bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Integrating sustainability in higher education: a Swedish case
Authors: Argento Daniela , Einarson Daniel , Mårtensson Lennart , Persson Christel , Wendin Karin , Westergren Albert 
Published: August 2020

Purpose
This paper aims to unveil how sustainability is integrated into the courses/programmes of higher education institutions. The research question addressed is: how do academics representing different disciplines cooperate and engage in the work of integrating sustainability into their teaching programmes.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws upon the notions of practise variation and institutional work from institutional theory and empirically focusses on the case of Kristianstad University (Sweden). This case is based on an autoethnographic approach and illustrates the experiences shared by six colleagues, representing different disciplines, engaged in implementing sustainability in their courses/programmes.

Findings
The findings highlight how academics representing different disciplines, with specific traditions and characteristics, face the sustainability challenge. Despite being bound by similar sustainable development goals, differences across disciplines need to be acknowledged and used as an asset if trans-disciplinarity is the ultimate goal.

Research limitations/implications
Although the intrinsic motivation of individuals to work with sustainability might be a strong driver, the implementation of sustainability within courses/programmes and across disciplines requires joint efforts and collective institutional work.

Practical implications
By highlighting how academics engage in the work of integrating sustainability, this study emphasizes that managers of higher education institutions need to account for the time and additional resources needed to ensure that academics effectively cope with sustainability. Intrinsic motivation may not last if organizational structures and leadership are not supportive on a practical level and in the long run.

Social implications
With the successful implementation of a holistic approach to sustainability, students will have better insights and understanding of both themselves and the surrounding society, laying the ground for an inclusive future society.

Originality/value
This paper emphasizes the gradual approach to be followed when sustainability becomes part of an organization-wide discourse. Dialogues within and across disciplines are needed to overcome silo thinking and stimulate cooperation within a trans-disciplinary approach.
Corporate citizenship, stakeholder management and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in financial institutions and capital markets
Authors: Rendtorff Jacob Dahl 
Published: August 2020

PurposeThe aim of this theoretical and conceptual research paper is to give a definition of the concept of corporate citizenship, which together with business ethics and stakeholder management function as foundation of a vision of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for financial institutions and capital markets.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on a conceptual methodology which analyzes the main aspects of corporate citizenship with regard stakeholder management and the UN SDGs. In particular there is focus on stakeholder justice, integrity and fairness with regard to stakeholder responsibility at capital markets.FindingsThis paper suggests that concepts of corporate citizenship, business ethics, stakeholder justice, integrity and fairness, as well as stakeholder responsibility must be conceived as the basis for an acceptable vision of sustainable development at capital markets.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is a theoretical paper so the paper is limited to the presentation of major concepts from the point of view of business ethics, stakeholder management and SDGs. This is a framework that needs to be developed in specific research and investment practice at capital markets.Practical implicationsThis paper provides the basis for developing a good vision of SDGs in financial institutions and capital markets and it demonstrates that the SDGs must be developed as the foundation of ethics of investments and capital markets.Social implicationsWith suggestions of visions of corporate citizenship, business ethics and stakeholder management this paper situates the firm in a social context as a social actor in the context of sustainable development. The business firm is therefore integrated in society and there is a close connection between business and society which needs to be developed in codes and values of ethics of financial institutions capital markets.Originality/valueThe originality and value of this paper is a conceptual formulation of the relation between the concepts of corporate citizenship, business ethics, stakeholder management and SDGs in financial markets. With this the paper refers to earlier research and summarizes concepts from this in a short synthesis.
No textbook cost general education pathway: an effort to increase retention at Central Washington University
Authors: Valentino Maura , Hopkins Geri 
Published: August 2020

Purpose
This study aims to describe a project that aims to give students a choice to complete their general education requirements without purchasing a textbook.

Design/methodology/approach
In total, 26 faculty, teaching in the new general education curriculum, at Central Washington University were given stipends to eliminate expensive textbooks and use free to the student resources such as open educational resources (OER) or library resources. The data was collected on student savings and student and faculty satisfaction with the program.

Findings
Many paths were created through the general education curriculum, so a student may easily finish these requirements without purchasing a textbook. The data from this case study coincide with the literature on the subject. Faculty found it fairly easy to replace their required textbooks with pedagogically sound, free resources. Students were relieved to have some financial relief and found the resources to be good. The student’s biggest complaint was that faculty often use very small portions of expensive required textbooks.

Research limitations/implications
This is a case study and the results are limited as such. This is one university and one general education curriculum. Also, if an academic library wants to replicate this case study, some funding is required.

Practical implications
Students struggle financially and alleviating the costs of textbooks is one-way librarians can ease that burden.

Social implications
Students struggle financially and alleviating the costs of textbooks is one-way librarians can ease that burden.

Originality/value
There have been some case studies written about OER, where 8 or 10 courses are replaced. There are studies written about zero-textbook-cost degrees at community colleges, but this case study explores a textbook-cost-free general education program at a state university.
LncRNA GAS5 activates the AMPK pathway in peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from rheumatoid arthritis patients
Authors: Cao Jijun , Lv Xinlu , Zhang Yuemei , Xu Aiping , Jiang Tingwang 
Published: August 2020

AbstractBackgroundRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease, which seriously affects human joints. This study aimed to detect the changes in the expression of long non‐coding RNA growth arrest‐specific transcript 5 (GAS5) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from patients with RA and healthy controls (HC), as well as analyze the correlation between GAS5 and clinical indicators of RA. Also, the role and mechanism of GAS5 in regulating the AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway in RA was further assessed.MethodsThe PBMCs were isolated from the RA patients. Next, GAS5 expression was detected in RA PBMCs by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, and its diagnostic value on RA was determined by receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC). The levels of interleukin (IL)‐6 and IL‐17 were detected via enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The expressions of total and phosphorylated AMPK as well as p38MAPK were determined with Western blot.ResultsGAS5 was down‐regulated in RA PBMCs, and consequently serves as a potential diagnostic marker for RA (sensitivity, 90%; specificity, 80%; area under the curve, 0.89). Further, GAS5 negatively regulated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C‐reactive protein, Disease Activity Score of 28 joints and antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptide, as well as the IL‐6 and IL‐17 levels of RA PBMCs. Similarly, GAS5 was observed to activate the AMPK pathway.ConclusionGAS5 activated the AMPK pathway, while it negatively regulated the expression of cytokines IL‐6 and IL‐17.
The impact of home storage conditions on the accumulation of acrylamide precursors in potato tubers
Authors: Ducreux Laurence J. M. , Pont Simon D. A. , Verrall Susan R. , McManus William , Hancock Robert D. , Taylor Mark A. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe aim of this work was to investigate the impact of domestic storage conditions on total reducing sugars and free asparagine in fresh potatoes to understand the implications for acrylamide‐forming potential. Current advice to consumers is that potatoes should be stored in a dark cool place, but not in the refrigerator based on an expectation that home storage in the refrigerator will result in “cold sweetening” and increased acrylamide‐forming potential. Potato tubers of two common varieties (King Edward and Nectar) were obtained from four independent sources and were sampled from commercial store conditions on three occasions between November 2018 and May 2019. Tuber reducing sugar contents were assessed under conditions that mimicked home storage, at either 18 or 5°C during a 15‐day treatment period. There was a similar pattern of reducing sugar content in tubers from all four sources. For tubers stored at 5°C, reducing sugar levels showed little or no variation over the 15‐day time‐course. Differences in reducing sugar contents between varieties and between the source of tubers of the same variety were far higher than those observed dependent on cold storage. For tubers stored at 18°C, total reducing sugar levels remained the same or decreased over 15 days of storage. Decreases in sugar content were not consistent between samples, varying by sampling point, source and cultivar. Tuber asparagine content was independent of storage temperature with no significant differences in asparagine observed between tuber samples stored at 5 or 18°C for 15 days. In some tuber samples, storage at 5°C significantly retarded sprouting compared with samples stored at 18°C, indicating the potential for refrigerator storage to extend shelf life and reduce waste. The premise that home storing potato tubers at 5°C postpurchase increases levels of reducing sugars and therefore acrylamide‐forming potential is not supported by these data. Much larger sources of variation were from other factors.
Effects of experimental nitrogen enrichment on soil properties and litter decomposition in a Neotropical savanna
Authors: Silva Laura Vivian Barbosa , Vasconcelos Heraldo L. , Mack Michelle C. , Ferreira Adão de Siqueira , Bruna Emilio M. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe amount of reactive nitrogen has more than doubled in terrestrial ecosystems due to human activities such fertiliser application that is predicted to increase dramatically in coming decades. We conducted a 3‐year experiment in a Neotropical savanna in which we determined the effects of increased N deposition on litter decomposition in plots subjected to different levels of N addition (50 kg N ha−1 year−2, 20 kg N ha−1 year−2, or no N addition). For this, we compared the litter decomposition from the bunchgrass Tristachya leiostachya using litter collected from plots with different N addition treatments. Five randomly selected bags of litter from each N addition treatment (origin) were distributed to each plot (destination). We also compared litter nitrogen (N) concentration and indicators of microbial activity (basal respiration, carbon of microbial biomass, metabolic quotient, enzyme activity) in all plots. We found that nitrogen addition influences litter decay, but in idiosyncratic ways that differ between years. In year 1, litter decomposed faster in high‐N addition plots than in low‐N and control plots, regardless of its origin. In contrast, litter from high‐N addition plots decomposing fastest in year 2, regardless of its destination. Finally, there was no effect of either litter origin or destination on the rate of decomposition in year 3. Litter collected in high‐N addition plots had a concentration of N 12–17% higher than litter collected in other plots and higher in 2009 than in other years. Four years after the beginning of the fertilisation experiment, concentration and the microbial activity in the soil did not differ between the treatments. Our findings suggest that the levels of N addition predicted for Neotropical savannas can alter litter N concentrations and the process of litter decomposition, but that the direction and magnitude of these changes may be challenging to predict since that precipitation can influence the mechanisms regulating decomposition in the Cerrado.
Debris extrusion during root canal preparation with nickel‐titanium instruments using liquid and gel formulations of sodium hypochlorite in vitro
Authors: Ozlek Esin , Neelakantan Prasanna , Khan Khadija , Cheung Gary S.P. , Rossi‐Fedele Giampiero 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThis study compared the amount of apically extruded debris during root canal preparation with three single‐file systems using liquid and gel‐based formulations of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) or distilled water. Seventy‐two single‐canalled roots were divided into three groups: HyFlex EDM (Coltene–Whaledent); Reciproc Blue (VDW); and F‐One Blue (Shanghai Fanta) and then divided into three subgroups: NaOCl liquid (Imicrly), NaOCl gel (Cerkamed Medical) and distilled water. The amount of extruded debris was calculated by determining the dry weight of the debris collected. Data were analysed using Kruskal–Wallis test with Bonferroni correction. Debris extrusion occurred in all subgroups. Both the instrument and the irrigant had an impact. The F‐One Blue tended to extrude the least debris, though no significant difference was observed in the pairwise comparisons between instruments. NaOCl liquid resulted in significantly more extruded debris than NaOCl gel or distilled water. The results lead us to conclude that the NaOCl gel reduced debris extrusion compared to NaOCl liquid.
Upregulated expression of NMDA receptor in the paraventricular nucleus shortens ejaculation latency in rats with experimental autoimmune prostatitis
Authors: Yang Jie , Zhang Qi‐jie , Zhang Jia‐yi , Wang Ya‐min , Zhu Guo‐qing , Song Ning‐hong , Wang Zeng‐jun , Chen Jian‐huai , Xia Jia‐dong 
Published: August 2020

AbstractBackgroundEstimated 30%‐40% of patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) suffer from premature ejaculation (PE), which is difficult to cure, but the mechanism is still unknown. Based on the results of our previous clinical studies and animal experiments, we propose that the glutamatergic system dysfunction in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) may be involved.MethodsTo test this hypothesis, we used experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) rats to investigate the effects of CP/CPPS on ejaculation behavior through integrating copulatory behavior testing, neuroelectrophysiologic experiments, and molecular biology technologies.ResultsHistological examination of prostate tissue in EAP rats exhibited consistent pathological findings with that in CP/CPPS patients. Behavior testing showed that ejaculation latency (EL) of EAP rats significantly shortened compared with the controls (5.1 ± 1.8 vs 9.1 ± 2.4 min, P < .001). Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity testing revealed that EAP rats displayed significantly higher plasma norepinephrine (NE) level (1780 ± 493 vs 1421 ± 453 pg/mL, P = .043) and SNS sensitivity (67.8 ± 9.6 vs 44.6 ± 8.7%, P < .001). Immunohistochemical detection and Western blot analysis both displayed that NR1 subunit expression of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors in the PVN of EAP rats was significantly upregulated (P = .007 and P < .001). Furthermore, the expression of NMDA NR1 subunit positively correlated both with SNS sensitivity (r = .917, P < .001) and prostatic inflammation scores (r = .964, P < .001).ConclusionThis study shows that EAP rats suffer from the same PE symptom as CP/CPPS patients. CP/CPPS‐induced inflammatory‐immune response can significantly upregulate the expression of NMDA receptors in the PVN, which shortening the EL by enhancing SNS sensitivity. However, the exact mechanism of chronic inflammation in the prostate causing the upregulated expression of NMDA receptors needs to be further studied.
Multidisciplinary management of auto‐immune ocular diseases in adult patients by ophthalmologists and rheumatologists
Authors: Van Bentum Rianne Elise , Van den Berg Jesse M. , Wolf Sanne E. , Van der Bijl Joyce , Tan H. Stevie , Verbraak Frank D. , van der Horst‐Bruinsma Irene E. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractPurposeManagement of chronic vision threatening auto‐immune ocular diseases (AIOD, e.g. uveitis, scleritis) can be challenging. Guidelines recommend a multidisciplinary approach (MDA) with ophthalmologists and rheumatologists, to enhance the recognition of systemic diseases and guide the use of immunosuppressives. However, the indications and results of such an approach have not yet been studied.MethodsA monocentre, retrospective chart review of all patients treated in a MDA between ophthalmologists and rheumatologists, in a Dutch tertiary center. The collaboration was twofold: a combined multidisciplinary team meeting every 2 weeks, and an ophthalmology‐dedicated rheumatology outpatient clinic. Primary endpoints of this descriptive study were as follows: indications for MDA, new diagnoses of systemic auto‐immune diseases and changes in systemic immunosuppression and prednisone dosages.ResultsIn total, 157 adults (mean age 46 years, 57% female, median disease duration 19 months) were included, mainly with uveitis (74%) and scleritis (12%). Multidisciplinary approach (MDA)‐indications included diagnostic workup (32%), treatment support (44%), diagnostic‐and‐treatment support (10%) and side effects (8%). A systemic disease was newly diagnosed in eight and already present in 34 patients. At baseline, 54 patients used oral prednisone at >7.5 mg/day. Non‐corticoid immunosuppressives, mostly methotrexate, were started in 41% of the patients. During follow‐up, systemic prednisone was lowered to ≤7.5 mg/day in 68% of the patients.ConclusionThis evaluation of an MDA‐programme in the management of AIOD demonstrated its added value. Mainly, it addressed the high demand for support in managing systemic immunosuppression, resulting in significant corticosteroid tapering. In addition, it resulted in the recognition of underlying systemic diseases.
Ultra high‐dimensional semiparametric longitudinal data analysis
Authors: Green Brittany , Lian Heng , Yu Yan , Zu Tianhai 
Published: August 2020

AbstractAs ultra high‐dimensional longitudinal data are becoming ever more apparent in fields such as public health and bioinformatics, developing flexible methods with a sparse model is of high interest. In this setting, the dimension of the covariates can potentially grow exponentially as with respect to the number of clusters n. We consider a flexible semiparametric approach, namely, partially linear single‐index models, for ultra high‐dimensional longitudinal data. Most importantly, we allow not only the partially linear covariates but also the single‐index covariates within the unknown flexible function estimated nonparametrically to be ultra high dimensional. Using penalized generalized estimating equations, this approach can capture correlation within subjects, can perform simultaneous variable selection and estimation with a smoothly clipped absolute deviation penalty, and can capture nonlinearity and potentially some interactions among predictors. We establish asymptotic theory for the estimators including the oracle property in ultra high dimension for both the partially linear and nonparametric components, and we present an efficient algorithm to handle the computational challenges. We show the effectiveness of our method and algorithm via a simulation study and a yeast cell cycle gene expression data.
A young child’s dialogic appropriation of programmable robots
Authors: Jung Sung Eun , Lee Kyunghwa 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThis qualitative case study explores a 6‐year‐old boy’s dialogic appropriation of programmable robots. The study was conducted in two robotics education programs for children aged four to seven. Drawing on Bakhtin’s (1981) notion of appropriation, we found that the focal child actively engaged with the programmable robots by (1) transforming the given features of the robots, (2) hybridizing the programming practice with the ordinary practices of his peer culture and (3) constructing his own perspective on the agency of robots and the meaning of programming. We argue that the ways in which the focal child engaged with the programmable robots went beyond mere adoption of the robots but rather took the form of dialog.
The clinical impact of intra‐ and extracellular miRNAs in ovarian cancer
Authors: Yoshida Kosuke , Yokoi Akira , Kato Tomoyasu , Ochiya Takahiro , Yamamoto Yusuke 
Published: August 2020

AbstractOvarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer due to lack of early screening methods and acquired drug resistance. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are effective post‐transcriptional regulators that are transferred by extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes. Numerous studies have revealed that miRNAs are differentially expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer and act either as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Cancer cells secrete exosomes containing miRNAs, which exert various effects on the components of the tumor microenvironment, including cancer‐associated fibroblasts, macrophages, and adipocytes. Conversely, cancer cells also receive exosomes from these cells. As a result of cell‐to‐cell communication, epithelial ovarian cancer acquires a more aggressive phenotype and resistance to multiple drugs. In addition, some circulating miRNAs are protected from RNase degradation in the peripheral blood and can be potential non‐invasive biomarkers. In particular, the combination of several circulating miRNAs enhances the accuracy of cancer screening. Likewise, comprehensive analyses revealed specific miRNA signatures in non‐epithelial ovarian tumors and several miRNAs contributing to alterations of carcinogenic pathways. Overall, miRNAs play a crucial role in ovarian cancer progression. In this review, we discuss the emerging roles of intra‐ and extracellular miRNAs in ovarian cancers. In the near future, miRNAs will be practical biomarkers and computational deep learning will help in the clinical application of miRNAs. Moreover, miRNAs are potential therapeutic targets and agents, and there are ongoing clinical trials of miRNA replacement therapy. Therefore, accelerating research on miRNA might improve the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer.