bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Transfer of change” and large group intervention methods (LGIMs): a call for research on a neglected topic in organizational change literature
Authors: November Eben David
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the gap in organizational change literature in general and the large group interactive method (LGIM) literature in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

By comparing LGIM and training literature studies, the absence of a concept in the former literature parallel to the well-known concept of “transfer of training” is highlighted. The concept of the transfer of change is introduced to address this gap.

Findings

This paper suggests that the transfer of change is as important to the success of organizational change initiatives as transfer of training is to the success of training programs.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to introduce the concept of transfer of change to the organizational change and LGIM literature studies. Furthermore, a tentative research agenda regarding transfer of change and LGIMs is presented. Therefore, the paper is a valuable resource for researchers who study organizational change initiatives in general and LGIMs in particular.
When situativity meets objectivity in peer production of knowledge: the case of the WikiRate platform
Authors: Mills Richard Allister , De Paoli Stefano
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to further the debate on Knowledge Artefacts (KAs), by presenting the design of WikiRate, a Collective Awareness platform whose goal is to support a wider public contributing to the generation of knowledge on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The material presented in the paper comes from the first-hand experience of the authors as part of the WikiRate design team. This material is reflexively discussed using concepts from the field of science and technology studies.

Findings

Using the concept of the “funnel of interest”, the authors discuss how the design of a KA like WikiRate relies on the designers’ capacity to translate general statements into particular design solutions. The authors also show how this funnelling helps understanding the interplay between situativity and objectivity in a KA. The authors show how WikiRate is a peer-production platform based on situativity, which requires a robust level of objectivity for producing reliable knowledge about the ESG performance of companies.

Originality/value

This paper furthers the debate on KAs. It presents a relevant design example and offers in the discussion a set of design and community building recommendations to practitioners.
The spillover effect of incidental social comparison on materialistic pursuits
Authors: Zheng Xiaoying , Baskin Ernest , Peng Siqing
Published: February 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether social comparison in a prior, nonconsumption circumstance (e.g. in an academic setting) affects consumers’ materialism and subsequent spending propensity, and explores the incidental feeling of envy as the underlying mechanism.

Design/methodology/approach

Four experiments have been conducted to test these hypotheses. Study 1 manipulated social comparison in an academic domain, and measured undergraduate students’ materialism after they compared themselves to a superior student or to an inferior student. Study 2 used a recall task to manipulate social comparison and examine the mediating role of envy. Study 3 examined which of the two types of envy (benign or malicious) affected materialism. Study 4 examined the downstream consequences on spending propensity in both public and private consumption contexts.

Findings

The results suggest that consumers place greater importance on material goods and are more likely to spend money on publicly visible products after making upward social comparisons than after making downward social comparisons or no comparisons. Furthermore, envy acts as the mediator for the observed effect of incidental social comparison on materialism.

Originality/value

First, this study improves our understanding of the consequences of social comparison and envy by demonstrating that incidental envy (both benign and malicious) experienced in a prior, unrelated social comparison can motivate materialistic pursuits. Second, the present research contributes to the compensatory consumption literature by revealing that, in a social comparison context, envy is the affective underpinning that gives rise to the motivation to engage in compensatory consumer behavior. Third, the findings also enrich materialism research by exploring an important situational antecedent in driving materialistic orientation.
Perceived risk and intention to use internet banking
Authors: Marafon Daiane Lampugnani , Basso Kenny , Espartel Lélis Balestrin , de Barcellos Márcia Dutra , Rech Eduardo
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the moderating role of self-confidence and risk acceptance on the relationship between perceived risk and intention to use internet banking.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted with 180 Brazilian banking customers. The Johnson-Neyman test was used to verify the moderation and significant regions along self-confidence and risk acceptance levels.

Findings

Self-confidence and risk acceptance moderate the relationship between risk perception and intention to use internet banking. For individuals with high self-confidence, the effect of perceived risk on intention to use internet banking is lower than it is for individuals with low self-confidence. In the same way, for individuals with high risk acceptance, the effect of perceived risk on intention to use internet banking is lower than it is for individuals with low risk acceptance.

Research limitations/implications

This research contributes to the understanding of the conditions (two personal factors) under which risk perception does not influence intention to use a technological tool.

Practical implications

This paper provides insights for marketing managers to encourage customers to develop greater risk acceptance and self-confidence to minimize the negative effects of perceived risk of the adoption of internet banking.

Originality/value

Although risk perception can contribute to customers’ avoidance of internet banking, this is the first paper to verify how acceptance of risk and self-confidence can moderate the effects of perceived risk on intention to use internet banking.
Predicting the intention to use mobile banking in India
Authors: Singh Sindhu , Srivastava R.K.
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify factors influencing the adoption of mobile banking in India and develop and empirically validate a model explaining the behavioural intention to use mobile banking in the Indian banking sector.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a model is developed and proposed to explain customers’ intention to use mobile banking. The model comprises six constructs, namely, perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, social influence, perceived financial cost, security, and trust. The model also describes the relationship between perceived ease of use and computer self-efficacy, as well as that between security and trust. The proposed model was tested by using a survey method, with a sample of 855 bank customers from public, private, foreign, and cooperative banks in India. Structural equation modelling analysis was performed with AMOS 16.0.

Findings

The proposed theoretical model was found to predict, with statistical significance, the intention to use mobile banking, explaining 76.9 per cent of the variance in the dependent variable. The results found that security, computer self-efficacy, perceived ease of use, and perceived financial cost, in that order of influence, affect customers’ intention to adopt mobile banking.

Practical implications

The results obtained will help both academic researchers and practitioners explain, understand, and elucidate the status of mobile banking in India, as well as helping them formulate strategies to expedite the use of mobile banking.

Originality/value

The adoption of mobile banking in India is in a nascent stage compared with developed countries such as the USA, the UK, and Finland, but it is expected to increase or surpass the rate of adoption of internet banking in those countries. Further, only limited research to date has examined the adoption of mobile banking in India, especially the drivers and inhibitors of mobile banking adoption.
“Banter, bollockings and beatings”
Authors: Giousmpasoglou Charalampos , Marinakou Evangelia , Cooper John
Published: February 2018

Purpose

This study aims to conceptualise how the occupational socialisation of young chefs is conducted in Michelin-starred restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland; the key role of banter and bullying in this process is explored and critically discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative research critically discusses the data from 54 in-depth, face-to-face interviews with male and female Michelin-starred chefs in Great Britain and Ireland. A flexible interview guide was used to ensure all key areas, and topics discussed earlier in the literature review were covered. The rich data from the interviews were categorised in four different themes.

Findings

Drawing upon the fieldwork, fresh insights into the social structures, processes and group dynamics which underpin the socialisation process of young chefs are revealed in the participants’ own words. Four areas emerged from the usage of thematic analysis: occupational status, discipline and hierarchy in kitchen brigades, gender segregation in kitchen brigades and the role of banter and bullying in occupational socialisation.

Research limitations/implications

This study generates empirical data that inform contemporary debates about the role of banter and bullying in the occupational socialisation process of new members in Michelin-starred restaurants. A conceptual framework on the process of occupational socialisation in Michelin-starred kitchen brigades in Great Britain and Ireland is also provided.

Practical implications

The findings of this study suggest that banter and bullying are deeply embedded in chefs’ occupational culture; they also play a key role in the process of induction and occupational socialisation of the new recruits. In addition, gender segregation was found to be a persistent problem in commercial kitchens – young female chefs have to endure the same harsh conditions during the induction and occupational socialisation process. A recommended course of action to eradicate this phenomenon involves HR professionals, hospitality managers and the Michelin Guide.

Originality/value

The understanding of chefs’ induction and occupational socialisation is deemed crucial for successful hospitality operations; nevertheless, this still remains an under-researched area. This study is unique in terms of scale and depth; it is expected to provide useful insights in both theoretical and practical perspective, regarding the induction, socialisation and eventually, retention of young chefs in Michelin-starred restaurants.
Branded restaurants employees’ personal motivation, flow and commitment
Authors: Watson Alastair W. , Taheri Babak , Glasgow Steven , O’Gorman Kevin D.
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Augmenting employees’ commitment is of important interest to hospitality managers, particularly in the branded restaurant industry where the workforce is often transient. This paper aims to identify and analyse if levels of personal motivation and flow are drivers of commitment, and if the relationship between the variables is moderated by length of service, age and gender.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is a large-scale empirical investigation of hospitality staff in the UK branded restaurants through 1,133 survey responses, measuring levels of personal motivation, flow and commitment, as well as the moderating effects of multi-group differences among age, gender and length of service. Partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is used for analysis of data.

Findings

Using PLS-SEM found personal motivation to be important in determining employees’ level of flow and, in turn, employees’ commitment. Using multi group analysis, results revealed that relationship among personal motivation, flow and commitment played superior role for older employees and working for a long time in a hospitality organisation than those younger and working less than five years. No significant differences between male and female staff are found.

Research limitations/implications

Through finding flow and personal motivations to be drivers of commitment, branded restaurant practitioners can focus on emphasising these elements in their employees to increase commitment. Further, part-time roles are often taken by people likely to be non-committal in their job needs, e.g. students funding their studies. By focussing on extending lengths of service to meet the optimum years identified, managers can fortify their businesses.

Originality/value

The paper is one of few large-scale quantitative studies to examine personal motivation, flow and commitment in the context of UK branded restaurants. It identifies that employees exhibit higher levels of commitment through intrinsic values over time, and establishes relationships between the constructs of flow, personal motivation and commitment.
Towards green experiential loyalty
Authors: Wu Hung-Che , Cheng Ching-Chan , Chen Yi-Chang , Hong Wien
Published: February 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to test the relationships among the experiential quality dimensions, the green relationship quality dimensions, environmental friendliness, green support, green desire and green experiential loyalty in a green bed & breakfast (B&B) context.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used in this study are based on a sample of 517 customers staying at one green B&B in Yilan County of Taiwan. The predicted relationship is tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The empirical findings reveal the following: five dimensions (peer-to-peer quality, physical environment quality, outcome quality, venue quality and administration quality) constitute a multidimensional model to conceptualize and measure perceived experiential quality that can achieve green experiential satisfaction in addition to environmental friendliness; environmental friendliness has a direct influence on green trust and green experiential satisfaction, which has a positive significant influence on green support and green desire; and green trust, green experiential satisfaction and green support contribute to green experiential loyalty.

Practical implications

To increase the perceptions of experiential quality dimensions, green relationship quality dimensions, environmental friendliness, green support, green desire and green experiential loyalty, the findings of this study will help green B&B management develop and implement market-orientated service strategies.

Originality/value

This paper provides data that result in a better understanding of the relationships among experiential quality dimensions, green relationship quality dimensions, environmental friendliness, green support, green desire and green experiential loyalty in a green B&B setting.
Dilemmas and paradoxes: how managers make the toughest decisions
Authors: Karhu Päivi , Ritala Paavo
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Managerial decisions ultimately determine the success or failure of a business strategy, and difficulties often arise when managers must decide how best to allocate scarce resources between activities. Adopting a cognitive framing perspective, this study aims to explore managers’ accounts of decision-making problems and how they solve them.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews with 18 managers from the Austrian beverage industry were analysed to identify the kinds of decision-making problems they encounter and to understand how they solved those problems.

Findings

The participating managers perceived challenging decision-making problems as either a dilemma or a paradox. Dilemmas were resolved by committing entirely to one alternative or by focussing on one alternative at a time. In the case of paradoxes, managers looked for creative solutions, blending experimentation, humour and past experiences to create outside-the-box solutions that would simultaneously engage all alternatives.

Originality/value

This study provides empirical evidence of how managers frame challenging problems as dilemmas or paradoxes, and what types of coping mechanisms they use to identify and execute feasible solutions. While the current literature tends to emphasize the benefits of framing problems as paradoxes, the present findings also confirm the usefulness of dilemma-based solutions. A better understanding of these processes can help managers to make more thoughtful and better decisions.
Speaking of research: oral history and marketing history
Authors: Crawford Robert , Bailey Matthew
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of oral history for marketing historians and provide case studies from projects in the Australian context to demonstrate its utility. These case studies are framed within a theme of market research and its historical development in two industries: advertising and retail property.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examines oral histories from two marketing history projects. The first, a study of the advertising industry, examines the globalisation of the advertising agency in Australia over the period spanning the 1950s to the 1980s, through 120 interviews. The second, a history of the retail property industry in Australia, included 25 interviews with executives from Australia’s largest retail property firms whose careers spanned from the mid-1960s through to the present day.

Findings

The research demonstrates that oral histories provide a valuable entry port through which histories of marketing, shifts in approaches to market research and changing attitudes within industries can be examined. Interviews provided insights into firm culture and practices; demonstrated the variability of individual approaches within firms and across industries; created a record of the ways that market research has been conducted over time; and revealed the ways that some experienced operators continued to rely on traditional practices despite technological advances in research methods.

Originality/value

Despite their ubiquity, both the advertising and retail property industries in Australia have received limited scholarly attention. Recent scholarship is redressing this gap, but more needs to be understood about the inner workings of firms in an historical context. Oral histories provide an avenue for developing such understandings. The paper also contributes to broader debates about the role of oral history in business and marketing history.
The optimal thermal causal path analysis on the relationship between international crude oil price and stock market
Authors: Yao Can Zhong , Kuang Peng Cheng , Lin Ji Nan
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to reveal the lead–lag structure between international crude oil price and stock markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The methods used for this study are as follows: empirical mode decomposition; shift-window-based Pearson coefficient and thermal causal path method.

Findings

The fluctuation characteristic of Chinese stock market before 2010 is very similar to international crude oil prices. After 2010, their fluctuation patterns are significantly different from each other. The two stock markets significantly led international crude oil prices, revealing varying lead–lag orders among stock markets. During 2000 and 2004, the stock markets significantly led international crude oil prices but they are less distinct from the lead–lag orders. After 2004, the effects changed so that the leading effect of Shanghai composite index remains no longer significant, and after 2012, S&P index just significantly lagged behind the international crude oil prices.

Originality/value

China and the US stock markets develop different pattens to handle the crude oil prices fluctuation after finance crisis in 1998.
Constructing narrative and phenomenological meaning within one study
Authors: Patterson Carmel
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue for the articulation of the affordances of two qualitative methodologies when used within one study to address the multi-dimensional nature of the research phenomena.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper considers one example of combining narrative inquiry and phenomenological inquiry to construct new understandings of teacher learning from an Australian study.

Findings

The author draws on the individual meaning-making and shared social phenomena of professional learning explored for five secondary school teachers. Findings are accessed in two ways: narrative inquiry enables the construction of unique professional learning narratives and phenomenological inquiry proposes commonalities in the teachers’ experiences.

Research limitations/implications

Selected examples from the study are used to explore what may be learnt from combining two interpretative methodologies within one study with limited references to the overall research findings.

Practical implications

These qualitative methodological designs and their implementation within one study have positive influences on the multifaceted nature of the construction of meaning-making in teacher professional learning. Furthermore, using two qualitative methodologies together provide insights on the study phenomena, in this instance, highlighting the personal aspect of expert teachers’ professional learning needs and the disruptive dissonance of ongoing problematics as central for the teachers throughout their professional learning.

Originality/value

This study offers one possibility for combining methodologies to access the meaning-making in teacher learning and one avenue for creating hermeneutic understanding in using the methods within this approach.
Effects of vegetation management intensity on biodiversity and ecosystem services in vineyards: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Winter Silvia , Bauer Thomas , Strauss Peter , Kratschmer Sophie , Paredes Daniel , Popescu Daniela , Landa Blanca , Guzmán Gema , Gómez José A. , Guernion Muriel , Zaller Johann G. , Batáry Péter
Published: February 2018

At the global scale, vineyards are usually managed intensively to optimize wine production without considering possible negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) such as high soil erosion rates, degradation of soil fertility or contamination of groundwater. Winegrowers regulate competition for water and nutrients between the vines and inter‐row vegetation by tilling, mulching and/or herbicide application. Strategies for more sustainable viticulture recommend maintaining vegetation cover in inter‐rows, however, there is a lack of knowledge as to what extent this less intensive inter‐row management affects biodiversity and associated ES.

We performed a hierarchical meta‐analysis to quantify the effects of extensive vineyard inter‐row vegetation management in comparison to more intensive management (like soil tillage or herbicide use) on biodiversity and ES from 74 studies covering four continents and 13 wine‐producing countries.

Overall, extensive vegetation management increased above‐ and below‐ground biodiversity and ecosystem service provision by 20% in comparison to intensive management. Organic management together with management without herbicides showed a stronger positive effect on ES and biodiversity provision than inter‐row soil tillage.

Soil loss parameters showed the largest positive response to inter‐row vegetation cover. The second highest positive response was observed for biodiversity variables, followed by carbon sequestration, pest control and soil fertility. We found no trade‐off between grape yield and quality vs. biodiversity or other ES.

Synthesis and applications. Our meta‐analysis concludes that vegetation cover in inter‐rows contributes to biodiversity conservation and provides multiple ecosystem services. However, in drier climates grape yield might decrease without irrigation and careful vegetation management. Agri‐environmental policies should therefore focus on granting subsidies for the establishment of locally adapted diverse vegetation cover in vineyard inter‐rows. Future studies should focus on analysing the combined effects of local vineyard management and landscape composition and advance research in wine‐growing regions in Asia and in the southern hemisphere.
Natural Products for Prevention and Treatment of Chemical‐Induced Liver Injuries
Authors: Meng Xiao , Li Ya , Li Sha , Gan Ren‐You , Li Hua‐Bin
Published: February 2018

Chemicals (such as alcohol, drugs, and pollutants) may cause liver injuries, which could consequently develop into fatty liver, hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver failure, or even cancers. Liver injuries have been a serious public health problem worldwide. Numerous natural products and their bioactive components have shown protective action for liver injuries, such as blueberry, cactus fruits, Pueraria lobate, betaine, and silymarin. The underlying mechanisms mainly include antioxidation, anti‐inflammation, anti‐apoptosis, anti‐necrosis, repairing damaged DNA, regulating the metabolism of lipids, and modulating primary bile acid biosynthesis. This review summarizes the natural products and bioactive compounds with protective effects on liver injuries caused by chemicals, and special attention is paid to the mechanisms of action. This updated information can be helpful to prevent and treat liver‐related diseases, especially chemical‐induced liver injuries.
Lethality Prediction for Escherichia Coli O157:H7 and Uropathogenic E. coli in Ground Chicken Treated with High Pressure Processing and Trans‐Cinnamaldehyde
Authors: Sheen Shiowshuh , Huang Chi‐Yun , Ramos Rommel , Chien Shih‐Yung , Scullen O. Joseph , Sommers Christopher
Published: February 2018

Pathogenic Escherichia coli, intestinal (O157:H7) as well as extraintestinal types (for example, Uropathogenic E. coli [UPEC]) are commonly found in many foods including raw chicken meat. The resistance of E. coli O157:H7 to UPEC in chicken meat under the stresses of high hydrostatic Pressure (HHP, also known as HPP–high pressure processing) and trans‐cinnamaldehyde (an essential oil) was investigated and compared. UPEC was found slightly less resistant than O157:H7 in our test parameter ranges. With the addition of trans‐cinnamaldehyde as an antimicrobial to meat, HPP lethality enhanced both O157:H7 and UPEC inactivation. To facilitate the predictive model development, a central composite design (CCD) was used to assess the 3‐parameter effects, that is, pressure (300 to 400 MPa), trans‐cinnamaldehyde dose (0.2 to 0.5%, w/w), and pressure‐holding time (15 to 25 min), on the inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 and UPEC in ground chicken. Linear models were developed to estimate the lethality of E. coli O157:H7 (R2 = 0.86) and UPEC (R2 = 0.85), as well as dimensionless nonlinear models. All models were validated with data obtained from separated CCD combinations. Because linear models of O157:H7 and UPEC had similar R2 and the significant lethality difference of CCD points was only 9 in 20; all data were combined to generate models to include both O157:H7 and UPEC. The results provide useful information/tool to predict how pathogenic E. coli may survive HPP in the presence of trans‐cinnamaldehyde and to achieve a great than 5 log CFU/g reduction in chicken meat. The models may be used for process optimization, product development and to assist the microbial risk assessment.

Practical Application

The study provided an effective means to reduce the high hydrostatic pressure level with incorporation of antimicrobial compound to achieve a 5‐log reduction of pathogenic E. coli without damaging the raw meat quality. The developed models may be used to predict the high pressure processing lethality (and process optimization), product development (ingredient selection), and to assist the microbial risk assessment.
Does workload and institutional pressure on accounting educators affect academia at Australian universities?
Authors: Steenkamp Natasja , Roberts Roslyn
Published: February 2018

This paper examines accounting academics’ perceptions as to whether institutional pressure has increased in the previous 5–10 years subsequent to changes in the higher education environment, encouraging universities to adopt private sector managerialism. Results from 87 respondents indicated that workload pressures have increased and they experienced pressure to perform acts related to a student‐as‐customer model, which have negatively affected their well‐being and work quality. The majority are not actively seeking to leave academia, but believe it is not a good time for others to aspire to such a career. This paper contributes to the debate about the sustainability of accounting academia at Australian universities.
Genome‐wide association study for reproductive traits in a Large White pig population
Authors: Wang Y. , Ding X. , Tan Z. , Xing K. , Yang T. , Wang Y. , Sun D. , Wang C.
Published: February 2018

Using the PorcineSNP80 BeadChip, we performed a genome‐wide association study for seven reproductive traits, including total number born, number born alive, litter birth weight, average birth weight, gestation length, age at first service and age at first farrowing, in a population of 1207 Large White pigs. In total, we detected 12 genome‐wide significant and 41 suggestive significant SNPs associated with six reproductive traits. The proportion of phenotypic variance explained by all significant SNPs for each trait ranged from 4.46% (number born alive) to 11.49% (gestation length). Among them, 29 significant SNPs were located within known QTL regions for swine reproductive traits, such as corpus luteum number, stillborn number and litter size, of which one QTL region associated with litter size contained the ALGA0098819 SNP for total number born. Subsequently, we found that 376 functional genes contained or were near these significant SNPs. Of these, 14 genes—BHLHA15, OCM2, IL1B2, GCK, SMAD2, HABP2, PAQR5, GRB10, PRELID2, DMKN, GPI, GPIHBP1, ADCY2 and ACVR2B—were considered important candidates for swine reproductive traits based on their critical roles in embryonic development, energy metabolism and growth development. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the genetic mechanisms for reproductive traits and could have a positive effect on pig breeding programs.
The analgesic efficacy of forced coughing during cervical punch biopsy: A prospective randomised controlled study
Authors: Goldstein Akavia Tal , Segev Yakir , Balan Edith , Siegler Efraim
Published: February 2018

Introduction

Cervical punch biopsies are a common ambulatory procedure, performed routinely by gynaecologists. The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of forced coughing as a pain‐reducing technique during cervical punch biopsy compared to a control group.

Materials and Methods

The study was a prospective randomised‐control trial. The study group comprised 90 women who underwent cervical punch biopsies during investigation of abnormal Pap test results. The women were randomly assigned to ‘cough’ and control groups. Pain was measured on a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS) during different stages of the procedure.

Results

VAS pain score during biopsies was significantly lower in the ‘cough’ group. The median pain level in the ‘cough’ group was 1.5, compared to 4.0 in the control group. Eighty percent of the women in the ‘cough’ group reported a pain level of 2.0 or less compared to 40% of the women in the ‘control’ group (P = 0.0002). In the second biopsy, 69% of the women reported VAS ≤ 2.0 in the cough group compared to 28% of the patients in the control group. Forced coughing was shown both to reduce anxiety regarding the prospect of future cervical procedures and to decrease patients' desires for future pain management. This was true for 32% of the women in the ‘control’ group compared to 12% of the women in the ‘cough’ group (P = 0.05).

Conclusion

Forced coughing provides significant pain relief during cervical punch biopsy and reduces the patients' fears and desires for pain medications in future procedures.
Iodine‐containing supplement use by pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Western Australia
Authors: Hine Tammy , Zhao Yun , Begley Andrea , Skeaff Sheila , Sherriff Jill
Published: February 2018

Background

Iodine requirements increase during pregnancy and although national recommendations for daily iodine supplementation (150 µg) exist, there is no research related to the uptake of these recommendations by pregnant women in Western Australia.

Aims

To investigate the use of iodine‐containing supplements and associations with their use in a sample of Western Australian pregnant women.

Materials and Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted on pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in a public tertiary hospital for women and neonates in Perth during 2012 and 2013 (n = 425). Women completed a self‐administered questionnaire. Frequencies and percentages were obtained for categorical variables and χ2 tests conducted to assess associations between iodine‐containing supplement use and sociodemographic and pregnancy‐related factors.

Results

A total of 24% of pregnant women reported using iodine‐containing supplements prior to pregnancy compared to 66% during the previous two months. Age and maternal income were associated with use prior to pregnancy only (P = 0.004 and P = 0.031) and first pregnancy was associated with use during pregnancy only (P = 0.006). Ethnicity and reporting use in the first two trimesters were associated with the use of iodine supplements both in the year prior to pregnancy (P = 0.002 and P = 0.020, respectively) and during pregnancy (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

Two‐thirds of women reported use of iodine‐containing supplements during pregnancy, within the range reported for other Australian states. One‐quarter reported use prior to pregnancy. Public health strategies are required to promote awareness of the importance of iodine and supplementation both before and during the entire pregnancy.
The ironic impact of intergroup apologies on intergroup attitudes: Understanding the role of perceived power for post‐apology outgroup attitudes
Authors: Alt Nicholas P. , Park Sang Hee , Schug Joanna
Published: February 2018

The present research investigates how intergroup apologies, defined as apologies between two groups, affect perceived remorse and outgroup attitudes (e.g., explicit and implicit), in the context of power asymmetries. We recruited participants from two countries that differ in perceived power: South Korea and the United States. Participants read a vignette describing a violent act committed by an outgroup member (Korean or American), with or without an intergroup apology. Participants answered questions assessing perceived remorse and explicit attitudes toward the outgroup, followed by the Implicit Association Test (Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998). Results revealed that Koreans perceived less remorse following an intergroup apology from the United States, compared to when they did not read an intergroup apology. Further, a mediated moderation analysis indicated that perceived remorse mediated the relationship between apology and explicit attitudes towards the United States. However, an analogous effect for implicit attitudes was only marginally significant. In contrast, among American participants, no effect of the apology on perceived remorse, explicit attitudes, or implicit attitudes and no evidence for a mediation was found. We discuss the implications of these effects on understanding the effectiveness of intergroup apologies between countries that differ in perceived power.
Motives to (not) forgive deviant group members: A comparison within and between cultures
Authors: Huwaë Sylvia , Schaafsma Juliette
Published: February 2018

This study examines people's motives to (not) forgive group members who violate an important group norm. More specifically, we attempt to determine what is the primary focus in such a situation (the group, the offender, the relationship, or the self), and whether this depends on how important the group is and on the cultural context (more individualist or more collectivist). Our sample includes Moluccans living in Indonesia (more collectivist) and Moluccans in the Netherlands (more individualist). Participants were asked to evaluate a scenario in which a group member (close or nonclose other) violated an important group norm. We find that Indonesian Moluccans are more likely not to forgive group members who violate a group norm than Dutch Moluccans. This finding suggests that the group is more important to Indonesian Moluccans. Across the two samples, however, participants were more inclined to forgive an ingroup deviant for the benefit of this person or their relationship than for the benefit of the group. Interestingly, self‐focused concerns were more important among Indonesian Moluccans and differences between the samples in the relative importance of the different motives could not be explained by people's self‐definition (i.e., more independent or interdependent). Implications of these findings for the literature on forgiveness and on individualism–collectivism are discussed.
Optimisation of the dosage of tranexamic acid in trauma patients with population pharmacokinetic analysis
Authors: Grassin‐Delyle S. , Theusinger O. M. , Albrecht R. , Mueller S. , Spahn D. R. , Urien S. , Stein P.
Published: February 2018

Tranexamic acid is used both pre‐hospital and in‐hospital as an antifibrinolytic drug to treat or prevent hyperfibrinolysis in trauma patients; dosing, however, remains empirical. We aimed to measure plasma levels of tranexamic acid in patients receiving pre‐hospital anti‐hyperfibrinolytic therapy and to build a population pharmacokinetic model to propose an optimised dosing regimen. Seventy‐three trauma patients were enrolled and each received tranexamic acid 1 g intravenously pre‐hospital. A blood sample was drawn after arrival in the emergency department, and we measured the plasma tranexamic acid concentration using liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry, and modelled the data using non‐linear mixed effect modelling. Tranexamic acid was administered at a median (IQR [range]) time of 43 (30–55 [5–135]) min after trauma. Plasma tranexamic acid levels were determined on arrival at hospital, 57 (43–70 [20–148]) min after pre‐hospital administration of the drug. The measured concentration was 28.7 (21.5–38.5 [8.7–89.0]) μg.ml−1. Our subjects had sustained severe trauma; injury severity score 20 (16–29 [5–75]), including penetrating injury in 2.8% and isolated traumatic brain injury in 19.7%. The pharmacokinetics were ascribed a two‐compartment open model with body‐weight as the main covariate. As tranexamic acid concentrations may fall below therapeutic levels during initial hospital treatment, we propose additional dosing schemes to maintain a specific target blood concentration for as long as required. This is the first study to investigate plasma level and pharmacokinetics of tranexamic acid after pre‐hospital administration in trauma patients. Our proposed dosing regimen could be used in subsequent clinical trials to better study efficacy and tolerance profiles with controlled blood concentrations.
Tell Me What I Wanted to Hear: Confirmation Effect in Lay Evaluations of Financial Expert Authority
Authors: Zaleskiewicz Tomasz , Gasiorowska Agata
Published: February 2018

In real life, people engage in interactive decision processes by consulting with experts. However, before taking advice, they must recognise the authority of an expert to assess the quality of the advice. The main goal of this research was to investigate how the confirmation effect affects lay evaluations of the epistemic authority of financial experts. Experiment 1 showed that lay people tend to ascribe greater epistemic authority to those experts whose advice confirms people's opinions, both measured and manipulated. Experiment 2 revealed that when participants' own opinions are not salient, people tend to evaluate experts' authority as higher when their advice confirms social norms. In Experiment 3 we jointly investigated the effects of participants' own opinions and social norms on the evaluations of authority. When both sources of expertise were made salient, decision‐makers favoured advice confirming their own beliefs and used it to evaluate experts' authority. Three interpretations of the role confirmation plays in the experts' authority evaluations are proposed: (1) self‐defensive strategies; (2) processing fluency; and (3) psychological consequences of naïve realism. The paper discusses practical implications of the results. We propose that increasing consumers' knowledge about biases might protect their evaluations of financial advice from being susceptible to the confirmation effect.
Fibrosis in ulcerative colitis is directly linked to severity and chronicity of mucosal inflammation
Authors: Gordon I. O. , Agrawal N. , Willis E. , Goldblum J. R. , Lopez R. , Allende D. , Liu X. , Patil D. Y. , Yerian L. , El‐Khider F. , Fiocchi C. , Rieder F.
Published: February 2018

Background

Fibrosis in ulcerative colitis has remained largely unexplored despite its clinical implications.

Aims

This cross‐sectional study was aimed at characterising the presence, anatomical location and degree of ulcerative colitis‐associated fibrosis and its possible link to clinical parameters.

Methods

Seven hundred and six individual tissue cross‐sections derived every 10 cm along the length of 89 consecutive Ulcerative colitis colectomy specimens were examined and compared to Crohn's disease colitis, diverticular disease and uninvolved areas from colorectal cancer patients. Degree of inflammation, fibrosis and morphometric measurements of all layers of the intestinal wall were evaluated. Three gastrointestinal pathologists independently assessed colon sections stained with haematoxylin and eosin, Masson trichrome and Sirius red. Clinical data were collected prospectively.

Results

Submucosal fibrosis was detected in 100% of ulcerative colitis colectomy specimens, but only in areas affected by inflammation. Submucosal fibrosis was associated with the severity of intestinal inflammation (Spearman correlations rho (95% confidence interval): 0.58 (P < 0.001) and histopathological changes of chronic mucosal injury, but not active inflammation. Colectomy for refractory disease rather than presence of dysplasia was associated with increased fibrosis and a thicker muscularis mucosae, whereas a thinner muscularis mucosae was associated with anti‐tumour necrosis factor therapy. No feature on endoscopic mucosal biopsies could predict the underlying amount of fibrosis or the thickness of the muscularis mucosae.

Conclusions

A significant degree of fibrosis and muscularis mucosae thickening should be considered as common complications of chronic progressive ulcerative colitis. These features may have clinical consequences such as motility abnormalities and increased wall stiffness.
Review article: the evidence that vancomycin is a therapeutic option for primary sclerosing cholangitis
Authors: Damman J. L. , Rodriguez E. A. , Ali A. H. , Buness C. W. , Cox K. L. , Carey E. J. , Lindor K. D.
Published: February 2018

Background and Aims

PSC is an autoimmune biliary inflammatory disorder that is often associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with 50%‐75% of patients with PSC having coexisting IBD, most commonly ulcerative colitis. Currently, no medical therapies have been shown to improve the disease course or slow its progression. However, ongoing research has resulted in a growing interest in the use of antibiotics for treatment of PSC, of which vancomycin is the most studied. In this review, we summarise the current evidence on the use of vancomycin in PSC and comment on future research areas of interest.

Methods

A comprehensive PUBMED and EMBASE literature search for articles on vancomycin, PSC, therapeutic options and microbiome was performed.

Results

Two randomised clinical trials, three case series and two case reports were included in the study. These include uncontrolled data from at least 98 patients that include promising improvements in biochemistry and imaging. Optimal dosing regimens are unclear.

Conclusion

Vancomycin is one of the most studied antibiotics used in the treatment of PSC with promising results. There is not currently sufficient evidence to support treatment recommendations. Further research is needed to establish if vancomycin is a PSC treatment.
Emergency department utilisation for inflammatory bowel disease in the United States from 2006 to 2014
Authors: Ballou S. , Hirsch W. , Singh P. , Rangan V. , Nee J. , Iturrino J. , Sommers T. , Zubiago J. , Sengupta N. , Bollom A. , Jones M. , Moss A. C. , Flier S. N. , Cheifetz A. S. , Lembo A.
Published: February 2018

Background

Despite advances in treatment, patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) frequently require emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalisations.

Aims

To analyse trends in ED visits and subsequent hospitalisations for IBD in the United States (US).

Methods

Data were analysed from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) years 2006‐2014. The NEDS is the largest all‐payer ED database in the US, weighted to represent 135 million visits/year. IBD was identified using ICD‐9 codes for Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). Surgeries were identified using procedure codes.

Results

The frequency of IBD‐ED visits increased 51.8%, from 90 846 visits in 2006 to 137 946 in 2014, which was statistically significant in linear regression. For comparison, all‐case ED use between 2006 and 2014 increased 14.8%. In‐patient hospitalisations from the ED decreased 12.1% for IBD (from 64.7% rate of hospitalisation from the ED in 2006 to 52.6% in 2014), with a UC:CD ratio of 1.2:1 in 2006 and 1.3:1 in 2014. Chi‐square analysis revealed that this was a significant decrease. Surgery rates also showed a statistically significant decrease. The mean ED charge per patient rose 102.5% and the aggregate national cost of IBD‐ED visits increased 207.5%. CD accounted for over twice as many visits as UC in both years. UC, age, male gender, highest income quartile, private insurance, Medicaid/Medicare, and tobacco use were associated with in‐patient admissions.

Conclusions

The number of ED visits due to IBD and associated charges have continued to rise, while the rates of in‐patient hospitalisations referred from the ED and surgeries have decreased.