Reasons Other (reason + other)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


What's Wrong with This Approach, Comrades?

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Issue 1 2006
Bee Flowers
Though strenuously avoiding the ,Modernist' and ,International Style' labels, postwar USSR, along with its Western counterparts, plunged headlong into a system-building programme. Today, Russians know of virtually no other form of housing and, as photographer Bee Flowers observes, the construction sector continues to produce ever larger buildings, for no apparent reason other than habit. [source]


In-patient management of diabetes mellitus and patient satisfaction

DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 5 2002
A. Bhattacharyya
Abstract Aims To devise a system for assessing in-patient glycaemic control and care satisfaction in diabetic patients admitted to hospital for reasons other than their diabetes. Methods Consecutive January to March 2001 case-notes were reviewed. Admissions with acute metabolic complications, acute myocardial infarction and pregestational or gestational diabetes were excluded. Glycaemic control, frequency of blood monitoring and management of hyperglycaemia were recorded. The diabetes treatment satisfaction questionnaire was used to assess preadmission satisfaction with care. Post-admission a 12-stem questionnaire was used to assess satisfaction with in-patient diabetes management. Results Hypoglycaemia was common. Although none developed a hyperglycaemic emergency, high blood glucose was prevalent and, frequently, persistent hyperglycaemia or recurrent hypoglycaemia was not acted on appropriately. The overall score for in-patient satisfaction with treatment was fair (4.1 ± 1.8 on a six-point scale; 6 = very satisfied and 1 = very dissatisfied). Scores were higher among patients on surgical wards than on medical wards (P = 0.008), but satisfaction did not vary when patients were stratified according to sex, age and mode of treatment. Conclusion Current systems are not achieving satisfactory in-patient glycaemic control and there is poor satisfaction with medical in-patient diabetes care. Following changes intended to produce improvements, this assessment system can be used recurrently to monitor in-patient care and satisfaction. [source]


Semi-presidentialism, Cohabitation and the Collapse of Electoral Democracies, 1990,2008

GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION, Issue 1 2010
Robert Elgie
Semi-presidentialism is the situation where a constitution makes provision for both a directly elected fixed-term president and a prime minister and cabinet who are responsible to the legislature. A common argument against the adoption of a semi-presidential constitution by a new democracy is the problem of cohabitation , where a president from one party holds power at the same time as a prime minister from an opposing party and where the president's party is not represented in the cabinet. The concern is that cohabitation creates competing power centres within the executive that are dangerous for young democracies. This article shows that cohabitation has been directly associated with the collapse of a young democracy in only one case. Moreover, by specifying the conditions under which cohabitation can occur, we also show that the threat of cohabitation has been associated with collapse in only one further case. We suggest that this is so because cohabitation refers to a very specific situation that can only occur under a certain combination of circumstances that can often be avoided. Overall, we show that there is little evidence to support one of the most well-known and long-standing arguments against semi-presidentialism. Thus, while semi-presidentialism may indeed be perilous for new democracies, we conclude that it is perilous for reasons other than the problem of cohabitation. [source]


Understanding the volunteer market: the what, where, who and why of volunteering

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 3 2002
Helen Bussell
Although the work of the voluntary sector is growing, the number of people volunteering is not increasing at a comparable rate. This paper argues that the key to an organisation's success in recruiting and retaining its volunteers is to have an understanding of its target group. As a means to developing this understanding the paper reviews the prior research on volunteering and outlines the current situation in the voluntary sector with regard to the donation of time. The review shows that those who volunteer are an extremely diverse group, active in a wide variety of contexts. This makes the definition of a volunteer a more complex task than one would expect. It also demonstrates that individuals and organisations may volunteer for reasons other than purely altruistic motives. Finally, the paper identifies gaps in this area of research and presents topics for further research. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications [source]


Separations, Reconciliations, and Living Apart in Cohabiting and Marital Unions

JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 2 2003
Georgina Binstock
Using data from a panel study of White young adults containing complete marital and cohabiting union histories from age 15 through 31, our goal is to track and compare the paths along which young adults arrange and time the entries and exits from marital and cohabiting unions. We focus on the incidence, duration, and outcomes of 2 dimensions that embrace residential separation: (a) separations that relate to discord in the relationship and (b) living apart from the partner or spouse for reasons other than discord. Our results show that union trajectories are dynamic and involve a heterogeneous and multidirectional array of transitions. We also find consistent differences supporting the idea that marital unions are more stable and durable than cohabiting unions. [source]


Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: a prospective study on the incidence, platelet-activating capacity and clinical significance of antiplatelet factor 4/heparin antibodies of the IgG, IgM, and IgA classes

JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 8 2007
A. GREINACHER
Summary.,Introduction:,Platelet-activating antiplatelet factor 4/heparin (anti-PF4/heparin) antibodies are the major cause of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). However, the relative utility of functional (platelet activation) vs. antigen [enzyme-immunoassay (EIA)] assays, and the significance of assay discrepancies remain unresolved.Methods:,Consecutive patient sera (n = 1650) referred for diagnostic HIT testing were screened prospectively by both the heparin-induced platelet activation (HIPA) test and anti-PF4/heparin EIA , including individual classes (IgG, IgA, IgM) , with clinical correlations studied. Platelet microparticle and annexin-V-binding properties of the sera were also investigated.Results:,Only 205 (12.4%) sera tested positive in either the HIPA and/or EIA: 95 (46.3%) were positive in both, 109 (53.1%) were only EIA-positive, and, notably, only one serum was HIPA-positive/EIA-negative. Of 185 EIA-positive sera, only 17.6% had detectable IgM and/or IgA without detectable IgG. Among sera positive for EIA IgG, optical density values were higher when the sera were HIPA-positive (1.117 vs. 0.768; P < 0.0001), with widely overlapping values. Two HIPA-positive but EIA-IgG-negative sera became HIPA-negative following IgG depletion, suggesting platelet-activating antibodies against non-PF4-dependent antigens. Clinical correlations showed that HIPA-negative/EIA-positive patients did not develop thrombosis and had reasons other than HIT to explain thrombocytopenia. IgM/A antibodies did not increase microparticle penetration, but increased annexin-V binding.Conclusions:,The anti-PF4/heparin EIA has high (,99%) sensitivity for HIT. However, only about half of EIA-positive patients are likely to have HIT. Anti-PF4/heparin antibodies of IgM/A class and non-PF4-dependent antigens have only a minor role in HIT. [source]


Consideration of magnetically-induced and conservative electric fields within a loaded gradient coil

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE, Issue 6 2006
Weihua Mao
Abstract We present a method to calculate the electric (E)-fields within and surrounding a human body in a gradient coil, including E-fields induced by the changing magnetic fields and "conservative" E-fields originating with the scalar electrical potential in the coil windings. In agreement with previous numerical calculations, it is shown that magnetically-induced E-fields within the human body show no real concentration near the surface of the body, where nerve stimulation most often occurs. Both the magnetically-induced and conservative E-fields are shown to be considerably stronger just outside the human body than inside it, and under some circumstances the conservative E-fields just outside the body can be much larger than the magnetically-induced E-fields there. The order of gradient winding and the presence of conductive RF shield can greatly affect the conservative E-field distribution in these cases. Though the E-fields against the outer surface of the body are not commonly considered, understanding gradient E-fields may be important for reasons other than peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS), such as potential interaction with electrical equipment. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Modeling Agglomeration and Dispersion in City and Country: Gunnar Myrdal, François Perroux, and the New Economic Geography

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY, Issue 1 2001
Stephen J. MeardonArticle first published online: 28 JUN 200
The "new economic geography" is a recent body of literature that seeks to explain how resources and production come to be concentrated spatially for reasons other than the standard "geographic" ones. Unlike alternative explanations of the geographic distribution of industry, the literature is not interdisciplinary. The new economic geography lies well within economics proper: it is an offspring of international trade theory, with models characterized by increasing returns, factor mobility, and transportation costs. The models explain the distribution of industry in terms of the opposition of an agglomerating force, the interaction of transportation costs and increasing returns to scale, with a dispersing force, commonly the interaction of transportation costs and a partially fixed input or output market. Some authors outside the new economic geography (e.g., Martin 1999) have criticized it as simplistic, irrelevant, or passé. They claim it employs overly abstract analysis, prioritizes mathematical technique over realistic explanation, and is reminiscent of the much earlier works of Gunnar Myrdal and François Perroux,in comparison to which, however, it falls short. This paper investigates the similarities and differences between the new economic geography and the work of Myrdal and Perroux, who in the previous special issue of this journal were ranked by Zafirovsky (1999, pp. 596, 598) as among the leading twentieth century economic sociologists. I examine how the techniques of analysis and intuitive explanations of agglomeration compare between these economic sociologists and the new economic geographers. The paper highlights what has been gained and what has been lost by the new economic geographers, who generally eschew interdisciplinary study. [source]


UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF PERSONALITY TRAITS ON INDIVIDUALS' TURNOVER DECISIONS: A META-ANALYTIC PATH MODEL

PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2008
RYAN D. ZIMMERMAN
Historically, researchers have sought to identify environmental causes of employee turnover. This paradigm has led to the underemphasis of individual differences as being an important cause of individuals' turnover decisions. The results of the meta-analysis show that personality traits do have an impact on individuals' turnover intentions and behaviors. The trait of Emotional Stability best predicted (negatively) employees' intentions to quit, whereas the traits of Conscientiousness and Agreeableness best predicted (negatively) actual turnover decisions. A theoretically developed path model showed important direct effects from personality to intentions to quit and turnover behaviors that were not captured through job satisfaction or job performance. These direct effects indicate that employees who are low on Emotional Stability may intend to quit for reasons other than dissatisfaction with their jobs or not being able to perform their jobs well. The direct effects on turnover suggest that individuals who are low on Agreeableness or high on Openness may engage in unplanned quitting. Personality traits had stronger relationships with outcomes than did non-self-report measures of job complexity/job characteristics. [source]


INTERRATER CORRELATIONS DO NOT ESTIMATE THE RELIABILITY OF JOB PERFORMANCE RATINGS

PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2000
KEVIN R. MURPHY
Interrater correlations are widely interpreted as estimates of the reliability of supervisory performance ratings, and are frequently used to correct the correlations between ratings and other measures (e.g., test scores) for attenuation. These interrater correlations do provide some useful information, but they are not reliability coefficients. There is clear evidence of systematic rater effects in performance appraisal, and variance associated with raters is not a source of random measurement error. We use generalizability theory to show why rater variance is not properly interpreted as measurement error, and show how such systematic rater effects can influence both reliability estimates and validity coefficients. We show conditions under which interrater correlations can either overestimate or underestimate reliability coefficients, and discuss reasons other than random measurement error for low interrater correlations. [source]


Persuasion in International Politics: A Rationalist Account

POLITICS & POLICY, Issue 4 2005
James I. Walsh
Governments offer us the promise of rewards or the threats of punishment to secure favorable international bargains, but they also draw on reasoned arguments to convince their bargaining partners to accept mutually beneficial agreements. Works that have studied such attempts at persuasion hold that it is most likely to succeed when the states involved share important normative values or are uncertain about what is the "right" action to take. Drawing on rational choice theory of strategic communication, this study seeks to expand understanding the conditions under which attempts at persuasion in international politics succeed or fail. Persuasion can occur for reasons other than shared values; under some conditions, one state can persuade another by altering the latter's beliefs about the rewards associated with available foreign policy options. [source]


Epidemiological survey of foot diseases in Japan: Results of 30 000 foot checks by dermatologists

THE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2010
Shinichi WATANABE
Abstract There has been no epidemiological survey of foot diseases in Japan. In this study we determined the prevalence of foot diseases, especially tinea pedis (TP) and tinea unguium (TU) in Japan. We conducted a randomized survey of outpatients who visited a dermatologist during the third week of May in 1999, 2000 and 2006. The most frequently reported condition was "fungal infection" in 8737 (40.0%) of 21 820 patients in 1999/2000, and 3848 (49.4%) of 7783 patients in 2006. The patients who visited a dermatologist for reasons other than superficial fungal infection but were diagnosed with TP or TU comprised 18.6% of the study population in 2000 and 24.1% in 2006. Of the patients with TP or TU, 63.2% used topical medication only. This survey showed that often patients are not aware of fungal infections and that their treatment is sometimes insufficient. Dermatologists should actively examine and treat patients with TP and TU. [source]


Endogenous Liquidity in Asset Markets

THE JOURNAL OF FINANCE, Issue 1 2004
Andrea L. Eisfeldt
ABSTRACT This paper analyzes a model in which long-term risky assets are illiquid due to adverse selection. The degree of adverse selection and hence the liquidity of these assets is determined endogenously by the amount of trade for reasons other than private information. I find that higher productivity leads to increased liquidity. Moreover, liquidity magnifies the effects of changes in productivity on investment and volume. High productivity implies that investors initiate larger scale risky projects which increases the riskiness of their incomes. Riskier incomes induce more sales of claims to high-quality projects, causing liquidity to increase. [source]


SURVIVAL AND GROWTH IN RETAIL AND SERVICE INDUSTRIES: EVIDENCE FROM FRANCHISED CHAINS§

THE JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2010
RENÁTA KOSOVÁ
Using data on franchised chains, which are the type of single-product entities emphasized in industry dynamics models, we show that age and size affect growth and survival even after controlling for chain characteristics and unobserved chain-specific efficiency. This implies that age and size affect firm growth and survival for reasons other than those emphasized in learning-type models. We also find that several chain characteristics affect growth and survival directly, and thus controlling for firm characteristics is important. Finally, we find that chain size increases rather than decreases exit among young chains, and chains converge in size over time. [source]