Development and validation of a firm-level vertical and horizontal internationalization metric

The lack of valid and reliable measures of firm-level vertical and horizontal internationalization is impeding the development and testing of hypothesized relationships between these respective dimensions of internationalization and a range of important MNE characteristics, actions, and effects. Through a series of qualitative and quantitative studies using data collected from senior MNE executives (total N=3,146), we develop and validate a scale to measure both vertical and horizontal firm-level internationalization. Subscales for each type of internationalization prove to be unidimensional, reliable, temporally stable, and to have predictive, cross-cultural, cross-sectoral, and discriminant validity

Development and validation of a firm-level vertical and horizontal internationalization metric

The lack of valid and reliable measures of firm-level vertical and horizontal internationalization is impeding the development and testing of hypothesized relationships between these respective dimensions of internationalization and a range of important MNE characteristics, actions, and effects. Through a series of qualitative and quantitative studies using data collected from senior MNE executives (total N=3,146), we develop and validate a scale to measure both vertical and horizontal firm-level internationalization. Subscales for each type of internationalization prove to be unidimensional, reliable, temporally stable, and to have predictive, cross-cultural, cross-sectoral, and discriminant validity

Determinants of PhD student satisfaction::The roles of supervisor, department, and peer qualities

Understanding the determinants of PhD student satisfaction is likely to become increasingly vital for universities as student satisfaction rankings already ubiquitous at undergraduate and master degree levels extend more broadly to the PhD level. Moreover, as PhD student populations and university competition become increasingly transnational, there is a growing need to understand cross-nationally common determinants of satisfaction. Building on prior research into PhD student satisfaction, and drawing upon relevant conceptual and metrical refinements in the measurement of satisfaction from cognate domains of psychology, we use cross-sectional data (N=409) from PhD candidates across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities in 63 universities from 20 countries to examine how overall PhD student satisfaction is determined by, respectively and in combination, supervisor, department, and peer-group, in terms of both their academic qualities and supportiveness. Taken together, we find that supervisor supportiveness is the greatest predictor of PhD student satisfaction, but that supervisor academic qualities have no significant effect. However, both the academic qualities and supportiveness of departments significantly predict PhD student satisfaction, suggesting university departments and PhD supervisors would ideally work jointly, and perhaps more closely than many currently do, to achieve competitive levels of PhD student satisfaction

Do the happy-go-lucky?

While popular aphorisms and etymologies across diverse languages suggest an intrinsic association between happiness and luck beliefs, empirically testing the existence of any potential link has historically been constrained by varying and unclear conceptualizations of luck beliefs and by their sub-optimally valid measurement. Employing Thompson and Prendergast’s (2013) bi-dimensional refinement of trait luck beliefs into, respectively, ‘Belief in Luck’ and ‘Belief in Personal Luckiness’, we explore the relationship between luck beliefs and a range of trait happiness measures. Our analyses (N=844) find broadly that happiness is negatively associated with Belief in Luck, but positively associated with Belief in Personal Luckiness, although results differ somewhat depending on which measure of happiness is used. We further explore interrelationships between luck beliefs and the five-factor model of personality, finding this latter fully accounts for Belief in Luck’s negative association with happiness, with additional analyses indicating this is wholly attributable to Neuroticism alone: Neuroticism appears to be a possible mediator of Belief in Luck’s negative association with happiness. We additionally find that the five-factor model only partially attenuates Belief in Personal Luckiness’ positive association with happiness, suggesting that Belief in Personal Luckiness may be either a discrete facet of trait happiness or a personality trait in and of itself

Personality, luck beliefs, and (non-?) problem lottery gambling

This study offers both the first systematic investigation of the relationship between the five-factor personality model and general (ostensibly non-problem) lottery gambling, and the first application of Thompson and Prendergast’s (2013) bidimensional model of luck beliefs to gambling behavior. Cross-sectional analyses (N = 844) indicate the bidimensional model of luck beliefs significantly accounts for variance in lottery gambling that is discrete from and greater than that of the five-factor personality model. Moreover, the broad pattern of relationships we find between presumably harmless state-sponsored lottery gambling and both personality and luck beliefs tend to parallel those found in studies of problem gambling, suggesting implications for quality of life and public policy in relation to lottery gambling

Expanding the phenotype of de novo SLC25A4-linked mitochondrial disease to include mild myopathy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the disease relevance of a novel de novo dominant variant in the SLC25A4 gene, encoding the muscle mitochondrial adenosine diphosphate (ADP)/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) carrier, identified in a child presenting with a previously unreported phenotype of mild childhood-onset myopathy. METHODS: Immunohistochemical and western blot analysis of the patient's muscle tissue were used to assay for the evidence of mitochondrial myopathy and for complex I-V protein levels. To determine the effect of a putative pathogenic p.Lys33Gln variant on ADP/ATP transport, the mutant protein was expressed in Lactococcus lactis and its transport activity was assessed with fused membrane vesicles. RESULTS: Our data demonstrate that the heterozygous c.97A>T (p.Lys33Gln) SLC25A4 variant is associated with classic muscle biopsy findings of mitochondrial myopathy (cytochrome c oxidase [COX]-deficient and ragged blue fibers), significantly impaired ADP/ATP transport in Lactococcus lactis and decreased complex I, III, and IV protein levels in patient's skeletal muscle. Nonetheless, the expression levels of the total ADP/ATP carrier (AAC) content in the muscle biopsy was largely unaffected. CONCLUSIONS: This report further expands the clinical phenotype of de novo dominant SLC25A4 mutations to a childhood-onset, mild skeletal myopathy, without evidence of previously reported clinical features associated with SLC25A4-associated disease, such as cardiomyopathy, encephalopathy or ophthalmoplegia. The most likely reason for the milder disease phenotype is that the overall AAC expression levels were not affected, meaning that expression of the wild-type allele and other isoforms may in part have compensated for the impaired mutant variant

Are satisfied students simply happy people in the first place? The role of trait affect in student satisfaction

We propose and test the proposition that innate personality differences in trait affect explain significant variance in student satisfaction. Using three standard measures of trait affect and data from a student sample (n = 409) of PhD candidates across science, social science and humanities in 63 universities from 20 countries, we find that 24% of variance in student satisfaction is accounted for by trait affect. We also find that both discipline studied and research orientation of university have moderating effects on the relationship between trait affect and student satisfaction. Our findings suggest student satisfaction scores need to be viewed with caution because, in part, they merely reflect individual-level trait affect that - like all innate personality traits - academics, university administrators and education ministers alike are powerless to alter. Our findings indicate that governments, universities and other organisations gathering student satisfaction data could usefully adopt measures to control for trait affect. Our findings also raise the possibility that universities might strategically incorporate innate affect in their student selection criteria to game satisfaction ratings

Disruption of cholinergic neurotransmission, within a cognitive challenge paradigm, is indicative of Aβ-related cognitive impairment in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease after a 27-month delay interval

Background Abnormal beta-amyloid (Aβ) is associated with deleterious changes in central cholinergic tone in the very early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which may be unmasked by a cholinergic antagonist (J Prev Alzheimers Dis 1:1–4, 2017). Previously, we established the scopolamine challenge test (SCT) as a “cognitive stress test” screening measure to identify individuals at risk for AD (Alzheimer’s & Dementia 10(2):262–7, 2014) (Neurobiol. Aging 36(10):2709-15, 2015). Here we aim to demonstrate the potential of the SCT as an indicator of cognitive change and neocortical amyloid aggregation after a 27-month follow-up interval. Methods Older adults (N = 63, aged 55–75 years) with self-reported memory difficulties and first-degree family history of AD completed the SCT and PET amyloid imaging at baseline and were then seen for cognitive testing at 9, 18, and 27 months post-baseline. Repeat PET amyloid imaging was completed at the time of the 27-month exam. Results Significant differences in both cognitive performance and in Aβ neocortical burden were observed between participants who either failed vs. passed the SCT at baseline, after a 27-month follow-up period. Conclusions Cognitive response to the SCT (Alzheimer’s & Dementia 10(2):262–7, 2014) at baseline is related to cognitive change and PET amyloid imaging results, over the course of 27 months, in preclinical AD. The SCT may be a clinically useful screening tool to identify individuals who are more likely to both have positive evidence of amyloidosis on PET imaging and to show measurable cognitive decline over several years

A Strong B-cell Response Is Part of the Immune Landscape in Human High-Grade Serous Ovarian Metastases

In high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), higher densities of both B cells and the CD8 + T-cell infiltrate were associated with a better prognosis. However, the precise role of B cells in the antitumor response remains unknown. As peritoneal metastases are often responsible for relapse, our aim was to characterize the role of B cells in the antitumor immune response in HGSOC metastases. Unmatched pre and post-chemotherapy HGSOC metastases were studied. B-cell localization was assessed by immunostaining. Their cytokines and chemokines were measured by a multiplex assay, and their phenotype was assessed by flow cytometry. Further in vitro and in vivo assays highlighted the role of B cells and plasma cell IgGs in the development of cytotoxic responses and dendritic cell activation. B cells mainly infiltrated lymphoid structures in the stroma of HGSOC metastases. There was a strong B-cell memory response directed at a restricted repertoire of antigens and production of tumor-specific IgGs by plasma cells. These responses were enhanced by chemotherapy. Interestingly, transcript levels of CD20 correlated with markers of immune cytolytic responses and immune complexes with tumor-derived IgGs stimulated the expression of the costimulatory molecule CD86 on antigen-presenting cells. A positive role for B cells in the antitumor response was also supported by B-cell depletion in a syngeneic mouse model of peritoneal metastasis. Our data showed that B cells infiltrating HGSOC omental metastases support the development of an antitumor response. Clin Cancer Res; 1-13. ©2016 AACR