Power Distribution of IT Executives in the TMT: When Should It Be Equal?

The role of the top management team (TMT) and IT executives in organizing and leading digital innovation are increasingly recognized. However, past studies often focus on the role of IT expertise of TMT members. Relative power and interactions of the elite members remain under-researched. In this study, we draw on the literature on power distribution in the TMT to investigate the impact of power dispersion between IT executives and the TMT on digital innovation. We theorize that power dispersion has a non-linear, inverted U-shaped relation to digital innovation. Further, we introduce the moderating role of two relevant expertise of the IT executives, technological expertise and firm-specific expertise. Using panel data from US firms belonging to the list of top innovators, we find support for our theory. Our study offers potential contributions to the digital innovation literature as well as to research in IS leadership

SAVINGS and economic growth: a historical analysis of the relationship between savings and economic growth in the CAPE Colony economy, 1850-1909.

Abstract The sub-optimal savings propensity in South Africa the past three decades causes concern for the ability of the country to support its economic development. An historical analysis of the development of the savings’ trends in South Africa may assist in understanding the historical roots of the phenomenon. Apart from general descriptions of the nature of economic activity in the Cape Colony very little is known about the role financial sector development and savings played in the growing colonial economy. This paper explores the performance of the economy of the Cape Colony between 1850 and 1909, through the business cycles, financial sector stability, the nature and extent of economic activity and seeks to explain the relationship between savings and economic growth. The question is whether the general view that ‘financial development is robustly growth promoting’ can be substantiated in the last half of the nineteenth century Cape Colony? It contributes to the economic history literature on the colonial past of South Africa by using newly compiled data on the GDP of the Cape Colony during the last half of the nineteenth century. The paper finds that despite the expectations in the literature that financial deepening contributes to economic growth; the Cape Colony did not display such causal relationship between savings and economic growth in the period under review. The paper shows the different forms of savings in the colony and the trend of savings behavior in the period amidst the development of a relatively robust financial sector

Better Survival in Patients with Esophageal Cancer After Surgical Treatment in University Hospitals: A Plea for Performance by Surgical Oncologists

Background: In primary esophageal cancer, studies have frequently focused on surgical patients in an effort to link outcome to hospital- or surgeon-related experience, with operative mortality used as the main outcome measure. Many studies have found an inverse relationship between operative mortality and hospital volume and surgical expertise. This study aims to assess the influence of surgeon-related expertise and hospital volume on the relative survival of operated esophageal cancer patients. Methods: From January 1994 to January 2002, a total of 1149 consecutive patients with primary esophageal cancer were diagnosed in the region of the Comprehensive Cancer Center North-Netherlands. As a proxy for surgeon-related expertise, hospitals in this region were categorized into three types: university, teaching nonuniversity, and nonteaching hospitals. The influence of hospital type on the relative survival of operated patients was studied by a multivariate Poisson regression model. Results: Of the 1149 patients, 18.5% underwent surgery. There was no evidence of selective referral for surgery between the three hospital types with regard to age, tumor stage, and location. For operated patients, the 5-year relative survival was 49.2% for the university hospital versus 32.6% and 27.3% for teaching nonuniversity and nonteaching hospitals, respectively (P = .0039). When adjusted for age, tumor stage, hospital volume and referral frequency, the relative excess risk of death for the university hospital was considerably lower at .57 (95% confidence interval, .29-1.12) compared with nonteaching hospitals and .43 (95% confidence interval, .24-.76) compared with teaching nonuniversity hospitals (P = .0126). Conclusions: In our region, patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy in the university hospital had a markedly better relative survival compared with those who underwent surgery at teaching nonuniversity and nonteaching hospitals, emphasizing the need for referral of esophageal surgery to centers with a greater experience

SAVINGS and economic growth: a historical analysis of the relationship between savings and economic growth in the CAPE Colony economy, 1850-1909.

Abstract The sub-optimal savings propensity in South Africa the past three decades causes concern for the ability of the country to support its economic development. An historical analysis of the development of the savings’ trends in South Africa may assist in understanding the historical roots of the phenomenon. Apart from general descriptions of the nature of economic activity in the Cape Colony very little is known about the role financial sector development and savings played in the growing colonial economy. This paper explores the performance of the economy of the Cape Colony between 1850 and 1909, through the business cycles, financial sector stability, the nature and extent of economic activity and seeks to explain the relationship between savings and economic growth. The question is whether the general view that ‘financial development is robustly growth promoting’ can be substantiated in the last half of the nineteenth century Cape Colony? It contributes to the economic history literature on the colonial past of South Africa by using newly compiled data on the GDP of the Cape Colony during the last half of the nineteenth century. The paper finds that despite the expectations in the literature that financial deepening contributes to economic growth; the Cape Colony did not display such causal relationship between savings and economic growth in the period under review. The paper shows the different forms of savings in the colony and the trend of savings behavior in the period amidst the development of a relatively robust financial sector

Circulating Tumour DNA as Biomarker for Colorectal Liver Metastases:A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is a potential biomarker that could contribute to more judicious patient selection for personalised treatment. This review and meta-analysis gives an overview of the current knowledge in the literature investigating the value of ctDNA in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). A systematic search was conducted in electronic databases for studies published prior to the 26th of May 2023. Studies investigating the association between ctDNA and oncological outcomes in patients undergoing curative-intent local therapy for CRLM were included. Meta-analyses were performed to pool hazard ratios (HR) for the recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). A total of eleven studies were included and nine were eligible for meta-analyses. Patients with detectable ctDNA after surgery experienced a significantly higher chance of recurrence (HR 3.12, 95% CI 2.27–4.28, p &lt; 0.000010) and shorter OS (HR 5.04, 95% CI 2.53–10.04, p &lt; 0.00001) compared to patients without detectable ctDNA. A similar association for recurrence was found in patients with detectable ctDNA after the completion of adjuvant therapy (HR 6.39, 95% CI 2.13–19.17, p &lt; 0.0009). The meta-analyses revealed no association between detectable ctDNA before surgery and the RFS and OS. These meta-analyses demonstrate the strong association between detectable ctDNA after treatment and oncological outcomes in CRLM patients.</p

Purpose in life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

To evaluate the role of purpose in life among people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a questionnaire comprising the Purpose in Life test (PIL) and the purpose in life dimension of the Psychological Well-Being test (PWB-pil) was sent to a random sample of 300 patients with RA. Additional questions comprised sociodemographic and disease characteristics, physical, mental and social functioning, coping (Coping with rheumatic stressors questionnaire), and quality of life (RAND-36). Associations between sociodemographic and disease characteristics, physical, mental and social functioning, and coping on the one side and the two measures of purpose in life on the other side and associations between the two purpose of life measures and physical and mental dimensions of quality of life were assessed by means of univariate and multivariate regression analyses. The response rate was 156 of 300 (52%). The median PIL and PWB-pil scores were 103 (range 63–131) and 82 (41–110), respectively. A lower age, a better mental health status, and an optimistic coping style were significantly associated with both higher PIL and PWB-pil scores, whereas more participation in leisure and/or social activities was associated with a higher PIL score. It was found that the PIL and PWB-pil contributed independently and significantly to the mental component summary scale of the RAND-36. In RA patients, lower age, a better mental health status, an optimistic coping style, and participation in leisure and/or social activities were significantly associated with more sense of purpose in life. Purpose in life pays a significant and independent contribution to the mental component of quality of life. These findings highlight the significance of the concept of purpose in life in patients with RA

A Cross-National Investigation into the Marketing Department\u27s Influence Within the Firm: Toward Initial Empirical Generalizations

This study of the influence of the marketing department (MD), as well as its relationship with firm performance, includes seven industrialized countries and aims to generalize the conceptual model presented by Verhoef and Leeflang (2009). This investigation considers the antecedents of perceived MD influence, top management respect for the MD, and MD decision influence, as well as the relationships of these three influence variables with market orientation (MO) and business performance (BP). Meta-analytic procedures reveal initial empirical generalizations: Accountability, MD innovativeness, and the customer connection capabilities of the MD relate consistently to all three studied MD influence measures. The generalization also shows that MD influence contributes to BP indirectly through its positive relationship with MO and directly through its positive direct relationship with BP

Clinical outcome comparison of Grade Group 1 and Grade Group 2 prostate cancer with and without cribriform architecture at the time of radical prostatectomy

Aims: Invasive cribriform and intraductal carcinoma are associated with aggressive disease in Grade Group 2 (GG2) prostate cancer patients. However, the characteristics and clinical outcome of patients with GG2 prostate cancer without cribriform architecture (GG2−) as compared with those with Grade Group 1 (GG1) prostate cancer are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of GG1 and GG2− prostate cancer in radical prostatectomy specimens. Methods and results: We reviewed 835 radical prostatectomy specimens for Grade Group, pT stage, surgical margin status, and the presence of cribriform architecture. Biochemical recurrence-free survival and metastasis were used as clinical outcomes. GG1 prostate cancer was seen in 207 patients, and GG2 prostate cancer was seen in 420 patients, of whom 228 (54%) showed cribriform architecture (GG2+) and 192 (46%) did not. GG2− patients had higher prostate-specific antigen levels (9.4 ng/ml versus 7.0 ng/ml; P < 0.001), more often had extraprostatic extension (36% versus 11%; P < 0.001) and had more positive surgical margins (27% versus 17%; P = 0.01) than GG1 patients. GG2− patients ha

Alterations in early cytokine-mediated immune responses to Plasmodium falciparum infection in Tanzanian children with mineral element deficiencies: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND: Deficiencies in vitamins and mineral elements are important causes of morbidity in developing countries, possibly because they lead to defective immune responses to infection. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of mineral element deficiencies on early innate cytokine responses to Plasmodium falciparum malaria. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 304 Tanzanian children aged 6-72 months were stimulated with P. falciparum-parasitized erythrocytes obtained from in vitro cultures. RESULTS: The results showed a significant increase by 74% in geometric mean of TNF production in malaria-infected individuals with zinc deficiency (11% to 240%; 95% CI). Iron deficiency anaemia was associated with increased TNF production in infected individuals and overall with increased IL-10 production, while magnesium deficiency induced increased production of IL-10 by 46% (13% to 144%) in uninfected donors. All donors showed a response towards IL-1beta production, drawing special attention for its possible protective role in early innate immune responses to malaria. CONCLUSIONS: In view of these results, the findings show plasticity in cytokine profiles of mononuclear cells reacting to malaria infection under conditions of different micronutrient deficiencies. These findings lay the foundations for future inclusion of a combination of precisely selected set of micronutrients rather than single nutrients as part of malaria vaccine intervention programmes in endemic countries