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Additional Analyses (additional + analysis)
Selected AbstractsManaging Stock Option Expense: The Manipulation of Option-Pricing Model Assumptions,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 2 2006Derek Johnston Abstract This paper examines whether firms that voluntarily recognize stock option expense in their financial statements manage that expense downward more than firms that do not recognize the expense by adjusting option-pricing model assumptions. To examine this issue, I collect option-pricing model assumptions from fiscal year 2002 for both a sample of firms that voluntarily recognize stock option expense ("recognizing firms") and a sample of control firms that do not ("disclosing firms"). The empirical results suggest that recognizing firms manage the recognized stock-based compensation expense reported in their financial statements downward more than do firms that only disclose the expense. Additional analyses reveal that recognizing firms assume a lower level of volatility than disclosing firms in the option-pricing model calculations; however, I find no evidence that recognizing firms manage the dividend yield and risk-free interest rate assumptions more than disclosing firms. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) recently issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123(R), which requires the expensing of the fair value of stock options, so these results may be of interest to capital-market participants and the FASB as they assess the reliability of stock option expense as determined by option-pricing models. [source] The impact of after-school programs on the routine activities of middle-school students: Results from a randomized, controlled trial,CRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 2 2009Amanda Brown Cross Research Summary Unsupervised after-school time for adolescents is a concern for parents and policymakers alike. Evidence linking unsupervised adolescent socializing to problem behavior outcomes heightens this concern among criminologists. Routine activities theory suggests that, when youth peer groups congregate away from adult authority, both opportunity for and motivation to engage in deviant acts increase. After-school programs are a possible solution to unsupervised teen socializing during afternoon hours and are much in demand. However, empirical research has yet to test the relationship between the availability of after-school programs and youth routine activities. This study presents evidence from a multisite, randomized, controlled trial of an after-school program for middle-school students in an urban school district. Policy Implications Youth in the treatment group engaged in less unsupervised socializing after school than youth in the control group but not as much less as would be expected if the after-school program was providing consistent supervision to youth who would otherwise be unsupervised. Additional analyses examined why the influence of the after-school program was not more pronounced. We found that, although program attendance was related to decreases in unsupervised socializing, the program did not attract many delinquency-prone youths who were unsupervised, which suggests that the students most in need of the program did not benefit. Furthermore, data obtained from a mid-year activity survey revealed that youth in the study were highly engaged in a variety of after-school activities. The addition of the after-school program into the mixture of available activities had little effect on the frequency with which students participated in organized activities after school. [source] Can music therapy engage patients in group cognitive behaviour therapy for substance abuse treatment?DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 2 2008GENEVIEVE A. DINGLE PhD Abstract Introduction and Aims. Despite the availability of effective treatments for substance use disorders, engaging people in treatment remains a challenge. This clinical study describes a 7-week trial of music therapy as an adjunct to group cognitive behaviour therapy with the aim of increasing patient engagement in a private hospital open group programme. Design and Methods. Patient attendance rates and perceptions of the music therapy were collected at the end of each music therapy session by means of an anonymous survey, and only data from each patient's first survey were used in the analysis. Twenty-four surveys were analysed, representing feedback from 10 men and 14 women, aged between 17 and 52 years. Results. The average attendance rate over the 7-week trial was 75%. The results indicated that enjoyment and motivation to participate during the sessions was uniformly high (mean ratings of 4.3 and 4.0 out of 5, respectively). The majority (83%) of participants reported that they would attend another music therapy session, and almost half (46%) endorsed that ,(music therapy) would help them to feel more a part of the group'. Additional analyses revealed that music therapy was able to engage patients regardless of their age group (25 years and under vs. over-25 years) or substance (alcohol only vs. other drugs). Discussion and Conclusions. Music therapy is a promising approach to improving engagement in substance abuse treatment groups. [source] Computer-generated null models as an approach to detect perceptual range in mark,re-sight studies , an example with grasshoppersECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Silke Hein Abstract., 1. Dispersal and habitat detection are key factors for the colonisation of habitat fragments in heterogeneous landscapes. The ability to recognise a habitat from a certain distance should increase the survival chances of a dispersing individual; however, due to methodological problems there is little information on the perceptual range of most species. 2. In a field experiment, 44 individually marked grasshoppers of the species Oedipoda caerulescens (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Locustinae) were released into an unfamiliar, hostile environment at various distances from a patch of preferred habitat. 3. Whether individuals reached the habitat or not was measured, as well as the daily movement distances. The number of individuals that reached the habitat was tested against computer-generated predictions based on different underlying rules for the movement behaviour of individuals but not accounting for the ability to detect habitat from distance. 4. On the first day a significantly higher proportion of grasshoppers arrived in the habitat than predicted by any of the null models. 5. It was concluded that individuals of O. caerulescens are able to detect their preferred habitat from a distance. 6. Edge permeability was very low as none of the individuals left the habitat once they had reached it. 7. Additional analyses showed that individuals changed movement behaviour from a directed walk with great daily distances in unsuitable habitat to a walk with significantly shorter daily distances within the preferred habitat. 8. The problems that arose in the field experiment are discussed and recommendations are given for further studies. [source] A cost-effectiveness analysis of caspofungin vs. liposomal amphotericin B for treatment of suspected fungal infections in the UKEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2007Karin Bruynesteyn Abstract Objective:, To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of caspofungin vs. liposomal amphotericin B in the treatment of suspected fungal infections in the UK. Methods:, The cost-effectiveness of caspofungin vs. liposomal amphotericin B was evaluated using a decision-tree model. The decision tree was populated using both data and clinical definitions from published clinical studies. Model outcomes included success in terms of resolution of fever, baseline infection, absence of breakthrough infection, survival and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) saved. Discontinuation due to nephrotoxicity or other adverse events were included in the model. Efficacy and safety data were based on additional analyses of a randomised, double blind, multinational trial of caspofungin compared with liposomal amphotericin B. Information on life expectancy, quality of life, medical resource consumption and costs were obtained from peer-reviewed published data. Results:, The caspofungin mean total treatment cost was £9762 (95% uncertainty interval 6955,12 577), which was £2033 (,2489; 6779) less than liposomal amphotericin B. Treatment with caspofungin resulted in 0.40 (,0.12; 0.94) additional QALYs saved in comparison with liposomal amphotericin B. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis found a 95% probability of the incremental cost per QALY saved being within the generally accepted threshold for cost-effectiveness (£30 000). Additional analyses with varying dose of caspofungin and liposomal amphotericin B confirmed these findings. Conclusion:, Given the underlying assumptions, caspofungin is cost-effective compared with liposomal amphotericin B in the treatment of suspected fungal infections in the UK. [source] Gender differences in self-estimated intelligence and their relation to gender-role orientationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 5 2002Beatrice Rammstedt Previous research has demonstrated that gender differences in self-estimated intelligence are domain specific: Males estimate their mathematical, logical and spatial abilities significantly higher than females. It has been frequently hypothesized that these differences are moderated by the individual's degree of gender-role orientation. However, studies investigating the effect of gender-role orientation on self-estimated intelligence revealed highly inconsistent results. In the present study, 267 participants estimated their own abilities in 11 intelligence domains and completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI). Factor analysis of the 11 intelligence domains yielded four interpretable factors. Gender differences were identified for the mathematical,logical and the artistic intelligence factor. Additional analyses revealed a moderating effect of gender-role orientation on gender differences in factor scores. Thus, the present study provided direct evidence for the notion that in male, but not in female individuals, self-estimates of specific aspects of intelligence are markedly influenced by gender-role orientation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Topiramate Treatment of Chronic Migraine: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Quality of Life and Other Efficacy MeasuresHEADACHE, Issue 8 2009Stephen Silberstein MD Objective., To define yet more clearly the utility of topiramate in the treatment of chronic migraine, we evaluated prespecified secondary endpoints from a recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial. Background., We previously reported that topiramate 100 mg per day produced a statistically significant reduction in mean monthly migraine/migrainous and migraine headache days compared with placebo treatment and that it was safe and generally well tolerated. Methods., Variables analyzed included between-treatment group differences in percent responders, change in the mean monthly rate of total headache days and headache-free days, change in average and worst daily headache severity, change in the mean monthly use of acute headache medications, and absolute change and percent change in a headache index. Additional analyses included evaluation of changes in: the associated symptoms of photophobia, phonophobia, and nausea; Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire scores; Migraine Disability Assessment Scale scores; and Physician's and Subjects Global Impression of Change. Results., The intent-to-treat population consisted of 306 patients (topiramate, n = 153; placebo, n = 153). Categorical responder rates of reductions in mean monthly migraine/migrainous days for topiramate- vs placebo-treated subjects were as follows: for ,25% reduction: 68.6% vs 51.6% (P = .005); ,50%: 37.3% vs 28.8% (P = .093); and ,75%: 15.0% vs 9.2% (P = .061). The decrease in mean monthly total headache days and headache-free days for topiramate vs placebo treatment was 5.8 vs 4.7 days (P = .067). Compared with placebo, topiramate treatment resulted in statistically significant mean improvements in the Role Restrictive (P = .028) and Emotional Function (P = .036) domains of the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire, in the worst daily severity of migraine (P = .016), severity of photophobia (P = .032), frequency of vomiting (P = .018), photophobia (P = .038), phonophobia (P = .010), unilateral pain (P = .015), pulsatile pain (P = .023), and pain worsened because of physical activity (P = .047). In addition, there were trends observed (favoring topiramate) in average daily severity of migraine (P = .077), acute headache medication use (P = .127), severity of nausea (P = .098), frequency of nausea (P = .166), the Role Preventive domain of the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (P = .061), and severity of phonophobia (P = .062). Conclusions., In addition to significantly reducing mean monthly migraine/migrainous and migraine headache days, treatment of chronic migraine with topiramate was effective with regard to several traditionally important and clinically relevant secondary outcomes in migraine prevention trials. Treatment with topiramate was well tolerated and not associated with serious adverse events. [source] Environmental influences on reading-related outcomes: an adoption studyINFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2007Stephen A. Petrill Abstract Evidence from intervention studies, quantitative genetic and molecular genetic studies suggests that genetic, and to a lesser extent, shared environmental influences are important to the development of reading and related cognitive skills. The Northeast-Northwest Collaborative Adoption Projects (N2CAP) is a sample of 241 adoptive families, containing 354 children and their adoptive parents. Negative parent outcome × child age interactions significantly predicted child outcomes, suggesting that shared environmental influences related to parent,offspring resemblance, although modest, are most salient in younger children. Additional analyses suggested that identified measures of the family environment largely accounted for these parent,offspring correlations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Effects of Alternative Justification Memos on the Judgments of Audit Reviewees and ReviewersJOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 1 2003Christopher P. Agoglia Prior research on justification has typically focused on the differences in judgments between auditors required, or not required, to justify their decisions. However, justification memos can be prepared using different approaches. In this study we examine the impact of using three justification memos: supporting, balanced, and component. Using a comprehensive control environment case based on an actual client that experienced fraud, we find that the justification memo used can affect the judgments of auditors preparing the memos as well as the judgments of auditors who review their work. Specifically, the results indicate that auditors using an unrestricted component memo, who were required to write memos for components of their task by providing important positive and negative evidence, thought that the firm's control environment was more likely to prevent fraud as compared with the supporting and balanced memo groups. Additional analyses suggest that the reason for this result is that an unrestricted component memo focuses auditors' attention on a larger percentage of positive control environment characteristics when a firm's underlying evidence set is mostly positive. This may be problematic because firms can have more positive than negative control environment characteristics, even when fraud is present. [source] Setting the agenda of attributes in the 1996 Spanish general electionJOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, Issue 2 2000M McCombes We advance the central proposition of agenda-setting theory - that elements prominent in the mass media's picture of the world influence the salience of those elements in the audience's picture - through the explication of a second level of agenda setting: attribute agenda setting. This preliminary research on candidate images during the 1996 Spanish general election simultaneously examined 2 attribute dimensions - substantive and affective descriptions - to test the hypothesis that media attribute agendas influence the voters' attribute agenda. Empirically, a high degree of correspondence was found between the attribute agendas of 7 different mass media and the voters' attribute agenda for each of the 3 candidates. The median correlation from these 21 tests of the hypothesis is +.72. Sixth-order partial correlations in which the influence of the other 6 mass media are removed from the correlation between a medium's agenda and the voters' agenda for a particular candidate have a median value of +.73. Additional analyses of the attribute agendas of each medium's primary audience in comparison with its principal competitor also yielded evidence of second-level agenda setting. Future research should pursue complex longitudinal designs tracing the impact of media content on voters' images at both the aggregate and individual levels as part of the continuing scholarly dialogue on competing approaches to framing research and attribute agenda setting. [source] Violence and race in professional baseball: Getting better or getting worse?AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 2 2002Thomas A. Timmerman Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between race and violence in the context of professional baseball. Specifically, I used the number of times a batter was hit by a pitch (per plate appearance) as an indicator of being the victim of an indirect violent act. Archival data were gathered from 4,273 players from 1950 to 1997, yielding 27,022 individual records. Even after controlling for player ability and league rules, race was a significant predictor of being hit. Specifically, from 1950 to 1997, the rate at which Blacks were hit was approximately 7.5% greater than the rate for Whites. The rate at which Hispanics were hit was approximately 7.6% greater than the rate for Whites. Testing year as a moderator revealed that the Black-White difference was much greater in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1970 to 1989, race was not a significant predictor of being hit. Contrary to the hypotheses, from 1990 to 1997, Whites and Hispanics were hit at a significantly higher rate than Blacks (23.0% and 29.0%, respectively). Additional analyses revealed no relationship between pitcher race and batter race in hit-by-pitch events from 1997 to 1999. The findings are discussed with respect to group threat theory and the distinction between covert and overt aggression. Aggr. Behav. 28:109,116, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The Association Between Partner Enhancement and Self-Enhancement and Relationship Quality OutcomesJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 3 2009Dean M. Busby The purpose of this research was to understand in greater detail, using 2 samples (Study 1 N = 4,881 heterosexual couples; Study 2 N = 335 heterosexual couples who completed the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire), how partner or self-enhancement patterns differentially influence relationship outcomes. A multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted comparing 4 outcome measures for different couple types in which individuals rated the partner higher, the same, or lower than they rated themselves on affability. Couples in which both individuals perceived themselves as more affable than the partner experienced poorer results on the relationship outcome measures, whereas couples in which both individuals perceived the partner's personality as more affable than their own experienced more positive relationship outcomes. Additional analyses with structural equation models demonstrated the consistent influence of enhancement measures on relationship outcomes for cross-sectional and longitudinal samples. [source] Differential Effects of Acute and Chronic Ethanol Exposure on Orexin Expression in the Perifornical Lateral HypothalamusALCOHOLISM, Issue 5 2010Irene Morganstern Background:, Recent reports support the involvement of hypothalamic orexigenic peptides in stimulating ethanol intake. Our previous studies have examined the effects of ethanol on hypothalamic peptide systems of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and identified a positive feedback loop in which PVN peptides, such as enkephalin and galanin, stimulate ethanol intake and ethanol, in turn, stimulates the expression of these peptides. Recently, orexin (OX), a peptide produced mainly by cells in the perifornical lateral hypothalamus (PFLH), has been shown to play an important role in mediating the rewarding aspects of ethanol intake. However, there is little evidence showing the effects that ethanol itself may have on the OX peptide system. In order to understand the feedback relationship between ethanol and the OX system, the current investigation was designed to measure OX gene expression in the PFLH following acute as well as chronic ethanol intake. Methods:, In the first experiment, Sprague,Dawley rats were trained to voluntarily consume a 2 or 9% concentration of ethanol, and the expression of OX mRNA in the PFLH was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The second set of experiments tested the impact of acute oral gavage of 0.75 and 2.5 g/kg ethanol solution on OX expression in the PFLH using qRT-PCR, as well as radiolabeled in situ hybridization. Further tests using digoxigenin-labeled in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence histochemistry allowed us to more clearly distinguish the effects of acute ethanol on OX cells in the lateral hypothalamic (LH) versus perifornical (PF) regions. Results:, The results showed chronic consumption of ethanol versus water to dose-dependently reduce OX mRNA in the PFLH, with a larger effect observed in rats consuming 2.5 g/kg/d (,70%) or 1.0 g/kg/d (,50%) compared to animals consuming 0.75 g/kg/d (,40%). In contrast to chronic intake, acute oral ethanol compared to water significantly enhanced OX expression in the PFLH, and this effect occurred at the lower (0.75 g/kg) but not higher (2.5 g/kg) dose of ethanol. Additional analyses of the OX cells in the LH versus PF regions identified the former as the primary site of ethanol's stimulatory effect on the OX system. In the LH but not the PF, acute ethanol increased the density of OX-expressing and OX-immunoreactive neurons. The increase in gene expression was detected only at the lower dose of ethanol (0.75 g/kg), whereas the increase in OX peptide was seen only at the higher dose of ethanol (2.5 g/kg). Conclusion:, These results lead us to propose that OX neurons, while responsive to negative feedback signals from chronic ethanol consumption, are stimulated by acute ethanol administration, most potently in the LH where OX may trigger central reward mechanisms that promote further ethanol consumption. [source] Brief Motivational Interviewing for DWI Recidivists Who Abuse Alcohol and Are Not Participating in DWI Intervention: A Randomized Controlled TrialALCOHOLISM, Issue 2 2010Thomas G. Brown Background:, Driving while impaired (DWI) recidivists with unresolved alcohol use problems pose an ongoing risk for traffic safety. Following conviction, many do not participate in mandated alcohol evaluation and intervention programs, or continue to drink problematically after being relicensed. This study investigated if, in DWI recidivists with alcohol problems and not currently involved in DWI intervention, Brief Motivational Interviewing (BMI) produced greater reductions in risky drinking at 6- and 12-month follow-up compared to an information-advice control condition. Additional analyses explored whether BMI was associated with greater readiness to change, subsequent substance abuse treatment service utilization, and satisfaction compared to the control condition. Methods:, Male and female recidivists with drinking problems and not currently engaged in DWI intervention were recruited, evaluated, and then randomly assigned to receive 1 of 2 manualized interventions: 30-minute BMI session or information-advice. Participants, interviewers, researchers, and statisticians were blind to assignment. Outcomes were changed in: percent of risky drinking days (i.e., ,3 standard drinks/d for males; ,2 for females) in the previous 6 months derived from the Timeline Followback, biomarkers of alcohol abuse (GGT, AST, ALT, MCV) by blood assay, and alcohol abuse-related behaviors using the MMPI-Mac scale. Data from the Readiness to Change Questionnaire, a substance abuse service utilization questionnaire, and the Client Satisfaction Scale were also collected. Results:, Analyses revealed significant declines in risky drinking with both interventions. BMI (n = 92) resulted in a 25% reduction in risky drinking days at 12-month follow-up, which compared to the control intervention (n = 92) represented a significant decline from 6-month levels. Exposure to BMI also produced significantly greater improvement at 6-month follow-up in a biomarker of alcohol abuse and a behavioral measure related to recidivism risk. Exploration of readiness to change, substance abuse service utilization, and satisfaction with intervention indicated a perception of BMI being more useful in coping with problems. Conclusions:, Brief MI approaches warrant further implementation and effectiveness research as an opportunistic DWI intervention strategy to reduce risks associated with alcohol use outside of clinical and DWI relicensing settings. [source] Can the impact of scholarly images be assessed online?JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 9 2010An exploratory study using image identification technology The web contains a huge number of digital pictures. For scholars publishing such images it is important to know how well used their images are, but no method seems to have been developed for monitoring the value of academic images. In particular, can the impact of scientific or artistic images be assessed through identifying images copied or reused on the Internet? This article explores a case study of 260 NASA images to investigate whether the TinEye search engine could theoretically help to provide this information. The results show that the selected pictures had a median of 11 online copies each. However, a classification of 210 of these copies reveals that only 1.4% were explicitly used in academic publications, reflecting research impact, and the majority of the NASA pictures were used for informal scholarly (or educational) communication (37%). Additional analyses of world famous paintings and scientific images about pathology and molecular structures suggest that image contents are important for the type and extent of image use. Although it is reasonable to use statistics derived from TinEye for assessing image reuse value, the extent of its image indexing is not known. [source] RUNOFF NUTRIENT AND FECAL COLIFORM CONTENT FROM CATTLE MANURE APPLICATION TO FESCUE PLOTS,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 4 2000D. R. Edwards ABSTRACT: Grazed pastures represent a potential source of non-point pollution. In comparison to other nonpoint sources (e.g., row-cropped lands), relatively little information exists regarding possible magnitudes of pollution from grazed pasture; how that pollution is affected by weather, soil, management and other variables; and how the pollution can be minimized. The objective of this study was to assess how the quality of runoff from fescue plots is influenced by duration of cattle manure application (4,12 weeks) and manure application strategy (none, weekly application of 1.4 kg/plot, and monthly application at 5.6 kg/plot). Additional analyses were performed to relate runoff quality to the timing of sample collection. The study was conducted at the University of Kentucky Maine Chance Agricultural Experiment Station north of Lexington. Plots (2.4 m wide by 6.1 m long) were constructed and established in Kentucky 31 fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) to represent pasture. Grazing was simulated by application of beef cattle manure to the plots. Runoff was generated by applying simulated rainfall approximately 4, S and 12 weeks following initiation of manure application. Runoff samples were collected and analyzed according to standard methods for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and fecal coliforms (FC). Runoff concentrations of N and P from manure-treated plots were low and generally not consistently different from control plot concentrations or related to manure application strategy. Runoff FC concentrations from manure-treated plots were higher than from control plot concentrations. Runoff concentrations of ammonia N, total Kjeldahl N, ortho-P and FC decreased approximately exponentially in response to increasing time of sample collection. These findings suggest that manure deposition on well-managed pasture at the rates used in this study might have a negligible impact on nutrient content of runoff. [source] Blood pressure, seasonal body fat, heart rate, and ecological differences in Caboclo populations of the Brazilian AmazonAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006H.P. Silva This study compares blood pressure (BP) and related cardiovascular risk factors among three Caboclo communities from the Brazilian Amazon. Its purpose is to investigate possible risk differentials related to variable ecological settings and Western influences. Caxiuanã is characterized as a more "traditional" group, while Aracampina and Santana are viewed as more "transitional" in lifestyle. A total of 348 subjects from the three communities were evaluated in the wet or the dry season or in both. Measurements across the communities were compared by season and sex. Results suggest little seasonal variation in average BP, BP change, body fat, or body fat change among men. Conversely, there is substantial seasonal and intercommunity variation among women. Additional analyses reveal (1) an inconsistent association between age and BP across the communities; (2) that BMI is not associated with BP transitional communities in either season but is associated with both systolic and diastolic pressure in the most traditional community; and (3) little to no sex effect on BP. These results suggest increased Western influence affects body composition particularly of women. However, increased BMI and fat among transitional Caboclo women does not directly translate into higher BP; rather, their BP appears to be more affected by seasonal stresses. Finally, conditions during the wet season diminish age-related variation in BP, suggesting that during the wet season these Caboclo may be less active. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 18:10,22, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Integrative Complexity of 41 U.S. PresidentsPOLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Felix J. Thoemmes Although U.S. presidents are one of the most studied groups of political figures and integrative complexity is one of the most widely used constructs in political psychology, no study to date has fully examined the integrative complexity of all U.S. presidents. The present study helps fill in that gap by scoring 41 U.S. presidents' first four State of the Union speeches for integrative complexity and then comparing these scores with a large range of available situational and personality variables. Results suggest a tendency for presidents' integrative complexity to be higher at the beginning of their first term and drop at the end. This pattern was pronounced for presidents who eventually won reelection to a second term and was markedly different for presidents who tried to gain reelection but lost. Additional analyses suggested that presidents' overall integrative complexity scores were in part accounted for by chronic differences between presidents' complexity levels. Further analyses revealed that this overall integrative complexity score was positively correlated to a set of interpersonal traits (friendliness, affiliation motive, extraversion, and wittiness) and negatively correlated with inflexibility. Discussion centers upon the causes and consequences of presidential complexity. [source] Hypoplastic left heart in a female infant with partial trisomy 4q due to de novo 4;21 translocationAMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS, Issue 4 2002Milen Velinov Abstract We present a female infant with mild dysmorphic features and congenital heart defect: hypoplastic left heart with aortic atresia and hypoplastic aortic arch, ventricular septal defect, and a nonrestrictive atrial communication. Chromosome analysis showed an unbalanced translocation that contained additional material from 4q translocated onto 21q. This resulted in partial trisomy 4 and monosomy for the 21q telomeric region. The derivative chromosome was characterized using G-banding, M-FISH, and whole chromosome painting. The karyotype was described as 46,XX,der(21)t(4;21)(q25;q22.3).ish(wcp4+;wcp21+). Additional analyses with FISH probes specific for 21q 22.3, 21q22.2, 21q21.1, and 21q11.2 did not indicate any chromosome 21 duplication within the derivative chromosome 21. Monosomy for the telomeric portion of 21q was demonstrated using a tel 21q probe (Oncor). The patient underwent stage 1 Norwood procedure to manage her heart defect. Poor feeding and failure to thrive complicated the postsurgical period. The child subsequently underwent funduplication and feeding tube placement, and at 4.5 months of age presented with microcephaly and developmental delay. Hypoplastic left heart was previously reported with increased frequency in relatively common numeric chromosomal aberrations, such as monosomy X, trisomies 21, 18, and 13, and in various structural chromosomal defects. Our report presents new evidence for the co-occurrence of hypoplastic left heart with a duplicated portion of chromosome 4 distal to 4q25. In addition, monosomy for the telomeric region of chromosome 21 may have implications in the phenotype. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Measuring childhood materialism: Refining and validating Schor's Consumer Involvement ScalePSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 7 2010Paul A. Bottomley This paper examines the measurement of childhood materialism using Schor's (2004) Consumer Involvement Scale. Schor treated consumer involvement empirically as a unidimensional construct, though she suggested that conceptually it may be multidimensional. Using confirmatory factor analysis procedures on data collected from children in the U.S. and U.K., the psychometric superiority of a three-factor structure is established, comprising dissatisfaction, consumer orientation, and brand awareness components. Additional analyses demonstrate distinct associations between each of these components and other constructs, including self-esteem, outside school activities, and child,parent relations. The scale's generalizability across boys and girls is also confirmed. The results suggest that Schor's Consumer Involvement Scale will be useful for researchers interested in studying the important topic of materialism in children. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] A scale for measuring store personalityPSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 5 2003Alain d'Astous The objective of this research study was to develop a scale for measuring store personality and to assess its psychometric properties. A preliminary study showed that store personality comprised five dimensions, termed sophistication, solidity, genuineness, enthusiasm, and unpleasantness. A follow-up survey with 226 adult consumers confirmed the stability of the factorial structure of the 34-item store-personality scale as well as the reliability of each composite dimension. Some empirical evidence was gathered with respect to the scale's construct validity, because the proposed store-personality scale was shown to behave in a manner consistent with self-image congruence theory. Additional analyses revealed that a reduced scale including 20 items exhibited factorial stability and resulted in reliable measures of the five store-personality dimensions. Finally, some empirical support was obtained in favor of using the proposed scale across different retail settings. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Relation of family history of prostate cancer to perceived vulnerability and screening behaviorPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 2 2004Paul B. Jacobsen Men with a positive family history of prostate cancer are known to be at increased risk for the disease; however, relatively little is known about their risk perceptions or screening behavior. To address these issues, the current study examined the relationship of family history of prostate cancer to perceived vulnerability of developing prostate cancer and prostate cancer screening practices. Participants were 83 men with a positive family history of prostate cancer and 83 men with a negative family history of prostate cancer. As predicted, men with a positive family history reported greater (p,0.05) perceived vulnerability of developing prostate cancer and stronger intentions to undergo screening (p,0.05). They also reported greater past performance of prostate-specific antigen screening and were more likely to request information about prostate cancer (p,0.05). Additional analyses indicated that perceived vulnerability mediated the relation between family history and intentions to undergo prostate cancer screening. Findings confirm the increased likelihood of men with a positive family history to undergo prostate cancer screening and suggest that heightened concerns about developing the disease are an important motivating factor. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Kinship and social bonds in female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2009Kevin Langergraber A large body of theoretical and empirical research suggests that kinship influences the development and maintenance of social bonds among group-living female mammals, and that human females may be unusual in the extent to which individuals form differentiated social relationships with nonrelatives. Here we combine behavioral observations of party association, spatial proximity, grooming, and space use with extensive molecular genetic analyses to determine whether female chimpanzees form strong social bonds with unrelated individuals of the same sex. We compare our results with those obtained from male chimpanzees who live in the same community and have been shown to form strong social bonds with each other. We demonstrate that party association is as good a predictor of spatial proximity and grooming in females as it is in males, that the highest party association indices are consistently found between female dyads, that the sexes do not differ in the long-term stability of their party association patterns, and that these results cannot be explained as a by-product of the tendency of females to selectively range in particular areas of the territory. We also show that close kin (i.e. mother,daughter and sibling dyads) are very rare, indicating that the vast majority of female dyads that form strong social bonds are not closely related. Additional analyses reveal that "subgroups" of females, consisting of individuals who frequently associate with one another in similar areas of the territory, do not consist of relatives. This suggests that a passive form of kin-biased dispersal, involving the differential migration of females from neighboring communities into subgroups, was also unlikely to be occurring. These results show that, as in males, kinship plays a limited role in structuring the intrasexual social relationships of female chimpanzees. Am. J. Primatol. 71:840,851, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] An exploratory Investigation of new product forecasting practicesTHE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2002Kenneth B. Kahn To guide new product forecasting efforts, the following study offers preliminary data on new product forecasting practices during the commercialization stage (prelaunch and launch stage). Data on department responsibility for and involvement in the new product forecasting process, technique usage, forecast accuracy, and forecast time horizon across different types of new products are reported. Comparisons of new product forecasting practices for consumer firms versus industrial firms are also reported. Overall, study results show that the marketing department is predominantly responsible for the new product forecasting effort, there is a preference to employ judgmental forecasting techniques, forecast accuracy is 58% on average across the different types of new products, and two to four forecasting techniques are typically employed during the new product forecasting effort. Compared to consumer firms, industrial firms appear to have longer forecast time horizons and rely more on the sales force for new product forecasting. Additional analyses show that there does not appear to be a general relationship between a particular department's involvement and higher forecast accuracy or greater satisfaction, nor does it appear that use of a particular technique relates to higher forecast accuracy and greater satisfaction. Countering previous research findings, the number of forecasting techniques employed also does not appear to correlate to higher forecasting accuracy or greater satisfaction. Managerial and research implications are discussed. [source] Assessment of selection mapping near the myostatin gene (GDF-8) in cattleANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 5 2009P. Wiener Summary Domestic species provide a unique opportunity to examine the effects of selection on the genome. The myostatin gene (GDF-8) has been under strong selection in a number of cattle breeds because of its influence on muscle conformation and association with the ,double-muscling' phenotype. This study examined genetic diversity near this gene in a set of breeds including some nearly fixed for the allele associated with double-muscling (MH), some where the allele is segregating at intermediate frequency and some where the allele is absent. A set of microsatellites and SNPs were used to examine patterns of diversity at the centromeric end of bovine chromosome 2, the region where GDF-8 is located, using various statistical methods. The putative position of a selected gene was moved across the genomic region to determine, by regression, a best position of reduced heterozygosity. Additional analyses examined extended homozygous regions and linkage disequilibrium patterns. While the SNP data was not found to be very informative for selection mapping in this dataset, analyses of the microsatellite data provided evidence of selection on GDF-8 in several breeds. These results suggested that, of the breeds examined, the allele was most recently introduced into the South Devon. Limitations to the selection-mapping approach were highlighted from the analysis of the SNP data and the situation where the MH allele was at intermediate frequency. [source] Exercise and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in cognitively normal older adultsANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 3 2010Kelvin Y. Liang BS Objective In addition to the increasingly recognized role of physical exercise in maintaining cognition, exercise may influence Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, as transgenic mouse studies show lowered levels of AD pathology in exercise groups. The objective of this study was to elucidate the association between exercise and AD pathology in humans using Pittsburgh compound-B (PIB), amyloid-, (A,)42, tau, and phosphorylated tau (ptau)181 biomarkers. Methods Sixty-nine older adults (17 males, 52 females) aged 55 to 88 years, were recruited and confirmed to be cognitively normal. A questionnaire on physical exercise levels over the past decade was administered to all. Cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from 56 participants, and amyloid imaging with PIB was performed on 54 participants. Results Participants were classified based on biomarker levels. Those with elevated PIB (p = 0.030), tau (p = 0.040), and ptau181 (p = 0.044) had significantly lower exercise, with a nonsignificant trend for lower A,42 (p = 0.135) to be associated with less exercise. Results were similar for PIB after controlling for covariates; tau (p = 0.115) and ptau181 (p = 0.123) differences were reduced to nonsignificant trends. Additional analyses also demonstrated that active individuals who met the exercise guidelines set by the American Heart Association had significantly lower PIB binding and higher A,42 levels with and without controlling for covariates (PIB: p = 0.006 and p = 0.001; A,42: p = 0.042 and p = 0.046). Last, the associations between exercise engagement and PIB levels were more prominent in APOE epsilon 4 noncarriers. Interpretation Collectively, these results are supportive of an association between exercise engagement and AD biomarkers in cognitively normal older adults. Ann Neurol 2010;68:311,318 [source] A somatic NLRP3 mutation as a cause of a sporadic case of chronic infantile neurologic, cutaneous, articular syndrome/neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease: Novel evidence of the role of low-level mosaicism as the pathophysiologic mechanism underlying mendelian inherited diseasesARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 4 2010Juan I. Aróstegui Objective Chronic infantile neurologic, cutaneous, articular syndrome (CINCA), also known as neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID), is a severe, early-onset autoinflammatory disease characterized by an urticaria-like rash, arthritis/arthropathy, variable neurologic involvement, and dysmorphic features, which usually respond to interleukin-1 blockade. CINCA/NOMID has been associated with dominant Mendelian inherited NLRP3 mutations. However, conventional sequencing analyses detect true disease-causing mutations in only ,55,60% of patients, which suggests the presence of genetic heterogeneity. We undertook the current study to assess the presence of somatic, nongermline NLRP3 mutations in a sporadic case of CINCA/NOMID. Methods Clinical data, laboratory results, and information on treatment outcomes were gathered through direct interviews. Exhaustive genetic studies, including Sanger method sequencing, subcloning, restriction fragment length polymorphism assay, and pyrosequencing, were performed. Results The patient's CINCA/NOMID was diagnosed based on clinical features (early onset of the disease, urticaria-like rash, knee arthropathy, and dysmorphic features). The patient has exhibited a successful response to anakinra within the last 28 months. Analysis of NLRP3 identified a novel heterozygous variant (p.D303H) that was detected in ,30,38% of circulating leukocytes. The absence of this variant in healthy controls and in the patient's parents suggested a de novo true disease-causing mutation. Additional analyses showed that this novel mutation was present in both leukocyte subpopulations and epithelial cells. Conclusion Our findings identify the novel p.D303H NLRP3 variant in a Spanish patient with CINCA/NOMID as a new disease-causing mutation, which was detected as a somatic, nongermline mutation in hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cell lineages. Our data provide new insight into the role of low-level mosaicism in NLRP3 as the pathophysiologic mechanism underlying cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome. [source] Dyadic Analyses of Friendship in a Sample of Preschool-Age Children Attending Head Start: Correspondence between Measures and Implications for Social CompetenceCHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2001Brian E. Vaughn Friendships among a large sample of preschool-age children (N= 471) attending Head Start were assessed. Based on sociometric data, friendship dyads were identified as reciprocated (mutual choice) or nonreciprocated (unilateral choice). Dyads were further classified with respect to gender composition as either same- or mixed-gender dyads. Older children were more likely to participate in a reciprocated friendship than were younger children and reciprocated dyads were more likely to be same-gender than were nonreciprocated dyads. Analyses of interaction between dyad partners revealed that reciprocated friends interacted more frequently across all categories of interaction coded and looked at each other more frequently than did members of nonreciprocated dyads. For the positive interaction subscore, the friendship status effect was modified by a significant interaction with gender composition such that significant effects of friendship status were obtained only for same-gender dyads. Additional analyses indicated that the average social competence level was greater for reciprocated dyads than for nonreciprocated dyads. The findings suggest that reciprocated friendships are meaningful for preschool-age children and may serve as special socialization contexts in which the repertoire of behavior can be exercised and perhaps improved. They also highlight the salience of same-gender friendships in the preschool classroom. [source] Interpersonal distress as a mediator between avoidance goals and goal satisfaction in psychotherapy inpatientsCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 3 2006Martin Grosse Holtforth Interpersonal behavior is assumed to be motivated by personal goals that an individual develops ontogenetically to satisfy and protect psychological needs. Interpersonal problems are hypothesized to (1) occur as a consequence of strong avoidance goals and (2) lead to decreased satisfaction of the person's approach goals. The hypotheses are tested using the self-report data of 284 subjects with predominantly anxiety, affective and eating disorders who applied for treatment in a clinic offering inpatient cognitive,behavioral psychotherapy. Results indicate that interpersonal problems mediate the relationship between avoidance goals and the satisfaction of approach goals. Additional analyses explore specific associations between avoidance goals and certain kinds of interpersonal problem. Avoidance goals are then located within the interpersonal circle structure.,Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Retailer's Response to Alternate Manufacturer's Incentives Under a Single-Period, Price-Dependent, Stochastic-Demand Framework,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 4 2005F. J. Arcelus ABSTRACT This article considers the joint development of the optimal pricing and ordering policies of a profit-maximizing retailer, faced with (i) a manufacturer trade incentive in the form of a price discount for itself or a rebate directly to the end customer; (ii) a stochastic consumer demand dependent upon the magnitude of the selling price and of the trade incentive, that is contrasted with a riskless demand, which is the expected value of the stochastic demand; and (iii) a single-period newsvendor-type framework. Additional analysis includes the development of equal profit policies in either form of trade incentive, an assessment of the conditions under which a one-dollar discount is more profitable than a one-dollar rebate, and an evaluation of the impact upon the retailer-expected profits of changes in either incentive or in the degree of demand uncertainty. A numerical example highlights the main features of the model. The analytical and numerical results clearly show that, as compared to the results for the riskless demand, dealing with uncertainty through a stochastic demand leads to (i) (lower) higher retail prices if additive (multiplicative) error, (ii) lower (higher) pass throughs if additive (multiplicative) error, (iii) higher claw backs in both error structures wherever applicable, and (iv) higher rebates to achieve equivalent profits in both error structures. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||