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A major hurdle in pediatric formulation development is the lack of safety and toxicity data on some of the commonly used excipients. While the maximum oral safe dose for several kinds of excipients is known in the adult population, the doses in pediatric patients, including preterm neonates, are not established yet due to the lack of evidence-based data. This paper consists of four parts: (1) country-specific perspectives in different parts of the world (current state, challenges in excipients, and ongoing efforts) for ensuring the use of safe excipients, (2) comparing and contrasting the country-specific perspectives, (3) past and ongoing collaborative efforts, and (4) future perspectives on excipients for pediatric formulation. The regulatory process for pharmaceutical excipients has been developed. However, there are gaps between each region where a lack of information and an insufficient regulation process was found. Ongoing efforts include raising issues on excipient exposure, building a region-specific database, and improving excipient regulation; however, there is a lack of evidence-based information on safety for the pediatric population. More progress on clear safety limits, quantitative information on excipients of concern in the pediatric population, and international harmonization of excipients' regulatory processes for the pediatric population are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age group typically identifies millennials – those born between 1982 and 2004. Yet our research challenges the designation based on age group by considering this population in the context of an individual's citizenship or culture. Based on tenets of social identity theory, we explore a citizen's personal value orientation and cognitive moral reasoning to discover commonalities or differences across individuals from eight countries. We report wide variations among citizens' personal value orientations and principled moral reasoning despite being borne within an identified age group. We conclude that an individual's geographic context is a stronger classification descriptor based on values and moral reasoning than their age-based generational categories. Implications for business practice and scholarly research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity. A multinational cross‐sectional study of 4,740 children aged 9–11 years was conducted from 12 countries. Infant breastfeeding was recalled by parents or legal guardians. Height, weight, waist circumference, and body fat were obtained using standardized methods. The overall prevalence of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat were 12.3%, 9.9%, and 8.1%, respectively. After adjustment for maternal age at delivery, body mass index (BMI), highest maternal education, history of gestational diabetes, gestational age, and child's age, sex, birth weight, unhealthy diet pattern scores, moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity, sleeping, and sedentary time, exclusive breastfeeding was associated with lower odds of obesity (odds ratio [OR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval, CI [0.57, 1.00]) and high body fat (OR 0.60, 95% CI [0.43, 0.84]) compared with exclusive formula feeding. The multivariable‐adjusted ORs based on different breastfeeding durations (none, 1–6, 6–12, and > 12 months) were 1.00, 0.74, 0.70, and 0.60 for obesity (Ptrend =.020) and 1.00, 0.64, 047, and 0.64 for high body fat (Ptrend =.012), respectively. These associations were no longer significant after adjustment for maternal BMI. Breastfeeding may be a protective factor for obesity and high body fat in 9‐ to 11‐year‐old children from 12 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To compare the communication and practice experiences of migrant nurses in geographically distant, culturally dissimilar countries in Eastern and Western contexts. Background: Considerable research has focused on the experience of acculturation of migrant nurses into geographically diverse locations. However, there remains scant comparative research which considers the ways in which migrant nurses interpret their experience through making "sense" of events encountered in their practice. Design: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using face‐to‐face interviews with 36 migrant nurses currently practising in New Zealand and 20 migrant nurses practising in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: The same question schedule was used to explore influences on communication and practice in both settings. Thematic analysis and sensemaking theory guided coding and analysis of data. COREQ guidelines informed the reporting of qualitative data. Results: Qualitative analysis resulted in five representative themes, three illustrating similarities across diverse cultures and two that demonstrate the differences migrant nurses require to navigate across contrasting cultural environments successfully. Conclusion: Cultural value‐based differences in both locales caused both systemic and interpersonal sensemaking challenges for migrant nurses that emphasise the importance of orientation and education programmes for internationally qualified nurses. However, cultural conflicts also exist within groups. Orientation programmes should address culturally patterned responses among different groups of internationally qualified nurses. Relevance to clinical practice: Findings demonstrate a need for migrant nurses to be willing to embrace ambiguity in order to acculturate into a collaborative team culture in each of the geographical locations in this study. As registered nurses (RNs) also carry their cultural imprint, orientation interventions targeting the cultural variations of nurses in less standardised orientation programmes may be more beneficial in enhancing acculturation and in turn, staff retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How can we visualize similarity and difference across cultural conceptions of a good or worthy life? To examine the internal structure of such conceptions, we asked 584 university students from mainland China and Canada to indicate the relative importance of 30 elements or criteria commonly used in defining a good life. Statistical comparison and multidimensional scaling were used to reveal the form and extent of group commonalities and differences on the criteria and their meaning in relation to underlying dimensions of individual and cultural variation. The results suggested that South Asian Canadians were more oriented towards moral, spiritual, and beneficent concerns in envisioning a good life than were the mainland Chinese and Western European Canadians. The Chinese, for their part, tended to emphasize practical, prudential, and socially defined goods. This contrasted with the Western European Canadians, who showed more preference for personally defined, internal goods. East Asian Canadians fell between Chinese and Western European Canadians in overall orientation, reflecting their biculturality. All groups placed heavy emphasis on close and enduring relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author offers information on the development of the journal. He mentions that an electronic transformation of the journal was distributed in printed form in the U.S. and Canada in the preliminary days of the journal. He also informs that now the journal is available for the readers of several countries including India, Brazil and China.

Aim. The aim of this study was to determine whether an individual's country of origin influenced performance of self-care behaviours after heart surgery. Background. Patients are required to perform self-care behaviours following cardiovascular surgery. Usual care encompasses a patient education initiative that addresses self-care behaviour performance. Within Canada, current heart surgery patient education efforts have been designed and evaluated using homogenous samples that self-identify their country of origin as England, Ireland or Scotland. However, approximately 42·6% of Canadian cardiovascular surgical patients self-identify their country of origin as India or China. Thus, current cardiovascular surgery patient education initiatives may not be applicable to all patients undergoing heart surgery, which may result in decreased patient outcomes such as performance of self-care behaviours. Design. This descriptive study. Methods. A convenience sample of 90 patients who underwent heart surgery at one of two university-affiliated teaching hospitals, representing individuals of diverse backgrounds. Point-biserial correlational analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between country of origin and performance of self-care behaviours. Results. Findings indicate individuals who self-identified their country of origin as England or Ireland were associated with a higher score on the number of self-care behaviours performed ( p < 0·05) than individuals who self-identified other countries of origin. Self-care behaviours were taught using patient education materials that were designed based on feedback obtained from individuals whose country of origin was England or Ireland. Conclusion. This study provides preliminary evidence to suggest country of origin influences the amount of self-care behaviours individuals will perform. Relevance to clinical practice. Patient education initiatives should incorporate the values, beliefs, attitudes and customs reflective of an individual's country of origin to enhance the likelihood of producing desired outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure perceived teacher efficacy to teach in inclusive classrooms. An 18-item scale was developed on a sample of 607 pre-service teachers selected from four countries (Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and India). Factor analysis of responses from the sample revealed three factors: efficacy in using inclusive instruction, efficacy in collaboration and efficacy in dealing with disruptive behaviours. The alpha coefficient for the total scale was 0.89. Alpha coefficients for the three factors ranged from 0.85 to 0.93. Reliability analysis for the total scale as well as factors for each country suggested that the scale provides a reliable measure of pre-service teacher perceptions of self-efficacy for inclusion across different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using cross-country time series data for the period 1989-2001 we analyze the Canadian and United States' outward FDI and export performances, particularly to China and India. Casual examination of data may suggest that Canada is underperforming in its exports and FDI to China, but results from our econometric model do not support that conclusion. We found that Canada's FDI in India is lower than that predicted by the model. Interestingly, while the evidence that investors from the United States tend to invest more in the growing economies is quite strong, it is weak in the case of Canada. Although in-depth research is necessary to understand these differences, it is plausible that there are mismatches between the areas where investment opportunities are available in the fastest-growing parts of the world such as China and India, and the areas in which Canadians have comparative advantage. For example, financial services and mining constitute a big share in Canadian FDI abroad but these sectors are yet to be opened up in China and India. The U.S. FDI base is more diversified and better able to take advantage of the increased opportunities in fast-growing countries such as China and India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]