bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Back to the roots: the 1987 telecom green paper 25 years after – has European telecom liberalization fulfilled its promise for Europe in the internet age?
Authors: Ungerer Herbert
Published: February 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that telecommunications liberalization in Europe has taken the European telecommunications and internet sectors a breathtaking leap forward. To counter the leveling off of growth and facing the smartphone revolution, new structural changes are now required.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper assesses in a concise manner the effect of telecommunications liberalization in Europe based on the 1987 green paper. It demonstrates the enormous dynamics created in the mobile and fixed network sectors and the key role of liberalization to make Europe internet‐ready during the 1990s. The paper then proceeds to the analysis of the leveling off of growth during the last few years and discusses required changes to restart dynamics.

Findings

The green paper of 1987 successfully defined a framework within which political and legal action in both regulatory and competition fields could develop, leading to full liberalization of telecommunications in the European Union by 1998. The subsequent decade saw an enormous expansion of both mobile and fixed services, which only abated by the end of the decade. Liberalization and coordination of licensing of mobile systems were the basis for the entry of the internet in Europe and the explosive growth of GSM mobile services. The paper finds that the deployment of broadband internet and fourth generation mobile now needs further change to relaunch dynamics. It welcomes the goals of the digital agenda for Europe in the context of the 2020 objectives of the European Union, but argues that deeper structural changes are needed to achieve these goals.

Originality/value

Liberalization of European telecommunications was guided by a strategic framework set out in the 1987 telecommunications green paper and developed subsequently further. Comprehensive frameworks of this nature will be needed if Europe wants to gain a leading role in the future smart phone and broadband internet markets.
Moving beyond liberalization: stumbling toward a new European ICT policy framework
Authors: Melody William H.
Published: February 2013

Purpose

This paper intends to promote a re‐consideration of the most appropriate policy framework for implementing the European Union (EU) digital agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines relevant EU documentation and the related research literature on EU telecommunications reform within a context of economic market theory and policy analysis models.

Findings

The liberalization principle driving EU telecommunications reform for the past quarter century has stalled, and may be reversed by the policy framework adopted for implementing the digital agenda. The public sector broadband funding model is likely to be wasteful and ineffective. Other options for implementation should be considered.

Originality/value

This paper examines current EU policy shaping the development of broadband networks and the evolution of the digital economy and information society. It highlights the progress and limitations of EU policy as it has evolved as a reference for implementation of current policy objectives. It will be of value to policy makers, industry analysts and players, as well as researchers in academia and other institutions.
The enterprise and the digital single market: business telecommunications
Authors: Sutherland Ewan
Published: February 2013

Purpose

The market for enterprise telecommunications has benefitted greatly from liberalisation over the last quarter century. This paper seeks to review the evolving engagement of enterprises with markets and with policy processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a review of the literature and of the experiences of telecommunications user groups, both national and international, focusing on leased lines, roaming and trans‐national service provision.

Findings

The paper reveals that telecommunications user groups have declined as enterprises have been satisfied by the level of competition on markets for integrated information communication technology (ICT) services. There is less engagement in policy and regulatory processes.

Research limitations/implications

The secondary nature of many sources points to the need for the collection and analysis of market developments and the experiences of individual enterprises.

Originality/value

This paper brings together material on enterprise telecommunications, a subject often lost to consumer applications.
Strategic responses of foreign subsidiaries to host country corruption
Authors: Karhunen Päivi , Kosonen Riitta
Published: February 2013

Purpose

This paper seeks to discover whether and how a subsidiary located in a high‐corruption host country can pursue its parent's corporate non‐corrupt strategy, rooted in a low‐corruption home country. Theoretically, it aims to apply the construct of institutional duality. It also aims to argue that the subsidiary's strategic response is contingent to the relative strength of two sets of institutional demands: the articulation of the multinational company's (MNC's) corporate policy towards corruption; and the direct influence of the host country corruption on the subsidiary's daily business.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative analysis of interviews with executives of 27 Finnish companies (15 large MNCs and 12 small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs)) with subsidiaries in Russia was conducted.

Findings

The subsidiary's strategic response to host country corruption is contingent to the firm size and the respective resources. Large MNCs can implement their non‐corrupt policy also in their Russian subsidiaries due to their financial and relational resources. SMEs, which lack such resources, need to adapt to the demands from the corrupt environment. This is usually done by “outsourcing” situations prone to corruption to a local intermediary.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical analysis is limited to one pair of countries (Russia and Finland) and selected locations in Russia (Moscow and St Petersburg).

Practical implications

The paper provides examples of business strategies that help to mitigate the negative consequences of host country corruption without giving up one's moral and ethical principles.

Originality/value

The paper enriches the literature on corruption in international business by identifying the firm size as a key determinant for strategic responses to host country corruption.
Slum tourism, city branding and social urbanism: the case of Medellin, Colombia
Authors: Hernandez‐Garcia Jaime
Published: February 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the contribution of informal settlements to a tourism strategy and to city branding. It takes the case of Medellin, Colombia, which in recent years has developed several projects in theirbarriosusing a policy called: “social urbanism”.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a case study, that of “social urbanism” in Medellin, and the relationship with what is called slum tourism and city branding. After a brief theoretical exploration about informal settlements in Latin America, slum tourism and city branding; the paper presents the urban and social transformation of Medellin's dangerous and stigmatizedbarrioswith the “social urbanism” policy. Then the relationship between social urbanism, informal settlements and city branding is discussed.

Findings

Medellin, perhaps without noticing or anticipating, has found a role for informal settlements in branding the city, and promoting tourism to those areas. With “social urbanism”, it is also helping to build an image of the city more authentic and distinguishable from other cities in Colombia and Latin America.

Originality/value

The paper explores two themes that are considered nearly opposite: informal settlements and city branding. It discusses how a city in Colombia might have found a way to link them together with interesting results.
Burnout on Mars and Venus: exploring gender differences in emotional exhaustion
Authors: Rubino Cristina , Volpone Sabrina D. , Avery Derek R.
Published: February 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to draw on gender role theory and the stressor‐strain literature to examine sex differences in emotional exhaustion. The paper also investigates a mediating mechanism (i.e. work‐family conflict) and a boundary condition (i.e. ratio between actual and desired work hours, termed overemployment/underemployment) of the sex – emotional exhaustion relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 3,114 respondents, the paper analyzes the hypothesized moderated mediation model using Edwards and Lambert's framework.

Findings

The paper found support for the authors' model, suggesting that overemployed women are more likely to experience work‐family conflict and emotional exhaustion than men. However, when individuals work fewer hours than desired, men are more susceptible to emotional exhaustion than women by first experiencing work‐family conflict.

Research limitations/implications

Although support exists for the relationship between work‐family conflict and burnout, stressor/strain models also should include sex and overemployment/underemployment as predictors of emotional exhaustion.

Practical implications

These results suggest organizations can reduce employee work‐family conflict and subsequent emotional exhaustion by adjusting the ratio of currently worked to desired work hours. Additionally, organizations can minimize emotional exhaustion by implementing work‐family balance workplace policies.

Originality/value

To address inconsistencies in studies exploring the sex‐emotional exhaustion relationship, the paper explores a mediating mechanism and boundary condition underlying the relationship between sex and emotional exhaustion. Exploring this relationship is important for organizations and employees, as both benefit by minimizing emotional exhaustion to avoid the physical and psychological consequences with which it is associated.
Combining formal and informal financial sources
Authors: Gudov Artem
Published: February 2013

Purpose

The aim of the paper is to analyze quantitatively and qualitatively requirements of Russian micro‐ and small‐firms in financial sources, along with opportunities and restrictions in the mobilization of investment at the different stages of a firm's life cycle.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper the determinants of the propensity to invest and the supply of funding are investigated by using the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data set for Russia in the time period from 2006 to 2011.

Findings

The paper provides the analysis of Russian early entrepreneurs' and established business owners' decisions about the preferred structure of financial sources, comprising both statistical and logistic regression approaches for this investigation. The findings indicate that in Russia the structure of financial sources of start‐up entrepreneurs is predominated by “love capital” (mainly private and family savings), meanwhile, the percentage of business angels' financing is low in comparison with innovation‐driven countries. Moreover, there are merely extra‐economic factors, which influence informal investors' decision making on funding: personal relations with a borrower, an optimistic view on macroeconomic perspective and high status of an entrepreneur.

Practical implications

The findings in this paper suggest that this research can help the officials to formulate a program of SMEs' support at different stages of the financial chain in Russia.

Originality/value

In this paper the early and middle stages of a firm's life cycle are examined and some practical advice on a company's development and expansion are given.
Spectral sparse Bayesian learning reflectivity inversion
Authors: Yuan Sanyi , Wang Shangxu
Published: February 2013

A spectral sparse Bayesian learning reflectivity inversion method, combining spectral reflectivity inversion with sparse Bayesian learning, is presented in this paper. The method retrieves a sparse reflectivity series by sequentially adding, deleting or re‐estimating hyper‐parameters, without pre‐setting the number of non‐zero reflectivity spikes. The spikes with the largest amplitude are usually the first to be resolved. The method is tested on a series of data sets, including synthetic data, physical modelling data and field data sets. The results show that the method can identify thin beds below tuning thickness and highlight stratigraphic boundaries. Moreover, the reflectivity series, which is inverted trace‐by‐trace, preserves the lateral continuity of layers.
Adaptive scaling for an enhanced dynamic interpretation of 4D seismic data
Authors: Falahat Reza , Shams Asghar , MacBeth Colin
Published: February 2013

In this study, importance is drawn to the role of engineering principles when interpreting dynamic reservoir changes from 4D seismic data. In particular, it is found that in clastic reservoirs the principal parameters controlling mapped 4D signatures are not the pressure and saturation changes per se but these changes scaled by the corresponding thickness (or pore volume) of the reservoir volume that these effects occupy. For this reason, pressure and saturation changes cannot strictly be recovered by themselves, this being true for all data interpretation. This understanding is validated both with numerical modelling and analytic calculation. Interestingly, the study also indicates that the impact of gas saturation on the seismic can be written using a linear term but that inversion for gas saturation can yield at best only the total thickness/pore volume of the distribution. The above provides a basis for a linear equation that can readily and accurately be used to estimate pressure and saturation changes. Quantitative updates of the static and dynamic components of the simulation model can be achieved by comparing thickness or pore volume‐scaled changes from the simulator with the corresponding quantities on the inverted observations.
Suppressing non‐Gaussian noises with scaled receiver wavefield for reverse‐time migration: comparison of different approaches
Authors: Tao Yi , Sen Mrinal K.
Published: February 2013

Numerical implementation of the gradient of the cost function in a gradient‐based full‐ waveform inversion (FWI) is essentially a migration operator used in wave equation migration. In FWI, minimizing different data residual norms results in different weighting strategies of data residuals at receiver locations prior to back‐propagation into the medium. In this paper, we propose different scaling methods to the receiver wavefield and compare their performances. Using time‐domain reverse‐time migration (RTM), we show that compared to conventional algorithms, this type of scaling is able to significantly suppress non‐Gaussian noise, i.e., outliers. Our tests also show that scaling by its absolute norm produces better results than other approaches.
Reconstruction and prediction of invasive mongoose population dynamics from history of introduction and management: aBayesian state‐space modelling approach
Authors: Fukasawa Keita , Hashimoto Takuma , Tatara Masaya , Abe Shintaro
Published: February 2013

An understanding of the underlying processes and comprehensive history of invasive species is necessary to assess the long‐term effectiveness of invasive species management. However, continuous, long‐term labour‐intensive population surveys on invasive species are often not feasible. Thus, it is important to learn about their dynamics through management action and its consequences.

 Amami Island, Japan, has an ongoing large‐scale and long‐term eradication programme of invasive small Indian mongooses. To estimate the long‐term pattern of population size and the parameters determining the dynamics, including anthropogenic removal, we applied a surplus‐production model within a Bayesian state‐space formulation incorporating the initial population size, number of captures and capture effort. Using the estimated process model directly, we conducted stochastic simulations to evaluate the feasibility of eradication.

 Estimated 32‐year annual capture probability of mongooses has increased since their introduction. The population size started to decline in 2001; mean population size in 2000 was 6141 (95%CI: 5415–6817), and declined to 169 (95%CI: 42–408) by 2011. Parameter estimates of a Weibull catchability model indicated that there was large individual heterogeneity in the probability of being captured, and per‐effort capture probability declined with an increase in annual capture effort.

 The simulation study indicated that the eradication feasibility in 2023 would be over 90% if the same annual capture effort is upheld as in 2010 (2 075 760 corrected trap‐days). However, increasing annual capture effort would have little effect on shortening the time to eradication.

 Synthesis and applications. A hierarchical model that incorporates multiple types of data to reveal long‐term population dynamics has the potential to be updated with the outcomes of control efforts, and will enhance adaptive management of invasive species. This approach will offer valuable information about trade‐offs between time to eradication success and effort per unit time in a long‐term eradication project, and the length of time needed to continue management actions to achieve eradication success.
No Right Time: The Significance of Reproductive Timing for Younger and Older Mothers' Moralities
Authors: Perrier Maud
Published: February 2013

Drawing on a small qualitative study of younger and older mothers, this article argues that the timing of motherhood is significant for the construction of classed maternal moralities. It is based on qualitative data generated during a year of fieldwork, with a group of mothers who had their first child when particularly younger or older than average. My discussion of mothers' accounts highlights the multitude of different ‘right’ times mothers evoked and their struggles to reconcile them. In particular I identify there were two normative and conflicting discourses about the ‘right’ time for motherhood the narrative of appropriately timed motherhood and the discourse of generational right time. This article highlights the classed dimensions of normative discourses about the timing of motherhood and draws attention to the lifecourse dis-synchronicities which these two groups of women faced around becoming a mother, especially the older group for whom this had important intergenerational consequences.
Class, Culture and Politics: On the Relevance of a Bourdieusian Concept of Class in Political Sociology
Authors: Harrits Gitte Sommer
Published: February 2013

Even though contemporary discussions of class have moved forward towards recognizing a multidimensional concept of class, empirical analyses tend to focus on cultural practices in a rather narrow sense, that is, as practices of cultural consumption or practices of education. As a result, discussions within political sociology have not yet utilized the merits of a multidimensional conception of class. In light of this, the article suggests a comprehensive Bourdieusian framework for class analysis, integrating culture as both a structural phenomenon co-constitutive of class and as symbolic practice. Further, the article explores this theoretical framework in a multiple correspondence analysis of a Danish survey, demonstrating how class and political practices are indeed homologous. However, the analysis also points at several elements of field autonomy, and the concluding discussion therefore suggests the need for further studies.
Domestic scrutiny ofEuropean Union politics: Between whistle blowing and opposition control
Authors: Finke Daniel , Dannwolf Tanja
Published: February 2013

SomeEuropean law proposals are subject to scrutiny by national parliaments while others go unchecked. The analysis in this article indicates that the opposition scrutinisesEuropean Union law to gather information on the proceedings inside the Council of Ministers and theEuropean Parliament. Yet whereas strong opposition parties scrutinise highly politicised law proposals, weak opposition parties tend to scrutinise those proposals that are negotiated under the non‐transparent fast‐track procedure. In addition, there is ample evidence that the leading minister initiates scrutiny in order to strengthen his or her intergovernmental bargaining leverage. Yet, this Schelling Conjecture presumes that the party of the minister is located between the expected bargaining position in the Council and the coalition partner. Any other domestic interest constellation could lead to scrutiny motivated by whistle blowing. However, an issue's salience helps us to separate the whistle blowing from the Schelling Conjecture.
Depth‐discrete profiles of bacterial communities reveal pronounced spatio‐temporal dynamics related to lake stratification
Authors: Garcia Sarahi L. , Salka Ivette , Grossart Hans‐Peter , Warnecke Falk
Published: February 2013

With this work we intend to stress the importance of considering discrete depth sampling for bacterial community analysis of stratified aquatic systems. Depth is a very important parameter to consider when sampling bacterial communities, as their abundance and composition can change within the distinct water layers. Stratified lakes are good model systems to study these connections since changes in environmental parameters can occur on a cm‐scale at the thermo‐ and/or chemocline. Lake Grosse Fuchskuhle was sampled at discrete fine‐scale depths at three time points covering a stage in which the lake was stratified and the beginning of winter mixing. In this paper we present the most abundant bacterial groups at the different depths sampled and also the most abundant operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Overall, oxygen was found to be an important factor shaping the microbial community composition.
Horticultural mineral oil treatments in nurseries during aphid flights reduce Plum pox virus incidence under different ecological conditions
Authors: Vidal E. , Zagrai L. , Milusheva S. , Bozhkova V. , Tasheva‐Terzieva E. , Kamenova I. , Zagrai I. , Cambra M.
Published: February 2013

The application of horticultural mineral oil (HMO) treatments has been reported as a possible control strategy to reduce Plum pox virus (PPV) incidence in Prunus nurseries. The effect of Sunspray Ultrafine HMO at 1% on the natural viral spread was evaluated in experimental nursery plots of Nemaguard and Mariana GF8‐1 Prunus rootstock blocks established under high natural inoculum pressure of the most prevalent PPV‐types. Tests were conducted in experimental nursery plots in Plovdiv, Bulgaria (PPV‐M and PPV‐Rec), in Bistrita, Romania (PPV‐D and PPV‐Rec) and in Llíria, Spain (PPV‐D). Horticultural mineral oil treatments were applied weekly during the vegetative period from spring to fall (treatments were interrupted in the summer). Nursery plants were analysed yearly by double‐antibody sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay with 5B‐IVIA/AMR monoclonal antibodies. The population dynamics of the aphids visiting plants in each experimental nursery plot was monitored by the sticky‐shoot method and also by Moericke yellow water traps. At all three locations, the aphid population first peaked in the springtime. Furthermore, a variable second peak of aphid population was observed in Plovdiv and Bistrita in autumn. The treatments reduced PPV incidence in the three experimental locations and plots and in both assayed Prunus rootstocks grown under high PPV‐inoculum pressure. A reduction from 10% to 20% of PPV‐incidence between treated and control plants (P < 0.05) in Plovdiv and Bistrita, respectively, was observed at the end of the tests. However, HMO treatments did not prevent PPV infection altogether, probably because of the high PPV prevalence in the area near the experimental nursery blocks. The control of PPV in nursery blocks based on HMO is presented as an environmentally friendly strategy based on the physical action of the treatments.
Understanding tobacco industry pricing strategy and whether it undermines tobacco tax policy: the example of the UK cigarette market
Authors: Gilmore Anna B. , Tavakoly Behrooz , Taylor Gordon , Reed Howard
Published: February 2013

Aims

Tobacco tax increases are the most effective means of reducing tobacco use and inequalities in smoking, but effectiveness depends on transnational tobacco company (TTC) pricing strategies, specifically whether TTCs overshift tax increases (increase prices on top of the tax increase) or undershift the taxes (absorb the tax increases so they are not passed onto consumers), about which little is known.

Design

Review of literature on brand segmentation. Analysis of 1999–2009 data to explore the extent to which tax increases are shifted to consumers, if this differs by brand segment and whether cigarette price indices accurately reflect cigarette prices.

Setting

UK.

Participants

UK smokers.

Measurements

Real cigarette prices, volumes and net‐of‐tax‐ revenue by price segment.

Findings

TTCs categorise brands into four price segments: premium, economy, mid and ‘ultra‐low price’ (ULP). TTCs have sold ULP brands since 2006; since then, their real price has remained virtually static and market share doubled. The price gap between premium and ULP brands is increasing because the industry differentially shifts tax increases between brand segments; while, on average, taxes are overshifted, taxes on ULP brands are not always fully passed onto consumers (being absorbed at the point each year when tobacco taxes increase). Price indices reflect the price of premium brands only and fail to detect these problems.

Conclusions

Industry‐initiated cigarette price changes in the UK appear timed to accentuate the price gap between premium and ULP brands. Increasing the prices of more expensive cigarettes on top of tobacco tax increases should benefit public health, but the growing price gap enables smokers to downtrade to cheaper tobacco products and may explain smoking‐related inequalities. Governments must monitor cigarette prices by price segment and consider industry pricing strategies in setting tobacco tax policies.
Testing for Competition in the South Korean and Chinese Commercial Banking Markets
Authors: Park Kang H.
Published: February 2013

This paper examines market concentration and competition in theSouthKorean andChinese commercial banking markets for the period of 1992–2008. This study empirically investigates whether changes in bank concentration have affected the degree of competition in theKorean andChinese commercial banking industries by estimating the H statistic of thePanzar‐Rosse model. We also used theBoone Indicator model to confirm the results from thePanzar‐Rosse model. The Korean banking industry has been monopolistically competitive for the entire sample period while the Wald test of the H statistic shows competition in the Korean banking actually increased to the level of perfect competition during the crisis period temporarily. Compared to the banking industry ofKorea and other countries, theChinese banking industry is still highly concentrated and its level of competition is closer to oligopoly.
The Effects of Risky Debt on Investment Under Uncertainty
Authors: You Seung Dong
Published: February 2013

This paper investigates investment and disinvestment decisions when an investor finances debt to fund the lump‐sum cost at the time of investment. The study examines investment timing decisions in a frictionless financial market. By extending the model presented in Dixit (1989), this paper argues that, as risky debt increases, an investor's trigger price for investment decreases while the trigger price for disinvestment increases. Such an investor hastens both investment and disinvestment decisions with risky debt. This paper focuses on stand‐alone financing rather than expansion financing, as in Lyandres and Zhdanov (2010).
Does cow's milk protein elimination diet have a role on induction and maintenance of remission in children with ulcerative colitis?
Authors: Strisciuglio Caterina , Giannetti Eleonora , Martinelli Massimo , Sciorio Elisa , Staiano Annamaria , Miele Erasmo
Published: February 2013

Aim

Aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of a cow's milk protein (CMP) elimination diet on induction and maintenance of remission and to define association with atopy in children with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods

Twenty‐nine consecutive patients (mean age: 11.2 years; range: 4.6–17 years; F/M: 15/14) with newly diagnosed UC were randomized either to receive a CMP elimination diet (n = 14) or to continue a free diet (n = 15) associated with concomitant steroid induction and mesalazine maintenance treatment. Children were prospectively evaluated at four time points: within 1 month, 6 months and 1 year after diagnosis or at the time of relapse.

Results

Twenty‐five of the 29 enrolled patients responded to the UC induction therapy with a complete remission (86.2%), 13 belonging to CMP elimination diet group and 12 to free diet group (p = 0.59). Overall, our data showed that 7 of 13 (53.8%) patients treated with CMP elimination diet and 8 of 15 (53.3%) patients on free diet and UC therapy relapsed within 1 year of follow‐up (p = 1).

Conclusions

In conclusion, data of this paediatric, randomized trial suggest that CMP elimination has no role in the management of UC in non‐sensitized children.
Healthcare utilization and health‐related quality of life of adult survivors of preterm birth complicated by bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Authors: Beaudoin Stéphane , Tremblay Geneviève M , Croitoru Dan , Benedetti Andrea , Landry Jennifer S
Published: February 2013

Aim

This study aims to characterize the impact of preterm birth, respiratory distress syndrome and bronchopulmonary dysplasia on quality of life and healthcare utilization in adulthood.

Methods

A mail survey on quality of life and respiratory health was sent to a list of potential subjects identified using the databases of the Régie de l'asssurance maladie du Québec. Four groups of adults born between 1987 and 1993 were compared: (i) preterm with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, (ii) preterm with respiratory distress syndrome, (iii) preterm without respiratory complications and (iv) term controls. As a complement, data from the governmental healthcare administrative databases were extracted for responders.

Results

Although the groups differed in their use of healthcare services and prescription drugs, no clinically significant difference was observed for Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), SF‐36v2 and Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnea Scale scores. However, compared to term subjects, bronchopulmonary dysplasia subjects were less likely to access higher education and more likely to be either invalid or unemployed.

Conclusion

Compared to term subjects, subjects with a history of prematurity and respiratory distress syndrome or bronchopulmonary dysplasia had similar health‐related quality of life and respiratory symptoms despite greater use of healthcare services and prescription drugs.
Effects of primer podcasts on stimulating learning from lectures: How do students engage?
Authors: Popova Anguelina , Kirschner Paul A. , Joiner Richard
Published: February 2013

A number of factors can influence learning from lectures such as students' prior knowledge, their motivation, the instructional design, the lecturer and so forth. Instructional aid techniques such as preparing class notes, giving quizzes (either planned or spot quizzes) and the like can be used to maximise learning. This study uses two well‐documented tools for learning from text—advance organisers and higher order questions—adapted for use with podcasts. Student evaluations of their experience of being primed for lectures with podcasts are described. The findings show that audio advance organisers and questions experienced by students have a positive influence on learning, because they help students bridge the conceptual distance between new and prior knowledge, better understand the topics in the lectures and stimulate thinking more deeply about the lecture's content and the possible applications of the subject of the lecture.
Arginase inhibition alleviates hypertension in the metabolic syndrome
Authors: El‐Bassossy Hany M , El‐Fawal Rania , Fahmy Ahmed , Watson Malcolm L
Published: February 2013

Background and Purpose

We have previously shown that arginase inhibition alleviates hypertension associated with in a diabetic animal model. Here, we investigated the protective effect of arginase inhibition on hypertension in metabolic syndrome.

Experimental Approach

Metabolic syndrome was induced in rats by administration of fructose (10% in drinking water) for 12 weeks to induce vascular dysfunction. Three arginase inhibitors (citrulline, norvaline and ornithine) were administered daily in the last 6 weeks of study before and tail BP was recorded in conscious animals. Concentration response curves for phenylephrine (PE), KCl and ACh in addition to ACh‐induced NO generation were obtained in thoracic aorta rings. Serum glucose, insulin, uric acid and lipid profile were determined as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and arginase activity.

Key Results

Arginase activity was elevated in metabolic syndrome while significantly inhibited by citrulline, norvaline or ornithine treatment. Metabolic syndrome was associated with elevations in systolic and diastolic BP, while arginase inhibition significantly reduced elevations in diastolic and systolic BP. Metabolic syndrome increased vasoconstriction responses of aorta to PE and KCl and decreased vasorelaxation to ACh, while arginase inhibition completely prevented impaired responses to ACh. In addition, arginase inhibition prevented impaired NO generation and exaggerated ROS formation in metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, arginase inhibition significantly reduced hyperinsulinaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia without affecting hyperuricaemia or hypercholesterolaemia associated with metabolic syndrome.

Conclusions and Implications

Arginase inhibition alleviates hypertension in metabolic syndrome directly through endothelial‐dependent relaxation/NO signalling protection and indirectly through inhibition of insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridaemia.
Purification and incorporation of the black ink of cuttlefish Sepia officinalis in eye cosmetic products
Authors: Neifar Aref , Ben Abdelmalek Imen , Bouajila Ghada , Kolsi Rakia , Bradai Mohamed Nejmeddine , Abdelmouleh Abdelwahab , Gargouri Ali , Ayed Naceur
Published: February 2013

Synthetic colours used in cosmetics are a point of concern, and biotechnology has, to a certain extent, helped to resolve this problem. The present study aimed to integrate dyes from a natural extract, the black ink of cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, after purification, in black eye make‐up products (mascara and eyeshadow). Analyses showed differences in the chemical composition of treated and untreated forms of sepia black ink. Indeed, remarkable reductions in total mineral load, water content and proteins (79.3, 58.22 and 44% respectively) were noted. Treated sepia black ink had a low content of analytes. Very satisfactory results were obtained in terms of the level of aspect, texture, colour and covering capacity of the formulated cosmetic products. Moreover, the addition of S. officinalis black ink to iron oxide and black bone dyes improved the level of colour, spread and covering capacity of mascara and eyeshadow.
Solitary and multiple tumors of follicular infundibulum: a review of 168 cases with emphasis on staining patterns and clinical variants
Authors: Alomari Ahmed , Subtil Antonio , Owen Cindy E. , McNiff Jennifer M.
Published: February 2013

Background

Tumor of the follicular infundibulum (TFI) is an uncommon benign adnexal tumor that usually presents as a solitary keratotic papule in the head and neck area. Infrequently, it may present as multiple lesions or in association with other conditions. Although it was initially described in 1961, the pathogenesis of this lesion is still controversial.

Methods

The clinical and histologic features of 168 cases of TFI were reviewed. Random cases were stained with elastic Van Gieson, cytokeratin (CK)20 and Ber‐EP4. Clinical data and clinical images were collected.

Results

The median age at presentation was 66 years with a slight female predominance. As subset of patients (7.7%) had multiple TFI, some of which presented with hypopigmented lesions of the head and neck area. TFI has a unique staining pattern; all cases tested showed a brush‐like network of elastin fibers, no cases stained for Ber‐EP4 and 91.7% of cases show single cell positivity to CK20. This is in contrast to basal cell carcinoma used for comparison purposes.

Conclusion

TFI is a distinct neoplastic entity with a unique staining pattern and variable clinical presentation. One should be aware of the potential clinical presentation of multiple TFI as hypopigmented lesions especially in the head and neck area.
Trends in fentanyl prescriptions and fentanyl‐related mortality in Australia
Authors: Roxburgh Amanda , Burns Lucy , Drummer Olaf H. , Pilgrim Jennifer , Farrell Michael , Degenhardt Louisa
Published: February 2013

Introduction and Aims

The study aims to quantify trends in fentanyl prescribing and fentanyl mortality in Australia within the context of concern among health professionals concerning increasing accessibility of fentanyl, and the harms that may arise as a result.

Design and Methods

This paper presents data on prescribing patterns of fentanyl by 10 year age group adjusted by population rate, detailed analyses of fentanyl‐related deaths from the National Coronial Information System and deaths adjusted for prescribing levels within Australia.

Results

Fentany prescriptions have increased and are most prevalent among Australians aged over 80 years. One hundred and thirty‐six fentanyl‐related deaths were recorded during 2000–2011; 54% of decedents had a history of injecting drug use and, among this group, 95% had injected fentanyl at the time of death; 62% of deaths recorded misuse (most notably injection) of fentanyl; 50% recorded a history of drug dependence and 40% a mental health problem; 37% recorded a history of chronic pain; and 36% recorded fentanyl as being prescribed at the time of death. Deaths were primarily among Australians under 47 years of age.

Discussion and Conclusions

There have been significant increases in fentanyl prescribing in Australia. It is unclear what proportion of this increase represents legitimate treatment of pain. Fentanyl deaths have also increased, although mortality is currently low in Australia. A large proportion of the deaths involved the injection of diverted fentanyl, highlighting the need for messages regarding safer injecting practices targeting people who inject drugs, and strategies to minimise the risks of diversion.
Waist‐to‐height ratio is the best indicator for undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Xu Z. , Qi X. , Dahl A. K. , Xu W.
Published: February 2013

Aims

Early detection of diabetes is important for the prevention of diabetic complications. The best adiposity index for indicating Type 2 diabetes mellitus remains unclear. We aimed to identify the optimal adiposity measure among BMI, waist circumference, waist–hip ratio and waist‐to‐height ratio to indicate undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose in Chinese adults.

Methods

A total of 7567 participants aged 20–79 years were included in this study. Impaired fasting glucose was defined as a fasting plasma glucose level of 6.1–6.9 mmol/l in participants without diabetes. Undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes was identified as fasting plasma glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/l when neither a history of diabetes nor use of hypoglycaemic drugs was present. Body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences were measured following standard procedures. Data were analysed using logistic regression and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves.

Results

Of the 7567 participants, 536 were defined as having impaired fasting glucose and 690 were patients with Type 2 diabetes, including 290 (3.8%) persons with undiagnosed diabetes. In multivariate logistic regression, the odds ratios of waist‐to‐height ratio (≥ 0.5) were stronger than BMI (≥ 24 kg/m2), waist circumference (≥ 85 cm in men and ≥ 80 cm in women) and waist–hip ratio (≥ 0.85) for undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose. Among the four indices, waist‐to‐height ratio ≥ 0.5 showed the largest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for diagnosing undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes (0.725, 95% CI 0.693–0.756) and impaired fasting glucose (0.662, 95% CI 0.638–0.687).

Conclusions

By comparison with BMI, waist circumference and waist–hip ratio, waist‐to‐height ratio ≥ 0.5 may be the best indicator for undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose.
The pulp healing process: from generation to regeneration
Authors: Simon Stéphane , Smith Anthony J. , Lumley Philip J. , Cooper Paul R. , Berdal Ariane
Published: February 2013

Dentistry has not escaped the exciting new therapeutic advances of regenerative medicine. The accumulating knowledge about dental stem cells, differentiation, and the signaling cascades of tooth development and morphogenesis has enabled the implementation of dental biomimetics. This domain offers novel approaches to oral restoration, such as whole tooth organ bioengineering and targeted regeneration of specific dental and periodontal tissues, including bone, as recently achieved in rodent models in several laboratories. These procedures have resulted in successful growth of a tooth and its periodontium with appropriate functional properties, including vascularisation, innervation and responses to biomechanical forces (1). However, the length of time required to perform tooth bioengineering has hampered the application of these procedures to the clinical setting. Nevertheless, there are several strategies that can be used to regenerate specific parts of the dental‐bone complex which have been destroyed by oral disease.
Protein–fatty acid complexes: biochemistry, biophysics and function
Authors: Brinkmann Christel R. , Thiel Steffen , Otzen Daniel E.
Published: February 2013

Thirteen years ago, α‐lactalbumin (α‐LA) was first reported to form a complex with oleic acid (OA). This complex, called HAMLET (human α‐lactalbumin made lethal to tumour cells), was found to be cytotoxic to cancer cells. In HAMLET, α‐LA assumes a partially unfolded conformation and can bind OA in various stoichiometries. Subsequently, different groups have been able to prepare HAMLET‐like cytotoxic complexes in different ways, which all involve the destabilization of α‐LA, and a number of different proteins have been able to form similar complexes. This suggests that the ability to form stable complexes with lipids may be a generic feature of the polypeptide chain, although the precise structural and functional details may vary from protein to protein. We review the biophysical and biochemical properties of this class of complexes, focusing on different methods of preparation, complex structure and the role of the protein and the lipid within these complexes. The cellular effects of these complexes are multifaceted and depend on the cell types. There are strong indications that OA has an essential role, whereas the protein component, rather than having a toxic effect on its own, functions as a vehicle for transporting the toxic OA to the cells and keeping the OA in solution. Fatty acids alone can affect numerous cellular signalling and metabolic pathways, in addition to playing important roles in immune responses and inflammatory processes. Further studies will aim to determine how the molecular properties of the different protein–lipid complexes correlate with their biological efficacy.
Reduced dairy grassland yields in Central Norway after a single springtime grazing event by pink‐footed geese
Authors: Bjerke J. W. , Bergjord A. K. , Tombre I. M. , Madsen J.
Published: February 2013

Populations of migratory geese overwintering in Europe have risen rapidly during recent decades, leading to increased pressure on available forage resources and more grazing on agricultural lands. Farmers throughout Europe have complained of yield losses due to goose grazing. In spring, the Svalbard‐breeding population of pink‐footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) migrates through specific staging sites in Norway, where the geese graze on dairy grasslands and other types of agricultural lands in the early growing season. Despite this, little is known of the impacts of goose grazing on hay biomass and quality in Norway. An experiment using exclosures to prevent goose grazing, and plots that were open for grazing, was established in Central Norway to test the effects of variable grazing intensity on dairy grassland yields. A single spring‐grazing event had severe negative impact at the site with the highest grazing intensity, leading to a 25% reduction in forage yield (milk feed units per hectare) as compared to ungrazed areas. The impacts on the sites with lower grazing intensity were more subtle. The overall reduction (across all sites) of biomass yield was 26%. Forage quality, in terms of milk feed units per kg, was not much affected. Grazing increased the proportion and diversity of weeds, as evidenced by a 49% increase of the Shannon biodiversity index, and there was a 1·3% decrease in the proportion of herbage biomass of sown species. Hence, we have confirmed farmer reports on yield losses, gaining an increased understanding of the overall farmer costs associated with goose grazing in this northern latitude region.
Validation and cross‐cultural adaptation of the Falls Efficacy Scale in patients with Parkinson's disease in Serbia
Authors: Gazibara Tatjana , Stankovic Iva , Tomic Aleksandra , Svetel Marina , Tepavcevic Darija Kisic , Kostic Vladimir S. , Pekmezovic Tatjana
Published: February 2013

Aim

The aim of the present study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients in Serbia.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was carried out at the Clinic for Neurology, between June 2011 and June 2012. A total of 201 consecutive PD outpatients were recruited. The inclusion criteria were: ability to walk independently for at least 10 m, ability to stand for at least 90 s and a Mini‐Mental State Examination score >24. The exclusion criteria were: the presence of other major neurological, psychiatric, visual, audio‐vestibular and orthopedic disturbances. The 10‐item FES was translated according to internationally‐accepted methodology. The internal reliability of the Serbian version of the FES was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Reproducibility of the FES was evaluated using the Spearman–Brown coefficient. To evaluate construct validity, an exploratory factor analysis (principal component analysis, varimax rotation) was carried out.

Results

The internal consistency of the Serbian version of the FES was 0.98. Age, duration of disease, Hoehn and Yahr stage, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score, history of falls, and the Hamilton depression and anxiety scores were significantly correlated with the total FES score. On factor analysis, all 10 items were compact in a one‐factor cluster, with an explained variance of 85%. Spearman–Brown's correlation coefficient between the total scores was 0.99.

Conclusions

The psychometric characteristics of the Serbian version of the FES have excellent reliability and validity as an instrument for measuring the fear of falling in PD patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 936–941.