Evaluation of Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Pinus gerardiana Nuts and Oil

For optimal usage of new oil resources with high nutritional values, in this study, one chilgoza pine variety was provided, and assays of physicochemical characteristics of its nut such as moisture, ash, thousand nut weight, oil, protein, hull contents, density, pH and also physicochemical characteristics of its extracted oil by n-hexan solvent such as iodine values, saponification and unsaponification, peroxide, specific weight, acid values, moisture of oil, color (Lovibond) and fatty acid profile and extracted oil characteristics by cold press such as total polyphenols, tocophrols, carotenoids, chlorophylls, sterols, color (Hunterlab), DPPḢ and antioxidant were investigated. Then its effect as a natural antioxidant on rapeseed oil shelf life (without any antioxidant) was studied. The results indicated that chilgoza pine oil is belonged to linoleic-oleic group. Oil of chilgoza pine has α and γ tocopherols and there is no β and δ tocopherols on it. The oil of chilgoza pine, were mixed at two levels of 2% and 5% with rapeseed oil and these mixed were determined by peroxide, TBA and Rancimat indices during 0, 5, 10, 20 and 35 days and compared with control. Statistical results showed no antioxidant effect in shelf life of rapeseed oil at more days. This means that the chilgoza pine oil antioxidant compounds were not enough to prevent oxidative rancidity of rapeseed oil or maybe the antioxidant compounds of nuts were not migrated to oil

Financial Report Readability and Stock Price Synchronicity: The Moderator Role of CEO Media Exposure

A significant part of capital market research is stock price synchronicity and its influencing factors. When considering these factors, financial report readability and CEO media exposure emerge as critical elements in fostering a conducive environment for conveying understandable information to the market. Therefore, this study examines how CEO media exposure influences the relationship between financial report readability and stock price synchronicity. In this context, we analyzed data from 99 firms spanning the years 2014 to 2021. Our findings are rooted in the components of the information environment, encompassing both information supply and demand. To address the endogeneity of financial report readability, we employed the 2SLS method. Findings showed that the financial report readability led to a decrease in stock price synchronicity. This relation was more pronounced in firms whose managers had greater media exposure. Additional tests revealed that, on the information supply side, low institutional ownership, and on the information demand side, companies characterized by higher information asymmetry imply greater growth opportunities and more significant agency problems. Furthermore, the effect of CEO media exposure on the relationship between financial report readability and stock price synchronicity was found to be strengthening. These findings underscore the valuable roles played by financial report readability and CEO media exposure in enhancing information quality and reducing the impact of unsystematic factors on stock price movements.IntroductionOne area that has exacerbated the financial crisis on the capital market is the heightened sensitivity of stock prices to market and industry news relative to firm-specific information. In this regard, the phenomenon of stock price synchronicity has become a challenging keyword in economic, financial and accounting literature, especially in emerging markets.Wang (2014) considered it to have informativeness in the pricing process and compared it to a type of noise affecting both financial and non-financial decisions. Loughran and McDonald (2014) believe that the information environment plays a decisive role in creating and shaping stock price synchronicity. Therefore, this research aims to study the impact of financial reporting readability and CEO media exposure as components of the information environment and information communication tools on stock price synchronicity.Research QuestionsDoes the CEO media exposure influence the relationship between financial reporting readability and stock price synchronicity?Do components of an information environment (including information supply and demand) change the effect of CEO media exposure and financial reporting readability on stock price synchronicity?Literature Review2.1. Financial Report Readability and Stock Price SynchronicityBai et al. (2018) argued that when the cost of collecting and processing information is high, inexperienced investors may gather incomplete firm-specific information from stock price volatility and movements. They tend to rely on market or industry information, resulting in information inefficiency and risk within the market. On the other hand, when the financial reporting readability is high, the cost of processing and gathering information for investors is reduced by facilitating access, and stock returns synchronicity decreases.2.1. CEO Media Exposure, Financial Report Readability, Stock Price SynchronicityLiu and McConnell (2013) have stated that managers are more likely to abandon devaluation-based efforts after media criticism. They have argued that this effect can be attributed to negative media coverage regarding the imputation of shareholder value. Additionally, Cahan et al. (2020) have shown that CEO media exposure leads to an improvement in the quality of financial reporting because it exposes managers to the risk of lawsuits.MethodologyThe necessary data and information were gathered from the annual financial reports of firms listed on the stock exchange between 2014 and 2021, as well as from the Codal and RDIS databases. Additionally, the data related to stock price synchronicity was extracted from the database of the Financial Information Processing Center (Fipiran.com) at Tehran Securities Exchange Technology Management Co. Finally, 99 firms and 792 observations (year-firm) were screened and analyzed.ResultsThe findings showed that financial report readability led to a decrease in stock price synchronicity. This relationship was more pronounced in firms whose managers had greater media exposure. Additional tests revealed that on the information supply side, low institutional ownership, and on the information demand side, companies with higher information asymmetry represent more growth opportunities and greater agency problems. Additionally, the effect of CEO media exposure on the relationship between financial reporting readability and stock price synchronicity was strengthened.DiscussionThe findings showed that the improvement of the readability index causes the weight of firm-specific information on the stock price to exceed that of market and industrial information, leading to a reduction in the phenomenon of stock price synchronicity. Additionally, CEO media exposure has strengthened the relationship between financial report readability and stock price synchronicity. In other words, the readability of financial reporting in firms with higher media coverage has intensified the stock price synchronicity. The interpretation of these results is that managers use media tools to mark the quality of financial reporting and take steps towards reliable and useful information due to the risks that the media may create for them. Therefore, the CEO media exposure can be considered as one of the new tools and mechanisms of information sources in the emerging market of Iran, which has informational content. Robust tests also demonstrated that, in terms of information supply, firms with a low percentage of institutional shareholders, and in terms of information demand, firms with higher growth opportunities and greater agency problems observed a more pronounced effect of CEO media exposure on the relationship between readability and stock price synchronicity. Based on these results, institutional shareholders can be considered as a tool for supplying and transmitting information to the market. Also, the growth opportunities and representation problems can also be counted among the factors that affect the demand for information.ConclusionThese findings reiterate the beneficial role of financial report readability and CEO media exposure as examples of information quality, reducing the influence of unsystematic factors on stock price movements

Use of Encapsulated Garlic Oil in Low-Fat Salad Dressings: Physicochemical, Microbial and Sensory Properties

Background and Objective: Fresh garlic includes several preservative and medicinal characteristics; however, its major bioactive components react and convert to other chemical compounds as soon as its tissues are injured. Garlic oil is extracted from garlic and its use in food industries is limited due to its strong odor, taste, volatility and low solubility in aqueous solvents. The aim of the present study was to investigate physicochemical, microbial and sensory properties of low-fat salad dressings containing encapsulated garlic oil in ß-cyclodextrin (GO/ß-CD). Material and Methods: Five types of salad dressing, including control with no garlic oil, a sample with free garlic oil and three samples containing 546, 818 and 1364 mg GO/ß-CD kg-1 salad dressing were prepared. Then, pH, color and antioxidant [(peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances], antimicrobial (monitoring of four pathogens of Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica) and sensory (taste, color, odor and acceptability by 8-point hedonic test) properties of the samples were assessed during 41 days of storage at 4 oC. Results and Conclusion: The minimum and the maximum color differences belonged to GO/ß-CD-3 sample containing 1364 mg GO/ß-CD kg-1 salad dressing and sample containing free GO, respectively. Yellowness of samples containing encapsulated GO decreased and direct relationships were seen between decreasing of the sample yellowness and quantity of GO/ß-CD sample. During the storage, pH and peroxide value PV slightly increased. Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive strain to free and encapsulated garlic oil. Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and Bacillus cereus showed lower sensitivities to the oil. Sensory results showed no significant differences between the tastes of control and free or encapsulated garlic oil and GO/ß-CD-2 samples containing 818 mg kg-1 encapsulated garlic oil, equal to 90 mg kg-1 free garlic oil. However, these two treatments included significant differences with samples containing free garlic oil. Results revealed that encapsulation of garlic oil with ß-CD included no adverse effects on taste of the salad dressings. Therefore, GO/ß-CD-2 (818 mg GO/ß-CD kg-1 salad dressing) can be suggested as a natural antimicrobial agent for the functional mayonnaise production. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest

Comparison of Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Free and Encapsulated Garlic Oil with Beta-cyclodextrin

Background and Objectives: Application of garlic oil in food industry can be improved by encapsulation. There is no study about the formation of inclusion complex of garlic oil by beta-cyclodextrin. The aim of the present study is comparison of the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of free and encapsulated garlic oil with beta-cyclodextrin.Materials and Methods: Antioxidant activity was determined by 1, 1- diphenyl-2- picryl-hydrazyl assay, and antibacterial properties by agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration and bacterial growth assay. Statistical analysis was performed by Minitab statistical software.Results and conclusion: Garlic oil had poor antioxidant activity (EC50, 5222 µg ml-1 ) and EC50 because garlic oil/beta-cyclodextrin (containing 1495 µg ml-1 released garlic oil) was achieved after 5 h and 25 min. Agar well diffusion showed no inhibition zone on Muller Hinton Agar for garlic oil and garlic oil/betacyclodextrin (with initial release (shaking at 150 rpm for 24 h at 37ºC) and without initial release). Staphylococcus aureus was the most susceptible bacterium to garlic oil, and garlic oil/beta-cyclodextrin with and without initial release (minimum inhibitory concentration 10-5 , 10-4 and 10-3 % w v -1 , respectively); however, Bacillus cereus was the most resistant. The effect of initial release for garlic oil/betacyclodextrin on inhibiting the growth of all four bacteria was significant. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between the inhibitory effect of garlic oil and garlic oil/beta-cyclodextrin with initial release on Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, also Salmonella entrica and Escherichia coli. Garlic oil showed a weak antioxidant activity in 1, 1- diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl assay. Garlic oil and its complex were not able to penetrate to the solid media; therefore, no inhibition zone and no antibacterial activity in the agar well diffusion assay were observed. Initial release of garlic oil/beta-cyclodextrin had significant impact on the inhibition of four bacterial growth, similar to free garlic oil. Since encapsulation of garlic oil can cover its drawbacks (low solubility in water, liquid form, and intense odor), garlic oil/beta-cyclodextrin could be considered as an nonsynthetic antibacterial agent.Conflict of interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest

The Effect of Non-thermal Processing of Hyssopus officinalis on its Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

Hyssopus of­ficinalis L. is one of the most important medicinal plants. Medicinal herbs are contaminated by microorganisms. Conventional methods for reducing of microbial loads such as ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and also use of steam are hazardous and instead, non-thermal process such as microwave and gamma radiation are being used widely in order to eliminate the microbial contaminations with no or a little side effect. In the present study the effect of gamma and microwave irradiation on antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Hyssopus of­ficinalis L. was investigated. Hyssopus samples were exposed to gamma  irradiation at doses 10, 15, 20 and 25 kGy and microwave irradiationat power of 300, 450 and 600 W for 5 min. In order to undergo the sequence experiments, the hydroalcoholic (EtOH 50%) extracts of plant were prepared. The antioxidant activities of irradiated and control samples were evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging (RS), ferric reducing power (FRP), β-carotene bleaching (BCB) and total phenolic content (TPC) of sampels. In order to study the antimicrobial activity, for determination of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) on E. coli and S. aureus,broth diluting method was used. Results showed that gamma irradiation had no significant effect on antioxidant parameters, phenolic content and antimicrobial activities of sampels. Microwave treatment of Hyssopus at 300, 450 and 600 W for 5 min increased its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Results indicated that gamma and microwave irradiation do not have any negative effect on antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Hyssopus

Fat Bloom and Polymorphism in Chocolate Prepared with Modified Tea Seed Oil

Abstract In order to produce cocoa butter replacer (CBR), tea seed oil was modified with enzymatic interesterification. The modified product was then added to dark chocolate formulation as a replacement for 10%, 15% and 20% of cocoa butter (CB) to study fat bloom formation and polymorphic structure in these samples. Keywords Fat bloom; Polymorphism; Chocolate; Modified tea seed oil Practical Applications According to our results, higher levels of fat bloom occurred in the chocolate sample without CBR (chocolate containing 100% CB, CBCH), compared with other chocolate samples. However, among the chocolates containing enzymatic interesterified sample (EIS) at various levels of 10%, 15% and 20%, the chocolate sample containing 10% of EI (EICH) showed lower fat bloom development during storage period (20 days). The results of polymorphic structure evaluation using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) showed new β-crystalline form with the XRD pattern close to that of β-VI and the m.p. appeared similar to β-V in CB. Also, XRD pattern of EIS showed β′-crystalline form in this sample. Presence of two crystalline forms (β and β′) in the EICH revealed that, adding 10% of the CBR prepared in the current study to chocolate formulation had probably no adverse effect on β-crystal formation in the chocolate sample

Ipsilateral common iliac artery plus femoral artery clamping for inducing sciatic nerve ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats: a reliable and simple method

The aim of this study was to develop a practical model of sciatic ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury producing serious neurologic deficits and being technically feasible compared with the current time consuming or ineffective models. Thirty rats were divided into 6 groups (n = 5). Animal were anesthetized by using ketamine (50 mg/kg) and xylazine (4 mg/kg). Experimental groups included a sham-operated group and five I/R groups with different reperfusion time intervals (0 h, 3 h, 1 d, 4 d, 7 d). In I/R groups, the right common iliac artery and the right femoral artery were clamped for 3 hrs. Sham-operated animals underwent only laparotomy without induction of ischemia. Just before euthanasia, behavioral scores (based on gait, grasp, paw position, and pinch sensitivity) were obtained and then sciatic nerves were removed for light-microscopy studies (for ischemic fiber degeneration (IFD) and edema). Behavioral score deteriorated among the ischemic groups compared with the control group (p < 0.01), with maximal behavioral deficit occurring at 4 days of reperfusion. Axonal swelling and IFD were found to happen only after 4 and 7 days, respectively. Our observations led to an easy-to-use but strong enough method for inducing and studying I/R injury in peripheral nerves

Risk factors associated with long covid syndrome: A retrospective study

Background: Recently, people have recognized the post-acute phase symptoms of the COVID-19. We investigated the long-term symptoms associated with COVID-19, (Long COVID Syndrome), and the risk factors associated with it. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. All the consecutive adult patients referred to the healthcare facilities anywhere in Fars province from 19 February 2020 until 20 November 2020 were included. All the patients had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. In a phone call to the patients, at least three months after their discharge from the hospital, we obtained their current information. The IBM SPSS Statistics (version 25.0) was used. Pearson Chi square, Fisher’s exact test, t test, and binary logistic regression analysis model were employed. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: In total, 4,681 patients were studied, 2915 of whom (62.3%) reported symptoms. The most common symptoms of long COVID syndrome were fatigue, exercise intolerance, walking intolerance, muscle pain, and shortness of breath. Women were more likely to experience long-term COVID syndrome than men (Odds Ratio: 1,268; 95% Confidence Interval: 1,122-1,432; P=0.0001), which was significant. Presentation with respiratory problems at the onset of illness was also significantly associated with long COVID syndrome (Odds Ratio: 1.425; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.177-1.724; P=0.0001). A shorter length of hospital stay was inversely associated with long COVID syndrome (Odds Ratio: 0.953; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.941-0.965; P=0.0001). Conclusion: Long COVID syndrome is a frequent and disabling condition and has significant associations with sex (female), respiratory symptoms at the onset, and the severity of the illness

Global injury morbidity and mortality from 1990 to 2017: Results from the global burden of disease study 2017

Background Past research in population health trends has shown that injuries form a substantial burden of population health loss. Regular updates to injury burden assessments are critical. We report Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 Study estimates on morbidity and mortality for all injuries. methods We reviewed results for injuries from the GBD 2017 study. GBD 2017 measured injury-specific mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. To measure non-fatal injuries, GBD 2017 modelled injury-specific incidence and converted this to prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). YLLs and YLDs were summed to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Findings In 1990, there were 4 260 493 (4 085 700 to 4 396 138) injury deaths, which increased to 4 484 722 (4 332 010 to 4 585 554) deaths in 2017, while age-standardised mortality decreased from 1079 (1073 to 1086) to 738 (730 to 745) per 100 000. In 1990, there were 354 064 302 (95% uncertainty interval: 338 174 876 to 371 610 802) new cases of injury globally, which increased to 520 710 288 (493 430 247 to 547 988 635) new cases in 2017. During this time, age-standardised incidence decreased non-significantly from 6824 (6534 to 7147) to 6763 (6412 to 7118) per 100 000. Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardised DALYs decreased from 4947 (4655 to 5233) per 100 000 to 3267 (3058 to 3505). Interpretation Injuries are an important cause of health loss globally, though mortality has declined between 1990 and 2017. Future research in injury burden should focus on prevention in high-burden populations, improving data collection and ensuring access to medical care

Epidemiology of injuries from fire, heat and hot substances : global, regional and national morbidity and mortality estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2017 study

Background Past research has shown how fires, heat and hot substances are important causes of health loss globally. Detailed estimates of the morbidity and mortality from these injuries could help drive preventative measures and improved access to care. Methods We used the Global Burden of Disease 2017 framework to produce three main results. First, we produced results on incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, deaths, years of life lost and disability-adjusted life years from 1990 to 2017 for 195 countries and territories. Second, we analysed these results to measure mortality-to-incidence ratios by location. Third, we reported the measures above in terms of the cause of fire, heat and hot substances and the types of bodily injuries that result. Results Globally, there were 8 991 468 (7 481 218 to 10 740 897) new fire, heat and hot substance injuries in 2017 with 120 632 (101 630 to 129 383) deaths. At the global level, the age-standardised mortality caused by fire, heat and hot substances significantly declined from 1990 to 2017, but regionally there was variability in age-standardised incidence with some regions experiencing an increase (eg, Southern Latin America) and others experiencing a significant decrease (eg, High-income North America). Conclusions The incidence and mortality of injuries that result from fire, heat and hot substances affect every region of the world but are most concentrated in middle and lower income areas. More resources should be invested in measuring these injuries as well as in improving infrastructure, advancing safety measures and ensuring access to care.Peer reviewe