Institutional Characteristics Research Articles

Pyoderma gangrenosum: A single-center case series study of 32 cases

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare neutrophilic dermatosis with multiple different clinical presentations and associated comorbidities. It often presents as ulcerated lesions with a violet/erythematous border and an irregular undercut margin. In this largest single-centre case series study in Antalya-Turkey, we reviewed 32 PG patients diagnosed consecutively within the last 5-year period. Consistent with the literature, PG morphologically often presented with the ulcerative clinic (90.6%), and inflammatory bowel disease (15.6%) was the most common etiologic factor. In our study, female gender predominance (78.2%), lower extremity localization (93.7%), and the rate of multiple ulcers at diagnosis (90.6%) were more prominent than in the literature. Unlike the literature, oral mucosa involvement and syndromic form (both, 6.2%) of the disease were detected more frequently. Our results indicate that PG patients may show differences according to geographical and ethnic differences and/or characteristics of the healthcare institution.

유럽 우주정책 거버넌스 연구

The aim of this study is to analyse the historical processes and institutional features of European space policy governance in order to understand its unique governance characteristics, which are designed to ensure that horizontal cooperation at the European level between the ESA and the EU and vertical cooperation between the ESA and Member States' national space agencies are complementary. To this end, this study first examines the historical process of the development of European space policy from the perspective of the history of European integration and the history of legal institutions, in order to understand the nature of the parallel development of European space policy centred on ESA, independent of the evolution of European integration from the ECSC to the EU. On this basis, it will analyse the multi-layered governance of European space policy today, focusing on the two characteristics of 'hybridity' and 'integrity' in order to contribute to a more accurate understanding of European space policy.

Institutional sources of legitimacy in multistakeholder global governance at ICANN

AbstractThis article provides a novel systematic exploration of ways and extents that institutional characteristics shape legitimacy beliefs toward multistakeholder global governance. Multistakeholderism is often argued to offer institutional advantages over intergovernmental multilateralism in handling global problems. This study examines whether, in practice, perceptions of institutional purpose, procedure, and performance affect legitimacy assessments regarding this form of global governance. The analysis focuses on the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), one of the largest and most institutionally developed global multistakeholder arrangements. Evidence comes from a mixed‐methods survey of 467 participants in ICANN. We find that this representative sample accords high importance in principle to many institutional features, and also rates the actual institutional operations of ICANN quite highly on various counts. Moreover, many institutional characteristics associate significantly with participants' legitimacy beliefs toward ICANN. However, not all institutional qualities have this significance, and the relevance of individual‐ and societal‐level circumstances indicates that institutional sources do not provide a full explanation of legitimacy. The article contributes refinements to theory of legitimacy in global governance; demonstrates the value of mixed‐methods survey work in this field; supplies unique original data and analysis; and identifies implications for the politics of (de)legitimation around multistakeholderism.

Corporate social responsibility oriented boards and triple bottom line performance: A meta‐analytic study

AbstractIn this article, we aim to investigate the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR)‐oriented boards on triple bottom‐line (TBL) performance and whether internal corporate governance exhibits a facilitating role in achieving the sustainable development goals by enhancing the performance indicators of the TBL. Specifically, this article aims to shed light on this issue by meta‐analyzing the relationship between good governance and both social and financial performance, using a global sample to facilitate this analysis taking into account the incidence of the institutional characteristics of different countries and their impact on the relationship studied, by means of eight meta‐analyses. For this purpose, we conducted a meta‐analytic study on a sample of 289 articles published between 1997 and 2021. The results show that CSR‐oriented boards have a direct effect on corporate social performance (CSP) indicators and that their impact on financial outcomes is mediated by CSP strategies. Board size, gender diversity, and board independence present a facilitator profile of CSP, while only gender diversity enhances financial outcomes. The influence of CSR‐oriented boards is more acute in countries with greater protection for stakeholders and stronger environmental awareness.

Racial Disparity in Social Work Professional Licensure Exam Pass Rates: Examining Institutional Characteristics and State Licensure Policy as Predictors

ABSTRACT Purpose The Association of Social Work Boards (2022a) released a report evidencing test-taker demographics as the strongest predictor of professional licensure exam pass-rates. The purpose of this study was to examine statistical predictors of social work professional licensure exam pass rate disparities between first-time Black/African American and White test-takers. Materials and Methods The study addressed the following research question: To what extent do institutional and state licensure characteristics predict race-based disparities in social work licensure exam pass rates? To answer this question, the authors built a data set in an Excel spreadsheet comprised of institutional and state licensure variables using publicly available and reliable sources. Results States requiring more clinical supervision hours and imposing higher licensure fees tended to report higher overall pass rates on the ASWB exam. Additionally, a notable correlation was found between states with a higher proportion of Black/African American residents and increased pass rates. Conversely, states that had established a larger number of licensure tiers typically saw lower overall pass rates. Furthermore, it was noted that schools located in the Southern U.S. demonstrated significantly lower ASWB pass rates compared to schools in other regions of the country. Discussion Recommendations are made regarding future research efforts and professional licensure and regulation standards. Conclusion Pass rate disparities have implications for individual exam-takers and their families; for clients and constituencies; and for social work practice, research, ethics, and education.

R&D investment and financial performance in EU countries: The role of shareholder protection and creditor rights in renewable energy firms.

Renewable energy sources have become a priority for countries' energy agendas due to climate change. Accordingly, the financial performance of renewable energy firms should be enhanced through research and development (R&D) investment to achieve the energy transition. The positive effect of R&D investment on financial performance is well documented in the literature. However, it is not clear whether this positive effect varies or not depending on the institutional characteristics of countries, such as shareholder protection and creditor rights. This study examines whether shareholder protection, on the one hand, and creditor rights, on the other, have any moderating effect on the R&D-financial performance nexus by using firm-level data from 912 renewable energy firms in 21 European Union countries from 2011 to 2020. The results show that shareholder protection strengthens the positive effect of R&D investment on the financial performance of renewable energy firms, while creditor rights negatively moderate this relationship. Thus, firms operating in countries with strong shareholder protection (creditor rights) invest more (less) in R&D activities, which leads to an increase (decrease) in financial performance. Consequently, policymakers may consider policy changes that encourage shareholders and discourage creditors from maximizing their R&D investments, which increase financial performance.

Evolution and innovation of hedge fund strategies: A systematic Review of literature and framework for future research

Hedge funds are a dynamic and heterogeneous segment of the financial industry that employs various strategies to generate returns and manage risk. Despite their growing importance and impact on the global economy, hedge funds remain largely unregulated and opaque, posing challenges for researchers and regulators alike. This paper provides a systematic review of the academic literature on hedge fund strategies, covering their institutional, historical and performance characteristics; their purpose and effectiveness in achieving balanced portfolios; and the relationship of returns to manager skill, style, size and other factors. The paper also proposes a framework for future research on hedge fund strategies.

Healthcare data quality assessment for improving the quality of the Korea Biobank Network.

Numerous studies make extensive use of healthcare data, including human materials and clinical information, and acknowledge its significance. However, limitations in data collection methods can impact the quality of healthcare data obtained from multiple institutions. In order to secure high-quality data related to human materials, research focused on data quality is necessary. This study validated the quality of data collected in 2020 from 16 institutions constituting the Korea Biobank Network using 104 validation rules. The validation rules were developed based on the DQ4HEALTH model and were divided into four dimensions: completeness, validity, accuracy, and uniqueness. Korea Biobank Network collects and manages human materials and clinical information from multiple biobanks, and is in the process of developing a common data model for data integration. The results of the data quality verification revealed an error rate of 0.74%. Furthermore, an analysis of the data from each institution was performed to examine the relationship between the institution's characteristics and error count. The results from a chi-square test indicated that there was an independent correlation between each institution and its error count. To confirm this correlation between error counts and the characteristics of each institution, a correlation analysis was conducted. The results, shown in a graph, revealed the relationship between factors that had high correlation coefficients and the error count. The findings suggest that the data quality was impacted by biases in the evaluation system, including the institution's IT environment, infrastructure, and the number of collected samples. These results highlight the need to consider the scalability of research quality when evaluating clinical epidemiological information linked to human materials in future validation studies of data quality.

“Band-aid teaching”: Exploring emergency remote teaching experiences of hospitality educators through an affective lens

There has been a significant increase in research focusing on online education and emergency remote teaching (ERT) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one area that received limited attention is hospitality education, which traditionally relied on face-to-face teaching to develop technical and soft skills required in hospitality work. Teaching in the hospitality field involves a unique aspect of emotional work, making it imperative to delve into the experiences of educators during times of crisis. This study explores the emotional teaching experiences of hospitality educators during a significant work event: the transition to ERT. Semi-structured interviews with educators from nine hospitality institutions revealed a prevalence of negative emotions interspersed with occasional positive emotions. Explained through the lens of Affective Events Theory, the emotions were influenced by a range of personal and situational factors encompassing student-related, personal, institutional, pedagogical, and technical characteristics of the ERT transition. Moreover, the study identified the emergence of a “Band-Aid teaching” attitude and subsequent strategies used to cope with this transition. The study provides theoretical and practical insights into the emotional landscape of hospitality education that can be invaluable in managing future periods of uncertainty.

Korean clinical practice guidelines for diagnostic and procedural sedation.

Safe and effective sedation depends on various factors, such as the choice of sedatives, sedation techniques used, experience of the sedation provider, degree of sedation-related education and training, equipment and healthcare worker availability, the patient's underlying diseases, and the procedure being performed. The purpose of these evidence-based multidisciplinary clinical practice guidelines is to ensure the safety and efficacy of sedation, thereby contributing to patient safety and ultimately improving public health. These clinical practice guidelines comprise 15 key questions covering various topics related to the following: the sedation providers; medications and equipment available; appropriate patient selection; anesthesiologist referrals for high-risk patients; pre-sedation fasting; comparison of representative drugs used in adult and pediatric patients; respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and sedation depth monitoring during sedation; management of respiratory complications during pediatric sedation; and discharge criteria. The recommendations in these clinical practice guidelines were systematically developed to assist providers and patients in sedation-related decision making for diagnostic and therapeutic examinations or procedures. Depending on the characteristics of primary, secondary, and tertiary care institutions as well as the clinical needs and limitations, sedation providers at each medical institution may choose to apply the recommendations as they are, modify them appropriately, or reject them completely.

The Curriculum is the Culprit: Debunking Deficit Myths and Improving Access to Study Abroad for Community College/Technical and Vocational Students

While community college and technical and vocational educational and training (TVET) students’ ability to afford a study abroad experience as well as the “culture” that shapes their attitudes towards education abroad are frequently framed as barriers to participation, this article posits that curriculum is one of the primary gatekeepers. Qualitative interviews with global education leaders at 20 U.S. institutions indicate that the availability of flexible program models and student interest in international experiences are creating favorable conditions for their students to go abroad, yet finding courses outside of faculty-led programs that meet these students’ curricular needs is an enduring challenge. This article argues that shifting away from a deficit perspective in education abroad research and looking beyond assumptions that community college/TVET institutional characteristics and their students’ socioeconomic identities are necessary steps towards addressing low enrollment in study abroad. Rather, leaders at higher education institutions and study abroad organizations can open doors by adding courses that align with general education curriculum and associate degree requirements for direct-enrollment options.

Energy governance in China: A mixture of democratic environmentalism and authoritarian environmentalism

AbstractThis paper challenges the conventional wisdom that environmental governance in China is a typical example of authoritarian environmentalism. By analyzing the case of energy governance, it indicates that China has become aware that energy and environmental issues are inter‐related and complicated and that more diverse and multi‐level solutions are required to reach increasingly ambitious national goals. In the context of ongoing state reform, local governments, enterprises, and civil society have played more active roles during the process of policy formulation and implementation. But meanwhile, the central government is tightening regulation and supervision to reduce non‐compliance with its energy initiatives and to safeguard national security and social stability. Therefore, energy governance in China has displayed a mixture of democratic and authoritarian elements. The state can adopt different measures based on the specific situation it faces and the final outcome it wants to reach. More broadly, this case reveals that there is no simple relationship between the regime type and its corresponding energy governance model. The study of environmental politics should not be confined to the examination of formal institutional features but also needs to take concrete practices in every country into account.

Institutional Models of Scientific Mentoring for Russian University Students: Organizational and Managerial Aspects

The article aims at characterizing the institutional models of Russian university students’ scientific mentoring in the context of managing research activities. The institutional practices of scientific mentoring are an effective way to make an early academic career, to involve and retain talented students in the field of research and development, to popularize and strengthen the social status of science. Meanwhile, the traditional institutional forms existing in Russian universities should be developed and renewed. In addition, some practices of scientific mentoring are informal, which means that they do not have organizational support and conditions for reproduction. We focus on scientific mentoring for students of the first and second levels of higher education (bachelors, specialists, master students), who are considered as a «reserve» of the community of scientific youth. Our conclusions are based on the data of a sociological study carried out in 2023. Therein, we used methods of systematic analysis of scientific literature, of Russian and foreign universities’ websites content. The study included an online survey of 3032 students of Russian universities. The theoretical task is to substantiate the features of scientific mentoring as a scientific and educational institution. We highlight the institutional features and functions of scientific mentoring. Based on empirical data, we present the content of scientific mentoring institutional models, which have developed in modern foreign and Russian universities. The online survey of students showed their involvement in research activities, motivation for it, and the level of their scientific activity. The results of our research can be used in practice – to develop and improve scientific mentoring programs in Russian universities. The paper in general is the first attempt to interpret scientific mentoring from the standpoint of an institutional approach. We summarize the Soviet experience of scientific mentoring, as well as its modern institutional practices in foreign and Russian universities.

Gender and institutions moderate the relationship between conditional cash transfers and political participation

AbstractBackgroundIn the last 25 years, conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs have become popular assistance policies across Latin America, Africa, and Asia for combating poverty and building human capital. Despite some success in reaching these goals, questions remain about the wider political effects of CCTs on individuals and communities, especially when considering gendered relationships and the institutions in the countries where CCTs are in place.ObjectiveI investigate the relationship between cash transfers and political participation, while also considering the importance of moderating forces such as gender, program enforcement, and compulsory voting.MethodsI use data from AmericasBarometer sourced from the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) and a series of multilevel models to examine the association between CCTs and a wide set of participatory indicators.ResultsI show CCTs to be robustly associated with higher levels of participation broadly conceived. Results also demonstrate gender and institutional features such as enforced conditions and compulsory voting can attenuate the positive effects of transfers, depending on the form of participation considered.ConclusionOverall, CCTs tend to be strongly associated with political participation. However, CCTs may also reinforce gendered norms of political participation and engagement. Furthermore, the potentially negative associations regarding the enforcement of program conditions are valuable to consider when evaluating the downstream, democratic potential of cash transfer programs.

On Sipahi Organization in the Eyalat of Bosnia During the 17th century

Through the prism of various sources of institutional character, lists of timar estates, news of individuals who were part of the administrative system or were close to it, and sources of narrative origin, the paper traces the movement of the number of timariots throughout the 17th century, growth and changes in the Timar system until its end. Within the framework of the above, an analysis of the value of timar estates defined by legal regulations is also carried out, in which the disruption in categorization, caused by the weakening of the timar system and the loss of the value of the zeamet, is much more noticeable. In a significant number of cases, zeamets retain their name only nominally, while their value falls below the legal minimum (20,000 akchas). Based on the stated values and obligations of the Sipahi, an estimate of the number of the Sipahi army is made, including the escort. After that, the distribution of timar estates according to regional and administrative areas of the Bosnian Eyalet, the burden of certain regions and participation in the financing of the Sipahi corps, and the material status of the Sipahi that drew from the timar system are analyzed. By comparing different data, it is concluded that there were no extreme changes, at least when it comes to the number and overall capacity of the Sipahi army in the 17th century. Contrary to the numerous conclusions that there was a significant increase in the timariots and the Sipahi themselves, there is a visible tendency of decline in those regions that remained entirely part of the Bosnian Eyalet after the Peace of Karlovac (1699). This tendency is followed through the Sanjaks of Bosnia, Herzegovina, Klis and Zvornik, where the number of timariots at the beginning of the 18thcentury was 173 less than at the beginning of the 17th century.

Factors Influencing Enterprise ESG Performance

This paper discusses the factors which influence the environmental, social, and governance performance of enterprises by reviewing previous studies. The article is analyzed from the external and internal environment of enterprises and developed from three dimensions: social institution, policy, and executives characteristics. Social institution and policy are external environments, and executives characteristic is the internal environment. The factor of social institutions, political institutions, labor institutions, and cultural institutions are discussed. They will be detailed on corruption, unemployment rate, labor protection, social cohesion, and equal opportunities. Unemployment rate and labor protection pose a positive impact on enterprise ESG performance, while high levels of country corruption, social cohesion, and equal opportunities contribute to negative ESG performance. Spanish, French, and Japanese enterprises are listed as an example. Spanish and French firms have similar levels of social and corporate governance performance, while Japanese firms are more committed to environmental issues due to cultural institutional differences. In the factor of policy, the article focuses on the positive influence of Chinas environmental regulation on technology innovation in the paper industry. The factor of executives characteristics, international background, and diversity, specifically in female proportion, of corporate executives are helpful to enterprise ESG performance. ESG performance is influenced by the external and internal environment of the enterprise. There is a mutual promotion between external and internal environments. This paper analyzing several factors will provide a reference for developing enterprise ESG performance in different countries.

Russian economy in the conditions of institutional transformation of moving towards a multipolar world

Aim. To identify the key institutional characteristics of the transition to a multipolar world and to substantiate the directions of development of the Russian economy during this transition, contributing to the restoration of Russia’s position as an economic and political center of power in the new model of the world order.Objectives. To consider the institutional foundations of the world order to determine the place of multipolarity among other types of world order; to trace the features of the transition to a multipolar world as an institutional transformation from the point of counteraction to the dominance of one superpower; to formulate the directions of transformation of the Russian economy during the transition to a multipolar world.Methods. Using general methods of scientific cognition, as well as institutional and civilizational approaches, the paper considers the transition to a multipolar world as a natural stage of transition to a new model of world order, reflecting the evolution of world economic patterns and their corresponding world orders.Results. The regulatory functions of formal and value-ethical institutions in the institutional environment of the world order, as well as the role of states and civilizations as their sources and guarantors are determined. Institutional gaps in the models of unipolar and multipolar worlds are revealed. The thesis that the movement to the multipolar world model implies institutional transformation in economic, socio-spiritual and political aspects is substantiated. The role of values and conscious efforts of states in the transition to a multipolar world is shown. The main challenges and threats in the transition to a multipolar world for the Russian economy are identified and the directions of efforts necessary for its strengthening are formulated.Conclusions. The transition to a multipolar world is a complex process of transformation of the institutions of the world order and the world economic order on the basis of taking into account the national interests and values of a large number of global actors. During the period of institutional transformation of the transition, the Russian state faces new challenges in the sociovalue, economic and political spheres. The development of the Russian economy in the transition period should become the basis for strengthening the economic and political power of the country, its national sovereignty and provide a worthy place for Russia in the new model of the world order.

Preparing future general practitioners: the effects of individual, familial, and institutional characteristics

BackgroundThere is a substantially increasing need for general practitioners (GPs) for future unpredictable pandemic crises, especially at the community-based health services (CBHS) level to protect the vast and varied grassroot-level population in China. Thus, it is crucial to understand the factors that affect Chinese medical students’ GP career choices and commitments to CBHS.MethodsLeveraging the self-administered data collected across the country, this study conducted logistic regressions with 3,438 medical students. First, descriptive statistics of outcome variables and independent variables were provided. Then, stepwise logistic regression models were built, starting from adding individual characteristics, and then familial and institutional characteristics. Last, post-estimation was conducted to further assess whether there were significant marginal effects.ResultsResults showed that women students were 24% less likely to choose GP careers but were 1.25 times more likely to commit to CBHS than their men peers, holding other individual, familial, and institutional characteristics constant. In addition, students who major in GP-orientated were more likely to choose GP careers and commit to CBHS, respectively, than those who major in clinical medicine. Furthermore, familial characteristics like annual income and mother’s educational level only significantly predicted commitments to CBHS. Notably, sex-related differences in GP career choices and commitments to CBHS – by different regions – were observed.ConclusionsUnderstanding the factors that affect medical students’ GP career choices sheds light on how medical education stakeholders can make informed decisions on attracting more medical students to GP-orientated majors, which in turn cultivates more GP professionals to meet the nation’s demand for GPs. In addition, by understanding the factors that influence medical students’ commitment to CBHS, policymakers could make beneficial policies to increase medical students’ motivations to the grassroot-level health institutions, and devote to CBHS as gatekeepers for a large population of residents’ health.

Local institutions and human capital formation in pre-industrial societies: evidence from Valencia

Abstract This article analyses the relationship between institutions and human capital formation. We use literacy rates in 1860 at the municipal level in Valencia where the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609 was followed by the Christian resettlement. Our findings show that male literacy was consistently lower in Morisco areas by mid-19th century. Yet, the analysis also shows the disappearance of this effect at the beginning of the 20th century. We argue that the deployment of the liberal state would have entailed the gradual decoupling of educational outcomes from the institutional heterogeneity characteristic of the Old Regime.

What do dividend changes reveal? Theory and evidence from a unique environment

We explore the reasons behind corporate dividend changes and factors driving those changes during 2001–2021 in Oman, as a unique environment. The implications of our paper contrast with the relevant existing literature which demonstrates a positive correlation between dividends and stock prices in Oman, in support of the signaling theory. Employing multiple methods and after controlling for the nonlinearity in the profitability process, we find virtually no evidence for the signaling theory of dividends for dividend reductions, in terms of future earnings. Furthermore, our analysis affirms the importance of current profitability in influencing the magnitude of and the propensity to change (increase or decrease) dividends in listed Omani firms. We also find that the catering theory of dividends does not have any explanatory power on dividend changes. Further, firms’ life-cycle status and real investments have been found to significantly affect the decision to change dividends. Our results, which depart from the findings in the conventional literature, can be attributed to the distinct institutional features in Oman. Our game-theoretic model of dividend signaling/dividend catering provides some explanations.