A little garbage in, lots of garbage out: Assessing the impact of careless responding in personality survey data

[EN]In self-report surveys, it is common that some individuals do not pay enough attention and effort to give valid responses. Our aim was to investigate the extent to which careless and insufficient effort responding contributes to the biasing of data.We performed analyses of dimensionality, internal structure, and data reliability of four personality scales (extroversion, conscientiousness, stability, and dispositional optimism) in two independent samples. In order to identify careless/insufficient effort (C/IE) respondents, we used a factor mixture model (FMM) designed to detect inconsistencies of response to items with different semantic polarity. The FMM identified between 4.4% and 10% of C/IE cases, depending on the scale and the sample examined. In the complete samples, all the theoretical models obtained an unacceptable fit, forcing the rejection of the starting hypothesis and making additional wording factors necessary. In the clean samples, all the theoretical models fitted satisfactorily, and the wording factors practically disappeared. Trait estimates in the clean samples were between 4.5% and 11.8% more accurate than in the complete samples. These results show that a limited amount of C/IE data can lead to a drastic deterioration in the fit of the theoretical model, produce large amounts of spurious variance, raise serious doubts about the dimensionality and internal structure of the data, and reduce the reliability with which the trait scores of all surveyed are estimated. Identifying and filtering C/IE responses is necessary to ensure the validity of research result

Muscle thickness and echogenicity measured by ultrasound could detect local sarcopenia and malnutrition in older patients hospitalized for hip fracture

Background: The aim of this work was to assess whether the muscle thickness and echogenicity were associated with dysphagia, malnutrition, sarcopenia, and functional capacity in acute hospital admission for a hip fracture. Methods: Observational study that assessed nutritional status by Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition, risk of dysphagia and sarcopenia by European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People and Barthel functional index. We measured muscle thickness and echogenicity of masseter, bicipital, and quadriceps rectus femoris (RF) and vastus intermedius (VI) by ultrasound. Results: One hundred and one patients were included in the study (29.7% sarcopenia and 43.8% malnutrition). Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index showed an inverse association of the masseter thickness with both sarcopenia (OR: 0.56) and malnutrition (OR: 0.38) and quadriceps with sarcopenia (OR: 0.74). In addition, patients at high risk of dysphagia had lower masseter thickness (p: 0.0001) while patients able to self-feeding had thicker biceps (p: 0.002) and individuals with mobility on level surfaces higher thickness of biceps (p: 0.008) and quadriceps (p: 0.04). Conclusion: Thickness of the masseter was associated with risk of dysphagia, biceps with the ability to self-feed, and that of the quadriceps RF-VI with mobility

A review of angular leaf spot resistance in common bean.

Angular leaf spot (ALS), caused by Pseudocer-cospora griseola, is one of the most devastating diseases of common bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.) in tropical and subtropical production areas. Breeding for ALS resistance is difficult due to the extensive virulence diversity of P. griseolaand the recurrent appearance of new virulent races. Five major loci, Phg-1 to Phg-5, confer-ring ALS resistance have been named, and markers tightly linked to these loci have been reported. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have also been described, but the validation of some QTLs is still pending. The Phg-1, Phg-4, and Phg-5loci are from common bean cultivars of the Andean gene pool, whereas Phg-2 and Phg-3are from beans of the Mesoamerican gene pool. The reference genome of common bean and high-throughput sequencing technologies are enabling the development of molecular markers closely linked to the Phg loci, more accurate mapping of the resistance loci, and the compar-ison of their genomic positions. The objective of this report is to provide a comprehensive review of ALS resistance in common bean. Further-more, we are reporting three case studies of ALS resistance breeding in Latin America and Africa. This review will serve as a reference for future resistance mapping studies and as a guide for the selection of resistance loci in breeding programs aiming to develop common bean cultivars with durable ALS resistance

White mold–resistant interspecific common bean germplasm lines VCW 54 and VCW 55

Interspecific breeding lines (IBL) VCW 54 (Reg. No. GP-276, PI 655531) and VCW 55 (Reg. No. GP-277, PI 655532) of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) resistant to white mold [WM; caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary] were jointly developed at the University of Idaho-Kimberly Research and Extension Center and Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. The Agricultural Experiment Stations of Idaho and Colorado released VCW 54 and VCW 55 on 10 Dec. 2008. Both IBL were derived from congruity backcrossing between small-seeded tropical black bean cultivar ICA Pijao and P. coccineus L. accession G 35172. ICA Pijao has an indeterminate upright growth habit Type II and resistance to bean common mosaic virus and some races of rust pathogen, and tolerance to bean golden mosaic virus (BGMV). G 35172 has large purple-mottled seeds, an indeterminate climbing growth habit Type IV, and resistance to BGMV. G 35172 also is variable for WM reaction. VCW 54 has scarlet flowers, purplish black seed, and the highest WM resistance. VCW 55 has white with pink-striped flower, black seed, and an intermediate level of WM resistance. Both IBL also have growth habit Type II, small seeds, and are late maturing, requiring ≥100 d from planting to maturity in southern Idaho. White mold resistance from VCW 54 and VCW 55 should be pyramided with WM resistance from across Phaseolus species and introgressed into common bean cultivars using appropriate crosses, population sizes, and disease screening and selection methods.This research was supported by the USDA-ARS National Sclerotinia Initiative Grant No. 58-5442-2-256 “Introgressing White Mold Resistance from the Secondary Gene Pool of Common Bean” from 2002 to 2009. The authors also thank Marie Dennis and Richard Hayes for management of the greenhouses at Kimberly, ID, and to Craig Robinson for field plot management at Parma, ID.USDA-ARSPeer reviewe

The use of invertebrates as indicators of environmental change in alpine rivers and lakes.

In alpine regions climatic change will alter the balance between water sources (rainfall, ice-melt, snowmelt, and groundwater) for aquatic systems, particularly modifying the relative contributions of meltwater, groundwater and rain to both rivers and lakes. While these changes are expected to have implications for alpine aquatic ecosystems, little is known about potential ecological tipping points and associated indicator taxa. We examined changes in biotic communities along a gradient of glacier influence for two study systems: (1) a stream network in the French Pyrénées; and (2) a network of lakes in the Italian Alps, with the aim of identifying potential indicator taxa (macroinvertebrates and zooplankton) of glacier retreat in these environments. To assess parallels in biotic responses across streams and lakes, both primary data and findings from other publications were synthesised. Using TITAN (Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis) changes in community composition of river taxa were identified at thresholds of <5.1% glacier cover and <66.6% meltwater contribution. Below these thresholds the loss of cold stenothermic benthic invertebrate taxa, Diamesa spp. and the Pyrenean endemic Rhyacophila angelieri was apparent. Some generalist taxa including Protonemura sp., Perla grandis, Baetis alpinus, Rhithrogena loyolaea and Microspectra sp. increased when glacier cover was <2.7% and <52% meltwater. Patterns were not as distinct for the alpine lakes, due to fewer sampling sites; however, Daphnia longispina grp. and the benthic invertebrate groups Plectopera and Planaria were identified as potential indicator taxa. While further work is required to assess potential indicator taxa for alpine lake systems, findings from alpine river systems were consistent between methods for assessing glacier influence (meltwater contribution/glacier cover). Hence, it is clear that TITAN could become a useful management tool, enabling: (i) the identification of taxa particularly sensitive to glacier retreat; and (ii) conservation efforts/resources to be better directed in alpine aquatic systems

On the association of debt attitudes with socioeconomic characteristics and financial behaviors

This study investigates time trends in debt attitudes, the socioeconomic profiles of members in three debt attitudes groups, implications for borrowing, banking, and spending behaviors, and the relationship of debt attitudes with planned borrowing and saving behaviors. Based on a representative online survey data of the German population, gender, income, and educational attainment are found to distinguish a larger group of emergency debtors from two smaller, about equally-sized, groups of debt refusers and debt pragmatists. Debt refusers report less engagement in current borrowing, banking, and spending behaviors compared with emergency debtors and debt pragmatists. Results hold after controlling for psychological responses such as economic outlook, financial planning, and debt stress. Implications for attitude-focused interventions are discussed