Despite Regulatory Changes, Hospitals Cautious in Helping Physicians Purchase Electronic Medical Records

Examines hospitals' strategies to aid physicians' adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) following regulatory changes facilitating hospital-subsidized EMRs. Looks at factors determining support for physicians' EMR adoption and their implications

Images of Europeans: In-Group Trust and Support for European Integration. Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Paper Series Vol. 14 No. 3, March 2014

Prior research on citizen support for European integration does not consider how individuals’ evaluations of European nationalities are associated with support. This paper fills this gap by developing a political cohesion model based on social identity theory. I claim that the probability of supporting integration increases with greater levels of trust in fellow Europeans, which assumes to reflect their positive images. Also, trust in eastern European Union nationalities has the highest impact on the probability for support, followed by trust in the southern nationalities, and then northern nationalities due to the eastern and southern nationalities relatively lower economic development. Controlling for various factors, the ordered logistic regression analysis of the European Election Study (2004) data support these claims

The Effects of Cognitive Intervention Training and Exercise on Memory Efficacy of Alzheimer’s Disease At-Risk Elders

The effects of cognitive and exercise intervention training in patients labeled as ‘at-risk’ for Alzheimer’s disease were examined. Sixty-eight cognitively intact older adults between the ages of 60-85, with a positive family history of Alzheimer’s disease, and reportedly not currently engaged in regular exercise, were recruited. In a 12-week controlled clinical trial, participants were randomly assigned to participate in one of three conditions: (a) cognitive intervention training, (b) exercise intervention training, or (c) control group. All participants were administered a standardized battery of neuropsychological tests of episodic memory and sustained attention at baseline and at the 12-week follow-up session. In addition, each week, the participants completed the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, PASE, a commonly used self-report outcome measure for assessing activities of daily life. Results indicated a statistically significant difference for the interaction between the cognitive intervention group and the control group for portions of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVRT-R) neuropsychological tests. However, there were no statistically significant interactions between the groups for the Letter Number Sequencing (LNS) or Symbol-Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) neuropsychological tests. In addition, results indicated that there were no significant differences among the groups and the PASE scores at the follow-up session. Findings are discussed in the context of the possibility that cognitive intervention programs could lead to increased memory skills in at-risk Alzheimer’s disease adults and that exercise interventions must be reevaluated and refined before any definitive conclusion can be drawn concerning the efficacy of this treatment

From War to Integration: Generalizing the Dynamic of Power Transitions

Generalizing the dynamics implied by power transition theory, we characterize the structural conditions that lead nations to initiate conflict or choose to integrate. The relationship between changes in relative power, hierarchical structures, and joint satisfaction are used to identify the structural conditions for conflict and cooperation. Empirical tests for the last two centuries confirm the strength and robustness of this characterization. In addition, long term assessments of Pax Britannica, the Cold War, and China’s potential challenge to the United States in this century are used to illustrate the precision of these findings. The fundamental implication is that structural conditions provide the pre-conditions for conflict and cooperation, but decision makers have leeway in advancing policies that eventually lead to either war or peace.

Trade Triangulation: The Stalemate of the FTAA and EU-MERCOSUR FTA Negotiations

Why are some free trade agreements (FTAs) in the western hemisphere successfully negotiated and implemented while others seem to stagnate during negotiations? FTAs develop when there is an asymmetrical power relationship and potential partners are satisfied with potential trade patterns. The European Union (EU) and United States have been successful in negotiating agreements with the Caribbean and Central American countries. However, current bilateral and multilateral trade talks between the EU, the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR), and US are at a standstill. Trade patterns are unsatisfactory for the MERCOSUR members because they are not able to maximize their comparative advantage. Additionally, neither the EU nor US are willing to use their power capabilities to reduce this dissatisfaction. Finally, the growing Chinese economic profile in Latin America further complicates the ability for the three actors to achieve a set of satisfactory trade relations. Evidence to support these arguments comes from archival research of the failed EU-MERCOSUR FTA and Free Trade Agreement of the Americas negotiations

Masculine Discrepancy Stress and Health Behavior Outcomes

INTRODUCTION: Research suggests men feel a high demand to uphold masculine gender norms and masculine discrepancy stress (MDS), is the strain a man feels when he believes he is or thinks he is perceived to be inadequately masculine.It is reasonable to suspect men with MDS would be more likely to act in the stereotypical masculine ways, to confirm masculinity and avoid social repercussions. AIMs: (a) Examine if the latent constructs demonstrate significant and moderately large correlations reflecting an underlying psychosocial adjustment factor. (b)Assess if utilizing structural equation modeling methods, in place of univariate methods, demonstrate significant correlations between MDS, GRD, and the superordinate factor psychosocial adjustment. (c)Assess if utilizing MDS as a mediator rather than a moderator in a structural equation model demonstrate a significant positive direct effect on psychosocial adjustment, while demonstrating a negative direct effect on psychosocial maladjustment. METHODS: A three phased plan was conducted; (a) assessing measurement models, (b) assessing the measurement model for the superordinate factor psychosocial adjustment, (c) and assessing a full model. The fit of the measurement models will determine which full model will be examined, the superordinate factor model or a model that does not include superordinate factor, which allows for all outcomes to be regressed independently on each predictor. RESULTS: No statistically significant results were found. DISCUSSION: Possible explanations for results are; misrepresentation of the latent, absence of statistical methodologies needed to assess the latent variables, deficiency in necessary power to detect effects, and measuring GRD and MDS independently of each other does not predispose one to experience maladaptive behavior. Thusly, indicating that future research should focus on a model that utilizes MDS as a mediator and a moderator

Coordination of Care by Primary Care Practices: Strategies, Lessons and Implications

Documents successful strategies for coordinating care within primary care settings, including family and caregivers; with specialists; with hospital settings; and with community-based services. Discusses challenges, lessons learned, and implications

Public Perceptions of the European Power Hierarchy and Support for a Common Foreign and Security Policy

Prior research on citizen support for European integration has primarily focused on individuals’ evaluations of the process of integration or its institutions, with emphasis on the importance of direct benefits and costs integration can confer. Explanations focus on overall support for integration and little work has been done on explaining public opinion on specific policy areas, such as the development of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). This paper will fill this gap in the research by synthesizing systems theory with social identity theory to produce a core claim that the probability of supporting the CFSP increases with greater levels of political trust in the European Union member-states, most notably France and Germany. This variable is critical since integration’s development is influenced strongly by, and dependent on, the resources of the relatively more powerful European member-states. The results hold even when controlling for other factors. Binary logistic regression analysis using pooled repeated cross-sectional data from the Eurobarometer surveys conducted in 1992 through 1997 among individuals of 11 member-states largely support these claims