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At least 883 records · Page 49Linked to original sources

PubMed1998

Using the health belief model to explain clinic appointment-keeping for the management of a chronic disease condition.

Broken appointments have untoward repercussions for patients' health and well-being. Although the literature on missed appointments has been largely atheoretical, several studies have tested the Health Belief Model (HBM) in this context. Those studies have found HBM dimensions are not predictive of keeping appointments for the management of a chronic condition. Given several limitations that characterize these studies, questions can be raised about the validity of this conclusion. This study investigated the utility of HBM for explaining appointment-keeping for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), a potentially fatal chronic disease. A questionnaire, operationalizing HBM dimensions and exhibiting acceptable psychometric properties, was developed for this research and administered to 153 SLE patients enrolled at an outpatient clinic of a major teaching hospital. In addition to measuring intention to keep appointments, data were abstracted from medical records regarding actual appointment-keeping during 12 months prior to and 6 months following questionnaire completion. Regression analysis indicated that general health motivation and perceived severity of SLE were uniquely associated in the theoretically predicted direction with, respectively, intent and the percentage of scheduled appointments kept (PSAK) during the 12 month retrospective period. Perceived costs was associated in the expected direction with intent, 12 month retrospective and 6 month prospective PSAK. Typical of HBM research the effect sizes uncovered were modest in magnitude. Questions for future investigation are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Using clinical and criminal involvement factors to explain homelessness among clients of a psychiatric probation and parole service.

This study sought to examine the rate of homelessness and the extent to which lifetime homelessness was associated with clinical factors, such as diagnosis and treatment history; or criminal factors, such as criminal behavior and arrest history, among psychiatric probationers and parolees. Nearly half of the clients screened had experienced homelessness in their lifetime. In a logistic regression model to explain lifetime homelessness, significant factors were younger age, less education, a greater number of lifetime arrests, a schizophrenia diagnosis, and reporting both an alcohol and drug problem. Implications for service delivery with this population are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

The role of the amyloid protein precursor (APP) in Alzheimer's disease: does the normal function of APP explain the topography of neurodegeneration?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the aged population. Early-onset familial AD (FAD) involves mutations in a gene on chromosome 21 encoding the amyloid protein precursor or on chromosomes 14 or 1 encoding genes known as presenilins. All mutations examined have been found to increase the production of amyloidogenic forms of the amyloid protein (A beta), a 4 kDa peptide derived from APP. Despite the remarkable progress in elucidating the biochemical mechanisms responsible for AD, little is known about the normal function of APP. A model of how APP and A beta are involved in pathogenesis is presented. This model may explain why certain neuronal populations are selectively vulnerable in AD. It is suggested that those neurons which more readily undergo neuritic sprouting and synaptic remodelling are more vulnerable to A beta neurotoxicity.

Alzheimer Disease↗

PubMed1997

Measures of explained variation for a regression model used in survival analysis.

This paper describes a measure of explained variation (MEV) of survival times for a given regression model used in survival analysis. It quantifies the predictive power of a set of prognostic factors in the model, and therefore provides useful information for more precise prediction of patient prognosis, and for designing randomized clinical trials with the capability of determining treatment effects. The MEV defined in this article is asymptotically derived from the squared product-moment correlation; it can be interpreted as an adaptation of the multiple correlation coefficient for the normal linear model to the survival time regression model. Monte-Carlo simulations are performed to investigate the statistical behavior of the proposed MEV. The MEV is applied to estimate the predictive power of several sets of prognostic factors for gastric cancer in Japan using data from a large clinical trial.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2004

Use of fatty acids to explain variability of organochlorine concentrations in eggs and plasma of common terns (Sterna hirundo).

We have studied the breeding parameters, organochlorine compounds (OCs) concentrations, and fatty acid (FA) composition of egg yolks (n = 47) and plasma (n = 90) of common terns (Sterna hirundo) from two colonies (Banya and Fangar) in the Ebro delta, NE Spain. Terns from Banya tend to have smaller clutch size and lower hatching success than terns from Fangar. p,p'-DDE and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentrations were almost 2-fold higher in yolks from Banya in 1998 than from Fangar in 1999, and the percentage of n-6 PUFA was positively correlated with these contaminants. Differences between samplings in OCs concentrations in plasma were less evident, and were affected by breeding chronology. The highest OCs concentrations in yolks from Banya may be explained by two processes involving the increased deposition of n-6 PUFA: (1) higher mobilization of endogenous fat due to lower food resources, or (2) differences in the diet between colonies. Birds from Banya may have been feeding at a higher degree on discards of trawling fisheries composed of demersal and benthic fish species that are more exposed to contaminants from sediment and have lower n-3/n-6 ratio, whereas birds from Fangar would feed mostly on pelagic species of small clupeiformes that are less polluted and have higher n-3/n-6 ratios.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Explaining capital punishment support in an abolitionist country: the case of The Netherlands.

A substantial minority (35%) of the Dutch population is in favor of capital punishment. In this paper, it is argued that in a staunchly abolitionist country such as The Netherlands, the existence and perseverance of such support can be better understood and explained by conceiving of capital punishment support in attitudinal terms as part of a law and order syndrome. Death penalty attitudes are analyzed by means of hierarchic logistic regression analysis. It is shown that support can be modeled quite well, partly in terms of general attitudes to criminal justice, partly in terms of political and sociodemographic parameters. Within the criminal justice attitudes complex, more support is found among those endorsing harsh treatment of offenders, those willing to grant far-reaching powers to justice authorities, those believing that the government is not delivering on the topic of crime fighting, and those who are concerned about the level of crime. Within the political context, more support is enlisted among people who abstain from voting and those who vote at either extreme of the political spectrum as opposed to central parties' supporters. In sociodemographic segments it is the younger and poorly educated who are the strongest supporters of capital punishment. It is suggested that endorsing capital punishment can be better understood as an expressive act, displaying dissatisfaction with judicial and political elites in the country.

Attitude to Death↗

PubMed2001

[Can differences in stress perception and coping explain sex differences in depressive symptoms in adolescents?].

A four-year longitudinal study explored the different contribution of low self-esteem, different types of stressors, conflict in close relationships and avoidant coping to the explanation of depressive symptomatology in adolescents. One hundred and ninety adolescents, 101 females and 89 males, participated in four annual assessments using diverse instruments. ANOVAs repeated measurements revealed a higher stress level, more conflicts with mothers and more avoidant coping in females as compared to males at the age of 14 years. Males showed fewer depressive symptoms and higher positive self-esteem at all times. Multiple regression analysis revealed that stress and avoidant coping in early and mid-adolescence explained a significant proportion of depressive symptoms among females in late adolescence. Among males, only the level of conflicts with friends in early adolescence contributed to their level of depressive outcome in late adolescence.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2001

The distribution of HLA class II susceptible/protective haplotypes could partially explain the low incidence of type 1 diabetes in continental Italy (Lazio region).

HLA class II is the primary susceptibility gene to type 1 diabetes and the analysis of HLA class II association could help to clarify the relative weight of genetic contribution to the incidence of the disease. Here we present an extensive typing for HLA class II alleles and their haplotypes in a homogenous population of type 1 diabetic patients (n=134) and controls (n=128) and in simplex (n=100) and multiplex families (n=50) from continental Italy (Lazio region). Among the various haplotypes tested, the DRB1*0301-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 was the most frequent found in type 1 diabetic patients and was transmitted in 82% of affected siblings, whereas DRB1*0402-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302 appeared to have the highest odds ratio (10.4), this haplotype was transmitted in 96.3% of affected siblings, followed by DRB1*0405-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302, DRB1*0405-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0201, DRB1*0401-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302 and DRB1*0404-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302. The following haplotypes showed a significant decreased transmission to diabetic siblings: DRB1*0701-DQA1*0201-DQB1*0303, DR2-DQA1*01-DQB1*0602, DR5-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301. We suggest that the HLA DR/DQ haplotype/genotype frequencies observed could in part explain the low incidence of type 1 diabetes registered in Lazio region (8.1/100.000/year), for a number of reasons: i) the low frequency, in the general control population, of the most susceptible haplotypes and genotype for type 1 diabetes DRB1*0301-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 (14%), and DR4-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302 (9%) and DRB1*0301-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201/DR4-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302 (0.8%) compared to other countries characterised by high incidence rate of the disease, Sardinia and Finland, respectively; ii) a significant lower ratio, in the control population, between the susceptible DRB1*0301-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 and the neutral DRB1*0701-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 haplotypes compared to the Sardinian population; iii) the high frequency of protection haplotypes/genotypes as the DR5-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301, and DR5-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301/DR5-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301 very common in the control population of Lazio region and the DRB1*1401-DQA1*0101-DQB1*0503 haplotype.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Agreement between self- and clinician-rated suicidal symptoms in a clinical sample of young adults: explaining discrepancies.

This study compared self- versus clinician-rated suicide assessment among participants referred for suicidal ideation or behavior, with emphasis on understanding self- versus clinician-rated discrepancies. A total of 328 participants in a suicide-treatment project completed baseline measures of symptoms and personality (including self-report and clinician-rated indexes of suicidal tendency), and portions of the sample completed follow-up assessments at 6, 12, and 18 months. A high rate of discrepancy between self- and clinician ratings of suicidal tendency was noted: the nature of this discrepancy was such that clinicians were likely to see patients as high in suicidal tendency, whereas patients were less likely to see themselves as such. Data on future symptoms indicated that patients' self-ratings contained considerable predictive value. Variables such as history of previous attempts and histrionic personality style may help explain self-versus clinician-rated discrepancies.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

The inverse base-rate effect is not explained by eliminative inference.

The inverse base-rate effect is a phenomenon in which people learn about some common and some rare outcomes and in subsequent testing people predict the rare outcome for particular sets of conflicting cues, contrary to normative predictions. P. Juslin, P. Wennerholm, and A. Winman suggested that the effect could be explained by eliminative inference, contrary to the attention-shifting explanation of J. K. Kruschke. The present article shows that the eliminative inference model exhibits ordinal discrepancies from previously published data and from data of 2 new experiments. A connectionist implementation of attentional theory fits the data well. The author concludes that people can use eliminative inference but that it cannot account for the inverse base-rate effect.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Explaining sex differences in managerial career satisfier preferences: the role of gender self-schema.

Using survey data from 400 managers, the authors examined whether gender self-schema would explain sex differences in preferences for status-based and socioemotional career satisfiers. Female gender self-schema, represented by femininity and family role salience, completely mediated the relationship between managers' sex and preferences for socioemotional career satisfiers. However, male gender self-schema, represented by masculinity and career role salience, did not mediate the relationship between managers' sex and preferences for status-based career satisfiers. As expected, male managers regarded status-based career satisfiers as more important and socioemotional career satisfiers as less important than female managers did. The proposed conceptualization of male and female gender self-schemas, which was supported by the data, enhances understanding of adult self-schema and work-related attitudes and behavior.

Career Choice↗

PubMed2005

Explaining disproportionately high rates of adverse birth outcomes among African Americans: the impact of stress, racism, and related factors in pregnancy.

Compared with European Americans, African American infants experience disproportionately high rates of low birth weight and preterm delivery and are more than twice as likely to die during their 1st year of life. The authors examine 5 explanations for these differences in rates of adverse birth outcomes: (a) ethnic differences in health behaviors and socioeconomic status; (b) higher levels of stress in African American women; (c) greater susceptibility to stress in African Americans; (d) the impact of racism acting either as a contributor to stress or as a factor that exacerbates stress effects; and (e) ethnic differences in stress-related neuroendocrine, vascular, and immunological processes. The review of literature indicates that each explanation has some merit, although none is sufficient to explain ethnic disparities in adverse birth outcomes. There is a lack of studies examining the impact of such factors jointly and interactively. Recommendations and cautions for future research are offered.

Black or African American↗

PubMed2005

Shape parameters explain data from spatial transformations: comment on Pearce et al. (2004) and Tommasi & Polli (2004).

In 2 recent studies on rats (J. M. Pearce, M. A. Good, P. M. Jones, & A. McGregor, see record 2004-12429-006) and chicks (L. Tommasi & C. Polli, see record 2004-15642-007), the animals were trained to search in 1 corner of a rectilinear space. When tested in transformed spaces of different shapes, the animals still showed systematic choices. Both articles rejected the global matching of shape in favor of local matching processes. The present authors show that although matching by shape congruence is unlikely, matching by the shape parameter of the 1st principal axis can explain all the data. Other shape parameters, such as symmetry axes, may do even better. Animals are likely to use some global matching to constrain and guide the use of local cues; such use keeps local matching processes from exploding in complexity.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Documenting and explaining the common AAB pattern in music and humor: establishing and breaking expectations.

The AAB pattern consists of two similar events followed by a third dissimilar event. The prevalence of this pattern in the aesthetic domain may be explained as violation of expectation: A minimum of two iterations is required to establish a repetitive pattern; once established, it is most efficient to promptly violate the expected continuance of the pattern to produce the maximal aesthetic effect. We demonstrate the prevalence of this pattern (in comparison to AB or AAAB) in a representative sample of a variety of musical genres and in a representative sample of repetitive genre of jokes. We also provide experimental evidence that the AAB pattern in jokes is maximally effective in producing a humor response in participants.

Attention↗

PubMed1993

Are age trends in adult hand preference best explained by developmental shifts or generational differences?

Hand use in the performance of six everyday activities was analyzed as a function of age in a sample of 654 adults. An unskilled grasping tasks showed the largest shift toward consistent right-handedness as a function of age; skilled manipulation tasks, such as writing, exhibited weaker age-related trends. Analysis of individual preference patterns showed decreases in mixed right hand use (defined as a right-hander who occasionally uses the left hand) and increases in consistent right hand use in older adults. There was also a weaker age-related reduction in mixed left hand use but the numbers of consistent left-handers remained a small, constant percentage of the sample across all age groups. These results are congruent with the predictions of two developmental hypotheses offered to explain trends in adult hand preference. These are, first, a postulated age trend toward hand preference consistency and, second, a practice effect related to an environment arranged to favor right hand use.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Low-latitude glaciation and rapid changes in the Earth's obliquity explained by obliquity-oblateness feedback.

Palaeomagnetic data suggest that the Earth was glaciated at low latitudes during the Palaeoproterozoic (about 2.4-2.2 Gyr ago) and Neoproterozoic (about 820-550 Myr ago) eras, although some of the Neoproterozoic data are disputed. If the Earth's magnetic field was aligned more or less with its spin axis, as it is today, then either the polar ice caps must have extended well down into the tropics-the 'snowball Earth' hypothesis-or the present zonation of climate with respect to latitude must have been reversed. Williams has suggested that the Earth's obliquity may have been greater than 54 degrees during most of its history, which would have made the Equator the coldest part of the planet. But this would require a mechanism to bring the obliquity down to its present value of 23.5 degrees. Here we propose that obliquity-oblateness feedback could have reduced the Earth's obliquity by tens of degrees in less than 100 Myr if the continents were situated so as to promote the formation of large polar ice sheets. A high obliquity for the early Earth may also provide a natural explanation for the present inclination of the lunar orbit with respect to the ecliptic (5 degrees), which is otherwise difficult to explain.

Atmosphere↗

PubMed2001

Female sticklebacks count alleles in a strategy of sexual selection explaining MHC polymorphism.

The origin and maintenance of polymorphism in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes in natural populations is still unresolved. Sexual selection, frequency-dependent selection by parasites and pathogens, and heterozygote advantage have been suggested to explain the maintenance of high allele diversity at MHC genes. Here we argue that there are two (non-exclusive) strategies for MHC-related sexual selection, representing solutions to two different problems: inbreeding avoidance and parasite resistance. In species prone to inadvertent inbreeding, partners should prefer dissimilar MHC genotypes to similar ones. But if the goal is to maximize the resistance of offspring towards potential infections, the choosing sex should prefer mates with a higher diversity of MHC alleles. This latter strategy should apply when there are several MHC loci, as is the case in most vertebrates. We tested the relative importance of an 'allele counting' strategy compared to a disassortative mating strategy using wild-caught three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from an interconnected system of lakes. Here we show that gravid female fish preferred the odour of males with a large number of MHC class-IIB alleles to that of males with fewer alleles. Females did not prefer male genotypes dissimilar to their own.

Alleles↗

PubMed1991

X-chromosome inactivation may explain the difference in viability of XO humans and mice.

Only about 1% of human XO conceptuses survive to birth and these usually have the characteristics of Turner's syndrome, with a complex and variable phenotype including short stature, gonadal dysgenesis and anatomical defects. Both the embryonic lethality and Turner's syndrome are thought to be due to monosomy for a gene or genes common to the X and Y chromosomes. These genes would be expected to be expressed in females from both active and inactive X chromosomes to ensure correct dosage of gene product. Two genes with these properties are ZFX and RPS4X, both of which have been proposed to play a role in Turner's syndrome. In contrast to humans, mice that are XO are viable with no prenatal lethality (P. Burgoyne, personal communication) and are anatomically normal and fertile. We have devised a system to analyse whether specific genes on the mouse X chromosome are inactivated, and demonstrate that both Zfx and Rps4X undergo normal X-inactivation in mice. Thus the relative viability of XO mice compared to XO humans may be explained by differences between the two species in the way that dosage compensation of specific genes is achieved.

Animals↗