bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Enhancing performance with Investors in People recognition: exploring the alleged link
Authors: Smith Simon M. 
Published: February 2009

PurposeTo explore the alleged causal link between Investors in People (IIP) recognition and improved business performance and profitability.Design/methodology/approachFour in‐depth case studies using semi‐structured interviews are used to gather the appropriate data.FindingsThe data collected challenges the direct relationship frequently proposed between IIP recognition and increases in business performance and profitability. Although it could be argued that changes are usually necessary in companies in order to align the organization with IIP standards and requirements, the cases explored instigated such changes independently of the pursuit of IIP. Only after these changes had taken place did the organizations consider a pursuit for IIP recognition. Thus, the findings point to a complex amalgam of factors at play in the micro and macro environments of the organizations studied rather than just an IIP‐profit/performance cause and effect nexus. In consequence, the reasons for these IIP recognized organizations performing better than non‐IIP organizations were due to their efforts prior to recognition and not because of it.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research is needed to explore and generalize the rhetoric and realities behind the alleged causal link between IIP recognition and increased business performance and profitability.Practical implicationsHR practitioners and managers need to exhibit caution before considering IIP recognition. The potential benefits suggested by advocates of the standard are not guaranteed, regardless of any alleged casual link.Originality/valueThis gives HR practitioners and managers a valuable and timely alternative discourse and perspective when considering employee development towards IIP recognition and the possibility of improved business performance and profitability.
International service outsourcing: Using offshore analytics to identify determinants of value‐added outsourcing
Authors: Banerjee Arindam , Williams Scott A. 
Published: February 2009

PurposeInternational outsourcing has been traditionally looked upon as a low end cost effective servicing option to take advantage of the cost arbitrage that exists across countries. Of late, many outsourcing vendors have realized that the advantages of cost differentials that spurred a lot of the global outsourcing business in the past 20 years will disappear in the medium term. The purpose of this paper is to provide a perspective about how much value addition, besides cost, traditional outsourcing vendors can provide and what may be the facilitator/inhibitors of such activities.Design/methodology/approachA case describing the setting up of an offshore analytics operation is presented, which gives a backdrop to the challenges faced in relatively high end value creation processes in a remote outsourced (offshore) environment. This provides some empirical support to a proposed model for facilitating the outsourcing of value‐added services.FindingsA model is proposed for determining the degree to which value‐added services can be outsourced. The key dimensions that influence the degree of outsourcing are: the expertise of the vendor; the environmental stability of the offshore domain; the physical barriers to outsourcing complex business processes such as, communication problems and proximity issues; the possibility of knowledge leakage from the outsourcing domain; and the cost benefits of outsourcing.Practical implicationsThe paper contends that conventional offshore‐based service vendors may find it difficult to acquire “expert power” and, set aside negative perceptions of “environmental stability” of their domain, in the pursuit to climb up the value chain in their client organizations. The validation of the proposed model is an opportunity for future research.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first to present a model that will govern the growth of international outsourcing opportunities in high‐end value‐added processes. It also provides some directions for outsourcing vendors to enhance their capabilities over time to leverage this opportunity.
Why is leadership so misunderstood? Inquiring minds want to know
Authors: Nielson Troy R. , Pate Larry E. 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThis paper examines leadership and its associated prominent theories from the perspectives of Mitroff and Linstone's (1993) five inquiry systems.Design/methodology/approachFive inquiry systems: Lockean (Inductive‐Consensual); Leibnitzian (Analytic‐Deductive); Kantian (Multiple Realities); Hegelian (Dialectic); and Singerian (Unbounded Systems Thinking) – are used to consider the advantages and disadvantages of major theories of leadership.FindingsAlthough each inquiry system has some beneficial application to leadership theory development, the article posits that the Kantian, Hegelian, and Singerian inquiry systems offer the greatest potential to understand the complex phenomenon of leadership.Practical implications/limitationsImplications for leadership research are offered based on each of the five inquiry systems.Originality/valueThe value of this article comes from using the inquiry systems to look at leadership theory and research from fresh philosophical perspectives.
Determinants of continuity and change over 10 years in young women's smoking
Authors: McDermott Liane , Dobson Annette , Owen Neville 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTAims  To examine prospectively continuity and change in smoking behaviour and associated attributes over a 10‐year period.Design, setting and participants  Participants (initially aged 18–23 years) in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health completed postal questionnaires in 1996, 2000, 2003 and 2006. The analysis sample was 6840 women who participated in all surveys and provided complete smoking data.Measurements  Outcome variables were transitions in smoking behaviour between surveys 1 and 2, 2 and 3, 3 and 4 and 1 and 4. Attributes that differentiated continuing smokers from quitters, relapsers from ex‐smokers and adopters from never smokers were examined for each survey period. Explanatory variables included previous smoking history, demographic, psychosocial, life‐style risk behaviour and life‐stage transition factors.Findings  Over 10 years, 23% of participants either quit, re‐started, adopted or experimented with smoking. Recent illicit drug use and risky or high‐risk drinking predicted continued smoking, relapse and smoking adoption. Marriage or being in a committed relationship was associated significantly with quitting, remaining an ex‐smoker and not adopting smoking. Living in a rural or remote area and lower educational attainment were associated with continued smoking; moderate and high physical activity levels were associated positively with remaining an ex‐smoker.Conclusions  Life‐style and life‐stage factors are significant determinants of young women's smoking behaviour. Future research needs to examine the inter‐relationships between tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use, and to identify the determinants of continued smoking among women living in rural and remote areas. Cessation strategies could examine the role of physical activity in relapse prevention.
Homicide in Chicago from 1890 to 1930: prohibition and its impact on alcohol‐ and non‐alcohol‐related homicides
Authors: Asbridge Mark , Weerasinghe Swarna 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTAim The aim of the current paper is to examine the impact of the enactment of constitutional prohibition in the United States in 1920 on total homicides, alcohol‐related homicides and non‐alcohol‐related homicides in Chicago.Design Data are drawn from the Chicago Historical Homicide Project, a data set chronicling 11 018 homicides in Chicago between 1870 and 1930. Interrupted time–series and autoregression integrated moving average (ARIMA) models are employed to examine the impact of prohibition on three separate population‐adjusted homicide series. All models control for potential confounding from World War I demobilization and from trend data drawn from Wesley Skogan's Time–Series Data from Chicago.Findings Total and non‐alcohol‐related homicide rates increased during prohibition by 21% and 11%, respectively, while alcohol‐related homicides remained unchanged. For other covariates, alcohol‐related homicides were related negatively to the size of the Chicago police force and positively to police expenditures and to the proportion of the Chicago population aged 21 years and younger. Non‐alcohol‐related homicides were related positively to police expenditures and negatively to the size of the Chicago police force.Conclusions While total and non‐alcohol‐related homicides in the United States continued to rise during prohibition, a finding consistent with other studies, the rate of alcohol‐related homicides remained unchanged. The divergent impact of prohibition on alcohol‐ and non‐alcohol‐related homicides is discussed in relation to previous studies of homicide in this era.
Facilitating involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous during out‐patient treatment: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Walitzer Kimberly S. , Dermen Kurt H. , Barrick Christopher 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTAim  This study evaluated two strategies to facilitate involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)—a 12‐Step‐based directive approach and a motivational enhancement approach—during skills‐focused individual treatment.Design  Randomized controlled trial with assessments at baseline, end of treatment and 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after treatment.Participants, setting and intervention  A total of 169 alcoholic out‐patients (57 women) assigned randomly to one of three conditions: a directive approach to facilitating AA, a motivational enhancement approach to facilitating AA or treatment as usual, with no special emphasis on AA.Measurements  Self‐report of AA meeting attendance and involvement, alcohol consumption (percentage of days abstinent, percentage of days heavy drinking) and negative alcohol consequences.Findings  Participants exposed to the 12‐Step directive condition for facilitating AA involvement reported more AA meeting attendance, more evidence of active involvement in AA and a higher percentage of days abstinent relative to participants in the treatment‐as‐usual comparison group. Evidence also suggested that the effect of the directive strategy on abstinent days was mediated partially through AA involvement. The motivational enhancement approach to facilitating AA had no effect on outcome measures.Conclusions  These results suggest that treatment providers can use a 12‐Step‐based directive approach to effectively facilitate involvement in AA and thereby improve client outcome.
Methadone and impairment in apprehended drivers
Authors: Bernard Jean‐Paul , Mørland Jørg , Krogh Mette , Khiabani Hassan Zaré 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTAims According to Norwegian guidelines, patients who are in opioid‐assisted rehabilitation programmes are permitted to drive a motor vehicle provided that certain requirements are met. The purpose of this study was to investigate apprehended drivers who had methadone in their blood at the time of apprehension and, further, the relationship between blood methadone concentration and impairment as measured by the clinical test of impairment (CTI).Methods The division of Forensic Toxicology and Drug Abuse (DFTDA) at the Norwegian Institute of Public Heath analyses blood samples from all drivers suspected of driving under the influence of drugs nation‐wide. Cases with positive results for methadone in blood were collected over the period 2001–2006.Results A total of 635 drivers with methadone found in their blood samples were identified. The majority of drivers were men (>80%), aged between 30 and 40 years. Methadone was the only psychoactive drug detected in blood in only 10 cases. Benzodiazepines were a frequent finding (in approximately 90% of cases). A significant difference in blood methadone concentration was found between cases where only methadone was detected [median 0.46 mg/l (range 0.19–0.65)] and cases where methadone was detected in combination with other psychoactive drugs [median 0.28 mg/l (range 0.06–1.24)]. A CTI had been carried out, in conjunction with blood sampling, in 577 of the cases. A concentration–impairment relationship was not seen for methadone in these cases.Conclusions Cases of driving impairment involving methadone alone were very rare, with combination use most frequent. No correlation between methadone concentration and impairment as judged by the CTI was seen either for these cases or for the material as a whole.
Changes and predictors of change in the physical health status of heroin users over 24 months
Authors: Williamson Anna , Darke Shane , Ross Joanne , Teesson Maree 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTAims  (i) To describe the course of physical health among the ATOS cohort over 24 months; and (ii) to examine the effects of treatment, drug use patterns and social and psychological factors on health status over 24 months.Design  Longitudinal cohort.Setting  Sydney, Australia.Participants  A total of 615 heroin users recruited for the Australian Treatment Outcome Study (ATOS).Findings  The general health of the cohort improved significantly over 24 months. Significant predictors of poor health over 24 months were: being older, being female, past month heroin, other opiate and tobacco use, past month unemployment and current major depression. Spending a greater proportion of time in residential rehabilitation (RR) was associated with better health over 24 months. No other treatment factors demonstrated a significant, independent relationship with health.Conclusions  The physical health of dependent heroin users is affected by drug use and psychosocial problems. RR treatment appears to be particularly beneficial to the health of heroin users, suggesting the importance of a comprehensive approach to improving health among this group.
Mortality risk up to 25 years after initiation of treatment among 420 Swedish women with alcohol addiction
Authors: Haver Brit , Gjestad Rolf , Lindberg Staffan , Franck Johan 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTAims  Women treated for alcohol addiction have mortality rates three to five times those of women from the general population (GP). However, these figures may be inflated because socially disadvantaged women with advanced drinking careers are over‐represented in previous studies. Our aim was to study the long‐term mortality of socially relatively well‐functioning patients coming to their first treatment, compared to matched GP controls.Design  The mortality rates and causes of death were compared between patients and their matched GP controls, using data from the Causes of Death Register throughout the follow‐up period (0–25 years).Setting  A specialized treatment programme for women only, called ‘Early treatment for Women with Alcohol Addiction’ (EWA) at the Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.Participants  Subjects (n = 420) receiving their first treatment at the EWA programme, compared to a group of matched GP women (n = 2037).Findings  The women patients had significantly higher mortality than matched GP controls throughout the whole follow‐up period, with a relative risk of 2.4. However, the younger women had four times higher mortality than their matched controls. The peak of deaths occurred during the first 5 years, and alcohol‐related causes of death were highly over‐represented, as were uncertain suicides and accidents.Conclusions  First‐time‐treated women with alcohol addiction have a substantially lower mortality than reported previously from clinical samples, except for the youngest group. Our figures were corrected for confounding factors such as socio‐demographic status. We believe our results could apply to broader groups of heavy drinking women, inside or outside specialized treatment settings.
The food habits of a Malagasy Giant: Hipposideros commersoni (E. Geoffroy, 1813)
Authors: Rakotoarivelo Andrinajoro A. , Ralisata Mahefatiana , Ravoahangimalala Olga Ramilijaona , Rakotomalala Marlène R. , Racey Paul A. , Jenkins Richard K. B. 
Published: February 2009

Abstract Hipposideros commersoni is a large microchiropteran bat endemic to Madagascar. We analysed fragments of its prey from faeces and from underneath feeding perches to describe its diet from four sites. Diet was similar across sites and Coleoptera was the main prey item by percentage volume (75%), followed by Hemiptera (13%). Carabidae and Scarabidae were the most frequent coleopterans found in the diet. Direct observations (n = 3) were made of bats flying short distances from perches along forest trails to prey on Cicadidae (c. 20 mm in length) located on tree trunks. There were differences in the composition of faecal samples collected form netted bats and pellets collected under feeding perches, with the latter consisting of more Blattoptera (Blattellidae ‘cockroaches’). Hipposideros commersoni appears to have a unique foraging behaviour and diet among Malagasy microchiropterans and its preference for certain Coleoptera and other large invertebrates may account for reported seasonal variation in body fattening and activity.
Systematic review: clinical efficacy of chelator agents and zinc in the initial treatment of Wilson disease
Authors: WIGGELINKHUIZEN M. , TILANUS M. E. C. , BOLLEN C. W. , HOUWEN R. H. J. 
Published: February 2009

SummaryBackground  No consensus is available on the optimal initial treatment in Wilson disease.Aim  To assess systematically the available literature of treatment in newly presenting patients with a presymptomatic, hepatic or neurological presentation of Wilson disease.Methods  A systematic literature search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE and COCHRANE databases was performed. Original studies on clinical efficacy of d‐penicillamine, trientine, tetrathiomolybdate or zinc monotherapy as initial treatment in Wilson disease were included. A descriptive analysis of the relevant published data was performed.Results  One randomized trial and 12 observational studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies were quite heterogeneous and generally of low validity. Nevertheless, according to currently available data, patients with hepatic presentation of Wilson disease are probably most effectively treated by d‐penicillamine. Zinc seems to be preferred above d‐penicillamine for treatment of presymptomatic and neurological patients, as in these subgroups, the tolerance profile is in favour of zinc, while no obvious differences in clinical efficacy could be observed.Conclusions  There is lack of high‐quality evidence to estimate the relative treatment effects of the available drugs in Wilson disease. Therefore, multicentre prospective randomized controlled comparative trials are necessary.
Antigenic stimulation with cytochrome P450 2J expressed in mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cells regulates host anti-tumour immunity
Authors: Homma S , Koido S , Sagawa Y , Suzuki H , Komita H , Nagasaki E , Takahara A , Horiguchi-Yamada J , Tajiri H , Zeldin D C , Obata T 
Published: February 2009

Summary
Cytochrome P450 2J subfamily (CYP2J) enzymes expressed in mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells were identified as an antigen recognized by specific CD4+ T cells and the structure of its T cell epitope was determined by proteomics-based exploration. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II binding peptides were isolated from I-Ak/peptide complex of dendritic cells (DCs) loaded or unloaded with MIH-2 mouse HCC cells. MHC class II-binding peptides found in MIH-2-loaded DCs but not in unloaded DCs were determined by tandem mass spectrometric analysis. The peptide, consisting of amino acid 276–290 (DFIDAFLKEMTKYPE) of mouse CYP2J enzymes, was identified as an antigenic peptide presented in the context of MHC class II. Preventive treatment of mice with CYP2J peptide stimulated interferon (IFN)-γ production of splenocytes and suppressed the growth of implanted CYP2J-positive MIH-2 cells but not CYP2J-negative murine bladder tumour cells. However, continuous treatment of MIH-2-bearing mice with CYP2J peptide significantly suppressed IFN-γ production of splenocytes and accelerated the growth of implanted MIH-2 tumours in vivo. Increased frequencies of CD4+forkhead box P3 regulatory T cells and CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid suppressor cells were observed in splenocytes from the continuously immunized mice. These results indicate that antigenecity of CYP2J isoforms expressed in HCC cells activate host anti-tumour immunity at an initial stage of HCC, but suppress host anti-tumour immunity with excessive antigenic stimulation at an advanced stage.
Vulnerability of carbon storage in North American boreal forests to wildfires during the 21st century
Authors: BALSHI M. S. , MCGUIRE A. D. , DUFFY P. , FLANNIGAN M. , KICKLIGHTER D. W. , MELILLO J. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe boreal forest contains large reserves of carbon. Across this region, wildfires influence the temporal and spatial dynamics of carbon storage. In this study, we estimate fire emissions and changes in carbon storage for boreal North America over the 21st century. We use a gridded data set developed with a multivariate adaptive regression spline approach to determine how area burned varies each year with changing climatic and fuel moisture conditions. We apply the process‐based Terrestrial Ecosystem Model to evaluate the role of future fire on the carbon dynamics of boreal North America in the context of changing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and climate in the A2 and B2 emissions scenarios of the CGCM2 global climate model. Relative to the last decade of the 20th century, decadal total carbon emissions from fire increase by 2.5–4.4 times by 2091–2100, depending on the climate scenario and assumptions about CO2 fertilization. Larger fire emissions occur with warmer climates or if CO2 fertilization is assumed to occur. Despite the increases in fire emissions, our simulations indicate that boreal North America will be a carbon sink over the 21st century if CO2 fertilization is assumed to occur in the future. In contrast, simulations excluding CO2 fertilization over the same period indicate that the region will change to a carbon source to the atmosphere, with the source being 2.1 times greater under the warmer A2 scenario than the B2 scenario. To improve estimates of wildfire on terrestrial carbon dynamics in boreal North America, future studies should incorporate the role of dynamic vegetation to represent more accurately post‐fire successional processes, incorporate fire severity parameters that change in time and space, account for human influences through increased fire suppression, and integrate the role of other disturbances and their interactions with future fire regime.