bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Innovative real estate development finance – evidence from Europe
Authors: Squires Graham , Hutchison Norman , Adair Alastair , Berry Jim , McGreal Stanley , Organ Samantha 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– This research aims to provide an insight into large-scale real estate projects in Europe and how they are using a more innovative blend of finance.

Design/methodology/approach
– The methodology involved a mix of desk-based study, interviews and case studies. Interviews were held with financiers, policymakers, developers, investors, fund managers and academics. The specific case projects were Battersea Power Station Development in London; Leipziger Platz site in Berlin; and the Lammenschans site in the city of Leiden, The Netherlands.

Findings
– The research found that there is growth in the blend of financial products used in real estate development within large-scale mixed-use projects. This new blend is set with greater equity financing, often from domestic and foreign consortiums generating institutional funds – alongside private debt financing – that utilise a mix of large-scale multi-bank finance.

Practical implications
– The scale of the challenge in financing real estate development allied with capital budget constraints has meant that the appetite for innovative finance mechanisms has gained considerable momentum in practice and policy. This research investigates current examples in development finance and provides a discussion of the opinion of key multi-stakeholder participants in the individual cases, and trends more strategically at a broader level.

Originality/value
– This detailed study of three major development sites and at a more broader strategic level is significant, in that it provides a better understanding of the differing blends of finance that are being used.
How job crafting relates to task performance
Authors: Weseler Daniela , Niessen Cornelia 
Published: March 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relation between extending and reducing job crafting behavior, cognitive crafting and task performance.Design/methodology/approach– Hierarchical regression analyses of data from 131 employee-supervisor pairs were conducted to analyze the differential relations of five job crafting dimensions to self- and supervisor-rated task performance.Findings– The present study shows that reduction behavior is rated as counterproductive, and extension behavior is rated as productive in terms of task performance by employees themselves. Supervisors rated task performance higher when employees extended their tasks, and lower when they reduced relationships.Research limitations/implications– Future research should test the hypotheses in a longitudinal setting and should focus processes that moderate the differential job crafting-task performance relationships.Originality/value– By distinguishing extending and reducing task and relational boundaries and cognitive crafting, the authors give first evidence to possible negative sides of job crafting.
Trying to understand social media users and usage
Authors: Weller Katrin 
Published: March 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper from the series “Monitoring the Media: Spotlight on Social Media Research” is to look into different approaches to study uses of social media platforms – from user statistics to motivations for using specific features within a platform.Design/methodology/approach– Based on a literature review some general findings on social media usage are summarized alongside with examples of user activities that are rarely studied.Findings– The paper concludes that social media research has neglected to question the use of more recent features in social media platforms, such as Twitter favorites or Facebook hashtags, as well as the more “destructive” activities in social networking such as unfollowing.Originality/value– The paper draws attention to some features of popular social media platforms which are currently understudied. It raises awareness for these specific gaps in social media research and could inspire future studies to close the gap.
miR‐410 suppresses the expression of interleukin‐6 as well as renal fibrosis in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis
Authors: Liu Dongmei , Zhang Na , Zhang Jing , Zhao Haiyan , Wang Xiaofei 
Published: March 2016

AbstractLupus nephritis (LN) is a highly complex autoimmune disease caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in the pathogenesis of SLE. Previously, a total of 29 miRNAs were identified to be down‐regulated in SLE patients, in which miR‐410 was likely to be involved in the signalling transduction pathways in regulating the pathogenesis of SLE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of miR‐410 in LN and to find out whether miR‐410 regulates the expression of interleukin (IL)‐6 and fibrosis in LN. It was found that the expression level of miR‐410 in kidney tissue of MRL/lpr mice was decreased compared to that in BALB/C mice, whereas the level of IL‐6 was overexpressed in MRL/lpr mice. Luciferase assay showed that miR‐410 binds directly to the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of IL‐6, with the results showing that overexpression of miR‐410 significantly decreased the expression level of IL‐6 in SV40MES13 cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR‐410 significantly reduced the expression levels of fibrosis factors such as transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) and collagen I/III in SV40MES13 cells; Inhibition of the expression of miR‐410 with miR‐410 inhibitor resulted in increased levels of IL‐6 as well as fibrosis factors. The results identify that miR‐410, as a novel and critical factor in the pathogenesis of LN, decreases IL‐6 expression by binding directly to the 3′UTR and suppresses fibrosis through down‐regulation of TGF‐β1 in SV40MES13 cells. Our study brings new insight into understanding the complex mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of lupus disease.
The Lambert W function in ecological and evolutionary models
Authors: Lehtonen Jussi 
Published: March 2016

Summary

The Lambert W function is a mathematical function with a long history, but which was named and rigorously defined relatively recently. It is closely related to the logarithmic function and arises from many models in the natural sciences, including a surprising number of problems in ecology and evolution.

I describe the basic properties of the function and present examples of its application to models of ecological and evolutionary processes.

The Lambert W function makes it possible to solve explicitly several models where this is not possible with elementary functions. I present examples of such models from existing literature, as well as novel models.

Solving models explicitly with the Lambert W function can provide deeper insight and a new point of view on a biological problem. Explicit solutions with the Lambert W function are easily amenable to further mathematical operations, such as differentiation and integration. These advantages apply to a wide range of models, from the marginal value theorem to population growth rates and disease epidemics.
The terms ‘autacoid’, ‘hormone’ and ‘chalone’ and how they have shifted with time
Authors: Keppel Hesselink J. M. 
Published: March 2016

Summary

The increase of knowledge in a particular field (endocrinology) can be understood if one follows how certain key concepts were constructed and transformed over time. To explore such construction and transformation (shifts in meaning), we studied the use of the concepts ‘autacoid’ and ‘chalone’ in a period of one century (1916–2016), since the introduction of these concepts by the British professor of physiology Sir Sharpey‐Schäfer.

We could identify that the use of ‘autacoid’ shifted from a very broad category encompassing both stimulating and inhibiting hormones, in the period 1916–1960, to a much more specific use of the term for locally produced bioactive molecules, from the 1960s onwards.

Histamine was the first compound seen as an ‘autacoid’, followed by prostaglandins, ATP, ADP and bradykinin, and from 1993 onwards, compounds such as ‘palmitoylethanolamide’ were also classified as ‘autacoids’. For ‘chalone’, a comparable shift was noticed around the 1960s, when the concept suddenly changed from the category of inhibiting hormones into a substance that is produced within a tissue, inhibiting mitosis of the cells of that tissue. For both concept shifts, we could not find any argument.

Around 1980, authors started to relate autacoids to various promising indications in the field of inflammation and immune modulation. The Nobel laureate Rita Levi‐Montalcini gave an extra dimension to the concept autacoid in 1993, and introduced a new class of compounds modulating mast cells, the ALIAmides (from Autacoid Local Inflammation Antagonist), of which palmitoylethanolamide was the prototype. Our exploration demonstrates that biomedical concepts can be constructed and defined differently as time goes by, while concept transformations seem to emerge without arguments.
Are the bipolar disorders best modelled categorically or dimensionally?
Authors: Parker G. B. , Graham R. K. , Hadzi‐Pavlovic D. 
Published: March 2016

ObjectiveConsiderable debate exists as to whether the bipolar disorders are best classified according to a categorical or dimensional model. This study explored whether there is evidence for a single or multiple subpopulations and the degree to which differing diagnostic criteria correspond to bipolar subpopulations.MethodA mixture analysis was performed on 1081 clinically diagnosed (and a reduced sample of 497 DSM‐IV diagnosed) bipolar I and II disorder patients, using scores on hypomanic severity (as measured by the Mood Swings Questionnaire). Mixture analyses were conducted using two differing diagnostic criteria and two DSM markers to ascertain the most differentiating and their associated clinical features.ResultsThe two subpopulation solution was most supported although the entropy statistic indicated limited separation and there was no distinctive point of rarity. Quantification by the odds ratio statistic indicated that the clinical diagnosis (respecting DSM‐IV criteria, but ignoring ‘high’ duration) was somewhat superior to DSM‐IV diagnosis in allocating patients to the putative mixture analysis groups. The most differentiating correlate was the presence or absence of psychotic features.ConclusionFindings favour the categorical distinction of bipolar I and II disorders and argue for the centrality of the presence or absence of psychotic features to subgroup differentiation.
Autotransplantation: a viable treatment option for adolescent patients with significantly compromised teeth
Authors: Ong D , Itskovich Y , Dance G 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAutotransplantation is the technique of transplanting embedded, impacted or erupted teeth from one site into another in the same individual. Despite current scientific evidence indicating that autotransplantation has favourable long‐term survival rates, autotransplantation is still not generally regarded as mainstream practice outside of Scandinavian countries. Successful autotransplantation can offer many advantages in a growing patient, including a normally functioning periodontium, proprioception and preservation of alveolar bone volume. In the event that the autotransplantation eventually fails, the bone and soft tissue conditions would still be likely to be favourable for subsequent implant treatment. This review article will identify and discuss the factors that influence case selection, the ideal timing for autotransplantation and the critical determinants for achieving a successful outcome. The limitations of the technique and alternative treatment options will also be discussed. It is hoped that through greater awareness and recognition by the dental profession, autotransplantation will become another viable treatment option in the management of compromised teeth in patients with significant remaining growth potential.
Rising wages, mechanization, and the substitution between capital and labor: evidence from small scale farm system in China
Authors: Wang Xiaobing , Yamauchi Futoshi , Huang Jikun 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis article aims to investigate major factors that led to the observed pace of mechanization and the substitution between labor and machines in rural China. We used commodity‐wise province‐level panel data for more than a quarter of a century from 1984 to 2012. The analysis demonstrated a dramatic increase in real agricultural wages in recent years, especially after 2003, in contrast to a relatively stable real machine price. The relative price of machines against agricultural labor has declined in an accelerating way, which contributed to the observed rapid introduction of machines. The elasticity of substitution between labor and machines was large in some commodities, which contributed to a fast substitution of labor by machines.
The efficiency of composite weather index insurance in hedging rice yield risk: evidence from China
Authors:  Shi Hong ,  Jiang Zhihui 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAs an economic and market‐transparent program, weather index insurance is expected to mitigate asymmetric problem. Capturing the relationship between yield and weather factor(s) is the basis of index insurance, but remains a challenge for weather index schemes. Meanwhile, composite weather index insurance is needed by farmers when their agricultural activities involve several risks, but is rarely studied. We aim to design a composite weather index insurance model and evaluate its efficiency in hedging yield risk by using the case of rice production in China. We divide the whole growth cycle of rice into six stages on the basis of agronomic knowledge, and use the average value of each weather factor in each stage to design a weather index. Then, the efficiency of composite weather index insurance is evaluated by mean‐semivariance and value‐at‐risk methods. First, we find that subdivision of the growth cycle helps to better capture the subtle relationship between rice yield and weather factors. Second, composite weather index insurance evidently reduces yield risk. Our findings help further adoption of weather index insurance in agricultural fields.
Utility of the quadrilobe flap for repairing defects of the nasal tip
Authors: Ong Suyin , Mortimer Neil J , Salmon Paul JM 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe quadrilobe flap allows the mobilisation of the skin of the upper nose and nasofacial sulcus to the distal nose while avoiding unfavourable tension vectors that would distort the free margin of the ala. We report our experience over the past 3 years in the first case series of quadrilobe flaps for repair of surgical defects on the nose.
Evaluation of enzymatic and non‐enzymatic antioxidants in seminal plasma of men with genitourinary infections, varicocele and idiopathic infertility
Authors: Micheli L. , Cerretani D. , Collodel G. , Menchiari A. , Moltoni L. , Fiaschi A. I. , Moretti E. 
Published: March 2016

SummaryThis study was aimed to assess the antioxidant enzymatic and non‐enzymatic compounds in semen of infertile men. Seventy‐four infertile patients were grouped according to their clinical diagnosis: genitourinary infection, varicocele, idiopathic infertility. Semen samples of fertile men represent the control. Semen characteristics were evaluated by light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM data was quantified with a mathematical formula, which provides numerical scores. Spectrophotometric and HPLC methods were used to measure the amount of reduced (GSH), oxidised glutathione (GSSG), ascorbic acid (AA) and malondialdehyde (MDA, marker of lipid peroxidation) and the activity of glutathione reductase, catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase. Infertile groups showed significantly decreased values of sperm parameters vs. controls. In infection and varicocele groups, the seminal MDA levels were significantly increased when compared to controls (p < 0.001), indicating an alteration of oxidative status and a peroxidative damage. In infection and varicocele groups, AA levels were reduced (p < 0.05) vs. control; in the varicocele group, the GSH levels were also decreased (p < 0.05). Significantly higher CAT activity was observed in infection and varicocele groups vs. fertile men (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 respectively). The GSH/GSSG ratio was significantly decreased in varicocele and idiopathic infertility groups vs. control (p < 0.01). The study of the alteration of a single parameter of oxidative stress or of the antioxidant system may not have a relevant clinical value to estimate male fertilising potential and the background of infertility causes, since complex and multifactorial mechanisms are involved in different pathologies. In our study, each pathology is characterised by a definite pattern of markers such as MDA and enzymatic and non‐enzymatic antioxidant compounds. In the different pathologies related to infertility, the identification of the complex of involved parameters could be useful in the diagnosis, prognosis and in the choice of a possible treatment such as specific antioxidant supplements.
Semi‐arid vegetation response to antecedent climate and water balance windows
Authors: Thoma David P. , Munson Seth M. , Irvine Kathryn M. , Witwicki Dana L. , Bunting Erin L. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractQuestionsCan we improve understanding of vegetation response to water availability on monthly time scales in semi‐arid environments using remote sensing methods? What climatic or water balance variables and antecedent windows of time associated with these variables best relate to the condition of vegetation? Can we develop credible near‐term forecasts from climate data that can be used to prepare for future climate change effects on vegetation?LocationSemi‐arid grasslands in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA.MethodsWe built vegetation response models by relating the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from MODIS imagery in Mar–Nov 2000–2013 to antecedent climate and water balance variables preceding the monthly NDVI observations. We compared how climate and water balance variables explained vegetation greenness and then used a multi‐model ensemble of climate and water balance models to forecast monthly NDVI for three holdout years.ResultsWater balance variables explained vegetation greenness to a greater degree than climate variables for most growing season months. Seasonally important variables included measures of antecedent water input and storage in spring, switching to indicators of drought, input or use in summer, followed by antecedent moisture availability in autumn. In spite of similar climates, there was evidence the grazed grassland showed a response to drying conditions 1 mo sooner than the ungrazed grassland. Lead times were generally short early in the growing season and antecedent window durations increased from 3 mo early in the growing season to 1 yr or more as the growing season progressed. Forecast accuracy for three holdout years using a multi‐model ensemble of climate and water balance variables outperformed forecasts made with a naïve NDVI climatology.ConclusionsWe determined the influence of climate and water balance on vegetation at a fine temporal scale, which presents an opportunity to forecast vegetation response with short lead times. This understanding was obtained through high‐frequency vegetation monitoring using remote sensing, which reduces the costs and time necessary for field measurements and can lead to more rapid detection of vegetation changes that could help managers take appropriate actions.
Exploring genetic and non‐genetic risk factors for delayed graft function, acute and subclinical rejection in renal transplant recipients
Authors: Moes Dirk Jan A. R. , Press Rogier R. , Ackaert Oliver , Ploeger Bart A. , Bemelman Frederike J. , Diack Cheikh , Wessels Judith A. M. , van der Straaten Tahar , Danhof Meindert , Sanders Jan‐Stephan F. , Homan van der Heide Jaap J. , Guchelaar Henk Jan , de Fijter Johan W. 
Published: March 2016

AimsThis study aimed at identifying pharmacological factors such as pharmacogenetics and drug exposure as new predictive biomarkers for delayed graft function (DGF), acute rejection (AR) and/or subclinical rejection (SCR).MethodsAdult renal transplant recipients (n = 361) on cyclosporine‐based immunosuppression were followed for the first 6 months after transplantation. The incidence of DGF and AR were documented as well as the prevalence of SCR at 6 months in surveillance biopsies. Demographic, transplant‐related factors, pharmacological and pharmacogenetic factors (ABCB1, CYP3A5, CYP3A4, CYP2C8, NR1I2, PPP3CA and PPP3CB) were analysed in a combined approach in relation to the occurrence of DGF, AR and prevalence of SCR at month 6 using a proportional odds model and time to event model.ResultsFourteen per cent of the patients experienced at least one clinical rejection episode and only DGF showed a significant effect on the time to AR. The incidence of DGF correlated with a deceased donor kidney transplant (27% vs. 0.6% of living donors). Pharmacogenetic factors were not associated with risk for DGF, AR or SCR. A deceased donor kidney and acute rejection history were the most important determinants for SCR, resulting in a 52% risk of SCR at 6 months (vs. 11% average). In a sub‐analysis of the patients with AR, those treated with rejection treatment including ATG, significantly less frequent SCR was found in the 6‐month biopsy (13% vs. 50%).ConclusionsTransplant‐related factors remain the most important determinants of DGF, AR and SCR. Furthermore, rejection treatment with depleting antibodies effectively prevented SCR in 6‐month surveillance biopsies.
Linking subaerial erosion with submarine geomorphology in the western Ionian Sea (south of the Messina Strait), Italy
Authors: Goswami Rajasmita , Mitchell Neil C. , Brocklehurst Simon H. , Argnani Andrea 
Published: March 2016

AbstractSediment supplied by continental sources is commonly suspected to have exerted a strong influence on the development of canyons and other morphological features on the continental slopes, but rarely is the sediment supply known sufficiently quantitatively to test this link. Here, we outline an area where offshore morphology, in the western Ionian Sea, may be linked to estimated sediment fluxes produced by subaerial erosion in NE Sicily and SW Calabria. Shelves in this area are narrow (<1 km), and the bathymetry shows that rivers and adjacent submarine channels are almost directly connected with each other. Integrated topographic analyses were performed on a merged digital elevation model (DEM) of ASTER data for subaerial topography and multibeam sonar data for submarine bathymetry. Spatial variations in sediment fluxes from onshore erosion were assessed using a variety of methods, namely: long‐term sediment flux from Pleistocene uplift rates, decadal sediment flux from landslide occurrences and published long‐term exhumation rates from 10Be cosmogenic nuclide concentrations. Submarine channels associated with rivers delivering larger sediment fluxes have broad channels, high relief and smooth concave‐upward longitudinal profiles. Conversely, submarine channels that lie offshore small‐flux rivers have straight longitudinal profiles, low relief and steep gradients. Where river catchments supply a greater sediment flux offshore, shelves tend to be wider (ca. 400 m) and submarine channels have gentler gradients. In contrast, where catchments supply less sediment flux, shelves are narrow (250–300 m) and offshore channel gradients are steeper. The variation of submarine morphology with tectonic uplift rate was also studied, but we find that, unlike onshore terrains where tectonics is commonly an important factor influencing channel morphology, in the submarine landscapes, sediment flux appears to dominate here.