Implications of compromised zinc status on bone loss associated with chronic inflammation in C57BL/6 mice

Pitipa Chongwatpol, Elizabeth Rendina-Ruedy, Barbara J Stoecker, Stephen L Clarke, Edralin A Lucas, Brenda J Smith Department of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA Abstract: Compromised zinc status and chronic inflammation are independent factors that can contribute to bone loss. However, zinc's role in regulating lymphoid and myeloid cell populations, combined with the interplay between the immune and skeletal systems raises the question as to the extent to which a low-grade inflammatory challenge in the context of marginal zinc deficiency would exacerbate bone loss. To address this question, young adult C57BL/6 male mice (n=32) were used in a 2×2 factorial design with dietary zinc (adequate or 35 ppm vs inadequate or −Zn =5 ppm) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0 or 0.1 mg/kg body weight). Mice were fed their respective diets for 10 weeks. On the 6th week, mice had a slow release pellet implanted to induce a low-grade inflammation for the final 4 weeks of the study. −Zn induced a decrease in total white cell counts and peripheral lymphocytes, whereas LPS increased blood monocytes. LPS significantly reduced spine bone mineral density and trabecular bone volume and number of the vertebral body compared with both zinc adequate and inadequate without LPS groups. Likewise, the most pronounced effects on bone strength occurred with LPS, however, −Zn also had negative effects on the bone von Mises stresses. LPS induced an increase in TNF-α and this response was further increased with −Zn. Although the marginal zinc deficiency altered immune function, bone loss was not exacerbated with low-grade chronic inflammation in marginally zinc-deficient young adult mice. These findings demonstrate that in young adult animals an immune challenge modestly increases the inflammatory response and worsens bone biomechanics in the context of a marginal zinc deficiency, but not to the extent that more severe adverse outcomes are observed on bone structural parameters. Keywords: chronic inflammation, zinc deficiency, osteoporosi

Experience Logic: The New Challenge for Trade Fairs

The present chapter applies the experience logic to the trade show (TS) sector by analyzing the role of the different stakeholders’ categories (exhibitors, organizers, visitors) in the transformation of trade shows into interactive and experiential platforms. Based on the complexity and the multiple facets characterizing the phenomenon of TSs, the starting objective of this work is to outline, through a review process, the main trends emerging from the recent (2010–2017) business and management international literature devoted to trade shows (TSs) and trade fairs (TFs). In the second part of the chapter, attention is focused on one of the trends identified in the literature review (i.e., the growing importance of the entertainment and experiential component in the TS management), and the main tasks, performed by the different categories of TS actors, are explored by discussing the review’s outcomes. The results of this work make different contributions to TS literature (identification of recent trade show papers, systematization of their main research focuses, and construction of a possible framework of synthesis) and to business management (identification of the main roles and tasks each category of TS participants is called to play in order to stage the trade fair experience)

Ethics vs. IT Ethics: Do Undergraduate Students Perceive a Difference?

business ethics, cheating, ethical decision-making, information technology, intellectual property violations, internet cheating, Internet ethics, IT ethics, plagiarism, student ethical perceptions,

A Review of RFID in Supply Chain Management: 2000–2015

This paper presents a systematic literature review of papers that were published in academic journals on the applications of radio frequency identification (RFID) in supply chain management between the years 2000 and 2015. As the literature on RFID is not confined to specific disciplines or repositories, this paper proposes a discipline-based framework for classifying RFID literature. Five main classification categories are used in this paper: technology, supply chain management, research methodology, application industries, and social aspects. The paper then focuses on the category of supply chain management and reviews 1187 articles that were published between 2000 and 2015 in rated journals. All the papers reviewed are further classified into eight subclasses under this category of supply chain management. The review yields useful insights into the anatomy of RFID literature in supply chain management, enhances evidence-based knowledge, and contributes to informing practice, policymaking and future research. The review reveals that even presently, despite technical and cost challenges, enormous potential exists for the application of RFID in several areas of supply chain management and the prospects are likely to grow into the future. Since RFID solutions have emerged primarily over only the past 20 years, significant research opportunities exist and would need to be addressed to continue to support the technology’s maturation, evaluation, adoption, implementation, and diffusion