Brand experience and brand personality have become two important theoretical constructs in the branding literature. However, research on the antecedents of these two constructs has been focused on ...intangible brand characteristics and qualities, underestimating the role of functional features. This study aims to overcome this gap by postulating that two key functional brand qualities, quality and innovativeness, help shape brand experience and personality, which, we ultimately predict, contribute to perceived value. Investments in quality and innovation have grown substantially, but how they materialize in benefits for customers and firms remains unclear. Accordingly, this study provides insights into how firms can engender the characteristics of their offer to build brands that are perceived by consumers as generating a valued brand experience and personality. The results from two samples provide broad support to the proposed model. Both brand quality and innovativeness contribute to brand experience and personality. Moreover, we observe that both brand experience and personality relate to perceived value. Finally, we also determined that brand personality and experience partially mediate the relationship between brand innovativeness and quality and perceived value. Hence, these results provide relevant implications for both theory and the practice of brand management.
A new nonisolated high-step-up dc-dc converter based on active switched-inductors and passive switched-capacitors is proposed in this article. The main advantages of the converter are the high ...voltage gain (higher than 20), high efficiency, reduced voltage stresses, and reduced component count. This article approaches the principle of operation, theoretical analysis, design methodology, and a comparison of the proposed topology regarding other converters from the literature that use similar principles. Finally, the theoretical study is verified from a 200-W prototype designed to accomplish an input voltage of 20 V and an output voltage of 300 V, in which a peak efficiency of 96.2% is reached.
Dietary glycerol supplementation in aquaculture feed is seen as an alternative and inexpensive way to fuel fish metabolism, attenuate metabolic utilization of dietary proteins and, subsequently, ...reduce nitrogen excretion. In this study, we evaluated the impact of dietary glycerol supplementation on nitrogen excretion of European seabass (
Dicentrarchus labrax
) and its effects on metabolite profile and bacterial community composition of gut digesta. These effects were evaluated in a 60-day trial with fish fed diets supplemented with 2.5% or 5% (w/w) refined glycerol and without glycerol supplementation. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing were used to characterize the effects of glycerol supplementation on digesta metabolite and bacterial community composition of 6-h postprandial fish. Our results showed that ammonia excretion was not altered by dietary glycerol supplementation, and the highest glycerol dosage was associated with significant increases in amino acids and a decrease of ergogenic creatine in digesta metabolome. Concomitantly, significant decreases in putative amino acid degradation pathways were detected in the predicted metagenome analysis, suggesting a metabolic shift. Taxon-specific analysis revealed significant increases in abundance of some specific genera (e.g.,
Burkholderia
and
Vibrio
) and bacterial diversity. Overall, our results indicate glycerol supplementation may decrease amino acid catabolism without adversely affecting fish gut bacterial communities.
Key points
• Glycerol can be an inexpensive and energetic alternative in fish feed formulations
.
• Glycerol did not affect nitrogen excretion and gut bacteriome composition
.
• Glycerol reduced uptake of amino acids and increased uptake of ergogenic creatine
.
• Glycerol reduced putative amino acid degradation pathways in predicted metagenome
.
The role of extended pelvic lymph node dissection (EPLND) in the surgical management of prostate cancer (PCa) patients remains controversial, mainly because of a lack of randomized controlled trials ...(RCTs).
To determine whether EPLND has better oncological outcomes than limited PLND (LPLND.
This was a prospective, single-center phase 3 trial in patients with intermediate- or high-risk clinically localized PCa.
Randomization (1:1) to LPLND (obturator nodes) or EPLND (obturator, external iliac, internal iliac, common iliac, and presacral nodes) bilaterally.
The primary endpoint was biochemical recurrence–free survival (BRFS). Secondary outcomes were metastasis-free survival (MFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and histopathological findings. The trial was designed to show a minimal 15% advantage in 5-yr BRFS by EPLND.
In total, 300 patients were randomized from May 2012 to December 2016 (150 LPLND and 150 EPLND). The median BRFS was 61.4 mo in the LPLND group and not reached in the EPLND group (hazard ratio HR 0.91, 95% confidence interval CI 0.63–1.32; p = 0.6). Median MFS was not reached in either group (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.17–1.8; p = 0.3). CSS data were not available because no patient died from PCa before the cutoff date. In exploratory subgroup analysis, patients with preoperative biopsy International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade groups 3–5 who were allocated to EPLND had better BRFS (HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.14–0.74, interaction p = 0.007). The short follow-up and surgeon heterogeneity are limitations to this study.
This RCT confirms that EPLND provides better pathological staging, while differences in early oncological outcomes were not demonstrated. Our subgroup analysis suggests a potential BCRFS benefit in patients diagnosed with ISUP grade groups 3–5; however, these findings should be considered hypothesis-generating and further RCTs with larger cohorts and longer follow up are necessary to better define the role of EPLND during RP.
In this study, we investigated early outcomes in prostate cancer patients undergoing prostatectomy according to the anatomic extent of lymph node resection. We found that extended removal of lymph nodes did not reduce biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer in the expected range.
In this randomized clinical trial that included 300 patients, we were unable to demonstrate an early difference in biochemical recurrence between extended and limited pelvic lymph node dissection among men undergoing radical prostatectomy for intermediate- and high-risk localized prostate cancer.
Dietary supplementation with triglyceride tributyrin (TBT), a butyrate precursor, has been associated with beneficial effects on fish health and improvements in the ability of carnivorous fish to ...tolerate higher levels of plant-based protein. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of a plant-based diet supplemented with TBT on the structural diversity and putative function of the digesta-associated bacterial communities of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In addition to this, we also assessed the response of fish gut digestive enzyme activities and chyme metabolic profile in response to TBT supplementation. Our results indicated that TBT had no significant effects on the overall fish gut bacterial communities, digestive enzyme activities or metabolic profile when compared with non-supplemented controls. However, a more in-depth analysis into the most abundant taxa showed that diets at the highest TBT concentrations (0.2% and 0.4%) selectively inhibited members of the Enterobacterales order and reduced the relative abundance of a bacterial population related to Klebsiella pneumoniae, a potential fish pathogen. Furthermore, the predicted functional analysis of the bacterial communities indicated that increased levels of TBT were associated with depleted KEGG pathways related to pathogenesis. The specific effects of TBT on gut bacterial communities observed here are intriguing and encourage further studies to investigate the potential of this triglyceride to promote pathogen suppression in the fish gut environment, namely in the context of aquaculture.
Due to several advantages over traditional approaches (e.g. sutures and staples), surgical adhesives are excellent materials for wound closure. For several decades intensive research activities have ...been carried out to enhance the efficiency of the adhesives in different tissues and application conditions. This article provides a concise literature review of different types of adhesives in order to understand their structure–properties relationship. Some of the most important commercial adhesives available are presented and discussed in terms of limitations and applications. The recent advances reported in the literature that could provide new avenues to the development of more efficient adhesives inspired in nature strategies are also discussed.
Motivated by the general concern about sustainability and environmental issues, an intense search for renewable-based polymers has grown exponentially in recent years. This search definitely ...spotlighted polyesters derived from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, among other polymers, as some of the most promising, especially due to the resemblance of this renewable monomer to the well-known petroleum-based terephthalic acid, as well as owing to the possibility of preparing innovative materials. The huge number of recent papers and patents about this family of polymers explore aspects as diverse as synthesis with other renewable-based monomers, leading to the preparation of materials with enhanced thermo-mechanical, biodegradability and liquid crystalline properties, among other features. Additional aspects pursued in such studies are innovation in the synthetic approaches or their optimisation, as well as the development of applications for everyday-life objects for example packaging materials, especially bottles, textiles, coating, and toners, among many other uses. Despite this intense activity, little has been reviewed recently about this unique family of polyesters or derived polymers, as the only reviews on the subject date back to the last century. In this perspective, the present review aims at contributing to filling this literature gap, covering recent aspects related with challenges in developing polyesters, polyamides, or other polymers from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and their precursors. Emphasis is placed on monomer synthesis, polymerisation reactions, catalysts and applications.
A tribute to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid excellency and the myriad of novel polyesters, as well as polyamides, among other polycondensates, is comprehensively paid.
Recent studies have shown that the addition of non-viable microbial biomass or their components (postbiotics) to fish feed can modulate the gut microbiome and positively influence fish health in ...aquaculture systems. However, no information was hitherto available on the use of non-viable microbial biomass to manipulate aquaculture bacterioplankton communities. To fill this gap, here we used an in vitro model to assess the effects of heat-killed biomasses of an antagonistic strain Pseudoalteromonas rubra SubTr2 and a non-antagonist strain Escherichia coli DH5α on bacterioplankton communities of a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). Our results showed that these biomasses can have generalist and species-specific effects on aquaculture bacterioplankton structure and function. In addition, they enriched the abundance of bacterial predators, reduced bacterial load and potentially influenced nutrient cycling and pathogen development in aquaculture water. Despite its preliminary nature, for the first time, this study showed that heat-killed microbial biomass has potential application as an in situ modulator of bacterioplankton in aquaculture systems.
Adhesives and sealants (AS) are materials with excellent properties, versatility, and simple curing mechanisms, being widely used in different areas ranging from the construction to the medical ...sectors. Due to the fast-growing demand for petroleum-based products and the consequent negative environmental impact, there is an increasing need to develop novel and more sustainable sources to obtain raw materials (monomers). This reality is particularly relevant for AS industries, which are generally dependent on non-sustainable fossil raw materials. In this respect, biopolymers, such as cellulose, starch, lignin, or proteins, emerge as important alternatives. Nevertheless, substantial improvements and developments are still required in order to simplify the synthetic routes, as well as to improve the biopolymer stability and performance of these new bio-based AS formulations. This environmentally friendly strategy will hopefully lead to the future partial or even total replacement of non-renewable petroleum-based feedstock. In this brief overview, the general features of typical AS are reviewed and critically discussed regarding their drawbacks and advantages. Moreover, the challenges faced by novel and more ecological alternatives, in particular lignocellulose-based solutions, are highlighted.
The present study aims to identify antigens in protein extracts of promastigote and amastigote-like Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi syn. L. (L.) infantum recognized by antibodies present in the sera ...of dogs with asymptomatic and symptomatic visceral leishmaniasis (VL).
Proteins recognized by sera samples were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) and identified by mass spectrometry. A total of 550 spots were observed in the 2DE gels, and approximately 104 proteins were identified. Several stage-specific proteins could be identified by either or both classes of sera, including, as expected, previously known proteins identified as diagnosis, virulence factors, drug targets, or vaccine candidates. Three, seven, and five hypothetical proteins could be identified in promastigote antigenic extracts; while two, eleven, and three hypothetical proteins could be identified in amastigote-like antigenic extracts by asymptomatic and symptomatic sera, as well as a combination of both, respectively.
The present study represents a significant contribution not only in identifying stage-specific L. infantum molecules, but also in revealing the expression of a large number of hypothetical proteins. Moreover, when combined, the identified proteins constitute a significant source of information for the improvement of diagnostic tools and/or vaccine development to VL.
PDF
