Showing papers by "DePaul University published in 2012"

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: an Emerging Global Opportunistic Pathogen

Abstract: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging multidrug-resistant global opportunistic pathogen. The increasing incidence of nosocomial and community-acquired S. maltophilia infections is of particular concern for immunocompromised individuals, as this bacterial pathogen is associated with a significant fatality/case ratio. S. maltophilia is an environmental bacterium found in aqueous habitats, including plant rhizospheres, animals, foods, and water sources. Infections of S. maltophilia can occur in a range of organs and tissues; the organism is commonly found in respiratory tract infections. This review summarizes the current literature and presents S. maltophilia as an organism with various molecular mechanisms used for colonization and infection. S. maltophilia can be recovered from polymicrobial infections, most notably from the respiratory tract of cystic fibrosis patients, as a cocolonizer with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Recent evidence of cell-cell communication between these pathogens has implications for the development of novel pharmacological therapies. Animal models of S. maltophilia infection have provided useful information about the type of host immune response induced by this opportunistic pathogen. Current and emerging treatments for patients infected with S. maltophilia are discussed.

Perceived racism and mental health among Black American adults: A meta-analytic review.

Abstract: The literature indicates that perceived racism tends to be associated with adverse psychological and physiological outcomes; however, findings in this area are not yet conclusive. In this meta-analysis, we systematically reviewed 66 studies (total sample size of 18,140 across studies), published between January 1996 and April 2011, on the associations between racism and mental health among Black Americans. Using a random-effects model, we found a positive association between perceived racism and psychological distress (r .20). We found a moderation effect for psychological outcomes, with anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric symptoms having a significantly stronger association than quality of life indicators. We did not detect moderation effects for type of racism scale, measurement precision, sample type, or type of publication. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Beyond the Numbers: Measuring the Information Content of Earnings Press Release Language*

Abstract: Earnings press releases are ‘‘the major news event of the season for many companies as well as investors, analysts, financial media, and the market’’ (Mahoney and Lewis 2004). The information content of earnings press releases has increased significantly over time (Kross and Kim 2000; Lo and Lys 2001; Francis, Schipper, and Vincent 2002a, 2002b; Landsman and Maydew 2002; Collins, Li, and Xie 2005) and has been accompanied by a corresponding increase in press release length. Specifically, the number of words used in earnings press releases increased approximately five times between 1980 and 1999 (Francis et al. 2002b). This trend continued over our sample period, with median earnings press release length increasing to more than 1,700 words by 2003, a greater than 90 percent increase from 1998. This dramatic increase in the sheer number of words used in earnings press releases suggests an important question: Does the language used throughout an earnings press release provide a signal regarding managers’ expectations about future performance? If so, does the market respond to this information? Earnings press releases are characterized as a disclosure mechanism revealing a ‘‘package of information’’ to investors (Francis et al. 2002b). An important element of this information package is language used in the earnings press release, which provides the unifying framework within which earnings are announced and other quantitative and qualitative disclosures are made. Prior research on earnings press releases examined the incremental information content of specific, qualitative disclosures like officers’ comments. For instance, officers’ comments communicating good and bad news about the future are informative above and beyond the announcement of earnings per se (Hoskin, Hughes, and Ricks 1986; Francis et al. 2002b). The information revealed to investors via earnings press release language, however, likely extends beyond specific officers’ comments. Consistent with this proposition, promotional language in press releases (including, but not limited to, earnings press releases) is observed not only in officer comments, but also in the more prevalent, nonquotation sections of the release (Maat 2007). We argue that managers use language throughout an earnings press release to signal, both directly and more subtly, their expectations about future performance. Managers’ earnings press release language varies significantly across firms and ranges from straightforward to promotional (Mahoney and Lewis 2004). Managers generally report financial performance in comparative terms, and so we expect managers’ earnings press release

Déjà Vu All Over Again: The Causes of U.S. Commercial Bank Failures This Time Around

Abstract: In this study, we analyze why commercial banks failed during the recent financial crisis. We find that traditional proxies for the CAMELS components, as well as measures of commercial real estate investments, do an excellent job in explaining the failures of banks that were closed during 2009, just as they did in the previous banking crisis of 1985 – 1992. Surprisingly, we do not find that residential mortgage-backed securities played a significant role in determining which banks failed and which banks survived.

Context-aware music recommendation based on latenttopic sequential patterns

Abstract: Contextual factors can greatly influence the users' preferences in listening to music. Although it is hard to capture these factors directly, it is possible to see their effects on the sequence of songs liked by the user in his/her current interaction with the system. In this paper, we present a context-aware music recommender system which infers contextual information based on the most recent sequence of songs liked by the user. Our approach mines the top frequent tags for songs from social tagging Web sites and uses topic modeling to determine a set of latent topics for each song, representing different contexts. Using a database of human-compiled playlists, each playlist is mapped into a sequence of topics and frequent sequential patterns are discovered among these topics. These patterns represent frequent sequences of transitions between the latent topics representing contexts. Given a sequence of songs in a user's current interaction, the discovered patterns are used to predict the next topic in the playlist. The predicted topics are then used to post-filter the initial ranking produced by a traditional recommendation algorithm. Our experimental evaluation suggests that our system can help produce better recommendations in comparison to a conventional recommender system based on collaborative or content-based filtering. Furthermore, the topic modeling approach proposed here is also useful in providing better insight into the underlying reasons for song selection and in applications such as playlist construction and context prediction.

Just green enough: contesting environmental gentrification in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Abstract: While sustainability and green urbanism have become buzzwords in urban policy circles, too little analysis has focused on who gets to decide what green looks like. Many visions of the green city seem to have room only for park space, waterfront cafes, and luxury LEED-certified buildings, prompting concern that there is no place in the “sustainable” city for industrial uses and the working class. We will use the case study of Newtown Creek in Brooklyn, New York, to explore how different visions for the green city are enacted through activism and policy-making. Neighbourhood residents and business owners seem to be advocating a strategy we call “just green enough”, in order to achieve environmental remediation without environmental gentrification. Following the crash of both the financial and real estate markets, attempts to construct a sustainable city that is economically diverse and socially just seem to be taking hold. We interrogate how urban sustainability can be used to open up a space for diversity ...

$B$- and $D$-meson decay constants from three-flavor lattice QCD

Abstract: We calculate the leptonic decay constants of B_{(s)} and D_{(s)} mesons in lattice QCD using staggered light quarks and Fermilab bottom and charm quarks. We compute the heavy-light meson correlation functions on the MILC asqtad-improved staggered gauge configurations which include the effects of three light dynamical sea quarks. We simulate with several values of the light valence- and sea-quark masses (down to ~m_s/10) and at three lattice spacings (a ~ 0.15, 0.12, and 0.09 fm) and extrapolate to the physical up and down quark masses and the continuum using expressions derived in heavy-light meson staggered chiral perturbation theory. We renormalize the heavy-light axial current using a mostly nonperturbative method such that only a small correction to unity must be computed in lattice perturbation theory and higher-order terms are expected to be small. We obtain f_{B^+} = 196.9(8.9) MeV, f_{B_s} = 242.0(9.5) MeV, f_{D^+} = 218.9(11.3) MeV, f_{D_s} = 260.1(10.8) MeV, and the SU(3) flavor-breaking ratios f_{B_s}/f_{B} = 1.229(26) and f_{D_s}/f_{D} = 1.188(25), where the numbers in parentheses are the total statistical and systematic uncertainties added in quadrature.

The relationship between inpatient discharge timing and emergency department boarding.

Abstract: Background Patient crowding and boarding in Emergency Departments (EDs) impair the quality of care as well as patient safety and satisfaction. Improved timing of inpatient discharges could positively affect ED boarding, and this hypothesis can be tested with computer modeling. Study Objective Modeling enables analysis of the impact of inpatient discharge timing on ED boarding. Three policies were tested: a sensitivity analysis on shifting the timing of current discharge practices earlier; discharging 75% of inpatients by 12:00 noon; and discharging all inpatients between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Methods A cross-sectional computer modeling analysis was conducted of inpatient admissions and discharges on weekdays in September 2007. A model of patient flow streams into and out of inpatient beds with an output of ED admitted patient boarding hours was created to analyze the three policies. Results A mean of 38.8 ED patients, 22.7 surgical patients, and 19.5 intensive care unit transfers were admitted to inpatient beds, and 81.1 inpatients were discharged daily on September 2007 weekdays: 70.5%, 85.6%, 82.8%, and 88.0%, respectively, occurred between noon and midnight. In the model base case, total daily admitted patient boarding hours were 77.0 per day; the sensitivity analysis showed that shifting the peak inpatient discharge time 4 h earlier eliminated ED boarding, and discharging 75% of inpatients by noon and discharging all inpatients between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. both decreased boarding hours to 3.0. Conclusion Timing of inpatient discharges had an impact on the need to board admitted patients. This model demonstrates the potential to reduce or eliminate ED boarding by improving inpatient discharge timing in anticipation of the daily surge in ED demand for inpatient beds.

Poor Decision Making Is a Consequence of Cognitive Decline among Older Persons without Alzheimer’s Disease or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract: Objective: Decision making is an important determinant of health and well-being across the lifespan but is critical in aging, when many influential decisions are made just as cognitive function declines. Increasing evidence suggests that older adults, even those without dementia, often make poor decisions and are selectively vulnerable to scams. To date, however, the factors associated with poor decision making in old age are unknown. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that poor decision making is a consequence of cognitive decline among older persons without Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. Methods: Participants were 420 non-demented persons from the Memory and Aging Project, a longitudinal, clinicalpathologic cohort study of aging in the Chicago metropolitan area. All underwent repeated cognitive evaluations and subsequently completed assessments of decision making and susceptibility to scams. Decision making was measured using 12 items from a previously established performance-based measure and a self-report measure of susceptibility to scams. Results: Cognitive function data were collected over an average of 5.5 years prior to the decision making assessment. Regression analyses were used to examine whether the prior rate of cognitive decline predicted the level of decision making and susceptibility to scams; analyses controlled for age, sex, education, and starting level of cognition. Among 420 persons without dementia, more rapid cognitive decline predicted poorer decision making and increased susceptibility to scams (p’s,0.001). Further, the relations between cognitive decline, decision making and scams persisted in analyses restricted to persons without any cognitive impairment (i.e., no dementia or even mild cognitive impairment). Conclusions: Poor decision making is a consequence of cognitive decline among older persons without Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment, those widely considered ‘‘cognitively healthy.’’ These findings suggest that even very subtle age-related changes in cognition have detrimental effects on judgment.

Natural Mentors, Racial Identity, and Educational Attainment Among African American Adolescents: Exploring Pathways to Success

Abstract: The present study explored how relationships with natural mentors may contribute to African American adolescents’ long-term educational attainment by influencing adolescents’ racial identity and academic beliefs. This study included 541 academically at-risk African American adolescents transitioning into adulthood. The mean age of participants at Time 1 was 17.8 (SD = .64) and slightly over half (54%) of study participants were female. Results of the current study indicated that relationships with natural mentors promoted more positive long-term educational attainment among participants through increased private regard (a dimension of racial identity) and stronger beliefs in the importance of doing well in school for future success. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

The impact of stigma on medication adherence among HIV-positive adolescent and young adult females and the moderating effects of coping and satisfaction with health care.

Abstract: To explore whether HIV stigma negatively impacts adherence to antiviral medications in HIV-infected adolescent women, moderational analysis was conducted and factors identified that could alter said relationship. Study participants were 178 adolescent females age 15–24, enrolled between 2003–2005, from 5 different cities and 60 provided adherence information. Findings reported by this cohort of 60 adolescent women included: medication adherence, 64.3% reporting adherence at baseline and 45.0% at 12 months; HIV stigma score of 57.60 (standard deviation [SD], 11.83; range, 25–86). HIV stigma was not found to be a significant predictor when binary logit regression was run with medication adherence at 1 year. Using moderational analysis, factors that could moderate stigma's effect on medication adherence was still pursued and identified the following to be significant at 12 months: health care satisfaction (B=−0.020, standard error [SE]=0.010, p<.05); and Coping (proactive coping strategies [B=0.012,...

The Passions of Law

Abstract: The Passions of Law is the first anthology to treat the role that emotions play, don't play, and ought to play in the practice and conception of law and justice. Lying at the intersection of law, psychology, and philosophy, this emergent field of law scholarship raises some of the most profound and interesting questions at the heart of jurisprudence. For example, what role do emotions ranging from disgust to compassion play in the decision-making processes of judges, lawyers, juries, and clients? What emotions belong in which legal contexts? Is there a hierarchy of emotions, and, if so, through what sources do we identify it? To what extent are emotions subject to change or tutelage? How can we evaluate the role of emotion in such disparate contexts as death sentencing, laws about same sex marriage, hate crime legislation, punitive damages or shaming penalties? Consisting of original essays by leading scholars of law, theology, political science, and philosophy, The Passions of Law contributes to ongoing efforts to humanize law and reveals how this previously unacknowledged aspect of decision-making exerts a much greater impact on justice and the practice of law than most tend, or like, to think. Learn more about Susan Bandes

Facet personality and surface-level diversity as team mental model antecedents: implications for implicit coordination.

Abstract: Team mental models (TMMs) have received much attention as important drivers of effective team processes and performance. Less is known about the factors that give rise to these shared cognitive structures. We examined potential antecedents of TMMs, with a specific focus on team composition variables, including various facets of personality and surface-level diversity. Further, we examined implicit coordination as an important outcome of TMMs. Results suggest that team composition in terms of the cooperation facet of agreeableness and racial diversity were significantly related to team-focused TMM similarity. TMM similarity was also positively predictive of implicit coordination, which mediated the relationship between TMM similarity and team performance. Post hoc analyses revealed a significant interaction between the trust facet of agreeableness and racial diversity in predicting TMM similarity. Results are discussed in terms of facilitating the emergence of TMMs and corresponding implications for team-related human resource practices.

The Determinants of Corporate Liquidity: Theory and Evidence

Abstract: We model the firm's decision to invest in liquid assets when external financing is costly. The optimal amount of liquidity is determined by a tradeoff between the low return earned on liquid assets and the benefit of minimizing the need for costly external financing. The model predicts that the optimal investment in liquidity is increasing in the cost of external financing, the variance of future cash flows, and the return on future investment opportunities, while it is decreasing in the return differential between the firm's physical assets and liquid assets. Empirical tests on a large panel of U.S. industrial firms support the model's predictions.

Corporate Responsibility: The American Experience

Abstract: About the authors Foreword Preface Introduction: the corporation in the public square Part I. The Seeds of Corporate Responsibility: 1. Foundations of capitalism and the birth of the corporation (1776-1880) 2. The turbulent rise of the corporation (1880-1900) 3. The Progressive Era and a new business-government relationship (1900-18) 4. The corporation's case for social responsibility (1918-29) 5. The corporation and national crisis (1929-45) Part II. Corporate Responsibility Comes of Age: 6. Corporate legitimacy affirmed (1945-63) 7. A revolution of rising expectations (1963-73) 8. Managing corporate responsibility (1973-81) Part III. Taking Account of Corporate Responsibility: 9. Stakeholders and stockholders (1981-9) 10. Corporate responsibility institutionalizes and globalizes (1989-2001) 11. A new social contract for the twenty-first century (2001-11) Conclusion: patterns and prospects Endnotes References List of plates Index.

A study of mobile internet user's service quality perceptions from a user's utilitarian and hedonic value tendency perspectives

Abstract: Although a few studies have focused on mobile value from the distinctive feature of a mobile technology perspective, limited attempts have been made from a mobile user's value tendency perspective. In this study, building upon prior research on productivity-oriented and pleasure-oriented nature of systems, we categorize mobile values as having utilitarian and hedonic use. Based on these two values, we conceptualize types of tendency of mobile users' application use namely utilitarian tendency and hedonic tendency. The goal of this study is to examine the relationships between mobile consumers' value tendency and their perceptions of mobile Internet service quality in terms of three different mobile quality dimensions (i.e., connection quality, design quality, and information quality). In addition, drawing upon the "digital divide" literature, the relationships between mobile users' personal dispositions (i.e., maturity and socio-economic status) and their mobile value tendency are also tested. The empirical results of the study, the interpretation of the results, research contributions, and limitations are discussed.

Emotion and the Law

Abstract: The field of law and emotion draws from a range of disciplines in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities to shed light on the emotions that pervade the legal system. It utilizes insights from these disciplines to illuminate and assess the implicit and explicit assumptions about emotion that animate legal reasoning, legal doctrine, the behavior of legal actors, and the structure of legal institutions. In light of law's focus on influencing social norms and on structuring effective and just institutions, one development that holds enormous promise is the growing interdisciplinary interest in collective decision making and in the emotional dynamics of groups. Work in the affective sciences on how emotion and cognition interact is another rich vein for legal scholars interested in the assessment of responsibility and blame, the role of morality in law, and a host of other areas. Another important frontier is exploration of concrete solutions to the problems identified by law and emotion scholars.

What Do We Know About the Capital Structure of Privately Held Firms? Evidence from the Surveys of Small Business Finance

Abstract: This study establishes a set of stylized facts about the capital-structure decisions of privately held U.S. firms, using data from four nationally representative surveys conducted from 1987-2003. Book-value firm leverage, as measured by either the ratio of total loans to total assets or the ratio of total liabilities to total assets, is negatively related to firm age and minority ownership; and is positively related to industry median leverage, the corporate legal form of organization, and to the number of banking relationships. In general, these results provide mixed support for both the Pecking Order and Trade-Off theories of capital structure.

Feeling The Urge: Affect in Impulsive and Compulsive Buying

Abstract: The constructs of impulsive buying tendencies (IBT) and compulsive buying tendencies (CBT) have individually received much attention. However, prior research has neither fully explored their distinctiveness nor the relationships between IBT or CBT and the affect involved in the shopping experience. In order to extend our understanding of both literatures, the current research finds support for the differential effects of IBT and CBT on urge to buy through affect, as well as discrimination, of the two tendencies, using a mixed methodology of a survey and an online shopping diary.

Infusing computational thinking into the middle- and high-school curriculum

Abstract: In recent years there have been significant efforts to revamp undergraduate and K-12 curricula to emphasize computational thinking, a term popularized by Jeannette Wing in 2006. We describe work introducing and enhancing computational thinking activities and assessments in the middle- and high-school curriculum at the University of Chicago Lab Schools. In total six courses were altered as a part of the Computational Thinking across the Curriculum Project: middle-school and high-school computer science, and high-school Latin, graphic arts, English, and history. We detail the modifications to the curriculum and discuss the successes and challenges of the project.

Using Online Video to Announce a Restatement: Influences on Investment Decisions and the Mediating Role of Trust

Abstract: Press releases accompanying earnings restatements attempt to minimize negative reactions by explaining the reasons for the restatement. Although text-based press releases have been the norm for years, firms have recently begun using online video for such announcements. We examine the implications of doing so, and find that when a CEO accepts responsibility by making an internal attribution for a restatement, investors viewing the announcement online via video recommend larger investments in the firm than do investors viewing the announcement online via text. In contrast, when the CEO denies responsibility by making an external attribution for the restatement, investors viewing the announcement online via video recommend smaller investments in the firm than do investors viewing the announcement online via text. Our results also reveal that investor trust mediates the effect of disclosure venue and attribution on investment recommendations. These findings are important given the economic significa...

Counseling psychology trainees' perceptions of training and commitments to social justice.

Abstract: This mixed methods study examined social justice commitments of counseling psychology graduate trainees. In the quantitative portion of the study, a national sample of trainees (n 260) completed a web-based survey assessing their commitments to social justice and related personal and training variables. Results suggested that students desired greater social justice training than what they experienced in their programs. In the qualitative portion, we used a phenomenological approach to expand and elaborate upon quantitative results. A subsample (n 7) of trainees who identified as strong social justice activists were interviewed regarding their personal, professional, and training experiences. Eleven themes related to participants’ meanings of and experiences with social justice emerged within 4 broad categories: nature of social justice, motivation for activism, role of training, and personal and professional integration. Thematic findings as well as descriptive statistics informed the selection and ordering of variables in a hierarchical regression analysis that examined predictors of social justice commitment. Results indicated that trainees’ perceptions of training environment significantly predicted their social justice commitment over and above their general activist orientation and spirituality. Findings are discussed collectively, and implications for training and future research are provided.

Pacing as a strategy to improve energy management in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a consensus document

Abstract: Purpose: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating condition characterized by a number of symptoms which typically worsen following minimal exertion Various str

Physical abuse of older adults in nursing homes: a random sample survey of adults with an elderly family member in a nursing home.

Abstract: Few empirical studies have focused on elder abuse in nursing home settings. The present study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of staff physical abuse among elderly individuals receiving nursing home care in Michigan. A random sample of 452 adults with elderly relatives, older than 65 years, and in nursing home care completed a telephone survey regarding elder abuse and neglect experienced by this elder family member in the care setting. Some 24.3% of respondents reported at least one incident of physical abuse by nursing home staff. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the importance of various risk factors in nursing home abuse. Limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs), older adult behavioral difficulties, and previous victimization by nonstaff perpetrators were associated with a greater likelihood of physical abuse. Interventions that address these risk factors may be effective in reducing older adult physical abuse in nursing homes. Attention to the contextual or ecological character of nursing home abuse is essential, particularly in light of the findings of this study.

Multidimensional Perfectionism and Anxiety: Differences Among Individuals With Perfectionism and Tests of a Coping‐Mediation Model

Abstract: Perfectionism is an important construct that has received considerable attention in the research literature (Stoeber & Otto, 2006). Additionally, perfectionism has been consistently linked to a variety of negative psychological outcomes, such as depression (Argus & Thompson, 2008), obsessive-compulsive disorder (Moretz & McKay, 2009), and anxiety (Saboonchi & Lundh, 1997). Given the possible negative psychological outcomes related to perfectionism, it is important to be aware that a growing empirical literature has offered evidence for viewing perfectionism as having two distinct types: adaptive perfectionism and maladaptive perfectionism (e.g., Rice & Ashby, 2007; Stoeber & Otto, 2006). These two distinct types of perfectionism are based on the early conceptual work of Hamachek (1978), who asserted that both types of perfectionism are related to setting and maintaining high standards. According to Hamachek, what differentiates these two types of perfectionism is the inability of individuals with maladaptive perfectionism to gain a sense of satisfaction from any of their efforts because of their rigid and inflexible belief that they cannot reach their goals successfully. Conversely, individuals with adaptive perfectionism are able to gain a sense of satisfaction and pleasure from their intense efforts along with the ability to be flexible in their pursuits as required. As a result, individuals with maladaptive perfectionism "stew endlessly in emotional juices of their own brewing" (Hamachek, 1978, p. 27) because of the discrepancy between their high standards and their actual efforts. In contrast, individuals with adaptive perfectionism "concentrate on what has been achieved rather than pondering the discrepancy between what has been achieved and what might have been achieved if everything had worked out perfectly" (Stoeber & Otto, 2006, p. 316). The results of several studies have supported these conceptual claims regarding adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism. For instance, recent studies have associated maladaptive perfectionism with higher levels of depression (Ashby, Noble, & Gnilka, 2012; Rice & Stuart, 2010), lower levels of self-esteem (Wang, Slaney, & Rice, 2007), increased levels of perceived stress (Rice & Van Arsdale, 2010), and higher levels of neuroticism (Rice, Ashby, & Slaney, 2007) than both adaptive perfectionism and nonperfectionism. Adaptive perfectionism, in contrast to maladaptive perfectionism and nonperfectionism, has been shown in several studies to be associated with a number of positive outcomes, including higher levels of conscientiousness (Rice et al., 2007), increased levels of hope (Ashby, Dickinson, Gnilka, & Noble, 2011), and lower levels of depression (Ashby et al., 2011). Although there has been considerable research on the relationships between the different types of perfectionism and various psychological states, only a limited number of studies have investigated the mechanisms by which perfectionism results in psychological outcomes. One area of research (e.g., Dunkley, Zuroff, & Blankstein, 2003) has investigated the role of stress and coping in the relationship between perfectionism and outcomes. Hamachek (1978) offered several conceptual ideas about how individuals with adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism may cope with perceived stressors. For instance, maladaptive perfectionists typically "concentrate on how to avoid doing things wrong"; have more "avoidance behavior"; and typically feel "anxious, confused, and emotionally drained before a new task is even begun" (Hamachek, 1978, p. 28). This suggests that maladaptive perfectionists are more likely to use ineffective coping when facing demands. In contrast, adaptive perfectionists "focus on their strengths and concentrate on how to do things right" and feel "excited, clear about what needs to be done, and emotionally charged" (Hamachek, 1978, p. …

Can Reporting Norms Create a Safe Harbor? Jury Verdicts against Auditors under Precise and Imprecise Accounting Standards

Abstract: We conduct an experiment with 749 mock jurors to examine whether juries evaluate auditors differently under precise versus imprecise standards when the client reporting is held constant. We find that the impact of standard precision on jury verdicts depends on the aggressiveness of the audit client's financial reports and on the industry reporting norm. When the client's reporting is more aggressive and violates the precise standard, juries return fewer verdicts against auditors under the imprecise standard, especially when the reporting complies with the industry norm. When the client's reporting is less aggressive and complies with the precise standard, juries return more verdicts against auditors under the imprecise standard, but only when the client's reporting is more aggressive than the industry norm. Compliance with industry reporting norms appears to provide auditors with safe harbor protection from negligence verdicts when accounting standards are imprecise.

Characterizing hepatitis B stigma in Chinese immigrants.

Abstract: Health-related stigma is a cause of stress, alienation and discrimination that can serve as a barrier to prevention and care for infectious diseases such as HIV. Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related stigma is common in Asian immigrants, but has not been formally evaluated. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the first HBV stigma instrument and to begin to evaluate HBV stigma in Chinese immigrants. The HBV stigma instrument was developed based on constructs from validated HIV stigma scales and organized into five domains. A written survey was compiled to include demographic data, HBV knowledge questions and stigma items. The survey was pilot tested in English and Chinese and then finalized. Data were obtained from 201 patients seen in an urban Chinatown Internal Medicine practice. The stigma items showed a high degree of reliability when assessed in aggregate (α = 0.85) as well as within individual domains. Stigma was greatest in the Fear of Contagion domain. Knowledge questions showed a corresponding deficit in understanding of modes of HBV transmission. An inverse relationship between stigma scores and familiarity with HBV provided evidence of construct validity. In multivariable analysis, having a family member with HBV and higher HBV knowledge subset scores were associated with lower degrees of stigma. In conclusion, the hepatitis B stigma instrument showed reliability and construct validity. The relationship identified between familiarity and knowledge regarding HBV with lower stigma scores provides the basis for the development of interventions to reduce HBV stigma.

On the demand distributions of spare parts

Abstract: Spare parts have become ubiquitous in modern societies, and managing their requirements is an important and challenging task with tremendous cost implications for the organisations that are holding relevant inventories. Demand for spare parts arises whenever a component fails or requires replacement, and as such the relevant patterns are different from those associated with ‘typical’ stock keeping units. Such demand patterns are most often intermittent in nature, meaning that demand arrives infrequently and is interspersed by time periods with no demand at all. A number of distributions have been discussed in the literature for representing these patterns, but empirical evidence is lacking. In this paper, we address the issue of demand distributional assumptions for spare-parts management, conducting a detailed empirical investigation on the goodness-of-fit of various distributions and their stock-control implications in terms of inventories held and service levels achieved. This is an important contribution from a methodological perspective, since the validity of demand distributional assumptions (i.e. their goodness-of-fit) is distinguished from their utility (i.e. their real-world implications). Three empirical datasets are used for the purposes of our research that collectively consist of the individual demand histories of approximately 13,000 SKUs from the military sector (UK and USA) and the Electronics Industry (Europe). Our investigation provides evidence in support of certain demand distributions in a real-world context. The natural next steps of research are also discussed, and these should facilitate further developments in this area from an academic perspective.