bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge workers deserve differentiated offices and workplace facilities
Authors: Boge Knut , Temeljorov Salaj Alenka , Bakken Ida , Granli Magnus , Mandrup Silje
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that influence effective workplace designs for knowledge workers.

Design/methodology/approach

During spring 2016, the employees in a large institution for research and higher education, a large consultancy company and a medium-sized consultancy company (in total 4367 employees) in Norway received invitations to participate in an anonymous online survey about workplaces and facilities. In all, 1,670 employees answered the survey (38.2 per cent response rate). The data have been analyzed with IBM SPSS version 23, among others through use of exploratory factor analysis and two-way ANOVA.

Findings

Most respondents at the institution for research and higher education have cell offices. Most respondents in the two consultancy companies have open and flexible offices. This paper indicate the respondents’ preferences or perception of their workstation and the workplace’s fit for their tasks is affected both by the respondents’ type of office and how much time they spend at their workstation during the week. There are also possible age or generation effects.

Research limitations/implications

One methodical weakness in the present paper is that two-way ANOVA has been applied on survey data. Experiments are usually arranged to provide almost equal numbers of observations in each category. This is usually not possible with survey data. However, despite this weakness, the present paper provides several findings that challenge some of the workplace research’s taken for givens.

Practical implications

The present paper indicates that facility managers and others responsible for office and workplace design are advised to take the employees’ tasks and work patterns into consideration when designing workplaces and providing offices and workstations to their end-users. The present paper also indicates that employees require different kinds of support facilities and services depending on what kind of offices and workplaces they have.

Originality/value

This is a large N empirical study among knowledge workers in three organizations, one public administration and two private enterprises. The present paper indicate that provision of offices and workstations with supporting facilities should be differentiated according to the end-users’ work tasks and work patterns.
Heuristics versus econometrics as a basis for forecasting international inflation differentials
Authors: Rötheli Tobias
Published: December 2018

Purpose

This study aims to address the issue of prediction of inflation differences for an economy that considers either fixing its exchange rate or joining a currency union. In this setting, individual countries have limited control over their inflation, and anticipating the possible course of domestic inflation relative to inflation abroad becomes an important input in policy-making. In this context, the author compares simple forecast heuristics and econometric modeling.

Design/methodology/approach

The study compares two basically different approaches. The first approach of forecasting consists of simple heuristics. Various heuristics are considered that differ with respect to the economic reasoning that goes into quantifying the forecast rules. The simplest such forecasting heuristic suggests that the average over all available observations of inflation differentials should be taken as a predictor for the future. Bringing more economic insight to bear suggests a further heuristic according to which historical inflation differentials should be adjusted for changes in the nominal exchange rate. A further variant of this approach suggests that a forecast should exclusively rely on data from earlier times under a pegged exchange rate. A fundamentally different approach to prediction builds on dynamic econometric models estimated by using all available historical data independent of the currency regime.

Findings

The author studies three small member countries of the Eurozone, i.e. Finland, Luxembourg and Portugal. For the evaluation of the various forecasting strategies, he performs out-of-sample predictions over a horizon of five years. The comparison of the four different forecasting strategies documents that the variant of the forecast heuristic that draws on data from earlier experiences under fixed exchange rates performs better than the forecast based on the estimated econometric model.

Practical implications

The findings of this study provide helpful guidelines for countries considering either joining a currency union or fixing their exchange rate. The author shows that a simple forecasting heuristic gives sound advice for assessing the likely course of inflation.

Originality/value

This study describes how economic theory can guide the selection of historical data for assessing likely future developments. The analysis shows that using a simple heuristic based on historical analogy can lead to better forecasts than the analytically more sophisticated approach of econometric modeling.
A literature review on the student evaluation of teaching
Authors: Ching Gregory
Published: December 2018

Purpose

Competition among higher education institutions has pushed universities to expand their competitive advantages. Based on the assumption that the core functions of universities are academic, understanding the teaching–learning process with the help of student evaluation of teaching (SET) would seem to be a logical solution in increasing competitiveness. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The current paper presents a narrative literature review examining how SETs work within the concept of service marketing, focusing specifically on the search, experience, and credence qualities of the provider. A review of the various factors that affect the collection of SETs is also included.

Findings

Relevant findings show the influence of students’ prior expectations on SET ratings. Therefore, teachers are advised to establish a psychological contract with the students at the start of the semester. Such an agreement should be negotiated, setting out the potential benefits of undertaking the course and a clear definition of acceptable performance within the class. Moreover, connections should be made between courses and subjects in order to provide an overall view of the entire program together with future career pathways.

Originality/value

Given the complex factors affecting SETs and the antecedents involved, there appears to be no single perfect tool to adequately reflect what is happening in the classroom. As different SETs may be needed for different courses and subjects, options such as faculty self-evaluation and peer-evaluation might be considered to augment current SETs.
The potential of digital sand-table use in engineering education
Authors: Molina Juan Ramón , Rodríguez y Silva Francisco , Herrera Miguel Ángel
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show the evaluation of the learning process to determinate if engineering student marks would be better from sand-table teaching than from traditional teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

The innovative teaching project incorporating digital sand-table use was evaluated by asking undergraduate and postgraduate students to rate their learning experiences and by analyzing their academic performance.

Findings

The results show that the percentage of students passing the courses, and marks on the course tests were higher for students taught using sand-table, compared to students taught without using this tool.

Practical implications

Engineering curricula are constantly revised to address the demands for undergraduate courses and specialization courses, and the differing needs of actual practice in relation to theoretical knowledge.

Originality/value

The experience at the University of Córdoba (Spain) offers some insights to other engineering degrees and educational institutions that wish to focus on the development of innovative academic programs and student capabilities.
Progressive human resource management and firm performance
Authors: Gahlawat Neha , Kundu Subhash C.
Published: December 2018

Purpose

This study aims to examine the adoption and efficacy level of progressive human resource management (HRM) practices in various organizations operating in India.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data based on 615 respondents from 103 domestic firms and 116 foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in India were gathered and analyzed using statistical techniques liket-test, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results reveal that the adoption of progressive HRM practices in form of self-managed teams, flexibility to work flexible hours, use of online mediums to invite applicants, selection of candidates using assessment center and integrity test, performance based incentives, flexible benefits, facility of e-learning and innovative management development programs is positively related to firm performance in Indian context. Using institutional and cultural perspective, the findings have also demonstrated that their exist differences in adoption of progressive HRM practices between foreign MNCs and domestic firms.

Practical implications

Domestic firms in India are needed to learn some important managerial lessons from the foreign MNCs, especially when their adoption of progressive practices results in more increase in firm performance. These are suggested to implement a broad range of innovative HR practices like MNCs to improve growth potential, instead of focusing on two or three practices.

Originality/value

By exploring the differences between domestic and foreign MNCs, this study has offered some key insights on the extent of adoption and operationalization of progressive HRM in current Indian business environment.
What’s so funny about sleazy greed and managerial malfeasance?
Authors: Styhre Alexander
Published: December 2018

Purpose

Organization theory and management studies rely on a representational idiom to account faithfully for empirical data, but such research ideals do not always apprehend what is essential in the case at hand. Comedy and the comical remain an underutilized resource within, e.g. the critique of power imbalances and imprudent or illicit behavior in corporations, providing an entirely different set of mechanisms that do not sketch the “broad picture” but target elementary and constitutive empirical data. The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibilities for using such resources in management studies writing.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses the literature addressing the Enron bankruptcy as an exemplary case wherein an analytical framework recognizing a comic outlook of life can be fruitfully applied. Additional cases are presented to substantiate the proposed model.

Findings

The paper advocates a broader repertoire of analytical practices in organization studies, including techniques and modes of representation used in comedy.

Originality/value

The paper proposes a minor literature within management studies, drawing on a performative idiom and the use of comedy techniques, including the debasing of social situations, to extend the repertoire of styles. In the end, such a minor literature may be able to grapple with the current situation, characterized by organizational absurdities that preclude the use of a representational idiom.
The deadly elasticity of heteronormative assumptions in South African organisations
Authors: Ndzwayiba Nceba , Steyn Melissa
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse the discourses of gender empowerment in South African organisations to determine the extent to which they reify or resist the entrenched oppressive gender binaries.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple case studies design and critical discourse analysis were employed to collect and analyse the data. Research entailed critical analysis of 36 published documents containing information on gender and gender empowerment. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with six transformation managers as change agents who are tasked with the responsibility of driving gender empowerment in the selected organisations.

Findings

The authors found that gender in studied organisations was insularly defined within the confines of the male–female gender binaries. Consequently, designed gender empowerment strategies and ensuing initiatives mainly focussed on promoting the inclusion of heterosexual women in and on protecting these women from heterosexual men. Thus, gender empowerment systematised heteropatriachy in organisational culture and processes while invisibilising and annihilating the possibility of existence of alternative genders outside these naturalised binaries. Transformation managers, as change agents, fell short of acknowledging, challenging and changing these entrenched ideologies of patriotic heterosexuality.

Research limitations/implications

The paper uses Galting’s (1960) and Paul Farmer’s (2009) concept of structural violence and Rich’s (1980) notion of “deadly elasticity of heterosexual assumptions”, to theorise these gender empowerment discourses as constituting and perpetuating violence against queer bodies and subjectivities.

Practical implications

The paper recommends that corporates need to broaden their conceptions of gender and to design and entrench gender discourses that promote gender justice and equality.

Social implications

This inquiry proves Joan Acker’s (2006) and Baker’s (2012) views that inequality and injustice are produced and entrenched in a reciprocal relationship between society and the workplace.

Originality/value

This paper focusses on constructions of gender in organisations. By doing so, it links the observed violence against women and gender binary non-conforming people in society with organisational discourses of gender that perpetuate such violence instead of challenging and changing it so that democracy can be realised for all.
The effects of toothpaste amounts and post-brushing rinsing methods on salivary fluoride retention
Authors: Sotthipoka Kanyapak , Thanomsuk Pintusorn , Prasopsuk Rungroj , Trairatvorakul Chutima , Kasevayuth Kasekarn
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the salivary fluoride retention as fluoride concentration, amount of soluble fluoride, half-life (t1/2) and salivary flow rate of different amounts of toothpaste and rinsing procedures.

Design/methodology/approach

A randomized crossover study of 21 healthy volunteers was designed to compare pharmacokinetic parameters of 1 g (B1) and 0.3 g (B0.3) of toothpaste without rinsing and brushing with 1 g of toothpaste with expectoration followed by water rinsing (B1R). Unstimulated saliva was collected before brushing as a baseline and at 0, 5, 10, 30, 60 and 90 min after the completion of the tooth brushing procedure.

Findings

The salivary fluoride concentration and amount of soluble fluoride of the B1 group were significantly higher than the B0.3 and B1R groups. The B1 and B1R groups prolonged the remineralizing level up to 60 min while the B0.3 group retained their remineralizing levels for 30 min. The initial t1/2 (rapid phase) of B1 and B1R groups were significantly longer than the B0.3 group. The late t1/2 (slow phase) of the B0.3 group was significantly longer than the B1 group. This is called the two-compartment open pharmacokinetics model. There was no statistical difference of salivary flow rates between all groups.

Originality/value

Non-rinsing and the amount of fluoride toothpaste play an important role in raising salivary fluoride levels and prolonging the remineralizing level of the oral cavity.
Phenotypes of atopic dermatitis identified by cluster analysis in early childhood
Authors: Seo Euri , Yoon Jisun , Jung Sungsu , Lee Jina , Lee Beom Hee , Yu Jinho
Published: December 2018

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory skin disease that usually appears in early childhood and develops into a heterogeneous disease during childhood. The clinical course and treatment for atopic dermatitis can differ according to its phenotype and/or endotype. This study aimed to identify clinical phenotypes of atopic dermatitis in early childhood. Data were obtained from 572 children under 3 years of age with atopic dermatitis. Cluster analysis applied to 11 variables, and we identified four clusters of atopic dermatitis. Children in cluster A (n = 141) had early‐onset atopic dermatitis with high blood eosinophil counts, serum total immunoglobulin E and rates of sensitization to food allergens. Children in cluster B (n = 218) had early‐onset atopic dermatitis with low blood eosinophil counts, serum total immunoglobulin E and rates of sensitization to both food and inhalant allergens. Children in cluster C (n = 53) had early‐onset atopic dermatitis with high C‐reactive protein levels and white blood cell counts. Children in cluster D (n = 160) had middle‐onset atopic dermatitis with high serum total immunoglobulin E and rates of sensitization to inhalant allergens. Cluster A had the highest Scoring for Atopic Dermatitis and transepidermal water loss values. Age at onset, age at diagnosis, white blood cell count, eosinophil count, C‐reactive protein and serum total immunoglobulin E level were the strongest predictors of cluster assignment. Analysis of these six variables alone resulted in correct classification of 95.5% of the subjects. These results support the heterogeneity of atopic dermatitis, even in early childhood.
How do lianas and vines influence competitive differences and niche differences among tree species? Concepts and a case study in a tropical forest
Authors: Muller‐Landau Helene C. , Visser Marco D.
Published: December 2018

Lianas and other climbing plants are structural parasites of trees, generally reducing host tree survival, growth, and reproduction, yet their influences on the outcome of competition among tree species have remained largely unexplored.

We propose that there are three distinct components to liana–tree interactions:prevalence, defined as the proportion of infested trees;load, defined as the mean liana cover on infested trees; andtolerance, defined as the effect of a given level of infestation on tree population growth rates. We introduce a new metric that integrates these components, the lianaburden, defined as the total effect of lianas on per capita population growth rates given current prevalence, load, and tolerance. Using these metrics, we quantify variation among 33 co‐occurring tropical tree species in liana–tree interactions and its relation with shade‐tolerance.

The focal tree species vary strongly in liana prevalence, load, tolerance, and burden. Interspecific variation in tolerance is the largest contributor to interspecific variation in burden. Species rankings of per capita population growth rates under current liana infestation levels differ somewhat from rankings under liana‐free conditions, and differ strongly from rankings under uniformly high liana infestation. Thus, lianas alter competitive hierarchies to benefit tree species that are relatively tolerant of and/or resistant to lianas. Among the focal tree species, shade‐tolerance is positively correlated with liana tolerance and prevalence, but largely unrelated to load and burden, meaning shade‐tolerance does not predict which species are competitively disadvantaged by lianas. We describe a variety of mechanisms by which lianas may potentially increase or decrease niche differences among tree species, including interactions with spatial and temporal environmental niche partitioning, and potential differences among tree species in relative vulnerability to different liana species.

Synthesis. Lianas, like other natural enemies, can in principle alter competitive hierarchies and niche structure of co‐occurring tree species, and our analyses suggest such influences are substantial in our focal tropical tree community and likely many other tree communities as well. Quantifying these effects requires a more comprehensive approach including analyses and modelling of dynamics of liana–tree interactions and their variation with tree and liana species identities.
Biomass partitioning in response to resources availability: A comparison between native and invaded ranges in the clonal invaderCarpobrotus edulis
Authors: Portela Rubén , Barreiro Rodolfo , Roiloa Sergio R.
Published: December 2018

Identifying the mechanism underlying plant invasiveness is a fast‐moving research topic in current ecology. Phenotypic plasticity has been pointed out as a trait that can contribute to plant invasiveness. This experiment examines the presence of rapid adaptive evolution favoring plastic biomass partitioning during the invasion process. With that aim, we tested differences in patterns of biomass allocation between populations ofCarpobrotus edulisfrom South Africa (native area) and the Iberian Peninsula (invaded area) growing under different nutrient, water and light availabilities in a common garden experiment. Here we demonstrate that biomass partitioning in response to nutrient availability inC. edulisdiffers between populations from native and invaded ranges, indicating that this trait could be under selection during the invasion process. Thus, nutrient shortage significantly increased the proportional production of roots in populations from the invaded range, but not in populations from the native area. This plastic root‐foraging response may contribute to the optimization of nutrient uptake by plants, and therefore could be considered as an adaptive strategy. Understanding the ecological implications of rapid evolution for plastic biomass partitioning is important in determining processes of plant adaptation to new environments, and contributes to disentangling the mechanisms underlying plant invasiveness.
Bilateral Information Asymmetry in the Design of an Agri‐Environmental Policy: An Application to Peatland Retirement in Norway
Authors: Cho Wonjoo , Blandford David
Published: December 2018

Agriculture is a significant source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. GHG mitigation through agri‐environmental programmes could be important in achieving emission reduction targets under the 2015 UN climate agreement. This study uses the principal‐agent model to examine a peatland retirement programme to reduce agricultural emissions in Norway. The focus is on the role of the government's private information in programme design. Two cases are examined. First, optimal contracts are derived when farmers have private information about the costs of implementing peat land retirement, but the government reveals its information on the resulting public benefits through differentiated contracts. This corresponds to the standard targeting strategy with one‐sided information asymmetry. In the second case, an informed principal model developed by Maskin and Tirole in a 1990 study is employed to address bilateral information asymmetry. Using the informed principal model, the government offers the same menu of contracts to farmers in order not to disclose information on the public benefits from land retirement. Empirical results show that the government can achieve a higher payoff by using a pooling offer.
What Matters Most: Are Future Stream Temperatures More Sensitive to Changing Air Temperatures, Discharge, or Riparian Vegetation?
Authors: Wondzell Steven M. , Diabat Mousa , Haggerty Roy
Published: December 2018

Simulations of stream temperatures showed a wide range of future thermal regimes under a warming climate — from 2.9°C warmer to 7.6°C cooler than current conditions — depending primarily on shade from riparian vegetation. We used the stream temperature model, Heat Source, to analyze a 37‐km study segment of the upper Middle Fork John Day River, located in northeast Oregon, USA. We developed alternative future scenarios based on downscaled projections from climate change models and the composition and structure of native riparian forests. We examined 36 scenarios combining future changes in air temperature (ΔTair = 0°C, +2°C, and +4°C), stream discharge (ΔQ = −30%, 0%, and +30%), and riparian vegetation (post‐wildfire with 7% shade, current vegetation with 19% shade, a young‐open forest with 34% shade, and a mature riparian forest with 79% effective shade). Shade from riparian vegetation had the largest influence on stream temperatures, changing the seven‐day average daily maximum temperature (7DADM) from +1°C to −7°C. In comparison, the 7DADM increased by 1.4°C with a 4°C increase in air temperature and by 0.7°C with a 30% change in discharge. Many streams throughout the interior western United States have been altered in ways that have substantially reduced shade. The effect of restoring shade could result in future stream temperatures that are colder than today, even under a warmer climate with substantially lower late‐summer streamflow.
Effect of baseline body mass index on glycemic control and weight change with exenatide monotherapy in Chinese drug‐naïve type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Deng Hongrong , Lin Shuo , Yang Xubin , Lv Jing , Luo Sihui , Zeng Longyi , Weng Jianping , Xu Wen ,   On Behalf of the CONFIDENCE Group
Published: December 2018

Background

The weight‐reducing effect of exenatide has been proved, but too much weight loss in normal‐weight patients may concern physicians. This study evaluated the effects of exenatide monotherapy on glycemic control and weight change in normal‐weight, overweight, and obese patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods

In this multicenter prospective study, 29 normal‐weight, 54 overweight, and 27 obese newly diagnosed and drug‐naïve patients with T2D were treated with exenatide for 48 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was the effect of baseline body mass index (BMI) on glycemic control, measured as the change in HbA1c from baseline to Week 48 compared among different BMI groups. Other endpoints included comparisons of the effects of exenatide on fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose (PPG), body weight, and other metabolic indices.

Results

After 48‐week treatment, the estimated mean changes in HbA1c in normal‐weight, overweight, and obese patients were −1.9%, −1.8%, and −1.5%, respectively (P = 0.290 among groups after adjustment for baseline values). There were similar declines in FPG and 0.5‐ and 2‐hour PPG among groups. There were non‐significant trends from normal‐weight to overweight to obese patients for increased weight reduction (decreases of 2.2, 3.9, and 4.0 kg, respectively; P = 0.104) and changes in waist circumference (decreases of 2.2, 3.2, and 5.6 cm, respectively; P = 0.078).

Conclusions

Baseline BMI had no effect on glycemic control, weight change, or other metabolic indices with exenatide monotherapy. Normal‐weight patients with T2D would benefit from exenatide as much as overweight or obese patients on glucose control, without increased risk of excess weight loss.
Chinese Expert Consensus Workshop Report: Guideline for permanent iodine‐125 seed implantation of primary and metastatic lung tumors
Authors: Zhang Fujun , Wang Junjie , Guo Jinhe , Li Yuliang , Huang Xuequan , Guan Zhiyu , Lei Guangyan , Wang Juan , Ye Xin , Zhao Xiaogang , Wang Jing , Wang Ruoyu , Liu Bin
Published: December 2018

Surgery remains the first choice of cure for early stage lung cancer. However, many patients are diagnosed at advanced stage, and thus miss the opportunity to undergo surgery. As such patients derive limited benefits from chemotherapy or radiotherapy, alternatives focusing on local control have emerged, including iodine‐125 seed implantation. The Interstitial Brachytherapy Society, Committee of Minimally Invasive Therapy in Oncology, Chinese Anti‐Cancer Association organized a group of multidisciplinary experts to develop guidelines for this treatment modality. These guidelines aim to standardize iodine‐125 seed implantation procedures, inclusion criteria, and outcome assessment to prevent and manage procedure‐related complications.
Supplemental oxygen and hyperoxemia in trauma patients: A prospective, observational study
Authors: Eskesen Trine G. , Baekgaard Josefine S. , Christensen Rasmus Ejlersgaard , Lee Jae Moo , Velmahos George C. , Steinmetz Jacob , Rasmussen Lars S.
Published: December 2018

Background

Supplemental oxygen is recommended during the initial treatment of trauma patients according to several guidelines, but the supporting evidence is sparse. We aimed to describe the use of supplemental oxygen and occurrence of hyperoxemia in the initial phase of trauma management at two level 1 trauma centers, TC1 and TC2.

Methods

In this prospective, observational study we included trauma patients ≥16 years of age. Data on pre‐ and in‐hospital supplemental oxygen, arterial oxygen tension (PaO2), and outcomes (in‐hospital mortality, hospital‐ and intensive care unit length of stay) were collected.

Results

We included 56 patients. There were 22 (39%) females with a mean age of 49 years (SD: 18) and a median Injury Severity Score of 9 (IQR: 4‐14, n = 49). A total of 23 (45%) out of 51 spontaneously breathing patients received pre‐hospital supplemental oxygen, but did not differ significantly from the patients that did not receive supplemental oxygen. In‐hospital, 29 (59%) out of 49 spontaneously breathing patients received supplemental oxygen. The median PaO2 was 26.5 kPa [IQR: 22.2‐34.1] in four intubated patients and 12.3 kPa [IQR: 9.7‐25.7] in eight patients with spontaneous respiration on supplemental oxygen. At TC1 a significantly greater proportion of spontaneously breathing patients received both pre‐hospital (TC1: 18 [64%]; TC2: 5 [21%], P = 0.002) and in‐hospital (TC1: 24 [92%]; TC2: 7 [30%], P < 0.001) supplemental oxygen.

Conclusion

Approximately 50% of trauma patients received supplemental oxygen during the initial treatment. Hyperoxemia was a common finding for patients treated with supplemental oxygen, and it was more pronounced in intubated patients.
Ethnographic Methods, Young People, and a High School: A Recipe for Ethical Precarity
Authors: Herron Melinda
Published: December 2018

For anthropologists working with young people in schools, an ambiguous and anxiety‐provoking balancing act is required; how can the researcher align with the relational sensibilities of ethnography while also adhering to the strict boundaries and risk management ethos of school and university ethics? Tracing research relationships developed with students during fieldwork, this paper calls for an ethical perspective on ethnography that is longitudinal, inclusive of a range of fieldwork relationships, and accounts for researcher vulnerability.
The Earliest High‐Fired Glazed Ceramic in China: Evidence from a Glazed Ceramic Sample from the Lajia Site, Qinghai Province
Authors: Zhou X. Q. , Cui J. F. , Ren X. Y. , Wang Q. Q. , Du W. , Du Z. W. , Liu X. Y.
Published: December 2018

In the Majiayao cultural stratum of the Lajia site in Minhe County, Qinghai Province, much earthenware of rich variety and strong character has been found, among which the most special item is a suspected glazed white ceramic fragment. This study investigates this ceramic sherd and many other overfired objects. Energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy – energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction and thermodilatometry were employed to analyse the composition, microstructure, phase composition and firing temperature of the white ceramic. In addition to large condensed glaze droplets, the white ceramic showed a thin and uneven glaze layer, which might represent the earliest results of the exploration of glaze‐making technology by Lajia inhabitants, and provide a new perspective on the study of the origin of Chinese proto‐porcelains.
Fire increases the reproduction of the dominant grass Brachypodium retusum and Mediterranean steppe diversity in a combined burning and grazing experiment
Authors: Vidaller Christel , Dutoit Thierry , Ramone Hervé , Bischoff Armin
Published: December 2018

Aims

We assessed what the effects of fire and grazing are on vegetative growth and sexual reproduction of Brachypodium retusum, the dominant species of Mediterranean Thero‐Brachypodietea grasslands (“steppes”) and on species composition of the associated plant community.

Location

“La Crau”, southeastern France.

Methods

We set up a split‐plot experiment testing the effects of fire season (winter, summer) and grazing on plant cover, inflorescence number, seed set and germination of Brachypodium retusum in traditionally grazed grasslands. We further analyzed plant species composition and diversity in vegetation relevés. The same fire treatments were tested in a second experiment in long‐term grazing exclosures.

Results

Brachypodium retusum showed a rapid post‐fire recovery, but other species of the associated plant community, in particular annuals, recovered as fast or even faster. Fire increased Brachypodium retusum inflorescence production and seed set per inflorescence and this effect was stronger in the summer fire treatment. At the community level, fire significantly increased species richness, evenness and Bray–Curtis dissimilarity in the second post‐fire season and again, the summer fire effect was stronger. Grazing exclusion for two seasons had only a small effect on Brachypodium retusum and the associated plant community. The effect of both fire treatments on Brachypodium retusum was similar in long‐term exclosures. In these exclosures, fire resulted in a community shift towards the species composition of traditionally grazed steppes.

Conclusions

The concomitant positive effects of experimental burning on Brachypodium retusum reproduction and on plant diversity of Mediterranean steppe vegetation suggest that the system is adapted to fire as an important driver of community composition. Annual species surviving as seeds are as successful in post‐fire recovery as perennial resprouters. Prescribed burning may be an alternative strategy to restore community structure in abandoned (ungrazed) steppes showing a decline in typical grassland species after several years of grazing abandonment.
Norcantharidin inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis via c‐Met/Akt/mTOR pathway in human osteosarcoma cells
Authors: Mei Liangwei , Sang Wenhua , Cui Kai , Zhang Yabin , Chen Fuchun , Li Xiaochun
Published: December 2018

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumor and frequently affects adolescents. Norcantharidin (NCTD), a demethylated derivative of cantharidin, has been reported to exhibit anticancer activity against various types of tumors but not human OS. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of NCTD on OS cell lines (MG63 and HOS) and to explore the underlying mechanisms. In the present study, the proliferation of OS cells decreased significantly, while the apoptosis was accelerated significantly after exposure to NCTD. Meanwhile, our results also indicated that NCTD could suppress the migration and invasion, decrease the colony‐forming ability and induce S phase cell cycle arrest of OS cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Moreover, our results revealed that the anticancer effects induced by NCTD on OS cells involved autophagy, mitophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress and c‐Met pathway. Furthermore, the results of animal experiments showed that NCTD inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft model of human OS. These results provide important new insight into the possible molecular mechanisms of NCTD and highlight its potential use as an antitumor drug for human OS.
circLARP4 induces cellular senescence through regulating miR‐761/RUNX3/p53/p21 signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Chen Zhiqiang , Zuo Xueliang , Pu Liyong , Zhang Yao , Han Guoyong , Zhang Long , Wu Jindao , Wang Xuehao
Published: December 2018

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of non‐coding RNAs, have emerged as indispensable modulators in human malignancies. Aberrant cellular senescence is a phenotype observed in various cancers. The association of circRNAs with cellular senescence in tumors is yet to determined. Here, we investigated the role of circLARP4 in cellular senescence and cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Downregulated circLARP4 level was observed in HCC tissues and cell lines. Low expression level of circLARP4 independently predicted poor survival outcome. Gain‐of‐function and loss‐of‐function assays demonstrated that circLARP4 suppressed HCC cell proliferation, mediated cell cycle arrest and induced senescence in vitro. Levels of p53 and p21, 2 key regulatory molecules in cellular senescence, were increased in circLARP4‐overexpressed HCC cells and decreased in circLARP4‐silenced HCC cells. In vivo experiments further confirmed the tumor‐suppressing activity of circLARP4. Further mechanistic studies showed that circLARP4 dampened HCC progression by sponging miR‐761, thereby promoting the expression level of RUNX3 and activating the downstream p53/p21 signaling. Our study revealed the role of circLARP4/miR‐761/RUNX3/p53/p21 signaling in HCC progression, providing a potential survival predictor and therapeutic candidate for HCC.
Ezetimibe suppresses development of liver tumors by inhibiting angiogenesis in mice fed a high‐fat diet
Authors: Miura Kouichi , Ohnishi Hirohide , Morimoto Naoki , Minami Shinichiro , Ishioka Mitsuaki , Watanabe Shunji , Tsukui Mamiko , Takaoka Yoshinari , Nomoto Hiroaki , Isoda Norio , Yamamoto Hironori
Published: December 2018

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, effective therapeutic strategies for preventing and treating NASH‐mediated liver cirrhosis and HCC are lacking. Cholesterol is closely associated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a key factor that promotes HCC. Recent reports have demonstrated that statins could prevent HCC development. In contrast, we have little information on ezetimibe, an inhibitor of cholesterol absorption, in regards to the prevention of NASH‐related liver cirrhosis and HCC. In the present study, a steatohepatitis‐related HCC model, hepatocyte‐specific phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten)‐deficient (PtenΔhep) mice were fed a high‐fat (HF) diet with/without ezetimibe. In the standard‐diet group, ezetimibe did not reduce the development of liver tumors in PtenΔhep mice, in which the increase of serum cholesterol levels was mild. Feeding of a HF diet increased serum cholesterol levels markedly and subsequently increased serum levels of VEGF, a crucial component of angiogenesis. The HF diet increased the number of VEGF‐positive cells and vascular endothelial cells in the tumors of PtenΔhep mice. Kupffer cells, macrophages in the liver, increased VEGF expression in response to fat overload. Ezetimibe treatment lowered cholesterol levels and these angiogenetic processes. As a result, ezetimibe also suppressed inflammation, liver fibrosis and tumor growth in PtenΔhep mice on the HF diet. Tumor cells were highly proliferative with HF‐diet feeding, which was inhibited by ezetimibe. In conclusion, ezetimibe suppressed development of liver tumors by inhibiting angiogenesis in PtenΔhep mice with hypercholesterolemia.
The dilemma of pest suppression in the conservation of endangered species
Authors: Adler Peter H. , Barzen Jeb , Gray Elmer , Lacy Anne , Urbanek Richard P. , Converse Sarah J.
Published: December 2018

In the conservation of endangered species, suppression of a population of one native species to benefit another poses challenges. Examples include predator control and nest parasite reduction. Less obvious is the control of blood‐feeding arthropods. We conducted a case study of the effect of native black flies (Simulium spp.) on reintroduced Whooping Cranes (Grus americana). Our intent was to provide a science‐driven approach for determining the effects of blood‐feeding arthropods on endangered vertebrates and identifying optimal management actions for managers faced with competing objectives. A multiyear experiment demonstrated that black flies reduce nest success in cranes by driving incubating birds off their nests. We used a decision‐analytic approach to develop creative management alternatives and evaluate trade‐offs among competing objectives. We identified 4 management objectives: establish a self‐sustaining crane population, improve crane well‐being, maintain native black flies as functional components of the ecosystem, and minimize costs. We next identified potential management alternatives: do nothing, suppress black flies, force crane renesting to occur after the activity period of black flies, relocate releases of cranes, suppress black flies and relocate releases, or force crane renesting and relocate releases. We then developed predictions on constructed scales of 0 (worst‐performing alternative) to 1 (best‐performing alternative) to indicate how alternative actions performed in terms of management objectives. The optimal action depended on the relative importance of each objective to a decision maker. Only relocating releases was a dominated alternative, indicating that it was not optimal regardless of the relative importance of objectives. A rational decision maker could choose any other management alternative we considered. Recognizing that decisions involve trade‐offs that must be weighed by decision makers is crucial to identifying alternatives that best balance multiple management objectives. Given uncertainty about the population dynamics of blood‐feeding arthropods, an adaptive management approach could offer substantial benefits.
Un/natural death and extinction
Authors: Largen Kristin Johnston
Published: December 2018

This article examines the question of death in the larger context of extinction, more specifically in the context of the sixth extinction, the human‐caused mass die‐off of species we are currently experiencing.  The point is made that while both death and extinction are a natural part of evolutionary life on earth, there are critical aspects of both that are distinctly “unnatural”—even sinful, and should be combatted and resisted.
Testosterone therapy to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus in at‐risk men (T4DM): Design and implementation of a double‐blind randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wittert Gary , Atlantis Evan , Allan Carolyn , Bracken Karen , Conway Ann , Daniel Mark , Gebski Val , Grossmann Mathis , Hague Wendy , Handelsman David J. , Inder Warrick , Jenkins Alicia , Keech Anthony , McLachlan Robert , Robledo Kristy , Stuckey Bronwyn , Yeap Bu B.
Published: December 2018

Background

Low circulating testosterone is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in overweight men with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).

Aims

To determine in a multi‐centre, double‐blinded placebo‐controlled randomized trial whether testosterone treatment combined with lifestyle intervention (Weight Watchers) relative to lifestyle intervention alone reduces T2DM incidence and improves glucose tolerance at 2 years.

Study population

Overweight or obese men aged 50‐74 years with a serum testosterone of ≤14 nmol/L and IGT or newly diagnosed T2DM established by an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

Setting, drug and protocol

Six Australian capital city‐based tertiary care centres. Participants were randomized 1:1 and injected with testosterone undecanoate (1000 mg/4 mL) or vehicle (4 mL castor oil), at baseline, 6 weeks and 3‐monthly thereafter.

Primary endpoints

(a) Proportion of participants with 2‐hour OGTT ≥11.1 mmol/L at 2 years, and (b) a difference at 2 years ≥0.6 mmol/L in the mean 2‐hour OGTT glucose between treatments.

Secondary endpoints

Fasting insulin, HbA1c, body composition, maximal handgrip strength; sexual function and lower urinary tract symptoms; serum sex steroids and sex hormone binding globulin; mood and psychosocial function; adherence to lifestyle intervention; and healthcare utilization and costs.

Safety

Overseen by an Independent Data Safety Monitoring Committee. Haematocrit, lipids and prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) are assessed 6‐monthly and information relating to haematological, urological and cardiovascular adverse events from each clinic visit.

Sub‐studies

(a) Changes in bone density and micro‐architecture, (b) motivation and behaviour, (c) telomere length, (d) extended treatment up to 4 years, and (e) hypothalamo‐pituitary testicular axis recovery at treatment end.
A whey/guar “preload” improves postprandial glycaemia and glycated haemoglobin levels in type 2 diabetes: A 12‐week, single‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Watson Linda E. , Phillips Liza K. , Wu Tongzhi , Bound Michelle J. , Checklin Helen L. , Grivell Jacqueline , Jones Karen L. , Clifton Peter M. , Horowitz Michael , Rayner Christopher K.
Published: December 2018

Aims

To evaluate the effects of 12 weeks of treatment with a whey/guar preload on gastric emptying, postprandial glycaemia and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Materials and methods

A total of 79 people with T2DM, managed on diet or metformin (HbA1c 49 ± 0.7 mmol/mol [6.6 ± 0.1%]), were randomized, in single‐blind fashion, to receive 150 mL flavoured preloads, containing either 17 g whey protein plus 5 g guar (n = 37) or flavoured placebo (n = 42), 15 minutes before two meals, each day for 12 weeks. Blood glucose and gastric emptying (breath test) were measured before and after a mashed potato meal at baseline (without preload), and after the preload at the beginning (week 1) and end (week 12) of treatment. HbA1c levels, energy intake, weight and body composition were also evaluated.

Results

Gastric emptying was slower (P < 0.01) and postprandial blood glucose levels lower (P < 0.05) with the whey/guar preload compared to placebo preload, and the magnitude of reduction in glycaemia was related to the rate of gastric emptying at both week 1 (r = −0.54, P < 0.001) and week 12 (r = −0.54, P < 0.0001). At the end of treatment, there was a 1 mmol/mol [0.1%] reduction in HbA1c in the whey/guar group compared to the placebo group (49 ± 1.0 mmol/mol [6.6 ± 0.05%] vs. 50 ± 0.8 mmol/mol [6.7 ± 0.05%]; P < 0.05). There were no differences in energy intake, body weight, or lean or fat mass between the groups.

Conclusions

In patients with well‐controlled T2DM, 12 weeks' treatment with a low‐dose whey/guar preload, taken twice daily before meals, had sustained effects of slowing gastric emptying and reducing postprandial blood glucose, which were associated with a modest reduction in HbA1c, without causing weight gain.
Detecting dry matter yield trend of whole crop maize considering the climatic factors in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Chemere Befekadu , Kim Moonju , Peng Jinglun , Kim Byongwan , Sung Kyungil
Published: December 2018

This study was aimed to detect the dry matter yield (DMY) trend of whole crop maize (WCM) considering the climatic factors responsible for growth and development of WCM using time series analysis in the Republic of Korea. The dataset consisted of DMY and climatic factors responsible for WCM yield from 1982 to 2011. The stationarity of the DMY was detected using augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) test, whereas the parameters of Autoregressive (AR) and Moving average (MA) were estimated from correlogram of Autocorrelation function (ACF) and partial ACF (PACF). The stationary DMY data was fitted to AR Integrated MA (ARIMA), and based on model selection criterion, ARIMA (2, 0, 1) was detected as the optimal model to describe the DMY trend of WCM. The DMY trend followed the mean of the preceding 2 years and residual of preceding 1 year. ARIMA with exogenous variables (ARIMAX) detected Seeding‐Harvesting Growing Degree Days (SHGDD, °C), Seeding‐Harvesting Rainfall Amount (SHRFA, mm), and Seeding‐Harvesting Rainfall Days (SHRFD, days) as major climatic factors responsible for the DMY trend of WCM. Furthermore, the amount and timing of rainfall found to be an important factor for the observed DMY trend. The fluctuation in the DMY trend implies the need to come up with a holistic approach that include new varieties development and improved agronomic management system to overcome the expected challenge from climate variability.