bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Planning local sustainable development in Western Balkans
Authors: Milutinovic Slobodan , Zivkovic Snezana 
Published: December 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of the paper is to research local sustainable development strategic planning processes and practices in the Drina River Basin (geographical area delineated by the river Drina and shared among Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia).

Design/methodology/approach
– Research methodology included the analysis of the existing country-based strategic documents and processes, as well as the local strategic documents and processes of implementation in 21 municipalities in the Drina River Basin, including interviews with the representatives of central and local governments and civil sector and a questionnaire-based assessment of the situation and needs in municipalities.

Findings
– The paper argues that local sustainable development planning, although still lacking the proper methodological approach and facing insufficiencies in institutional and implementation capacities is becoming more appreciated by local authorities in the region.

Originality/value
– The findings should help better understand the interactions between local government institutions and civil society in the Drina River Basin municipalities in achieving local sustainable development, as well as the conditions enabling improved communication networks and capacity building.
A strategic decision model for evaluating college and university sustainability investments
Authors: Murphy Tom , O'Brien Will 
Published: December 2013

Purpose– The paper aims to examine a strategic decision model and its potential value for assisting academic institutional leaders in addressing climate change by making better informed sustainability investment decisions.Design/methodology/approach– Although the vast majority of engagements have focused on IT project selection and prioritization, it will be demonstrated that there is direct applicability to capital investment decisions related to sustainability. Examples of the results are provided with instructions on how to implement a similar approach for organizations challenged with selection and prioritization of sustainability projects. Finally, the model is assessed critically in terms of challenges and lessons learned from client projects.Findings– The strategic decision model has been found to provide a broader framework for decisions, i.e. both qualitative and quantitative. At the same time, the methodology used with the model engages more stakeholders in the process to help build consensus regarding investment and project decisions. As a portfolio-based model, relative value and risk can be viewed easily to enable focus on what the stakeholders believe to be key projects. This perspective and the functionality of the application enable action to be taken by the decision maker to possibly reduce project risk and/or increase potential value of specific projects.Research limitations/implications– It was determined that additional research, data collection and application development would be necessary if the model were to be used for benchmarking for sustainability planning investment decisions.Practical implications– The paper proposes that colleges and universities consider the use of the portfolio decision model and, where appropriate, implement the model as part of their sustainability program. The anticipated benefits of this action would include: greater involvement of key stakeholders in support of required organizational change, improvement in the quality of investment decisions, increased success of sustainability projects and data which will enable future benchmarking.Originality/value– Given this emergent leading role of universities in championing sustainability efforts, the purpose of this paper is to provide college and university leaders a tool to address the challenges related to investment decisions targeted at sustainability projects, such as environmental footprint reduction in support of achieving sustainability for their respective institutions.
The role of media pressure on the disclosure of sustainability information by local governments
Authors: Cuadrado-Ballesteros Beatriz , Frías-Aceituno José , Martínez-Ferrero Jennifer 
Published: December 2013

Purpose– The aim of this study is to analyse the level of environmental, economic, and social engagement disclosed by local governments, taking into account factors such as political ideology and media pressure.Design/methodology/approach– The authors analysed 102 large Spanish municipalities, using data from 2011. An econometric model was used based on dependency techniques for cross-sectional data. The Tobit technique is suitable, since it enables the authors to address particular considerations of extreme scores on the dependent variable.Findings– The results show that local governments report less strategic and socio-economic information when subjected to strong media pressure, because the press tends to focus on unusual, negative news, and ignores other issues such as the environment. However, in municipalities governed by left-wing parties, media pressure actually promotes disclosure of this type of information.Research limitations/implications– It would be interesting to create an information index which includes local governments' disclosure, spanning a period of several years.Practical implications– Particularly in municipalities governed by a left-wing party, media pressure favours the disclosure of sustainability information, including information about the municipal corporation and strategic and social issues.Originality/value– This study analyses the impact of the press on the disclosure of sustainability information by local governments and also tests the moderating effect of the ruling party's political ideology. The authors did not find any paper that had analysed this impact before.
Learning from praxis
Authors: Murthy Vikram 
Published: December 2013

Purpose
– This paper uses a number of current examples from a variety of industries both regional and global, to explore the relationship between business longevity, environment, and adaptiveness to argue that only adaptive responses contingent on a proper classification of external circumstance will result in productive efficacy for the business. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
– There is compelling evidence that businesses have limited life spans. Management and economic theories of creative destruction, argue that this is salutary for markets and economies. Yet as a counterpoint there are significant benefits to business longevity. Such longevity, however, is predicated on the business's dimensionalised understanding of its task and contextual environment and its deployment of an adaptive response contingent on such understanding.

Findings
– It is mandatory in prevailing times that adaptive responses ensure that the overall business has external fit and alignment with its environment and internal congruence and consistency between organisational subsystems and their internal subenvironments.

Originality/value
– The calculus of limited and unpredictable business life spans is justified by theories of creative destruction and hypercompetition. Yet there are intrinsic and extrinsic advantages to business longevity. A causative flow is proffered that predicates business longevity on its ability to; first, classify its prevailing environment, and thereafter deploy contingent adaptive responses for productive efficacy.
Exploring customer attachment behaviour to sustain the retail industry in Malaysia
Authors: Naina Mohamed Rozita , Borhan Halimahton 
Published: December 2013

Purpose
– The effectiveness of customer experience management to current market growth and perhaps business sustainability has drawn the attention of practitioners and academicians. This paper aims to address the gap by empirically investigating the effect of service encounter, trustworthy promotion and customer attachment behaviour with the moderating influence of customer emotional experience and commitment.

Design/methodology/approach
– The study has used a survey approach with a self-administered questionnaire distributed in a retail store intercept: a drop off and collect technique. A hypothesized model was developed, analyzed and tested rigorously using the structural equation modelling procedure.

Findings
– The findings reveal that customer emotional experience has positive significant effects on customer attachment behaviour, but not commitment. However, consumers in general will look for the trustworthiness of promotional activities when purchasing both local and international products.

Originality/value
– The novelty of this study is the contribution of original knowledge through the development of new findings from a new invention, using the practical tool of comprehensive customer emotion experience, with new dimensions, scale and model. These findings have important implications for future research directions and management of the local or international retail industry.
The potential for scale economies in milk powder processing: an Irish case study
Authors: Donnellan Trevor , Hennessy Thia , Fenelon Mark , O'Callaghan Donal 
Published: December 2013

This paper examines the difference in costs associated with milk plants of differing dryer scale in Ireland. This is an important question for international competitiveness in the context of the removal of the EU milk quota in 2015 and the expectation that Irish milk production could increase considerably thereafter. Using confidential data obtained from a number of sources, the differential in the cost of processing at differing plant scales was established. It was found that two 7.5 tonne/h dryers at a single location provide a level flexibility which offsets the slight cost advantage associated with a 15 tonne/h dryer.
Percutaneous Mitral Repair with the MitraClip System in Patients with Mild‐to‐Moderate and Severe Heart Failure: A Single‐Centre Experience
Authors: Bozdag‐Turan Ilkay , Paranskaya Liliya , Birkemeyer Ralf , Turan R. Gökmen , Kische Stephan , Akin Ibrahim , Ortak Jasmin , Stoeckicht Yannik , Schubert Jochen , Westphal Bernd , Nienaber Christoph A. , Ince Hüseyin 
Published: December 2013

SummaryAimsEdge‐to‐edge repair of mitral regurgitation (MR) with the MitraClip® (MC) system is increasingly applied in advanced heart failure. Our objective was to compare outcomes in patients with mild‐to‐moderate and severe systolic heart failure.Methods and resultsBetween February 2010 and July 2012, 121 patients with MR of at least grade 3+ and a mean EuroSCORE II of 10.6% underwent MC implantation. Thirty‐nine had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of ≤30% (group A) and 82 of >30% (group B).Procedural success was comparable in both groups (100% vs. 95.2%) with multiple (>2) clip implantation in 34% and 25% of patients, respectively. At 12 months, absolute reduction in MR grade (2.3 vs. 2.2) and relative reduction in mitral valve orifice area (48% vs. 42%) were also comparable. New York Heart Association class had improved independent from baseline LVEF (P < 0.001). In‐hospital mortality was low in both groups (2.6% vs. 2.4%), but there was a strong trend for higher 12‐month mortality in group A (34% vs. 18%, P = 0.05) with no significant difference in the overall rate of major adverse cerebrovascular and cardiac events (36.8% vs. 28.9%, P = 0.38). On multivariate analysis, MR grade after repair was the strongest predictor of mortality (OR 2.121, 95% CI 1.095–4.109), whereas systolic impairment was no independent predictor.ConclusionsPercutaneous mitral valve repair led to comparable symptomatic improvement in patients with mild‐to‐moderately or severely reduced LV function. LV‐EF < 30% was not an independent predictor of short‐term mortality, which was mainly governed by residual MR after repair.
Eczema phenotypes are associated with multiple vitamin D pathway genes in Chinese children
Authors: Wang S. S. , Hon K. L. , Kong A. P. S. , Tang M. F. , Sy H. Y. , Chan J. C. N. , Leung T. F. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractBackgroundVitamin D is increasingly recognized to play crucial roles in cutaneous immunity, and vitamin D treatment improved eczema control in small clinical trials. Several vitamin D‐related genes were associated with asthma, but there are no data for eczema.MethodsTwenty‐three single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of five vitamin D‐related genes (CYP27A1, CYP2R1, CYP27B1, GC and VDR) were genotyped in 1442 Chinese children with eczema and 1231 non‐allergic controls. SNPs that followed Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and yielded ≥95% genotyping call‐rate were included. Haplotypic associations and SNP–SNP interactions for eczema diagnosis and subphenotypes were analysed.ResultsAtopic eczema was associated with rs4674343 of CYP27A1 (odds ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.53–0.83, P = 0.0004). Increased eosinophil percentage was associated with CYP2R1 rs2060793A (P = 0.001) and rs1933064A (P = 0.001). Two CYP2R1 haplotypes increased eczema risk whereas one VDR haplotype lowered eczema risk. GC rs7041 and CYP2R1 rs7935792 interacted to modulate total IgE (cross‐validation consistency 10/10, P = 0.047). Specifically, high‐risk eczema patients had higher log‐transformed total IgE than low‐risk patients (2.76 ± 0.76 vs 2.60 ± 0.80, P = 0.002).ConclusionA vitamin D‐related SNP rs4674343 on CYP27A1 was found to be protective against atopic eczema. CYP2R1 and VDR haplotypes altered eczema susceptibility and eosinophil percentage, and GC and CYP2R1 interacted to determine total IgE among eczema patients.
Prevalence of the posterior superior alveolar canal in cone beam computed tomography scans
Authors: Anamali Sindhura , Avila‐Ortiz Gustavo , Elangovan Satheesh , Qian Fang , Ruprecht Axel , Finkelstein Michael , Allareddy Veeratrishul 
Published: December 2013

AbstractObjectiveThis study was primarily aimed at determining the prevalence of the posterior superior alveolar (PSA) canal in cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) scans in a North American population.Materials and methodsCone beam computed tomography scans were selected on the basis of predetermined eligibility criteria from a pool of 976 data sets. Two calibrated examiners assessed the presence of PSA canal on the postero‐lateral wall of the maxillary sinus using coronal sections. One examiner also recorded the presence of images compatible with sinus disease. Associations between the presence of PSA canal and sinus disease were investigated for males and females separately using statistical methods.ResultsA total of 254 CBCT scans were selected. The pooled prevalence of the PSA canal in CBCT scans was 94.4% and 91% on the right and left side, respectively. The ability to detect the presence of the canal was not significantly affected by the presence of intrasinusal disease. Males are more likely than females to present signs of maxillary sinus pathoses on the right (63.3% vs. 36.7%) and the left side (59.2% vs. 40.8%).ConclusionsThe prevalence of the PSA canal on CBCT images in the selected population is high. The PSA canal can be consistently visualized on CBCT scans with a high level of reproducibility regardless of the presence of radiographic signs of intrasinusal pathoses.
Retinol‐binding protein 4 levels and susceptibility to ischaemic events in men
Authors: Cubedo Judit , Padró Teresa , Cinca Juan , Mata Pedro , Alonso Rodrigo , Badimon Lina 
Published: December 2013

AbstractBackgroundMany efforts in cardiovascular medicine have been focused in the identification of patients at risk of developing an acute ischaemic event. Biomarker discovery studies have become an essential research area, being proteomic technologies an excellent tool for biomarker identification. By applying proteomic approaches, we have detected changes in retinol‐binding protein 4 (RBP4) in acute new‐onset myocardial infarction patients (AMI) and in high‐risk patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH).Materials and methodsDifferential serum proteome was analysed by two‐dimensional electrophoresis and MALDI‐TOF/TOF. Validation studies were performed by ELISA, and functional effects of RBP4 were tested in cell culture experiments.ResultsRetinol‐binding protein 4 proteomic characterization depicted two spots (pI = 5·4;Mw = 23·01/22·78 kDa) with decreased intensity in AMI patients. Total serum RBP4 levels were decreased in AMI patients (N = 68) compared with controls (N = 132; P < 0·0001). RBP4 was also decreased in FH patients who had an ischaemic event 2 years (±0·3) after their inclusion compared with FH patients without any cardiovascular episode at follow‐up (P < 0·001; N = 187). In both cases, changes were limited to men. RBP4 induced a significant increase in eNOS expression in human endothelial vascular cells and in prostaglandin I2 release in coronary vascular smooth muscle cells.ConclusionsWe show decreased serum RBP4 levels in men in the acute phase of AMI, being this decrease already detected in men with FH previous to the presentation of an ischaemic event. The decrease in RBP4 levels could confer an increased susceptibility to the precipitation of an ischaemic event that could be mediated by the decrease in its vasculoprotective properties through NO and PGI2.
Lipid‐lowering treatment and inflammatory mediators in diabetes and chronic kidney disease
Authors: Almquist Tora , Jacobson Stefan H. , Mobarrez Fariborz , Näsman Per , Hjemdahl Paul 
Published: December 2013

AbstractBackgroundInflammation may contribute to the high cardiovascular risk in diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) facilitates the recruitment of monocytes into atherosclerotic lesions and is involved in diabetic nephropathy. Interferon gamma (IFNγ) is important in atherosclerosis and increases the synthesis of chemokines including MCP‐1. Lipid‐lowering treatment (LLT) with statins may have anti‐inflammatory effects, and ezetimibe cotreatment provides additional cholesterol lowering.MethodsAfter a placebo run‐in period, the effects of simvastatin alone (S) or simvastatin + ezetimibe (S+E) were compared in a randomized, double‐blind, cross‐over study on inflammatory parameters. Eighteen DM patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 15–59 mL/min × 1·73 m2 (CKD stages 3–4) (DM‐CKD) and 21 DM patients with eGFR > 75 mL/min (DM only) were included.ResultsAt baseline, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP‐1) (P = 0·03), IFNγ (P = 0·02), tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNFα) (P < 0·01) and soluble vascular adhesion molecule (sVCAM) (P = 0·001) levels were elevated in DM‐CKD compared with DM‐only patients. LLT with S and S+E reduced MCP‐1 levels (P < 0·01 by anova) and IFNγ levels (P < 0·01) in DM‐CKD patients but not in DM‐only patients. Reductions were most pronounced with the combination treatment.ConclusionsDM patients with CKD stages 3–4 had increased inflammatory activity compared with DM patients with normal GFR. Lipid‐lowering treatment decreased the levels of MCP‐1 and IFNγ in DM patients with concomitant CKD, which may be beneficial with regard to the progression of both atherosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy.
Democracy and Legitimacy in the Shadow of Purposive Competence
Authors: Davies Gareth 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThis article argues that the way EU competences are defined plays an important role in the social legitimacy problems of the EU. The fact that its powers are purposive compels the EU to privilege narrow functional goals and act in a highly focused way. This has the consequence that politics cannot be meaningful within the EU, since essential choices of direction are pre‐empted. It also has the consequence that EU law is over‐instrumental and lacks expressive qualities, alienating the public. Now that EU law is so broad, the same defects are being imposed increasingly on Member States. Without another form of conferred power, the legitimacy of the EU, and of law and government in Europe, will be increasingly undermined. The constitutional DNA, which has been a functional success for Europe, may also be its political nemesis.
Climate‐change impacts on sandy‐beach biota: crossing a line in the sand
Authors: Schoeman David S. , Schlacher Thomas A. , Defeo Omar 
Published: December 2013

AbstractSandy ocean beaches are iconic assets that provide irreplaceable ecosystem services to society. Despite their great socioeconomic importance, beaches as ecosystems are severely under‐represented in the literature on climate‐change ecology. Here, we redress this imbalance by examining whether beach biota have been observed to respond to recent climate change in ways that are consistent with expectations under climate change. We base our assessments on evidence coming from case studies on beach invertebrates in South America and on sea turtles globally. Surprisingly, we find that observational evidence for climate‐change responses in beach biota is more convincing for invertebrates than for highly charismatic turtles. This asymmetry is paradoxical given the better theoretical understanding of the mechanisms by which turtles are likely to respond to changes in climate. Regardless of this disparity, knowledge of the unique attributes of beach systems can complement our detection of climate‐change impacts on sandy‐shore invertebrates to add rigor to studies of climate‐change ecology for sandy beaches. To this end, we combine theory from beach ecology and climate‐change ecology to put forward a suite of predictive hypotheses regarding climate impacts on beaches and to suggest ways that these can be tested. Addressing these hypotheses could significantly advance both beach and climate‐change ecology, thereby progressing understanding of how future climate change will impact coastal ecosystems more generally.
Modulation of sorghum biological activities by varieties and two traditional processing methods: an integrated in vitro/modelling approach
Authors: Proietti Ilaria , Tait Sabrina , Aureli Federica , Mantovani Alberto 
Published: December 2013

SummaryFive sorghum cultivars (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), from Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Italy (two), were characterised by analysing the modulation of cellular functional markers and estimated iron bioavailability; the effect of traditional processing, fermentation and cooking, was also investigated. Glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) activity and total protein content were assayed in human colon‐derived DLD‐1 cell line exposed to raw and processed samples; iron bioavailability was estimated through the application of an algorithm. The Senegal variety showed promising characteristics: no effects on cell protein and GPx, and a threefold higher percentage of estimated iron bioavailability compared with the other varieties. Fermentation significantly reduced cell proteins and GPx by 26% and 58%, respectively, but improved estimated iron bioavailability from 34 to 77%, whereas cooking only reduced the cellular total protein content. The results indicate that selection of traditional varieties and processing methods can have a significant impact on parameters relevant to sorghum nutritional characteristics.
Modelo analítico de la dinámica del empleo informal en economías en transición: el caso de Ucrania
Authors: COMMANDER Simon , ISACHENKOVA Natalia , RODIONOVA Yulia 
Published: December 2013

ResumenEl aumento del empleo informal observado en los países de la antigua Unión Soviética a partir de 1990 obedece, según los autores, a la estructura de la remuneración heredada de la economía centralizada, que incluye prestaciones no pecuniarias en las empresas estatales o privatizadas. Según un modelo teórico innovador que considera estas prestaciones y la probabilidad de que las empresas informales sean descubiertas para predecir la elección de los trabajadores entre trabajo formal, informal o pluriempleo mixto, tales prestaciones atraerían a los trabajadores hacia esta última opción; apoyan esta hipótesis resultados empíricos obtenidos con datos de panel de la Encuesta Longitudinal de Seguimiento de Ucrania.