| 1. |
- Bollerslev, J., et al.
(author)
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Medical observation, compared with parathyroidectomy, for asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism: a prospective, randomized trial
- 2007
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In: The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. - : The Endocrine Society. - 0021-972X .- 1945-7197. ; 92:5, s. 1687-92
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- CONTEXT: The clinical presentation of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) has changed during the last half century, and the diagnosis is now more often made by chance in patients with no specific symptoms. OBJECTIVE: The present study is a randomized, controlled trial that investigates the effects of parathyroidectomy or medical observation in mild asymptomatic pHPT on morbidity and quality of life (QoL). DESIGN/SETTING/PATIENTS: A total of 191 patients (26 men) with asymptomatic pHPT [mean age 64.2 +/- 7.4 (sd) yr] were recruited in the study and randomized to medical observation (serum calcium level 2.69 +/- 0.08 mmol/liter) or surgery (2.70 +/- 0.08 mmol/liter). We here report baseline and 1 (n = 119) and 2 yr data (n = 99) on those who had completed the follow-up visits by the end of the inclusion period. RESULTS: At baseline, the patients had significantly lower QoL (SF-36) and more psychological symptoms, compared with age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. The two groups were similar at baseline, and no clinically significant changes in these parameters were seen during the observation time. Calcium and PTH normalized after surgery. The areal bone mineral density increased in the group randomized to operation, whereas the bone mineral density remained stable in the medical observation group. No change in kidney function (creatinine) or blood pressure was observed longitudinally or between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic patients with mild pHPT have decreased QoL and more psychological symptoms than normal controls. No benefit of operative treatment, compared with medical observation, was found on these measures so far.
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| 2. |
- Sandom, C. J., et al.
(author)
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Trophic rewilding presents regionally specific opportunities for mitigating climate change
- 2020
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In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8436 .- 1471-2970. ; 375:1794
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Large-bodied mammalian herbivores can influence processes that exacerbate or mitigate climate change. Herbivore impacts are, in turn, influenced by predators that place top-down forcing on prey species within a given body size range. Here, we explore how the functional composition of terrestrial large-herbivore and -carnivore guilds varies between three mammal distribution scenarios: Present-Natural, Current-Day and Extant-Native Trophic (ENT) Rewilding. Considering the effects of herbivore species weakly influenced by top-down forcing, we quantify the relative influence keystone large-herbivore guilds have on methane emissions, woody vegetation expansion, fire dynamics, large-seed dispersal, and nitrogen and phosphorus transport potential. We find strong regional differences in the number of herbivores under weak top-down regulation between our three scenarios, with important implications for how they will influence climate change relevant processes. Under the Present-Natural non-ruminant, megaherbivore, browsers were a particularly important guild across much of the world. Megaherbivore extinction and range contraction and the arrival of livestock mean large, ruminant, grazers have become more dominant. ENT Rewilding can restore the Afrotropics and the Indo-Malay realm to the Present-Natural benchmark, but causes top-down forcing of the largest herbivores to become commonplace elsewhere. ENT Rewilding will reduce methane emissions, but does not maximize natural climate solution potential. This article is part of the theme issue 'Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions'.
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| 3. |
- Biberhofer, P, et al.
(author)
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Joint CASE Report on Content and Methods for the Joint Master Program on Sustainability-driven Entrepreneurship
- 2016
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The CASE project develops a joint master program on sustainability-driven entrepreneurship in a university-business knowledge alliance. However, it is not only for the development of the master program that university opens up to consider and integrate further stakeholder perspectives into the process. The future students shall learn in a transdisciplinary learning environment, steadily researching and integrating real-world needs and perspectives to develop competencies that enable them to solve complex sustainability-problems in their further careers. In the CASE project, we aim to avoid the indicated gap between sustainability-oriented, real-world contents and not corresponding pedagogical frameworks. We connect the development of contents and methods in the two interlinked work packages 3 and 4 in terms of process and outcomes (see Figure 1 for an overview of the WPs that contribute to the development of the master program). WP 3 is focusing on relevant content areas for the master program and WP 4 is analyzing innovative methods to foster competencies of sustainability-driven entrepreneurship. The output of the two WPs is this joint report describing the joint development process, giving background information on relevant content areas for sustainability-driven entrepreneurship and adequate teaching and learning approaches. In the course of the development process of WP 3 and WP 4 we considered different regional requirements and needs of the universities that are part of the CASE consortium and further stakeholders via participatory multi-stakeholder workshops. In chapter 1.3 we describe this process in detail and particularly elaborate on the multi-stakeholder approach chosen in the CASE project. This development process first covered clustering relevant topics to thematic areas, then structuring these into modules and courses with various teaching formats. Finally, we added recommendations for concrete teaching and learning methods. The report outlines modules for a master program that are designed to foster competencies of sustainability-driven entrepreneurship. Since the overarching aim of the CASE project is to develop a joint master program that can be adopted by various European universities, we are ambitious to create modules which are adaptable and can flexibly be implemented in different regional contexts and under differing conditions of universities. With this report, we are sharing our knowledge and experiences gained so far to make them accessible to HEIs, company partners and all other stakeholders interested in the topic of sustainability-driven entrepreneurship and in innovative teaching and learning methods.
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