On the importance of pro-environmental organizational climate for employee green behavior

In their call to action, Ones and Dilchert(2012) discuss several possible individual and some contextual determinants of employee green behavior that await examination by industrial and organizational I–O) psychologists. Although these authors briefly mentioned organizational climate, specifically ethical climate, as a potentially relevant predictor of green behaviors, they mostly emphasized the role of individual difference characteristics and traditional job performance determinants such as knowledge, skills, abilities, and other person factors (KSAOs).

Acellular dermal matrix graft with or without enamel matrix derivative for root coverage in smokers: a randomized clinical study

Aim: The aim of this randomized controlled clinical study was to compare the use of an acellular dermal matrix graft (ADMG) with or without the enamel matrix derivative (EMD) in smokers to evaluate which procedure would provide better root coverage. Material and Methods: Nineteen smokers with bilateral Miller Class I or II gingival recessions >= 3 mm were selected. The test group was treated with an association of ADMG and EMD, and the control group with ADMG alone. Probing depth, relative clinical attachment level, gingival recession height, gingival recession width, keratinized tissue width and keratinized tissue thickness were evaluated before the surgeries and after 6 months. Wilcoxon test was used for the statistical analysis at significance level of 5%. Results: No significant differences were found between groups in all parameters at baseline. The mean gain recession height between baseline and 6 months and the complete root coverage favored the test group (p = 0.042, p = 0.019 respectively). Conclusion: Smoking may negatively affect the results achieved through periodontal plastic procedures; however, the association of ADMG and EMD is beneficial in the root coverage of gingival recessions in smokers, 6 months after the surgery.

Morphological heterogeneity of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis: relevance of the Rho-like GTPase PbCDC42

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis budding pattern and polymorphic growth were previously shown to be closely linked to the expression of PbCDC42 and to influence the pathogenesis of the fungus. In this work we conducted a detailed morphogenetic evaluation of the yeast-forms of 11 different clinical and environmental P. brasiliensis isolates comprising four phylogenetic lineages (S1, PS2, PS3 and Pb01-like), as well as a PbCDC42 knock-down strain. High variations in the shape and size of mother and bud cells of each isolate were observed but we did not find a characteristic morphologic profile for any of the phylogenetic groups. In all isolates studied, the bud size and shape were demonstrated to be highly dependent on the mother cell. Importantly, we found strong correlations between PbCDC42 expression and both the shape of mother and bud cells and the size of the buds in all isolates and the knock-down strain. Our results suggested that PbCDC42 expression can explain approximately 80% of mother and bud cell shape and 19% of bud cell size. This data support PbCDC42 expression level as being a relevant predictor of P. brasiliensis morphology. Altogether, these findings quantitatively describe the polymorphic nature of the P. brasiliensis yeast form and provide additional support for the key role of PbCDC42 expression on yeast cell morphology.

How quota-based procedures affect the self-ascribed fit and motivation of European women and men striving for leadership positions

The consequences of quota-based hiring policies on women’s and men’s self-ascribed fit and motivation to apply for leadership positions were investigated in the European context. 389 management students (195 women, 194 men) from Switzerland, Germany, and Austria received job advertisements varying in their gender policies. Interestingly, women’s and men’s self-ascribed fit and motivation to apply did not differ when no policy was included. Instead, participant’s agency was the relevant predictor leading to higher perceived fit, resulting in higher inclination to apply. When women were either explicitly invited to apply or preferentially treated when equally qualified, they reported higher fit and inclination to apply compared to both the control condition and men. In contrast, when a quota of 40% women should be established, neither women’s fit nor motivation to apply were increased beyond the levels of the control or men’s. Men were not affected by the different policies.

Distribution models for mountain plant species: The value of elevation

The climatic conditions of mountain habitats are greatly influenced by topography. Large differences in microclimate occur with small changes in elevation, and this complex interaction is an important determinant of mountain plant distributions. In spite of this, elevation is not often considered as a relevant predictor in species distribution models (SDMs) for mountain plants. Here, we evaluated the importance of including elevation as a predictor in SDMs for mountain plant species. We generated two sets of SDMs for each of 73 plant species that occur in the Pacific Northwest of North America; one set of models included elevation as a predictor variable and the other set did not. AUC scores indicated that omitting elevation as a predictor resulted in a negligible reduction of model performance. However, further analysis revealed that the omission of elevation resulted in large over-predictions of species' niche breadths-this effect was most pronounced for species that occupy the highest elevations. In addition, the inclusion of elevation as a predictor constrained the effects of other predictors that superficially affected the outcome of the models generated without elevation. Our results demonstrate that the inclusion of elevation as a predictor variable improves the quality of SDMs for high-elevation plant species. Because of the negligible AUC score penalty for over-predicting niche breadth, our results support the notion that AUC scores alone should not be used as a measure of model quality. More generally, our results illustrate the importance of selecting biologically relevant predictor variables when constructing SDMs.

Examining a proposed job retention model for adult workers with mental retardation in supported employment

This quantitative study investigated the predictive relationships and interaction between factors such as work-related social behaviors (WRSB), self-determination (SD), person-job congruency (PJC), job performance (JP), job satisfaction (JS), and job retention (JR). A convenience sample of 100 working adults with MR were selected from supported employment agencies. Data were collected using a survey test battery of standardized instruments. The hypotheses were analyzed using three multiple regression analyses to identify significant relationships. Beta weights and hierarchical regression analysis determined the percentage of the predictor variables contribution to the total variance of the criterion variables, JR, JP, and JS. ^ The findings highlight the importance of self-determination skills in predicting job retention, satisfaction, and performance for employees with MR. Consistent with the literature and hypothesized model, there was a predictive relationship between SD, JS and JR. Furthermore, SD and PJC were predictors of JP. SD and JR were predictors of JS. Interestingly, the results indicated no significant relationship between JR and JP, or between JP and JS, or between PJC and JS. This suggests that there is a limited fit between the hypothesized model and the study's findings. However, the theoretical contribution made by this study is that self-determination is a particularly relevant predictor of important work outcomes including JR, JP, and JS. This finding is consistent with Deci's (1992) Self-Determination Theory and Wehmeyer's (1996) argument that SD skills in individuals with disabilities have important consequences for the success in transitioning from school to adult and work life. This study provides job retention strategies that offer rehabilitation and HR professionals a useful structure for understanding and implementing job retention interventions for people with MR. ^ The study concluded that workers with mental retardation who had more self-determination skills were employed longer, more satisfied, and better performers on the job. Also, individuals whose jobs were matched to their interests and abilities (person-job congruency) were better at self-determination skills. ^

How well can models predict changes in species distributions? A 13-year-old otter model revisited

Species distribution and ecological niche models are increasingly used in biodiversity management and conservation. However, one thing that is important but rarely done is to follow up on the predictive performance of these models over time, to check if their predictions are fulfilled and maintain accuracy, or if they apply only to the set in which they were produced. In 2003, a distribution model of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in Spain was published, based on the results of a country-wide otter survey published in 1998. This model was built with logistic regression of otter presence-absence in UTM 10 km2 cells on a diverse set of environmental, human and spatial variables, selected according to statistical criteria. Here we evaluate this model against the results of the most recent otter survey, carried out a decade later and after a significant expansion of the otter distribution area in this country. Despite the time elapsed and the evident changes in this species’ distribution, the model maintained a good predictive capacity, considering both discrimination and calibration measures. Otter distribution did not expand randomly or simply towards vicinity areas,m but specifically towards the areas predicted as most favourable by the model based on data from 10 years before. This corroborates the utility of predictive distribution models, at least in the medium term and when they are made with robust methods and relevant predictor variables.

Women's Attachment as a Predictor of Pain During Labour and Post-Delivery: a Prospective Observational Study

INTRODUCTION: Labour is considered to be one of the most painful and significant experiences in a woman's life. The aim of this study was to examine whether women's attachment style is a predictor of the pain experienced throughout labour and post-delivery. MATERIAL AND METHODS:Thirty-two pregnant women were assessed during the third trimester of pregnancy and during labour. Adult attachment was assessed with the Adult Attachment Scale ' Revised. The perceived intensity of labour pain was measured using a visual analogue scale for pain in the early stage of labour, throughout labour and post-delivery. RESULTS:Women with an insecure attachment style reported more pain at 3 cm of cervical dilatation (p < 0.05), before the administration of analgesia (p < 0.01) and post-delivery (p < 0.05) than those securely attached. In multivariate models, attachment style was a significant predictor of labour pain at 3 cm of cervical dilatation and before the first administration of analgesia but not of the perceived pain post-delivery. DISCUSSION: These findings confirm that labour pain is influenced by relevant psychological factors and suggest that a woman's attachment style may be a risk factor for greater pain during labour. CONCLUSION:Future studies in the context of obstetric pain may consider the attachment style as an indicator of individual differences in the pain response during labour. This may have important implications in anaesthesiology and to promote a relevant shift in institutional practices and therapeutic procedures.

Hiperautofluorescencia foveal como factor predictor de recuperación visual en pacientes con desprendimiento regmatógeno de retina

Introducción: una de las causas de pobre ganancia visual luego de un tratamiento exitoso de desprendimiento de retina, sin complicaciones, es el daño de los fotoreceptores, reflejada en una disrupción de la capa de la zona elipsoide y membrana limitante externa (MLE). En otras patologías se ha demostrado que la hiperautofluorescencia foveal se correlaciona con la integridad de la zona elipsoide y MLE y una mejor recuperación visual. Objetivos: evaluar la asociación entre la hiperautofluorescencia foveal, la integridad de la capa de la zona elipsoide y recuperación visual luego de desprendimiento de retina regmatógeno (DRR) exitosamente tratado. Evaluar la concordancia inter-evaluador de estos exámenes. Metodología: estudio de corte transversal de autofluorescencia foveal y tomografía óptica coherente macular de dominio espectral en 65 pacientes con DRR evaluados por 3 evaluadores independientes. La concordancia inter-evaluador se estudio mediante Kappa de Cohen y la asociación entre las diferentes variables mediante la prueba chi cuadrado y pruebas Z para comparación de proporciones. Resultados: La concordancia de la autofluorescencia fue razonable y la de la tomografía óptica coherente macular buena a muy buena. Sujetos que presentaron hiperautofluorescencia foveal asociada a integridad de la capa de la zona elipsoide tuvieron 20% más de posibilidad de recuperar agudeza visual final mejor a 20/50 que los que no cumplieron éstas características. Conclusión: Existe una asociación clínicamente importante entre la hiperautofluorescencia foveal, la integridad de la capa de zona elipsoide y la mejor agudeza visual final, sin embargo ésta no fue estadísticamente significativa (p=0.39)

Exposición acumulada de polvo respirable como predictor de enfermedad respiratoria

En la minería de carbón se presenta exposición prolongada a polvo de carbón y a polvo de sílice en diferentes porcentajes, encontrándose una asociación con las alteraciones obstructivas, bronquitis crónica, Neumoconiosis de los trabajadores de carbón y Silicosis. Se han establecido varias formas de estimar el riesgo de desarrollar dichas enfermedades respiratorias no malignas secundarias a la exposición a estos polvos (carbón y sílice) en el ámbito ocupacional, siendo el cálculo de la exposición acumulada, la que ha demostrado mayor utilidad. Con el fin de establecer el riesgo de desarrollar alteraciones funcionales, a partir de la exposición acumulada de polvo respirable - y en los trabajadores de una empresa de minería a cielo abierto en Colombia, se estructuró este estudio de cohorte. Se contó con el registro de 566 trabajadores distribuidos en 29 Grupos de Exposición Similar (GES). El cálculo de la dosis acumulada se realizó considerando las medianas de exposición para cada GES y el tiempo de exposición de cada trabajador. Y posteriormente se estimó el riesgo empleando una regresión de poisson con varianza robusta. Los resultados más importantes del estudio muestran la exposición acumulada en niveles inferiores a los reportados en la literatura, sin embargo se encuentra un riesgo ligeramente elevado, IRR 1.000124 (IC95% 1 - 1.000248) en los expuestos, estimando que por cada unidad de medición de la exposición acumulada que se incremente, el riesgo de que aparezca una alteración respiratoria funcional se incrementa en 1.000124 veces entre los trabajadores expuestos y los no expuestos.

Satellite imagery as a single source of predictor variables for habitat suitability modelling: how Landsat can inform the conservation of a critically endangered lemur

1. Statistical modelling of habitat suitability is an important tool for planning conservation interventions, particularly for areas where species distribution data are expensive or hard to collect. Sometimes however the predictor variables typically used in habitat suitability modelling are themselves difficult to obtain or not meaningful at the geographical extent of the study, as is the case for the Alaotran gentle lemur Hapalemur alaotrensis, a critically endangered lemur confined to the marshes of Lake Alaotra in Madagascar.2. We developed a habitat suitability model where all predictor variables, including vegetation indices and image texture measures at different scales (as surrogates for habitat structure), were derived from Landsat7 satellite imagery. Using relatively few presence records, the maximum entropy (Maxent) approach and AUC were used to assess the performance of candidate predictor variables, for studying the effect of scale, model selection and mapping suitable habitat.3. This study demonstrated the utility of satellite imagery as a single source of predictor variables for a Maxent habitat suitability model at the landscape level, within a restricted geographical extent and with a fine grain, in a case where predictor variables typically used at the macro-scale level (e.g. climatic and topographic) were not applicable.4. In the case of H. alaotrensis, the methodology generated a habitat suitability map to inform conservation management in Lake Alaotra and a replicable protocol to allow rapid updates to habitat suitability maps in the future. The exploration of candidate predictor variables allowed the identification of scales that appear ecologically relevant for the species.5. Synthesis and applications. This study presents a cost-effective combination of maximum entropy habitat suitability modelling and satellite imagery, where all predictor variables are derived solely from Landsat7 images. With a habitat modelling method like Maxent that shows good performance with few presence samples and Landsat images now freely available, the methodology can play an important role in rapid assessments of the status of species at the landscape level in data-poor regions, when typical macro-scale environmental predictors are of little use or difficult to obtain.

Early improvement of psychotic symptoms with lithium monotherapy as a predictor of later response in mania

Although lithium has been the first line agent in the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD), few studies have evaluated lithium's efficacy in mania with psychosis and its association with later response. Furthermore, given the widespread concern about antipsychotic side effects, answering a question about whether lithium alone can manage to treat both psychotic and non-psychotic mania seems a very relevant one. The present study addresses the antipsychotic efficacy of lithium monotherapy in acute mania and early improvement of psychotic symptoms as a predictor of later response of manic symptoms. Forty-six patients presenting a manic episode (32 with psychotic features and 14 subjects without psychotic features) were treated for 4 weeks with lithium monotherapy and evaluated weekly using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). Subjects with rapid cycling, substance abuse/dependence, or mixed episodes were excluded. The overall antimanic efficacy of lithium in psychosis vs. non-psychosis groups was evaluated. In addition, early improvement of psychotic symptoms and its prediction of subsequent response (>50% decrease in total YMRS scores) or remission were evaluated. Lithium showed a similar efficacy in both psychosis and non-psychosis mania. Early improvement of psychotic symptoms was associated with clinical response and remission at endpoint. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-efficacy as a predictor of outcome after residential treatment programs for alcohol dependence: simply ask the patient one question!

Self-efficacy has been identified as one of the most consistent variables that predict the outcome of alcohol treatment. However, many previous studies in this field failed to control for other important predictors (e.g., dependences severity, psychiatric symptoms, and treatment goal). Our study's first goal was to evaluate the predictive value of self-efficacy when most other relevant variables were statistically controlled. The second goal was to compare the predictive values of self-efficacy assessed with the Situational Confidence Questionnaire (SCQ), and general self-efficacy assessed with a single question.

Functionally relevant coronary artery disease: comparison of 64-section CT angiography with myocardial perfusion SPECT

PURPOSE: To prospectively determine the accuracy of 64-section computed tomographic (CT) angiography for the depiction of coronary artery disease (CAD) that induces perfusion defects at myocardial perfusion imaging with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), by using myocardial perfusion imaging as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients gave written informed consent after the study details, including radiation exposure, were explained. The study protocol was approved by the local institutional review board. In patients referred for elective conventional coronary angiography, an additional 64-section CT angiography study and a myocardial perfusion imaging study (1-day adenosine stress-rest protocol) with technetium 99m-tetrofosmin SPECT were performed before conventional angiography. Coronary artery diameter narrowing of 50% or greater at CT angiography was defined as stenosis and was compared with the myocardial perfusion imaging findings. Quantitative coronary angiography served as a reference standard for CT angiography. RESULTS: A total of 1093 coronary segments in 310 coronary arteries in 78 patients (mean age, 65 years +/- 9 [standard deviation]; 35 women) were analyzed. CT angiography revealed stenoses in 137 segments (13%) corresponding to 91 arteries (29%) in 46 patients (59%). SPECT revealed 14 reversible, 13 fixed, and six partially reversible defects in 31 patients (40%). Sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values, respectively, of CT angiography in the detection of reversible myocardial perfusion imaging defects were 95%, 53%, 94%, and 58% on a per-patient basis and 95%, 75%, 96%, and 72% on a per-artery basis. Agreement between CT and conventional angiography was very good (96% and kappa = 0.92 for patient-based analysis, 93% and kappa = 0.84 for vessel-based analysis). CONCLUSION: Sixty-four-section CT angiography can help rule out hemodynamically relevant CAD in patients with intermediate to high pretest likelihood, although an abnormal CT angiography study is a poor predictor of ischemia.

Cement volume is the most important modifiable predictor for pain relief in BKP: results from SWISSspine, a nationwide registry

Purpose The effectiveness of vertebral augmentation techniques is a currently highly debated issue. The biomechanical literature suggests that cement filling volumes may play an important role in the ‘‘dosage’’ of vertebral augmentation and its pain alleviating effect. Good clinical data about filling volumes are scarce and most patient series are small. Therefore, we investigated the predictors of pain alleviation after balloon kyphoplasty in the nationwide SWISSspine registry where cement volumes are also recorded. Methods All single-level vertebral fractures with no additional fracture stabilization and availability of at least one follow-up within 6 months after surgery were included. The following potential predictors were assessed in a multivariate logistic regression model with the group’s average pain alleviation of 41 points on VAS as the desired outcome: patient age, patient sex, diagnosis, preoperative pain, level of fracture, type of fracture, age of fracture, segmental kyphotic deformity, cement volume, vertebral body filling volume, and cement extrusions. Results There were 194 female and 82 males with an average age of 70.4 and 65.3 years, respectively. Female patients were about twice as likely for achieving the average pain relief compared to males (p = 0.04). The preoperative pain level was the strongest predictor in that the likelihood for achieving an at least 41-point pain relief increased by about 8 % with each additional point of preoperative pain (p\0.001). A thoraco-lumbar fracture had a three times higher odds for the average pain relief compared with a lumbar fracture (p = 0.03). An A.3.1 fracture only had about a third of the probability for average pain relief compared with an A.1.1 fracture (p = 0.004). Cement volumes up to 4.5 ml only had an approximately 40 % chance for a minimum 41-point pain alleviation as compared with cement volumes of at least 4.5 ml (p = 0.007). In addition, the relationship between cement volume and pain alleviation followed a dose-dependent pattern. Conclusions Cement volume was revealed as a significant predictor for pain relief in BKP. Cement volume was the third most important influential covariate and the most important modifiable and operator dependent one. The clear dose-outcome relationship between cement filling volumes and pain relief additionally supports these findings. Cement volumes of [4.5 ml seem to be recommendable for achieving relevant pain alleviation. Patient sex and fracture type and location were further significant predictors and all these covariates should be recorded and reported in future studies about the pain alleviating effectiveness of vertebral augmentation procedures.