Perceived goal instrumentality is associated with forgiveness: A test of the valuable relationships hypothesis

Three autobiographical studies tested the valuable relationships hypothesis of forgiveness. Although previous studies revealed that relationship value predicts interpersonal forgiveness, the measure of relationship value may be conflated with affective assessments of the relationship with the transgressor, which might have caused a criterion contamination problem. Therefore, we assessed the goal-related instrumentality of the transgressor (i.e., how useful the transgressor is for helping the victim to achieve his/her goals in fitness-relevant domains). Three studies, one involving a Japanese student sample (Study 1), a second involving Japanese community sample (Study 2), and a third involving U.S. community sample (Study 3), convergently showed that perceived goal instrumentality, as well as a latent relationship value variable estimated from multiple measures of relationship value, are associated with forgiveness. Moreover, this association could be explained in part by the intermediate association of perceived goal instrumentality with empathy both in Japan and the U.S

Pre‐post‐evaluation of a dementia‐specific advance care planning toolkit for Japanese primary care clinicians

BACKGROUND: The population of people living with dementia (PLwD) continues to grow in Japan where advance care planning (ACP) for PLwD is relatively new. Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility and cultural acceptability of a dementia-specific ACP communication skills toolkit for Japanese primary care clinicians. METHODS: We delivered 13 training sessions in primary care clinics across central Japan and conducted a post-training survey to assess whether the toolkit increased confidence in dementia-specific ACP communication skills and the acceptability of the toolkit with the following four statements: (1) The language in the sessions was clear, (2) The sessions took an appropriate amount of time to complete, (3) The design of the sessions was an effective educational method, and (4) The sessions were culturally appropriate for communication with Japanese patients with dementia and their family members. We asked participants to respond using a 5-point Likert scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. RESULTS: All participants were Japanese and included 80 physicians (mean age 39.8 years), 33 nurses (mean age 45.7 years), and 58 other participants (mean age 42.9 years), who were 30.0%, 87.9%, and 55.2% female, respectively. Most participants practiced in rural settings. In pre- post-comparisons, participant confidence increased in determining capacity, understanding dementia prognosis, goals of care, eliciting surrogates, recommending self-care practices to families, and leading family meetings (all p < 0.001). Most participants strongly agreed or agreed that the toolkit was an effective method (96.9%), took an appropriate amount of time (94.5%), contained clear language (89.8%), and was culturally appropriate (73.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Dementia-specific ACP communication skills toolkit can be delivered in Japan. Japanese primary care clinicians generally felt the dementia-specific ACP toolkit increased their confidence in ACP communication skills and was acceptable. The language, time, and design were well received, though further work is needed to improve the cultural appropriateness of the toolkit

Tetranins: new putative spider mite elicitors of host plant defense

Summary The two‐spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) is a plant‐sucking arthropod herbivore that feeds on a wide array of cultivated plants. In contrast to the well‐characterized classical chewing herbivore salivary elicitors that promote plant defense responses, little is known about sucking herbivores' elicitors. To characterize the sucking herbivore elicitors, we explored putative salivary gland proteins of spider mites by using an Agrobacterium‐mediated transient expression system or protein infiltration in damaged bean leaves. Two candidate elicitors (designated as tetranin1 (Tet1) and tetranin2 (Tet2)) triggered early leaf responses (cytosolic calcium influx and membrane depolarization) and increased the transcript abundances of defense genes in the leaves, eventually resulting in reduced survivability of T. urticae on the host leaves as well as induction of indirect plant defenses by attracting predatory mites. Tet1 and/or Tet2 also induced jasmonate, salicylate and abscisic acid biosynthesis. Notably, Tet2‐induced signaling cascades were also activated via the generation of reactive oxygen species. The signaling cascades of these two structurally dissimilar elicitors are mostly overlapping but partially distinct and thus they would coordinate the direct and indirect defense responses in host plants under spider mite attack in both shared and distinct manners

Capture fish product quality and international trade in developing world

Fisheries products are the worlds most widely traded foods. Despite the fact that global demand for fish and fishery products continues to rise every year, fish export from the developing world have faced many limitation from non-conformity with international standards to inadequate product certification. As international fisheries trade grows, governments, industry and fishers face the reality of a complex web of international trade, environmental policy and legal instruments. The objective of this study was to examine current trend in fisheries trade as it relates to product quality. The methodology used involved different approaches including secondary data, interview of processors, regulatory agents to unveil grey areas in quality of fisheries products. Results showed that there are several public/private standards and certifications involved in fisheries. These standards pose export challenges for developing countries who often find it difficult to meet the requirements of certification bodies as a result of steep certification fees, inadequate data, and small-scale business models. Consequently, up to 20 million metric tons of fish annually is either declared unfit for human consumption, destroyed or rejected at international market due to sub-standard quality problems. Furthermore, some countries are now banned from international trade due to non-compliance with international fishing standards. Poor quality practices in fisheries activities and processing contribute to economic loss in fish trade among the stakeholders. Developing countries need to intensify ways to gain credence of quality standards and certification bodies in order to compete better at international trade

Empowerment of women in Nigeria’s small-scale fisheries: a tool to sustainability

In Nigeria, women play major roles of at least 75% in the fisheries and aquaculture value- chains from production, processing, storage, marketing and trade. Unlike the men, women have not received commensurate levels of attention and empowerment largely because their roles are perceived as ‘invisible’, poorly evaluated and undocumented without substantial sex-disaggregated data as proof. For these reasons above and in furtherance of identifying key areas in which empowerment needs to be strengthened thus closing the gender gap, this study was undertaken to contribute to information on the nature and empowerment of women and the factors influencing their participation in the small-scale fisheries. The study also aimed at determining relationship between the extent of the women’s empowerment and some selected determinants using a cumulative empowerment index (CEI). A mix of transdisciplinary, quantitative and qualitative methods was used for this study in Ikosi in Agbowa and Igboolomi fishing communities of Epe and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Areas of Lagos State respectively. Ten indicators of empowerment : contribution to household income, decision making ability, spending ability, ownership of assets, access to resources, membership in economic or social groups, time allocated to household, productive tasks and leisure activities, coping capacity to household shocks and political awareness were chosen for this purpose. Results obtained in this study showed that women are still very low in the CEI and it is hoped that this will pave way for a strategic framework for including gender –responsiveness in policies and developmental planning

Establishing a core outcome set for peritoneal dialysis : report of the SONG-PD (standardized outcomes in nephrology-peritoneal dialysis) consensus workshop

Outcomes reported in randomized controlled trials in peritoneal dialysis (PD) are diverse, are measured inconsistently, and may not be important to patients, families, and clinicians. The Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology-Peritoneal Dialysis (SONG-PD) initiative aims to establish a core outcome set for trials in PD based on the shared priorities of all stakeholders. We convened an international SONG-PD stakeholder consensus workshop in May 2018 in Vancouver, Canada. Nineteen patients/caregivers and 51 health professionals attended. Participants discussed core outcome domains and implementation in trials in PD. Four themes relating to the formation of core outcome domains were identified: life participation as a main goal of PD, impact of fatigue, empowerment for preparation and planning, and separation of contributing factors from core factors. Considerations for implementation were identified: standardizing patient-reported outcomes, requiring a validated and feasible measure, simplicity of binary outcomes, responsiveness to interventions, and using positive terminology. All stakeholders supported inclusion of PD-related infection, cardiovascular disease, mortality, technique survival, and life participation as the core outcome domains for PD

Durability of Mortar Incorporating Ferronickel Slag Aggregate and Supplementary Cementitious Materials Subjected to Wet–Dry Cycles

This paper presents the strength and durability of cement mortars using 0–100% ferronickel slag (FNS) as replacement of natural sand and 30% fly ash or ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as cement replacement. The maximum mortar compressive strength was achieved with 50% sand replacement by FNS. Durability was evaluated by the changes in compressive strength and mass of mortar specimens after 28 cycles of alternate wetting at 23 °C and drying at 110 °C. Strength loss increased by the increase of FNS content with marginal increases in the mass loss. Though a maximum strength loss of up to 26% was observed, the values were only 3–9% for 25–100% FNS contents in the mixtures containing 30% fly ash. The XRD data showed that the pozzolanic reaction of fly ash helped to reduce the strength loss caused by wet–dry cycles. Overall, the volume of permeable voids (VPV) and performance in wet–dry cycles for 50% FNS and 30% fly ash were better than those for 100% OPC and natural sand

CK2 Phosphorylates Sec31 and Regulates ER-To-Golgi Trafficking

Protein export from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an initial and rate-limiting step of molecular trafficking and secretion. This is mediated by coat protein II (COPII)-coated vesicles, whose formation requires small GTPase Sar1 and 6 Sec proteins including Sec23 and Sec31. Sec31 is a component of the outer layer of COPII coat and has been identified as a phosphoprotein. The initiation and promotion of COPII vesicle formation is regulated by Sar1; however, the mechanism regulating the completion of COPII vesicle formation followed by vesicle release is largely unknown. Hypothesizing that the Sec31 phosphorylation may be such a mechanism, we identified phosphorylation sites in the middle linker region of Sec31. Sec31 phosphorylation appeared to decrease its association with ER membranes and Sec23. Non-phosphorylatable mutant of Sec31 stayed longer at ER exit sites and bound more strongly to Sec23. We also found that CK2 is one of the kinases responsible for Sec31 phosphorylation because CK2 knockdown decreased Sec31 phosphorylation, whereas CK2 overexpression increased Sec31 phosphorylation. Furthermore, CK2 knockdown increased affinity of Sec31 for Sec23 and inhibited ER-to-Golgi trafficking. These results suggest that Sec31 phosphorylation by CK2 controls the duration of COPII vesicle formation, which regulates ER-to-Golgi trafficking