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Selected AbstractsWhat's Wrong with Corporate Governance: a noteCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 4 2004Richard W. Leblanc Greater use of qualitative research methods , including observing boards in real time and interviewing directors , needs to occur to advance the field. Quantitative researchers are, it would seem, measuring variables in respect of "structural independence," rather than board and individual director effectiveness, per se. Once "board effectiveness" and "director effectiveness" variables are able to be measured, together with their interaction, a greater likelihood of distilling a more definitive relationship between corporate governance and corporate financial performance may occur. [source] Fractionated Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatment Complications: A ReviewDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 3 2010ANDREI I. METELITSA MD BACKGROUND Fractional photothermolysis represents a new modality of laser skin resurfacing that was developed to provide a successful clinical response while minimizing postoperative recovery and limiting treatment complications. OBJECTIVES To review all of the reported complications that develop as a result of fractional ablative and nonablative laser skin resurfacing. METHODS A literature review was based on a MEDLINE search (1998,2009) for English-language articles related to laser treatment complications and fractional skin resurfacing. Articles presenting the highest level of evidence and the most recent reports were preferentially selected. RESULTS Complications with fractional laser skin resurfacing represent a full spectrum of severity and can be longlasting. In general, a greater likelihood of developing post-treatment complications is seen in sensitive cutaneous areas and in patients with intrinsically darker skin phototypes or predisposing medical risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Although the overall rate of complications associated with fractional laser skin resurfacing is much lower than with traditional ablative techniques, recent reports suggest that serious complications can develop. An appreciation of all of the complications associated with fractional laser skin resurfacing is important, especially given that many of them can be potentially prevented. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters. [source] Cannabis use in adolescents: the impact of risk and protective factors and social functioningDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 6 2005DAVID BEST Abstract The study uses a school-based sample to test the social and familial risk and protective factors relating to cannabis use. Based on a self-completion survey of 2078 14,16-year-olds (mean age of 15 years) attending seven standard state-run secondary schools in south London, an assessment was made of rates and risk factors for cannabis use. Twenty-four per cent of the total sample had ever used cannabis, with 15% having done so in the month prior to assessment. In addition to greater likelihood of illicit drug use, lifetime cannabis users were less likely to spend time regularly with both their mothers and fathers, but more likely to spend free time with friends who smoked, drank alcohol and used illicit drugs, and with friends involved in criminal activities. Among those who had ever used cannabis, frequency of cannabis use was predicted (using linear regression) by two onset factors (earlier initiation of drinking and cannabis use were both linked to more frequent use) and two social factors (more time spent with drug-using friends and less time spent with the mother). Overall, the study showed that early onset, itself predicted by social networks, is linked to more frequent use of cannabis and that this appears to be sustained by less time spent with parents and more with drug-using peers. [source] Risk perception and smoking behavior in medically ill smokers: a prospective studyADDICTION, Issue 6 2010Belinda Borrelli ABSTRACT Aims To examine the influence of risk perception on intentions to quit smoking and post-treatment abstinence. Design Prospective and longitudinal. Setting United States. Participants A total of 237 adult smokers (mean age 56 years) receiving medical care from home health-care nurses. Participants did not have to want to quit smoking to participate, but received cessation counseling within the context of their medical care. Measurements Three measures of risk perception were given pre- and post-treatment: perceived vulnerability, optimistic bias and precaution effectiveness. Smoking status was verified biochemically at end of treatment and at 2, 6 and 12 months later. Findings Principal components analysis supported the theoretical discriminability of the risk perception measures, and intercorrelations provided evidence for concurrent and predictive validity. Elevated risk perception was associated with a variety of socio-demographic and psychosocial characteristics. Optimistic bias was associated significantly with older age and ethnic minority status. Smokers in pre-contemplation had lower perceived vulnerability and precaution effectiveness and greater optimistic bias than those in contemplation and preparation. Smokers in preparation had higher perceived vulnerability and lower optimistic bias than those in earlier stages. Change in perceived vulnerability predicted smoking cessation at follow-up. Optimistic bias predicted a lower likelihood of cessation and precaution effectiveness predicted a greater likelihood of smoking cessation, but only among those with a smoking-related illness. Conclusions In patients receiving medical care from home health-care nurses, change in perceived vulnerability to smoking-related disease is predictive of smoking cessation. In those with smoking-related illnesses, optimistic bias predicts continued smoking while precaution effectiveness predicts cessation. [source] Drinking patterns, drinking contexts and alcohol-related aggression among late adolescent and young adult drinkersADDICTION, Issue 7 2005Samantha Wells ABSTRACT Aims The main objectives of this study were to determine: (1) the relative roles of heavy episodic drinking (HED), drinking frequency and drinking volume in explaining alcohol-related aggression and (2) whether drinking context variables (i.e. usual drinking locations, typical drinking companions and extent of peer drinking) confound or modify the relationship between HED and alcohol-related aggression or whether they predict alcohol-related aggression independently. Design A secondary analysis of the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth was conducted. Alcohol-related aggression (denoted fights after drinking) was measured based on self-reports of arguments or fights that occurred during or after drinking in the previous 12 months. Participants A composite sample of drinkers, ages 17,21, from the 1994, 1996 and 1998 Young Adult surveys (n = 738) was used. Findings Frequency of drinking and drinking volume largely confounded the association between HED and fights after drinking. Usually drinking in public locations away from home versus private locations was found to be significantly associated with a greater likelihood of fights after drinking among females. Among males, usual drinking location modified the relationship between drinking frequency and alcohol-related aggression, with the greatest risk of aggression for males who drank frequently and usually drank in public locations away from home. Conclusions Programs designed to reduce drinking frequency in this population and to increase the safety of drinking locations in public places away from home may prove to be beneficial in reducing alcohol-related aggression. [source] GENETIC STUDY: Association between dopamine transporter genotypes and smoking cessation: a meta-analysisADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007John A. Stapleton ABSTRACT This review assessed the evidence of an association between genotypes of the dopamine transporter (DAT1, SLC6A3) 3, untranslated region (3,UTR) variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) and smoking cessation. Five studies (seven cohorts) comprising 2155 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. All gave data on the number of smokers who had stopped smoking and the number still smoking for those with one or more variant 9-repeat alleles and other genotypes. Three studies (comprising five cohorts) were cross-sectional population surveys and two were smoking cessation treatment programs with follow-up. Four of the five studies (six of the seven cohorts) showed a trend in favor of cessation when the variant 9-repeat allele was present, although only one study showed a statistically significant effect. The pooled odds ratio in favor of a greater likelihood of cessation for the variant 9-repeat allele was 1.15 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.97,1.37]. In a more refined analysis where cohorts within studies were treated as separate samples and adjusted odds ratios were used, the overall pooled odds ratio in favor of cessation with the 9-repeat alleles was 1.20 (95% CI = 1.01,1.43). These results support the hypothesis that the DAT1 3,UTR VNTR polymorphism is associated with smoking cessation. One or more variant 9-repeat alleles relative to the more common 10-repeat allele confers a greater likelihood of cessation, indicative of lower dependence on tobacco. The effect was a 20% increase in the odds of cessation for those with a variant allele. [source] Executive Stock Options: To Expense or Not?FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2006Sanjay Deshmukh In analyzing the decision to expense stock options, we find a greater likelihood of options expensing for firms with greater transparency and a closer alignment of interests between managers and shareholders. These results provide indirect evidence that expensing is more likely in firms that practice good corporate governance. We show that firms are less likely to expense when option usage is higher and that this negative relation is stronger for firms that are smaller, have high growth, and are less profitable. We also find that the announcement period returns are not significantly different from zero. [source] A fuzzy logical vigilance alarm system for improving situation awareness and trust in supervisory controlHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 4 2006Cheng-Li Liu An automation system's operating performance is judged by how well an automation unit is monitored and maintained by its supervisors. Previous research has shown that situation awareness (SA) and trust are critical factors in automation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and improve supervisory performance in automation manufacturing. First, a conceptual structure of the relationship among SA, trust, and vigilance was developed. Second, a quantitative vigilance performance-measuring model (, value) was proposed. Third, a matrix experiment based on orthogonal arrays through a simulated system of an auxiliary feed-water system (AFWS) was conducted to verify the effect of the measuring model. Finally, according to the vigilance performance-measuring model, a fuzzy logical vigilance alarm system was constructed to improve operating performance. The results of the first experiment indicated that the , value on human dynamic decision-making characteristics was easy and objective in the measurement of operators' vigilance. With greater vigilance, there is a greater likelihood of making appropriate SA and acquiring more trust in automation. The results of the second experiment indicated that applying the , value to the design of the fuzzy logical vigilance alarm system could improve supervisory performance efficiently. Therefore, an adaptive vigilance performance-measuring model combined with a fuzzy technique applied to the design of a human,machine interface for the improvement of cognitive decision making and operating performance is an important new direction in automation manufacturing. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 16: 409,426, 2006. [source] Attachment in low-SES rural Appalachian infants: Contextual, infant, and maternal interaction risk and protective factorsINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 6 2001Margaret Fish Attachment classifications were obtained for 95 low-socioeconomic-status (SES) rural Appalachian infants in the Strange Situation procedure at 15 months. The distribution of secure (B) and insecure (A, C, D) infants was similar to other low-SES samples and significantly different from low-risk samples. Levels of contextual and infant risk, together with maternal responsiveness to crying and pattern of sensitivity from 4 to 9 months, predicted attachment security. High social support, when examined as a protective factor, related to reduced contextual risk, but not to increased likelihood of security. Exploratory discriminant function analyses showed that infants in secure relationships differed in positive directions on contextual and maternal interactional factors. Insecure-organized (A and C) infants experienced contextual and maternal interaction risks, while insecure-disorganized (D) infants were best distinguished by infant characteristics, including greater likelihood of being male and low use of mother as a secure base at 9 months. ©2001 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. [source] Maternal psychopathology and attachment in toddlers of heavy cocaine-using mothersINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2001Michael Espinosa The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among maternal psychopathology, early sensitive caregiving, and security of attachment in a sample of cocaine-using women from environments with high contextual risks that include poverty, low educational attainment, minority status, and single parenthood. Thirty-five women and their offspring participated in the study. Maternal psychopathology, including Axis I and Axis II disorders, was assessed during the prenatal period via a self-report clinical measure. Maternal sensitivity was assessed at 1 month and 6 months postdelivery through rating scales. At 18 months postdelivery, toddlers' attachment to their mothers was assessed via the Strange Situation procedure. Also at 18 months, mothers' level of depression was assessed via a depression inventory. Maternal psychopathology during pregnancy was found to be associated with both early caregiving and attachment. Mothers demonstrating clinical levels of particular Axis II disorders provided less sensitive caregiving, and had toddlers who were more likely to be disorganized/disoriented in their attachments. For Axis I disorders, only clinical levels of prenatal dysthymia were found to be associated with a greater likelihood of secure attachment. ©2001 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. [source] Attitudes toward weight gain during pregnancy: Results from the Norwegian mother and child cohort study (MoBa)INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 5 2009MSPH, Rebecca A. Swann BS Abstract Objective To explore attitudes toward weight gain during pregnancy in women with and without eating disorders and across eating disorder subtypes, and to examine associations among weight-gain attitudes and actual gestational weight gain, infant birth weight, and infant size-for-gestational-age. Method Pregnant women (35,929) enrolled in the prospective population-based Norwegian mother and child cohort study (MoBa) provided information at approximately week 18 of gestation regarding eating disorders and weight gain attitudes. We explored these variables in women with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, eating disorder not otherwise specified, purging type, and binge eating disorder (BED). Results The presence of an eating disorderly was associated with greater worry over gestational weight gain. In women without eating disorders, greater worry was associated with higher gestational weight gain, higher infant weights, greater likelihood of a large-for-gestational-age infant, and reduced likelihood of a small-for-gestational-age infant. Women with BED who reported greater worry also experienced higher weight gains during pregnancy. Discussion Women with eating disorders tend to experience weight-gain-related worry during pregnancy. Early worry about gestational weight-gain may be a harbinger of high gestational gain. © 2008 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord, 2009 [source] A longitudinal examination of patterns in girls' weight concerns and body dissatisfaction from ages 5 to 9 yearsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 3 2003Kirsten Krahnstoever Davison Abstract Objective To examine the development of girls' weight concerns and body dissatisfaction from ages 5 to 9 years and how change and continuity in these constructs from age 5 to 7 years is associated with girls' eating attitudes, dietary restraint, and dieting status at age 9. Methods Weight concerns, body dissatisfaction, and weight status were assessed for 182 girls when they were 5, 7, and 9 years old, and their eating attitudes, dietary restraint, and dieting status were assessed when they were 9. Results Girls tended to maintain their rank in weight concerns and body dissatisfaction across ages 5 to 9 years, and associations among girls' weight concerns, body dissatisfaction, and weight status increased with age. In addition, positive associations were found between changes in girls' weight concerns, body dissatisfaction, and weight status across ages 7 to 9. Finally, girls' who reported high weight concerns or high body dissatisfaction across ages 5 to 7 reported higher dietary restraint, more maladaptive eating attitudes, and a greater likelihood of dieting at age 9, independent of their weight status. Conclusion Girls' reported weight concerns and body dissatisfaction across middle childhood showed consistency over time, were systematically related to their weight status, and predicted their dietary restraint, eating attitudes, and the likelihood of dieting at age 9. These results reflect patterns identified among adolescent girls and women. © 2003 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 33: 320,332, 2003. [source] Potentially inappropriate management of depressive symptoms among Ontario home care clientsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 6 2008Dawn M. Dalby Abstract Objective To examine the prevalence and correlates of potentially inappropriate pharmacotherapy (including potential under-treatment) for depression in adult home care clients. Methods A cross-sectional study of clients receiving services from Community Care Access Centres in Ontario. Three thousand three hundred and twenty-one clients were assessed with the Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (RAI-HC). A score of 3 or greater on the Depression Rating Scale (DRS), a validated scale embedded within the RAI-HC, indicates the presence of symptoms of depression. Medications listed on the RAI-HC were used to categorize treatment into two groups: potentially appropriate and potentially inappropriate antidepressant drug therapy. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to explore relevant predictors of potentially inappropriate pharmacotherapy. Results 12.5% (n,=,414) of clients had symptoms of depression and 17% received an appropriate antidepressant. Over half of clients (64.5%) received potentially inappropriate pharmacotherapy (including potential under-treatment). Age 75 years or older, higher levels of caregiver stress and the presence of greater comorbidity were associated with a higher risk of potentially inappropriate pharmacotherapy in multivariate analyses. Documentation of any psychiatric diagnosis on the RAI-HC and receiving more medications were significantly associated with a greater likelihood of appropriate drug treatment. Conclusion Most clients with significant depressive symptoms were not receiving appropriate pharmacotherapy. Having a documented diagnosis of a psychiatric condition on the RAI-HC predicted appropriate pharmacotherapy. By increasing recognition of psychiatric conditions, the use of standardized, comprehensive assessment instruments in home care may represent an opportunity to improve mental health care in these settings. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Child Mortality and Socioeconomic Status: An Examination of Differentials by Migration Status in South Africa1INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION REVIEW, Issue 1 2007Kevin J. A. Thomas This study examines child mortality and socioeconomic status among migrants and nonmigrants. It also examines child mortality by migration status in all quintiles of socioeconomic status, comparing immigrants to the native-born and internal migrants to nonmigrants. The results show that among migrants, child mortality decreased faster as socioeconomic status increased than among nonmigrants. The results also show a cross-over in the likelihood of child mortality by immigration status as socioeconomic status increased. In the poorest socioeconomic quintiles immigrants had a greater likelihood of child mortality than the native-born while in the wealthiest quintiles child mortality was greater among the native-born. [source] Primed for Violence: The Role of Gender Inequality in Predicting Internal ConflictINTERNATIONAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2005M. Caprioli We know, most notably through Ted Gurr's research, that ethnic discrimination can lead to ethnopolitical rebellion,intrastate conflict. I seek to discover what impact, if any, gender inequality has on intrastate conflict. Although democratic peace scholars and others highlight the role of peaceful domestic behavior in predicting state behavior, many scholars have argued that a domestic environment of inequality and violence,structural and cultural violence,results in a greater likelihood of violence at the state and the international level. This project contributes to this line of inquiry and further tests the grievance theory of intrastate conflict by examining the norms of violence that facilitate a call to arms. And in many ways, I provide an alternative explanation for the significance of some of the typical economic measures,the greed theory,based on the link between discrimination, inequality, and violence. I test whether states characterized by higher levels of gender inequality are more likely to experience intrastate conflict. Ultimately, the basic link between gender inequality and intrastate conflict is confirmed,states characterized by gender inequality are more likely to experience intrastate conflict, 1960,2001. [source] Use of Medicare and Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care by Veterans with Dementia: A Longitudinal AnalysisJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 10 2009Carolyn W. Zhu PhD The objectives of this study were to examine longitudinal patterns of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),only use, dual VA and Medicare use, and Medicare-only use by veterans with dementia. Data on VA and Medicare use were obtained from VA administrative datasets and Medicare claims (1998,2001) for 2,137 male veterans who, in 1997, used some VA services, had a formal diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia in the VA, and were aged 65 and older. Generalized ordered logit models were used to estimate the effects of patient characteristics on use group over time. In 1998, 41.7% of the sample were VA-only users, 55.4% were dual users, and 2.9% were Medicare-only users. By 2001, 30.4% were VA-only users, 51.5% were dual users, and 18.1% were Medicare-only users. Multivariate results show that greater likelihood of Medicare use was associated with older age, being white, being married, having higher education, having private insurance or Medicaid, having low VA priority level, and living in a nursing home or dying during the year. Higher comorbidities were associated with greater likelihood of dual use as opposed to any single system use. Alternatively, number of functional limitations was associated with greater likelihood of Medicare-only use and less likelihood of VA-only use. These results imply that different aspects of veterans' needs have differential effects on where they seek care. Efforts to coordinate care between VA and Medicare providers are necessary to ensure that patients receive high-quality care, especially patients with multiple comorbidities. [source] Allostatic Load and Frailty in Older AdultsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 9 2009Tara L. Gruenewald PhD OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between allostatic load (AL), an index of multisystem physiological dysregulation, and frailty development over a 3-year follow-up in a sample of older adults. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: High-functioning men and women aged 70 to 79 at study entry. MEASUREMENTS: Multisystem physiological dysregulation, or AL, was assessed according to 13 biomarkers of cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, and metabolic function. An AL score was computed as the total number of biomarkers for which participant values fell into high-risk biomarker quartiles. Frailty status (not frail, intermediate frail, frail) was determined according to the total number of five indicators of frailty: weight loss, exhaustion, weak grip, slow gait, and low physical activity. The association between level of AL at baseline and frailty status 3 years later was examined using ordinal logistic regression in 803 participants not frail at baseline. RESULTS: In a multivariable model adjusting for sociodemographic, health, and behavioral characteristics, each 1-unit increase in AL at baseline was associated with a 10% greater likelihood of frailty at the 3-year follow-up (cumulative adjusted odds ratio=1.10, 95% confidence interval=1.03,1.19). CONCLUSION: These findings support the hypothesis that dysregulation across multiple physiological systems is associated with greater risk of frailty. Greater levels of multisystem physiological dysregulation may serve as a warning sign of frailty development in later life. [source] Patterns and Predictors of Smoking Cessation in an Elderly CohortJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 3 2006Heather E. Whitson MD OBJECTIVES: To identify subject characteristics that predict smoking cessation and describe patterns of cessation and recidivism in a cohort of elderly smokers. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Piedmont region, North Carolina. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred seventy-three subjects enrolled in the North Carolina Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly who responded "yes" to question 179 on the baseline survey (Do you smoke cigarettes regularly now?) and survived at least 3 years, until the next in-person follow-up (1989/90). Subjects were classified as quitters (n=100) or nonquitters (n=473) based on subsequent smoking behavior. MEASUREMENTS: Reported smoking behavior, demographic characteristics of the smokers at baseline or subsequent interviews, 7-year mortality. RESULTS: After controlling for all characteristics studied, subjects who quit smoking were more likely to be female (P=.03) and showed a trend toward greater likelihood of a recent cancer diagnosis (P=.11). Recidivism was observed in only 16% (19/119) of subjects who reported no smoking in 1989/90. The percentage of subjects who died during 7 years of follow-up was 44.0% of quitters, compared with 51.6% of nonquitters. Smoking cessation was not associated with a statistically significant decrease in risk of death after controlling for other variables (odds ratio=0.78, 95% confidence interval=0.48,1.26). CONCLUSION: Smoking cessation in this elderly cohort was associated with different subject characteristics from those that predict successful cessation in younger populations, suggesting that older smokers may have unique reasons to stop smoking. Further study is needed to assess potential motives and benefits associated with smoking cessation at an advanced age. [source] Health, Healthcare Utilization, and Satisfaction with Service: Barriers and Facilitators for Older Korean AmericansJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 9 2005Yuri Jang PhD The present study assessed predictive models of subjective perception of health, healthcare utilization (hospital visits), and satisfaction with healthcare service using a sample of 230 older Korean Americans. Predisposing characteristics (age, sex, and education), health needs (chronic conditions, functional disability, and number of sick days), and a variety of enabling factors (health insurance, English speaking ability, transportation, living arrangement, trust in Western medicine, and reported experience of disrespect in medical settings) were considered. After controlling for predisposing and need factors, health insurance coverage was found to be a significant enabling factor for hospital visits. Subjective perception of health was found to be significant not only for healthcare utilization, but also for satisfaction with service. A greater likelihood of satisfaction was also observed in individuals with health insurance, better English-speaking ability, and greater trust in Western medical care. The reported experience of disrespect or discrimination in medical settings significantly reduced the odds of satisfaction with service. [source] How Does the Timing of Hospice Referral Influence Hospice Care in the Last Days of Life?JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 6 2003Susan C. Miller PhD OBJECTIVES: To determine factors associated with the type of hospice care received in the last days of life and, in particular, how the timing of referral influences the use of continuous hospice home care and inpatient hospice care. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Twenty-one hospice programs across seven states under the ownership of one hospice parent provider. PARTICIPANTS: Hospice patients who were cared for and died between October 1, 1998, and September 30, 1999 (N = 28,747). MEASUREMENTS: Patient sociodemographic and clinical data were merged with use data from the provider's centralized information system to examine the factors associated with the differing levels of hospice care in the last week of life. In the last days of life, patients were classified as having received routine hospice home care only, having received continuous hospice home care, or having died in an inpatient hospice bed. RESULTS: Twenty-three percent of the patients received continuous hospice home care during the last week of life, and 34% died in an inpatient hospice bed. Patients with hospice stays of less than 7 days had a lower likelihood of receiving continuous hospice home care than those who had stays of more than 30 days (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.75,0.87). Patients with hospice stays of 14 days or less had a greater likelihood of dying in an inpatient hospice bed. Furthermore, patients with stays of less than 7 days who were referred from hospitals were six times likelier to die in an inpatient hospice bed than those who were referred from another source (AOR = 6.40, 95% CI = 5.74,7.14). Patients in nursing homes had a 93% lower likelihood of dying in an inpatient hospice bed than patients in the community without a live-in caregiver (AOR = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.03,0.19). Strong independent associations were observed between several other covariates and the study outcomes, particularly the covariates of which state hospice care was provided in and level of pain intensity. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that continuous hospice home care in the last week of life is less likely to occur when patients have short hospice stays. Also, the probability of dying in an inpatient hospice bed is substantially greater for patients referred from hospitals and referred closer to time of death. Further work to determine the appropriateness of use of the different levels of hospice care is needed. [source] Visceral influences on risk-taking behaviorJOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING, Issue 2 2006Peter H. Ditto Abstract Visceral cues indicating proximity to objects of desire can lead people to be disproportionately influenced by the anticipated rewards of immediate gratification rather than the risks of consummatory behavior. Two studies examined this hypothesis. In Study 1, participants were given the choice of playing a game in which they risked time in the lab to win chocolate chip cookies. Participants who could see and smell the cookies while they made their decision were less sensitive to risk information than were participants for whom the cookies were merely described. In Study 2, male condom users either saw a video or read a description depicting a young couple deciding whether to have sex without a condom. Participants seeing the video expressed a greater likelihood of having unprotected sex in the situation than did participants reading the description. The underappreciated role of visceral factors in social cognition theory and research is discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Two Different Therapeutic Strategies in ICD Lead Defects: Additional Combined LeadVersus Replacement of the LeadJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 11 2007CHRISTIAN G. WOLLMANN M.D. Objectives: Implantation of an additional HV-P/S lead versus extraction of the defective HV-P/S lead and implantation of a new one is one possible therapeutic approach in cases of a defective high-voltage pace/sense lead (HV-P/S). No information is available on potential differences in clinical outcome in these different approaches. Methods: Between January 2000 and February 2006, 86 patients with HV-P/S lead defect received either an additional transvenous HV-P/S lead (n = 33, group 1) or the HV-P/S lead was replaced (n = 53, group 2). The duration of the initially implanted leads was significantly different in the two groups (7.4 ± 2.9; group 1 and 4.1 ± 3.4 years; group 2). The outcome of these two groups of patients was retrospectively analyzed. Results: Seventy-three patients [85%] survived until the end of follow-up of 29 ± 15 (group 1) and 33 ± 21 (group 2) months (P = ns), respectively. Thirteen patients died: six in group 1 and seven in group 2 (P = ns). Fourteen patients experienced perioperative complications (group 1: six; group 2: eight; P = ns). ICD system-related complications occurred in 22 patients (group 1: seven; group two: 15; P = ns). The event-free cumulative survival of patients with additional and replaced HV-P/S lead for postoperative events (including death) after 1, 2, and 3 years was 82%, 70%, 70%, and 86%, 81%, 66%, respectively (P = 0.93). Conclusions: Implantation of an additional HV-P/S lead or replacement of the HV-P/S lead in case of HV-P/S lead failure is statistically not different concerning mortality and morbidity. There are no predictors for further lead defects. Implantation of an additional HV-P/S lead should not be recommended in young patients or patients with greater likelihood of living many years. Predictors for death were an age over 70 years and renal insufficiency. [source] Intimate partner violence relationship dissolution among couples with children: the counterintuitive role of "Law and Order" neighborhoodsJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Clifton R. Emery This study examined the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) relationship dissolution and neighborhood concentrated disadvantage, ethnic heterogeneity, residential instability, collective efficacy, and legal cynicism. Data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) Longitudinal survey were used to identify 658 cases of IPV in Wave 1. A generalized boosting model (GBM) was used to determine the best proximal predictors of relationship dissolution from the longitudinal data. Controlling for these predictors, logistic regression of neighborhood characteristics from the PHDCN community survey was used to predict IPV relationship dissolution in Wave 2. Counterintuitively, the authors find that neighborhoods high in legal cynicism have a greater likelihood of IPV relationship dissolution, controlling for other variables in the logistic regression model. However, analyses did not find that IPV relationship dissolution was related to neighborhood concentrated disadvantage, ethnic heterogeneity, residential instability, and collective efficacy. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Dynamic Competition with Experience GoodsJOURNAL OF ECONOMICS & MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, Issue 1 2006J. Miguel Villas-Boas This paper considers dynamic competition in the case in which consumers are only able to learn about their preferences for a certain product after experiencing it. After trying a product a consumer has more information about that product than about untried products. When competing in such a market firms with more sales in the past have an informational advantage because more consumers know their products. If products provide a better-than-expected fit with greater likelihood, taking advantage of that informational advantage may lead to an informational disadvantage in the future. This paper considers this competition with an infinite horizon model in a duopoly market with overlapping generations of consumers. Two effects are identified: On one hand marginal forward-looking consumers realize that by purchasing a product in the current period will be charged a higher expected price in the future. This effect results in reduced price sensitivity and higher equilibrium prices. On the other hand, forward-looking firms realize that they gain in the future from having a greater market share in the current period and compete more aggressively in prices. For similar discount factors for consumers and firms, the former effect is more important, and prices are higher the greater the informational advantages. The paper also characterizes oscillating market share dynamics, and comparative statics of the equilibrium with respect to consumer and firm patience, and the importance of the experience in the ex post valuation of the product. [source] Interpersonal Orientation in Context: Correlates and Effects of Interpersonal Complementarity on Subjective and Cardiovascular ExperiencesJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 4 2007Jessi L. Smith ABSTRACT Interpersonal orientation (IO) generally refers to individual differences in preference for social interaction. The influence of IO, however, likely depends on the nature of complementarity within the interpersonal context. Using the interpersonal circumplex and Five-Factor Model, we first selected a measure of IO characterized by affiliation and neuroticism. Second, we examined the influence of IO on subjective, physiological, and nonverbal experiences as a function of experimentally manipulated complementarity or noncomplementarity. We hypothesized that women in noncomplementarity conditions (i.e., women low in IO working with a friendly confederate, women high in IO working with an unfriendly confederate) would experience the interpersonal situation more negatively compared to women in complementarity conditions. Study results confirmed this prediction, with noncomplementarity in IO resulting in greater physiological reactivity, greater likelihood to attempt nonverbally to restore complementarity, more partner-related thoughts, and a reduced desire to seek out attention compared to women working in complementarity conditions. Implications for research on IO as a person variable are discussed. [source] The Role of Personality in Task and Relationship ConflictJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 3 2002Joyce E. Bono ABSTRACT Two studies explored the extent to which dispositions influence the attributions individuals make about the type of conflict they experience. Traits from the Five-Factor Model of personality (FFM) were linked to the tendency to experience task-and relationship-oriented conflict. Results provide some support for the idea that individuals have stable tendencies in the attributions they make about their conflict experiences across time, partners, and situations. Agreeableness and openness were related to reports of relationship conflict at the individual level. However, the strongest effects of personality on conflict attributions were found in the analysis of dyads. This analysis revealed that partner levels of extraversion and conscientiousness were associated with individuals' tendencies to report relationship conflict. Moreover, mean levels of extraversion and conscientiousness in a pair were associated with reports of relationship conflict. Differences between partners in extraversion were associated with more frequent conflict and a greater likelihood of reporting task-related conflict. Implications of these findings with respect to the role of personality in interpersonal relationships are discussed. Finally, these studies provide confirmatory evidence that conflict attributions have a meaningful impact on relationship satisfaction. [source] fMRI BOLD Response to the Eyes Task in Offspring From Multiplex Alcohol Dependence FamiliesALCOHOLISM, Issue 12 2007Shirley Y. Hill Background:, Increased susceptibility for developing alcohol dependence (AD) may be related to structural and functional differences in brain circuits that influence social cognition and more specifically, theory of mind (ToM). Alcohol dependent individuals have a greater likelihood of having deficits in social skills and greater social alienation. These characteristics may be related to inherited differences in the neuroanatomical network that comprises the social brain. Methods:, Adolescent/young adult participants from multiplex AD families and controls (n = 16) were matched for gender, age, IQ, education, and handedness and administered the Eyes Task of Baron-Cohen during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Results:, High-risk (HR) subjects showed significantly diminished blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response in comparison with low-risk control young adults in the right middle temporal gyrus (RMTG) and the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG), areas that have previously been implicated in ToM tasks. Conclusions:, Offspring from multiplex families for AD may manifest one aspect of their genetic susceptibility by having a diminished BOLD response in brain regions associated with performance of ToM tasks. These results suggest that those at risk for developing AD may have reduced ability to empathize with others' state of mind, possibly resulting in diminished social skill. [source] Outcome of Dogs with Diabetic Ketoacidosis: 127 Dogs (1993,2003)JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2006Daniel Z. Hume The aim of this study was to retrospectively describe the outcome of 127 dogs with naturally occurring diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and to examine the association between outcome of canine DKA and clinical and clinicopathologic findings. Eighty-two (65%) dogs were diagnosed with DKA at the time of initial diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM). Eighty-seven dogs (69%) had one or more concurrent disorders diagnosed at the time of hospitalization. Commonly identified concurrent conditions included acute pancreatitis (52, 41%), urinary tract infection (21, 20%), and hyperadrenocorticism (19, 15%). Dogs with coexisting hyperadrenocorticism were less likely to be discharged from the hospital (P= .029). Of 121 treated dogs, 89 dogs (70%) survived to be discharged from the hospital, with a median hospitalization of 6 days. Nonsurvivors had lower ionized calcium concentration (P <.001), lower hematocrit (P= .036), lower venous pH (P= .0058), and larger base deficit (P= .0066) than did survivors. Time from admission to initiation of subcutaneous insulin therapy was correlated with lower serum potassium concentration (P= .0056), lower serum phosphorus concentration (P= .0043), abnormally high white blood cell count (P= .0060), large base deficit (P= .0015), and low venous pH (P <.001). Multivariate analysis showed that base deficit was associated with outcome (P <.021). For each unit increase in the base deficit, there was a 9% greater likelihood of discharge from the hospital. In conclusion, the majority of dogs with DKA were not previously diagnosed with DM. Concurrent conditions and electrolyte abnormalities are common in DKA and are associated with length of hospitalization. Survival was correlated to degree of anemia, hypocalcemia, and acidosis. [source] Predictors of Grade 2 Word Reading and Vocabulary Learning from Grade 1 Variables in Spanish-Speaking Children: Similarities and DifferencesLEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 1 2008Alexandra Gottardo We examined the components of first (L1) and second language (L2) phonological processing that are related to L2 word reading and vocabulary. Spanish-speaking English learners (EL) were classified as average or low readers in grades 1 and 2. A large number of children who started out as poor readers in first grade became average readers in second grade while vocabulary scores were more stable. Binary logistic regressions examined variables related to classifications of consistently average, consistently low, or improving on reading or vocabulary across grades. Good L2 phonological short-term memory and phonological awareness scores predicted good reading and vocabulary scores. L1 and L2 measures differentiated consistently good performers from consistently low performers, while only L2 measures differentiated children who improved from children who remained low performers. Children who are EL should be screened on measures of pseudoword repetition and phonological awareness with low scorers being good candidates for receiving extra assistance in acquiring L2 vocabulary and reading. This study suggests measures that can be used to select children who have a greater likelihood of experiencing difficulties in reading and vocabulary. [source] Projections of the effects of climate change on allergic asthma: the contribution of aerobiologyALLERGY, Issue 9 2010L. Cecchi To cite this article: Cecchi L, D'Amato G, Ayres JG, Galan C, Forastiere F, Forsberg B, Gerritsen J, Nunes C, Behrendt H, Akdis C, Dahl R, Annesi-Maesano I. Projections of the effects of climate change on allergic asthma: the contribution of aerobiology. Allergy 2010; 65: 1073,1081. Abstract Climate change is unequivocal and represents a possible threat for patients affected by allergic conditions. It has already had an impact on living organisms, including plants and fungi with current scenarios projecting further effects by the end of the century. Over the last three decades, studies have shown changes in production, dispersion and allergen content of pollen and spores, which may be region- and species-specific. In addition, these changes may have been influenced by urban air pollutants interacting directly with pollen. Data suggest an increasing effect of aeroallergens on allergic patients over this period, which may also imply a greater likelihood of the development of an allergic respiratory disease in sensitized subjects and exacerbation of symptomatic patients. There are a number of limitations that make predictions uncertain, and further and specifically designed studies are needed to clarify current effects and future scenarios. We recommend: More stress on pollen/spore exposure in the diagnosis and treatment guidelines of respiratory and allergic diseases; collection of aerobiological data in a structured way at the European level; creation, promotion and support of multidisciplinary research teams in this area; lobbying the European Union and other funders to finance this research. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||