bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preventive health care information and social media: a comparison of Baby Boomer and Generation X health care consumers
Authors: Cangelosi Joe , Damron Terry Stringer , Kim David
Published: February 2022

Purpose

As consumer health-care spending increases, so does the need for effective communication of preventive health-care information (PHCI) with the potential to prompt lifestyle changes. Through proactive, effective dissemination of PHCI, health-care service providers can minimize and prevent costly health conditions while improving the efficiency of a traditionally reactive health-care system. Taking into account the considerable time consumers spend on social media and networks (SM&N) and hefty health-care spending among Baby Boomer and Generation X consumers, this study aims to address critical questions concerning the importance of SM&N for gathering PHCI, SM&N preferences for gathering PHCI and the types of behavioral changes consumers have pursued in response to PHCI.

Design/methodology/approach

Designed as a generational cohort analysis, this study is based on the responses of 936 Baby Boomer and Generation X respondents to a questionnaire containing 200 items related to PHCI and social/digital media as a vehicle for acquiring both general and preventive health information. Crosstab analysis was used to examine differences in the characteristics of the generational cohorts. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess differences in the degree of importance Baby Boomer and Generation X health consumers assign to 28 SM&N sites as delivery systems of PHCI. The researchers used ANOVA to determine generational differences in behavioral changes associated with a healthier lifestyle as a result of exposure to PHCI.

Findings

There are significant differences in the characteristics of Baby Boomer and Generation X cohorts. Generation X health-care consumers assign greater importance to SM&N sites as PHCI delivery systems. Additionally, Generation X health-care consumers report greater behavioral change resulting from exposure to PHCI.

Research limitations/implications

New information is provided concerning health-care consumer perceptions of SM&N as a source of PHCI and the behavioral changes consumers pursue as a result of PHCI exposure.

Practical implications

This paper measures the effectiveness of interactive health-care marketing activities, explaining the role of SM&N as an effective source of PHCI and providing marketers with insights useful for PHCI content management and dissemination.

Social implications

Effective dissemination of PHCI via SM&N may help prevent illness among Baby Boomer and Generation X consumers and, accordingly, improve quality of life while easing the increasing pressure on the US health-care system.

Originality/value

Study results evidence the value of SM&N sites to health service providers as they endeavor to improve and extend consumer lives through dissemination of PHCI. Ideas and insights within this paper will inform and enhance social media marketing management practices within pharmaceutical and health-care organizations.
Smartphones and academic performance: evidence from India
Authors: Ammunje Rithwik Nayak , Prabhu H Mahesh , Barkur Gopalakrishna
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the impact of excessive smartphone use on students’ academic performance. In today’s digitalized world, smartphones have become a vital device in human lives and have taken control over every aspect of day-to-day activities.

Design/methodology/approach

After a thorough literature review, the factors associated with smartphone use that impact student performance were identified, and a conceptual framework was developed. Further, a survey was conducted by contacting 264 students pursuing higher education in India to test the model. Structural equation modeling was adopted to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Results indicate that there is no direct impact of excessive mobile phone use on student performance. However, it can be observed that excessive mobile phone use impacts student performance indirectly mediated by technoference.

Research limitations/implications

This study was conducted among students pursuing higher education in cosmopolitan cities with representation from India. Future studies can test the model among students in tier two cities and rural areas and primary and high school students for more insights.

Practical implications

This study has suggestions for college management to promote a hybrid learning model and prohibit using smartphones in classrooms and academic areas.

Originality/value

This study is among the earliest to explore the impact of technoference in an academic environment.
Exploratory study on the use of HMD virtual reality to investigate individual differences in visual processing styles
Authors: Savickaite Sarune , McNaughton Kimberley , Gaillard Elisa , Amaya Jo , McDonnell Neil , Millington Elliot , Simmons David R.
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Global and local processing is part of human perceptual organisation, where global processing helps extract the “gist” of the visual information and local processing helps perceive the details. Individual differences in these two types of visual processing have been found in autism and ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Virtual reality (VR) has become a more available method of research in the last few decades. No previous research has investigated perceptual differences using this technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The objective of the research is to threefold: (1) identify if there is association between ADHD and autistic traits and the performance on the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (ROCF) task, (2) investigate practical effects of using VR drawing tools for research on perceptual experiences and (3) explore any perceptual differences brought out by the three-dimensional nature of the VR. The standard ROCF test was used as a baseline task to investigate the practical utility of using VR as an experimental platform. A total of 94 participants were tested.

Findings

Attention-to-detail, attention switching and imagination subscales of autism quotient (AQ) questionnaire were found to be predictors of organisational ROCF scores, whereas only the attention-to-detail subscale was predictive of perceptual ROCF scores.

Originality/value

The current study is an example of how classic psychological paradigms can be transferred into the virtual world. Further investigation of the distinct individual preferences in drawing tasks in VR could lead to a better understanding of individual differences in the processing of visuospatial information.
Implementing energy retrofits in existing hotel buildings using in-house teams: the decision-making process
Authors: Fasna M.F.F. , Gunatilake Sachie , Ross Andrew , Manewa Anupa
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Among the existing buildings, hotels use as much as 50% of their total expenses on energy and offer significant opportunities for energy efficiency improvement. Yet, comparatively the level of implementation of energy retrofits (ER) in hotels appear to be low. This has been mainly attributed, inter alia, to the absence of clearly defined process for ensuring the delivery of ER and lack of proactive guidance for project teams to make right decisions. Hence, this study aims to propose an effective decision-making process, which could support the successful adoption and implementation of in-house-led ER projects in existing hotel buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

Two in-depth case studies were carried out focussing on ER projects led by in-house teams in existing hotel buildings. Data was collected via 14 semi-structured interviews and was analysed through code-based content analysis.

Findings

The decision-making process for ER projects led by in-house teams was developed, which presents 39 key activities to be performed and 16 key decisions to be made. The parties responsible for these identified actions and decisions as well as the points at which each decision should be made to ensure the success of ER projects was also identified.

Originality/value

A total of 21 new activities and 10 decisions relevant for in-house team led ER decision-making processes previously not found in literature were identified. It is hoped that the decision-making process developed in this study will serve as a roadmap for the effective adoption and implementation of ER in existing hotel buildings.
Evaluating retail efficiency using DEA and AHP: a case in the Turkish apparel retail industry
Authors: Okur Nazan , Ercan Tolga
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose a comprehensive efficiency evaluation approach to measure the efficiency of the retailers and to determine the relative importance of a wide variety of apparel retail-specific factors that support efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

The first stage of the proposed approach is the measurement of the relative efficiency of the apparel retailers by using data envelopment analysis (DEA) for identifying the best practice frontier and determination of the improvement ratios. The second stage is the prioritization of the factors that are important in the apparel retail efficiency using analytical hierarchy process (AHP).

Findings

The findings of the study revealed that the quantitative criteria to be considered for efficiency through input minimization and output maximization were “number of employees” and “profit before tax,” respectively, however, focusing on output maximization was found to be more critical. In addition, it was seen that the most important qualitative components of efficiency were satisfied customers, qualified staff and branding.

Practical implications

The managerial actors in the apparel retail industry can be alerted for new strategic actions to adopt best practices or take precautions for future inefficiencies with the help of the results obtained. The customized hierarchical structure allows determining the priority areas that need to be focused on for increasing the performance of apparel retailers.

Originality/value

In this study, DEA and AHP were combined to build a comprehensive efficiency evaluation approach in the apparel retail industry for the first time in the literature. Thus, both qualitative and quantitative variables that are important in apparel retail efficiency were put forward and evaluated. The originality of the hierarchical structure in AHP was its customization to the apparel retail industry.
Implementation of significant mental health service change: perceptions and concerns of a mental health workforce in the context of transformation
Authors: Glogowska Margaret , Stepney Melissa , Rocks Stephen , Fazel Mina
Published: February 2022

Purpose

As part of an evaluation of the nationally mandated Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) “transformation” in one foundation NHS trust, the authors explored the experiences of mental health staff involved in the transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employed a qualitative methodology and followed an ethnographic approach. This included observation of mental health staff involved in the transformation and informal interviews (80 h). The authors also undertook semi-structured interviews with key staff members (n = 16). Data were analysed thematically.

Findings

The findings fall into three thematic areas around the transformation, namely (1) rationale; (2) implementation; and (3) maintenance. Staff members were supportive of the rationale for the changes, but implementation was affected by perceived poor communication, resulting in experiences of unpreparedness and de-stabilisation. Staff members lacked time to set up the necessary processes, meaning that changes were not always implemented smoothly. Recruiting and retaining the right staff, a consistent challenge throughout the transformation, was crucial for maintaining the service changes.

Originality/value

There is little published on the perceptions and experiences of mental health workforces around the CAMHS transformations across the UK. This paper presents the perceptions of mental health staff, whose organisation underwent significant “transformational” change. Staff demonstrated considerable resilience in the change process, but better recognition of their needs might have improved retention and satisfaction. Time for planning and training would enable staff members to better develop the processes and resources necessary in the context of significant service change. Developing ways for services to compare changes they are implementing and sharing good practice around implementation with each other are also vital.
Emergence and outcomes of shared leadership: unraveling the role of transactive memory system and team mindfulness using mixed-methods approach
Authors: Lyndon Shiji , Pandey Ashish , Navare Ajinkya
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Shared leadership literature has primarily focused on investigating its positive impact on performance. Thus, the existing understanding of the emergence of shared leadership is limited. Also, there is a dearth of literature identifying the impact of shared leadership on affective outcomes. This study investigates the impact of transactive memory system and team mindfulness on shared leadership, and subsequently, the impact of shared leadership on team satisfaction through the mediating mechanism of thriving.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a mixed-methods approach with sequential explanatory research design. Quantitative study was carried out with a sample of 40 teams. Data were collected at four different time points. Qualitative interviews with 10 teams were carried out to provide insights about the relationships which emerged from the quantitative study.

Findings

The study found support for the impact of transactive memory on shared leadership. However, contrary to our hypothesis, the study found that the interaction effect of transactive memory system and team mindfulness on shared leadership is such that team mindfulness has preventive impact on lack of transactive memory. The results indicate that shared leadership influences team satisfaction through the mediating mechanism of employee thriving.

Originality/value

The study examines under-explored antecedent and boundary condition of emergence of shared leadership, i.e. transactive memory system and team mindfulness. Also, the study makes a methodological contribution by examining the dynamics of shared leadership through both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Evaluating the COVID-19 response policy's impact on carbon dioxide emissions in the top four CO2 emission countries
Authors: Tan Yan-Teng , Keh Chia-Guan , Tang Siu-Eng , Gan Pei-Tha
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The stringency policy and economic support policy in response to and to address the coronavirus disease 2019 have become a significant concern since the end of 2019. The motivation that led to this study is that, the selection of the stringency policy and the economic support policy appear to have brought about the opposite effects of the environmental costs of carbon dioxide emissions. The study's objective is to examine the contradictory impacts of these stringency and economic support policies on carbon dioxide emissions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies panel data for the top four countries responsible for carbon dioxide emission, namely China, the United States of America, India and Russia. A fully modified ordinary least squares estimator and dynamic ordinary least squares estimator are employed to determine the long-run parameters.

Findings

The results indicate that the effect of reduced carbon dioxide emissions due to a one-unit increase in the stringency policy is greater than the effect of increased carbon dioxide emissions caused by a one-unit increase in the economic support policy. Hence, if the two policies are implemented simultaneously, a positive net effect on environmental costs will be gained.

Research limitations/implications

The study investigates in a general scope, the impact these response policies have on the environment. Future researchers may enhance the research on environmental impact in different sectors due to the implementation of both policies to enrich the analytical perspective.

Practical implications

The results have provided implications for policymakers to emphasize more on stringency-oriented policies while giving economic support to the low-income or unemployed households in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Originality/value

Despite the foreseen effects of the stringency policy and economic support policy, there has hardly been any studies that have explored empirically the nexus between both policies with carbon dioxide emissions in one empirical model. Furthermore, the paper uses the high-frequency data in determining the contradictory impacts of stringency policy and economic support policy on CO2 emissions.
Does syndicate structure create value for initial public offerings? An empirical investigation for the Indian market
Authors: Sahoo Seshadev , Sahoo Abhimanyu
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the impact of the underwriters’ syndicate size (SS) and its structure on underpricing (UP), oversubscription rate, liquidity and volatility. The authors use a database of 185 initial public offers (IPOs) issued in India during the period 2012–2019.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have used ordinary least squares regression and stepwise regression on cross-sectional data to construct the regression model for the dependent variables under consideration, namely, UP, subscription rate (SUB), listing day volatility and listing day liquidity.

Findings

The authors find that larger syndicates reduce UP. The authors also find strong evidence of a larger subscription rate for IPOs managed by larger syndicates, suggesting that larger syndicates generate more information in the market. Looking into the composition of investment banks in the syndicate, the authors find that syndicates comprising more lead managers and comanagers attract a higher subscription from potential investors. More book running lead managers and nonmanaging syndicate members help increase liquidity and reduce the volatility of IPO stocks on listing day. Additionally, the authors find that larger firms with reputed lead managers establish larger syndicates while venture-affiliated IPO firms prefer a smaller syndicate.

Practical implications

The findings would interest issuing firms, investors, intermediaries and policymakers engaged in formulating syndicates for better management of IPOs.

Originality/value

The study extends the present literature on IPO syndicates, particularly in the Indian context as an emerging economy. The study extended the present understanding of SS and composition, creating value for the issuers.
Social Studies Teachers’ Views on Committed Impartiality and Discussion
Authors: Miller-Lane Jonathan , Denton Elissa , May Andrew
Published: February 2022

Nearly twenty years ago, Kelly (1986) forcefully argued that teachers had a responsibility to disclose their positions on controversial issues during discussion. Yet, while thoroughly grounded in theory, Kelly did not include classroom teachers’ responses in his call for teacher disclosure. This paper reports the responses to Kelly’s call for teacher disclosure from twelve secondary (grades 7-12) social studies teachers in a rural county located in a northeastern state. Analysis of interview transcripts revealed that teachers generally rejected disclosure of their position in favor of the role of an impartial facilitator for two primary reasons. First, teachers felt there was no guarantee that the tolerant environment they were trying to create in their classrooms would be present in the larger community. As a result, nine of the twelve teachers, in fear of a community backlash, rejected disclosure. Second, teachers preferred to disclose their commitment to a set of transcendent values such as tolerance, justice, and equality rather than disclose a point of view on a controversial issue. Fostering such values was seen by the teachers in this study to be more important than disclosure and could better be done by assuming the stance of neutral impartiality despite the acknowledgment that the stance was problematic. Implications and suggestions for future research are considered.
Let’s Collaborate and Infuse Citizenship Education: Kids Voting in Primary Classrooms
Authors: Catapano Susan , Song Kim H.
Published: February 2022

Teachers comment that there is no time in the day to cover social studies as they struggle to implement new programs designed to increase the reading levels of the students in their classrooms. Successfully adapting the project called Kids Voting USA during the fall, 2004 election helped pre-service teachers learn how to infuse civic learning goals, social studies, and voting education into the primary classroom on a daily basis. Pre-service teachers taught lessons on the voting process to students in a public school district in grades kindergarten through second, during their internship course in the fall of 2004. Students learned how their vote made a difference and discussed the issues when presented with the facts. Pre-service teachers developed a list of children’s literature to support the skills that were being taught. Data compiled at the end of the project confirmed that the students were able to use their skills across the curriculum while pre-service teachers not only increased their understanding of civic learning goal, but also increased their own knowledge of the voting process.
Standards, Firewalls, and General Classroom Mayhem: Implementing Student-Centered Technology Projects in the Elementary Classroom
Authors: Hofer Mark , Swan Kathleen Owings
Published: February 2022

If integrating technology means nothing more than enhancing the traditional delivery system of social studies content, where laptops replace notebooks, where PowerPoint slides replace handwritten overheads, where e-textbooks replace hard copy textbooks, then we will be no closer to the NCSS vision of transformative, powerful social studies instruction. (Doolittle & Hicks, 2003, p.75)
Improbable landing – the Sioux city miracle
Authors: O’Brien Jamie , Licht John-Gabriel
Published: February 2022

Research methodology

The technical reports released by the National Transportation Safety Board, along with secondary data in the form of available public data, such as news reports, interviews and memos, were used to round out the synopsis of the case study.

Case overview/synopsis

This case explores the events that led up to the crash of United Airlines Flight 717 (for anonymity), in Sioux City, Iowa, on July 19, 1989, and the subsequent investigation. The case uses secondary sources to highlight the positive team interactions between the pilots that led to the crash landing not being as catastrophic as it might have been with 185 survivors in an extreme crisis scenario. The teaching note focuses on the importance of cognitive bias, psychological safety and teamwork in a crisis situation, and practical recommendations for managers at all levels.

Complexity academic level

Organizational Behavior at the undergraduate and graduate level. Leadership and Change at the graduate and graduate level.
Mapping mental health inequalities: The intersecting effects of gender, race, class, and ethnicity on ADHD diagnosis
Authors: Bergey Meredith , Chiri Giuseppina , Freeman Nikki L. B. , Mackie Thomas I.
Published: February 2022

While the effects of social stratification by gender, race, class, and ethnicity on health inequalities are well‐documented, our understanding of the intersecting consequences of these social dimensions on diagnosis remains limited. This is particularly the case in studies of mental health, where “paradoxical” patterns of stratification have been identified. Using a Bayesian multi‐level random‐effects Poisson model and a nationally representative random sample of 138,009 households from the National Survey of Children's Health, this study updates and extends the literature on mental health inequalities through an intersectional investigation of one of the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric conditions of childhood/adolescence: attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Findings indicate that gender, race, class, and ethnicity combine in mutually constitutive ways to explain between‐group variation in ADHD diagnosis. Observed effects underscore the importance and feasibility of an intersectional, multi‐level modelling approach and data mapping technique to advance our understanding of social subgroups more/less likely to be diagnosed with mental health conditions.
The existential turn in philosophy of education: In defence of liberal autonomy
Authors: Miller Alistair
Published: February 2022

In recent years, there has been a marked shift in concern among some philosophers of education from political transformation to personal transformation. In the past, critics of liberalism, both egalitarian and communitarian, promoted political, social, economic and educational reform—but always subscribed to the freedom of the individual, the sovereign subject, to seek fulfilment. Now, influenced by an existential turn in the work of Heidegger, Sartre and Levinas, which originates in Hegel's dialectic of freedom, and postmodernist notions of transgressive self-creation, proponents of personally transformative education call for a decentring of the egoistic self so that we might recreate ourselves as ethical beings whose unconditional obligations are to ‘the other’ in a shared world. However, this vision of idealised existential subjects stripped of contingent worldly attachments and selfish egocentric impulses, enjoying idealised ethical relations and what I term ‘existential freedom’, is radically undetermined. It could only be achieved if individual wills were merged into a collective will or consciousness, and personal autonomy was eliminated. Meanwhile, crucial educational and political questions concerning how the practical affairs of autonomous individuals—real people—should be managed in a liberal democracy, and how young people should be educated for responsible citizenship, are neglected (at least among those influenced by the existentialist turn), as the formative and socialising functions of education are undermined. I conclude that the existential turn towards personally transformative education leads us nowhere.
China's COVID‐19 pandemic response: A first anniversary assessment
Authors: Bernot Ausma , Siqueira Cassiano Marcella
Published: February 2022

The literature on crisis management reports that crises can be critical for organizations, including state and extra‐state actors; they either break down or reinvent themselves. Successful organizations, those that do not break down, use situations of crisis to restructure themselves and improve their performance. Applicable to all crises, this reasoning is also valid for the COVID‐19 pandemic and for government organizations in China. Drawing on documentary analysis, this article examines China's pandemic response from the social–political, technological and psychological perspectives using a holistic crisis management framework. It demonstrates that the Chinese state bureaucracy has assembled, expanded and strengthened its surveillance strategies to strive for comprehensive crisis response.
ZMAT3 hypomethylation contributes to early senescence of preadipocytes from healthy first‐degree relatives of type 2 diabetics
Authors: Spinelli Rosa , Florese Pasqualina , Parrillo Luca , Zatterale Federica , Longo Michele , D’Esposito Vittoria , Desiderio Antonella , Nerstedt Annika , Gustafson Birgit , Formisano Pietro , Miele Claudia , Raciti Gregory Alexander , Napoli Raffaele , Smith Ulf , Beguinot Francesco
Published: February 2022

Senescence of adipose precursor cells (APC) impairs adipogenesis, contributes to the age‐related subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) dysfunction, and increases risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). First‐degree relatives of T2D individuals (FDR) feature restricted adipogenesis, reflecting the detrimental effects of APC senescence earlier in life and rendering FDR more vulnerable to T2D. Epigenetics may contribute to these abnormalities but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In previous methylome comparison in APC from FDR and individuals with no diabetes familiarity (CTRL), ZMAT3 emerged as one of the top‐ranked senescence‐related genes featuring hypomethylation in FDR and associated with T2D risk. Here, we investigated whether and how DNA methylation changes at ZMAT3 promote early APC senescence. APC from FDR individuals revealed increases in multiple senescence markers compared to CTRL. Senescence in these cells was accompanied by ZMAT3 hypomethylation, which caused ZMAT3 upregulation. Demethylation at this gene in CTRL APC led to increased ZMAT3 expression and premature senescence, which were reverted by ZMAT3 siRNA. Furthermore, ZMAT3 overexpression in APC determined senescence and activation of the p53/p21 pathway, as observed in FDR APC. Adipogenesis was also inhibited in ZMAT3‐overexpressing APC. In FDR APC, rescue of ZMAT3 methylation through senolytic exposure simultaneously downregulated ZMAT3 expression and improved adipogenesis. Interestingly, in human SAT, aging and T2D were associated with significantly increased expression of both ZMAT3 and the P53 senescence marker. Thus, DNA hypomethylation causes ZMAT3 upregulation in FDR APC accompanied by acquisition of the senescence phenotype and impaired adipogenesis, which may contribute to FDR predisposition for T2D.
CBD‐mediated regulation of heroin withdrawal‐induced behavioural and molecular changes in mice
Authors: Navarrete Francisco , Gasparyan Ani , Manzanares Jorge
Published: February 2022

Cannabidiol (CBD) may represent a promising therapeutic tool for treating opioid use disorder (OUD). This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of CBD on the behavioural and gene expression alterations induced by spontaneous heroin withdrawal. Thirty hours after cessation of 8‐day heroin treatment (5, 10, 20 and 40 mg·kg−1/12 h; s.c.), spontaneous heroin withdrawal was evaluated in CD1 male mice. The effects of CBD (5, 10 and 20 mg·kg−1; i.p.) on withdrawal‐related behaviour were evaluated by measuring anxiety‐like behaviour, motor activity and somatic signs. Furthermore, gene expression changes of mu‐opioid receptor (Oprm1), proopiomelanocortin (Pomc), cannabinoid CB1 (Cnr1) and CB2 (Cnr2) receptors in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and Pomc in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) were also evaluated by real‐time PCR. Anxiety‐like behaviour, motor activity and withdrawal‐related somatic signs were significantly increased in heroin‐treated mice compared to the control group. Interestingly, CBD treatment significantly reduced these behavioural impairments and normalized gene expression of Cnr1 and Pomc in the NAcc and TH in the VTA of mice exposed to spontaneous heroin withdrawal. Also, CBD induced an up‐regulation of Cnr2, whereas it did not change the increased gene expression of Oprm1 in the NAcc of abstinent animals. The results suggest that CBD alleviates spontaneous heroin withdrawal and normalizes the associated gene expression changes. Future studies are needed to determine the relevance of CBD as a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of heroin withdrawal.
Vision‐related quality of life and visual ability in patients with autosomal dominant optic atrophy
Authors: Eckmann‐Hansen Christina , Bek Toke , Sander Birgit , Larsen Michael
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to evaluate vision‐related quality of life and visual ability in patients with OPA1 autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA).

Methods

This cross‐sectional, observational study included 145 participants with a mutation in the OPA1 gene associated with ADOA, 63 mutation‐free first‐degree relatives and 92 healthy subjects unrelated to the families. Participants underwent a clinical eye examination, and adult participants completed the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI‐VFQ‐39), while children completed the Cardiff Visual Ability Questionnaire for Children (CVAQC).

Results

In adults with ADOA, both mean visual acuity (VA) and mean contrast sensitivity (CS) were significantly inferior to both first‐degree relatives and unrelated controls (p < 0.001). In children with ADOA, mean VA was significantly lower compared with first‐degree relatives (p = 0.0052), whereas CS was not (0.127). Adults with ADOA scored lower than both comparator groups on composite score (p < 0.001), general health subscale (p = 0.0075) and all vision‐related subscales (p < 0.001) except the ocular pain subscale (p = 0.2). In children with ADOA, the median CVAQC logit score was significantly lower compared with first‐degree relatives (p = 0.037). The science lessons subscale was significantly lower for children with ADOA compared with first‐degree relatives (p = 0.046), as well as the language lessons subscale (p = 0.038). For adults, composite score and subscale scores were significantly associated with both VA, CS and fixation status.

Conclusion

OPA1 mutation is associated with lower quality of life and visual ability in patients with ADOA compared with both first‐degree relatives and unrelated controls. VA, CS and fixation status affect quality of life in patients with ADOA.
Accelerated scale‐up of Kangaroo Mother Care: Evidence and experience from an implementation‐research initiative in south India
Authors: Jayanna Krishnamurthy , Rao Suman , Kar Arin , Gowda Prabhu Dev , Thomas Tinku , Swaroop Narayana , Washington Maryann , Shashidhar A Rao , Rai Prathibha , Chitrapu Suresh , Mohan Harnalli Lakkappa , Martines Jose , Mony Prem
Published: February 2022

Aim

Though Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) has demonstrated benefits for low birth weight newborns, coverage continues to be low in India. As part of a World Health Organization (WHO) multi‐country study, we explored intervention models to accelerate KMC coverage in a high priority district of Karnataka, India.

Methods

We used implementation‐research methods, formative assessments and quality improvement approaches to design and scale‐up interventions. Evaluation was done using prospective cohort study design; data were collected from facility records, and client interviews during KMC initiation, at discharge and at home after discharge.

Results

KMC was initiated at health facilities for 87.6% of LBW babies under 2000 g. At discharge, 85.0% received KMC; 67.9% continued to receive KMC at home on the 7th day post‐discharge. The interventions included training, mentoring and constant advocacy at many levels: public health facilities, private sector and the community. Innovations like a KMC case sheet, counselling, peer support group triggered KMC in the facilities; a KMC‐link card, a microplanning and communication tool for CHWs helped to sustain practice at homes.

Conclusion

The study provides a novel approach to designing and scaling up interventions and suggests lessons that are applicable to KMC as well as to broader reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health programmes.
Emission taxes for genuine altruistic firms
Authors: Diakoulakis Giorgos N. , Kampas Athanasios
Published: February 2022

This article develops a theoretical model that explores firms' abatement choices. The main results are: First, in a market comprised of a not sufficiently large number of heterogeneous firms always there exists a subset of firms that are willing to undertake abatement activities, if their marginal altruistic cost of emissions is positive. Second, a low emission tax induces abatement when a firm is egoistic or if its altruistic cost of emissions has a concave structure. In contrast, if the firms’ altruistic cost of emissions has a convex structure, then intermediate emission taxes are required. Third, the effect of firms’ altruistic cost of emissions on the emission tax that induce the socially optimum abatement is also conditional on the genuine altruistic preferences and finally, the social planner has an incentive to impose a Pigouvian emission tax when firms are profit maximizers. Otherwise, a lower tax suffices.
Relationship between foal daily gain, suckling behavior, and the distance between foals and their mares in the first 40 days of life of Hokkaido native horses kept outdoors year‐round
Authors: Huricha  , Kawai Masahito , Ninomiya Shigeru
Published: February 2022

In this study, we investigated suckling behavior and the distance between a foal and its mare as indicators of foal growth in Hokkaido native horses (HKD) during the first 40 days of life. Direct observations were made of 22 mare and foal pairs from two consecutive days 1 and 2, 5 and 6, 10 and 11, 20 and 21, 30 and 31, and 40 and 41 after birth by focal animal sampling for 3 h per day. Suckling behavior was continuously recorded, along with the terminator. The distance between the foal and its mare was determined using the instantaneous sampling method (1 min), and the percentage was calculated within 4 m while the foal was recumbent (DPW4FR). In the first week after birth, the duration and frequency of suckling terminated by the foal were negatively correlated with foal daily gains (duration, −0.49, p = 0.028; frequency, −0.53, p = 0.017). The DPW4FR and daily gain during 10–40 days after birth showed significant negative correlation (−0.47, p = 0.031). It is suggested that in HKD reproduction systems, suckling behavior termination by the foal and the distance between the foal and mare may be indicators of early foal growth.
Maternal effect on first‐year growth of Hokkaido native foals kept outdoors all year round
Authors: Huricha  , Kawai Masahito , Inose Yoshihisa , Yamada Fumihiro , Ninomiya Shigeru
Published: February 2022

In this study, we investigated maternal effects on the growth of Hokkaido native horses kept outdoors throughout the year. We used the data on body weight (BW), height at withers (HW), heart girth (HG), and cannon circumference (CC) of 517 foals during the first year of life to (1) examine the growth patterns by comparing six linear mixed models and (2) analyze the maternal effect on BW, HW, HG, and CC for each month by estimating variance components. The segmented polynomial third‐order regression equation was selected as the best model for all the traits. The estimated proportion of variance components for the effects of the dam were 0.25–0.38 for BW, 0.19–0.28 for HW, 0.19–0.34 for HG, and 0.10–0.21 for CC. A higher effect of the dam compared with that of the sire was observed on BW and HG at all months of age and HW at 0–2 months of age. Therefore, the dam contributed to foal growth not only through half of its heredity but also through the maternal effect derived mainly from its milk. These results provide valuable information for the breeding of Hokkaido native foals.
Neighboring edges: Interacting edge effects from linear disturbances in treed fens
Authors: Echiverri Laureen F. I. , Macdonald S. Ellen , Nielsen Scott E.
Published: February 2022

Questions

Edge influence on forest biodiversity is an important environmental effect associated with habitat fragmentation, but extrapolating the influence of edges across the broader landscape has been difficult, especially for situations where multiple edges exist in close proximity. We asked whether there were differences in edge effects between two types (3 m vs 8 m width) of low‐severity linear disturbance (seismic lines) and whether there were interactions of edge effects when seismic lines occur in dense networks; that is, do multiple narrow seismic lines have a stronger or weaker edge influence than a single narrow seismic line.

Location

Treed peatlands in northeastern Alberta, Canada.

Methods

Seismic lines are created during oil and gas exploration and are responsible for dissection of boreal forests in western Canada. We sampled vascular plants along transects perpendicular to seismic lines in moderate‐rich and poor treed fens. We used the “Randomization Test of Edge Influence” (RTEI) to calculate the magnitude and distance of edge effects and then compared these between narrower (3 m) versus wider (8 m) lines and between single narrow lines versus multiple narrow lines (parallel and ~50 m apart).

Results

In moderate‐rich fens, we found a positive edge influence on understorey diversity from both wide and narrow seismic lines. We also found a weakening edge interaction on diversity, that is, single narrow seismic lines had a stronger edge influence on diversity than did multiple narrow seismic lines. In treed poor fens, multiple narrow seismic lines had a negative edge effect on tree density, understorey abundance, richness, and composition. In addition, we found strengthening edge interactions in treed poor fens on tree density, graminoid cover, and understorey composition.

Conclusions

Even narrow linear disturbances, such as seismic lines, can have significant edge effects and these are exacerbated when lines occur in dense networks.
Values, personality traits, and packaging‐free shopping: A mixed‐method approach
Authors: Gordon‐Wilson Sianne , Modi Pratik , Eastman Jacqueline K.
Published: February 2022

This research examines packaging‐free shopping, which contributes to reducing the negative impact of plastic packaging on the environment, and its’ relationship with green consumption values, value consciousness, and psychological traits. A mixed‐methods approach is adopted with quantitative followed by qualitative research. Study 1 recruits 240 respondents from social media and the lead author's university website to examine different factors that increase consumers’ likelihood of packaging‐free shopping. Study 2 recruits packaging‐free shoppers from Facebook Pages, explores these findings and provides further insights. Study 1 finds that consumers are driven more by green consumer values than by value consciousness, and consumers who are more conscientious are more likely to do packaging‐free shopping. Study 2 supports this by finding that green consumer values drive packaging‐free shopping, but this in only one part of their green efforts. The research contributes by illustrating the importance of conscientiousness specifically in the domain of packaging‐free shopping and that these packaging‐free shoppers are not driven in terms of value for money but by addressing their green consumer values. We recommend that packaging‐free retailers and policy makers utilize promotional efforts to communicate how packaging‐free shopping provides a balance with consumers’ green values for these shoppers, how it fits in with their other green efforts, and how these shopping efforts are making a difference in helping the environment.
Tax competition and political agency problems
Authors: Kasamatsu Satoshi , Kishishita Daiki
Published: February 2022

We study how politicians' reputation concerns affect taxation in the presence of intergovernmental competition. To this end, we construct a two‐country asymmetric tax competition model in which the residents in one of the two countries face a domestic political agency problem: the residents do not know whether the incumbent politician is benevolent or leviathan. To separate themselves from leviathan politicians and attract voters’ support, benevolent politicians argue for excessively low taxation, which can be regarded as anti‐taxation populism. This anti‐taxation populism exhibits the following two properties. First, the populist country's low production technology relative to the other country facilitates the emergence of anti‐taxation populism. Second, anti‐taxation populism can improve welfare in terms of either the populist country or the whole world, depending on the asymmetry of the production technology.
Bet v 1 triggers antiviral‐type immune signalling in birch‐pollen‐allergic individuals
Authors: Wisgrill Lukas , Fyhrquist Nanna , Ndika Joseph , Paalanen Laura , Berger Angelika , Laatikainen Tiina , Karisola Piia , Haahtela Tari , Alenius Harri
Published: February 2022

Background

In allergic patients, clinical symptoms caused by pollen remind of symptoms triggered by viral respiratory infections, which are also the main cause of asthmatic exacerbations. In patients sensitized to birch pollen, Bet v 1 is the major symptom‐causing allergen. Immune mechanisms driving Bet v 1‐related responses of human blood cells have not been fully characterized.

Objective

To characterize the immune response to Bet v 1 in peripheral blood in patients allergic to birch pollen.

Methods

The peripheral blood mononuclear cells of birch‐allergic (n = 24) and non‐allergic (n = 47) adolescents were stimulated ex‐vivo followed by transcriptomic profiling. Systems‐biology approaches were employed to decipher disease‐relevant gene networks and deconvolution of associated cell populations.

Results

Solely in birch‐allergic patients, co‐expression analysis revealed activation of networks of innate immunity and antiviral signalling as the immediate response to Bet v 1 stimulation. Toll‐like receptors and signal transducer transcription were the main drivers of gene expression patterns. Macrophages and dendritic cells were the main cell subsets responding to Bet v 1.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

In birch‐pollen‐allergic patients, the activated innate immune networks seem to be, in part, the same as those activated during viral infections. This tendency of the immune system to read pollens as viruses may provide new insight to allergy prevention and treatment.
Selection of both habitat and genes in specialized and endangered caribou
Authors: Cavedon Maria , vonHoldt Bridgett , Hebblewhite Mark , Hegel Troy , Heppenheimer Elizabeth , Hervieux Dave , Mariani Stefano , Schwantje Helen , Steenweg Robin , Watters Megan , Musiani Marco
Published: February 2022

Genetic mechanisms determining habitat selection and specialization of individuals within species have been hypothesized, but not tested at the appropriate individual level in nature. In this work, we analyzed habitat selection for 139 GPS‐collared caribou belonging to 3 declining ecotypes sampled throughout Northwestern Canada. We used Resource Selection Functions comparing resources at used and available locations. We found that the 3 caribou ecotypes differed in their use of habitat suggesting specialization. On expected grounds, we also found differences in habitat selection between summer and winter, but also, originally, among the individuals within an ecotype. We next obtained Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) for the same caribou individuals, we detected those associated to habitat selection, and then identified genes linked to these SNPs. These genes had functions related in other organisms to habitat and dietary specializations, and climatic adaptations. We therefore suggest that individual variation in habitat selection was based on genotypic variation in the SNPs of individual caribou, indicating that genetic forces underlie habitat and diet selection in the species. We also suggest that the associations between habitat and genes that we detected may lead to lack of resilience in the species, thus contributing to caribou endangerment. Our work emphasizes that similar mechanisms may exist for other specialized, endangered species.