bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Usefulness of Narratives: An Interdisciplinary Review and Theoretical Model
Authors: Shaffer Victoria A , Focella Elizabeth S , Hathaway Andrew , Scherer Laura D , Zikmund-Fisher Brian J
Published: March 2018

Background

How can we use stories from other people to promote better health experiences, improve judgments about health, and increase the quality of medical decisions without introducing bias, systematically persuading the listeners to change their attitudes, or altering behaviors in nonoptimal ways? More practically, should narratives be used in health education, promotion, or behavior change interventions?

Method

In this article, we address these questions by conducting a narrative review of a diverse body of literature on narratives from several disciplines to gain a better understanding about what narratives do, including their role in communication, engagement, recall, persuasion, and health behavior change. We also review broad theories about information processing and persuasion from psychology and more specific models about narrative messaging found in the health communication and marketing literatures to provide insight into the processes by which narratives have their effect on health behavior.

Results

To address major gaps in our theoretical understanding about how narratives work and what effects they will have on health behavior, we propose the Narrative Immersion Model, whose goal is to identify the parameters that predict the specific impact of a particular narrative (e.g. persuade, inform, comfort, etc.) based on the type of narrative message (e.g. process, experience, or outcome narrative). Further, the Narrative Immersion Model describes the magnitude of the effect as increasing through successive layers of engagement with the narrative: interest, identification, and immersion. Finally, the Narrative Immersion Model identifies characteristics of the narrative intervention that encourage greater immersion within a given narrative.

Conclusions

We believe there are important communication gaps in areas areas of behavioral medicine that could be addressed with narratives; however, more work is needed in order to employ narrative messaging systematically. The Narrative Immersion Model advances our theoretical understanding about narrative processing and its subsequent effects on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.
6. A Lover’s Complaint and ‘The Phoenix and Turtle’
Authors: Post Jonathan F. S.
Published: March 2018

‘A Lover’s Complaint and “The Phoenix and Turtle” ’ considers two poems that are, in many ways, outliers among Shakespeare’s poems and fascinating for being so. A Lover’s Complaint was originally published at the end of the 1609 edition of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. It narrates the story of a forlorn maid, who was seduced by an experienced courtly wooer and left abandoned on a country hillside. ‘The Phoenix and Turtle’ first appeared in 1601. It was part of an obscure work, Love’s Martyr, like its title page, a lengthy, rambling poem ‘allegorically shadowing the truth of love in the constant fate of the Phoenix and Turtle’ by a little-known poet, Robert Chester.
9. Flying mammals
Authors: Kemp T. S.
Published: March 2018

Being able to fly opens up a whole new range of habits and lifestyles. A flyer can seek food from the tops of trees and airborne insects. It can avoid ground-based predators and rear its young safely out of reach. But flying is the most demanding form of locomotion, requiring a lot of power. ‘Flying mammals’ describes the single mammalian Order that has evolved flight—Chiroptera—with almost 1,200 species of bat worldwide, often living in colossal colonies. It also describes other airborne mammals that glide passively (using a membrane stretched between the limbs) rather than by actively flapping wings (e.g. colugos of Southeast Asia, Australian opossums, and flying squirrels).
Has Resistance Taken Root in U.S. Corn Fields? Demand for Insect Control
Authors: Wechsler Seth , Smith David
Published: March 2018

Corn farmers reported unexpectedly severe damage on fields planted with genetically‐engineered rootworm‐resistant (Bt‐CRW) corn seeds during the 2009 growing season. Entomologists later determined that rootworms on these fields had developed resistance to the insecticidal proteins produced by Bt‐CRW corn. This article explores what corn farmers' seed and soil insecticide choices imply about rootworm resistance in the United States. First, a soil insecticide demand function is derived using a damage‐abatement model. Next, this demand function is estimated using field‐level data from 2005 and 2010. We find that rootworms (Diabrotica spp.) cost farmers approximately $1.3 billion in 2005 and $2 billion in 2010. When used, Bt‐CRW seeds were very effective, reducing average yield losses by approximately five bushels per acre and providing over twice as much control (on average) as soil insecticides. We found no evidence that soil insecticide use was higher on fields where resistance was most likely to develop. However, we did find that demand for soil insecticides was elastic. These results suggest that rootworm resistance was not widespread in 2010, but that it could substantively increase soil insecticide use if it evolved and spread.
Lottery Adventuring in Britain, c.1710–1760
Authors: Harris Bob
Published: March 2018

The state lottery in eighteenth-century Britain was mostly a striking success, bringing in ready money to the Treasury, supporting public borrowing, and rapidly attracting a wide spectrum of investors—or ‘adventurers’, as they were known. This article explores the reasons behind this success, but also seeks to understand the character and nature of lottery adventuring. To this end, it exploits various pieces of data about lottery ticket purchasers, focusing firstly on the Queen Anne lotteries of 1710–14, and then several lotteries from the early Hanoverian period. Lotteries were often portrayed simply as symptoms of a supposed contemporary ‘gambling mania’. This article presents a more complicated picture of a lottery marketplace that was driven by both rational calculation and fantasy.
Gradient descent with non-convex constraints: local concavity determines convergence
Authors: Barber Rina Foygel , Ha Wooseok
Published: March 2018

Many problems in high-dimensional statistics and optimization involve minimization over non-convex constraints—for instance, a rank constraint for a matrix estimation problem—but little is known about the theoretical properties of such optimization problems for a general non-convex constraint set. In this paper we study the interplay between the geometric properties of the constraint set and the convergence behavior of gradient descent for minimization over this set. We develop the notion of local concavity coefficients of the constraint set, measuring the extent to which convexity is violated, which governs the behavior of projected gradient descent over this set. We demonstrate the versatility of these concavity coefficients by computing them for a range of problems in low-rank estimation, sparse estimation and other examples. Through our understanding of the role of these geometric properties in optimization, we then provide a convergence analysis when projections are calculated only approximately, leading to a more efficient method for projected gradient descent in low-rank estimation problems.
Ancient Thioredoxins Evolved to Modern Day Stability-Function Requirement by Altering Native State Ensemble
Authors: Modi Tushar , Huihui Jonathan , Ghosh Kingshuk , Ozkan Sefika Banu
Published: March 2018

Thioredoxins (Thrxs) - small globular proteins that reduce other proteins - are ubiquitous in all forms of life, from archaea to mammals. Although ancestral Thioredoxins share sequential and structural similarity with the modern day (extant) homologs, they exhibit significantly different functional activity and stability. We investigate this puzzle by comparative studies of their (ancient and modern day Thrxs’) native state ensemble, as quantified by the Dynamic Flexibility Index (DFI), a metric for the relative resilience of an amino acid to perturbations in the rest of the protein. Clustering proteins using DFI profiles strongly resembles an alternate classification scheme based on their activity and stability. The DFI profiles of the extant proteins are substantially different around the α3, α4 helices and catalytic regions. Likewise, allosteric coupling of the active site with the rest of the protein is different between ancient and extant Thrxs, possibly explaining the decreased catalytic activity at low pH with evolution. At a global level, we note that the population of low flexibility (called hinges) and high flexibility sites increases with evolution. The heterogeneity (quantified by the variance) in DFI distribution increases with the decrease in the melting temperature typically associated with the evolution of ancient proteins to their modern-day counterparts.
Retailers’ promotions
Authors: Revoredo-Giha Cesar , Akaichi Faical , Leat Philip
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the overall effect of promotions on consumers’ food purchases in Scotland and to consider the implications of the findings for food and health policy.

Design/methodology/approach

This is achieved by analysing a representative scanner panel data set for the period 2006-2013. The methodology consists of exploring the impact of promotions on food expenditure and allocation within households’ food purchases, using expenditure regressions and estimations of the linear version the Almost Ideal Demand System.

Findings

The results indicate that whilst promotions have differentiated effects by category, they have similar results by SIMD. The effect of the promotions on the total expenditure is positive for all the quintiles. However, the effect of promotions on each food category is complex because of the cross-effects between categories. As regards the effect of prices, the results provide a picture that seems to indicate that typical economic measures such as specific taxes applied to substances which, e.g., encourage obesity, might have limited impact on the diet given the inelasticity of the demand to changes in prices.

Originality/value

A contribution of this paper has been to focus on the effect of promotions on all the food products consumed by Scottish households, instead of analysing promotional influences on a single or reduced number of products within a category.
Consumer valuation of quality rice attributes in a developing economy
Authors: My Nguyen H.D. , Van Loo Ellen J. , Rutsaert Pieter , Tuan Tran Huu , Verbeke Wim
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers’ willingness to pay for quality rice attributes in urban areas in the South of Vietnam, including organic and integrated pest management (IPM) as sustainable production methods, and claim about health benefits and fair farmer prices.

Design/methodology/approach

Cross-sectional data were collected in 2015 using a survey including a choice experiment (CE) (n=500). Generalized mixed logit models were estimated.

Findings

Vietnamese consumers are willing to pay a premium of 82 percent for organic rice, and 45 percent for rice produced using IPM, compared to conventionally produced rice. They are also willing to pay a premium of 95 percent for rice claiming to be rich in vitamins and other nutrients, and 50 percent for rice that guarantees a fair price to rice farmers.

Research limitations/implications

A hypothetical CE was employed. Future research using revealed preference methods is suggested.

Originality/value

This study makes a significant contribution to the limited existing literature on consumers’ valuation of quality rice attributes in the context of developing countries such as Vietnam. The study shows that rice, that is, sustainably produced using organic or IPM methods provides a promising avenue for rice producers. This study highlights that there is an added value for rice with credence attributes in relation to sustainable production methods, health benefits, and fair farmer prices in a developing country.
An ISM approach for the barrier analysis in implementing sustainable practices
Authors: Raut Rakesh , Narkhede Balkrishna Eknath , Gardas Bhaskar B. , Luong Huynh Trung
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and model critical barriers to sustainable practices implementation in Indian oil and gas sectors by the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, through exhaustive literature survey and experts opinions, 14 critical barriers were identified, and the ISM tool, which is a multi-criteria decision-making approach, was used to establish interrelationship among the identified barriers and to determine the key barriers having high driving power.

Findings

After analyzing, it was found that six barriers, namely, market competition and uncertainty (B7), shortage of resources (B8), governmental rules and regulations (B1), knowledge and training (B2), financial implications (B3), and management commitment and leadership (B5) were found to have high influencing power. These barriers need the maximum attention and organizations need to overcome these hindrances for the effective implementation of sustainable practices. From the driving and dependence power diagram, two barriers, namely, management commitment and leadership (B5) and knowledge and training (B2) were found to have the highest driving power and two barriers, namely, lack of green initiatives (B9) and lack of corporate social responsibility (B14) were found to have highest dependence power.

Research limitations/implications

The presently developed model is based on the experts’ opinions, which may be biased, influencing the final output of the structural model. The research implications of the developed model are to help managers of the organization in understanding significance of the barriers, to prioritize or eliminate the same for the practical implementation of sustainability.

Originality/value

This is for the first time an attempt has been made to apply the ISM methodology to explore the interdependencies among the critical barriers for Indian oil and gas industries. This paper will guide the managers at various levels of an organization for effective implementation of the sustainable practices.
Does deposit insurance promote moral hazards and adverse selection? Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Egbuna Eunice , Oduh Moses , Ujunwa Augustine , Okoyeuzu Chinwe
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the likelihood that the presence of the deposit insurance policy encourages risk appetite behavior of banks in Sub-Saharan African (SSA). It argues that financial system stability is not a function of the choice of a deposit insurance scheme, but countries' peculiarities such as quality of institutions and the macroeconomic environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used the stereotype logit regression model and covers 47 SSA countries. Countries are categorized into two: explicit and implicit DIP scheme.

Findings

The study found that corrupt countries are more likely to adopt the implicit policy, while the explicit policy exposes them to credit risk, insolvency, and negative macroeconomic shocks, a reflection of weak institutions and unhealthy competition.

Research limitations/implications

Paucity of substantial local literature on institutional perspective of deposit insurance (DI) constitutes the major limitation of this study.

Practical implications

The sub-region, therefore, faces a conundrum - desiring a deposit insurance scheme, but lacking the required institutions to maintain either a publicly owned regulatory system or the ability to transplant the private club model.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the institutional perspective of DI from SSA institutional perspective.
Diagnosing the curse of natural resources in Kuwait
Authors: Al-Shammari Nayef , Al-Hossayan Noura , Behbehani Mariam
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the phenomenon of natural resource curse in an oil abundant economy of Kuwait. The study estimates a behavioral equilibrium exchange rate model for Kuwait during the period 1980-2014 to assess the impact of prices and productivity factors on real effective exchange rate.

Design/methodology/approach

It uses time series econometric techniques, such as unit root tests, Johansen cointegration test, Vector Error Correction Model, and Impulse Response Function, to estimate the model.

Findings

Unlike the results of the few other studies, the empirical results show a significant impact of the variables, such as balance of trade, economic growth, oil exports, interest rate, and inflation rate, on real effective exchange rate appreciation which indicates the existence of Dutch disease within the Kuwaiti economy. Similarly, the comparative analysis between changes in public expenditure and inflation rate shows the existence of Dutch disease in Kuwait during specific periods of time.

Originality/value

Natural resource curse or Dutch disease is a widely recognized phenomenon affecting the balance of economic activities in natural resource abundant countries. Symptoms of Dutch disease are perceived in several changes in the economy, particularly on price level, sectorial productivity, employment, and aggregate demand which in the long run worsen the country’s economic position and lower its international competitiveness. Dutch disease is not only a feature of natural resource abundant economies, but also can affect any economy with excessive revenue generating sector or high capital inflows which appreciates country’s exchange rate. However, the examination of Dutch disease in the economy is more important when investigating the impact on oil-producing countries (Apergis et al. 2014; Mohammadi and Jahan-Parvar, 2012; Jahan-Parvar and Mohammadi, 2011). Therefore, scholars studying Dutch disease phenomenon pay greater attention to cases of Dutch disease among oil-producing countries (i.e. Arezki and Ismail, 2013; Van der Ploeg and Venables, 2013; Jahan-Parvar, 2012; Cologni and Manera, 2013).
Effects of institutional quality and the development of the banking system on corporate debt
Authors: Tresierra Alvaro Edmundo , Reyes Sergio David
Published: March 2018

Purpose

This study aims to determine if the quality of national institutions and banking development condition the maturity of debt depending on the horizon of short or long term.

Design/methodology/approach

Analysis is performed on a sample of 116 nonfinancial companies from Peru and Brazil. The measures of quality of national institutions and banking development were obtained from World Bank data and included factorial analysis for dynamic considerations.

Findings

The findings, through the treatment of pointed indicators, the factor analysis and the subsequent estimation of a dynamic econometric model, called GMM-SYS, show that institutional quality fosters the maturity of long-term debt and banking development boots short-term financial relations.

Research limitations/implications

Evaluating different measures of the quality of national institutions and banking development is necessary to demonstrate the robustness of the results beyond the sample evaluated in Latin America.

Practical implications

The research allows to understand the interaction between national institutions and system banking through debt maturity, and this is useful for establishing common target between both groups.

Social implications

It is important for corporate finance to understand the mechanisms of the interaction between national institutions and system banking, because this affects internal decisions of firms regarding financial implications.

Originality/value

The treatment of measures of national institutions and banking development include dynamic considerations, and the application of this study in Latin America provides new findings regarding these kind of indexes and their interaction with firms´ features such as debt maturity.
The influence of expatriate spouses’ coping strategies on expatriate and spouse adjustment
Authors: Chen Yu-Ping , Shaffer Margaret
Published: March 2018

Purpose

Drawing upon Folkman and Lazarus’ (1984) coping framework and interdependence theory (Thibaut and Kelley, 1959), the purpose of this paper is to investigate how expatriate spouses’ coping strategies (problem-focused and emotion-focused) affect expatriate spouse adjustment and expatriate adjustment. In addition, the authors also examine the mediating effect of expatriate adjustment on the spouse coping strategies-spouse adjustment relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

To test these relationships, the authors collected multi-source data from 191 expatriate spouses and their expatriate partners living in 37 countries.

Findings

The results revealed that problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies positively and negatively, respectively, influenced all types of spouse adjustment: personal, interaction, and cultural. Both forms of spouse coping also influenced expatriate adjustment. The authors also found that expatriate adjustment mediated the relationship between expatriate spouses’ coping strategies and spouse adjustment.

Practical implications

The results suggest that multinational organizations should pay equal attention to the adjustment of both their expatriates and their spouses. Both expatriates and their spouses should be included in the initial selection process and in pre-departure training to get well equipped before the international assignment. Training spouses to adopt problem-focused coping strategies would help to facilitate the effective adjustment of both spouses and expatriates.

Originality/value

The research provides one of the first examinations that investigate expatriate spouses’ coping strategies and their impact on expatriate and expatriate spouse adjustment. This research also highlights the interdependency of expatriates and their spouses.
Effects of chronic anthropogenic disturbance and rainfall on the specialization of ant–plant mutualistic networks in the Caatinga, a Brazilian dry forest
Authors: Câmara Talita , Leal Inara R. , Blüthgen Nico , Oliveira Fernanda M. P. , Queiroz Rubens T.de , Arnan Xavier
Published: March 2018

Anthropogenic disturbance and climate change might negatively affect the ecosystem services provided by mutualistic networks. However, the effects of such forces remain poorly characterized. They may be especially important in dry forests, which (1) experience chronic anthropogenic disturbances (CADs) as human populations exploit forest resources, and (2) are predicted to face a 22% decline in rainfall under climate change.

In this study, we investigated the separate and combined effects of CADs and rainfall levels on the specialization of mutualistic networks in the Caatinga, a seasonally dry tropical forest typical of north‐eastern Brazil. More specifically, we examined interactions between plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) and ants. We analysed whether differences in network specialization could arise from environmentally mediated variation in the species composition, namely via the replacement of specialist by generalist species.

We characterized these ant–plant networks in 15 plots (20 × 20 m) that varied in CAD intensity and mean annual rainfall. We quantified CAD intensity by calculating three indices related to the main sources of disturbance in the Caatinga: livestock grazing (LG), wood extraction (WE) and miscellaneous resource use (MU). We determined the degree of ant–plant network specialization using four metrics: generality, vulnerability, interaction evenness and H2′.

Our results indicate that CADs differentially influenced network specialization: we observed positive, negative, and neutral responses along LG, MU and WE gradients, respectively. The pattern was most pronounced with LG. Rainfall also shaped network specialization, markedly increasing it. While LG and rainfall were associated with changes in network species composition, this trend was not related to the degree of species specialization. This result suggests that shifts in network specialization might be related to changes in species behaviour, not species composition.

Our study highlights the vulnerability of such dry forest ant–plant networks to climate change. Moreover, dry forests experience highly heterogeneous anthropogenic disturbances, creating a geographic mosaic of selective forces that may shape the co‐evolution of interactions between ants and EFN‐bearing plants.
Traumatic dissociation of aspects of the feminine: an Asian cultural perspective
Authors: Ghate Aditee
Published: March 2018

The paper explores the impact of the dissociated feminine principle resulting from the trauma of cultural displacement in a young Chinese woman keen to embrace a modern Western identity. A case study illustrates the outcome of the client both consciously and unconsciously rejecting the traditional stereotypical Chinese feminine identity and instead embracing the distorted, yet seductive, image of the Western (Caucasian) woman as independent, intellectual and confident. Her defensive denial of the traditional feminine was dealt with by intellectualising both personal and professional relationships. Then, unconsciously, the dissociated traditional feminine was projected into a separate aspect of her identity that held the traumatised feelings. The intellectualisation was eventually understood as being a necessary defence to cope with the cultural as well as geographical dislocation trauma. And with this realisation a space was created to accept and integrate the denied feminine–in a literal as well as a symbolic manner.
Imaginal action: towards a Jungian conception of enactment, and an extraverted counterpart to active imagination
Authors: Brown Robin S.
Published: March 2018

This theoretical paper considers the fashion in which Jung's psychology radically challenges modern assumptions concerning the nature of subjectivity. With an eye for the clinical implications of Jung's late work, the author introduces the idea ofimaginal action. In order to explain what is meant by this, the paper begins by exploring how Jung's thinking demonstrates an underlying bias towards introversion. It is argued that while Jung's interest in synchronicity ultimately resulted in his developing a worldview that might address the introverted biases of his psychology, the clinical implications of this shift have not been sufficiently clarified. With reference to some short examples from experience, the author outlines a conception of relational synchronicity wherein the intrapsychic emerges non‐projectively within the interpersonal field itself. Comparing and contrasting these occurrences to the more introverted practice of active imagination, it is claimed that such a notion is implicit in Jung's work and is needed as a corrective to his emphasis on interiority. The author suggests that imaginal action might be conceived as a distinctly Jungian approach to the psychoanalytic notion of enactment. It is also shown how the idea outlined might find further support from recent developments in the field of transpersonal psychology.
The ethical dimension of analytical psychology
Authors: Barreto Marco Heleno
Published: March 2018

The centrality of the ethical dimension in Carl Gustav Jung's analytical psychology is demonstrated through careful reference to fundamental moments in the Jungian text. Tracking Jung's statements about the primacy of the ‘moral function’ (or ‘moral factor’) in the cure of neurosis as well as in the process of individuation, the ethical nature of the psychotherapeutic praxis proposed by Jung is highlighted. This allows us to see the ethical aspect of psychological conflicts, and thus to understand better why individuation can be seen as a ‘moral achievement’. Finally, the intelligible ethical structure of Jungian psychotherapeutic praxis is exposed.
From laboratory to the field: consistent effects of experience on host location by the fruit fly parasitoid Diachasmimorpha kraussii (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
Authors: Masry Ayad , Cunningham John P. , Clarke Anthony R.
Published: March 2018

Associative learning is well documented in Hymenopteran parasitoids, where it is thought to be an adaptive mechanism for increasing successful host location in complex environments. Based on this learning capacity, it has been suggested that providing prerelease training to parasitoids reared for inundative release may lead to a subsequent increase in their efficacy as biological control agents. Using the fruit fly parasitoid Diachasmimorpha krausii we tested this hypothesis in a series of associative learning experiments which involved the parasitoid, two host fruits (tomatoes and nectarine), and one host fly (Bactrocera tryoni). In sequential Y‐tube olfactometer studies, large field‐cage studies, and then open field studies, naïve wasps showed a consistent preference for nectarines over tomatoes. The preference for nectarines was retained, but not significantly increased, for wasps which had prior training exposure to nectarines. However, and again consistently at all three spatial scales, prior experience on tomatoes led to significantly increased attraction to this fruit by tomato‐trained wasps, including those liberated freely in the environment. These results, showing consistency of learning at multiple spatial scales, gives confidence to the many laboratory‐based learning studies which are extrapolated to the field without testing. The experiment also provides direct experimental support for the proposed practice of enhancing the quality of inundatively released parasitoids through associative learning.
Molecular profiling of aged neural progenitors identifies Dbx2 as a candidate regulator of age‐associated neurogenic decline
Authors: Lupo Giuseppe , Nisi Paola S. , Esteve Pilar , Paul Yu‐Lee , Novo Clara Lopes , Sidders Ben , Khan Muhammad A. , Biagioni Stefano , Liu Hai‐Kun , Bovolenta Paola , Cacci Emanuele , Rugg‐Gunn Peter J.
Published: March 2018

Adult neurogenesis declines with aging due to the depletion and functional impairment of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs). An improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms that drive age‐associated neurogenic deficiency could lead to the development of strategies to alleviate cognitive impairment and facilitate neuroregeneration. An essential step towards this aim is to investigate the molecular changes that occur in NSPC aging on a genomewide scale. In this study, we compare the transcriptional, histone methylation and DNA methylation signatures of NSPCs derived from the subventricular zone (SVZ) of young adult (3 months old) and aged (18 months old) mice. Surprisingly, the transcriptional and epigenomic profiles of SVZ‐derived NSPCs are largely unchanged in aged cells. Despite the global similarities, we detect robust age‐dependent changes at several hundred genes and regulatory elements, thereby identifying putative regulators of neurogenic decline. Within this list, the homeobox gene Dbx2 is upregulated in vitro and in vivo, and its promoter region has altered histone and DNA methylation levels, in aged NSPCs. Using functional in vitro assays, we show that elevated Dbx2 expression in young adult NSPCs promotes age‐related phenotypes, including the reduced proliferation of NSPC cultures and the altered transcript levels of age‐associated regulators of NSPC proliferation and differentiation. Depleting Dbx2 in aged NSPCs caused the reverse gene expression changes. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the molecular programmes that are affected during mouse NSPC aging, and uncover a new functional role for Dbx2 in promoting age‐related neurogenic decline.
Inducing value and institutional learning effects in stated choice experiments using advanced disclosure and instructional choice set treatments
Authors: Abate Tenaw G. , Mørkbak Morten R. , Olsen Søren B.
Published: March 2018

This article analyses the effect of inducing institutional and value learning in a choice experiment survey concerning food safety. Respondents were subjected to two types of treatments, namely, Advance Disclosure (ADV) and Instructional Choice Set (ICS). Employing a split‐sample setup, we test the effect of providing ICS and ADV in two treatment groups relative to a control group where learning is not induced. We further test and compare the effects of ADV and ICS directly against each other. We find some evidence that ICS reduces institutional uncertainty as intended. Moreover, the results suggest that both ICS and ADV could potentially remove a gender‐specific status‐quo bias.
Effect of a 1800 MHz electromagnetic field emitted during embryogenesis on chick development and hatchability
Authors: Pawlak K. , Nieckarz Z. , Sechman A. , Wojtysiak D. , Bojarski B. , Tombarkiewicz B.
Published: March 2018

The level of artificial electromagnetic field (EMF) has steadily increased with the development of human civilization. The developing chicken embryo has been considered a good model to study the effects of EMF on living organisms. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of a 1800 MHz electromagnetic field during embryogenesis on the frequency of chick embryo malformations, morphometric parameters of the heart and liver and concentration of corticosterone in blood plasma, lipid and glycogen content in the liver of newly hatched chicks. A 1800 MHz EMF was found to shorten the duration of embryogenesis (earlier pipping and hatching of chicks) while having no effect on the quantity and quality of chicks and on increasing the incidence of embryo malformations. Exposure of chick embryos to EMF caused decreases in relative heart weight and right ventricle wall thickness. The pipping and hatching of chicks can be accelerated by stressful impact of EMF, which is confirmed by a significant increase in plasma corticosterone concentrations and decrease in fat and glycogen in the liver of chicks exposed during embryogenesis on the electromagnetic field with a frequency of 1800 MHz.
An evaluation of the objective quality and perceived usefulness of maternity clinical practice guidelines at a tertiary maternity unit
Authors: Trollope Helena , Leung Joyce Pui Yee , Wise Michelle , Farquhar Cynthia , Sadler Lynn
Published: March 2018

Background

Compliance with maternity clinical practice guidelines developed by National Women's Health has been found to be low at audit.

Objective

To explore the reasons for poor compliance with maternity guidelines by evaluating the quality of a sample of National Women's Health guidelines using a validated instrument and assessing local guideline users’ perceptions of and attitudes toward guidelines.

Design

Five independent reviewers evaluated the quality of 10 purposively selected guidelines for adherence to the Appraisal of Guidelines Research & Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument standards. A self‐administered questionnaire for staff was undertaken regarding views of and barriers to guideline use.

Results

None of the guidelines attained a score over 50% for the following domains: stakeholder involvement, rigour of development, applicability, editorial independence. The highest scoring domain was clarity of presentation (mean 69%). All guidelines scored the minimum possible for editorial independence. Survey respondents had positive attitudes toward guidelines, believed that their use could improve quality of care within the service, and felt that encouragement from senior staff members and peers would encourage their use. Accessibility was the most commonly cited of many barriers identified.

Conclusion

The National Women's Health guidelines evaluated in this study cannot be considered to be high quality, and could be improved by reporting on methodology of the development process. Although poor guideline development may contribute to failure of the local maternity guidelines, it appears that accessibility is a major barrier to their use and implementation.
Mindfulness and Trauma: Some Striking Similarities
Authors: Ataria Yochai
Published: March 2018

The traumatic experience and the meditative experience differ in many respects. For instance, it is possible to suggest that while a sense of helplessness is the most important feature of the traumatic experience, meditation does not involve a similar sense of helplessness. Furthermore, while trauma is shocking and horrifying, meditation is considered to be constructive and efficient in reducing stress and improving welfare. Yet, with this in mind, by comparing interviews with twelve senior meditators on the one hand and interviews with survivors of traumatic experiences from other qualitative studies of mine on the other, this paper suggests that essentially both phenomena are rooted in the same mechanism: the collapse of the intentional structure. More precisely, in both cases, the intentional structure collapses and, as a result, the gap between Me versus Not–Me diminishes: in that case, one loses the first‐personal bodily egocentric perceptive upon the world.
Correlation of retinal neurodegeneration with measures of peripheral autonomic neuropathy in type 1 diabetes
Authors: Pemp Berthold , Palkovits Stefan , Howorka Kinga , Pumprla Jiri , Sacu Stefan , Garhöfer Gerhard , Bayerle‐Eder Michaela , Schmetterer Leopold , Schmidt‐Erfurth Ursula
Published: March 2018

Purpose

To evaluate the relationship of neuroretinal layer thickness with sensitive measures of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in diabetic patients with non‐proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).

Methods

Twenty‐seven eyes of 27 patients with type 1 diabetes presenting with mild‐to‐moderate NPDR were compared to 27 healthy control (HC) eyes matched for age and gender. The total macular volume (TMV) and the volumes of individual neurosensory layers in the macula were analysed from spectral domain optical coherence tomography using automated layer segmentation. Cardiovascular autonomic regulation was assessed by short‐term power spectrum analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) before, during and after an orthostatic challenge.

Results

The patients had an age of 46 ± 12 years and diabetes since 28 ± 9 years. Diastolic and mean arterial pressure was lower in the patients compared to HCs. TMV (r = 0.58, p = 0.002), inner plexiform layer volume (IPLV; r = 0.39, p = 0.047) and inner nuclear layer volume (INLV; r = 0.60, p = 0.001) were associated with reduced recovery of low‐frequency (LF) spectral power of HRV after orthostatic load in diabetic patients but not in HCs. The response of LF spectral power during the orthostatic manoeuvre was blunted in patients compared to HCs (p = 0.02). Diabetes duration was negatively associated with TMV and INLV, whereas IPLV was significantly reduced in eyes with moderate NPDR compared to HCs.

Conclusion

The results indicate a correlation between inner retinal tissue loss and diminished autonomic regulation in type 1 diabetic patients with mild‐to‐moderate NPDR. The observed changes can be interpreted as congruent early signs of retinal and systemic neuropathy in diabetes.
Relevance of CYP3A4*20, UGT1A1*37 and UGT1A1*28 variants in irinotecan‐induced severe toxicity
Authors: Riera Pau , Salazar Juliana , Virgili Anna C. , Tobeña María , Sebio Ana , Gallano Pía , Barnadas Agustí , Páez David
Published: March 2018

Severe irinotecan‐induced toxicity is associated with UGT1A1 polymorphisms. However, some patients develop side‐effects despite harbouring a normal UGT1A1 genotype. As CYP3A4 is also an irinotecan‐metabolizing enzyme, our study aimed to elucidate the influence of the CYP3A4*20 loss‐of‐function allele in the toxicity profile of these patients. Three‐hundred and eight metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with an irinotecan‐containing chemotherapy were studied. The presence of CYP3A4*20, UGT1A1*37 and UGT1A1*28 alleles was tested. Associations between these genetic variants and toxicity were evaluated. UGT1A1*28 was significantly associated with severe diarrhoea, neutropenia and asthenia (P = 0.002, P = 0.037 and P = 0.041, respectively). One patient with the UGT1A1*28/*37 genotype presented with grade IV neutropenia and lethal septic shock. One heterozygous UGT1A1 (*1/*28) patient also carried the CYP3A4*20 allele but did not develop toxicity. We confirm that UGT1A1*37 and UGT1A1*28 are associated with severe toxicity and suggest that the CYP3A4*20 allele does not play a role in irinotecan‐induced toxicity.
A Cross‐Sectional Study to Assess the Modulation of Wnt Inhibitors following Anti‐Epileptic Drug Therapy and their Correlation with Vitamin D and Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor κ B Ligand in Indian Women with Epilepsy
Authors: Parveen Bushra , Tripathi Manjari , Vohora Divya
Published: March 2018

Long‐term anti‐epileptic drug (AED) therapy compromises bone health. Although vitamin D deficiency is proposed to be involved, it alone is not held responsible. This accounts for investigating other mechanisms in bone accrual. Recent studies have shown modulation of inhibitors of wnt pathway, sclerostin and dickkopf‐1 (DKK‐1), in glucocorticoids‐induced osteoporosis. We investigated whether AED monotherapy modulates wnt inhibitors in Indian women with epilepsy. Women of age > 20–40 years with the diagnosis of epilepsy and receiving AEDs (carbamazepine, valproate and levetiracetam) for at least a year were enrolled. The results were compared with age‐matched healthy controls with no evidence of metabolic bone disease. Women undergoing treatment with AEDs (mean duration: 50.59 ± 37.929 months) exhibited higher serum sclerostin and receptor activator of nuclear factor κ B ligand (RANKL) and lower vitamin D (25‐hydroxy vitamin D) and DKK‐1 levels when compared to age‐matched healthy controls. Sclerostin showed a positive correlation with RANKL, while DKK‐1 presented no such relationship. However, no association was evident after adjusting for age, duration of treatment and total daily dose. Although a correlation between wnt inhibitors and RANKL could not be obtained, AEDs displayed changes in serum levels of wnt inhibitors in persons with epilepsy and hence these drugs may compromise bone health through a disturbance in wnt signalling mechanisms.
Use of Dicloxacillin and Risk of Pregnancy among Users of Oral Contraceptives
Authors: Pottegård Anton , Broe Anne , Stage Tore B. , Brøsen Kim , Hallas Jesper , Damkier Per
Published: March 2018

The antibiotic dicloxacillin has been shown to induce drug‐metabolizing CYP enzymes to a clinically relevant extent. In this study, we investigated whether the use of dicloxacillin confers an increased risk of unwanted pregnancy among oral contraceptive users. The study population comprised Danish women falling pregnant (1997–2015) during oral contraceptive use, defined as having filled a prescription for an oral contraceptive within 120 days both before and after the estimated date of conception. Data were analysed using a case‐crossover approach. For each woman, we assessed the use of dicloxacillin preceding the date of conception and during 10 previous control periods and estimated the odds ratio for such unintended pregnancies associated with the use of dicloxacillin. Among 364 women using dicloxacillin prior to conception, 40 (11%) were exposed to dicloxacillin at the time of conception, yielding an odds ratio (OR) associating use of dicloxacillin to unintended pregnancy of 1.18 (95% CI 0.84–1.65). Supplementary and sensitivity analyses generally returned similar estimates, except for a slightly increased risk among users of progestogen‐only oral contraceptives (OR 1.83, 95% CI 0.63–5.34). Analysis of other antibiotics as negative controls yielded results close to unity (ORs ranging from 0.83 to 1.13). In conclusion, our study found no evidence for an increased risk of oral contraceptive failure when using dicloxacillin. However, acknowledging study limitations, we suggest the use of supplementary barrier methods during treatment with dicloxacillin, until our findings are confirmed in further studies.
e‐Authentication for online assessment: A mixed‐method study
Authors: Okada Alexandra , Whitelock Denise , Holmes Wayne , Edwards Chris
Published: March 2018

Authenticating the students’ identity and authenticity of their work is increasingly important to reduce academic malpractices and for quality assurance purposes in Education. There is a growing body of research about technological innovations to combat cheating and plagiarism. However, the literature is very limited on the impact of e‐authentication systems across distinctive end‐users because it is not a widespread practice at the moment. A considerable gap is to understand whether the use of e‐authentication systems would increase trust on e‐assessment, and to extend, whether students’ acceptance would vary across gender, age and previous experiences. This study aims to shed light on this area by examining the attitudes and experiences of 328 students who used an authentication system known as adaptive trust‐based e‐assessment system for learning (TeSLA). Evidence from mixed‐method analysis suggests a broadly positive acceptance of these e‐authentication technologies by distance education students. However, significant differences in the students’ responses indicated, for instance, that men were less concerned about providing personal data than women; middle‐aged participants were more aware of the nuances of cheating and plagiarism; while younger students were more likely to reject e‐authentication, considerably due to data privacy and security and students with disabilities due to concerns about their special needs.
Teachers' beliefs and technology acceptance concerning smart mobile devices for SMART education in South Korea
Authors: Leem Junghoon , Sung Eunmo
Published: March 2018

Teachers' beliefs are a major factor in the effective use of new technology in teaching and learning. Recently, smart mobile devices (SMDs) such as smartphones, smart pads and tablet computers have been responsible for introducing broad innovations into the education field as Self‐directed, Motivated, Adaptive, Resources‐enriched, Technology embedded education in South Korea. Teachers' beliefs and technology acceptance concerning SMDs in South Korea can be either a facilitator or a barrier to the use of SMDs in the classroom. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors of teachers' beliefs concerning SMDs, and to examine teachers' technology acceptance of SMDs in their lessons. To address these goals, 378 primary and 390 secondary teachers participated in a survey with a 25‐item paired adjective questionnaire and a 12‐item technology acceptance questionnaire. A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and multiple regressions were applied for the statistical analysis. The results indicate that teachers' beliefs were consistently revealed the five factors of immediacy, interest, interactivity, instability and inconvenience. Regarding the effect of the technology acceptance of SMDs on teachers' beliefs, the factors of instability, inconvenience and interactivity strongly related to the perceived usefulness and ease of use of SMDs. This finding indicates that teachers' beliefs that SMDs are unstable or uncomfortable can be the main barrier to the use of technology in the classroom.