarding the degree of causation, preventability, and disability of found adverse events.FindingsTeam 1 stated a high probability for health care management causation in 95.5 per cent of adverse events in contrast to 38.9 per cent by Team 2. Likewise, high preventability was considered in 83.1 per cent of cases by Team 1 versus 51.7 per cent by Team 2. Significant differences in degree of disability between the two teams were also found for pressure ulcers, postoperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis and postoperative wound infection, but not for postoperative sepsis and ventilator‐associated pneumonia.Originality/valueNew insight on the degree of and reasons for the huge differences in adverse event evaluation is provided.
Patient safety analysis linking claims and administrative data
Authors: Giorgio Lovaglio Pietro 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide international data on the occurrence (and rates) of clinical errors, identified by type and consequence in the Lombardy region, and to assess empirically the association between hospital accreditation‐type measures and clinical error rates by merging hospital discharge records and medical malpractice claim data in the Lombardy region (Italy).Design/methodology/approachData were drawn from the regional database collecting claims and demands for reimbursement declared by patients hospitalized in regional healthcare structures and regional archives collecting hospital discharge records. To model the variability of clinical errors rates, binomial negative regression models were applied. For improved interpretation of the results, a regression tree methodology was used.FindingsThe results demonstrated that the rate of readmission for the same major diagnostic category and the rate of discharges against medical advice significantly affect the incidence of errors causing patient death, whereas the rate of unscheduled surgical readmission in the operating room significantly affects the rate of surgical error.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings confirm that claims data is problematic in nature because of the limited number of claims generally emerging from administrative sources. The article proposes using proper regression models for count data, taking into account over‐dispersion and excess zeroes and classification tree methods for a better interpretation of empirical evidence.Practical implicationsHealth structures where quality outcomes have a significant impact on clinical error rates should be monitored in depth, investigating the medical charts of involved patients to identify quality problems and problematic areas.Originality/valueAs a risk management strategy, the combined use of claims data and clinical administrative data is proposed to shed light on the more problematic, error‐prone areas, allowing regional stakeholders to receive relevant, highly cost‐effective and timely information and an in‐depth understanding of the problematic areas in the assessment of risk.
Implementation of a sustainable business cycle: the case of a tourism project in Puerto Rico
Authors: de los M. Santos‐Corrada María , Figueroa Enid 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe an enterprise venture focused on responsible tourism and its social responsibility using the “cycle of sustainable business” concept.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a case study of a tourism business' project in development, tourism and sports in the town of Río Grande, Puerto Rico. Data were collected from unstructured interviews with the vice president of the company and the available documentation.FindingsThis sustainable business cycle can be divided into eight stages: compost treatment system, mangrove conservation, tree planting, plant sewage treatment, energy conservation, construction, hotel and consumers. All of these stages are important for the performance of the cycle.Research limitations/implicationsThe results indicate the importance of developing a responsible tourism industry that respects the natural environment, culture and socioeconomic surroundings.Practical implicationsThe case illustrates the advantages enjoyed by a business that executes a cycle of sustainable business in a highly competitive market that is dominated by shareholders and developers of high value/capability.Social implicationsChanging consumer behaviour and values that define a community may rely largely on political interventions that promote responsible tourism by implementing sustainable business cycles.Originality/valueThis article seeks to present a detailed case study of a sustainable tourism business. It highlights the areas in which this resort efficiently carries out sustainability. It also illustrates the challenge of creating consumer awareness of added value. In doing so, it demonstrates the concerns faced by tourism developers regarding sustainable development.
Scissors cut paper: purposive and contingent strategies in a conflict situation
Authors: Meyer Christopher J. , McCormick Blaine , Clement Aimee , Woods Rachel , Fifield Chuck 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to focus on a little studied but important type of conflict, zero‐sum situations. These conflicts are less likely to take place than those in which participants can come to an integrative agreement, but knowing how to best strategize for zero‐sum conflicts can lead to better outcomes in these situations.Design/methodology/approachParticipants in the study utilized two specific strategies – purposive or contingent – in a rock‐paper‐scissors elimination tournament. The use of the strategy and the outcome were measured in a controlled setting.FindingsResults demonstrate that using a strategy in a win‐lose conflict situation significantly predicts success. Further, competitive individuals are more likely to utilize strategies than other personality types.Originality/valueThis paper builds on the theory that individuals in conflict situations have preferences, pursue goals, and behave purposefully. In particular, the paper studies the antecedents to strategies employed in a conflict situation and that strategy's effect on the outcome.
Bringing business education to life: case activities as an innovative approach to get away from “teaching to the test”
Authors: Fee Alistair 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to describe interactive approaches to effective business education / skills development.Design/methodology/approachThe paper answers the questions: How can we effectively develop students in real time business skills when they are not yet working in the real business world? How can we help students to develop creative, flexible mindsets that will enable them to hit the ground running when they take up their first position in an organization?FindingsThe paper explores the techniques that the author has developed from 30 years working in international businesses around the globe. Much of the work is based on case studies. Not the Harvard Business School case studies with which many readers will be familiar, but in shorter, commercially relevant cases where students have to take real action. These are called “Case Activities” and here are some examples together with a note on the lessons students over the years have reported learning.Originality/valueIn this short, observational piece the author shares ideas, which he has been trying out for the last 15 years.
The Little Black Book of Innovation by Scott D. Anthony
Authors: Wollard Karen K. 
Published: October 2012

PurposeReviews the latest learning and development books across the globe and pinpoints practical implications.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.FindingsInnovation is essential for organizations and individuals to meet the challenges of global change and competition. This is an easy to read, lively book that delivers on its promise to make innovation understandable and accessible. Scott Anthony writes in a conversational style and uses footnotes to add insights and personal thoughts. The book begins by explaining that the ability to innovate can be improved by studying and applying patterns. This idea, adopted from Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business School professor and author of The Innovators's Dilemma, serves as a guide for the book.Practical implications:Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.Originality/valueThe briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to digest format.
Strategic management and the economics of the firm
Authors: Hussler Caroline , Pénin Julien , Dietrich Michael , Burger‐Helmchen Thierry 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to argue for the need to reconcile managerial and economic approaches of the firm. Strategic management seems to be the perfect playground for this.Design/methodology/approachThe paper shows many divergences between the economic and managerial approach of the firm but also highlights many topics where both approaches come in handy.FindingsThe authors underline the topics and theories in strategic management with the greatest benefits of mixing economics and management can be expected and they echo the papers in this special issue.Practical implicationsThe paper comes as a warning for those using only managerial perspective without listening to the caveats and ideas put forward by the economic approach of the firm.Originality/valueThe paper offers an agenda of how economics and management could be reunited, and shows the relevance of doing so to both theory and practice.