A leucine-supplemented diet improved protein content of skeletal muscle in young tumor-bearing rats

Cancer cachexia induces host protein wastage but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Branched-chain amino acids play a regulatory role in the modulation of both protein synthesis and degradation in host tissues. Leucine, an important amino acid in skeletal muscle, is higher oxidized in tumor-bearing animals. A leucine-supplemented diet was used to analyze the effects of Walker 256 tumor growth on body composition in young weanling Wistar rats divided into two main dietary groups: normal diet (N, 18% protein) and leucine-rich diet (L, 15% protein plus 3% leucine), which were further subdivided into control (N or L) or tumor-bearing (W or LW) subgroups. After 12 days, the animals were sacrificed and their carcass analyzed. The tumor-bearing groups showed a decrease in body weight and fat content. Lean carcass mass was lower in the W and LW groups (W = 19.9 �� 0.6, LW = 23.1 �� 1.0 g vs N = 29.4 �� 1.3, L = 28.1 �� 1.9 g, P < 0.05). Tumor weight was similar in both tumor-bearing groups fed either diet. Western blot analysis showed that myosin protein content in gastrocnemius muscle was reduced in tumor-bearing animals (W = 0.234 �� 0.033 vs LW = 0.598 �� 0.036, N = 0.623 �� 0.062, L = 0.697 �� 0.065 arbitrary intensity, P < 0.05). Despite accelerated tumor growth, LW animals exhibited a smaller reduction in lean carcass mass and muscle myosin maintenance, suggesting that excess leucine in the diet could counteract, at least in part, the high host protein wasting in weanling tumor-bearing rats.

Effect of sexual steroids on the calcium content of aortic atherosclerotic plaque of oophorectomized rabbits

We determined the effect of conjugated equine estrogen plus medroxyprogesterone acetate on calcium content of aortic atherosclerotic lesions in oophorectomized adult New Zealand rabbits submitted to a cholesterol rich diet. Five groups of 10 animals each were studied: G1 = control, G2 = cholesterol diet only, G3 = diet plus conjugated equine estrogen (0.625 mg/day); G4 and G5 = diet, conjugated equine estrogen (0.625 mg/day) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (5 and 10 mg/day, respectively). Mean weight varied from 2.7 �� 0.27 to 3.1 �� 0.20 kg (P = 0.38) between groups at the beginning and 3.1 �� 0.27 to 3.5 �� 0.20 kg (P = 0.35) at the end of the experiment. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels were determined at the time of oophorectomy, 21 days after surgery (time 0), and at the end of follow-up of 90 days. The planimetric method was used to measure plaque and caryometric method for histopathologic examination of the aorta. Calcium content was determined by the method of von Kossa. A similar increase in cholesterol occurred in all treated groups without differences between them at the end of the study. Groups G4 and G5 had smaller areas of atherosclerotic lesions (2.33 �� 2.8 and 2.45 �� 2.1 cm��, respectively) than the groups receiving no progestogens (G2: 5.6 �� 4 and G3: 4.6 �� 2.8 cm��; P = 0.02). The relation between lesion area and total aorta area was smaller in groups treated with combined drugs compared to the groups receiving no progesterone (G4: 14.9 �� 13 and G5: 14.2 �� 13.4 vs G2: 35.8 �� 26 and G3: 25 �� 8 cm��, respectively; P = 0.017). Oral conjugated equine estrogen (0.625 mg/day) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (5 or 10 mg/day) provoked a greater reduction in atherosclerotic plaque area and calcium content in treated groups, suggesting a dose-dependent effect.

Changes in the biogenic amine content of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, dorsal hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens of rats submitted to single and repeated sessions of the elevated plus-maze test

It has been demonstrated that exposure to a variety of stressful experiences enhances fearful reactions when behavior is tested in current animal models of anxiety. Until now, no study has examined the neurochemical changes during the test and retest sessions of rats submitted to the elevated plus maze (EPM). The present study uses a new approach (HPLC) by looking at the changes in dopamine and serotonin levels in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, dorsal hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens in animals upon single or double exposure to the EPM (one-trial tolerance). The study involved two experiments: i) saline or midazolam (0.5 mg/kg) before the first trial, and ii) saline or midazolam before the second trial. For the biochemical analysis a control group injected with saline and not tested in the EPM was included. Stressful stimuli in the EPM were able to elicit one-trial tolerance to midazolam on re-exposure (61.01%). Significant decreases in serotonin contents occurred in the prefrontal cortex (38.74%), amygdala (78.96%), dorsal hippocampus (70.33%), and nucleus accumbens (73.58%) of the animals tested in the EPM (P < 0.05 in all cases in relation to controls not exposed to the EPM). A significant decrease in dopamine content was also observed in the amygdala (54.74%, P < 0.05). These changes were maintained across trials. There was no change in the turnover rates of these monoamines. We suggest that exposure to the EPM causes reduced monoaminergic neurotransmission activity in limbic structures, which appears to underlie the "one-trial tolerance" phenomenon.

How to increase brand quality perception with audiovisual content? : Exploring the role of emotions in B2C and B2B contexts

This study discusses how audiovisual content can influence brand quality perceptions. The purpose of this study is to explore how audiovisual content creation can increase brand quality perceptions. This research problem is addressed with three sub questions, which aim at clarifying the role of emotions between content marketing and brand quality perception, explaining how different functions of audiovisual content can increase brand quality perception, and by identifying and comparing the key differences in content creation in business-to-consumer and business-to-businesscontexts. The theoretical background of the study is in brand personality, consumer emotions, consumerbrand relationships, content marketing and B2B branding literature. The empirical research part includes a single-case study. The case company was a Swiss startup that wished to build a highquality brand for both B2C and B2B segments. The empirical data was collected in September 2014. Eight interviews were conducted; seven with target segment representatives and one with an existing customer of the case company. The empirical findings were analyzed with thematic analysis and finally a 5-stage framework was created based on the findings of the research, offering a guideline for high-quality content creation. This study finds that emotions play an important role in brand quality perceptions. Psychological processes, emotion, cognition and conation, influence the engagement process of the target segment which ultimately can lead to activation and electronic word-of-mouth. Brand quality perception is the result of the overall emotion of the brand. The overall emotion derives from brand personality, brand concept, product attributes and utilitarian benefits of the brand. The entertaining and educational functions of the audiovisual content can target and evoke these emotional processes, and result in increased quality perceptions. In the B2B context, emotions are found to play a relatively smaller role in the quality perception processes. However, the significance of emotions cannot be ignored, since they can emphasize the value for the buying organization, and build on the trust and loyalty among the potential customers. The final framework presents five stages of content creation that ultimately improve brand quality perceptions. These stages help marketers to design and implement their content and evoke positive emotions in their target segment as part of a quality-based marketing strategy. Further research is warranted to quantitatively test the generalizability of the framework. Further research is also suggested to make the framework adaptable to different stages of the brand life cycle.

A search for RNA insertions and NS3 gene duplication in the genome of cytopathic isolates of bovine viral diarrhea virus

Calves born persistently infected with non-cytopathic bovine viral diarrhea virus (ncpBVDV) frequently develop a fatal gastroenteric illness called mucosal disease. Both the original virus (ncpBVDV) and an antigenically identical but cytopathic virus (cpBVDV) can be isolated from animals affected by mucosal disease. Cytopathic BVDVs originate from their ncp counterparts by diverse genetic mechanisms, all leading to the expression of the non-structural polypeptide NS3 as a discrete protein. In contrast, ncpBVDVs express only the large precursor polypeptide, NS2-3, which contains the NS3 sequence within its carboxy-terminal half. We report here the investigation of the mechanism leading to NS3 expression in 41 cpBVDV isolates. An RT-PCR strategy was employed to detect RNA insertions within the NS2-3 gene and/or duplication of the NS3 gene, two common mechanisms of NS3 expression. RT-PCR amplification revealed insertions in the NS2-3 gene of three cp isolates, with the inserts being similar in size to that present in the cpBVDV NADL strain. Sequencing of one such insert revealed a 296-nucleotide sequence with a central core of 270 nucleotides coding for an amino acid sequence highly homologous (98%) to the NADL insert, a sequence corresponding to part of the cellular J-Domain gene. One cpBVDV isolate contained a duplication of the NS3 gene downstream from the original locus. In contrast, no detectable NS2-3 insertions or NS3 gene duplications were observed in the genome of 37 cp isolates. These results demonstrate that processing of NS2-3 without bulk mRNA insertions or NS3 gene duplications seems to be a frequent mechanism leading to NS3 expression and BVDV cytopathology.

Westerners in search of the legendary potion : ayahuasca travel in the borderland between tourism and pilgrimage

The thesis examines the phenomenon most commonly known as ���ayahuasca tourism��� ��� i.e. the practice of westerners traveling to South America and partaking in ceremonies in which a powerful entheogenic brew, ayahuasca, is consumed. While this popular phenomenon has been steadily increasing during the last decades, it has, however, been insufficiently studied by scholars. An important question which has not been properly addressed in earlier studies is how ayahuasca tourism relates to the wider occurrence of travel and how it should be perceived with reference to the theoretical frameworks on the subject of travel. Drawing on theories regarding pilgrimage and tourism, the main purpose of this thesis is to examine the relationship between ayahuasca tourism and the broader spectrum of travel. In particular, the study tests the designations ���pilgrimage���, ���religious tourism��� and ���spiritual tourism��� with reference to ayahuasca tourism. Utilizing earlier literature as well as ayahuasca tourists��� reports obtained from an Internet forum as a basis for analysis, I search for a suitable terminology to be used for the phenomenon. The study lays special emphasis on the protagonists��� motivations, experiences and outcomes in order to take note of various aspects of the wide-ranging occurrence of ayahuasca tourism. Key findings indicate that ayahuasca tourism is best understood as a combination of pilgrimage and tourism. On the basis of the analysis I argue that ayahuasca tourism should be labeled as ���pilgrimage��� and/or ���spiritual tourism���, and the tourists respectively as ���pilgrims��� and/or ���spiritual tourists���. The category of ���religious tourism/tourist���, on the other hand, turns out to be an inappropriate designation when describing the phenomenon. In general, through my study I show that the results are consistent with the present trend in the study of travel to perceive pilgrimage and tourism as theoretically similar phenomena. The study of ayahuasca tourism serves thus as living proof of contemporary travel, in which the categories of pilgrimage and tourism are often indistinguishable. I suggest that ayahuasca tourism is by no means exceptional on this point, but can rather be used as an illustration of modern travel forms on a general level. Thus, the present study does not only add to the research of ayahuasca tourism, but also provides additional insights into the study of travel.

Evaluating Performance of Content Marketing: YouTube Marketing in Finnish Food and Drink Industry

The purpose of this research was to define content marketing and to discover how content marketing performance can be measured especially on YouTube. Further, the aim was to find out what companies are doing to measure content marketing and what kind of challenges they face in the process. In addition, preferences concerning the measurement were examined. The empirical part was conducted through multiple-case study and cross-case analysis methods. The qualitative data was collected from four large companies in Finnish food and drink industry through semi-structured phone interviews. As a result of this research, a new definition for content marketing was derived. It is suggested that return on objective, or in this case, brand awareness and engagement are used as the main metrics of content marketing performance on YouTube. The major challenge is the nature of the industry, as companies cannot connect the outcome directly to sales.

Oral verrucous lesions ��� a search for PVL

Proliferatiivinen verrukoottinen leukoplakia (PVL) esiintyy yhten�� laajana tai useampana verrukoottisena, valkoisena muutoksena suun limakalvoilla. PVL on aggressiivinen limakalvomuutos, joka ei usein vastaa hoitoihin, uusii herk��sti ja sill�� on muita leukoplakioita suurempi pahanlaatuistumistaipumus. Tutkimuksen tarkoitus on lis��t�� tietoa PVL:sta ja sen ilmentymisest�� ja kehittymisest�� sek�� arvioida kriittisesti PVL:n diagnostiikkaa. Systemaattinen kirjallisuuskatsaus suoritettiin etsim��ll�� Pubmed-tietokannan kirjallisuushaulla kaikki englannin kielell�� raportoidut ja vertaisarvioidut PVL- potilastapaukset 2000 ��� 2013. PVL voi histologisesti esiinty�� my��s verrukoottisena hyperplasiana (VH), joten my��s n��m�� tapaukset sis��llytettiin aineistoon. Kaikkiaan 54 artikkelia t��ytti sis����nottokriteerit. N��iss�� oli yhteens�� 388 PVL- ja 848 VH-tapausta. Lis��ksi ker��ttiin kaikki Turun yliopiston hammasl����ketieteen laitoksen suupatologian osastolla histologisesti diagnosoidut vastaavat suun VH-muutokset 2000 ��� 2013. Kirjallisuudesta havaittiin, ett�� PVL esiintyi useammin naisilla (2,2 : 1), kun taas VH esiintyi useammin miehill�� (1 : 3,8). Tupakointi ei n��ytt��nyt liittyv��n PVL:aan (30 %), kun taas VH:aan se n��ytti selke��mmin liittyv��n (83 %). PVL:n yleisin sijainti oli ikenell�� (59 %) ja suurin osa VH-muutoksista esiintyi posken limakalvolla (51 %). PVL-potilaista 47 %:lla ja VH-potilaista 5 %:lla todettiin seurannassa pahanlaatuinen kasvain. Turun yliopiston suupatologian osastolla diagnosoituja VH-tapauksia oli 13 vuoden aikana 29. Naisten osuus sairastuneista oli suurempi kuin miesten (1,4 : 1). Muutokset esiintyiv��t yleisimmin kielen limakalvolla (48 %) ja poskessa (34 %). Yhdess�� tapauksessa kehittyi pahanlaatuinen kasvain (3 %). Tutkimuksessa todettiin, ett�� PVL- ja VH-muutokset poikkeavat toisistaan sukupuolijakauman, tupakoinnin ja pahanlaatuistumisen osalta. Ongelmana katsauksessa olivat tietojen puutteellisuus ja raportoinnin heterogeenisyys kirjallisuudessa. PVL- ja VH-tutkimuksessa tulisikin panostaa yhteneviin diagnostisiin kriteereihin, jotta materiaalit olisivat vertailukelpoisia. Potilaan kannalta PVL:n ja VH:n varhainen diagnosointi ja huolellinen seuranta ovat olennaisen t��rkeit�� asioita.

Coronary fat content evaluated by morphometry in patients with severe atherosclerosis has no relation with serum lipid levels

The relationship between lipid serum levels and coronary atherosclerotic plaque fat content was studied in 51 necropsy patients. Serum lipids were measured by standard techniques, during life, in the absence of lipid-lowering drugs. Intima, intimal fat and media areas were measured using a computerized system in cryosections of the odd segments of the right, anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries stained with Sudan-IV. Mean intimal and lipid areas were 5.74 �� 1.98 and 1.22 �� 0.55 mm�� (22.12 �� 8.48%) in 26 cases with high cholesterol (��200 mg/dL) and 4.98 �� 1.94 and 1.16 �� 0.66 mm�� (22.75 �� 9.06%) in 25 cases with normal cholesterol (<200 mg/dL; P > 0.05). Patients with high levels of low-density lipoprotein (��130 mg/dL, N = 15) had a higher intima/media area ratio than those with normal levels of low-density lipoprotein (<130 mg/dL, N = 13, P < 0.01). No significant difference in the morphometrical variables was found in groups with high or low serum levels of triglycerides (��200 mg/dL, N = 13 vs <200 mg/dL, N = 36) or high-density lipoprotein (��35 mg/dL, N = 11 vs <35 mg/dL, N = 17). The association between the morphological measurements and serum levels of cholesterol, its fractions, and triglycerides was also tested and the correlation coefficients were low. Although high cholesterol is a risk factor, we show here that in patients with severe atherosclerosis blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels seem to have little influence on coronary lipid content, indicating that other factors may contribute to arterial lipid deposition and plaque formation.

Portfolio as an Indicator of Young Learners��� English Proficiency in Mainstream Language Instruction (EFL) and Bilingual Content Instruction (CLIL)

T��m�� soveltavan kielitieteen ja kielitaidon arvioinnin toimintatutkimus tarkasteli kieliportfolion ominaisuuksia ja mahdollisuuksia nuorten oppijoiden englannin kielen arvioinnissa kahdessa eri oppimiskontekstissa: englanti oppiaineena (EFL) ja kaksikielinen sis��ll��nopetus (CLIL). Tutkielman itsen��iset, kahteen eri englannin kielen rekisteriin (arkikieli ja akateeminen kieli) kohdistuneet portfoliokokeilut olivat erillisi�� tapaustutkimuksia. Molemmat portfoliot perustuivat v��lj��sti Eurooppalaiseen kielisalkkumalliin, ja ne olivat osa tutkielmantekij��n luokkaopetusta ja -toimintaa. EFL -portfoliokokeilu 9-10-vuotiaille kolmasluokkalaisille toteutettiin marraskuun 2011 ja toukokuun 2012 v��lisen�� aikana, kun CLIL -portfoliokokeilu n. 7-9-vuotiallle ensimm��isen ja toisen luokan oppilaille kesti kaksi lukuvuotta 2012���2014. Molemmissa kokeiluissa my��s oppilaiden vanhemmat kuuluivat tutkimusjoukkoon, samoin CLIL -portfolion toteutuksessa avustaneet ja opettajan��k��kulmaa edustaneet opettajaopiskelijat. Portfoliokokeilun aloitti my��s kaksi muuta CLIL -opettajaa, mutta kumpikin kokeilu p����ttyi alkuvaiheeseensa. Tarkemman tarkastelun kohteina olivat tutkimuksen osallistujien kokemukset ja mielipiteet portfoliokokeiluista. Erityisesti tavoitteena oli selvitt����, miten informatiivisena englannin kielitaidon indikaattorina kieliportfoliota pidettiin. My��s kehitysehdotuksia ker��ttiin. Trianguloitu aineisto koottiin sek�� puolistrukturoiduin kyselyin ett�� vapaaehtoisin teemahaastatteluin, jotka ����nitettiin. EFL -aineisto koostui 18 oppilaskyselyst��, 17 huoltajakyselyst�� ja 7 oppilashaastattelusta. CLIL -aineistoon sis��ltyi 19 oppilaskysely��, 18 huoltajakysely��, 7 oppilashaastattelua ja yksi opettajaopiskelijoiden (N=3) ryhm��haastattelu. Aineisto analysoitiin p����osin kvalitatiivisin menetelmin temaattisen sis��lt��analyysin keinoin, mutta my��s laskien frekvenssej�� ja prosenttisosuuksia. Osallistujien mielipiteet ja kokemukset olivat hyvin samankaltaiset ja positiiviset kummassakin portfoliokokeilussa. Merkitt��v�� enemmist�� sek�� oppilaista ett�� huoltajista koki, ett�� portfolion avulla on mahdollista osoittaa englannin kielitaitoa ja sen kehittymist��. Oppilaat kuvailivat portfolioty��t�� hauskaksi ja kivaksi, ja heid��n mielest����n portfolioteht��vien pit��isi olla tarpeeksi haastavia, sis��lt���� taiteellisia ja luovia elementtej�� sek�� kohdistua tuttuihin, mielenkiintoisiin aiheisiin. He totesivat, ett�� portfolion avulla voi oppia lis���� kielt��. Vanhempien mielest�� portfolio kertoo koulun vieraiksi j����neist�� oppisis��ll��ist��, auttaa ymm��rt��m����n lapsen ajatusmaailmaa ja motivaatiotasoa sek�� paljastaa heid��n kielitaidostaan uusia ulottuvuuksia. Opettajaopiskelijat havaitsivat, ett�� portfolion avulla voi tutustua oppilaiden kieli- ja kulttuuritaustoihin sek�� kartoittaa heid��n kielellisi�� tarpeitaan. T��m��n tutkielman teoreettisen tarkastelun ja tulosten mukaan kieliportfolio tukee erinomaisesti uuden Perusopetuksen Opetussuunnitelman (NCC 2014) tavoitteita ja arvioinnin uudistuspyrkimyksi�� sek�� lains����d��nn��n arvioinnille asettamia edellytyksi��. Portfolio on eritt��in suositeltava nuorten oppijoiden kielitaidon arviointimenetelm�� perinteisten rinnalle.

The search for circadian clock components in humans: new perspectives for association studies

Individual circadian clocks entrain differently to environmental cycles (zeitgebers, e.g., light and darkness), earlier or later within the day, leading to different chronotypes. In human populations, the distribution of chronotypes forms a bell-shaped curve, with the extreme early and late types _ larks and owls, respectively _ at its ends. Human chronotype, which can be assessed by the timing of an individual's sleep-wake cycle, is partly influenced by genetic factors - known from animal experimentation. Here, we review population genetic studies which have used a questionnaire probing individual daily timing preference for associations with polymorphisms in clock genes. We discuss their inherent limitations and suggest an alternative approach combining a short questionnaire (Munich ChronoType Questionnaire, MCTQ), which assesses chronotype in a quantitative manner, with a genome-wide analysis (GWA). The advantages of these methods in comparison to assessing time-of-day preferences and single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping are discussed. In the future, global studies of chronotype using the MCTQ and GWA may also contribute to understanding the influence of seasons, latitude (e.g., different photoperiods), and climate on allele frequencies and chronotype distribution in different populations.

Collagen content, but not the ratios of collagen type III/I mRNAs, differs among hypertensive, alcoholic, and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Cardiac interstitial fibrosis may contribute to ventricular dysfunction and the prognosis of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. The objective of the present study was to determine if total myocardial collagen content and collagen type III/I (III/I ratio) mRNAs differ in hypertensive, alcoholic, and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy subjects. Echocardiography and exercise cardiopulmonary testing were performed in patients with idiopathic (N = 22), hypertensive (N = 12), and alcoholic (N = 11) dilated cardiomyopathy. Morphometric analysis of collagen was performed in fragments obtained by endomyocardial biopsy with picrosirius red staining. The collagen III/I ratio was determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Samples of controls (N = 10) were obtained from autopsy. Echocardiographic variables and maximal oxygen uptake were not different among dilated cardiomyopathy groups. Collagen was higher in all dilated cardiomyopathy groups (idiopathic, hypertensive and alcoholic, 7.36 �� 1.09%) versus controls (1.12 �� 0.18%), P < 0.05. Collagen was lower in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (4.97 �� 0.83%) than hypertensive (8.50 �� 1.11%) and alcoholic (10.77 �� 2.09%) samples (P < 0.005 for both). The collagen III/I ratio in all samples from dilated cardiomyopathy patients was higher compared to that in controls (0.29 �� 0.04, P < 0.05) but was the same in the samples from idiopathic (0.77 �� 0.07), hypertensive (0.75 �� 0.07), and alcoholic (0.81 �� 0.16) dilated cardiomyopathy groups. Because of the different physical properties of the types of collagen, the higher III/I ratio may contribute to progressive ventricular dilation and dysfunction in dilated cardiomyopathy patients.

Utility of a novel risk score for prediction of ventricular tachycardia and cardiac death in chronic Chagas disease - the SEARCH-RIO study

The SEARCH-RIO study prospectively investigated electrocardiogram (ECG)-derived variables in chronic Chagas disease (CCD) as predictors of cardiac death and new onset ventricular tachycardia (VT). Cardiac arrhythmia is a major cause of death in CCD, and electrical markers may play a significant role in risk stratification. One hundred clinically stable outpatients with CCD were enrolled in this study. They initially underwent a 12-lead resting ECG, signal-averaged ECG, and 24-h ambulatory ECG. Abnormal Q-waves, filtered QRS duration, intraventricular electrical transients (IVET), 24-h standard deviation of normal RR intervals (SDNN), and VT were assessed. Echocardiograms assessed left ventricular ejection fraction. Predictors of cardiac death and new onset VT were identified in a Cox proportional hazard model. During a mean follow-up of 95.3 months, 36 patients had adverse events: 22 new onset VT (mean��SD, 18.4��4&#8240;/year) and 20 deaths (26.4��1.8&#8240;/year). In multivariate analysis, only Q-wave (hazard ratio, HR=6.7; P<0.001), VT (HR=5.3; P<0.001), SDNN<100 ms (HR=4.0; P=0.006), and IVET+ (HR=3.0; P=0.04) were independent predictors of the composite endpoint of cardiac death and new onset VT. A prognostic score was developed by weighting points proportional to beta coefficients and summing-up: Q-wave=2; VT=2; SDNN<100 ms=1; IVET+=1. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis optimized the cutoff value at >1. In 10,000 bootstraps, the C-statistic of this novel score was non-inferior to a previously validated (Rassi) score (0.89��0.03 and 0.80��0.05, respectively; test for non-inferiority: P<0.001). In CCD, surface ECG-derived variables are predictors of cardiac death and new onset VT.

Addressing conflicts of interest in the research paper: a societal demand in contemporary science?

In the last decade, dialogue between science and society has found a forum in an increasing number of publications on topics such as public engagement with science and public trust in science. Concerning the latter, issues that include cases of research misconduct, accountability in research, and conflicts of interest (COIs) have shaped global discussions on the communication of science. In the publication setting, the perception that hiding COIs and/or not managing them well may affect public trust in the research record has grown among editors. We conducted a search for editorials addressing COIs between 1989 and 2011, using four major databases: Medline/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge. We explored the content of these editorials and the relationship they established between COIs and the public trust in science. Our results demonstrate that the relationship between disclosure of COIs and public trust in science has become a major concern among editors. We, thus, argue that COIs should be discussed more openly and frequently in graduate courses in the sciences, around the globe, not only in biomedical but also in non-biomedical areas. This is a critical issue in contemporary science, as graduate students are the future voices and decision-makers of the research community. Therefore, COIs, especially in the broader context of science and society, merit closer attention from policymakers, researchers, and educators. At times of great expectations for public engagement with science, mishandling of COIs may have undesirable consequences for public engagement with science and confidence in the scientific endeavor.

Effect of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and air treatments on total phenol and tannin content of cocoa nibs

Cocoa flavour is greatly influenced by polyphenols. These compounds undergo a series of transformations during cocoa processing leading to the characteristic cocoa flavour. The use of exogenous polyphenol oxidase (PPO) proved to be useful to reduce polyphenol content in cocoa nibs. The effect of a PPO associated or not with air over total phenol and tannin content was evaluated. Cocoa nibs were autoclaved and treated with a PPO or water in the absence or presence of an air flow for 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 hours. Total phenol content was reduced in PPO or water treatments, but when associated with air there was an increase in phenol content. Tannin content was reduced only by the treatment with water and air.