Phylogeny and systematics of the giant rhinoceros beetles (Scarabaeidae: Dynastini)

This report contains the first inclusive phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic structure for the genera presently included within the scarabaeid tribe Dynastini. The study was based upon morphological, biogeographic and molecular data and yielded direct support for the recognition of three subtribes in the Dynastini: Dynastina MacLeay, New Status (Dynastes Kirby, Augosoma Burmeister, Megasoma Kirby, Golofa Hope), Xylotrupina Hope, New Status (Xylotrupes Hope, Allomyrina Arrow, Trypoxylus Minck, Xyloscaptes Prell) and Chalcosomina Rowland and Miller, New Subtribe (Chalcosoma Hope, Haploscapanes Arrow, Beckius Dechambre, Eupatorus Burmeister, Pachyoryctes Arrow). The results provide indirect but significant support for the origin of the tribe Dynastini to be of an age no later than the early Late Cretaceous. Molecular and morphological evidence suggests that Eupatorus as constituted in current taxonomic literature is not monophyletic, and taxonomic alternatives are discussed to address this deficiency. A plausible explanation is also provided for the perplexing use by F. W. Hope of the family-group names Xylotrupidae and Dynastidae

Jumped or pushed: what motivates NHS staff to set up a social enterprise?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the motivations behind public sector spin outs, focusing on the Right to Request policy, which enabled NHS staff to set up their own social enterprises to deliver healthcare services.\ud \ud Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on empirical data gathered from 16 in-depth interviews with individuals who had led a Right to Request proposal.\ud \ud Findings – Motivations to spin out of the NHS into a social enterprise were often “empathetic” in nature, built around the good of the service for staff and users. Alongside this, some felt “pushed” out of the NHS as a result of government restructuring policy, with social enterprise offering the only hope to survive as an organisation.\ud \ud Research limitations/implications – The study captures a particular point in time and there may be other perspectives that have not been included.\ud \ud Social implications – The paper is of use to academics, policy makers and practitioners. It provides an important contribution in thinking about how to motivate public sector staff, especially those from a health profession, to consider spinning out into social enterprises.\ud \ud Originality/value – The paper is the first to look at the motivations of healthcare spin outs through the Right to Request programme. The findings are related to previous literature on social entrepreneurship within public sector settings.\u

Healthcare Hot Spotting: Variation in Quality and Resource Use In California

This Issue Brief presents analyses of data available through the HEDIS by Geography tool, accessible at https://hbg.iha.org. The tool allows users to display and compare measures of both quality of care and use of health care resources throughout California. Rates can be displayed by product line and geographic area -- from as granular as a ZIP code to as extensive as statewide averages. Two main themes are highlighted in this brief: Health plan products that rely primarily on integrated care delivery networks, such as HMOs and Medicare Advantage, generally have higher quality scores without using more resources. Resource use and health care quality vary widely throughout the state

The Durham Statement Two Years Later: Open Access in the Law School Journal Environment

The Durham Statement on Open Access to Legal Scholarship, drafted by a group of academic law library directors, was promulgated in February 2009. It calls for two things: (1) open access publication of law school–published journals; and (2) an end to print publication of law journals, coupled with a commitment to keeping the electronic versions available in “stable, open, digital formats.” The two years since the Statement was issued have seen increased publication of law journals in openly available electronic formats, but little movement toward all-electronic publication. This article discusses the issues raised by the Durham Statement, the current state of law journal publishing, and directions forward

Factorial Invariance of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) for Adults of Mexican Descent across Nativity Status, Language Format, and Gender

The cultural equivalence of psychological outcome measures remains a major area of investigation. The current study sought to test the factor structure and factorial invariance of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) with a sample of adult individuals of Mexican descent (N = 923) across nativity status (U.S.- vs. foreign-born), language format (English vs. Spanish), and gender. The results show that 1-factor and 3-factor measurement models provided a good fit to the data; however, a single-factor model was deemed more appropriate and parsimonious. Tests of measurement invariance and invariance of factor variances (i.e., structural invariance) indicated at least partial measurement invariance across gender, nativity status, and language format. These findings suggest that the BSI-18 operates in a similar fashion among adults of Mexican descent regardless of nativity status, language format of the survey, and gender. Clinical and practical implications for use of the BSI-18 with Latino populations are discussed

Wholly online learning in environmental science

In recent years there has been a significant shift in the way courses and subjects are delivered to students in tertiary institutions. Advances in technology have resulted in a change to the traditional face-to-face lecture and tutorial teaching format, with many subjects in tertiary education now available online. Although research has explored the advantages and disadvantages of online learning, there has been little attention paid to this teaching format in the field of environmental science. In particular, there is little evidence in the literature to suggest that this method of teaching is appropriate for studies in environmental science or for environmental science students. This study examined the outcomes from a wholly online subject in environmental science at Deakin University, Australia. More specifically, the study aimed to investigate student views about online learning in environmental science as well as online group work. Questionnaires were distributed to all students who completed the core second year subject Society and Environment in semester 1, 2005. Although many of the responding students (n = 48) recognised the benefits of wholly online learning, the findings suggest that most prefer to learn in a face-to-face environment. This paper examines the implications of these findings for future online teaching methods in this discipline.<br /

Massachusetts Health Care Reform: Effects on Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage and Health

This study examines the effect of the Chapter 58 health care reform in Massachusetts four years after implementation on rates of coverage through employersponsored plans (ESI) and self-reported health status. It documents whether the relative increase in ESI coverage rates found in Massachusetts one and two years after the reform have persisted. A difference-in-difference model is used to examine effects on coverage rates and health status after the reform. Non-elderly adults living in Massachusetts make up the treatment group and the control group is comprised of individuals living in other Northeastern states. The study uses data from the Current Population Survey from the pre-reform years 2001 to 2006 and post-reform years 2007 to 2010. Results show that for the non-elderly adult population coverage through ESI plans increased 3.4 percentage points in the four years since the reform, slightly more than indicated in earlier studies. Gains were especially large among the young adult, near elderly, less educated, and lower income populations. The Massachusetts population also showed a significant improvement in self-reported health status

Perceptions of Teams in Providing Safe Handoffs

Background: Pediatric hematology/oncology patients are highly complex and providing care to these patients requires effective communication and coordination. Purpose: This project explored the perceptions of handoffs and transitions of team, at a quaternary pediatric health care system, with a descriptive, cross-sectional, non-experimental survey using convenient sampling. The goal was to identify the three top themes of team member perceptions to drive improvement efforts. Sample: 411 team members were invited to participate in survey; 124 completed the survey, a 29% participation rate. Methodology: The project employed quantitative methodology using quantitative data collection with a Likert-style survey to rank handoff experiences within the service line. Sixteen questions were divided into four domains, information, responsibility, accountability, and teamwork. The survey tool was validated by a 10 member panel of subject-matter experts. The tool exceeded Lawshe’s Content Validity Index (\u3e0.70- 0.80) with the score 0.9375. Two open-ended questions probed barriers to handoffs, and ideal characteristics of handoffs. Data Analysis: Descriptive findings considered role, focus of work, location of work, and years of work. Nonparametric testing in SPSS used Kendall’s tau (τ), Friedman’s (χ²) ANOVA, and Cronbach’s alpha for analysis. Findings: Two strengths were identified: 1. Team members frequently consider risk to patients of harm during transitions and 2. Team members demonstrate a personal accountability to get the information in handoffs. Shared goals and shared plan of care were identified as low performers. Conflict resolution and role understanding emerged as needs from open-ended comments. Recommendation: These findings support three themes for future work to improve handoffs. The data supports developing a shared mental model of how goals and plan of care moves with the patient across the service line, and care continuum, along with clear contact information for clarification needs. Handoffs are not just about the transfer of information, there are many correlating factors that influence this process. Attending to the relationships and the team dynamics will be an important focus of this project