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Selected AbstractsIndividualized treatment strategy according to early viral kinetics in hepatitis C virus type 1,infected patients,,HEPATOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Thomas Berg Individualized treatment on the basis of early viral kinetics has been discussed to optimize antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Individually tailored reduction in treatment duration in HCV type 1,infected patients represents one possible strategy. Four hundred thirty-three patients were randomly assigned to receive either 1.5 ,g/kg peginterferon alfa-2b weekly plus 800-1,400 mg ribavirin daily for 48 weeks (n = 225, group A) or an individually tailored treatment duration (18-48 weeks; n = 208, group B). In the latter group, treatment duration was calculated using the time required to induce HCV RNA negativity (branched DNA [bDNA] assay; sensitivity limit, 615 IU/mL) multiplied by the factor 6. All bDNA negative samples were retested with the more sensitive transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) assay (sensitivity limit, 5.3 IU/mL). Sustained virologic response (SVR) rates were significantly lower in group B (34.6% versus 48.0% [P = 0.005]) due to higher relapse rates (32.7% versus 14.2% [P< 0.0005]). Important predictors of response were the levels of baseline viremia as well as the time to TMA negativity on treatment. Taking the simultaneous presence of low baseline viral load (<800,000 IU/mL) and a negative TMA test within the first 4 weeks as predictors for treatment response, SVR rates were comparable between both treatment schedules with an SVR probability of >80% obtained in patients treated for only 18 or 24 weeks. Conclusion: The individualized treatment strategy according to time to bDNA negativity failed to provide comparable efficacy compared with the standard of care. The inferiority of the individualized protocol may be explained by the use of a less sensitive HCV RNA assay, and also by underestimation of the importance of baseline viremia. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.) [source] Outcomes in hepatitis C virus,infected recipients of living donor vs. deceased donor liver transplantation,,§¶LIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 1 2007Norah A. Terrault In this retrospective study of hepatitis C virus (HCV),infected transplant recipients in the 9-center Adult to Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study, graft and patient survival and the development of advanced fibrosis were compared among 181 living donor liver transplant (LDLT) recipients and 94 deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) recipients. Overall 3-year graft and patient survival were 68% and 74% in LDLT, and 80% and 82% in DDLT, respectively. Graft survival, but not patient survival, was significantly lower for LDLT compared to DDLT (P = 0.04 and P = 0.20, respectively). Further analyses demonstrated lower graft and patient survival among the first 20 LDLT cases at each center (LDLT ,20) compared to later cases (LDLT > 20; P = 0.002 and P = 0.002, respectively) and DDLT recipients (P < 0.001 and P = 0.008, respectively). Graft and patient survival in LDLT >20 and DDLT were not significantly different (P = 0.66 and P = 0.74, respectively). Overall, 3-year graft survival for DDLT, LDLT >20, and LDLT ,20 were 80%, 79% and 55%, with similar results conditional on survival to 90 days (84%, 87% and 68%, respectively). Predictors of graft loss beyond 90 days included LDLT ,20 vs. DDLT (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.1, P = 0.04), pretransplant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (HR = 2.21, P = 0.03) and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) at transplantation (HR = 1.24, P = 0.04). In conclusion, 3-year graft and patient survival in HCV-infected recipients of DDLT and LDLT >20 were not significantly different. Important predictors of graft loss in HCV-infected patients were limited LDLT experience, pretransplant HCC, and higher MELD at transplantation. Liver Transpl 13:122,129, 2007. © 2006 AASLD. [source] Limited LCAs of pharmaceutical products: merits and limitations of an environmental management toolCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2003Anne Marie de Jonge This article explores both the merits and the limitations of life cycle analysis (LCA) as an environmental management tool in the framework of the pharmaceutical industry. In this study, limited LCAs in the form of product lifecycle-oriented energy balances were established for two rather different pharmaceutical products. Primary energy requirements served as the single indicator for the products' direct and indirect environmental impacts. The functional units of the products were defined as the one year treatments of average patients. The results of the case studies indicate that the portion of the active substance in the pharmaceutical end product is an important predictor for the breakdown of energy requirements and thus environmental impacts over the life cycle. Despite its limitations, the energy balances provide first-hand indications of where eco-efficiency measures should be taken. In this sense, the limited LCAs served as a useful environmental management tool. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source] Managing People to Promote InnovationCREATIVITY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2005Helen Shipton There is growing evidence available to suggest that Human Resource Management (HRM) practice is an important predictor of organizational performance. Drawing upon organizational learning perspectives, we argue that HRM systems also have the potential to promote organizational innovation. We present longitudinal data from thirty-five UK manufacturing organizations to suggest that effective HRM systems , incorporating sophisticated approaches to recruitment and selection, induction, appraisal and training , predict organizational innovation in products and production technology. We further show that organizational innovation is enhanced where there is a supportive learning climate, and inhibited (for innovation in production processes) where there is a link between appraisal and remuneration. [source] Serum concentrations of high-mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 before and after exposure to the surgical stress of thoracic esophagectomy: a predictor of clinical course after surgery?DISEASES OF THE ESOPHAGUS, Issue 1 2006K. Suda SUMMARY., High-mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 (HMGB-1) has recently been shown as an important late mediator of endotoxin shock, intra-abdominal sepsis, and acute lung injury. However, its role in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome after major surgical stress, which may lead to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, has not been thoroughly investigated. We hypothesized that serum HMGB-1 participates in the pathogenesis of postoperative organ system dysfunction after exposure to major surgical stress. A prospective clinical study was performed to consecutive patients (n = 24) with carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy with three field lymph node resection between 1998 and 2003 at Keio University Hospital, Japan. Serum HMGB-1 concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Preoperative serum HMGB-1 levels correlated with postoperative duration of SIRS, mechanical ventilation, and intensive care unit stay. Three of the 24 patients had serious postoperative complications: sepsis in two, and acute lung injury in one. Serum HMGB-1 levels in patients without complications increased within the first 24 h postoperatively, remained high during postoperative days 2,3, and then decreased gradually by postoperative day 7. In patients with serious complications, serum HMGB-1 was significantly higher than that found in patients without postoperative complications at every time point except postoperative day 2. Preoperative serum HMGB-1 concentration seems to be an important predictor of the postoperative clinical course. Transthoracic esophagectomy induces an increase in HMGB-1 in serum even in patients without complications. Postoperative serum HMGB-1 concentrations were higher in patients who developed complications, and may be a predictive marker for complications in this setting. [source] Geomorphic and riparian forest influences on characteristics of large wood and large-wood jams in old-growth and second-growth forests in Northern Michigan, USAEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 8 2007Arthur E. L. Morris Abstract Large wood (LW; pieces with diameter greater than 10 cm and length greater than 1 m) and large-wood jams (LWJs; two or more pieces of LW in contact with each other) are important components of stream ecosystems that are often distributed along stream channels in response to geomorphic and riparian forest factors that interact hierarchically. As a result, information on these relationships is valuable for predicting patterns of wood accumulation and characteristics of individual pieces of wood. We studied relationships between geomorphic and riparian factors and LW and LWJ structure in different geomorphic settings associated with old-growth and second-growth settings in Upper Michigan. We used redundancy analysis (RDA) and regression tree analysis to evaluate changes in LW and LWJ structural characteristics among geomorphic and riparian forest settings. Geomorphic factors explained 38·5% of the variability in LW and LWJ characteristics, riparian forest factors uniquely explained 18·4% of the variance and the intersection of the two categories of environmental factors (i.e. the redundant portion) was 29·8%. At the landscape scale, our multivariate analyses suggest that the presence of rock-plane bedding was an important predictor of the number of LWJs and the percent of channel spanned by LWJs. Our analyses suggest differences in relationships between geomorphic factors and LW and LWJ structure. Channel width, distance from headwaters, gradient and sinuosity were identified by regression tree analyses as the most important variables for predicting LW characteristics, while channel width and confinement were the most important variables for predicting LWJ characteristics. Old-growth settings generally contained a higher proportion of conifer and LW (both in and out of LWJs) with greater diameter and volume than in second-growth settings. Our study supports the view that restoration of wood to streams will benefit from considering the associations of wood structure with landscape and reach-scale geomorphology. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reach-scale channel geometry of a mountain riverEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 8 2004Ellen Wohl Abstract Mountain rivers can be subject to strong constraints imposed by changes in gradient and grain size supplied by processes such as glaciation and rockfall. Nonetheless, adjustments in the channel geometry and hydraulics of mountain rivers at the reach scale can produce discernible patterns analogous to those in fully alluvial rivers. Mountain rivers can differ in that imposed reach-scale gradient is an especially important control on reach-scale channel characteristics, as indicated by examination of North St Vrain Creek in Colorado. North St Vrain Creek drains 250 km2 of the Rocky Mountains. We used 25 study reaches within the basin to examine controls on reach-scale channel geometry. Variables measured included channel geometry, large woody debris, grain size, and mean velocity. Drainage area at the study reaches ranged from 2·2 to 245 km2, and gradient from 0·013 to 0·147 m m,1. We examined correlations among (1) potential reach-scale response variables describing channel bankfull dimension and shape, hydraulics, bedform wavelength and amplitude, grain size, ,ow resistance, standard deviation of hydraulic radius, and volume of large woody debris, and (2) potential control variables that change progressively downstream (drainage area, discharge) or that are likely to re,ect a reach-speci,c control (bed gradient). We tested the hypothesis that response variables correlate most strongly with local bed gradient because of the segmented nature of mountain channels. Results from simple linear regression analyses indicate that most response variables correlate best with gradient, although channel width and width/depth ratio correlate best with discharge. Multiple regression analyses using Mallow's Cp selection criterion and log-transformation of all variables produced similar results in that most response variables correlate strongly with gradient. These results suggest that the hypothesis is partially supported: channel bed gradient is likely to be a good predictor for many reach-scale response variables along mountain rivers, but discharge is also an important predictor for some response variables. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Disentangling social selection and social influence effects on adolescent smoking: the importance of reciprocity in friendshipsADDICTION, Issue 9 2007Liesbeth Mercken ABSTRACT Aims The goal of this study was to examine social selection and social influence within reciprocal and non-reciprocal friendships, and the role of parents and siblings, as factors explaining similarity of smoking behaviour among adolescent friends. A new social selection,social influence model is proposed. Design Longitudinal design with two measurements. Setting Data were gathered among Dutch high school students in the control group of the European Smoking prevention Framework Approach (ESFA) study. Participants The sample consisted of 1886 adolescents with a mean age of 12.7 years. Measurements The main outcome measures were the smoking behaviours of the respondents, best friends, parents and siblings. We tested the social selection,social influence model with structural equation modelling techniques. Findings Social selection and social influence both played an important role in explaining similarity of smoking behaviour among friends. Within non-reciprocal friendships, only social selection explained similarity of smoking behaviour, whereas within reciprocal friendships, social influence and possibly also social selection explained similarity of smoking behaviour. Sibling smoking behaviour was a more important predictor of adolescent smoking behaviour than parental smoking behaviour. Conclusions Social selection and social influence both promote similarity of smoking behaviour, and the impact of each process differs with the degree of reciprocity of friendships. These insights may contribute to further refinement of smoking prevention strategies. [source] More than the Big Five: Egoism and the HEXACO model of personalityEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 8 2009Reinout E. de Vries Abstract Egoism is a personality trait that is associated with self-enriching and self-centred behaviours. Research has suggested that egoism lies beyond the Big Five personality factors. Recently, the HEXACO model of personality has been proposed as an alternative to the Big Five model. In three studies, the relation between the HEXACO Personality Inventory and egoism, conceptualized using three different questionnaires (DPQ Egoism, SPI Egotism and the Egoism Scale), is investigated. In all three studies, the HEXACO Honesty,Humility factor scale was the most important predictor of egoism. Additionally, in two studies in which FFM measures were used, the HEXACO Personality Inventory explained more variance in egoism than did the FFPI (Study 2) and the NEO-PI-R (Study 3). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Interest Rate Volatility Prior to Monetary Union under Alternative Pre-Switch RegimesGERMAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 4 2003Bernd Wilfling Interest rate volatility; term structure; exchange rate arrangements; intervention policy; stochastic processes Abstract. The volatility of interest rates is relevant for many financial applications. Under realistic assumptions the term structure of interest rate differentials provides an important predictor of the term structure of interest rates. This paper derives the term structure of differentials in a situation in which two open economies plan to enter a monetary union in the future. Two systems of floating exchange rates prior to the union are considered, namely a free-float and a managed-float regime. The volatility processes of arbitrary-term differentials under the respective pre-switch arrangements are compared. The paper elaborates the singularity of extremely short-term (i.e. instantaneous) interest rates under extensive leaning-against-the-wind interventions and discusses policy issues. [source] Influences of species, latitudes and methodologies on estimates of phenological response to global warmingGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2007CAMILLE PARMESANArticle first published online: 14 AUG 200 Abstract New analyses are presented addressing the global impacts of recent climate change on phenology of plant and animal species. A meta-analysis spanning 203 species was conducted on published datasets from the northern hemisphere. Phenological response was examined with respect to two factors: distribution of species across latitudes and taxonomic affiliation or functional grouping of target species. Amphibians had a significantly stronger shift toward earlier breeding than all other taxonomic/functional groups, advancing more than twice as fast as trees, birds and butterflies. In turn, butterfly emergence or migratory arrival showed three times stronger advancement than the first flowering of herbs, perhaps portending increasing asynchrony in insect,plant interactions. Response was significantly stronger at higher latitudes where warming has been stronger, but latitude explained < 4% of the variation. Despite expectation, latitude was not yet an important predictor of climate change impacts on phenology. The only two previously published estimates of the magnitude of global response are quite different: 2.3 and 5.1 days decade,1 advancement. The scientific community has assumed this difference to be real and has attempted to explain it in terms of biologically relevant phenomena: specifically, differences in distribution of data across latitudes, taxa or time periods. Here, these and other possibilities are explored. All analyses indicate that the difference in estimated response is primarily due to differences between the studies in criteria for incorporating data. It is a clear and automatic consequence of the exclusion by one study of data on ,stable' (nonresponsive) species. Once this is accounted for, the two studies support each other, generating similar conclusions despite analyzing substantially nonoverlapping datasets. Analyses here on a new expanded dataset estimate an overall spring advancement across the northern hemisphere of 2.8 days decade,1. This is the first quantitative analysis showing that data-sampling methodologies significantly impact global (synthetic) estimates of magnitude of global warming response. [source] The relationship between local and regional diatom richness is mediated by the local and regional environmentGLOBAL ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Sophia I. Passy ABSTRACT Aim, In this continental study, species richness at local (LSR) and regional (RSR) scales was correlated and examined as a function of stream (local) and watershed (regional) environment in an effort to elucidate what factors control diatom biodiversity across scales. Location, Conterminous United States. Methods, Data on diatom richness, stream conditions and watershed properties were generated by the US Geological Survey. In the present investigation, RSR was estimated as the total diatom richness in a hydrologic study unit and, together with stream and watershed characteristics, was included in stepwise multiple regressions of LSR. The unique and shared contributions of RSR, stream and watershed environment to the explained variance in LSR were determined by variance partitioning. RSR was regressed against stream and basin features averaged per study unit. Results, LSR responded most strongly to variability in stream manganese concentration and RSR. Other predictors included stream discharge and iron concentration, soil organic matter content and fertilization, and proportions of open water, barren land and forest in the watershed. Variance partitioning revealed that RSR had the lowest independent contribution to explained variance in LSR. Multiple regressions identified average stream iron concentration as the most important predictor of RSR. Main conclusions, Local micronutrient concentration was the major predictor of LSR, followed by RSR. Since average micronutrient supply in the region was the chief determinant of RSR, it is proposed that micronutrients had both a direct effect on LSR and an indirect effect through RSR. The same argument is extended to watershed features with an impact on stream trophic status, because of their substantial contributions to the explained variance in both LSR and RSR. Considering that the major proportion of LSR variance explained by RSR originated from the covariance of RSR with stream and watershed properties, it is concluded that the LSR,RSR relationship was mediated by the local and regional environment. [source] Shared patients: multiple health and social care contactHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 4 2001J. Keene PhD Abstract The paper describes results from the ,Tracking Project', a new method for examining agency overlap, repeat service use and shared clients/patients amongst social and health care agencies in the community. This is the first project in this country to combine total population databases from a range of social, health care and criminal justice agencies to give a multidisciplinary database for one county (n = 97 162 cases), through standardised anonymisation of agency databases, using SOUNDEX, a software programme. A range of 20 community social and health care agencies were shown to have a large overlap with each other in a two-year period, indicating high proportions of shared patients/clients. Accident and Emergency is used as an example of major overlap: 16.2% (n = 39 992) of persons who attended a community agency had attended Accident and Emergency as compared to 8.2% (n = 775 000) of the total population of the county. Of these, 96% who had attended seven or more different community agencies had also attended Accident and Emergency. Further statistical analysis of Accident and Emergency attendance as a characteristic of community agency populations (n = 39 992) revealed that increasing frequency of attendance at Accident and Emergency was very strongly associated with increasing use of other services. That is, the patients that repeatedly attend Accident and Emergency are much more likely to attend more other agencies, indicating the possibility that they share more problematic or difficult patients. Research questions arising from these data are discussed and future research methods suggested in order to derive predictors from the database and develop screening instruments to identify multiple agency attenders for targeting or multidisciplinary working. It is suggested that Accident and Emergency attendance might serve as an important predictor of multiple agency attendance. [source] Does problem drinking affect employment?HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2004Evidence from England Abstract In this paper, we use data from the Health Survey of England to show that problem drinking is negatively and significantly associated with the probability of being in work, once the endogenous relationship between these outcomes is accounted for. Being a problem drinker leads to a substantial reduction in the probability of working by between 7 and 31%, the former figure being roughly equivalent to the positive effect of having a degree relative to no qualifications in our data. This finding is robust to a variety of identifying restrictions and definitions of problem drinking. Moreover, we find that problem drinking defined by the observed psychological and physical symptoms of alcohol is an important predictor of employment, and allows for the fact that individuals differ in their tolerance or susceptibility to alcohol. Our results suggest that there may be important labour market benefits from public health policies aimed at the prevention and treatment of problem drinking. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Amino acid substitutions in the hepatitis C virus core region are the important predictor of hepatocarcinogenesis,HEPATOLOGY, Issue 5 2007Norio Akuta We showed previously that amino acid (aa) substitutions in hepatitis C virus core region (HCV-CR) are negative predictors of virologic response to pegylated interferon (IFN) plus ribavirin therapy. HCV-CR induces hepatocellular carcinoma in transgenic mice, but the clinical impact is still unclear. To evaluate the impact of aa substitutions in HCV-CR on hepatocarcinogenesis, we performed a follow-up study on 313 noncirrhotic consecutive naïve patients infected with HCV genotype 1b who received IFN monotherapy. The median follow-up was 14.7 years. A sustained virologic response (SVR) after the first IFN was achieved by 65 patients (20.8%) (group A). Of 248 patients (79.2%) of non-SVR after first IFN, 112 (35.8%) did not receive additional IFN (group B), and the remaining 136 (43.5%) received multicourse IFN monotherapy (group C). As a whole, cumulative hepatocarcinogenesis rates in double wild-type (arginine at aa 70/leucine at aa 91) of HCV-CR were significantly lower than those in nondouble wild-type. Multivariate analyses identified 3 parameters (fibrosis stage 3, nondouble wild-type of HCV-CR, and group B) that tended to or significantly influenced hepatocarcinogenesis independently. With regard to hepatocarcinogenesis rates in group C according to HCV-CR and the mean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) during IFN-free period, significantly higher rates were noted in patients of nondouble wild-type with ALT levels of more than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (25.7%) compared with the others (2.4%). Conclusion: Amino acid substitutions in the HCV-CR are the important predictor of hepatocarcinogenesis. In multicourse IFN therapy to nondouble wild-type, we emphasize the importance of reducing the risk of hepatocarcinogenesis by mean ALT during an IFN-free period below 1.5 times the upper limit of normal. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.) [source] The trainee in context: Examining the relationship between self-efficacy and transfer climate for transfer of trainingHUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2010Fiona Sookhai Trainee perceptions of transfer climate have been found to be an important predictor of transfer of training. Self-efficacy has also been identified as an important individual difference related to transfer. Few studies have examined how these variables work together to enhance or limit performance following training. In a field study of 37 trainees, supervisors were randomly selected for training in how to provide their subordinates with opportunities to use the learned skills on the job and reinforce attempts at application. It was found that trainees who had a supervisor who participated in the intervention perceived a better transfer climate than trainees whose supervisors did not participate in training. Transfer climate mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and transfer of training. [source] HRM as a predictor of innovationHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2006Helen Shipton There is growing evidence available to suggest that HR practice is an important predictor of organisational performance. In this article, we argue that HR practices also have the potential to promote organisational innovation. We describe a longitudinal study of 22 UK manufacturing companies and examine the relationship between such practices and product and technological innovation. Results reveal that training, induction, team working, appraisal and exploratory learning focus are all predictors of innovation. Contingent reward, applied in conjunction with an exploratory learning focus, is positively associated with innovation in technical systems. Furthermore, training, appraisal and induction, combined with exploratory learning focus, explain variation between companies in product and technological innovation above and beyond the main effects observed. [source] Financial performance and the long-term link with HR practices, work climate and job stressHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 4 2005Marc van Veldhoven Using data front a large financial services organisation in the Netherlands, this article reports a longitudinal study at the business unit level. The study addresses the question of which longitudinal relations exist between survey data on perceived HR practices, work climate and job stress on the one hand, and prospective and retrospective financial performance on the other. Data from 223 business units were available for this study. Eight scales were selected from an employee survey answered by 18,142 respondents. These were aggregated to mean scores at the business unit level. Financial performance is operationalised by a yearly profits-to-costs ratio. Correcting for employee and business unit characteristics, the eight survey scales predict 22 per cent of the variance in business unit financial performance in the year after the survey.,Co-operation between departments' appears to be the most important predictor. Equally strong evidence was friund for a reverse causation sequence: business unit financial performance in the year before the survey was a significant predictor for four out of eight survey scales, especially for ,co-operation between departments' and ,job security'. The results underline the importance of studying variance in HR and performance variables within large organisatiuns, and the possibilities of using employee surveys in this research context. Limitations and implications of the findings are discussed. [source] Parental depression, parenting behaviours, and behaviour problems in young children,INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2009Melissa Middleton Abstract In the past, research has demonstrated that parental depression and parenting practices are related. More recently, there has been an increase in research examining child outcomes as they are related to maternal and paternal psychopathology. To continue with this line of research, this study examined the relationships among mothers' and fathers' symptoms of depression, characteristics of their parenting practices, and their ratings of their young children's internalizing and externalizing behaviour problems. The results of this study demonstrated that these variables are related significantly. Further, the results of this study suggested that mothers' parenting, particularly their limit setting with their young children, is an important predictor of their ratings of their young children's externalizing behaviour problems in the context of their own symptoms of depression. A different pattern of relationships may be present for fathers, as both their symptoms of depression and their parenting characteristics predicted their ratings of their young children's externalizing behaviour problems. Such findings were not supported for young children's internalizing behaviour problems. These findings suggested that interventions should have different targets for mothers and fathers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Investor Protection and International Investment Positions: An Empirical Analysis,INTERNATIONAL FINANCE, Issue 2 2006Teresa L. Cyrus Given the recent revival of interest in the institutional determinants of global capital flows, we investigate the relationship between investor protection and international investment positions, using data on 40 countries for the period 1970,98. We find that strong shareholder protection is an important predictor of gross foreign direct investment liabilities, while countries with strong creditor protection tend to have positive stocks of net foreign assets. We conclude that the global pattern of investor protection is a significant determinant of international investment positions. [source] Biological indicators of prognosis in Ewing's sarcoma: An emerging role for lectin galactoside-binding soluble 3 binding protein (LGALS3BP)INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 1 2010Diana Zambelli Abstract Starting from an experimental model that accounts for the 2 most important adverse processes to successful therapy of Ewing's sarcoma (EWS), chemoresistance and the presence of metastasis at the time of diagnosis, we defined a molecular signature of potential prognostic value. Functional annotation of differentially regulated genes revealed 3 major networks related to cell cycle, cell-to-cell interactions and cellular development. The prognostic impact of 8 genes, representative of these 3 networks, was validated in 56 EWS patients. High mRNA expression levels of HINT1, IFITM2, LGALS3BP, STOML2 and c-MYC were associated with reduced risk to death and lower risk to develop metastasis. At multivariate analysis, LGALS3BP, a matricellular protein with a role in tumor progression and metastasis, was the most important predictor of event-free survival and overall survival. The association between LGALS3BP and prognosis was confirmed at protein level, when expression of the molecule was determined in tumor tissues but not in serum, indicating a role for the protein at local tumor microenvironment. Engineered enhancement of LGALS3BP expression in EWS cells resulted in inhibition of anchorage independent cell growth and reduction of cell migration and metastasis. Silencing of LGALS3BP expression reverted cell behavior with respect to in vitro parameters, thus providing further functional validation of genetic data obtained in clinical samples. Thus, we propose LGALS3BP as a novel reliable indicator of prognosis, and we offer genetic signatures to the scientific communities for cross-validation and meta-analysis, which are indispensable tools for a rare tumor such as EWS. [source] Personality pathology and substance abuse in eating disorders: A longitudinal studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 3 2008Heather Thompson-Brenner PhD Abstract Objective: Substance abuse has been shown to predict poor outcome in eating disorder (ED) samples, and prior cross-sectional data on personality subtypes of EDs suggest that substance abuse is associated with dysregulated and possibly avoidant-insecure subtypes. This study investigates longitudinal associations between personality and substance use. Method: Personality pathology and substance use were assessed in 213 individuals with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa at baseline; substance use was assessed at regular follow-up intervals over a 9-year period. Results: Of the five personality factors identified, the obsessional-sensitive and high-functioning types were negatively associated with substance abuse at baseline, while the behaviorally dysregulated type was positively associated with substance abuse at baseline. Longitudinal associations were observed, suggesting that obsessional-sensitive personality type was protective against the development of substance abuse. Longitudinal associations between the other personality types and substance abuse were nonsignificant after baseline substance abuse history was included as a covariate in the model. Conclusion: Substance use demonstrates cross-sectional associations with personality style, but substance abuse history appears to be the most important predictor of future substance abuse in women with eating disorders. © 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2008 [source] Deliberate self-harm in older adults: a review of the literature from 1995 to 2004INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 8 2007Jenifer Chan Abstract Background The prevention of suicide is a national and international policy priority. Old age is an important predictor of completed suicide. Suicide rates in old age differ markedly from country to country but there is a general trend towards increasing rates with increasing age. In 1996 Draper reviewed critically the evidence on attempted suicide in old age in the 10 years between 1985 and 1994. The review highlighted a need for prospective controlled studies in older people with more representative samples as well as studies examining the interaction of risk factors, precipitants, motivations, psychopathology and response to treatment. The aim of this paper is to update this review and to summarise the advances in our understanding of DSH in later life. Method We have critically reviewed relevant studies published between 1995 and 2004 to summarise the advances in our understanding of factors associated with deliberate self-harm in later life. Results The main advances in understanding have been to clarify the effect of personality and cultural factors, service utilisation pre and post attempt, and the (lesser) impact of socio-economic status and physical illness. Methodological weaknesses continue to include inadequate sample sizes performed on highly selected populations, inconsistent age criteria and lack of informant data on studies relating to role of personality. Conclusions Future studies should include prospective, cross-cultural research with adequate sample sizes and which are population-based. Such approaches might confirm or refute the results generated to date and improve knowledge on factors such as the biological correlates of deliberate self-harm, service utilisation, costs and barriers to health care, and the interaction of these factors. Intervention studies to elucidate the impact of modifying these factors and of specific treatment packages are also needed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Pharmacists' role in smoking cessation: an examination of current practice and barriers to service provisionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY PRACTICE, Issue 4 2006David Edwards PhD student Objective This study addressed the potential role of pharmacists in helping their patients to quit smoking by providing a summary of their self-reported levels of current activities, confidence, and readiness to change around the provision of brief advice and support for patients who smoke. In addition to investigating which barriers are perceived to be most important, this study also examined the relative importance of confidence, barriers and practice factors in relation to pharmacists' smoking cessation practices. Method A 58-item questionnaire was mailed to 720 pharmacists. The questionnaire measured demographic and background variables, level of smoking cessation activity (asking, advising, assessing, assisting and arranging including follow-up), confidence in undertaking smoking-cessation activities, readiness to change, perceived importance of barriers to providing smoking-cessation services, and further education or training in relation to smoking cessation. Setting Community pharmacists in South Australia. Key findings Respondents indicated high rates of activity in relation to assessing and assisting patients to quit smoking, with lower rates of advising and arranging including following up. Recording of smoking status was very low. Confidence emerged as the most important predictor of smoking-cessation activities, with pharmacist barriers including fear of alienating patients approaching significance. Reported levels of smoking-specific education and training were low. Conclusions South Australian pharmacists are contributing to the prevention of tobacco-related harms. With additional support there is a greater scope for involvement. Results indicate a need for a team-based, systematic and multifaceted approach to address barriers and enhance pharmacists' confidence. Further implementation research is required to assess the effectiveness of multifaceted pharmacy support programmes on the uptake and sustainability of smoking-cessation services. [source] The Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive (VISTA): results and impact on future stroke trials and management of stroke patientsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE, Issue 2 2010C. Weimar Background The Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive was established to improve stroke care and trial design through the collation, categorization and potential access to data sets from clinical trials for the treatment of stroke. Methods Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive currently provides access to a combined data set of 29 anonymised acute stroke trials and one acute stroke registry with data on >27 500 patients aged between 18 and 103 (mean 71) years. Results Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive has facilitated research across a broad canvas. The prognosis was poor in patients with very high blood pressure at the time of admission or with a wide variability of systolic blood pressure during the acute phase. The late occurrence of hyperthermia following an ischaemic stroke worsens the prognosis. Stroke lateralisation is not an important predictor of cardiac adverse events or 90-day mortality. Haemorrhagic transformation is seen frequently in patients with cardio-embolic strokes and is associated with a poor prognosis when occurring after the acute phase. Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive has allowed various prognostic models for patients with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke to be established and validated. More direct outcomes such as lesion volume can be useful in phase II clinical trials for determining whether a phase III trial should be undertaken. New outcome measures such as ,home time' may also strengthen future trials. On a worldwide level, the prognosis of stroke patients differs considerably between various countries. Conclusion Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive provides an excellent opportunity for analysis of natural history data and prognosis. It has the potential to influence clinical trial design and implementation through exploratory data analyses. [source] Employability enhancement through formal and informal learning: an empirical study among Dutch non-academic university staff membersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2009Beatrice Van Der Heijden Although learning is generally perceived as a way to improve employees' current job performance, so far, no research has been conducted to explore the possible relationships between formal and informal learning, on the one hand, and employability, on the other. Though contemporary views stress the importance of the job as a powerful learning site, considerable research evidence underpinning these views is lacking. This paper goes into the impact of formal and informal learning upon employability. The influence of employee characteristics and organizational factors is also taken into account. An e-questionnaire was used to collect data among 215 Dutch non-academic university staff members. Our findings emphasize the necessity of Human Resource Development strategies that encompass a mix of formal and informal learning opportunities. In particular, participation in networks appears to be an important predictor for employability. With the outcomes of this study, we aim to contribute to the further development of theoretical insights regarding employability enhancement through learning possibilities embedded in the workplace. It seems that strategies that focus exclusively on enhancing informal on-the-job learning should not be encouraged. Our study is limited to one context and further research is required to investigate the generalizability of the findings to other occupations and/or countries. [source] Prediction of organ-confined disease by prostate-specific antigen nadir after neoadjuvant therapyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 11 2000Takahiko Hachiya Abstract Background It is not clear whether or not serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after androgen deprivation prior to radical prostatectomy (neoadjuvant therapy) have any value in the prediction of the final pathologic stage. Methods We conducted a study on 49 patients who underwent retropubic radical prostatectomy following neoadjuvant therapy for clinical stage T1c, T2, and T3a prostate cancer. We evaluated progression-free survival based on the PSA failure rate and the predictive value of the PSA nadir after neoadjuvant therapy and other clinical factors to determine the most important predictor of organ confinement. Results Of the 49 patients, 30 had organ-confined disease. Of 31 patients without adjuvant therapy after surgery, the PSA failure-free rates at 2 years were 81.6 and 34.3% in the subset of organ-confined disease and non-organ-confined disease, respectively (P = 0.0031). Of the 18 patients with adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy after surgery, the PSA failure-free rate at 2 years was 100% and 59.7% in patients with organ-confined disease and non-organ-confined disease, respectively. Baseline PSA (P = 0.037), PSA nadir (P < 0.0001) and PSA density (P = 0.003) significantly correlated with organ confinement. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the PSA nadir was the only independent predictor of organ confinement (P = 0.044). Conclusions There was a trend that the patients with non organ-confined disease had a higher probability of PSA failure than did the patients with organ-confined disease. The PSA nadir after neoadjuvant therapy was the strongest predictor of organ confinement. The predictive value of the serum PSA nadir should be validated in well-designed larger population-based studies. [source] Six-month mortality risks in long-term care residents with chronic ulcersINTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL, Issue 5 2008Paul Y Takahashi Abstract Chronic ulcers are a common problem in long-term care. Residents with ongoing ulcers are often frail and at risk for mortality. This study evaluated the relationship between wound characteristics and other health predictors with 6-month mortality in nursing home residents. The subjects included were nursing home residents seen by the wound consult service from 1998 to 2007 with an ongoing chronic ulcer. This was a retrospective cohort study. Data were manually and electronically abstracted for each resident. Six-month mortality was collected as the primary outcome. Statistical comparisons were made using logistic regression with a final multivariant model. Four hundred and forty residents were seen with 411 records reviewed. Ulcer area was not associated with mortality; however, chronic ulcer number was associated with 6-month mortality with an odds ratio of 1·32 (95% CI 1·07,1·63). Other significant risk factors included heart failure, dementia, cancer, depression and blindness with all factors having an odds ratio greater than 1·75. Higher haemoglobin and venous insufficiency were protective of 6-month mortality. Ulcer number is an important predictor for 6-month mortality. The presence of multiple ulcers and comorbid health concerns may influence discussion of prognosis for healing and for potential end of life discussions. [source] Burnout contagion among intensive care nursesJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 3 2005Arnold B. Bakker PhD Aim., This paper reports a study investigating whether burnout is contagious. Background., Burnout has been recognized as a problem in intensive care units for a long time. Previous research has focused primarily on its organizational antecedents, such as excessive workload or high patient care demands, time pressure and intensive use of sophisticated technology. The present study took a totally different perspective by hypothesizing that , in intensive care units , burnout is communicated from one nurse to another. Methods., A questionnaire on work and well-being was completed by 1849 intensive care unit nurses working in one of 80 intensive care units in 12 different European countries in 1994. The results are being reported now because they formed part of a larger study that was only finally analysed recently. The questionnaire was translated from English to the language of each of these countries, and then back-translated to English. Respondents indicated the prevalence of burnout among their colleagues, and completed scales to assess working conditions and job burnout. Results., Analysis of variance indicated that the between-unit variance on a measure of perceived burnout complaints among colleagues was statistically significant and substantially larger than the within-unit variance. This implies that there is considerable agreement (consensus) within intensive care units regarding the prevalence of burnout. In addition, the results of multilevel analyses showed that burnout complaints among colleagues in intensive care units made a statistically significant and unique contribution to explaining variance in individual nurses' and whole units' experiences of burnout, i.e. emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. Moreover, for both emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, perceived burnout complaints among colleagues was the most important predictor of burnout at the individual and unit levels, even after controlling for the impact of well-known organizational stressors as conceptualized in the demand-control model. Conclusion., Burnout is contagious: it may cross over from one nurse to another. [source] Daughters-in-law in Korean caregiving familiesJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 3 2001Jin-Sun Kim PhD RN Daughters-in-law in Korean caregiving families Aim.,The aim of this study was to examine the emotional and physical health and experiences of daughter-in-law (DIL) caregivers compared with daughter caregivers who care for cognitively and/or functionally impaired older people in Korea. Background.,In Korea, DILs are the predominant caregivers of impaired older people, but little is known about DIL caregivers. A study which explores the emotional and physical health outcomes of DIL caregivers who care for impaired parents-in-law in the sociocultural context of Korea is necessary. Method.,A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted to examine the emotional and physical health of 93 DIL caregivers compared with 27 daughter caregivers who care for the cognitively and/or functionally impaired older people in Korea. This study hypothesized that DIL caregivers would have poorer emotional and physical health than daughter caregivers and that the type of relationship with the care-recipient is an important predictor of caregivers' health outcomes. t -tests, chi-square and hierarchical regression analyses were used for hypotheses testing. Results.,Contrary to expectations, this study found that caregivers' health outcomes were very similar for DILs and daughters in Korean families. The type of relationship was not an important predictor of caregivers' health outcomes, and neither was the quality of intergenerational relationship. However, Korean DIL and daughter caregivers reported relatively poor emotional and physical health compared to those of Western caregivers in previous studies. Conclusions.,Daughter-in-laws caregivers were not at greater risk group of negative health outcomes than daughter caregivers. However, DIL and daughter caregivers in Korea were a vulnerable group regardless of their relationship with the care-recipient. The cultural norms and social expectations regarding family-centred caregiving in Korea may cause negative health outcomes for Korean caregivers. Further family caregiving studies in the Korean context are recommended. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||