bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Age-related productivity decrease in high-waged and low-waged employees
Authors: Roosaar Liis , Masso Jaan , Varblane Urmas
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify whether the age-productivity curve is different for low-waged and high-waged employees.

Design/methodology/approach

Productivity growth is decomposed at the firm level into contributions by hired, separated and staying workers. Based on a matched employer-employee database of Estonian firms from 2006 to 2014 and considering the age as well as wages of employees, a panel data model with fixed effects is constructed to show the relative productivity of each cohort of employees.

Findings

High-waged employees appeared to be relatively more productive than low-waged employees and middle-aged were more productive than young or old employees. However, the productivity difference between young and old employees was not statistically significant. The age-productivity curve of high-waged employees appeared to be flatter than that of low-waged employees. Only in knowledge intensive services were the low-waged old employees statistically significantly less productive than high-waged old employees. In the manufacturing industry, the young were more productive than in services, in knowledge intensive services the old were less productive than in traditional services.

Research limitations/implications

The productivity of employees is only analysed for cohorts of employees.

Practical implications

Employers can be encouraged to hire older employees because old employees are shown to remain at least as productive as young employees.

Originality/value

The decomposition of labour productivity at the firm level is further developed, as the statistical difference between the productivity of different groups of employees is analysed.
Green Banking and Islam: two sides of the same coin
Authors: Bukhari Syed Asim Ali , Hashim Fathyah , Amran Azlan Bin , Hyder Kalim
Published: July 2019

Purpose

Currently, one of the most important dilemmas facing mankind is environmental degradation and natural resource shortage. The adoption of Green Banking practices has been identified as a solution to the growing environmental problems all over the world. However, an important issue being faced by both the conventional and Islamic banking industry is the creation of stakeholder engagement in Green Banking practices. The purpose of this paper is to propose the use of Islamic principles in developing an emotional attachment between Green Banking practices and the Muslim consumer market to facilitate Green Banking adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the theory of self-congruity, the authors have proposed a framework to analyze the congruity between Islamic principles and Green Banking. The argument is built on secondary data by identifying the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) dimensions of Green Banking and proving its congruence with teachings of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah.

Findings

It is observed that the doctrine of Islam established for mankind 1,400 years ago consists of the same principles that are now being implemented in the shape of Green Banking. The dimensions of Green Banking are in line with Islamic teachings and, thus, can easily be adopted and marketed by banks, especially Islamic banks, targeting the Muslim consumers. The congruence of Green Banking with Islamic principles can play a major role in fostering the growth of this imperative ideology for the Green Muslim consumers. Islamic banks can market green products and services on the basis of religious congruity to the Muslim consumer market and create greater acceptability and loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed model has not been empirically tested.

Originality/value

Limited research exists in the area of Green Banking adoption, especially in Muslim countries. Up until now, academic research has not been conducted on the congruity between the principles of Islam and Green Banking dimensions. This paper attempts to add to the unsaturated research area of Green Banking adoption by Islamic banks and how Islamic banks can gain a competitive advantage by building on the congruity between Green Banking and Islam.
Online transparency and corporate governance in Spanish governmental agencies
Authors: Pina Vicente , Torres Lourdes
Published: July 2019

Purpose

Online transparency has become a tool to increase legitimacy and trust in governments. The purpose of this paper is to study the online transparency of Spanish Central Government agencies and analyze whether their corporate governance (CG) structures influence their online transparency.

Design/methodology/approach

The information used for building an online transparency index and about the board of directors has been collected from the websites of the 168 agencies and from their statutes and activity reports. Ordinary least squares analysis is used. Based on a previous literature review and the requirements of the EU Directive and Spanish legislation, 108 items included in the websites have been analyzed.

Findings

The average information displayed through the website agencies is significantly less than the information considered as relevant in previous literature and in the Spanish legislation. The highest values are presented by the technical dimensions and the lowest by the organizational/political dimension. The presence of independent directors and women on the boards of directors are revealed as the most important explanatory factors of online transparency.

Practical implications

Practical implications to improve online transparency are related to the organizational/political dimension – including the positions and CVs of members of governing bodies, minutes, etc. and to the presence of independent directors and, to a lesser extent, of women, on the board of directors.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper is the identification of some online transparency determinants in public entities under the same general legal framework. This is the first paper that analyzes the relationship between online transparency and CG in public agencies.
Risk management committee and risk management disclosure: evidence from Australia
Authors: Jia Jing , Li Zhongtian , Munro Lois
Published: July 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship between risk management committees (RMCs) and risk management disclosure (RMD) quality. Specifically, the existence of stand-alone RMCs and a number of RMC characteristics, including RMC size, RMC independence, number of RMC meetings and RMC members’ human capital is investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprises top 100 Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed companies during the period between 2010 and 2012, when RMD began to be guided by detailed recommendations in Australia. Following the RMD framework used by Jia et al. (2016), RMD quality is measured based on its quantity, relevance, width and depth. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions were used to test the relationship between stand-alone RMC, RMC characteristics and RMD quality.

Findings

The results show that the existence of a stand-alone RMC, the human capital of RMC and RMC size are positively associated with RMD quality. In contrast, RMC independence and the number of RMC meetings are not found to have a significant association with RMD quality.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the current RMD literature by investigating whether a stand-alone RMC and different RMC characteristics are associated with RMD quality. The results of this study provide useful and new empirical evidence about the relationship between RMCs and RMD quality for researchers, companies, and regulators.
Family conflict and adolescent compulsive buying behavior
Authors: Roberts James A. , Pullig Chris , David Meredith
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating roles of materialism and self-esteem in explaining how family conflict leads to adolescent compulsive buying. Despite the importance of family as a primary socialization agent, scant research has focused on how family conflict impacts adolescents’ attitudes and behaviors as consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 1,289 adolescents was conducted in a public high school in the Midwestern USA. Regression analyses were used to assess the mediating roles of materialism and self-esteem on the relationship between family conflict and compulsive buying. Additionally, gender was hypothesized to moderate the relationship between family conflict and the two mediating variables.

Findings

Results showed that family conflict increased adolescent materialism and lowered self-esteem. Gender moderated the relationship between family conflict and self-esteem with a more pronounced effect for females than males. Materialism and self-esteem were significantly related to compulsive buying. Family conflict had a significant indirect effect on compulsive buying through materialism for females and through self-esteem for both male and female.

Research limitations/implications

Findings suggest that family conflict impacts compulsive buying through its impact on both materialism and self-esteem. Future research is needed to explain why adolescents use compulsive buying as a coping mechanism for family conflict. Then, whether such behavior leads to improved well-being.

Practical implications

Results suggest that adolescents use compulsive buying to cope with family conflict. The study’s focus on family conflict, not simply divorce, expands its implications to all households, intact or not.

Originality/value

This study created a new model of family conflict’s impact on adolescent consumers’ attitudes and behavior.
Secukinumab demonstrates superior efficacy and a faster response in clearing skin in Asian subjects with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis compared with ustekinumab: Subgroup analysis from the CLEAR study
Authors: Lee Min‐Geol , Huang Yu‐Huei , Lee Joo‐Heung , Lee Seung‐Chul , Kim Tae‐Gyun , Aw Derrick Chen‐Wee , Bao Weibin , Dee Cathleen Michelle A. , Guana Adriana , Tsai Tsen‐Fang
Published: July 2019

The 52‐week results from the CLEAR (NCT02074982) study showed high and superior efficacy of secukinumab versus ustekinumab in clearing skin and improving patient‐reported outcomes, with comparable safety profile in subjects with moderate to severe psoriasis. Here, we analyzed the efficacy and safety of secukinumab in Asian subjects from the CLEAR study. In this double‐blind, phase IIIb study, eligible subjects with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were randomized (1:1) to receive s.c. injection of secukinumab 300 mg or ustekinumab as per label. Of 62 subjects included in Asian subanalyses, 23 were randomized to secukinumab and 39 to ustekinumab. A significantly higher proportion of subjects achieved 90% or more improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 90) with secukinumab versus ustekinumab at week 16 (78.3% vs 35.9%, P = 0.0010) and at week 52 (60.9% vs 33.3%, P = 0.0196). Similarly, a higher proportion of subjects achieved PASI 100 with secukinumab versus ustekinumab at week 16 (43.5% vs 10.3%, P = 0.0029) and at week 52 (30.4% vs 12.8%, P = 0.0704). The median time to achieve 50% improvement in baseline PASI was 2.8 weeks in the secukinumab group versus 6.3 weeks in the ustekinumab group. The safety profile of secukinumab was in line with the known profile and no deaths occurred. Overall, 95.7% and 84.6% of subjects remained on secukinumab and ustekinumab, respectively. Similar to the core study, secukinumab showed sustained and superior efficacy with faster response versus ustekinumab, and no new or unexpected safety concerns were identified, in Asian subjects with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
Bee diversity in tallgrass prairies affected by management and its effects on above‐ and below‐ground resources
Authors: Buckles Brittany J. , Harmon‐Threatt Alexandra N.
Published: July 2019

Habitat management methods are crucial to maintaining habitats in the long term and ensuring vital resources are available for declining species. However, when management focuses on a single resource there is the potential to reduce or degrade other critical resources and negatively affect species of concern. Although both floral and nesting resources are critical to supporting bee populations, little consideration is given to the availability of nesting resources. Given known effects of management methods on soils, where the majority of bees nest, and floral food resources, increasing our understanding of management effects on both soils and floral resources is important to improving bee conservation efforts.

In 20 tallgrass prairie plots managed under 1 of 3 common methods: burning, haying and patch‐burn grazing, we assessed effects on bee communities and necessary above‐ and below‐ground resources. We also considered how management and resources affected below‐ground nesting in each prairie.

Management type affected both soil conditions and floral resources with patch‐burn grazing sites providing overall worse resources for bees compared to ungrazed sites. Soil conditions were also important for predicting most aspects of the bee community including abundance and community composition. Soil conditions also decreased floral richness and Floristic Quality Index (FQI). This suggests management affects bee communities both directly and indirectly through soil.

Increased nesting was observed in sites with greater floral abundance and soil conditions that correspond to increased bare ground, lower soil moisture and warmer soil temperatures suggesting management that helps increase floral abundance and improve soil conditions could be critical to increasing bee nesting.

Synthesis and applications. Measuring and tracking bare ground, Floristic Quality Index (FQI) and floral richness may help managers determine if their management methods are adversely affecting bees. Grazing and haying management negatively affected the bee community, vital nesting and floral resources and nesting rate. These managements may need to be avoided to meet bee conservation goals in prairies. Additionally, while soils have been largely overlooked, we found soil conditions to be an important predictor for bee communities and floral resources, and should be considered more explicitly in conserved areas.
When Is the Client King? Evidence from Affiliated‐Analyst Recommendations in China's Split‐Share Reform
Authors: Chan Kam C. , Jiang Xuanyu , Wu Donghui , Xu Nianhang , Zeng Hong
Published: July 2019

China's split‐share reform of 2005 (the Reform) converts the previously restricted shares held by founding shareholders to shares tradable on the open market. Against this backdrop, we study how underwriter‐affiliated analysts and firms' large shareholders interact in the event of the latter's sales of restricted shares. We document that recommendations made by affiliated analysts are significantly more optimistic when firms' large shareholders plan to sell their restricted shares. This optimism, however, is associated with negative post‐sale stock returns, suggesting large shareholders profit from share sales. Furthermore, large shareholders sell more restricted shares through the affiliated brokerages for which analysts have issued more optimistic recommendations and firms under their control are more likely to appoint such brokerages as lead underwriters when they refinance in the future. The affiliated analysts also conduct more site visits to the firms after the share sales, thereby improving their earnings‐forecast accuracy. Our analysis shows how conflicts of interest by financial intermediaries arise following the Reform and lead to large shareholders' extraction of rents from public investors.
The use of mifepristone for medical abortion
Authors:   RANZCOG Women’s Health Committee
Published: July 2019

Objectives:

To provide advice on the use of mifepristone for medical abortion.

Target audience:

All health professionals providing gynaecological care, and patients.

Values:

The evidence was reviewed by the Women's Health Committee RANZCOG, and applied to local factors relating to Australia and New Zealand.

Background:

This statement was first developed by Women's Health Committee in November 2007 and reviewed in March 2019.

Funding:

The development and review of this statement was funded by RANZCOG.
Effectiveness of trabeculectomy with mitomycin C for glaucomatous eyes with low intraocular pressure on treatment eye drops
Authors: Yuasa Yuki , Sugimoto Yosuke , Hirooka Kazuyuki , Ohkubo Shinji , Higashide Tomomi , Sugiyama Kazuhisa , Kiuchi Yoshiaki
Published: July 2019

Purpose

To examine the efficacy and safety of current trabeculectomy with mitomycin C in Japan for glaucomatous eyes with low intraocular pressure (IOP).

Methods

Two hundred ninety‐four eyes of 294 patients with IOP ≤21 mmHg before surgery were studied; all patients were participants in the Collaborative Bleb‐related Infection Incidence and Treatment Study (CBIITS), a multicentre, prospective, cohort study conducted at 34 ophthalmological institutions throughout Japan. All eyes had an intraocular pressure ≤ 21 mmHg and had undergone trabeculectomy alone or phacotrabeculectomy. Two success criteria were used: Criterion A comprised 20% reduction of baseline IOP and Criterion B comprised 30% reduction of baseline IOP. The primary outcome was the success rate for each of these criteria.

Results

The qualified success rates were 87.3% for Criterion A and 42.0% for Criterion B at 5 years. Mean IOP was significantly reduced, from 16.7 ± 2.7 to 11.6 ± 4.0 mmHg at 5 years after trabeculectomy (p < 0.0001); the number of anti‐glaucoma medications significantly decreased from 2.7 ± 1.1 to 1.0 ± 1.2 (p < 0.0001) at 5 years after the surgery. Three or more trabeculectomies, and needling were related to increased risk of failure. Incidences of postoperative hyphema, infection, shallow anterior chamber and bleb leakage were 2.4%, 2.4%, 2.0% and 3.4%, respectively.

Conclusions

This study showed that trabeculectomy with mitomycin C is an effective procedure with few surgical complications for reducing IOP in patients, even if preoperative IOP was within the normal range.
Body temperature control in rats by muscle tone during rest or sleep
Authors: Lømo Terje , Eken Torsten , Bekkestad Rein Erling , Njå Arild
Published: July 2019

Aim

To explore the role of tonic motor unit activity in body temperature control.

Methods

Motor unit activity in soleus and several other skeletal muscles was recorded electromyographically from adult rats placed in a climate chamber on a load sensitive floor, which, together with video monitoring, allowed detection of every successive period of movement and no movement.

Results

In the absence of movements during rest or sleep, motor unit activity was exclusively tonic and therefore equivalent to muscle tone as defined here. The amount of tonic activity increased linearly in the soleus as the ambient temperature decreased from 32°C to below 7°C, owing to progressive recruitment and increased firing rate of individual units. Brief movements occurred randomly and frequently during rest or sleep in association with brief facilitation or inhibition of motor neurons that turned tonic motor unit activity on or off, partitioning the tonic activity among the available motor units. Shivering first appeared when a falling ambient temperature reached ≤7°C in several muscles except soleus, which was as active between shivering bursts as during them.

Conclusion

Muscle tone and overt shivering are strikingly different phenomena. Tonic motor unit activity in the absence of movements evokes isometric contractions and, therefore, generates heat. Accordingly, when the amount of tonic activity increases with falling ambient temperature, so must heat production. Consequently, graded muscle tone appears as an important and independent mechanism for thermogenesis during rest or sleep at ambient temperatures ranging from <7°C to at least 32°C.
SHIPping out diabetes—Metformin, an old friend among new SHIP2 inhibitors
Authors: Lehtonen Sanna
Published: July 2019

SHIP2 (Src homology 2 domain‐containing inositol 5′‐phosphatase 2) belongs to the family of 5′‐phosphatases. It regulates the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)‐mediated insulin signalling cascade by dephosphorylating the 5′‐position of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 to generate PtdIns(3,4)P2, suppressing the activity of the pathway. SHIP2 mouse models and genetic studies in human propose that increased expression or activity of SHIP2 contributes to the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. This has raised great interest to identify SHIP2 inhibitors that could be used to design new treatments for metabolic diseases. This review summarizes the central mechanisms associated with the development of diabetic kidney disease, including the role of insulin resistance, and then moves on to describe the function of SHIP2 as a regulator of metabolism in mouse models. Finally, the identification of SHIP2 inhibitors and their effects on metabolic processes in vitro and in vivo are outlined. One of the newly identified SHIP2 inhibitors is metformin, the first‐line medication prescribed to patients with type 2 diabetes, further boosting the attraction of SHIP2 as a treatment target to ameliorate metabolic disorders.
Ameliorative effect of acetylshikonin on ovalbumin (OVA)‐induced allergic rhinitis in mice through the inhibition of Th2 cytokine production and mast cell histamine release
Authors: Fan Xi‐Hui , Cheng Lei , Yan Ai‐Hui
Published: July 2019

Acetylshikonin has long been known as an anti‐inflammatory and antioxidative reagent. However, the anti‐allergic effect has not been studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of acetylshikonin on allergic rhinitis (AR) in mice. Mice were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of OVA and aluminum hydroxide and challenged with intranasal instillation of OVA. Acetylshikonin was administered orally after nasal cavities challenge. Severity of allergic rhinitis was assessed according to nasal symptoms; serum OVA‐specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), IgG1, and IgG2a level; and interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐10, IL‐5, IL‐13, TNF‐α, IL‐12, and interferon (INF)‐γ levels in nasal lavage fluid (NALF). Additionally, the histological change and the release of histamine in serum and nasal lavage fluid were evaluated by acid‐Schiff stain and ELISA. Acetylshikonin attenuated manifestation of nasal symptoms in sensitized mice and inhibited production of Th2‐related OVA‐specific IgE, IgG1, and Th2 cell‐produced IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐13, and mast cell produced histamine; however, it had no effect on Th1 cell‐produced cytokines, like INF‐γ. In addition, the degree of inflammatory cell infiltration and goblet cell hyperplasia was attenuated by acetylshikonin treatment. Our results suggest that acetylshikonin effectively reduces allergic inflammation in a mouse model of allergic rhinitis by its anti‐allergic and anti‐inflammatory properties.
Life and Work: Unconscious Entanglements
Authors: Tomarken Alexis
Published: July 2019

This paper uses a personal clinical example from my practice to demonstrate the complexities and nonlinearity of time in a discussion of unconscious entanglements. These entanglements include personal intersections of my patient's history and mine, events at the time of our meeting, and the unknown future. These entanglements become uncanny, and in the uncanny what is revealed is not only illuminating but altering. This detailed and intimate examination of how we cannot only alter our patients’ lives and future, but also how they can inform us of ours, provides a platform to discuss the mutual vulnerability of both patients and analysts. Despite the creative engagement and transformation that can take place in these discussions, we as analytically minded therapists continue to struggle to share this autobiographical piece of our work with each other.
Metamorphosis, Refuge, and the Gaze: Non‐Binary Shorelines
Authors: Millon Guy
Published: July 2019

Drawing on clinical material from sessions with three young trans patients, this re‐working of psychoanalysis seeks to open up new ways of analysing gender, in all its diversities. Gender is argued to function as a fetish, screen or trick, that covers over traumatic loss. This application of Lacan's theory of the gaze designates all gender expressions, whether cis or trans, as modes of creative action. Gender, as formed through societal limits and taboos, can also prove constricting in ways that trans and non‐binary people are productively challenging. Turning to Deleuze, Kafka and Butler problematizes oedipal structures, figuring potential resistances and escapes to the presumed naturalization and fixity of gender. The insistent pull of the drive is theorized by Freud as non‐binary, on the boundaries between psyche and soma and life and death; perhaps it is in relation to such a drive that any gender is precariously constituted.
Forest amount, not structure, influences fruit removal of two pioneer species in Atlantic forest remnants
Authors: Cazetta Eliana , Ribeiro Diego S. A. , Cassano Camila Righetto , Faria Deborah , Dodonov Pavel , Baumgarten Julio E.
Published: July 2019

Fruit removal is a key component of the seed dispersal process with direct consequences for plant recruitment. Anthropogenic disturbances might affect removal rates by changing frugivore diversity and their behavior. Here, we investigated the effects of local forest structure and landscape context on fruit removal of two common pioneer species of Melastomataceae family, Clidemia capitellata and Henriettea succosa in 14 Atlantic forest sites. We evaluated local forest structure, measured as canopy openness and conspecific density, and the amount of forest cover at the landscape scale measured in 2000 m buffer radius. Our results showed that the landscape context was more important than local features to explain fruit removal. The percentage of fruits removed from both species sharply decreases with forest loss and increases again in highly deforested landscapes. We demonstrate changes in fruit removal due to forest loss and suggest that both Melastomataceae species rely on the absence of other plant species, and consequently, in a less competitive environment to increase fruit removal and seed dispersal.

Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.
Immune cell trafficking to the islets during type 1 diabetes
Authors: Sandor A M , Jacobelli J , Friedman R S
Published: July 2019

Inhibition of immune cell trafficking to the pancreatic islets during type 1 diabetes (T1D) has therapeutic potential, since targeting of T cell and B cell trafficking has been clinically effective in other autoimmune diseases. Trafficking to the islets is characterized by redundancy in adhesion molecule and chemokine usage, which has not enabled effective targeting to date. Additionally, cognate antigen is not consistently required for T cell entry into the islets throughout the progression of disease. However, myeloid cells are required to enable T cell and B cell entry into the islets, and may serve as a convergence point in the pathways controlling this process. In this review we describe current knowledge of the factors that mediate immune cell trafficking to pancreatic islets during T1D progression.
Transcriptomes in rat sciatic nerves at different stages of experimental autoimmune neuritis determined by RNA sequencing
Authors: Xue Y , Yin P , Li G , Zhong D
Published: July 2019

Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is characterized by acute immune-mediated peripheral neuropathy, which may result in rapidly progressive paralysis and fatal respiratory failure. As the underlying pathological mechanisms of GBS are unclear, we surveyed the transcriptome of rats with experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN), a model of GBS. Briefly, sciatic nerves on both sides were collected from 8–10-week-old Lewis rats during early (10 days post-induction), peak (19 days) and late neuritis (30 days). Total RNA was sequenced to identify differentially expressed genes. Compared to control rats without induced neuritis, 33 genes were differentially expressed in the early phase (14 up-regulated and 19 down-regulated), with an adjusted P-value < 0·05 and |log2 fold-change| >1, as were 137 genes in the peak phase (126 up-regulated and 11 down-regulated) and 60 genes in the late phase (58 up-regulated and two down-regulated). Eleven of these genes were common to all stages, suggesting their crucial roles throughout the disease course. Analysis of protein–protein interactions revealed Fos, Ccl2, Itgax and C3 as node genes at different stages. Functional analysis of differentially expressed genes identified biological processes and pathways that are activated as neuritis progresses. This is the first genomewide gene expression study of peripheral nerves in experimental autoimmune neuritis model. Dynamic gene expression and significantly altered biological functions were detected in different phases of the disease, increasing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying EAN and highlighting potential targets for its diagnosis and treatment.
Evaluation and application of donors with primary central nervous system tumors
Authors: Wu Ji‐Hua , Qiao Peng‐Fei , Sun Xu‐Yong , Dong Jian‐Hui , Liao Ji‐Xiang , Liu Xu‐Yang , Gao Zhao , Lan Liu‐Gen , Li Hai‐Bin , Su Qing‐Dong
Published: July 2019

Background

This study aimed to explore the safety of donors with primary central nervous system tumors for kidney and liver transplantations.

Methodology

Clinical data of 29 donors with primary CNS tumors in January 2007 to December 2017, as well as the follow‐up data of 16 liver transplant recipients and 46 kidney transplant recipients, were analyzed. According to the risk factors, the high‐risk group was classified as Group 1, the low‐risk factors were classified as Group 2, and the unknown risk group was classified as Group 3. The incidence of donor‐transmitted CNS tumors was calculated and compared.

Results

The duration from the diagnosis of 29 donors to donation was 5.67 ± 6.36 months. None of the liver and kidney transplant recipients who were followed up had tumor metastasis. Although the mean survival time of Group 1 was lower than that of Group 2 and Group 3, the Kaplan‐Meier curve showed no significant difference in survival time.

Conclusion

No obvious difference was observed between high‐risk and low‐risk and unknown risk CNS tumors in terms of the survival rate of transplants and tumor metastasis rate. High‐risk CNS tumor donors can be used with the informed consent of recipients after a full evaluation.
First‐in‐Human, Healthy Volunteers Integrated Protocol of ETC‐206, an Oral Mnk 1/2 Kinase Inhibitor Oncology Drug
Authors: Teneggi Vincenzo , Novotny‐Diermayr Veronica , Lee Lay Hoon , Yasin Maryam , Yeo Pauline , Ethirajulu Kantharaj , Gan Sylvia Bong Hwa , Blanchard Stephanie E. , Nellore Ranjani , Umrani Dhananjay N. , Gomeni Roberto , Teck Darren Lim Wan , Li Greg , Lu Qing Shu , Cao Yang , Matter Alex
Published: July 2019

In the last decade, drug development has tackled substantial challenges to improve efficiency and facilitate access to innovative medicines. Integrated clinical protocols and the investigation of targeted oncology drugs in healthy volunteers (HVs) have emerged as modalities with an increase in scope and complexity of early clinical studies and first‐in‐human (FIH) studies in particular. However, limited work has been done to explore the impact of these two modalities, alone or in combination, on the scientific value and on the implementation of such articulated studies. We conducted an FIH study in HVs with an oncology targeted drug, an Mnk 1/2 small molecule inhibitor. In this article, we describe results, advantages, and limitations of an integrated clinical protocol with an oncology drug. We further discuss and indicate points to consider when designing and conducting similar scientifically and operationally demanding FIH studies.
Gabapentin for pain, movement disorders, and irritability in neonates and infants
Authors: Burnsed Jennifer C , Heinan Kristen , Letzkus Lisa , Zanelli Santina
Published: July 2019

We aimed to report our institution's experience with gabapentin therapy to manage agitation and pain in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting. This was a retrospective, single‐center study of NICU patients admitted between January 2015 and December 2017, who received gabapentin. Data on neonatal agitation, pain, Neonatal Pain, Agitation and Sedation Scale (N‐PASS) scores, neurosedative medications, and adverse events were collected. Gabapentin was initiated in 16 patients at a corrected gestational age of 44 weeks (range 36.2–75wks) for agitation (n=9), pain (n=6), and movement disorders (n=1). A neurological diagnosis was present in 13 patients. Neonatal agitation, pain, and N‐PASS scores and the need for other neurosedatives were significantly decreased 14 days after treatment initiation. Gabapentin is well tolerated in neonates and infants; it is associated with decreased pain scores and decreased need for multiple neurosedative medications 2 weeks after initiation.

What this paper adds

Gabapentin is well tolerated in neonates and infants.

Gabapentin decreases pain scores and the need for other neurosedative medications in neonates and infants.
Transgenerational effects of maternal obesity and gestational diabetes on offspring body composition and left ventricle mass: the Finnish Gestational Diabetes Prevention Study (RADIEL) 6‐year follow‐up
Authors: Litwin L. , Sundholm J. K. M. , Rönö K. , Koivusalo S. B. , Eriksson J. G. , Sarkola T.
Published: July 2019

Aim

To investigate the influence of maternal adiposity and gestational diabetes on offspring body composition and left ventricle mass in early childhood.

Methods

The observational follow‐up study included 201 mother‐child pairs, a sub‐cohort from the Finnish Gestational Diabetes Prevention Study, who were recruited 6.1 ± 0.5 (mean ± SD) years postpartum, aiming for an equal number of mothers with and without gestational diabetes.

Results

Maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI (mean ± SD; 30.5 ± 5.6 kg/m2) was associated with child body fat percentage [0.26 (95% CI; 0.08, 0.44)% increase in child body fat per 1 kg/m2 increase in pre‐pregnancy BMI of mothers with obesity] and was reflected in child BMI Z‐score (mean ± SD; 0.45 ± 0.93). Left ventricle mass, left ventricle mass index and left ventricle mass Z‐score were not associated with gestational diabetes, pre‐pregnancy BMI or child body fat percentage. After adjusting for child sex, body fat percentage, systolic blood pressure, pre‐pregnancy BMI and maternal lean body mass, left ventricle mass increased by 3.08 (95% CI; 2.25, 3.91) g for each 1 kg in child lean body mass.

Conclusions

Left ventricle mass at 6 years of age is determined predominantly by lean body mass. Maternal pre‐gestational adiposity is reflected in child, but no direct association between left ventricle mass and child adiposity or evidence of left ventricle mass foetal programming related to gestational diabetes and maternal adiposity was observed in early childhood.
Evaluating the fatigue limit of metals having surface compressive residual stress and exhibiting shakedown
Authors: Arakawa Jinta , Hanaki Tatsuya , Hayashi Yoshiichirou , Akebono Hiroyuki , Sugeta Atsushi
Published: July 2019

The objective of the study described in this article is to evaluate the effect of shakedown of surface compressive residual stresses introduced by shot peening on fatigue limit of stainless steel. First, the tension‐compression fatigue tests were conducted on ASTM CA6NM specimens under controlled load and displacement conditions to acquire a fatigue limit diagram under various compressive mean stress. The results showed that shakedown of negative mean stress occurs under controlled displacement. We then carried out in‐plane–bending fatigue tests under controlled load conditions on welded ASTM 309 stainless steel specimens with surface compressive residual stress introduced by ultrasonic shot peening. The results provide a fatigue limit of 415 MPa, which agrees with the value of 404 MPa calculated based on a modified Goodman line considering shakedown. Therefore, it is suggested that the surface layer is restricted by the internal bulk that creates controlled displacement conditions and the shakedown of surface compressive residual stress occurs.
Ecological relationship between social capital and cognitive decline in Japan: A preliminary study for dementia‐friendly communities
Authors: Murayama Hiroshi , Ura Chiaki , Miyamae Fumiko , Sakuma Naoko , Sugiyama Mika , Inagaki Hiroki , Okamura Tsuyoshi , Awata Shuichi
Published: July 2019

Aim

Building community social capital is important for socially inclusive societies, leading to dementia‐friendly communities. However, quantitative evidence is currently lacking regarding the effectiveness of dementia‐friendly communities, including the association with community social capital. The current study examined the ecological relationship between social capital and the proportion of people with cognitive decline.

Methods

Data were obtained from population‐based, cross‐sectional surveys (mail‐in questionnaire survey and home‐interview survey) of community‐dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years, living in 17 district areas in Machida City, Tokyo, Japan. Social capital included social networks (neighborly ties) and social support (emotional support and instrumental support). Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini‐Mental State Examination, Japanese version (with a cut‐off of 23/24). The proportions of people with high social capital and cognitive decline (Mini‐Mental State Examination, Japanese version ≤23) were calculated for residential districts and used in the analysis.

Results

The district‐level social capital indicators were positively and moderately correlated with the proportion of people with cognitive decline. After adjusting for the aging rate, educational level and population density of the district, an ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that higher proportions of people with strong neighborly ties and people with strong instrumental support were significantly associated with a higher proportion of people with cognitive decline. This trend was stronger among women than men.

Conclusions

People can continue to live in communities with high social capital, even if they are experiencing cognitive decline. Although this study was preliminary, it provided empirical evidence for the benefits of promoting dementia‐friendly communities. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 950–955.
Nano‐Powdered Calcium Carbonate Reference Materials: Significant Progress for Microanalysis?
Authors: Jochum Klaus Peter , Garbe‐Schönberg Dieter , Veter Marina , Stoll Brigitte , Weis Ulrike , Weber Michael , Lugli Federico , Jentzen Anna , Schiebel Ralf , Wassenburg Jasper A. , Jacob Dorrit E. , Haug Gerald H.
Published: July 2019

Homogeneity, mass fractions of about forty trace elements and Sr isotope composition of Ca carbonate reference materials (RMs) between original and nano‐powdered pellets are compared. Our results using nanosecond and femtosecond LA‐(MC)‐ICP‐MS show that the nano‐pellets of the RMs MACS‐3NP, JCp‐1NP and JCt‐1NP are about a factor of 2–3 more homogeneous than the original samples MACS‐3, JCp‐1 and JCt‐1, and are therefore much more suitable for microanalytical purposes. With the exception of Si, the mass fractions of the synthetic RM MACS‐3 agree with its fine‐grained analogue MACS‐3NP. Very small, but significant, differences between original and nano‐pellets are observed in the RMs JCp‐1 and JCt‐1 for some trace elements with very low contents, indicating the need for re‐certification. Strontium mass fractions in the analysed RMs are high (1500–7000 mg kg−1), and their isotope compositions determined by LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS in the original and the nano‐pellets agree within uncertainty limits.
The impact of living with long‐term conditions in young adulthood on mental health and identity: What can help?
Authors: Wilson Ceri , Stock Jennifer
Published: July 2019

Background

It has been suggested that the mental health impacts of living with long‐term conditions are greater in young adulthood compared to older adulthood, due to greater disruption to identity and routine life events.

Objectives

To explore the impact of living with long‐term conditions in young adulthood on mental health and identity, and what helps living well with these conditions.

Methods

Fifteen in‐depth interviews with young adults with various conditions were conducted and analysed thematically.

Results

Themes related to the impacts on mental health and identity include the following: negative mood and depression; anxiety and fear for the future; and identity as ‘ill’/abnormal compared to former self and ‘normal’ others. Themes related to suggestions for addressing negative impacts include the following: promotion of positive thinking; support reaching acceptance with altered identity and limitations (through stages of denial, anger, depression, then acceptance); and more professional mental health support.

Discussion

In order to promote mental health and a positive sense of self/identity, young adults with long‐term conditions should be offered advice and support on positive thinking; the long and difficult process of reconstructing identity; and reaching acceptance. This is particularly important for young adults for whom the identity reconstruction process is more complex and psychologically damaging than for older adults, as this life stage is associated with health/vitality and illness represents a shift from a perceived normal trajectory to one that appears and feels abnormal.
Lycopene – a bioactive carotenoid offering multiple health benefits: a review
Authors: Przybylska Sylwia
Published: July 2019

Lycopene is a natural red tomato pigment whose presence in the diet is beneficial to human health. It is believed to modify the course of chronic conditions, including neoplastic diseases. Clinical research results confirm its protective effects on the cardiovascular system. It lowers the risk of myocardial infarction, reduces blood pressure and prevents LDL cholesterol oxidation. High blood lycopene concentrations are also associated with lower risks of developing prostate, lung, uterine and breast cancer. Lycopene does not only inhibit proliferation of neoplastic cells, but it also induces their apoptosis and prevents metastasis. The health effects attributed to this compound are mostly derived from its antioxidant properties. It is a strong singlet oxygen quencher, and it thwarts lipid oxidation. Experimental and clinical studies have also confirmed lycopene's positive effects on the skeletal system and on neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Atomic occupancy mechanism in brownmillerite Ca2FeAlO5 from a thermodynamic perspective
Authors: Tao Yong , Zhang Wenqin , Li Neng , Wang Fazhou , Hu Shuguang
Published: July 2019

Brownmillerite‐type oxides are a large family of structural and functional materials that are of great concern. In this study, the occupancy mechanism of Fe and Al ions in brownmillerite Ca2FeAlO5 is revealed and the specific configuration of Ca2FeAlO5 is proposed for the first time. Through the energy analysis of a series of conjectured models based on well‐defined ab initio calculations, we find that the distribution of Al and Fe in Ca2FeAlO5 follows the “homogeneous layer principle”, namely, Al and Fe tend to form homogeneous octahedral layers or tetrahedral chains rather than mixed layers or chains of two elements along the b axis. The theoretical Ca2FeAlO5 structure with specific atomic occupancy is proposed based on energy analysis and previous experiments, which is of fundamental significance for further study of its physical and chemical properties. Moreover, the influence of entropy increment on the stability of Ca2FeAlO5 crystal is clarified, which paves the way to investigate the structures and properties of Ca2FeAlO5 and other brownmillerite members.
Reforming the European Stability Mechanism
Authors: Bauer Christian , Herz Bernhard
Published: July 2019

The European stability mechanism (ESM) is a permanent crisis resolution mechanism for euro area countries. We analysed the costs of the current ESM refinancing design and evaluated an alternative asset‐backed securities (ABS) structure under different scenarios. Our simulation results indicate that switching to an ABS structure could substantially lower the ESM refinancing rate by up to 3.5 per cent. Moreover, the current structure severely limits the ESM's potential to stabilize financial markets. As an unintended consequence, the ESM is likely to act as a crisis accelerant rather than a stabilizer in the most likely case of requests for medium‐sized financial support from distressed ESM members at a time when other ESM countries might be unwilling or unable to provide new capital.
Industrial symbiosis in the forestry sector: A case study in southern Brazil
Authors: Wahrlich Júlia , Simioni Flávio José
Published: July 2019

Industrial symbiosis (IS) is an important concept in the field of industrial ecology that has disseminated worldwide as a practice to decrease the ecological impact of industrial processes through the exchange of by‐products and waste between units in a system. The forestry industry is the main economic activity in the region of Lages in southern Brazil. IS relationships have expanded with the use of waste material from wood processing and strengthened cooperation between companies in different sectors. The aims of this article were to: a) quantify the level of IS in the system, b) identify the benefits of IS for participants, and c) explain why the network further developed IS to the formation of an industrial ecosystem. A questionnaire was administered during visits to 24 forestry companies in order to analyze their products and processes, commercial relations, positive impacts, and local insertion. The industrial symbiosis indicator (ISI) was determined using waste stream data from the system to represent the level of symbiosis among the companies in this region. The results show that the companies participate in a symbiotic network, mainly involving the exchange of chips, bark, sawdust and shavings. In most cases, these exchanges occur between nearby companies, constituting an extensive industrial ecosystem.