bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental attitude and ecological behaviour of Indian consumers
Authors: Singh Narendra , Gupta Karnika
Published: March 2013

Purpose

To create a sustainable environment, the aim of this study is to explore and identify the components of environmental attitude that can drive the specific ecological behaviour of Indian consumers. Further, it defines environmental attitude components as moderators and investigates them as predictor of ecological behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

The constructs of environmental attitude (EA) and ecological behaviour (EB) are measured using standardized scales with modifications that represent demography of Indian consumers, then, introduced among 300 respondents. Factor analysis, correlations of the factors, and regression analysis are used to draw the results.

Findings

Constructs of EA and EB are found to be multidimensional and support the literature. Many of their components are found to be significantly correlated inferring that consumers behave ecologically in specific manners depending on the formed attitude. Also, findings suggest that EA components work as predictors of EB. Further, developing a positive environmental attitude is a step to achieve sustainable environment.

Research limitations/implications

An attempt is made to improve scales to best suit Indian conditions but development of a reliable and valid measure never ends. This may partly limit the generality of the results. To study fresh issues on Indian conditions, a new scale index can be tested. Researcher, producers, media, policy planners and executives will get a cue to generate relevant value of their work.

Originality/value

The paper is a maiden attempt on Indian consumers and has enough potential to change the behaviour for achieving sustainable living. It will strengthen the literature in extrapolating the consumer classes besides identifying two new components of EB: costly exercise and uncaring behaviour.
Corporate social reporting and human resource disclosures: experiences from insurance companies in India
Authors: Das Sudhir C.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which Indian insurance companies have adapted socially responsible reporting practices, HR disclosures and also to identify areas of corporate social reporting and HR disclosures.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts longitudinal design and has analyzed qualitative data by using content analysis in 26 insurance companies in India disclosed in annual reports. The paper focuses on annual reports of Indian insurance companies starting from the financial year 2002‐2003 to 2009‐2010, which are analyzed with regard to the nature of their human resource disclosures and social reporting. Finally, a test of legitimacy theory is then conducted.

Findings

The study found that the non‐life insurance companies disclosed significantly less social information than life insurance companies. The study also reveals that public life insurers disclosed significantly more social information than the other life insurance companies. On the other hand, a paired difference t‐test shows private general insurance companies disclose more social information as the difference significant.

Research limitations/implications

The study has ignored longitudinal variations and the sample organizations comprised 26 government and private insurance organizations, restricting generalizations to the companies examined in the study.

Practical implications

The study recommends that a checklist of disclosures should be developed jointly by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Originality/value

The study, while providing valuable insights, highlights the dearth of research of corporate social reporting in emerging economies and opens up many avenues for further research.
The V formation model: a unifying force for double bottom line ventures illustrated with European and North American examples
Authors: Myrah Kyleen K. , Odinsky‐Zec Tina L.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Both social entrepreneurship (SE) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are explored as parts of the contemporary movement toward sustainable business practices. In particular, this paper aims to address some of the confusion with the emerging field of SE through an exploration of theoretical models and practical applications across contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This article reviews an array of research that has focused on defining a continuum of social mandate across the for‐profit to non‐profit arenas. It further experiments with plotting examples from North America (Canada) and Europe (Croatia) to test the models' practical value.

Findings

There are many gradations but the basic elements of intention and implementation along the lines of double (mission and money) and triple (people, planet, profit) bottom lines are converging. As the SE movement gains momentum across the world both experts and those new to the field are in search of a common tool to aid in consensus building and development across borders and sectors.

Research limitations/implications

The V formation model emphasizes the importance of the starting point of a social organization in terms of whether it is rooted in charitable or business practices, before allowing for a more nuanced understanding of the depth and intensity of its commitments to balance at the V‐Point of symmetry.

Originality/value

The authors present their own conceptual model with ten mini case studies presenting a diverse spectrum of SE activity that supports an inclusive rather than exclusive view of the present and future of both social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Risk disclosure during the global financial crisis
Authors: Nur Probohudono Agung , Tower Greg , Rusmin Rusmin
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine voluntary risk disclosures within annual reports in four key South‐East Asian countries' (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia) manufacturing listed companies over the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) 2007‐2009 financial years.

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal and cross‐country analyses test the veracity of agency theory to predict the level of firms' risk disclosures. A comprehensive risk disclosure index (RDI) checklist is created with key predictor variables (country, company size, managerial ownership and board independence) tested to explain the dissemination of CSR information over time.

Findings

The findings show that the communication of risk data stays relatively consistent (26‐29 per cent across the three GFC “crisis” years). This is arguably a low level of communication from a social responsibility corporate lens. Multiple regression analysis provides evidence that country, size and board independence are positively significantly associated and leverage is negatively significantly associated with the extent of voluntary risk disclosure. Interestingly, Indonesia, the least developed country with arguably the highest business risk factors, consistently has statistically lower levels of risk disclosure compared with their three neighbours.

Research limitations/implications

The sample frame is selected from the stock exchange population of manufacturing companies in key South‐East Asian countries. However, for complete generalization the findings should be tested in other countries and other industries.

Practical implications

The study findings are useful for firm self‐evaluation and benchmarking of risk communication by other corporations across countries.

Social implications

The study shows relatively low levels of risk disclosure over the GFC crisis time period. Communication of these items are influenced by key firm characteristics and economic drivers. Arguably, higher risk disclosure leads to better understanding of a company's social responsibility stance.

Originality/value

This is a critically important time span to investigate risk disclosures as it encompasses those years most directly impacted by the global financial crisis (GFC).
Online marketing of food products to children: the effects of national consumer policies in high‐income countries
Authors: Lascu Dana‐Nicoleta , Manrai Ajay K. , Manrai Lalita A. , Brookman Amissah Fabienne
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The marketing of food products to children through online media has grown rapidly in recent years, particularly in high‐income countries, where children spend considerable amounts of time on computers. Most food products marketed to children online are obesity‐causing, and childhood obesity has grown to epidemic proportions, with harmful effects on society. Marketers use creative methods to engage children online, entertaining them, offering rewards and promoting products through interactive activities. Online media is monitored much less than conventional media and little is known about online marketing of food to children. This study seeks to examine policies related to food marketing in three high‐income countries, France, Spain, and the USA, and their impact on the methods marketers use to engage children.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a conceptual framework linking several aspects of the policies and the socio‐cultural environments in these countries with the design of the food companies' web sites. Six hypotheses are advanced based on this framework and tested using content analysis.

Findings

The findings of this study indicate that there are significant differences in online marketing of food products to children in the three countries studied in the authors' research, France, Spain, and the USA, and these differences are largely attributable to these countries' policies. The web sites of French food companies placed greater emphasis on nutrition‐related and interactions‐related features compared to the web sites of US and Spanish food companies. On the other hand, the web sites of US and Spanish food companies placed greater emphasis on games‐related, rewards‐related, attributes‐related, and brand‐related features compared to the web sites of French food companies. These differences in the web sites were conceptualized to result from the differences in the socio‐cultural and policy/regulatory environments of the three countries.

Originality/value

The study provides several useful insights related to understanding of consumer behavior, consumer policy, and design of food companies' web sites in the three countries. The design of food companies' web sites in terms of their emphasis on different categories of features reflects the companies' understanding of consumers in the respective country and government policy and enforcement of online communications. The article provides a conceptual framework that identifies six factors hypothesized to influence the design of food companies' web sites, three related to the socio‐cultural environment, namely attitudes toward health and nutrition, food and nutrition communication, and brand building, and three related to the policy/regulatory environment, namely, government regulatory agencies, self‐regulation by companies, and enforcement and compliance.
Does game self‐congruity increase usage and purchase?
Authors: Davis Robert , Lang Bodo
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to measure the empirical relationship between self‐congruity and game usage and purchase. This is important because it highlights that games affect self concept and the symbolic value that can be obtained from the game. It is aimed to implement this study across four game types.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 493 consumers were surveyed and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling conducted across four game groups to model this same relationship.

Findings

It was found that self‐congruity was positively related to game usage and purchase.

Practical implications

Game development for consumers online, on wireless devices and on consoles should place greater emphasis on the practical implications of self‐congruity. Games impact self concept through self‐congruity. So, it is important that marketers understand the potential harm and positive impact of games on the consumers' cognition.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to explore and model self‐congruity and game purchase and usage behaviour. This paper is further unique because it provides results across four games groups: all games representing, followed by the alternative models, Sports/Simulation/Driving, Role‐playing Game (RPG)/Massively Multiplayer Online Role‐playing Game (MMORPG)/Strategy, and Action/Adventure/Fighting,
Investigating fashion disposition with young consumers
Authors: Young Lee Ji , Halter Holly , Johnson Kim K.P. , Ju Haewon
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is first, to investigate young consumers' fashion disposition behavior, second, to identify motivations for their fashion disposition, and third, to identify emotional responses experienced during and after the fashion disposition process. The paper also aims to investigate young consumers' ideas about their future fashion disposition practices and to what extent did participants link being socially responsible to their fashion disposition decisions and behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was adopted wherein undergraduates wrote an essay concerning their apparel disposal habits. Data were analyzed using content analyses.

Findings

Participants engaged in multiple fashion disposition behaviors including donation, selling, repurposing, and swapping unwanted clothing, Participants mentioned fashionability, physical condition of an item, and social responsibility as factors that prompted their fashion disposition. Participants experienced primarily positive emotions when disposing of unwanted apparel items. In the future, participants indicated a desire to make additional efforts to donate unwanted clothing, repurpose clothing, and to attempt to reduce the amount of clothing they acquired.

Originality/value

By investigating young consumers' fashion disposal, underlying motivations for disposal were identified as well as the need for education on how to dispose of clothing items in socially responsible ways as responses suggested that these young consumers were open to disposing of their unwanted fashion items in a socially responsible manner but did not always have the skill or knowledge to do so.
The relationship between social capital and the director's duty to promote the success of the company
Authors: Murphy Lyndon
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between social capital and the directors' duty to promote the success of the company and to foster business relationships, which is a comparatively under‐researched issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken focuses on the concept of social capital, its various forms and influence on business performance. Ultimately, the paper explores ways in which directors' duties as stated in s.172 (1) of the Companies Act 2006 may affect the building and maintenance of forms of social capital.

Findings

It seems that it is likely that by complying with s.172 (1) directors will build forms of social capital, which in turn will enhance the business performance of companies in aspects such as innovative activity, transaction costs, and productivity. Consequently, the building of social capital is likely to promote the success of the company.

Originality/value

It can be stated that s.172 (1) CA 2006, is a potentially paradigmatic move in the way in which company directors undertake their business and view their company's stakeholders (Dignam and Lowry). Davies appears to agree with this view commenting upon the “ideological significance” of the introduction of s.172. It certainly seems that the inclusion of a duty to consider the importance of fostering business relationships implicitly promotes the pursuit of social capital.
Towards professional‐model regulation of directors' conduct
Authors: Travers David
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The criminal courts are a singularly inappropriate tool to regulate the behaviour of directors, other than in a very limited set of circumstances. Shareholders are an inconsistent mechanism for regulating the board of companies. The aim of this paper is to look at the paradigms relating to criminal liability on directors acting in that capacity and argues that lessons could be learned from the way professional bodies regulate their members through a “fitness to practice” regime.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper.

Findings

One attraction of professional model regulation is that the outcomes are more versatile than in criminal proceedings where a conviction and punishment is the alternative to an acquittal. In professional disciplinary proceedings the outcome may include censure, the imposition of conditions upon the right to practice, suspension for a defined period of time and ultimately removing the right to practice. In choosing the outcome the decision maker has an obligation to take a proportionate view and would be entitled not to throw out the entrepreneurial baby with the breach of duty bathwater if that would loose to the company, and the public, skills which could be saved by lesser steps than erasure, including imposing conditions on the registrants activities.

Originality/value

Professional model proceedings may be more likely to be used than criminal prosecution and would go some significant way to restoring faith in the governance of companies in a way which adds responsibility to the power wielded by directors of large corporations.
Customer usage intention of mobile commerce in India: an empirical study
Authors: Thakur Rakhi , Srivastava Mala
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Mobile commerce is a broad term used for mobile banking, mobile ticketing, mobile coupons, purchasing of goods and services using mobile phones. Considering mobile penetration and changing lifestyles of the Indian population, it has huge potential. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing the adoption intention of mobile commerce.

Design/methodology/approach

For the study, a research model was developed based on constructs from the technology acceptance model and innovation resistance theory and a literature review on research related to usage intention of similar technologies which was then empirically tested using second generation statistical technique of SEM.

Findings

Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and social influence are found to be significant dimensions of technology adoption readiness to use mobile commerce while facilitating conditions were not found to be significant. The results also indicate perceived credibility risk defined by security risk and privacy risk is significantly associated with behavioural intention in negative relation, which indicates that security and privacy concerns are important in deterring customers from using mobile commerce.

Research limitations/implications

This study proposed and validated a new construct – technology adoption readiness. The study developed an integrated model for behavioural intention towards financial innovations.

Practical implications

Knowing the factors affecting customers' behaviour towards mobile commerce and the relationship between these factors, various banks, merchants and mobile service providers can develop their marketing strategies to ensure that people use this new service. This in turn will influence the behavioural intention and change these intentions to actual adoption of this new technology.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few empirical studies which have investigated the adoption of mobile commerce in India, which is considered one of the fastest growing countries in terms of mobile usage. The study relates to inclusion of both utilitarian and credibility aspect of adoption intention. It gives an empirical basis on which mobile and banking companies can base their mobile payments marketing strategy.
Facilitating knowledge management through information technology in hospitality organizations
Authors: Okumus Fevzi
Published: March 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss how hospitality organizations can facilitate knowledge management (KM) better through information technology (IT) tools.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is developed based on a synthesis of previous literature.

Findings

Knowledge can be seen as one of the key assets for hospitality organizations. Therefore, KM can help hospitality organizations create and sustain a competitive advantage. Use of IT applications can assist in creating, storing, transferring and using tacit and explicit knowledge. Hospitality organizations can use numerous IT tools in their KM practices, which include competency databases, decision support systems, online search systems, expert networks, e‐mail, groupware, teleconference, intranet, WWW, document management systems, video conferences, data warehousing, and workflow software.

Research limitations/implications

Rather than looking at IT applications from a tactical and operational point of view, this article suggests that hospitality organizations need to view their IT initiatives strategically. It is important to connect such IT application with other ones and search for synergies among them and management practices to optimize these elements, and so that tacit and explicit knowledge from different functional areas and management levels can be created, stored, transferred, and used efficiently and effectively. To achieve this, hospitality organizations not only need to create a supportive organizational culture and structure, but also train and motivate their team members to manage knowledge through IT applications.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies in the hospitality field that offers discussions and recommendations on how hospitality organizations can better facilitate KM through IT. This paper provides discussions on potential challenges in utilizing IT tools in KM initiatives in hospitality organizations. The article further offers theoretical and practical implications, which should be useful for hospitality executives, researchers, educators, and students.
Mobile applications in the hospitality industry
Authors: Mo Kwon Jun , Bae Jung‐in (Stephanie) , Blum Shane C.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine customer intentions to download mobile applications in the hospitality industry. Even though major hospitality companies offer the mobile applications, many customers have not utilized them. The results showed what encouraged customers to download mobile applications in the hospitality industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The Technology Acceptance Model was applied for this research to explain customer intentions. College students were the target population of this study because they understand and adopt the technology well. Therefore, mobile applications will become a popular way to purchase goods and services when university students will have purchasing power.

Findings

Even though major hospitality companies offer mobile applications, more than a half of respondents responded that they had not used mobile applications from the hospitality firms. The results showed that promotion information was not an only reason to download mobile applications; however, the results also showed that consumers who enjoy using smartphones and who are confident in themselves are more likely to download the mobile applications.

Research limitations/implications

The data were collected in a university; therefore, generalizability is one of the limitations of this research. Multiple regressions only verify the relationship between dependant and independent variables. University students may not have a chance to plan their trips so they may not need the mobile applications.

Originality/value

This study employed the TAM to examine the reasons why customers download mobile applications offered by companies in the hospitality industry. Literature discussing mobile applications in the hospitality industry is very scarce. This research will assist managements in utilizing their mobile applications.
An exploration of events research: event topics, themes and emerging trends
Authors: Mair Judith , Whitford Michelle
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and examine emerging trends in event and festival research and also in the themes and topics being studied in this area.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking an innovative approach, this paper used an abridged version of Q methodology to seek the opinions of events experts on the topics and themes that will underpin the future development of an events and festivals research agenda.

Findings

The results of this research revealed that events experts feel that there are several areas that have been comprehensively researched and where further research is unlikely to provide any new information. These include definitions and types of events, and events logistics and staging. Directions for future events and festivals research include the need for studies on the socio‐cultural and environmental impacts of events along with a better understanding of the relationship between events and public policy agendas. This research has also highlighted a lack of research in the area of Indigenous events.

Research limitations/implications

The identification of these gaps in our current knowledge provide opportunity for further development of a research agenda for events and festivals, which will have substantial implications both for academia and for the events and festivals industry. Limitations include a relatively small sample size, and the resulting abridgement of the full Q methodology.

Originality/value

This paper represents a comprehensive overview of existing studies, providing vital information for events researchers in all areas of the field. Further, the research highlights research gaps that would benefit from future study, and also identifies those areas where further study is unlikely to provide new knowledge.
Cultural impact on the harmonisation of Russian Accounting Standards with the International Financial Reporting Standards
Authors: Combs Alan , Samy Martin , Myachina Anastasia
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore cultural impact on the harmonisation of Russian Accounting Standards with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical review established that differences still exist between the two sets of accounting standards. For decades, Russia was a socialist state of planned economy. Accounting was a tool of centralised control, and accountants had a job of gathering information for statistical purposes of the government and tax authorities. This led to the development of a “Soviet culture” mindset. Accountants saw their jobs as following prescribed rules. Accounting is seen by Hofstede as a field in which historically developed practices are more important than laws of nature. It is therefore expected that accounting rules and the way they are applied will vary among different national cultures. Hence, Gray tried to explore how Hofstede's national cultural dimensions may explain international differences in accounting. With respect to past research in this area, Nobes argued that “national accounting traditions are likely to continue into consolidated reporting where scope for this exists within IFRS rules”. Ding et al. investigated the role of a country's culture and legal origin as an explanation for the differences between local Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and IAS as they were in 2001. The study gathered 53 Russian accountants' attitudes towards reporting under harmonised Russian Accounting Standards through semi structured interviews.

Findings

The findings supported the theoretical view of a “Soviet culture” which has an impact on harmonisation of Russian Accounting Standards with the IFRS. Russia's high rankings in such cultural dimensions as power distance, uncertainty avoidance and collectivism have contributed to the development of certain preferences among Russian accountants. Those preferences were for statutory control, uniformity, conservatism and secrecy. Further findings indicate that accountants in Russia display reluctance to disclose financial information to the external users. One of the main reasons was found to be fear of disclosing too much information to competitors. Based on these findings, accountants in Russia display clear signs of preference for secrecy as opposed to transparency, as identified by Gray.

Originality/value

One of the contributions of this study is to examine current perceptions of Russian accountants towards financial reporting under new harmonised Russian Accounting Standards based on Rozhnova's study.
When disadvantaged adolescents strike out: the impact of negative metastereotypes on delinquency
Authors: Issmer Christian , Stellmacher Jost , Gollwitzer Mario
Published: March 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of perceived negativity against the ingroup on delinquency in disadvantaged social groups. It is based on assumptions from labeling theory and social identity theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors hypothesized that negative metastereotypes towards the outgroup “majority society” (i.e. the perception of the outgroup holding negative stereotypes against the ingroup) would enhance delinquent behavior. Based on recent findings from research on self‐esteem and aggression, the authors further hypothesized that self‐esteem would moderate this effect, namely that delinquency‐enhancement would be strongest for individuals high in self‐esteem. The hypotheses were tested in a sample of incarcerated adolescents (n=225) and a sample of educationally disadvantaged adolescents (n=92), respectively.

Findings

Negative metastereotypes towards the “majority society” are positively related to delinquent behavior. This effect is particularly strong when disadvantaged individuals' positive self‐regard is high.

Research limitations/implications

This research gives important, new insights on the basis of cross‐sectional, correlative data. Future research should aim to corroborate the findings by use of experimental or longitudinal designs.

Originality/value

The paper shows that the perception of negative stereotypes against one's disadvantaged ingroup in society is a risk factor for delinquent behavior. It furthermore highlights how personality differences in self‐esteem influence this relationship. The research builds a bridge between criminological labeling theory and social‐psychological social identity theory.
Mechanisms of plant competition for nutrients, water and light
Authors: Craine Joseph M. , Dybzinski Ray
Published: March 2013

Competition for resources has long been considered a prevalent force in structuring plant communities and natural selection, yet our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie resource competition is still developing.

The complexity of resource competition is derived not only from the variability of resource limitation in space and time and among species, but also from the complexity of the resources themselves. Nutrients, water and light each differ in their properties, which generates unique ways that plants compete for these resources.

Here, we discuss the roles of supply pre‐emption and availability reduction in competition for the three resources when supplied evenly in space and time. Plants compete for nutrients by pre‐empting nutrient supplies from coming into contact with neighbours, which requires maximizing root length. Although water is also a soil resource, competition for water is generally considered to occur by availability reduction, favouring plants that can withstand the lowest water potential. Because light is supplied from above plants, individuals that situate their leaves above those of neighbours benefit directly from increased photosynthetic rates and indirectly by reducing the growth of those neighbours via shade. In communities where juveniles recruit in the shade of adults, traits of the most competitive species are biased towards those that confer greater survivorship and growth at the juvenile stage, even if those traits come at the expense of adult performance.

Understanding the mechanisms of competition also reveals how competition has influenced the evolution of plant species. For example, nutrient competition has selected for plants to maintain higher root length and light competition plants that are taller, with deeper, flatter canopies than would be optimal in the absence of competition.

In all, while more research is needed on competition for heterogeneous resource supplies as well as for water, understanding the mechanisms of competition increases the predictability of interspecific interactions and reveals how competition has altered the evolution of plants.
Effect of illness expression and liability on familial associations of clinical and subclinical psychosis phenotypes
Authors: Lataster T. , Verweij K. , Viechtbauer W. ,   GROUP
Published: March 2013

Objective

Given the familial influences on schizophrenia, it may be hypothesized that specific symptom domains also cluster within families, and that this applies to both clinical and subclinical levels of expression. This hypothesis was put to the test in a group of patients with a DSM‐IV diagnosis of psychotic disorder together with their unaffected siblings, and a group of healthy sib‐pairs.

Method

Subclinical positive, negative and depressive symptoms in relatives and healthy controls were assessed with the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE). Positive and negative schizotypy in relatives and controls was measured with the Structured Interview for Schizotypy–Revised. Multilevel linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate clustering of symptom dimensions within patient–relative sib‐pairs (N = 811 pairs), healthy sib‐pairs of affected families (N = 136 pairs) and healthy control sib‐pairs (N = 58 pairs).

Results

Familial clustering of symptoms was found in all three groups. Effect sizes were largest in healthy control sib‐pairs, smallest in patient–relative sib‐pairs and intermediate in healthy sib‐pairs of affected families.

Conclusion

Studies of sibling associations in genetic studies of psychometric expression of psychosis liability need to take into account the fact that the higher levels of background genetic risk and presence of diagnosed illness are inversely associated with sibling associations.
Evaluation of ocular surface and tear film function following modified Hughes tarsoconjunctival flap procedure
Authors: Klein‐Theyer Angelika , Horwath‐Winter Jutta , Rabensteiner Dieter Franz , Haller‐Schober Eva‐Maria , Riedl Regina , Boldin Ingrid
Published: March 2013

Purpose:  To evaluate ocular surface characteristics and tear film function following modified Hughes flap for eyelid reconstruction.

Methods:  This is an institutional study including 18 patients (6 male, 12 female) who underwent a tarsoconjunctival flap for reconstructing the lower eyelid’s posterior lamella in one eye between 2005 and 2010. The median age of the patients was 72 (49–93) years at the time of surgery and 77 (51–97) years at the time of evaluation. The median follow‐up time was 34 (9–69) months. All patients had large malignant or semi‐malignant lid tumours. Data for subjective symptoms (OSDI questionnaire), lid margin morphology, tear break‐up time (BUT), vital staining, Schirmer test, impression cytology, tear film osmolarity, lipid layer interference patterns, meibography and the size of the tumour and flap were recorded and compared with the contralateral side.

Results:  Statistical analysis of the data revealed a significant difference between the surgically treated lid and the untreated side in meibomian gland loss, more lid margin abnormalities in the upper and lower eyelid (p < 0.001) and increased fluorescein staining of the cornea (p = 0.031). For the operated side, the median OSDI score was higher (17.2 versus 14.7), and the median BUT value was shorter (4.2 versus 5.6 seconds) compared with the median values of the contralateral side.

Conclusion:  Despite the favourable cosmetic and functional results of the Hughes tarsoconjunctival flap, our results indicate that this procedure does affect the ocular surface health in the treated eyes.
Prognosis is deteriorating for upper tract urothelial cancer: data for England 1985–2010
Authors: Eylert Maike F. , Hounsome Luke , Verne Julia , Bahl Amit , Jefferies Edward R. , Persad Raj A.
Published: March 2013

Objective

To ascertain current trends in the incidence and mortality rates for upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) and identify any relationship with age, stage at presentation, social deprivation and treatment method.

Patients and Methods

We used national databases to collect the data: incidence, stage and survival data from the National Cancer Data Repository (NCDR) and British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) audit database; mortality data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS); and treatment method data from the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES).

Results

The incidence of UTUC is increasing (from 1985 to 2009 it increased by 38% in men and 77% in women). It affects mainly those aged >60 years, and diagnoses are increasingly made in those aged >80 years. Diagnoses at advanced stage have increased from 45 to 80%.

Mortality has risen faster than incidence; the overall 5‐year survival rate has dropped from 60 to 48%. Survival is worst in stage IV disease and in patients aged ≥80 years; when analysed by age or stage group, survival rates are unchanged.

Nephroureterectomy has increased by 75%, but endoscopic treatment, which only became available part way through the study period, now accounts for 11% of surgical interventions for UTUC, mainly in stage I disease and in the elderly.

Conclusions

Despite sharing its risk factors with bladder cancer, current incidence and mortality trends for UTUC contrast with those in bladder cancer. Increasing use of cross‐sectional imaging may explain some of the identified increased incidence. Higher incidence specifically in people >80 years, together with stage migration to more advanced cancers, are likely to have caused at least some of the observed increased mortality.

Further study is required to answer the questions of whether there are other hitherto unidentified aetiological or prognostic factors; whether less aggressive treatment of UTUCs in the elderly is always justified; and whether the rising frequency of minimally invasive treatment means suboptimum oncological management.
Comparative assessment of three standardized robotic surgery training methods
Authors: Hung Andrew J. , Jayaratna Isuru S. , Teruya Kara , Desai Mihir M. , Gill Inderbir S. , Goh Alvin C.
Published: March 2013

Objectives

To evaluate three standardized robotic surgery training methods, inanimate, virtual reality and in vivo, for their construct validity.

To explore the concept of cross‐method validity, where the relative performance of each method is compared.

Materials and Methods

Robotic surgical skills were prospectively assessed in 49 participating surgeons who were classified as follows: ‘novice/trainee’: urology residents, previous experience <30 cases (n = 38) and ‘experts’: faculty surgeons, previous experience ≥30 cases (n = 11).

Three standardized, validated training methods were used: (i) structured inanimate tasks; (ii) virtual reality exercises on the da Vinci Skills Simulator (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA); and (iii) a standardized robotic surgical task in a live porcine model with performance graded by the Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS) tool.

A Kruskal–Wallis test was used to evaluate performance differences between novices and experts (construct validity).

Spearman's correlation coefficient (ρ) was used to measure the association of performance across inanimate, simulation and in vivo methods (cross‐method validity).

Results

Novice and expert surgeons had previously performed a median (range) of 0 (0–20) and 300 (30–2000) robotic cases, respectively (P < 0.001).

Construct validity: experts consistently outperformed residents with all three methods (P < 0.001).

Cross‐method validity: overall performance of inanimate tasks significantly correlated with virtual reality robotic performance (ρ = −0.7, P < 0.001) and in vivo robotic performance based on GEARS (ρ = −0.8, P < 0.0001).

Virtual reality performance and in vivo tissue performance were also found to be strongly correlated (ρ = 0.6, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

We propose the novel concept of cross‐method validity, which may provide a method of evaluating the relative value of various forms of skills education and assessment.

We externally confirmed the construct validity of each featured training tool.
ON THE PRICE EFFECTS OF HORIZONTAL MERGERS: A THEORETICAL INTERPRETATION
Authors: Dargaud Emilie , Reggiani Carlo
Published: March 2013

Horizontal mergers are usually under the scrutiny of antitrust authorities due to their potential undesirable effects on prices and consumer surplus. Ex‐post evidence, however, suggests that these effects do not always take place and even relevant mergers may end up having negligible price effects. The analysis of mergers in the context of non‐localized spatial competition may offer a further interpretation to the ones proposed in the literature: in this framework both positive and zero price effects are possible outcomes of the merger activity.
Does the Bananaquit Benefit Commensally from Parrot Frugivory? An Assessment Using Habitat Quality
Authors: Douglas Leo R. , Winkel Gary , Sherry Thomas W.
Published: March 2013

How strong‐beaked frugivores such as parrots affect other frugivores is poorly understood. This study quantitated six indices of habitat quality for the facultatively frugivorous Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) using two habitat types and three treatments of habitat quality, namely old growth forest versus citrus orchards in Dominica, the latter habitat type with and without parrot frugivory. The study also controlled for elevation, rainfall and citrus fruit maturity. The results indicate that both the quantity of parrot frugivory and fruit maturity at the time of frugivory influenced the habitat quality for Bananaquits. Their abundance was higher, individuals stored more fat, and parasite loads were lower on farms with more parrot frugivory. Fruit quality mediated the influence of the quantity of parrot frugivory insofar as Bananaquit body condition was tightly correlated with the fruit chemistry at the time of frugivory or harvest. This study provides empirical evidence of a commensal association and underscores the important ecological role of Neotropical psittacines as mediators of habitat quality for other animal. The findings further suggest that loss of these apex consumers may have triggered previously unappreciated trophic cascades, particularly in island ecosystems lacking large mammalian canopy frugivores.
Subcutaneous immunoglobulin (16 or 20%) therapy in obese patients with primary immunodeficiency: a retrospective analysis of administration by infusion pump or subcutaneous rapid push
Authors: Shapiro R
Published: March 2013

A retrospective chart review was conducted at a single centre, capturing data on 173 primary immunodeficiency disease (PIDD) patients, including 40 obese patients, using subcutaneous administration of immunoglobulin (Ig) (SCIG) (16 or 20%) delivered by infusion pump or subcutaneous (s.c.) rapid push. Patients previously using Ig administered as intravenous (i.v.) infusions (IVIG) were converted to SCIG dosing on a 1:1 basis. In both obese and non-obese patients, mean serum Ig levels were higher during SCIG administration (steady state) compared with IVIG administration (trough values). Similar SCIG dose : serum IgG level relationships were observed between obese and non-obese patients, suggesting the consistent bioavailability of SCIG regardless of body mass index (BMI). The mean SCIG volume per dosing site and the mean number of dosing days per week were greater with s.c. rapid push compared with infusion pump in this cohort, but the mean number of sites per infusion session was lower with s.c. rapid push. Both methods were well tolerated. The use of 20 versus 16% SCIG in obese patients improved dosing efficiency, resulting in smaller weekly volumes (54·7 versus 74·5 ml/week) and dosing on fewer days per week (2·3 versus 3·4 days). These data do not suggest a need for SCIG dosing adjustments in obese individuals relative to non-obese patients. The administration of SCIG using either infusion pump or s.c. rapid push is a practical and well-tolerated alternative to IVIG in obese patients. Offering various administration techniques provides a greater opportunity for treatment satisfaction and patient empowerment, which may support high levels of patient compliance.
Repair of critical‐size bone defects using bone marrow stromal cells: a histomorphometric study in rabbit calvaria. Part I: Use of fresh bone marrow or bone marrow mononuclear fraction
Authors: Pelegrine André Antonio , Aloise Antonio Carlos , Zimmermann Allan , de Mello e Oliveira Rafael , Ferreira Lydia Masako
Published: March 2013

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare the bone healing observed after the use of (1) a scaffold enriched with fresh bone marrow, (2) a scaffold enriched with bone marrow mononuclear fraction, and (3) a scaffold alone.

Material and methods

Twenty one rabbits were randomly divided into three groups of six animals and 1 group of 3 animals. Bilateral 12‐mm diameter defects were created in the animals' parietal bones. In Control Group, the defects were filled with a xenograft alone (n = 6); in Group 1, with a xenograft enriched with fresh bone marrow (n = 6); in Group 2, with a xenograft enriched with bone marrow mononuclear fraction (n = 6) and in Unfilled Group, nothing was grafted (n = 3). In Groups 1, 2, and Control, one of the calvarial defects was randomly covered with a barrier membrane. The rabbits were sacrificed 8 weeks after surgery, and their parietal bones were harvested and analyzed histomorphometrically.

Results

The histomorphometric analysis showed no difference between Group 1 and the Control Group regarding non‐vital mineralized tissue area, but Group 2 showed a statistically significant higher percentage than the Control Group (P < 0.05) for both situations, with membrane (21.24 ± 3.78% and 13.52 ± 3.00%, respectively) and without membrane (20.91 ± 2.01% and 13.08 ± 1.72%, respectively). Group 2 showed the highest percentage of vital mineralized tissue area, followed by Group 1 and the Control Group (P < 0.05) for both situations, with membrane (28.17 ± 3.19%; 21.14 ± 7.38% and 13.06 ± 5.24%, respectively) and without membrane (21.13 ± 0.55%; 12.45 ± 6.34% and 6.56 ± 1.20%, respectively). Group 2 showed the lowest percentage of non‐mineralized tissue area, followed by Group 1 and Control Group (P < 0.05) for both situations, with membrane (50.59 ± 6.64%; 58.75 ± 7.14% and 73.41 ± 6.87%, respectively) and without membrane (57.97 ± 1.91%; 71.74 ± 6.63% and 80.37 ± 2.67%, respectively). The sides in which the defects were covered with the barrier membrane showed better bone healing compared with the uncovered sides, in all groups (intragroup comparison, P < 0.05). The Unfilled Group specimens showed no bone formation.

Conclusions

Both methods using bone marrow stromal cells contributed to enhancing bone healing, especially that using the bone marrow mononuclear fraction. The use of a barrier membrane seemed to have a synergistic effect.