Explaining variance in perceived research misbehavior: results from a survey among academic researchers in Amsterdam

BACKGROUND

Concerns about research misbehavior in academic science have sparked interest in the factors that may explain research misbehavior. Often three clusters of factors are distinguished: individual factors, climate factors and publication factors. Our research question was: to what extent can individual, climate and publication factors explain the variance in frequently perceived research misbehaviors?

METHODS

From May 2017 until July 2017, we conducted a survey study among academic researchers in Amsterdam. The survey included three measurement instruments that we previously reported individual results of and here we integrate these findings.

RESULTS

One thousand two hundred ninety-eight researchers completed the survey (response rate: 17%). Results showed that individual, climate and publication factors combined explained 34% of variance in perceived frequency of research misbehavior. Individual factors explained 7%, climate factors explained 22% and publication factors 16%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the perceptions of the research climate play a substantial role in explaining variance in research misbehavior. This suggests that efforts to improve departmental norms might have a salutary effect on behavior.

Influence of pig gut microbiota on Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae susceptibility

This study investigated the influence of gut microbiome composition in modulating susceptibility to Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in pigs. Thirty-two conventional M. hyopneumoniae free piglets were randomly selected from six different litters at 3 weeks of age and were experimentally inoculated with M. hyopneumoniae at 8 weeks of age. Lung lesion scores (LS) were recorded 4 weeks post-inoculation (12 weeks of age) from piglet lungs at necropsy. Fecal bacterial community composition of piglets at 3, 8 and 12 weeks of age were targeted by amplifying the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The LS ranged from 0.3 to 43% with an evident clustering of the scores observed in piglets within litters. There were significant differences in species richness and alpha diversity in fecal microbiomes among piglets within litters at different time points (p < 0.05). The dissimilarity matrices indicated that at 3 weeks of age, the fecal microbiota of piglets was more dissimilar compared to those from 8 to 12 weeks of age. Specific groups of bacteria in the gut that might predict the decreased severity of M. hyopneumoniae associated lesions were identified. The microbial shift at 3 weeks of age was observed to be driven by the increase in abundance of the indicator family, Ruminococcaceae in piglets with low LS (p < 0.05). The taxa, Ruminococcus_2 having the highest richness scores, correlated significantly between litters showing stronger associations with the lowest LS (r = −0.49, p = 0.005). These findings suggest that early life gut microbiota can be a potential determinant for M. hyopneumoniae susceptibility in pigs.

Testing horizontal and vertical alignment of HR practices designed to achieve strategic organizational goals

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to measure the effect of aligning HR practices horizontally and vertically to support organizational strategic goals.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses were tested using 85,840 employees’ responses collected from a single, large public organization’s annual employee survey. Factor analysis with principal axis factoring and varimax rotation was used to confirm the variables being studied. The relationships were analyzed using ordered logistic regression.

Findings

Results suggest that compensation practices, workforce planning, and work/life balance-focused HR practices can be used to predict job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Additionally, when the combined effects of the three HR practice types are considered together, an increased reduction in turnover intention is indicated.

Practical implications

To achieve optimal performance organizations should be diligent in their efforts to align their functional area HRM strategies and practices with each other and with the overall strategic goals and objectives guiding the organization.

Originality/value

While the positive effect of alignment has been proposed by many scholars, empirical examinations of the binary approach are rare. This paper contributes to the field by providing a unique empirical examination of an organization’s implementation of HR practices designed to achieve stated strategic objectives through a large scale study.

Development and optimization of a cell-associated challenge model for Mycoplasma hyorhinis in 7-week-old cesarean-derived, colostrum-deprived pigs

Mycoplasma hyorhinis (MHR) causes polyserositis and lameness in grower pigs. While herd-specific vaccines for this bacterium are being marketed, there are currently no licensed, commercially available vaccines for MHR. The objective of this study was to develop a challenge model in cesarean-derived, colostrum-deprived (CDCD) pigs using cell-associated MHR that results in both severe pericarditis and lameness, in order to evaluate suitable vaccine candidates. We investigated administering MHR to 7-week-old pigs over 3 d using 3 different routes compared to administering MHR on a single day using 1 of 3 routes. Pigs were monitored for 21 d for signs of lameness and well-being. At the end of the study, pigs were examined for evidence of polyserositis and arthritis associated with Mycoplasma. Results indicate that clinical manifestation of disease depended more on the route of administration than on the total dose given. A single intravenous (IV) administration of MHR resulted in extensive polyserositis, while a single intranasal (IN) administration showed little to no signs of disease. A single intraperitoneal (IP) administration did not induce the same level of polyserositis as observed in the IV group, but did result in an increased incidence of lameness. Furthermore, pigs administered MHR by IP (Day 0), IV (Day 1), and IN (Day 2) on 3 consecutive days showed a more robust disease manifestation, which resulted in both polyserositis and lameness. Optimization of this group showed that elimination of the 3rd-day IN challenge had no detrimental effect on clinical outcomes. The consecutive day administration of cell-associated MHR will allow polyserositis and lameness to be simultaneously evaluated in future vaccine trials.

Abstract P397: Living in Ethnic-enclave Neighborhoods May Attenuate the Negative Effect of Acculturation on Blood Pressure in Refugees and Maintain Immigrant Health Effect

Background: Researchers have long hypothesized that acculturation (duration of U.S. residence [DOR]) is associated with increases in blood pressure in immigrant populations. However, little is known about the potential effects of acculturation on hypertension (HTN) in refugees living in ethnic-enclave neighborhoods. We conducted a cross-sectional study of Somali refugees and immigrants (a largely enclaved population) living in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

Method: We analyzed data from 1155 Somali refugees/immigrants who arrived in United States from 1990 to 2015 and are participating in an ongoing study of Somali refugees in the Twin Cities. Using 10 years as a threshold, the study population was divided into two groups based on DOR: short (&lt 10 years) or long (&gt= 10 years). Main outcome was HTN, which was defined using the protocol of international HTN studies. Differences between the two groups were determined by chi-squared test and t-test. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine association between HTN and DOR.

Results: Of 1155 subjects, 572 (49.6%) had DOR &gt= 10 years. Mean DOR was 9.8 ± 6.0 years (median of 10), and 58.1% (559 of 1155) were women. The short DOR group was younger (mean age 44.6 ± 18.0 vs 51.4 ± 18.1 years, P&lt 0.001. There was no difference in mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) between groups (117 mmHg vs 119 mmHg, P=0.087) and no correlation between SBP and DOR (linear R 2 =0.012). Prevalence of HTN was 29.5% (341 of 1155), with 179 of these 341 (52.5%) having uncontrolled HTN. HTN increased with aging: 4.1% (19 of 457) for age group 18-39, 15.3% (47 of 306) for ages 40-59, and 29.7% (114 of 384) for ages 60 + . After adjusting for body mass index, marital status, English language (written and spoken), health insurance, income / poverty ratio, language spoken at home, employment, education and DOR, age was the only predicator of HTN. Even after matching two groups by age, the distribution of HTN was similar between the two age-matched DOR groups (P=0.1879).

Conclusions: DOR (acculturation) was not a predictor of HTN in this highly enclaved refugee/immigrant sample. Further studies are needed to identify which cultural and neighborhood environment factors may operate to blunt the effects of acculturation on blood pressure.

Public and health professionals' misconceptions about the dynamics of body weight gain/loss

Human body energy storage operates as a stock-and-flow system with inflow (food intake) and outflow (energy expenditure). In spite of the ubiquity of stock-and-flow structures, evidence suggests that human beings fail to understand stock accumulation and rates of change, a difficulty called the stock-flow failure. This study examines the influence of health care training and cultural background in overcoming stock-flow failure. A standardized protocol assessed lay people's and health care professionals' ability to apply stock-and-flow reasoning to infer the dynamics of weight gain/loss during the holiday season (621 subjects from seven countries). Our results indicate that both types of subjects exhibited systematic errors indicative of use of erroneous heuristics. Stock-flow failure was found across cultures and was not improved by professional health training. The problem of stock-flow failure as a transcultural global issue with education and policy implications is discussed.

Examining the relationships between family meal practices, family stressors, and the weight of youth in the family

BACKGROUND

Research is limited on how the social environment of the home is related to childhood obesity.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships between positive family meal practices, family stressors, and the weight of youth and to examine parental weight status as a moderator of these relationships.

METHODS

The study enrolled 368 parent/child dyads from a Minnesota sample. We used mediation analysis to examine the associations

RESULTS

Families represented by an overweight parent reported fewer positive family meal practices (p < 0.001), higher levels of depression (p = 0.01), and fewer family rules (p = 0.02) as compared to families represented by a healthy weight parent. For overweight parents, positive family meal practices mediated the relationship between some family stressors and child weight.

CONCLUSIONS

This research suggests that the home environment may affect the weight of children in the family, and the effect is more pronounced in families with at least one overweight parent.

The Effect of Exercise During Pregnancy on Maternal Outcomes: Practical Implications for Practice

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women with low-risk pregnancies participate in moderate-intensity exercise during their pregnancy. Currently, only 15.1% of pregnant women exercise at the recommended levels, which is significantly lower than the general population's 45%. One potential reason is that exercise during pregnancy is perceived as risky. In this article, the authors provide a critical review of the literature examining the effect of exercise on preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, weight gain, labor and birth, and other issues associated with pregnancy. Overall, the evidence indicates that exercise during pregnancy is safe and perhaps even reduces the risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. The evidence for weight gain and labor and birth (rates of cesarean sections, duration of labor) is mixed. Unfortunately, much of the research examining exercise during pregnancy is observational, and the few randomized controlled trials that do exist are small and inadequately powered. Taken together, given the potential benefits of exercise during pregnancy and the lack of evidence for harmful effects on the mother and newborn, practitioners should encourage their healthy pregnant patients to exercise. Practical guidelines for recommending exercise to pregnant women are presented.

The Association Between Work Performance and Physical Activity, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Obesity

The purpose of this study was to test the association between lifestyle-related modifiable health risks (physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and obesity) and work performance. Data were obtained from 683 workers. Dependent variables included number of work loss days, quantity and quality of work performed, overall job performance, extra effort exerted, and interpersonal relationships. Results indicated that higher levels of physical activity related to reduced decrements in quality of work performed and overall job performance; higher cardiorespiratory fitness related to reduced decrements in quantity of work performed, and a reduction in extra effort exerted to perform the work; obesity related to more difficulty in getting along with coworkers; severe obesity related to a higher number of work loss days. It is concluded that lifestyle-related modifiable health risk factors significantly impact employee work performance.

A cohort study of the incidence of serious acute liver injury in diabetic patients treated with hypoglycemic agents

BACKGROUND

The incidence of acute liver failure or serious liver injury in diabetic patients is needed to evaluate the safety of hypoglycemic drug therapy.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 5 health maintenance organizations. Study patients were 171,264 health plan members 19 years or older when they received oral hypoglycemic drugs or insulin between April 1, 1997, and June 30, 1999. We searched for hospital discharge diagnoses and procedures potentially indicative of acute liver injury and reviewed the full-text medical records. Acute liver failure was defined as acute liver disease and (1) hepatic encephalopathy, (2) prothrombin time prolongation greater than 3 seconds or international normalized ratio greater than 1.5, and (3) a total bilirubin level greater than 3.0 mg/dL (>51 micro mol/L). Acute liver injury was diagnosed in individuals who did not meet 1 or more of the criteria for acute liver failure but had alanine transaminase or aspartate transaminase levels greater than 500 U/L.

RESULTS

We identified 35 cases of acute liver failure or injury not clearly attributable to a known cause other than use of hypoglycemic agents. The age- and sex-standardized incidence per 1000 person-years was 0.15 for insulin users, 0.08 for sulfonylurea users, 0.12 for metformin users, and 0.10 for troglitazone users. The incidence was higher (on the order of 0.3 per 1000) during the first 6 months of exposure to all hypoglycemic agents.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute liver failure or injury not clearly attributable to other known causes occurred on the order of 1 per 10,000 person-years among diabetic patients treated with oral hypoglycemic drugs or insulin.

Multicenter epidemiologic and health services research on therapeutics in the HMO Research Network Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics

Research and education programs in therapeutics that combine the data, organizational capabilities, and expertise of several managed care organizations working in concert can serve an important role when a single organization is not large enough to address a question of interest, when diversity in populations or delivery systems is required, and when it is necessary to establish consistency of results in different settings. Nine members of the HMO Research Network, a consortium of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that perform public domain research, have formed a Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERT), sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to conduct multicenter research in therapeutics. The CERT uses a distributed organizational model with shared leadership, in which data reside at the originating organization until they are needed to support a specific study. Extraction of data from the host computer systems, and some manipulation of data, is typically accomplished through computer programs that are developed centrally, then modified for use at each site. For complex studies, pooled analysis files are created by a coordinating center, and then analysed by investigators throughout the HMOs. It is also possible to contact HMO members when necessary. This multicenter environment has several benefits, addressing: (1) a wide array of questions about the safety and effectiveness of therapeutics, (2) the impact of efforts to change clinicians' and patients' behavior, and (3) pharmacoeconomic and pharmacogenetic questions.

Guess who's cooking? The role of men in meal planning, shopping, and preparation in US families

OBJECTIVES

To determine the role of men in meal-related tasks in households with both a male and female head, and to identify households in which the man is more likely to be involved in these tasks.

DESIGN

Data collected as part of the US Department of Agriculture's 1994 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals were analyzed.

SUBJECTS/SETTING

All analyses were restricted to sampled persons who were identified as a male head of household residing in a household that also had a female head (N = 1,204).

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

Frequency distributions were calculated and logistic regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Approximately 23%, 36%, and 27% of men reportedly were involved in meal planning, shopping, and preparation, respectively. Men in lower income and smaller households were more likely to be involved in each of the meal activities. Younger men and men in households in which the female head of household worked full-time were more likely to be involved in meal planning and preparation.

IMPLICATIONS

Current education efforts to improve family nutrition tend to target the female rather than the male head of household. Our findings confirm that this focus is appropriate for most dual-headed households.