Carotenoids are very effectively delivered by albumin to adipocytes. The uptake of carotenoids to the cells occurs in the form of self-aggregates that localize in the vicinity of the adipocyte ...membrane, as shown by high spatial resolution Raman spectroscopy. The binding of carotenoids to albumin and the mechanism of their transport were elucidated with the help of chiroptical spectroscopies, in tandem with molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. In particular, apart from the recognized high affinity pocket of albumin that binds a carotenoid monomer in domain I, we have identified a hydrophobic periphery area in domain IIIB that loosely bounds the self-aggregated carotenoid in aqueous media and enables its easy detachment in hydrophobic environments. This explains the effectiveness of albumins as nanocarriers of carotenoids to adipocytes
in vitro
.
A hydrophobic periphery area of albumin loosely bounds the self-aggregated astaxanthin in water and enables its easy detachment in hydrophobic environment. This explains the effectiveness of albumins as nanocarriers of carotenoids to adipocytes.
•Portugal represents an atypical case of economic regulation for waste services.•Regulation is relevant in the presence of market failures and of lack of incentives.•Tariff regulation is important ...and the future for waste services sustainability.•Performance based regulation is important to improve efficiency and value for money.
Waste management and other services of general economic interest are normally out of market. Therefore, regulation may be required to provide sustainable services with the desired quality of service at affordable and fair prices. Some countries have created regulatory authorities to supervise service levels and tariffs. However, the implementation of such entities is still a novelty being relevant to open the discussion about the explicit regulation of the waste sector. This study addresses the waste sector in Portugal and the regulator’s role in setting prices and providing proper incentives to ensure efficiency and added value. In this context, regulation was proposed to implement a tariff setting mechanism based on a productivity-related X factor linked to revenue caps. This innovative application (in the waste sector) calculates the X factor through a catch-up factor (static efficiency determined by Data Envelopment Analysis) and a production technology change or frontier shift (dynamic efficiency calculated by a Törnqvist index). Besides targeting the financial sustainability of waste utilities, there is also a focus to achieve reasonable environmental and quality of service standards. This study argues that economic regulation is required for this sector since it can be prone to the quiet life and inefficiency due to market failures and lack of incentives. Thus, a tariff setting system may be important and, perhaps, unavoidable to prevent these misbehaviors. The results highlight several predicaments and opportunities related to the application of this innovative performance-based approach.
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Purpose
This paper analyzes previously unmeasured effects of a response to a service incident called “benevolent” within the customer –firm relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire ...was administered to telecommunication customers in a Western European country, and the model was estimated using partial least squares (PLS).
Findings
This study shows that the customer–firm relationship is surprisingly affected by the response to expected incidents that the customer interprets as acts of benevolence or opportunism. This research also shows that the firm's incident response interpreted as benevolence or opportunism has an effect that merely positive or negative events do not. Acts of benevolence response towards an incident positively affect customer–firm relationship quality, and expectations of such acts may lead to an upward spiral in customer commitment.
Originality/value
While benevolence trust has been proposed and studied before, the response to incidents interpreted as benevolent or opportunistic and their consequences have been under-studied, hence exhibiting a research gap.
研究目的
在公司與顧客之間的關係的範疇內, 公司對服務事故所作的被稱為仁慈的反應的影響不曾被測量; 本研究擬就該反應的影響進行分析和探討。
研究設計/方法/理念
研究以問卷方式進行¸ 對象為一個西歐國家裏的電訊服務客戶。研究人員使用偏最小平方法作估算, 設計有關的模型。
研究結果
研究結果顯示、若顧客對公司就預期的事故所作的反應看作是仁慈的話, 又或相反地視為是投機主義所驅使的, 則公司與顧客之間的關係會出人意表地受到影響。研究結果亦顯示、顧客的仁慈、抑或是投機主義的闡釋和理解所帶來的影響, 與單純積極正面事件或消極負面事件所帶來的影響是不一樣的。公司對事件仁厚的回應會給予顧客之間的關係的質量帶來正面的影響; 而且, 對這種回應的預期、或會給客戶承諾帶來螺旋上升。
研究的原創性/價值
對仁厚之信賴曾被提出並作探討。唯對被視為仁慈的或機會主義作祟的反應所作的研究則不足, 這方面實存研究缺口。
In potentially inappropriate medications harm potentially outweighs benefits. Even appropriately prescribed medications may become inappropriate. They can lead to a high risk of adverse drug ...reactions, morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication in the older adult population attending primary care in Portugal and to identify associated sociodemographic and clinical factors.
We conducted a cross-sectional, analytical study in primary care centres from the five Portuguese healthcare administrative regions and the two autonomous regions. We used a random sample of 757 older patients provided by the information department of the ministry of health (SPMS) and family doctors from the autonomous regions. Data collection occurred March 2018 and we studied sociodemographic characteristics, clinical profile and medication. We used 2015 Beers Criteria to assess potentially inappropriate medications. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine associations between potentially inappropriate medications' prescriptions and other variables.
Potentially inappropriate medication was present in 68.6% and 46.1% of the sample had two or more. The likelihood of having potentially inappropriate medication increased significantly with being female (OR=1.56 1.05 to 2.31), number of chronic health problems (OR=1.06 1.01 to 1.13), number of pharmacological subclasses (OR=1.40 1.30 to 1.51) and number of prescribers (OR=1.34 1.09 to 1.65). Proton-pump inhibitors, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and benzodiazepines were the most commonly found ones.
Potentially inappropriate medication in older adults was found to be a common occurrence in Portugal. It is important that doctors are aware of this problem, namely in the primary care setting due to the longitudinal care.
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Polymer-liposome complexes (PLCs) can be efficiently applied for the treatment and/or diagnosis of several types of diseases, such as cancerous, dermatological, neurological, ophthalmic and ...orthopedic. In this work, temperature-/pH-sensitive PLC-based systems for controlled release were developed and characterized. The selected hydrophilic polymeric setup consists of copolymers of Pluronic
-poly(acrylic acid) (PLU-PAA) and Pluronic
-poly(
,
-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PLU-PD) synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The copolymers were incorporated into liposomes formulated from soybean lecithin, with different copolymer/phospholipid ratios (2.5, 5 and 10%). PLCs were characterized by evaluating their particle size, polydispersity, surface charge, capacity of release and encapsulation efficiency. Their cytotoxic potential was assessed by determining the viability of human epithelial cells exposed to them. The results showed that the incorporation of the synthesized copolymers positively contributed to the stabilization of the liposomes. The main accomplishments of this work were the innovative synthesis of PLU-PD and PLU-PAA by ATRP, and the liposome stabilization by their incorporation. The formulated PLCs exhibited relevant characteristics, notably stimuli-responsive attributes upon slight changes in pH and/or temperature, with proven absence of cellular toxicity, which could be of interest for the treatment or diagnosis of all diseases that cause some particular pH/temperature change in the target area.
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O artigo discute a utilização da denominação “assistentes sociais” como forma de designação dos trabalhadores da assistência social, para além daqueles formados nos cursos de serviço social. O texto ...mostra que as fragilidades da estruturação do serviço social, como profissão, no Brasil e em diversas experiências internacionais, fazem desta atividade uma ocupação sem contornos claramente definidos. Com isso, há uma utilização por diversos agentes sociais, no mercado de trabalho, da nomenclatura “assistentes sociais”. O artigo demonstra, utilizando dados do Censo 2010 que, a partir da Classificação Brasileira de Ocupações (CBO) é possível identificar “assistentes sociais” com os mais variados perfis, tanto técnicos quanto com nível superior, todos utilizando a mesma referência ocupacional.
The music industry has undergone tremendous changes in relation to its production, distribution, and consumption habits due to the exponential development of new technologies, namely streaming ...platforms. The fact that sales of physical copies continue to decline significantly made it mandatory for this industry to reinvent itself by introducing music streaming services as a key part of its business development. This study aims to understand the factors that influence music consumption through streaming platforms, particularly studying the intention to adopt premium (paid) versions of a music streaming service and recommend them. An extension of the UTAUT2 model (version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, applied to the consumer side) was created. Based on data collected from 324 music streaming services users, the framework of this study was tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). Research also included in-depth semi-structured interviews in order to generate a more profound knowledge about the profile, behaviours and motivations of the new music consumer. Our findings confirm that habit, performance expectancy and price value play the most important role in influencing the intention to use a paid music streaming service. Simultaneously, new dimensions such as personalisation, attitude towards piracy and perceived freemium-premium fit arise as having an additional relevant role in adopting this type of service. The research contributes insights into music streaming services consumer behaviour, providing several theoretical and practical implications to music streaming services providers.
Adoption, Customer purchase, Intention to recommend, SEM, Music streaming services.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) are RNA transcripts with different sizes, structures and biological functions that do not encode functional proteins. RNA G-quadruplexes (rG4s) have been found in small ...and long ncRNAs. The existence of an equilibrium between rG4 and stem−loop structures in ncRNAs and its effect on biological processes remains unexplored. For example, deviation from the stem−loop leads to deregulated mature miRNA levels, demonstrating that miRNA biogenesis can be modulated by ions or small molecules. In light of this, we report several examples of rG4s in certain types of ncRNAs, and the implications of G4 stabilization using small molecules, also known as G4 ligands, in the regulation of gene expression, miRNA biogenesis, and miRNA−mRNA interactions. Until now, different G4 ligands scaffolds were synthesized for these targets. The regulatory role of the above-mentioned rG4s in ncRNAs can be used as novel therapeutic approaches for adjusting miRNA levels.
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•Subcritical water treatment of red wine grape pomace (RWGP) in semi-continuous reactor.•Effect of temperature program at 100 bar on the composition in phenolics and hemicellulose of ...RWGP liquors/extracts.•Effective separation of cellulose and lignin in solid fraction.•High yields of recovery of hemicellulose (mostly as oligomers), phenolics, lignin, and glucose, after enzymatic hydrolysis of remaining solid.
The fractionation of red wine grape pomace (RWGP) by subcritical water (SBW) extraction/hydrolysis was studied in a semi-continuous reactor. Different temperature programs were used, comprising ramps and plateaus at different temperatures, with different time lengths. Pressure was kept constant at 100 bar. A program applied to previously defatted RWGP (def-RWGP) featuring plateaus at 50, 100 and 190 °C allowed the recovery of virtually all of the hemicellulose, while leaving in the residue essentially all of the lignin and the cellulose. The latter was readily hydrolyzed enzymatically. When using whole RWGP, it was shown that over 85 % of the lipids remained in the residue. The RWGP extracts had contents of phenolic compounds up to 29 g/100 gextract, and were rich in hemicellulose-derived carbohydrates, mostly in the form of oligomers. The extracts exhibited an antioxidant capacity that compared favorably with that of gallic acid.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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