bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Will ‘doing right’ lead to ‘doing well’? An examination of green behavior
Authors: Sukhu Anupama , Scharff Robert
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to identify the drivers of customer loyalty in the context of green marketing. In particular, the extended theory of reasoned action model specified here added crucial constructs in consumer behavior, namely, consumers’ trust and beliefs about corporate social responsibility, to increase the predictability of the model. Additionally, the moderating role of level of education in predicting customer loyalty to hotels was also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methodology was used for the study. A structural mixed methodology was used for the study. A structural model was developed to understand the theoretical relationships between identified constructs. Additionally, multiple regression analyses were used to identify the moderating role of level of education in predicting consumer loyalty. Data collected through an online survey from 446 hotel guests were used for the analyses.

Findings

The results indicated that in addition to attitude and subjective norms, consumers’ trust in hotels’ intentions to be green influence their loyalty to green hotel enterprises. Further investigation also showed significant moderating influence of levels of education in their choice to be loyal to green hotels.

Research limitations/implications

Even though the majority of the study’s sample has extensive travel experience, the data were collected from university employees, which might have limited the findings of this study.

Practical implications

Consumers need to trust ethical claims in adopting green practices to become loyal customers. Hence, it is imperative for marketers to convey that their business believe in proenvironmental activities. Additionally, marketers should not neglect their level of education because it influences their loyalty to green hotels. Green marketing should target not only an individual customer but also his/her ties to significant others, because subjective norms influence customer loyalty to green hotels.

Originality/value

This research developed a comprehensive model to understand customer loyalty to green hotels, thus providing insights to marketers and academics about a timely subject, namely, green behavior. In doing so, this research added crucial constructs to extend the traditional model of theory of reasoned action as well as examined the moderating role of level of education in the identified model.
Modeling dynamic service recovery strategies: a signaling game approach
Authors: Hsieh Yen-Hao , Yeh Shu-Yu
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to establish a comprehensive service recovery mechanism by analyzing different behaviors of customers with different personality traits after service failures and by proposing different service recovery measures that service providers could adopt based on diverse customer personality traits.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper constructs a service recovery mechanism based on a signaling game theory by considering customers and service providers as two players in the game and analyzing possible outcomes under both separating and pooling equilibria to achieve an optimized strategy and set of actions that allow the highest payoffs for both service providers and customers.

Findings

This study successfully simulated the separating equilibrium and pooling equilibrium between service providers and customers in a signaling game with incomplete information. It also provides a reference for service providers to design service recovery strategies after service failures. By using this model, when facing problems related to service failures and service recovery, service providers will have a better chance of increasing the service recovery success rate, improving customer satisfaction and achieving optimal payoffs for both themselves and their customers.

Originality/value

Based on concepts of service science, this study designed a service recovery mechanism by applying the signaling game from game theory and introducing personality traits theory to the service recovery scenario so that service providers are able to execute service recovery after service failures more effectively. This study proposed a service recovery mechanism based on the perspectives of both service providers and customers, considering the mutual influence of key variables related to both of them, as well as the context of service failures, customers’ personality traits and service providers’ available resources. Many studies have applied personality traits to different fields; however, to the best of authors’ knowledge, few studies have applied this concept to service-related subjects, and only the influence of employees’ personality traits on service providers has been discussed.
Developing an indicator framework for measuring sustainable logistics innovation in retail
Authors: Andersson Petra , Forslund Helena
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an indicator framework for measuring sustainable logistics innovation (SLI) in retail.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review in different theory areas was conducted to generate a literature-based SLI indictor framework. The literature-based framework was then compared to five-year sustainability reports of three Swedish retailers to identify SLI indicators and how to measure them. This comparison led to a developed framework.

Findings

The developed framework combines sustainability dimensions with logistics activities. It identifies SLI indicators and how to measure them. Significant gaps between the framework and sustainability reports prompted the creation of an agenda for future research. Items that further research should consider include broadening or deepening the framework, developing specifically social SLI indicators for all logistics activities and developing measurement scales for the SLI indicators.

Research limitations/implications

The study presents an SLI indicator framework as an initial contribution towards knowledge creation, and following the agenda for further research could generate even more implications for research.

Practical implications

Managers need inspiration concerning which indicators to use to measure SLI and how.

Social implications

The study addresses both environmental and social sustainability, as well as suggests SLI indicators.

Originality/value

No identified study has merged sustainable logistics innovation and performance measurement in retail.
A history of ship specialization and consequences for marine invasions, management and policy
Authors: Davidson Ian C. , Scianni Christopher , Minton Mark S. , Ruiz Gregory M.
Published: February 2018

Propagule pressure plays a key role in the successful establishment of introduced species. Explaining invasion patterns, predicting future invasions and reducing invasion rates are priority areas of research and management, especially in marine systems, which need more detailed correlates and invasion predictors.

The commercial maritime shipping fleet is the most prolific long distance anthropogenic transfer mechanism (vector) of marine non‐indigenous species on a global scale, causing invasions of coasts by a wide diversity of organisms. Although most vessel arrivals provide an opportunity for organism introductions, there are often substantial differences among ship types—in both their “morphological traits” (structural design) and “behavioural ecology” (cargo delivery model and operational tempo)—that influence propagule delivery by ballast water and biofouling, the two dominant sources or sub‐vectors for ship‐mediated species transfers.

We reviewed ship specialization and its implications for marine invasion and vector management. First, we identified factors that affect ship‐mediated propagule delivery characteristics (number, identity, diversity and quality/condition), classifying these as ship type independent or dependent factors. Second, we compared the relevance of these factors for both ballast water and biofouling. Third, we estimated and compared the magnitude of several key factors affecting propagule delivery among seven major ship types.

Typical voyage speed varies by 74% and port residence time varies sixfold among ship types. Similarly, typical ballast water discharge varies by an order of magnitude among ship types. These and other ship type dependent factors affect propagule delivery characteristics, resulting in uneven magnitude of species transfer among ship types.

Policy implications. Variation among commercial ship types is rarely integrated into analyses of marine bioinvasions and proxy measures of propagule delivery. Their inclusion may lead to more robust explanation, prediction and management of marine invasions. Risk analyses that account for differences among ship types and prevailing traffic directionality will likely offer greater insight than null models, which treat ships equally. Furthermore, ballast treatment technologies and hull husbandry may advance to reduce species transfers more effectively when tailored for different ship types, recognizing the variation and operational constraints (that affect propagule delivery) among the diverse range of ship types.
When mutualisms matter: Rhizobia effects on plant communities depend on host plant population and soil nitrogen availability
Authors: Keller Kane R. , Lau Jennifer A.
Published: February 2018

Mutualistic interactions, such as the relationship between legumes and rhizobia, can affect community properties, yet there needs to be greater understanding of when these interactions may be most important to communities. Resource mutualism theory provides predictions based on variation in abiotic and biotic factors. First, there is substantial intraspecific genetic variation in how legumes interact with rhizobia, including variation in legume growth response to rhizobia, number of rhizobia‐housing nodules and nitrogen fixation. Rhizobia likely have greater community impacts when associating with hosts that benefit greatly from rhizobia, produce many nodules and fix a lot of nitrogen. Second, increased soil nutrient availability typically reduces the partner benefits of legume–rhizobium interactions. As a result, the legume–rhizobium resource mutualism may have greater effects on communities in low‐nitrogen environments.

We first conducted a common garden study of the annual legume Chamaecrista fasciculata to explore intraspecific variation in focal traits related to competition and mutualistic interactions with rhizobia. Then, we manipulated the presence of rhizobia, nitrogen fertilization and population identity of C. fasciculata in mesocosms simulating native plant communities. We measured plant diversity, assessed changes in community composition and measured soil nutrient availability.

We detected significant genetically based intraspecific variation in growth and mutualism‐related traits across C. fasciculata populations. From the experimental mesocosms, we found that although rhizobia consistently reduced diversity, rhizobia most strongly reduced diversity when associating with C. fasciculata populations that were highly dependent on rhizobia and when nitrogen was most limiting. We also detected greater variation among populations in their effects on communities in the absence of rhizobia; the presence of rhizobia dramatically minimized effects of population identity on the surrounding community.

Synthesis. These findings show that abiotic environmental factors and intraspecific variation in a dominant host plant can influence the magnitude of mutualism effects on communities and, reciprocally, how the presence of key mutualists can influence the importance of genetically based variation among populations to community outcomes. While prior studies have detected both strong and weak effects of mutualism on plant communities, our study illustrates that mutualism theory may predict when strong mutualism effects are most likely to occur and also shows how theories developed for particular species interactions may make studies investigating the ecological impacts of genetic variation a more predictive science.
Drought‐adapted plants dramatically downregulate dinitrogen fixation: Evidences from Mediterranean legume shrubs
Authors: Dovrat Guy , Masci Tania , Bakhshian Hila , Mayzlish Gati Einav , Golan Sivan , Sheffer Efrat
Published: February 2018

The importance of symbiotic dinitrogen (N2) fixation in shaping the coupled nitrogen–carbon cycle is now known for most humid terrestrial ecosystems. However, whether N2 fixation can play a key role in the nitrogen and carbon budget of water‐limited and seasonally dry ecosystems remains a mystery.

The maintenance of metabolically and physiologically costly symbiotic fixation in water‐limited environments is highly complex. These costs are particularly high during the first developmental season, when allocation to deep rooting and drought resistance mechanisms is essential for seedling survival of prolonged seasonal drought.

We, therefore, evaluated how drought‐adapted legume species change their allocation to symbiotic nitrogen fixation as a function of soil nitrogen availability. We tested this on seedlings of a suite of four common Mediterranean legume shrubs with a strong seasonal behaviour, which we grew under controlled nitrogen and phosphorus availabilities. We asked: (1) Do species differ in their investment and regulation of nitrogen fixation? (2) Is fixation regulated via plant allocation to nodules, fixation rate or both? and (3) Does phosphorus availability limit symbiotic nitrogen fixation?

All Mediterranean perennial legumes in the experiment established and grew, nodulated, and fixed nitrogen, even under severe nitrogen limitation. The four species reacted similarly to nitrogen supply, by strongly downregulating fixation through both decreased nodulation and lower rate of fixation. However, we found a significant interspecific difference in fixation (both nodulation and rate), biomass production and growth rate. Our experimental species presented a range of fixation investment strategies corresponding to life‐history and resource partitioning patterns. Phosphorus limitation had a minor influence on both fixation and plant growth.

Synthesis. The high physiological cost of symbiotic fixation imposes the need to tightly regulate fixation in perennial legumes coping with severe water stress. Control of fixation allows legume species to colonize recently disturbed nitrogen‐deficient habitats, cope with grazing, survive long seasonal droughts and recover nitrogen fixation later in the wet season, and survive over time by reducing nitrogen inputs to the ecosystem.
Distribution of thermophilic endospores in a temperate estuary indicate that dispersal history structures sediment microbial communities
Authors: Bell Emma , Blake Lynsay I. , Sherry Angela , Head Ian M. , Hubert Casey R.J.
Published: February 2018

Endospores of thermophilic bacteria are found in cold and temperate sediments where they persist in a dormant state. As inactive endospores that cannot grow at the low ambient temperatures, they are akin to tracer particles in cold sediments, unaffected by factors normally governing microbial biogeography (e.g., selection, drift, mutation). This makes thermophilic endospores ideal model organisms for studying microbial biogeography since their spatial distribution can be directly related to their dispersal history. To assess dispersal histories of estuarine bacteria, thermophilic endospores were enriched from sediments along a freshwater‐to‐marine transect of the River Tyne in high temperature incubations (50°C). Dispersal histories for 75 different taxa indicated that the majority of estuarine endospores were of terrestrial origin; most closely related to bacteria from warm habitats associated with industrial activity. A subset of the taxa detected were marine derived, with close relatives from hot deep marine biosphere habitats. These patterns are consistent with the sources of sediment in the River Tyne being predominantly terrestrial in origin. The results point to microbial communities in estuarine and marine sediments being structured by bi‐directional currents, terrestrial run‐off and industrial effluent as vectors of passive dispersal and immigration.
Effect of Cutting with an Abrasive Saw on Swarf Composition
Authors: Tsach Tsadok , Finkelstein Nir , Israelsohn‐Azulay Osnat
Published: February 2018

Crime scene investigators are often asked to examine swarf from break‐in sites and compare it with swarf found on a suspect. Occasionally, elemental composition of swarf from these two sources does not match. It is generally assumed that cutting metal does not induce changes in chemical composition. However, this study shows that, if a matrix contains iron, chromium, and nickel, composition of swarf produced from cutting the matrix with an abrasive saw may indeed alter. In this study, we cut a stainless steel sheet using a standard cutoff saw. Swarf was sorted and chemically analyzed by EDS/SEM, and the following relationships between chip morphology and modified composition were discovered: elongated chips remained unchanged; changes in the irregular chips appeared to be random, possibly because they are formed in a number of different ways; composition of spherical chips changed with size.
CORRELATES OF VIOLENT POLITICAL EXTREMISM IN THE UNITED STATES*
Authors: LAFREE GARY , JENSEN MICHAEL A. , JAMES PATRICK A. , SAFER‐LICHTENSTEIN AARON
Published: February 2018

Although research on terrorism has grown rapidly in recent years, few scholars have applied criminological theories to the analysis of individual‐level political extremism. Instead, researchers focused on radicalization have drawn primarily from political science and psychology and have overwhelmingly concentrated on violent extremists, leaving little variation in the dependent variable. With the use of a newly available data set, we test whether variables derived from prominent criminological theories are helpful in distinguishing between nonviolent and violent extremists. The results show that variables related to social control (lack of stable employment), social learning (radical peers), psychological perspectives (history of mental illness), and criminal record all have significant effects on participation in violent political extremism and are robust across multiple techniques for imputing missing data. At the same time, other common indicators of social control (e.g., education and marital status) and social learning perspectives (e.g., radical family members) were not significant in the multivariate models. We argue that terrorism research would benefit from including criminology insights and by considering political radicalization as a dynamic, evolving process, much as life‐course criminology treats more common forms of crime.
REASSESSING THE BREADTH OF THE PROTECTIVE BENEFIT OF IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORHOODS: A MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS OF VIOLENCE RISK BY RACE, ETHNICITY, AND LABOR MARKET STRATIFICATION*
Authors: XIE MIN , BAUMER ERIC P.
Published: February 2018

Researchers in the United States have increasingly recognized that immigration reduces crime, but it remains unresolved whether this applies to people of different racial–ethnic and economic backgrounds. By using the 2008–2012 area‐identified National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), we evaluate the effect of neighborhood immigrant concentration on individual violence risk across race/ethnicity and labor market stratification factors in areas with different histories of immigration. The results of our analysis reveal three key patterns. First, we find a consistent protective role of immigrant concentration that is not weakened by low education, low income, unemployment, or labor market competition. Therefore, even economically disadvantaged people enjoy the crime‐reduction benefit of immigration. Second, we find support for threshold models that predict a nonlinear, stronger protective role of immigrant concentration on violence at higher levels of immigrant concentration. The protective function of immigration also is higher in areas of longer histories of immigration. Third, compared with Blacks and Whites, Latinos receive a greater violence‐reduction benefit of immigrant concentration possibly because they live in closer proximity with immigrants and share common sociocultural features. Nevertheless, immigrant concentration yields a diminishing return in reducing Latino victimization as immigrants approach a near‐majority of neighborhood residents. The implications of these results are discussed.
Can leadership compensate for deficient inclusiveness in global virtual teams?
Authors: Lauring Jakob , Jonasson Charlotte
Published: February 2018

Although the number of global virtual teams has been growing rapidly, it is still a great challenge to achieve internal collaboration across geographic, cultural, and linguistic barriers. Two factors that have been identified to improve productivity are inclusive group attitudes in the team and the right leadership from the team leader. Although there are strong indications that each of these concepts would have a favourable effect on team member performance, we set out to explore how they function in combination. More specifically, we hypothesise that inspirational motivation from a team leader can compensate for a lack of inclusive group attitudes in the form of team openness to language diversity. We also predict the positive effects of “inspirational motivation” leadership to be stronger than those of the “management by exception” style of leadership. Using responses from 174 team members and their 23 team leaders in the research and development department of a Danish manufacturing organisation, we confirm our hypotheses. This provides clear guidelines for HRM interventions in organisations using global virtual teams.
Effect of induction therapy on circulating T‐helper 17 and T‐regulatory cells in active proliferative lupus nephritis
Authors: Shenoy Sajjan , Chaurasia Smriti , Edavalath Sukesh , Zanwar Abhishek , Agrawal Vinita , Aggarwal Amita , Misra Ramnath
Published: February 2018

Introduction

T‐helper 17 (Th17) cells and T‐regulatory (Treg) cells have been suggested to play pathogenic roles in lupus nephritis. The in vivo effects of current therapies for lupus nephritis (LN) on these cells have not been adequately studied.

Methods

We conducted a prospective observational study among patients with active proliferative lupus nephritis (LN) who received Eurolupus induction therapy and assessed them as per the European League Against Rheumatism criteria for renal response. Peripheral circulatory Th17 and Treg cell numbers were enumerated at start of therapy, at 3 and 6 months follow‐up periods using flow cytometry. Baseline values were compared with inactive lupus patients (iSLE) and healthy controls (HC).

Results

Thirty patients with LN, 20 iSLE and 22 HC were enrolled into the study. In LN, Th17 frequency was significantly higher compared to HC, and Treg frequency significantly lower compared to both iSLE and HC. Nineteen patients fulfilled criteria for response (partial or complete) at 6 months. Responder group showed a significant decline in Th17 frequency and an increasing trend in Treg frequency compared to baseline after 6 months of therapy.

Conclusion

Circulating Th17 cells were significantly raised in patients with active proliferative LN and showed a significant reduction in responder patients following therapy.
Adhesion and invasion attributes of Burkholderia pseudomallei are dependent on airway surface liquid and glucose concentrations in lung epithelial cells
Authors: Mariappan Vanitha , Thimma Jaikumar , Vellasamy Kumutha Malar , Shankar Esaki M , Vadivelu Jamuna
Published: February 2018

Physiological constituents in airway surface liquids (ASL) appear to impact the adherence and invasion potentials of Burkholderia pseudomallei contributing to recrudescent melioidosis. Here, we investigated the factors present in ASL that is likely to influence bacterial adhesion and invasion leading to improved understanding of bacterial pathogenesis. Six B. pseudomallei clinical isolates from different origins were used to investigate the ability of the bacteria to adhere and invade A549 human lung epithelial cells using a system that mimics the physiological ASL with different pH, NaCl, KCl, CaCl2 and glucose concentrations. These parameters resulted in markedly differential adherence and invasion abilities of B. pseudomallei to the lung epithelial cells. The concentration of 20 mM glucose dramatically increased adherence and invasion by increasing the rate of pili formation in depiliated bacteria. Glucose significantly increased adherence and invasion of B. pseudomallei to A549 cells, and presence of NaCl, KCl and CaCl2 markedly ablated the effect despite the presence of glucose. Our data established a link between glucose, enhanced adhesion and invasion potentials of B. pseudomallei, hinting increased susceptibility of individuals with diabetes mellitus to clinical melioidosis.
Dynamic Bayesian forecasting of AFL match results using the Skellam distribution
Authors: Manderson A. A. , Murray K. , Turlach B. A.
Published: February 2018

The scoring and defensive abilities of Australian Rules Football teams change over time as a result of evolving player rosters, tactics and other management factors. We develop a dynamic model based on the Poisson difference (Skellam) distribution which simultaneously models the two different point scoring mechanisms in Australian Rules Football, the motivation for which comes from work on predicting outcomes in soccer matches. Our model is developed in a Bayesian framework and is fitted using the Stan modelling language. Model validation is performed on the 2015 Australian Football league (AFL) home and away season.
Heart Transplantation in Patients Supported by ECMO: Is the APACHE IV Score a Predictor of Survival?
Authors: Lechiancole Andrea , Sponga Sandro , Isola Miriam , Vendramin Igor , Maiani Massimo , Livi Ugolino
Published: February 2018

Bridge to heart transplantation (HTx) with ECMO is associated with poor outcome, but patient status, according to different levels of multiorgan compromise, is generally not considered. The aim of this study was to analyze the prognostic value of acute physiology, age, and chronic health evaluation IV (APACHE IV) score in this setting. Thirty‐two patients underwent HTx bridged with ECMO at our institution between 2005 and 2017; they were divided into two groups, according to a cutoff value of APACHE IV score obtained by Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for 30‐day mortality. Kaplan–Meyer survival curves were plotted, and compared through the log‐Rank test. Cox regression model was used to estimate which factors were associated with overall survival. The 30‐day mortality prediction of the APACHE IV score showed an AUC of 0.98 [95% C.I. 0.84–0.99], with a cutoff value corresponding to a score value of 47 (specificity of 84.6% and sensitivity of 100%) in order to discriminate between a group with low probability (Group A, patients with an APACHE IV score <47), and a group with high probability (Group B, patients with an APACHE IV score ≥47) of 30‐day mortality. Median follow up was 26.9 months (range: 0.03–143.8). On overall, patients bridged with ECMO showed a high early mortality (18.7% <30 days, n = 6). All deaths occurred in Group B, where 30‐day mortality was 60%. Survival probability among Group B patients was 26.6% at both 1 and 5 years. Conversely, in Group A no early mortality was reported, and the estimated survival was 89.7% at 1 year and 81.5% at 5 years, respectively. Mortality correlated at univariate analysis with recipient age, APACHE IV score and female sex, while the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that only an APACHE IV score (HR 1.23 [1.08–1.39, 95% C.I.]) and female sex (HR 6.68 [1.42–31.43, 95% C.I.]) had an adverse impact on survival. This study shows that the APACHE IV score could be considered a powerful predictor of survival in patients bridged by ECMO to HTx, and can account for a better selection of patients on ECMO support at time of listing.
Spanish population‐study shows that healthy late preterm infants had worse outcomes one year after discharge than term‐born infants
Authors: Sánchez Luna Manuel , Fernández‐Pérez Cristina , Bernal José L. , Elola Francisco J.
Published: February 2018

Aim

This study assessed the risks associated with healthy late preterm infants and healthy term‐born infants using national hospital discharge records.

Method

We used the minimum basic data set of the Spanish hospital discharge records database for 2012–2013 to analyse the hospitalisation of newborn infants. The outcomes were in‐hospital mortality and hospital re‐admissions at 30 days and one year after their first discharge.

Results

Of the 95 011 newborn infants who were discharged, 2940 were healthy late preterm infants, born at 34 + 0–36 + 6 weeks, and 18 197 were healthy term‐born infants. The mean and standard deviation (SD) length of hospital stay were 6.0 (4.5) days in late preterm infants versus 2.8 (1.3) days in term‐born infants (p < 0.001). Re‐admissions were also higher in the late preterm group at 30 days (9.0% versus 4.4%) and one year (22.0% versus 12.4) (p < 0.001). The relative risk for death at one year was 4.9 in the late preterm group, when compared to the term‐born infants (p = 0.026).

Conclusion

The hospital discharge codes for otherwise healthy newborn preterm infants were associated with significantly worse 30‐day and one‐year outcomes when their re‐admission and mortality rates were compared with healthy term‐born newborn infants.
Genetic diversity and population structure of Polish Arabian horses assessed through breeding and microsatellite data
Authors: Głażewska Iwona , Gralak Barbara , Naczk Aleksandra M. , Prusak Beata
Published: February 2018

Polish Arabian horses are one of the most important populations of this breed in the world. Their post‐war history can be divided into two periods, with the dominant role of state studs until 1989, and the increasing significance of private breeding in the next years. The goal of the study was to evaluate genetic diversity and structure of the population under a new breeding policy. The analyses of breeding and microsatellite data from 1996 to 2012 provide a coherent picture of the population with constant flow of horses only in one direction from state to private studs. An increase in the number of broodmares was observed, from 396 mares in 1996 to 1021 mares in 2012. The proportion of foreign sires used in Polish studs also increased, from 7.1% to 37.0%. An increasing number of alleles and progressive differentiation in mares were observed. STRUCTURE analysis indicated that the Polish horses were clearly separated from foreign horses used in Polish breeding, although only one of the 75 alleles found can be considered as typically Polish. The high heterozygosity is an important feature of the Polish population; however, the decrease of heterozygosity in state broodmares was noted. This issue needs to be studied further.
Investigating the relationship between two home numeracy measures: A questionnaire and observations during Lego building and book reading
Authors: Mutaf Yildiz Belde , Sasanguie Delphine , De Smedt Bert , Reynvoet Bert
Published: February 2018

Home numeracy has been defined as the parent–child interactions that include experiences with numerical content in daily‐life settings. Previous studies have commonly operationalized home numeracy either via questionnaires or via observational methods. These studies have shown that both types of measures are positively related to variability in children's mathematical skills. This study investigated whether these distinctive data collection methods index the same aspect of home numeracy. The frequencies of home numeracy activities and parents’ opinions about their children's mathematics education were assessed via a questionnaire. The amount of home numeracy talk was observed via two semi‐structured videotaped parent–child activity sessions (Lego building and book reading). Children's mathematical skills were examined with two calculation subtests. We observed that parents’ reports and number of observed numeracy interactions were not related to each other. Interestingly, parents’ reports of numeracy activities were positively related to children's calculation abilities, whereas the observed home numeracy talk was negatively related to children's calculation abilities. These results indicate that these two methods tap on different aspects of home numeracy.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Home numeracy, that is, parent–child interactions that include experiences with numerical content, is supposed to have a positive impact on calculation or mathematical ability in general.

Despite many positive results, some studies have failed to find such an association.

Home numeracy has been assessed with questionnaires on the frequency of numerical experiences and observations of parent–child interactions; however, those two measures of home numeracy have never been compared directly.

What does this study add?

This study assessed home numeracy through questionnaires and observations in the 44 parent–child dyads and showed that home numeracy measures derived from questionnaires and observations are not related.

Moreover, the relation between the reported frequency of home numeracy activities and calculation on the one hand, and parent–child number talk (derived from observations) and calculation on the other hand is in opposite directions; the frequency of activities is positively related to calculation performance; and the amount of number talk is negatively related to calculation.

This study shows that both measures tap into different aspects of home numeracy and can be an important factor explaining inconsistencies in literature.
N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine improves mesenchymal stem cell function in prolonged isolated thrombocytopenia post‐allotransplant
Authors: Kong Yuan , Song Yang , Tang Fei‐Fei , Zhao Hong‐Yan , Chen Yu‐Hong , Han Wei , Yan Chen‐Hua , Wang Yu , Zhang Xiao‐Hui , Xu Lan‐Ping , Huang Xiao‐Jun
Published: February 2018

Prolonged isolated thrombocytopenia (PT) is a serious complication of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT). Murine studies and in vitro experiments suggest that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can, not only to support haematopoiesis, but also preferentially support megakaryocytopoiesis in bone marrow (BM). However, little is known about the quantity and function of BM MSCs in PT patients. In a case‐control study, we found that BM MSCs from PT patients exhibited significantly reduced proliferative capacities, increased reactive oxygen species and senescence. Antioxidant (N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine, NAC) treatment in vitro not only quantitatively and functionally improved BM MSCs derived from PT patients through down‐regulation of the p38 (also termed MAPK14) and p53 (also termed TP53) pathways but also partially rescued the impaired ability of BM MSCs to support megakaryocytopoiesis. Subsequently, a pilot study showed that the overall response of NAC treatment was obtained in 7 of the enrolled PT patients (N = 10) without significant side effects. Taken together, the results indicated that dysfunctional BM MSCs played a role in the pathogenesis of PT and the impaired BM MSCs could be improved by NAC in vitro. Although requiring further validation, our data indicate that NAC might be a potential therapeutic approach for PT patients after allo‐HSCT.
Don't know responses to cognitive and affective risk perception measures: Exploring prevalence and socio‐demographic moderators
Authors: Janssen Eva , Verduyn Philippe , Waters Erika A.
Published: February 2018

Objectives

Many people report uncertainty when appraising their risk of cancer and other diseases, but prior research about the topic has focused solely on cognitive risk perceptions. We investigated uncertainty related to cognitive and affective risk questions. We also explored whether any differences in uncertainty between cognitive and affective questions varied in magnitude by item‐specific or socio‐demographic characteristics.

Design

Secondary analysis of data collected for a 2 × 2 × 3 full‐factorial risk communication experiment (N = 835) that was embedded within an online survey.

Methods

We investigated the frequency of ‘don't know’ responses (DKR) to eight perceived risk items that varied according to whether they assessed (1) cognitive versus affective perceived risk, (2) absolute versus comparative risk, and (3) colon cancer versus ‘any exercise‐related diseases’. Socio‐demographics were as follows: sex, age, education, family history, and numeracy. We analysed the data using multilevel logistic regression.

Results

The odds of DKR were lower for affective than cognitive perceived risk (OR = 0.64, p < .001). This difference occurred for absolute but not comparative risk perceptions (interaction effect, p = .004), but no interactions for disease type or demographic characteristics were found (ps > .05).

Conclusions

Lower uncertainty for affective (vs. cognitive) absolute perceived risk items is consistent with research stating: (1) Risk perceptions are grounded in people's feelings about a hazard, and (2) feelings are easier for people to access than facts. Including affective perceived risk items in health behaviour surveys may reduce missing data and improve data quality.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Many people report that they don't know their risk (i.e., risk uncertainty).

Evidence is growing for the importance of feelings of risk in explaining health behaviour.

Feelings are easier for people to access than facts.

What does this study add?

Don't know responding is higher for absolute cognitive than absolute affective risk questions.

This difference does not vary in magnitude by demographic characteristics.

Affective perceived risk questions in surveys may reduce missing data and improve data quality.
A multicentre integration of a computer‐led follow‐up of prostate cancer is valid and safe
Authors: Salem Hesham A , Caddeo Giacomo , McFarlane Jon , Patel Kunjan , Cochrane Lynda , Soria Daniele , Henley Mike , Lund Jonathan
Published: February 2018

Objective

To test a computer‐led follow‐up service for prostate cancer in two UK hospitals; the testing aimed to validate the computer expert system in making clinical decisions according to the individual patient's clinical need with a valid model accurately identify patients with disease recurrence or treatment failure based on their blood test and clinical picture.

Patients and Methods

A clinical‐decision support system (CDSS) was developed from European (European Association of Urology) and national (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines along with knowledge acquired from Urologists. This model was then applied in two UK hospitals to review patients after prostate cancer treatment. These patients’ data (n = 200) were then reviewed by two independent urology consultants (blinded from the CDSS and the other consultant's rating) and the agreement was calculated by kappa statistics for validation. The second endpoint was to verify the system by estimating the system reliability.

Results

The two individual urology consultants identified 12% and 15% of the patients to have potential disease progression and recommended their referral to urology care. The kappa coefficient for the agreement between the CDSS and the two consultants was 0.81 (P < 0.001) and 0.84 (P < 0.001). The agreement amongst both specialist was also high with k = 0.83 (P < 0.001). The system reliability was estimated on all cases and this demonstrated 100% repeatability of the decisions.

Conclusion

A CDSS follow‐up is a valid model for providing safe follow‐up for prostate cancer.
Preliminary validation of a self‐efficacy scale for pediatric chronic illness
Authors: Emerson N. D. , Morrell H. E. R. , Mahtani N. , Sanderson L. , Neece C. , Boyd K. C. , Distelberg B.
Published: February 2018

Background

Tracking self‐efficacy may be useful for identifying children at risk for medical noncompliance. We created the Pediatric Rating of Chronic Illness Self‐Efficacy (PRCISE) to measure self‐efficacy in youth dealing with a chronic illness.

Method

Data were collected from 217 families where one child aged 7–20 (Mage = 13.62, SDage = 2.92; 62.7% Latino, 58.1% female) had a chronic illness. Parent participants provided demographic information. Youth completed a depression measure, the Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents and the PRCISE. To determine the underlying latent structure of the scale, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted using parallel analysis. We also carried out two multiple linear regressions to explore the data and establish preliminary predictive validity.

Results

The measure was reduced to 15 items, demonstrating a one‐factor solution with strong reliability. Predictors of lower self‐efficacy included having parents who had not attended college, being African American, and having higher Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents scores, R2 = .23, F(11, 174) = 5.62, p < .001. Main effects were qualified by a two‐way interaction, such that the decrease in PRCISE scores associated with depressive symptoms was attenuated in children with less educated parents. In terms of predictive validity, higher PRCISE scores unexpectedly predicted more number of emergency room visits, R2 = .12, F(9, 113) = 2.73, p < .01.

Conclusions

The PRCISE appears to be a reliable measure of a single self‐efficacy construct. Secondary analyses revealed important health disparities in pediatric chronic illness self‐efficacy. Next steps may include validation of the PRCISE using confirmatory factor analysis.
Human lactoferrin attenuates the proinflammatory response of neonatal monocyte-derived macrophages
Authors: Wisgrill L , Wessely I , Spittler A , Förster-Waldl E , Berger A , Sadeghi K
Published: February 2018

Bioactive components of human milk, such as human lactoferrin (hLF), play an essential role in gut microbiome homeostasis and protection against neonatal inflammatory diseases. Neonatal intestinal macrophages display a proinflammatory profile that might contribute to inflammatory mucosal injury. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of hLF on differentiation and activation of monocyte-derived macrophages (moMϕ). Monocytes isolated from umbilical cord blood of term neonates and peripheral blood of healthy adults were differentiated in the absence or presence of hLF, and differentiation, apoptosis and phagocytosis were evaluated. Cytokine production, Toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling and activation marker expression were investigated upon activation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) challenge. We demonstrate that hLF-differentiated moMϕ exhibit decreased TLR-4 expression, TLR signalling, proinflammatory cytokine secretion and intracellular tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α production. Investigation of differentiation markers, morphology and induction of apoptosis showed no alteration in lactoferrin-differentiated moMϕ. Taken together, hLF promote anergic/anti-inflammatory effects by TLR expression and pathway interference, resulting in a diminished proinflammatory moMϕ phenotype. The anergic/anti-inflammatory properties of hLF might contribute to the prevention of harmful TLR-mediated inflammatory disorders in the developing gut of premature infants.
Worldwide distribution of common IDUA pathogenic variants
Authors: Poletto E. , Pasqualim G. , Giugliani R. , Matte U. , Baldo G.
Published: February 2018

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a rare disorder caused by deleterious sequence variants in the α‐L‐iduronidase (IDUA) gene. More than 200 pathogenic variants have been described so far, but their frequencies have not yet been analyzed on a worldwide scale. To address this, we analyzed the genotypes of MPS I patients from 35 published studies papers. The most common pathogenic variant observed was p.Trp402Ter. With frequencies of up to 63%, it was the major allele in most European countries, America and Australia. The variant p.Gln70Ter was also frequent; it was found mainly in Northern and Eastern Europe. The most frequent variant in North African countries was p.Pro533Arg; in Morocco, it represented more than 90% of mutant alleles. Variants observed in East Asians were not found in Western populations, including c.1190‐1G>A, p.Ala79Val, p.Leu346Arg and c.613_617dupTGCTC. Conversely, p.Trp402Ter and p.Pro533Arg were not found in patients from East Asia. In conclusion, the most common pathogenic IDUA variant in MPS I patients are p.Trp402Ter, p.Gln70Ter and p.Pro533Arg. Knowledge about the genetic background of MPS I for each population is essential when developing new genotype‐targeted therapies, as well as to enable faster genetic analysis and improve patient management.
Which is more nephrotoxic for kidney transplants: BK nephropathy or rejection?
Authors: Parajuli Sandesh , Astor Brad C. , Kaufman Dixon , Muth Brenda , Mohamed Maha , Garg Neetika , Djamali Arjang , Mandelbrot Didier A.
Published: February 2018

Little data exist comparing outcomes following BK nephropathy (BKN) vs acute rejection. We reviewed outcomes among recipients who had a primary diagnosis of biopsy‐proven BKN or rejection between 1 and 18 months post‐transplant. There were 96 cases of BKN and 256 cases of rejections. We compared outcomes of BKN with all rejection combined and also with cellular rejection. Seven of 256 (2.7%) patients developed BKN after treatment of rejection. Conversely, 8 of 96 (8.3%) developed rejection after BKN. The eGFR at time of diagnosis in the BKN group (33.7 ± 12.6) was lower than the rejection group (44.8 ± 23.3, P < .001). The eGFR at 6 months after diagnosis of BKN was 32.7 ± 14.9 and for rejection was 48.8 ± 20.7 (P ≤ .001). The mean eGFR at 3 years postdiagnosis was 41.6 ± 18.5 in BKN and 53 ± 21.3 for rejection (P = .001). The graft failure incidence rates were similar between 2 groups. A similar pattern was observed comparing BKN with cellular rejection. While the difference in rate of graft loss between BKN and rejection did not reach statistical significance, kidney function up to 3 years after diagnosis was worse for BKN than for rejection, suggesting that BKN is at least as damaging to kidneys as rejection.