The relationship between collectivism and climate: a review of the literature

Collectivism is one of the well-researched dimensions of culture that pertains to an individual’s relationship to an in-group. Organisational climate, on the other hand, is predominantly defined as the shared perceptions of employees about their working environment. In spite of the long tradition of both constructs in the literature, the conceptual relationship between collectivism and climate has oftentimes been neglected. This paper explores this relationship by presenting (1) the conceptual overlap between culture and climate; (2) the congruence between collectivism and climate in terms of levels of conceptualisation and analysis; (3) the apparent influence of collectivism on organisational processes and practices that have been the domain of climate studies; and (4) the apparent influence of collectivism on climate outcomes. This paper also offers some recommendations to guide future studies including suggestions to have more empirical investigation to strongly establish the relationship between collectivism and climate, to investigate facets of climate simultaneously, to extend the link between climate and other work outcomes, to engage in multi-level research, and to explore how collectivism influences climate formation and change.

Neighborhood environmental attributes and adults' sedentary behaviors: review and research agenda

OBJECTIVE: Physical activity recommendations are beginning to address sedentary behaviors - time spent sitting. Environmental and policy initiatives for physical activity might assist in addressing sedentary behaviors, but sedentary-specific innovations may be required. This review synthesizes current evidence on associations of neighborhood environmental attributes with adults' sedentary behaviors. METHODS: A search was conducted using three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Transport Research Information Services). Relevant articles were assessed for their eligibility for inclusion (English-language articles with a quantitative examination of associations of neighborhood environmental attributes with adults' sedentary behaviors). RESULTS: Within 17 studies meeting inclusion criteria, associations of environmental attributes with sedentary behaviors were examined in 89 instances. Significant associations were found in 28% (n=25) of them; however, non-significant associations were found in 56% (n=50) of these instances. The most consistent association was for lower levels of sedentary behavior among residents of urban compared to regional areas. CONCLUSIONS: There is a modest but mixed initial evidence in associations of neighborhood environmental attributes with adults' sedentary behaviors. A research agenda required for this emerging field should include the development of more relevant conceptual models, measuring domain-specific sedentary behavior objectively, examining environments in close vicinity of and a larger area around home, and the use of prospective designs.

Diet and bipolar disorder: a review of its relationship and potential therapeutic mechanisms of action

OBJECTIVES: It is well accepted that diet quality has an important role in the prevention and treatment of several physical diseases. However, its influence on mental health has received far less attention, although there is increasing evidence to support a relationship with depression. In this narrative review, investigations into the relationship between diet and bipolar disorder are examined and the potential implications in the management and treatment of bipolar disorder are reviewed. METHODS: The authors provide a narrative review of the relevant information. RESULTS: Research is limited, although there are preliminary findings to suggest a relationship between diet and bipolar disorder. Findings from cross-sectional research suggest that people with bipolar disorder consume an unhealthier dietary pattern. This has significant treatment implications as bipolar disorder has a high comorbidity with several physical diseases. In addition, diet also influences several biological processes that are dysregulated in bipolar disorder, namely monoaminergic activity, immune/inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, mitochondrial activity, and neuroprogression. CONCLUSIONS: The role of diet in bipolar disorder requires further attention in research as it presents as a factor that may contribute to the worsening course of this condition and may potentially enhance current treatment outcomes.

A review of studies on information systems and SMEs in high ranked IS journals (2000-2014)

This paper identifies novel approaches to future small and medium enterprise (SME) research from a review of articles, and then introduces the papers in this AJIS special section which evidence these approaches. More specifically, the paper makes an important contribution by reviewing 61 articles in high ranked IS journals (2000-2014) and introducing three new facets which are used to analyse research on SME adoption/use of IS (units of analysis, SME sizes and SME types) not considered in previous literature review studies. These facets provide thebasis for proposing various future research opportunities. The editorial then introduces the four papers in this special section covering the research theme on SMEs, and highlights the contributions they make using the three facets.

The missing evidence: a systematic review of patients' experiences of adverse events in health care

PURPOSE: Preventable patient harm due to adverse events (AEs) is a significant health problem today facing contemporary health care. Knowledge of patients' experiences of AEs is critical to improving health care safety and quality. A systematic review of studies of patients' experiences of AEs was conducted to report their experiences, knowledge gaps and any challenges encountered when capturing patient experience data. DATA SOURCES: Key words, synonyms and subject headings were used to search eight electronic databases from January 2000 to February 2015, in addition to hand-searching of reference lists and relevant journals. STUDY SELECTION: Titles and abstracts of publications were screened by two reviewers and checked by a third. Full-text articles were screened against the eligibility criteria. DATA EXTRACTION: Data on design, methods and key findings were extracted and collated. RESULTS: Thirty-three publications demonstrated patients identifying a range of problems in their care; most commonly identified were medication errors, communication and coordination of care problems. Patients' income, education, health burden and marital status influence likelihood of reporting. Patients report distress after an AE, often exacerbated by receiving inadequate information about the cause. Investigating patients' experiences is hampered by the lack of large representative patient samples, data over sufficient time periods and varying definitions of an AE. CONCLUSION: Despite the emergence of policy initiatives to enhance patient engagement, few studies report patients' experiences of AEs. This information must be routinely captured and utilized to develop effective, patient-centred and system-wide policies to minimize and manage AEs.

The Maltreatment-Offending Association: a systematic review of the methodological features of prospective and longitudinal studies

Although the association between childhood maltreatment and the subsequent development of offending behavior is well documented, the association does not necessarily reflect a causal relationship. This paper provides a systematic review of prospective and longitudinal studies using official records of maltreatment to gain insights into the extent to which methodological variations are likely to influence the conclusions drawn about the likely relationship between maltreatment and offending. Sixty-two original studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies were assessed according to a set of seven methodological criteria: (1) inclusion of comparison groups, (2) the use of statistical controls, (3) valid outcome measures, (4) operationalization of maltreatment, (5) proper temporal order of associations, (6) data relating to unsubstantiated maltreatment, and (7) consideration of mediating and moderating factors. The strength of evidence in support of the maltreatment-offending association was influenced by a number of methodological factors. Despite the increasing sophistication of studies, there is a need to be mindful of how these factors are taken into account in future research in order to gain a deeper understanding of the adverse consequences of maltreatment and how this might influence outcomes and inform interventions.

How long is too long in contemporary peer review? Perspectives from authors publishing in conservation biology journals

Delays in peer reviewed publication may have consequences for both assessment of scientific prowess in academics as well as communication of important information to the knowledge receptor community. We present an analysis on the perspectives of authors publishing in conservation biology journals regarding their opinions on the importance of speed in peer-review as well as how to improve review times. Authors were invited to take part in an online questionnaire, of which the data was subjected to both qualitative (open coding, categorizing) and quantitative analyses (generalized linear models). We received 637 responses to a total of 6,547 e-mail invitations sent. Peer-review speed was generally perceived as slow, with authors experiencing a typical turnaround time of 14 weeks while their perceived optimal review time is six weeks. Male and younger respondents seem to have higher expectations of review speed than females and older respondents. Majority of participants attributed lengthy review times to the 'stress' on the peer-review system (i.e., reviewer and editor fatigue), while editor persistence and journal prestige were believed to speed up the review process. Negative consequences of lengthy review times appear to be greater for early career researchers and can also have impact on author morale (e.g. motivation or frustration). Competition among colleagues were also of concern to respondents. Incentivizing peer review was among the top suggested alterations to the system along with training graduate students in peer review, increased editorial persistence, and changes to the norms of peer-review such as opening the peer-review process to the public. It is clear that authors surveyed in this study view the peer-review system as under stress and we encourage scientists and publishers to push the envelope for new peer review models.

The epidemiology of cataract: a review of the literature

Cataract is a major cause of blindness, accounting for nearly half of all blindness worldwide. Epidemiological research provides the principles and methods to assess the extent of cataract, and supplies the necessary information for policy planning. Obtaining accurate epidemiological data on cataract is essential to ascertain and estimate the cost of primary and secondary eye health care needs. Determining risk factors is also necessary to reduce the economic and social repercussions associated with the disease. The following paper presents a review of the epidemiology of cataract in the middle to elderly age group.

A review of security protocols in mHealth Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN)

The popularity of smartphones has led to an increasing demand for health apps. As a result, the healthcare industry is embracing mobile technology and the security of mHealth is essential in protecting patient’s user data and WBAN in a clinical setting. Breaches of security can potentially be life-threatening as someone with malicious intentions could misuse mHealth devices and user information. In this article, threats to security for mHealth networks are discussed in a layered approach addressing gaps in this emerging field of research. Suite B and Suite E, which are utilized in many security systems, including in mHealth applications, are also discussed. In this paper, the support for mHealth security will follow two approaches; protecting patient-centric systems and associated link technologies. Therefore this article is focused on the security provisioning of the communication path between the patient terminal (PT; e.g., sensors) and the monitoring devices (e.g., smartphone, data-collector).