bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sugars and Citric Acid Differently Modulate DPPH Antioxidant Activity in Polyphenol‐rich Fruit Juices
Authors: Kranz Sarah , Bolling Bradley
Published: June 2021

The objective of this study was to further characterize the interactions of citric acid, sorbitol, sucrose on the DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) antioxidant activity of polyphenol‐rich juices. Polyphenols were isolated from aronia, raspberry, apple, grape, and cherry juices. Polyphenols were recombined with various levels of citric acid (0 to 1%, w/v) and sugars (0 to 30%, w/v) and DPPH scavenging was subsequently measured near the IC50 value of polyphenol fractions. Sorbitol and citric acid inhibited DPPH activity up to 15 and 10%, respectively in aronia polyphenols. Sorbitol had differential effects on DPPH activity of juice polyphenols. Sorbitol increased DPPH inhibition by 1, 4, and 5% for cherry, grape and raspberry polyphenols, while it was decreased apple juice by 58.1%. Sucrose reduced DPPH inhibition of apple and grape polyphenols 25 and 29% while it increased by 8.0 and 5.6% for raspberry and cherry polyphenols. Citric acid increased apple and raspberry juice polyphenol antioxidant activity by 7.4 and 11%, but did not affect cherry or grape juice polyphenols. Therefore, common sweeteners and citric acid differentially affect in vitro DPPH antioxidant activity of fruit juice polyphenols. This implies that non‐polyphenol components of fruit juices significantly contribute to a widely‐used in vitro measure of antioxidant capacity.

This work was supported by an Undergraduate Research Award to Sarah Kranz from the University of Connecticut Office of Undergraduate Research.
Quinoa (Chenopodium Quinoa) Peptides Protect Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) Against Risk Markers For Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
Authors: Ravisankar Shreeya , Campos Gutierrez David , Chirinos Rosana , Noratto Giuliana
Published: June 2021

Dietary bioactive compounds can help to prevent CVD, a major cause of death around the world. Our objective was to investigate the cardioprotective underlying molecular mechanisms modulated by peptides produced from the Andean pseudocereal quinoa.

Quinoa peptides were produced by enzymatic proteolysis and assessed for bioavailability in vitro using Caco‐2 colon monolayer cells, for their anti‐hypertensive activity, and for their protective effects against pro‐inflammatory conditions exerted by E. coli lipopolysaccharides (LPS) challenge in HUVEC using standard analytical and molecular biology techniques.

Results show that quinoa peptides were able to cross the CaCO‐2 colon monolayer barrier and inhibit 60% of the angiotensin converting enzyme activity. This was correlated with downregulation of the angiotensin receptor in LPS‐challenged HUVEC and reduction of reactive oxygen species down to basal levels in controls not challenged with LPS. Quinoa peptides also downregulated gene and protein levels of nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) transcription factor and its target genes TLR‐4, TNF‐α, adhesion molecules, and interleukins. Furthermore, quinoa peptides were found to activate the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR‐γ) anti‐inflammatory transcription factor as the underlying anti‐inflammatory mechanism inhibiting NF‐κB cell signaling.

These results strongly suggest the potential of quinoa peptides as a natural supplement to regulate blood pressure and prevent endothelial dysfunction, thus reducing the risk of CVD.
Different susceptibility to vascular damage induced by chronic hyperglycemia in aortic and pulmonary arteries from Sprague Dawley and Wistar Kyoto rats
Authors: De Jesus Luis , Zurita Enedina , Gomez Ma. de Jesus , Suarez Jorge
Published: June 2021

In this study was evaluated the effect of chronic hyperglycemia in the vascular response of thoracic aorta and pulmonary trunk in two strain rats. Chronic hyperglycemia was induced in male Wistar Kyoto (WK) and Sprague Dawley (SD) rats for single injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg, ip.). After 8 weeks, body weight, glucose, systemic arterial blood pressure (SABP) and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) were measured. Thoracic aorta and pulmonary trunks were removed for vascular reactivity studies. Cumulative concentration‐response curves with phenylephrine (Phe) and Acetylcholine (ACh) were made in aorta and pulmonary rings. Glucose blood levels (mg/dl) were similar in both groups, 525±2 vs. 502±3. SABP in mmHg was increased in hyperglycemic SD compared to WK rats 160±2 vs. 140±2, while RVSP was higher in WK than SD rats 41±2.6 vs. 22±1.5 (P<0.001). Maximal tension contraction (g) response with Phe was higher in hyperglycemic SD against hyperglycemic WK aortic rings (2.1±0.1 vs. 1.2±0.1, P<0.001), with similar response in the pulmonary rings in both groups. ACh‐induced relaxation (%) response was reduced in SD aorta and pulmonary rings, 58±3 vs 66±4, and this response was attenuated inaorta 78±3, and pronounced in pulmonary rings, 49±3, from WK rats (P<0.001). The results shown that chronic hyperglycemia induce vascular damage predominantly in pulmonary artery in WK rats as consequence pulmonary hypertension, whereas in SD rats, systemic hypertension consecutive to aorta damage is mainly developed suggesting that a genetic factor determine the vascular damage induced by chronic hyperglycemia.
Vanadium complexes inhibit the growth of HT‐29 and MCF‐7 cancer cell lines
Authors: Sochor Victoria , McCaffrey Vanessa , Rabquer Bradley
Published: June 2021

Cancer is characterized by an over‐proliferation of cells that are no longer within control of the cell cycle. Platinum chemotherapeutic agents have been used effectively in cancer treatment but with adverse toxic effects. Recent studies suggest that complexes using vanadium (VCs) have effectively slowed or inhibited cancer cell growth through many methods, including the activation of apoptotic pathways. We synthesized novel VCs possessing different functional groups for this study. We hypothesized that these VCs act to inhibit cancer cell growth via induction of caspase 3/7. HT‐29 and MCF‐7 cell lines were used as models of colon and breast cancer, respectively. Three different VCs were synthesized, each having a unique functional group (5‐Br, 5‐OMe, 3‐OMe) that affected the electron density distribution within the VC. Using cell proliferation assays, efficacy of each VC was assessed in vitro. Treatments were applied for 24 hours in triplicate and the experiments were repeated on three separate occasions (n=3). VO2‐Br was the most effective against both HT‐29 and MCF‐7 cell lines with 65.3% and 53.6% growth inhibition respectively. VO2‐3‐OMe yielded 46.1% and 51.5% growth inhibition of HT‐29 and MCF‐7 cells, respectively. VO2‐5‐OMe was the least effective, and yielded 13.4% growth in HT‐29 cells and 19.6% growth inhibition in MCF‐7 cells. Apoptosis assays were then performed on HT‐29 cell lines using 5‐Br to investigate possible growth inhibition mechanism. We observed no notable increase in caspase 3/7 activity of the treated groups compared to control groups. In conclusion, we found VCs to be effective at inhibiting growth of HT‐29 and MCF‐7 cell lines.
Role of Acyl‐CoA:Diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) in Energy Metabolism in Skeletal Muscle Cells
Authors: Bu So Young
Published: June 2021

Acyl‐CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) is an enzyme that catalyzes the final step of triacylglycerol (TG) synthesis, a reaction that covalently links diacylglycerols and fatty acyl‐CoA substrates. Previous studies suggest that lipid species produced during TG synthesis are involved in regulation of energy metabolism and overexpression of DGAT2 modify insulin signaling in skeletal muscle. This study was designed to characterize how DGAT2 is regulated and its role in glucose utilization in skeletal muscle cells. C2C12 mouse skeletal myoblast were utilized and DGAT2 expression in response to glucose, fatty acids or hormones were measured. For functional characterization, siRNA mediated knockdown of DGAT2 was performed. DGAT2 mRNA expression was increased during cellular differentiation of skeletal myotubes. DGAT2 expression was highly responsive to insulin treatment but was not much affected by high glucose treatment. DAGT2 siRNA transfected cells decreased GLUT4 mRNA expression (29‐37%) but increased [1‐14C] oleic acid incorporation into acid soluble metabolites (ASM) which are product of β‐oxidation with the increase of UCP2 mRNA expression. These results indicate that fatty acid metabolites derived from DGAT2 action are involved in glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells. Future study needs to identify how DGAT2 affect glucose utilization and insulin signaling process in skeletal muscle

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2012R1A1A1019253).
Anti‐Inflammatory Effects of Antrodia camphorata and its Active Compound, Ergostatrien‐3β‐ol, in a Mouse Skin Ischemia Model
Authors: Tung‐Chou Tsai , Yu‐Tang Tung , Yueh‐Hsiung kuo , Jiunn‐Wang Liao , Hsin‐Chung Tsai , Kowit‐Yu Chong , Hsiao‐Ling Chen , Chuan‐Mu Chen
Published: June 2021

Antrodia camphorata, a highly valued polypore mushroom native only to Taiwan, has been traditionally used as a medicine for anti‐inflammation. In this study, anti‐inflammatory effects of A. camphorata (AC) and its active compound, ergostatrien‐3β‐ol (ST1), were investigated in a mouse skin ischemia model induced by skin flap surgery on the dorsal skin. Skin‐flap‐induced ischemia damage significantly increased the expression of the iNOS, COX2, and IL‐6 proteins. However, treatment with solid‐state‐cultured or wood‐cultured AC, or with its derived ST1 active compound, significantly reduced the necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration in both the epidermis and sub‐dermis of the skin flap. The treatments also reduced the inflammatory response by decreasing the expression of inflammation‐related genes including iNOS, IL‐6, TNF‐α, and NF‐κB, as shown by changes in RNA and protein expression, when compared with the surgical skin flap procedure alone.
Isoforms of VEGF‐A in the Developing Feline Placenta
Authors: Weerakoon Shaneke , Frydman Galit , Martin Cassandra , Gudenschwager Kristobal , Huckle William
Published: June 2021

Development of the placental vasculature is crucial for successful gestation. Previous studies have suggested a significant role for VEGF‐A during placental vascularization, but distribution of VEGF‐A protein isoforms and their distinct biological activities over the course of placental development have not been thoroughly characterized. We aimed to determine the temporal distribution of expressed VEGF‐A mRNA splice variants during feline placental development. We hypothesize that observed dynamics of isoform expression will reflect their postulated angiogenic roles–promoting neo‐vessel branching or enlargement–at the appropriate period during gestation. cDNAs, prepared from feline placental RNAs in tissue removed during elective ovariohysterectomies, contained VEGF isoforms VEGF‐A163 and VEGF‐A181, which were subcloned as assay controls. Isoform‐specific qRT‐PCR revealed that temporal distribution of both isoforms at the mRNA level followed patterns similar to that of the panVEGF‐A pool, with a trend upward in expression early in gestation, followed by a steady decline toward full term. However, mRNA encoding VEGF‐A181 remained elevated over time relative to either the panVEGF‐A pool or VEGF‐A163. Preferential expression of VEGF‐A181 earlier in gestation is consistent with its postulated role in vessel branching. VEGF‐A163, a potentially vessel‐enlarging isoform, was not preferentially expressed later in gestation as predicted. Future work will quantify additional known VEGF‐A isoforms and elucidate the biochemical mechanisms underlying the shifts in relative mRNA splice variant abundance during gestation.
Updates and controversies in anesthesia for advanced interventional pulmonology procedures
Authors: Abdelmalak Basem B. , Doyle D. John
Published: June 2021

Purpose of review

Advanced bronchoscopic procedures continues to grow, and are now commonly used to diagnose and/or treat a variety of pulmonary conditions that required formal thoracic surgery in past decades. Pharmacologic developments have provided new therapeutic options, as have technical advances in both anesthesia and interventional pulmonology. This review discusses technical and clinical issues and advances in providing anesthesia for advanced bronchoscopic procedures. It also discusses some controversial issues that have yet to be fully resolved.

Recent findings

We discuss anesthetic considerations for new procedures such as the new technology used in electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy, and bronchoscopic cryotherapy. We also review new ventilation strategies as well as pharmacologic advances and recent trends in the utilization of anesthetic adjuvants, and the use of short-acting opioids like remifentanil, and alpha agonist sedatives such as dexmedetomidine.

The anesthetic framework and the discussions presented here should help forge effective communication between the interventional pulmonologist and the anesthesiologist In the Bronchoscopy Suite nonoperating room anesthesia with the goal of enhancing patient safety.
Odontogenic Brain Abscess With Campylobacter gracilis and Fusobacterium nucleatum Complicated by Rupture Into the Ventricle
Authors: Jang Timothy L. , Elliott Brian P. , Herman David G. , Booher Katelyn J.
Published: June 2021

Brain abscess is a relatively uncommon infection with a high mortality rate. Their etiology is commonly a result of direct invasion from a contiguous source, particularly the oral cavity after dental procedures. We report a case of an odontogenic brain abscess with Campylobacter gracilis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, occurring 7 weeks after wisdom tooth removal. Whereas F. nucleatum is a well-documented pathogen in brain abscesses, C. gracilis is rarely implicated as a human pathogen. Most reports link C. gracilis to isolated oral or intra-abdominal infections. We report a unique case of C. gracilis brain abscess directly linked to odontogenic infection.
Multidimensional health changes after a multimodal pain rehabilitation program: a registry-based study
Authors: Grimby-Ekman Anna , Kim Malin , Stankovic Nenad , Mannheimer Clas
Published: June 2021

Introduction:

Chronic pain is treated with multimodal rehabilitation programs, targeting improvement in several health aspects. These treatments must be evaluated multidimensionally, which is a methodological challenge.

Objectives:

This study investigated factors (demographic, pain-related, and individual- vs group-based treatment) predicting successful outcomes after multimodal pain rehabilitation programs.

Methods:

Data from 3 outpatient clinics were retrieved from the Swedish Quality Registry for Pain Rehabilitation, for 314 patients (218 women). Outcome variables were dichotomized as binary change (improved or not improved) based on clinical thresholds. Total improvement grouped outcomes into 0 to 2, 3 to 4, and 5 to 6 improved variables. Binary logistic regression analyses investigated the association between the baseline predictors and change variables.

Results:

Patients improving after treatment ranged from 34% (pain intensity) to 80% (depression) for women and 34% to 76% for men, respectively. Total improvement outcome was consistent (after treatment and 1 year) with 28% of patients improving on 5 to 6 outcomes. The baseline predictor related to most improved outcomes was pain intensity, with positive correlation to improvement in pain intensity (P < 0.001) and negative correlation with improvements in anxiety (P = 0.075) and depression (P = 0.002). Individual-based treatment, compared with group-based treatment, was associated with improvement in pain intensity (P = 0.008).

Conclusions:

About a third of patients improved in several outcomes by the end of a multimodal program, with most improvement for depression and least for pain intensity. Generally, patients with more severe health status at baseline improve most directly after treatment, but these findings could not suggest treatment adjustments that would improve overall success rates.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Clinical Schedules and Physical and Mental Well-Being of Gastroenterology Nonphysician Healthcare Workers
Authors: Keihanian Tara , Sharma Prateek , Sandhu Dalbir S. , Sussman Daniel A. , Tabibian James H. , Girotra Mohit
Published: June 2021

COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020 by the World Health Organization. To minimize exposure and because of limited personal protective equipment resources, most gastroenterology practices were curtailed/modified during the surge, with slow reopening to a normal/semi-normal schedule. Gastroenterology healthcare workers have been impacted greatly by COVID-19, resulting in job and wage insecurity. The aim of our study was to understand the impact of COVID-19 on gastroenterology healthcare workers across the United States. A web-based survey, consisting of 40 questions, was disseminated among gastroenterology practices across the United States via en masse e-mails and direct contact by authors. In total, 223 gastroenterology healthcare workers completed the survey; 56.1% were from academic settings. COVID-19 impacted the work schedule of 85.2% of participants, with reduced weekly work hours (38.1%), duty reassignment (22.4%), and furlough (13.9%). Uncertainty about job and/or future wages/benefits after reopening was noted in 41%, which was significantly associated with the presence of physical (p = .021) and mental/emotional symptoms (p = .045). Worsening of pre-existing physical and/or mental/emotional conditions was observed in 53%. Inadequate personal protective equipment availability, lack of temporary housing and/or childcare facilities, as well as job insecurity appear to be the important factors leading to worsening physical/mental/emotional conditions among gastroenterology healthcare workers.
Screening for the alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.7) the impact of this variant on circulating biomarkers in hospitalised patients
Authors: Braybrook E. , Pandey S. , Vryonis E. , Anderson N.R. , Young L. , Grammatopoulos D.K.
Published: June 2021

Control of SARS-CoV-2 transmission is complicated by the emergence of variants, especially those containing mutations in the spike protein. By enhancing infectivity and evading immunity, infection with these variants might result in more severe clinical outcomes as well as being more resistant to vaccines developed on the basis of the original prototypic virus variant. One such example is the alpha variant (B.1.1.7), which has been detected in more than 100 countries and rapidly become the dominant strain in the UK in late 2020 and early 2021. There is an urgent need to develop appropriate surveillance programmes to rapidly monitor the spread of variants and to better understand the role of variants in disease outcomes and immune evasion. The nucleotide sequencing method, the ‘gold standard’ of variant detection, is unsuitable as a fast-response surveillance tool by frontline diagnostic services which require detection methods with short turnaround times. We developed a screening protocol based of sequential allele-specific qPCR for detection of the N501Y mutation and H69/V70 deletion present in the alpha/B.1.1.7 variant. We tested this protocol in previously confirmed positive samples from the Pathology Dept, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire during the second wave period in the UK (December 2020-March 2021). In these samples variant identity was confirmed by NGS sequencing via COG-UK. Our results identified increased incidence of variants containing both N501Y and Δ69/70 HV mutations, especially in patients admitted during January and early February 2021. This approach, which yields results within 3 hours, can be used as an initial rapid screening step with NGS as confirmatory follow-up. We also report that the increased prevalence of alpha/B.1.1.7 variant in admitted patients since mid-January 2021, a period that characterised peaked mortality rates, was associated with a sharp 2.5-fold rise in the mean circulating IL-6 level and to a lesser extent Troponin-T. More detailed biomarker analysis of a small cohort of patients (n=83), where variant status and clinical outcomes were available, demonstrated that deceased patients infected with the alpha/B.1.1.7 variant had significantly higher levels of inflammation and cell injury markers, especially IL-6 and LDH, compared to deceased patients infected with a non-alpha/B.1.1.7 variant, pointing towards a more severe inflammatory disease phenotype. In contrast, both groups survivors most biomarker exhibited levels below the group average, with distinct patterns of modified z-scores present.
Multiwavelength anomalous X-ray diffraction for combined imaging of atomic displacement and strain
Authors: Shabalin Anatoly G. , Shpyrko Oleg G.
Published: June 2021

The X-ray Bragg coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) technique assumes that the structure factor holds constant over the measured crystal. This approximation breaks down for materials exhibiting variations in the unit-cell configuration, such as piezo- and ferroelectrics. In that case, the strain field cannot be reliably determined from the reconstruction because the lattice deformation and the structure factor contribute concomitantly. Proposed here is a solution to this problem achieved by combining Bragg CDI and the multiwavelength anomalous diffraction approach that measures a Friedel pair of reflections at two different photon energies near an absorption edge. Comparing the obtained reconstructions with a parametric model that includes calculating the scattering amplitude as a function of wavelength and the unit-cell configuration, the contributions of the lattice deformation and the structure factor are separated. Simulations of the ferroelectric material BaTiO3 demonstrate the possibility of simultaneous probing of the strain and displacement of the Ti atoms. The proposed method opens up an opportunity to apply coherent X-ray diffraction for nanoscale-resolved 3D mapping of polarization domains in micro- and nanocrystals.
How open innovation practices drive innovation performance: moderated-mediation in the interplay between overcoming syndromes and capabilities
Authors: Roldán Bravo María Isabel , Ruiz Moreno Antonia , Garcia Garcia Alejandro , Huertas-Valdivia Irene
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether and under what conditions open innovation (OI) drives innovation performance (IP) in the financial sector. To this end, the paper first analyzes in-depth the indirect effect of overcoming two attitudinal mediators, namely, not-invented-here syndrome (NIHS) and not-sold-here syndrome (NSHS). It then uses dynamic capabilities theory to hypothesize that the indirect effects are moderated by absorptive and desorptive capabilities, respectively.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors perform an empirical study of major Spanish financial entities. Data are collected from 288 questionnaires from employees at branches of 13 bank entities. Regression analysis tests the mediating role of overcoming syndromes and the moderated-mediating role of dynamic capabilities in the OI–IP relationship.

Findings

Results confirm the indirect effect of overcoming NIHS on the relationship between outside-in OI and IP, and the indirect effect of overcoming NSHS on the relationship between inside-out OI and IP. Further, absorptive capacity moderates the indirect effect between outside-in OI practices and IP by overcoming NIHS, and desorptive capacity moderates the indirect effect between inside-out OI practices and IP by overcoming NSHS.

Originality/value

This paper advances knowledge by explaining discrepancies in the sign of the OI–IP relationship. By introducing comprehensive absorptive and desorptive capacity models to explain OI, it advocates an integrative framework to understand OI activities and their outcomes. Managers should develop these capacities using human talent training and cultural values development to mitigate NIHS and NSHS and optimize firms’ OI efforts and the improved IP benefits derived from them.
Maintenance of public hospital buildings in Nigeria – an assessment of current practices and policy options
Authors: Ebekozien Andrew , Dominic Duru Okechukwu Saviour , Dako Okhatie Emmanuel
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the declining conditions of many of the hospital buildings, especially in developing countries. Past studies have shown inadequate maintenance practices but how far regarding Nigerian public hospital buildings is yet to receive empirical research. This paper aims to investigate the underlying issues leading to inadequate maintenance practices and proffers policy options to improve Nigerian public hospital buildings via an unexplored dimension.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a mixed research design method involving both qualitative and quantitative data. First, results from the qualitative phase were analysed and verified at the quantitative phase through a well-structured questionnaire, developed from the qualitative findings across hospital maintenance experts (work/maintenance department, health-care provider, design team and health-care building/service contractor) in Abuja, Lagos and Benin City.

Findings

Insufficient funds for maintenance works, absence of planned maintenance programmes, inadequately trained personnel, etc., emerged as the maintenance inadequacies in the public hospital buildings across the cities covered. The paper categorised the cause of inadequate maintenance practices of public hospital buildings into six groups: statutory requirements, design stage, construction stage, budget for maintenance task, managing maintenance unit activities and user’s perception regarding maintenance management.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is limited to maintenance practices of Nigerian public hospital buildings. Future research is needed to evaluate factors that will enhance outsourcing maintenance and the use of the 4th industrial revolution (building information modelling for refurbishment and building automation systems) amongst others in maintenance practices of public hospital buildings.

Practical implications

As part of the practical implication, the government and hospital administrators should make provision for adequate funding and accountability of annual maintenance budgetary allocation. Also, the government should establish a national maintenance policy for public infrastructure with an emphasis on preventive maintenance and contractor’s reputation, outstanding pedigree, technical and financial soundness during build maintenance contract award, etc., were recommended.

Originality/value

This paper reveals that the stakeholders, especially hospital administrators, policymakers and political office holders that are concern with maintenance budget, approval and disbursement concerning maintenance practices in public hospital buildings need to reawaken to her responsibility because of the inadequate implementation across the cities covered.
Drivers and outcomes of green information technology adoption in service organizations: an evidence from emerging economy context
Authors: Mouakket Samar , Aboelmaged Mohamed
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the technology-organization-environment (TOE) predictors of green information technology adoption in an emerging economy, namely, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and their impact on work performance among UAE organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

A paper-based survey was carried out by engaging employees in different organizations in the UAE. The “partial least squares” (PLS) method was used to test and analyze the measurement and the structural research models.

Findings

The analysis shows support to all the hypotheses, with the exception of the influence of competitive force.

Originality/value

The results can be valuable for practitioners and decision-makers in the emerging economy context as the results will help them validate their adoption decisions and effectively contribute to sustainability strategies.
Exercise capacity following ventricular assist device implantation via thoracotomy with outflow cannula anastomosis to the descending aorta
Authors: Dorken Gallastegi Ander , Kahraman Ümit , Yağmur Burcu , Çınar Ece , Nalbantgil Sanem , Engin Çağatay , Yağdı Tahir , Özbaran Mustafa
Published: June 2021

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation via left lateral thoracotomy with outflow cannula anastomosis to the descending aorta is an alternative technique that avoids anterior mediastinal planes and requires a single incision. This study compares changes in exercise capacity following LVAD implantation with outflow cannula anastomosis to the descending aorta versus ascending aorta. Adult patients who received a continuous flow centrifugal LVAD implantation and completed both pre‐ and postimplantation cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) and or 6‐minute walk tests (6MWT) were included. Change in CPET parameters (maximum oxygen intake: vO2max, oxygen uptake efficiency ratio: OUES, ventilatory efficiency ratio: vE/vCO2Slope) and 6MWT distance were compared between ascending and descending aorta anastomosis groups. Ascending and descending aorta anastomosis cohorts included 59 and 14 patients, respectively. Pre‐ and postimplantation CPETs were performed 63 ± 12 days before and 216 ± 17 days following implantation. The improvement in CPET parameters (vO2max, OUES, vE/vCO2Slope) or 6MWT distance was not significantly different between the ascending and descending aorta anastomosis groups. This study found no significant difference in the improvement of CPET parameters or 6MWT distance between LVAD implantation via thoracotomy with outflow cannula anastomosis to descending aorta and standard implantation via sternotomy with outflow cannula anastomosis to ascending aorta.
Change of clopyralid concentration in recycled beef cattle compost
Authors: Abe Yoshiyuki , Tamura Ken‐ichi , Seike Nobuyasu
Published: June 2021

Composting of beef cattle manure using sawdust or recycled compost as a bulking agent was investigated for the management of clopyralid risk, such as changes in the clopyralid concentration and the mechanism of clopyralid accumulation caused by recycled compost. These raw materials were composted with laboratory equipment, which was controlled at 60℃ after the temperature peak by autothermal composting. Clopyralid concentration did not changed during composting in the thermophilic phase; on the contrary, it increased because clopyralid accumulated in compost when recycled compost was used repeatedly as a bulking agent. The clopyralid accumulation ratio (ratio of clopyralid concentration to that in the first compost) could be explained by a model using a recurrence formula, and a correlation existed between the calculated (model) accumulation ratios and measured accumulation ratios (R2 = 0.78). Using this model, the excessive accumulation of clopyralid could be controlled when using recycled compost as a bulking agent with lower moisture content or when part of the recycled compost was replaced by another bulking agent, even if recycled compost had high moisture content. In future work, the model and its considerations should be verified in a field test.
The influence of thinking dispositions on integration and recall of multiple texts
Authors: Tarchi Christian , Villalón Ruth
Published: June 2021

We investigated the association between thinking dispositions and two outcomes of multiple‐texts comprehension: integration of conflicting information in argumentative essays; and recall of inferential information as an index of deep comprehension. We focused on two thinking dispositions, need for cognition (NFC) and actively open‐minded thinking (AOT), as relevant individual differences in the processes involved in multiple‐texts comprehension. NFC is the tendency to engage in and enjoy cognitively demanding activities, whereas AOT is the tendency to rationally evaluate arguments and supporting evidence, without being influenced by biases from one's own prior beliefs and prior knowledge. 73 university students completed perceived topic knowledge, perceived exposure to argumentative writing, and perceived competence in argumentative writing, NFC and AOT questionnaires, read two contradictory texts, wrote an argumentative essay, and recalled the information read 1 month later. Argumentative essays were assessed by length and level of integration of conflicting perspective. Text recalls were assessed by number of valid inferences included. Research questions were investigated through a path analysis model. The path analysis model had a good fit. NFC was indirectly associated with argumentation quality of the essay via the essay length. AOT was directly associated with the inferences included in the recall task. The present study contributes to the literature on multiple‐texts comprehension by emphasizing the role of thinking dispositions.
What defines insularity for plants in edaphic islands?
Authors: Mendez‐Castro Francisco E. , Conti Luisa , Chytrý Milan , Jiménez‐Alfaro Borja , Hájek Michal , Horsák Michal , Zelený David , Malavasi Marco , Ottaviani Gianluigi
Published: June 2021

The theory of island biogeography postulates that size and isolation are key drivers of biodiversity on islands. This theory has been applied not only to true (e.g. oceanic) islands but also to terrestrial island‐like systems (e.g. edaphic islands). Recently, a debate has opened as to whether terrestrial island‐like systems function like true islands. However, identifying the effect of insularity in terrestrial systems is conceptually and methodologically challenging because recognizing species source(s) and measuring isolation is not as straightforward as for true islands. We contribute to the debate by proposing an approach to contextualize the definition of insularity and to identify the role of isolation in terrestrial island‐like systems. To test this approach, we explored the relationship between insularity predictors and specialist species richness of edaphic islands in three systems in Europe (spring fens, mountaintops, and outcrops). We detected that insularity affected specialist richness of edaphic islands through island size and target effect (i.e. an emergent property of islands depending on their isolation and size). As predicted by the Theory of Island Biogeography, species richness decreased with increasing isularity. Given the comprehensiveness and ease of implementation of our approach, we encourage its extension to other island‐like systems.
Systemic and cellular metabolism: the cause of and remedy for disease?
Authors: Adrain Colin
Published: June 2021

The word ‘metabolism’ is derived from the Greek word μεταβολή (metabolē), denoting ‘change’. True to this definition, it is now appreciated that a cell or tissue cannot change its behaviour without altering its metabolism. Hence, most key cell decision‐making processes are tightly coupled to metabolic change. Conversely, perturbations in metabolite abundance or flux can alter cellular (and whole‐body) function profoundly, giving rise to disease. This Special Issue on Systemic and Cellular Metabolism and Disease provides an integrative perspective on the importance of metabolism for health and disease alike. Spanning several orders of scale (from metabolites, proteins, organelles, organs/tissues and whole‐body physiology), these review articles cover a breadth of topics, including the importance of metabolites as signalling regulators, metabolic disease, immunity, organelle function/dysfunction, ageing and neurodegenerative disease. One of the emergent themes is that just as metabolism is the fulcrum of biology, metabolic perturbances underpin most forms of acute, chronic, infectious and non‐infectious human disease; ageing and senescence could be similarly viewed. Arguably most diseases are metabolic diseases; hence, modulating metabolism may help to ‘change’ disease outcomes.
La relación entre desempleo y crecimiento económico en América Latina. Estimaciones de la ley de Okun por países
Authors: PORRAS‐ARENA M. Sylvina , MARTÍN‐ROMÁN Ángel L.
Published: June 2021

Las fluctuaciones de la actividad económica repercuten más levemente en las tasas de desempleo de los países latinoamericanos que en las de otras economías más avanzadas. En lugar de adoptar políticas de estímulo centradas en reducir el desempleo en general, esos países necesitan políticas focalizadas mediante programas que fomenten la creación de empleo en sectores específicos. Se observan diferencias en la relación desempleo‐producto entre países latinoamericanos. Allí donde la relación es débil o nula, las variaciones cíclicas afectan adversamente a la calidad del empleo, un aspecto del que la política económica también debe ocuparse.
Mathematical modeling and thermodynamic properties of the drying kinetics of trapiá residues
Authors: Moura Henrique Valentim , de Figueirêdo Rossana Maria Feitosa , de Melo Queiroz Alexandre José , de Vilela Silva Eugênia Telis , Esmero Janaina Almeida Dantas , Lisbôa Jemima Ferreira
Published: June 2021

Trapiá (Crataeva tapia L.) is an edible, arboreal fruit species found in Brazil, of which the pulp is suitable for industrialization. The residual peel and seeds are sources of bioactive compounds and can be used after appropriate treatment. Such fruit parts have been introduced as ingredients in various applications to reduce waste in agricultural production and take advantage of the presence of nutrients, but to make them viable for industrial use, the moisture content of the product should be reduced, enabling it to be conserved at room temperature and transformed into powder or flour. The objective of this study was to assess the convective drying of residual trapiá peel and seeds in 0.6 cm thick layers at temperatures of 50, 60, 70, and 80°C, and to fit 10 mathematical models to the experimental data. In addition, the activation energy for the drying of the residues and the thermodynamic properties were also determined. Of the models tested, the Midilli model best fitted the drying kinetics of the residues, with a coefficient of determination (R2) ≥ .9960. The effective diffusivity increased with the drying temperature, ranging from 5 × 10−10 to 16.1 × 10−10 m2 s−1, and the activation energy (Ea) varied between 18 and 24.2 kJ mol−1, with lower Ea values for the peel and higher values for the seeds. Gibbs free energy variation increased with increasing temperature and was considered a nonspontaneous process, while the enthalpy and entropy decreased.

Practical Applications

The use of the data presented here for the drying kinetics and thermodynamic properties provides support for the use of the dried trapiá residues (previously discarded) in the production of new foods, due to knowledge of the processing time and physical behavior of the sample. The trapiá powder, rich in bioactive compounds, could be incorporated into various food formulations in the bakery and yogurt segments, among others.
COVID‐19 and the liver: A 2021 update
Authors: Spearman Catherine W. , Aghemo Alessio , Valenti Luca , Sonderup Mark W.
Published: June 2021

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) was identified in Wuhan, China and has since resulted in a global pandemic in excess of 165 million reported infections and 3.4 million attributable deaths. COVID‐19 is primarily a respiratory illness, which may be complicated by pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. SARS‐CoV‐2 is also responsible for numerous extrapulmonary manifestations involving the haematologic, cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary, endocrinologic, neurologic, ophthalmologic and dermatologic systems. This review will discuss the pathophysiology of COVID‐19; focusing on the mechanisms and outcomes of liver injury associated with COVID‐19; its impact on chronic liver disease (CLD); management of CLD during the COVID‐19 pandemic and the long‐term impact of COVID‐19 on CLD.
Competence committees: The steep climb from concept to implementation
Authors: Acai Anita , Cupido Nathan , Weavers Aliana , Saperson Karen , Ladhani Moyez , Cameron Sharon , Sonnadara Ranil R.
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Competence committees (CCs) are groups of educators tasked with reviewing resident progress throughout their training, making decisions regarding the achievement of Entrustable Professional Activities and recommendations regarding promotion and remediation. CCs have been mandated as part of competency‐based medical education programmes worldwide; however, there has yet to be a thorough examination of the implementation challenges they face and how this impacts their functioning and decision‐making processes. This study examined CC implementation at a Canadian institution, documenting the shared and unique challenges that CCs faced and overcame over a 3‐year period.

Methods

This study consisted of three phases, which were conceptually and analytically linked using Moran‐Ellis and colleagues’ notion of ‘following a thread.’ Phase 1 examined the early perceptions and experiences of 30 key informants using a survey and semi‐structured interviews. Phase 2 provided insight into CCs’ operations through a survey sent to 35 CC chairs 1‐year post‐implementation. Phase 3 invited 20 CC members to participate in semi‐structured interviews to follow up on initial themes 2 years post‐implementation. Detailed observation notes from 16 CC meetings across nine disciplines were used to corroborate the findings from each phase.

Results

Response rates in each phase were 83% (n = 25), 43% (n = 15) and 60% (n = 12), respectively. Despite the high degree of support for CCs among faculty and resident members, several ongoing challenges were highlighted: adapting to programme size, optimising membership, engaging residents, maintaining capacity among members, sharing and aggregating data and developing a clear mandate.

Discussion

Findings of this study reinforce the importance of resident engagement and information sharing between disciplines. Challenges faced by CCs are discussed in relation to the existing literature to inform a better understanding of group decision‐making processes in medical education. Future research could compare implementation practices across sites and explore which adaptations lead to better or worse decision‐making outcomes.
Improving the speed of global parallel optimization on PDE models with processor affinity scheduling
Authors: Xia Wei , Shoemaker Christine A.
Published: June 2021

Parallel global optimization of expensive simulation models like nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) can speed up model calibration or project design decisions, but the impact of memory management on the efficiency of using parallel global optimization methods has not been previously studied. This paper quantifies cache memory limitations arising during parallel optimization of expensive PDE models. An efficient parallel optimization algorithm is applied to model calibration for two different, expensive real‐world PDEs (i.e., hydrodynamic and water quality analysis for a 250‐hectare lake). One of these two lake models takes 4.5 h per simulation in serial, but that PDE simulation time per simulation increases to 12 h with parallel optimization if default processor scheduling strategy is used on a modern nonuniform memory access multicore platform. We proposed a novel mixed affinity scheduling strategy for parallel simulation optimization that increases computational efficiency by as much as 20% over the default affinity strategy.
Examining shark bite scars on dolphins off Bimini, The Bahamas: Comparisons between bottlenose and Atlantic spotted dolphins
Authors: Melillo‐Sweeting Kelly , Maust‐Mohl Maria , Smukall Matthew J.
Published: June 2021

Shark predation risk impacts many facets of dolphin life, including habitat use and foraging strategies. Because direct predation is rarely observed, researchers instead examine dolphins in situ for past injuries that can be attributed to sharks. We analyzed existing photo‐ID catalogs of common bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) off Bimini, The Bahamas. A minimum of 29% of individual T. truncatus had evidence of a past, nonlethal shark bite, while for S. frontalis this was only 15%. For both species, shark‐induced injuries were predominantly on the dorsal side. Regression analyses indicated that T. truncatus were more likely to have shark bite scars than S. frontalis and the likelihood of documenting a shark bite scar increased with a higher percentage of the body photographed. T. truncatus were less likely to have scars in the dorsal region, but sampling differences could have influenced these results. While the shark species responsible for scars was not determined, T. truncatus and S. frontalis overlap spatially and temporally with tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier) and bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) off Bimini. This study builds on the understanding of dolphin/shark interactions from longitudinal studies of dolphins in this region, providing insight into factors influencing predation risk.
Southern right whales generally appear not to react to transiting research vessels
Authors: Argüelles María Belén , Coscarella Mariano , Fiorito Carla , Bertellotti Marcelo
Published: June 2021

Reactions of southern right whales (SRWs) related to whale‐watching boats have been reported in Patagonia, but there are no quantitative data showing how these whales react to boats not preforming whale‐watching trips. The objective of this study was to investigate the reaction of SRWs to transiting vessels. Data were collected off the coast of Puerto Madryn city, and were analyzed by means of cumulative logit models, using the whales' intensity of behavioral response as an ordinal dependent variable. During the experimental approaches of a research vessel, we found that the response of SRWs differed depending on the number of whales present. The results of this study show that the probability of response to transiting vessels is low, unless there are only a few whales in a group, or it is a mating group. This response is different from that of an approaching whale‐watching vessel. In this study, the lack of reaction of whales to the research vessel suggests that whales would not consider it as a threat. This study represents an important piece of information for the conservation of southern right whales.
Melatonin as an adjunctive treatment on dental procedures: A systematic review
Authors: de Oliveira Perdo Henrique Chaves , Lemos Cleidiel Aparecido Araujo , Cantiga‐Silva Cristiane , Faria Flávio Duarte , Cintra Luciano Tavares Angelo , Pellizzer Eduardo Piza
Published: June 2021

The systematic review tried to answer the following question: Does the melatonin administered systemically or topically ameliorate patients involved with oral health conditions or dental procedures? The systematic review has been registered in the PROSPERO (2021CRD42021095959). Eligibility criteria included only randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) with at least 10 participants that compared patients that received melatonin as a treatment before and/or after their oral intervention topically or systemically, with control patients. A search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Academic Google databases for articles up to February 2021. The Cochrane risk‐of‐bias tool for randomized clinical trials was used and revealed that the studies included presented low risk of bias for the majority of criteria assessed. It was selected 25 articles, of which only six did not demonstrate positive effects and three presented null effects with the use of melatonin. Melatonin has improved the inflammatory response in periodontal disease, dental surgeries, and mucositis of head and neck oncologic irradiated patients. In addition, it showed anxiolytic potential in patients that were submitted to dental procedures. In conclusion, melatonin favored the treatment of oral changes when used topically and systemically.