Split-sample Design Research Articles

Willingness to Pay for Nature Protection: Crowdfunding as a Payment Mechanism

AbstractIn this study, we use a discrete choice experiment to elicit the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for preventing and mitigating the effects of oil spills on marine and coastal ecosystem services, along a particularly vulnerable coastal region of mainland Portugal. We used a split-sample design to analyze the differences between two payment vehicles (PV): a mandatory extra income tax and a voluntary contribution collected by a crowdfunding campaign with a provision point mechanism and a money-back guarantee. The difference between the two PVs is examined in a setting where the local population has a negative perception of the quality of institutions. We find that respondents are more willing to contribute when presented with the crowdfunding version. Also, regardless of the payment vehicle, respondents who express a mistrust in institutions are more likely to choose the status quo. These results suggest the potential of using crowdfunding to support ecosystem services’ conservation initiatives.

When politics trumps truth: Political concordance versus veracity as a determinant of believing, sharing, and recalling the news.

Resistance to truth and susceptibility to falsehood threaten democracies around the globe. The present research assesses the magnitude, manifestations, and predictors of these phenomena, while addressing methodological concerns in past research. We conducted a preregistered study with a split-sample design (discovery sample N = 630, validation sample N = 1,100) of U.S. Census-matched online adults. Proponents and opponents of 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump were presented with fake and real political headlines ahead of the election. The political concordance of the headlines determined participants' belief in and intention to share news more than the truth of the headlines. This "concordance-over-truth" bias persisted across education levels, analytic reasoning ability, and partisan groups, with some evidence of a stronger effect among Trump supporters. Resistance to true news was stronger than susceptibility to fake news. The most robust predictors of the bias were participants' belief in the relative objectivity of their political side, extreme views about Trump, and the extent of their one-sided media consumption. Interestingly, participants stronger in analytic reasoning, measured with the Cognitive Reflection Task, were more accurate in discerning real from fake headlines when accurate conclusions aligned with their ideology. Finally, participants remembered fake headlines more than real ones regardless of the political concordance of the news story. Discussion explores why the concordance-over-truth bias observed in our study is more pronounced than previous research suggests, and examines its causes, consequences, and potential remedies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Rotation of liquid-preserved artificial insemination doses on roller benches affects sperm quality during storage in stallions.

Appropriate stallion semen handling is of great importance in equine artificial insemination (AI) industry. Optimal treatment of AI doses is aiming for best sperm preservation by excluding strong environmental influences and adding media that favour sperm survival. One method widely used in stallion sperm handling is the rotation of liquid-preserved semen samples on roller benches during storage. As previous studies in boars give rise to the fact that rotation should not be considered beneficial for spermatozoa anymore, the present study investigated the influence of continuous rotation of diluted stallion AI portions on sperm quality. Ejaculates (n = 15) were collected at a German AI centre and diluted with the two extenders EquiPlus and Gent (Minitüb GmbH) to a final concentration of 50 × 106 sperm/mL. Afterwards, samples were placed separately on roller benches at 5°C in the dark, obtaining a rotation frequency of 5 revolutions per minute (rpm) and 36 rpm for four consecutive days following a split-sample design. Both groups were analysed daily in comparison to a control group (0 rpm) with an extended spectrum of spermatological methods including computer-assisted sperm analysis and flow cytometry. Statistical analyses were based on the calculation of generalized linear mixed models for each sperm parameter. The research revealed a decrease in sperm quality parameters of rotated samples compared to non-rotated control groups, visible in total sperm motility (p < .001), decreased thermo-resistance (p < .01) and a drop in pH (p < .001). Interestingly, no differences (p > .05) were detected between rotation frequencies of 5 and 36 rpm. We conclude that the fertilizing capacity of stallion semen was negatively affected by rotation during storage in vitro, irrespective of the rotation frequency. Further studies need to investigate whether field fertility in horses is similarly affected by semen rotation on roller benches in vivo.

Development of cardiac risk prediction model in patients with HER-2 positive breast cancer on trastuzumab therapy

Background25% of all breast cancer patients have HER-2 overexpression. Breast Cancer patients with HER-2 overexpression are typically treated with HER-2 inhibitors such as Trastuzumab. Trastuzumab is known to cause a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction. The aim of this study is to create a cardiac risk prediction tool among women with Her-2 positive breast cancer to predict cardiotoxicity.MethodUsing a split sample design, we created a risk prediction tool using patient level data from electronic medical records. The study included women 18 years of age and older diagnosed with HER-2 positive breast cancer who received Trastuzumab. Outcome measure was defined as a drop in LVEF by more than 10% to less than 53% at any time in the 1-year study period. Logistic regression was used to test predictors.ResultsThe cumulative incidence of cardiac dysfunction in our study was 9.4%. The sensitivity and specificity of the model are 46% and 84%, respectively. Given a cumulative incidence of cardiotoxicity of 9%, the negative predictive value of the test was 94%. This suggests that in a low-risk population, the interval of screening for cardiotoxicity may be performed less frequently.ConclusionCardiac risk prediction tool can be used to identify Her-2 positive breast cancer patients at risk of developing cardiac dysfunction. Also, test characteristics in addition to disease prevalence may inform a rational strategy in performing cardiac ultrasound in Her-2 breast cancer patients. We have developed a cardiac risk prediction model with high NPV in a low-risk population which has an appealing cost-effectiveness profile.

Cost vector effects in discrete choice experiments with positive status quo cost

An important component of the design phase of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) is formulating the cost vector, which specifies the costs of the alternatives and enables the calculation of marginal willingness to pay (WTP) estimates. If the cost vector affects choice behaviour, welfare estimates may depend on the choice of the cost vector, which leads to problems with the validity and reliability of DCE results. We employ a split-sample design to examine cost vector effects on choice behaviour and WTP estimates. Our data come from a DCE on agri-environmental policies to a nationally representative sample in Finland. We provide additional insights compared to previous research by including four cost vectors with otherwise identical surveys and experimental designs and a positive cost for the status quo alternative, with cost levels for policy alternatives both below and above the status quo cost. We obtain some evidence that the cost vector affects choice behaviour, as the proportion of status quo choices is larger with higher cost vectors. Both absolute and relative cost levels matter for choices. The marginal WTP estimates are highest in the sub-sample with the largest range cost vector that has cost levels both below and above the status quo cost. We suggest more careful pre-testing of the cost levels compared to current practices to determine a plausible range of cost levels to produce valid welfare estimates.

Does presentation matter? An analysis of images and text in a choice experiment of green roofs

Abstract The use of images in choice experiment surveys has been increasing over time. Research on the impact of complex graphical displays of information on respondent comprehension and the quality of preference estimates yields mixed results. We contribute to this literature by leveraging a split-sample design for a choice experiment concerning green roofs in Portland, Oregon, to investigate the effects of including high-quality static images in the survey instrument and in the choice cards. We find that respondents who completed the ‘image’ version of our survey had a significantly higher total willingness to pay (TWTP) to support a new green roof program than respondents who completed the ‘text only’ version of the survey. We explore the relationship between respondent characteristics and TWTP and find that respondents with little knowledge about green roofs who completed the image survey have a TWTP that is over three times larger than text survey respondents. Our findings support the trend in the literature of using images in choice experiments but also highlight the importance of paying attention to image quality in survey design, using focus groups with mixed previous knowledge for survey refinement, and gathering information in surveys themselves about respondents’ prior knowledge about the valuation scenario.

Willingness-to-pay for urban ecosystem services provision under objective and subjective uncertainty

There is growing concern that failure to acknowledge the risk and uncertainty surrounding ecosystem services (ES) delivery could have adverse effects on support for ES policy intervention in the long run. However, acknowledging risk may reduce support for policy interventions in the short term. In this paper, we sought to determine whether willingness-to-pay (WTP) for urban forest ES in Southampton, UK is affected by objective and subjective uncertainty surrounding ES delivery. We conducted a discrete choice experiment with a split sample design: one with a scenario specifying risky ES outcomes and one where zero risk was implied. Respondents’ subjective certainty surrounding the provision of ES was determined before and after the choice questions. Despite respondents’ risk aversion, introducing an objective likelihood attribute did not reduce WTP compared to the scenario with implied certain ES outcomes. Furthermore, whilst WTP for the overall scheme was found to be adversely affected by the presence of risk around ES outcomes, subjective uncertainty seemed to reduce WTP more than objective probabilities. Our results therefore support the idea that both objective probabilities and subjective uncertainty should be explicitly incorporated in the design of stated preference studies for ES valuation.

Impact of agitation time of boar semen doses on sperm traits in short- and long-term extenders

Transport of extended boar semen doses is a common practice in the swine industry. This study aimed to verify the effect of agitation time on sperm parameters during storage in two semen extenders. One normospermic ejaculate from each boar (n = 20) was diluted in a split sample design with long-term (LONG, Androstar® Plus) and short-term (SHORT, Beltsville Thawing Solution) extenders. Extended semen doses were filled with a total volume of 45 mL and 1.5 billion sperm cells and submitted to 0, 3, 6, and 12 h of agitation in an orbital shaker at 70 rpm. The samples were stored at 17 °C for 120 h. Sperm parameters were evaluated for sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, pH, thermo-resistance test (TRT), oxidative stress status, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Total and progressive motility were affected by the interaction between the agitation time and the extender, with a linear reduction in sperm motility as the agitation time increased for LONG extender (P ≤ 0.05). Semen doses diluted with SHORT showed a higher pH (P < 0.01), and agitation time had a positive quadratic effect with the highest pH observed after 6 h of agitation, regardless of the extender used (P < 0.01). Sperm motility after TRT and plasma membrane integrity potential were not affected by agitation time (P > 0.05). Mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidative stress status quadratically decreased as agitation time increased (P ≤ 0.05). Based on the results, long transport durations of AI doses under mild vibration emissions affect boar semen quality.

The influence of the Nutri-Score on the perceived healthiness of foods labelled with a nutrition claim of sugar.

High sugar intake in humans is associated with the development of overweight and other diet-related diseases. The World Health Organization and other health organizations recommend limiting the sugar intake to 10% of the total energy intake. There have been different approaches of front-of-pack labelling to reduce the amount of sugar in food products. Companies use nutrition claims to advertise the sugar content (e.g., without added sugar, 30% less sugar). Such nutrition claims can lead to false assumptions about the healthiness of foods and can lead to health-halo effects. Nutrition claims make products appear healthier than they really are, the aspect advertised in the nutrition claim is transferred to the entire food product. As a result, food products can be perceived as healthy even though they are not. Recently, the Nutri-Score was introduced in an increasing number of countries throughout Europe to provide consumers with an overview of the overall nutritional quality of a product. This study analyzes if the Nutri-Score can help to prevent health-halo effects caused by nutrition claims on sugar. Therefore, an online survey consisting of a split-sample design with more than 1,000 respondents was assessed. The results show that, depending on the initial perceived healthiness of a product, the Nutri-Score is able to prevent health-halo effects caused by claims on sugar. Making the Nutri-Score mandatory when using nutrition claims would be one possible way to reduce misperceptions about unhealthy food and reduce health-halo effects caused by claims on sugar.

Pairing regression and configurational analysis in health services research: modelling outcomes in an observational cohort using a split-sample design

BackgroundConfigurational methods are increasingly being used in health services research.ObjectivesTo use configurational analysis and logistic regression within a single data set to compare results from the two methods.DesignSecondary analysis of...

Validity and Reliability of the Modified Attitudes About Drug Use in Pregnancy Scale

ObjectiveTo contemporize the Attitudes About Drug Abuse in Pregnancy questionnaire, keep the length of the modified scale brief to promote use, and test the psychometric properties of the modified scale among perinatal nurses. DesignCross-sectional survey. SettingFour hospitals in the Midwestern United States. ParticipantsRegistered nurses who worked in perinatal units (N = 440). MethodsWe collected data from participants using survey methods. Seven experts in perinatal substance use research and clinical care informed scale modifications. We used a split-sample design involving maternal–newborn units (labor, postpartum) and newborn-focused units (NICU, pediatrics). We evaluated construct validity using factor analysis and reliability using Cronbach’s alpha. We tested for differences between units using analysis of variance and Tukey’s post hoc honest significant difference test of pairwise differences. ResultsThe final modified scale included 13 items that loaded on one factor and showed internal consistency reliability in both samples (α = .88−.91). We found a statistically significant difference in mean score between NICU and pediatric units; however, the absolute difference was small and likely not clinically significant. ConclusionsThe Modified Attitudes About Drug Use in Pregnancy scale has initial evidence for validity and reliability, was updated to reflect current terminology in the field, and is a pragmatic tool for use in research.

Your privacy for a discount? Exploring the willingness to share personal data for personalized offers

This paper explores how willing consumers are to share personal data to receive personalized offers on their mobile (cell in the US) phones using nationwide surveys of mobile users, 16–35 years old, in Norway, Serbia, Malaysia, and Pakistan. We ask respondents about the likelihood they would use three types of personalized advertising services delivered through their mobile operator, with services varying with respect to the level of personal data collected and whether shared with third parties. In all four countries, respondents state that their likelihood of using a personalized ad service decreases when the service uses more personal data or shares the data with third parties. Using a split sample design, we find that introducing a 10% discount on mobile subscriptions for those using the ad service increases the stated likelihood of using the service. We find significant differences in willingness to share personal data attitudes between countries, with respondents in high-income Norway being least willing and those in low-income Pakistan most willing to share personal data. We identify only minor differences between respondents in Serbia and Malaysia, middle-income countries in Europe and Asia. The study contributes to the literature on the willingness to share personal data by including young adult respondents from countries in both Europe and Asia. Furthermore, framing the survey questions in a mobile service context is appreciably closer to telecom reality than most existing experimental studies on sharing of personal data.

Unhealthy Behaviours and Risk of Parkinson's Disease: A Mendelian Randomisation Study.

Background:Tobacco smoking and alcohol intake have been identified in observational studies as potentially protective factors against developing Parkinson’s disease (PD); the impact of body mass index (BMI) on PD risk is debated. Whether such epidemiological associations are causal remains unclear. Mendelian randomsation (MR) uses genetic variants to explore the effects of exposures on outcomes; potentially reducing bias from residual confounding and reverse causation.Objective:Using MR, we examined relationships between PD risk and three unhealthy behaviours: tobacco smoking, alcohol intake, and higher BMI.Methods:19,924 PD cases and 2,413,087 controls were included in the analysis. We performed genome-wide association studies to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with tobacco smoking, alcohol intake, and BMI. MR analysis of the relationship between each exposure and PD was undertaken using a split-sample design.Results:Ever-smoking reduced the risk of PD (OR 0.955; 95%confidence interval [CI] 0.921–0.991; p = 0.013). Higher daily alcohol intake increased the risk of PD (OR 1.125, 95%CI 1.025–1.235; p = 0.013) and a 1 kg/m2 higher BMI reduced the risk of PD (OR 0.988, 95%CI 0.979–0.997; p = 0.008). Sensitivity analyses did not suggest bias from horizontal pleiotropy or invalid instruments.Conclusion:Using split-sample MR in over 2.4 million participants, we observed a protective effect of smoking on risk of PD. In contrast to observational data, alcohol consumption appeared to increase the risk of PD. Higher BMI had a protective effect on PD, but the effect was small.

Choosing quantities impacts individuals choice, rationality, and willingness to pay estimates

AbstractConventional choice experiments ask respondents to choose their most preferred item, but in reality, consumers select both an item and quantity. Using a split sample design focused on U.S. meat demand, we find that flexibility in consumer quantity choice provides similar choice rationality and consumer segmentation as the conventional restricted quantity framework. Improvements include generating choice frequencies consistent with historical purchase data and willingness‐to‐pay estimates more comparable to observed retail price data. Additional benefits include the ability to understand consumer preferences for variety and habit formation and generated data that is compatible with traditional demand estimation, all of which are not possible under the conventional restricted quantity framework.

Does conservation in Natura 2000 areas promote water quality improvement? Findings from a contingent valuation study on environmental benefits and residents’ preferences

Non-market values pose a challenge in decision making. In a contribution to the issue, the study assesses the potential positive impact on residents’ wellbeing of improving the ecological status of water bodies making up the Saarijärvi watercourse in Central Finland, a region with numerous Natura areas. The benefits provided by the aquatic environment and the factors affecting them were assessed using the contingent valuation method (CVM). A split-sample design made it possible to analyse expressed uncertainty with two payment vehicles: in one, the question of uncertainty was included in the willingness-to-pay (WTP) questions (multiple bounded discrete choice, MBDC); in the other, it was queried separately after the payment card (PC) question. Where respondents saw added value in Natura 2000 sites and received new information on water management, they experienced increased wellbeing from improved water quality. Perceived importance of sustainable hydropower and water regulation also figured in a desire to improve the ecological status of waters in the region. The results show that there is a noticeable positive WTP among residents (N = 473) for improved water status and that estimated WTP differs according to uncertainty: mean WTP every year per individual fell in the range EUR 29.70 to EUR 75.50. Improvement of water status and protection of Natura 2000 sites were found to be mutually reinforcing goals. Higher net social benefits could be realized if implementation of the applicable directives were more closely coupled to regional planning.

Multilevel emotional exhaustion: psychosocial safety climate and workplace bullying as higher level contextual and individual explanatory factors

ABSTRACT Most workplace emotional exhaustion (EE) research emphasizes antecedents that are theoretically and empirically grounded in individual-level phenomena. We extend this research by proposing a multilevel framework involving organizational context determinants operationalized in two ways: psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and work unit-level bullying. We drew on Social Learning Theory to explain how bullying can be conceived as a work unit-level construct. We proposed that bullying is a mechanism linking PSC to EE, and considered a novel work unit-level (between-unit) process over and above an individual (within-unit) process. The first study tested the between-work process of 147 work units using an innovative split-sample (multi-source) design and found that PSC preceded bullying and EE in other employees within the same work unit. The second study of 54 work units, examined between- and within- work unit processes simultaneously. Bullying was operationalized by integrating target and perpetrator reports. We found that EE was explained by contextual factors, and that bullying was the mechanism linking PSC to EE. Reverse relations showed that average work unit EE related to bullying, but not as strongly as the hypothesized relationship. Interventions to reduce EE should go beyond the clinic to focus on the PSC and bullying contexts.

Predicting all-cause unplanned readmission within 30 days of discharge using electronic medical record data: A multi-centre study.

ObjectiveTo develop a predictive model for identifying patients at high risk of all‐cause unplanned readmission within 30 days after discharge, using administrative data available before discharge.Materials and methodsHospital administrative data of all adult admissions in three tertiary metropolitan hospitals in Australia between July 01, 2015, and July 31, 2016, were extracted. Predictive performance of four mixed‐effect multivariable logistic regression models was compared and validated using a split‐sample design. Diagnostic details (Charlson Comorbidity Index CCI, components of CCI, and primary diagnosis categorised into International Classification of Diseases chapters) were added gradually in the clinically simplified model with socio‐demographic, index admission, and prior hospital utilisation variables.ResultsOf the total 99 470 patients admitted, 5796 (5.8%) were re‐admitted through the emergency department of three hospitals within 30 days after discharge. The clinically simplified model was as discriminative (C‐statistic 0.694, 95% CI [0.681‐0.706]) as other models and showed excellent calibration. Models with diagnostic details did not exhibit any substantial improvement in predicting 30‐days unplanned readmission.ConclusionWe propose a 10‐item predictive model to flag high‐risk patients in a diverse population before discharge using readily available hospital administrative data which can easily be integrated into the hospital information system.

In Stallion Spermatozoa, Superoxide Dismutase (Cu-Zn) (SOD1) and the Aldo-Keto-Reductase Family 1 Member b (AKR1B1) Are the Proteins Most Significantly Reduced by Cryopreservation.

Although cryopreservation is widely used in animal breeding, the technique is still suboptimal. The population of spermatozoa surviving the procedure experiences changes attributed to alteration in their redox regulation. In order to expand our knowledge regarding this particular aspect, the proteome in fresh and frozen thawed aliquots of equine spermatozoa was studied to identify the proteins most severely affected by the procedure. If alteration of redox regulation is a major factor explaining cryodamage, proteins participating in redox regulation should be principally affected. Using a split sample design, 30 ejaculates from 10 different stallions were analyzed as fresh spermatozoa, and another aliquot from the same ejaculate was analyzed as a frozen thawed sample. The proteome was studied under both conditions using UHPLC-MS/MS and bioinformatic analysis conducted to identify discriminant variables between both conditions. Data are available through the ProteomeXchange Consortium with identifier PXD022236. The proteins most significantly reduced were Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B (p = 2.2 × 10–17) and Superoxide dismutase (Cu–Zn) (p = 4.7 × 10–14). This is the first time that SOD1 has been identified as a discriminating variable using bioinformatic analysis, where it was one of the most highly significantly different proteins seen between fresh and frozen thawed semen. This finding strongly supports the theory that alteration in redox regulation and oxidative stress is a major factor involved in cryodamage and suggests that control of redox regulation should be a major target to improve current cryopreservation procedures.

Differences in the proteome of stallion spermatozoa explain stallion-to-stallion variability in sperm quality post-thaw†.

The identification of stallions and or ejaculates that will provide commercially acceptable quality post-thaw before cryopreservation is of great interest, avoiding wasting time and resources freezing ejaculates that will not achieve sufficient quality to be marketed. Our hypothesis was that after bioinformatic analysis, the study of the stallion sperm proteome can provide discriminant variables able to predict the post-thaw quality of the ejaculate. At least three ejaculates from 10 different stallions were frozen following a split sample design. Half of the ejaculate was analyzed as a fresh aliquot and the other half was frozen and then analyzed as a frozen-thawed aliquot. Computer-assisted sperm analysis and flow cytometry were used to analyze sperm quality. Detailed proteomic analysis was performed on fresh and frozen and thawed aliquots, and bioinformatic analysis was used to identify discriminant variables in fresh samples able to predict the outcome of cryopreservation. Those with a fold change > 3, a P=8.2e-04, and a q=0.074 (equivalent to False discovery rate (FDR)) were selected, and the following proteins were identified in fresh samples as discriminant variables of good motility post-thaw: F6YTG8, K9K273, A0A3Q2I7V9, F7CE45, F6YU15, and F6SKR3. Other discriminant variables were also identified as predictors of good mitochondrial membrane potential and viability post-thaw. We concluded that proteomic approaches are a powerful tool to improve current sperm biotechnologies.

Nuisance or benefit? A study of deer-altered park landscapes in Japan

Urban wildlife is an important component of biodiversity. Human-urban wildlife interaction has been changing, but public opinions, especially individualized opinions, are not being sufficiently incorporated into urban wildlife management decisions. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating people’s preference heterogeneity of browse lines, a unique tree landscape altered by wild deer (Cervus nippon) in Japan, as an example. We apply a latent class model to identify people’s preference heterogeneity for browse lines when people are not exposed to deer. We also apply split-sample design to examine whether people’s preferences change when they are informed that the deer created the landscape. The results confirm the existence of preference heterogeneity among people. However, we did not find a change in the aggregated willingness to pay for the park landscape after information provision. It may suggest that people are tolerant for the impact of urban wildlife even if they are not exposed to creatures. We also highlight how the results can be used by real-life urban parks and wildlife management to recognize people’s preference heterogeneity and select strategies that can most effectively address disparate views.