Guest Editors’ Introduction On Understanding Ethical Behavior and Decision Making

Behavioral ethics is an emerging field that takes an empirical, social scientific approach to the study of business ethics. In this special issue, we include six articles that fall within the domain of behavioral ethics and that focus on three themes—moral awareness, ethical decision making, and reactions to unethical behavior. Each of the articles sheds additional light on the specific issues addressed. However, we hope this special issue will have an impact beyond that of the new insights offered in these articles, by stimulating evenmore research in this burgeoning field

Cigarette smoking and cerebral microvasculature in patients with type 1 diabetes: a pilot study

Introduction. A decrease in vasomotor reactivity reserve (VMRr) or an increase in pulsatility index (PI) are the early signs of cerebral microangiopathy in type 1 diabetes. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for microvascular complications of type 1 diabetes, but cigarette smokers are routinely excluded from studies on VMRr or PI in type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and there is no evidence of any significant impact of smoking on these variables in T1DM. Therefore, we aimed to assess the impact of cigarette smoking on VMRr and PI in these patients. Methods. VMRr and PI of the middle cerebral artery were measured with Transcranial Doppler in 79 patients with T1DM (median age 33.0 years, range 20–51, 44% males) without a history of cerebrovascular events, coronary heart disease or carotid stenosis. The relationship between cigarette smoking (n = 20, mean pack-years 9.4 ± 6.1) and VMRr, PI, concomitant risk factors, medications and the presence of systemic microvascular complications were analysed. Results. Smokers and non-smokers did not differ in terms of their clinical characteristics, with an exception of higher circadian insulin demand in smokers (60 ± 12.9 v. 49.2 ± 14.2 units; p = 0.004). A correlation between pack-years and PI (r = 0.6, p = 0.004), but not with VMRr, was found in smokers. However, no significant differences between smokers and non-smokers were found regarding either VMRr (mean 85.9 ± 20% v. 84.1 ± 20.1%; p = 0.74) or PI (median 0.85, range 0.61–1.09 v. 0.88, range 0.48–1.52; p = 0.2). Conclusions. We did not prove any significant impact of smoking on VMRr in T1DM patients, but the association between pack-years and PI may indicate the negative impact of intensive cigarette smoking on the cerebral microvasculature in type 1 diabetes.

Can a leader be seen as too ethical? The curvilinear effects of ethical leadership

Ethical leadership predicts important organizational outcomes such as decreased deviant and increased organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). We argued that due to the distinct nature of these two types of employee behaviors, ethical leadership decreases deviance in a linear manner (i.e., more ethical leadership leading to less deviance), but we expected ethical leadership to reveal a curvilinear relationship with respect to OCB. Specifically, we expected that, at lower levels, ethical leadership promotes OCB. However, at high levels, ethical leadership should lead to a decrease in these behaviors. We also examined a mechanism that explains this curvilinear pattern, that is, followers’ perceptions of moral reproach. Our predictions were supported in three organizational field studies and an experiment. These findings offer a better understanding of the processes that underlie the workings of ethical leadership. They also imply a dilemma for organizations in which they face the choice between limiting deviant employee behavior and promoting OCB

Novel multiple sclerosis susceptibility loci implicated in epigenetic regulation

We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility in German cohorts with 4888 cases and 10,395 controls. In addition to associations within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region, 15 non-MHC loci reached genome-wide significance. Four of these loci are novel MS susceptibility loci. They map to the genes L3MBTL3, MAZ, ERG, and SHMT1. The lead variant at SHMT1 was replicated in an independent Sardinian cohort. Products of the genes L3MBTL3, MAZ, and ERG play important roles in immune cell regulation. SHMT1 encodes a serine hydroxymethyltransferase catalyzing the transfer of a carbon unit to the folate cycle. This reaction is required for regulation of methylation homeostasis, which is important for establishment and maintenance of epigenetic signatures. Our GWAS approach in a defined population with limited genetic substructure detected associations not found in larger, more heterogeneous cohorts, thus providing new clues regarding MS pathogenesis

Reproducibility of 3-dimensional ultrasound readings of volume of carotid atherosclerotic plaque

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Non-invasive 3-dimensional (3D) ultrasound (US) has emerged as the predominant approach for evaluating the progression of carotid atherosclerosis and its response to treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of a central reading procedure concerning plaque volume (PV), measured by 3D US in a multinational US trial.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two data sets of 45 and 60 3D US patient images of plaques (mean PV, 71.8 and 39.8 μl, respectively) were used. PV was assessed by means of manual planimetry. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was applied to determine reader variabilities. The repeatability coefficient (RC) and the coefficient of variation (CV) were used to investigate the effect of number of slices (S) in manual planimetry and plaque size on measurement variability.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Intra-reader variability was small as reflected by ICCs of 0.985, 0.967 and 0.969 for 3 appointed readers. The ICC value generated between the 3 readers was 0.964, indicating that inter-reader variability was small, too. Subgroup analyses showed that both intra- and inter-reader variabilities were lower for larger than for smaller plaques. Mean CVs were similar for the 5S- and 10S-methods with a RC of 4.7 μl. The RC between both methods as well as the CVs were comparatively lower for larger plaques.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>By implementing standardised central 3D US reading protocols and strict quality control procedures highly reliable ultrasonic re-readings of plaque images can be achieved in large multicentre trials.</p

Lack of association between proton pump inhibitor use and brain aging: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE Due to conflicting scientific evidence for an increased risk of dementia by intake of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), this study investigates associations between PPI use and brain volumes, estimated brain age, and cognitive function in the general population. METHODS Two surveys of the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) conducted in Northeast Germany were used. In total, 2653 participants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and were included in the primary analysis. They were divided into two groups according to their PPI intake and compared with regard to their brain volumes (gray matter, white matter, total brain, and hippocampus) and estimated brain age. Multiple regression was used to adjust for confounding factors. Cognitive function was evaluated by the Verbal Learning and Memory Test (VLMT) and the Nuremberg Age Inventory (NAI) and put in relation to PPI use. RESULTS No association was found between PPI use and brain volumes or the estimated brain age. The VLMT score was 1.11 lower (95% confidence interval: - 2.06 to - 0.16) in immediate recall, and 0.72 lower (95% CI: - 1.22 to - 0.22) in delayed recall in PPI users than in non-users. PPI use was unrelated to the NAI score. CONCLUSIONS The present study does not support a relationship between PPI use and brain aging

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies from the CHARGE consortium identifies common variants associated with carotid intima media thickness and plaque

Carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and plaque determined by ultrasonography are established measures of subclinical atherosclerosis that each predicts future cardiovascular disease events. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association data in 31,211 participants of European ancestry from nine large studies in the setting of the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Consortium. We then sought additional evidence to support our findings among 11,273 individuals using data from seven additional studies. In the combined meta-analysis, we identified three genomic regions associated with common carotid intima media thickness and two different regions associated with the presence of carotid plaque (P < 5 × 10 -8). The associated SNPs mapped in or near genes related to cellular signaling, lipid metabolism and blood pressure homeostasis, and two of the regions were associated with coronary artery disease (P < 0.006) in the Coronary Artery Disease Genome-Wide Replication and Meta-Analysis (CARDIoGRAM) consortium. Our findings may provide new insight into pathways leading to subclinical atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular events