Examining the relationship between sugar content, packaging features, and food claims of breakfast cereals

Excessive free-sugar intake has become highly prevalent in numerous countries, and Portugal is not the exception. One product category that contributes to the daily intake of free sugars is breakfast cereals. In the current work, we identified 289 exemplars from two major retailers in Portugal and collected information on their nutritional profile (e.g., sugar, salt, fiber per 100 g), price, packaging features, type of food claims present (e.g., statements about the composition, sensory features, the origin of the product), and ingredients list. Overall, the sugar content of breakfast cereals was high (Mean = 19.9 g), and less than 10% of the products complied with the current national guidelines (i.e., 5 g of sugar per 100 g of product). Sugar (or other sugar sources) was listed in the top three ingredients for over 85% of the products. On average, each product included about four claims (Mean = 3.9), and sugar content was lower when the claims were related to the product composition. Critically, the sugar content was particularly high for children-oriented products (Mean = 26.4 g). Correlation analysis showed that breakfast cereals with higher sugar content also were cheaper and had lower quantities of fiber, proteins, and salt. Our findings suggest the need to implement strategies to reduce sugar in this product category (e.g., incentivize manufacturers to reformulate products). Also, our results may inform strategies aimed at promoting consumers’ awareness about the sugar content in breakfast cereals and other processed foods, facilitating healthier decision-making.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

With or without Emoji? Perceptions about Emoji use in different brand-consumer communication contexts

Brands are increasingly using emoji in their computer-mediated communication (CMC). However, research on how consumers perceive such use, and the determinants of those perceptions, is scarce and results may be inconsistent. In a cross-sectional study () we examined how appropriate participants considered to be the use of emoji by brands, across five brand-consumer communication contexts. We additionally examined whether these perceptions were determined by demographic and individual variables (e.g., gender and frequency of emoji use), as well as individual views about emoji use in written CMC. Overall, perceptions toward the use of emoji by brands depended on the context, with participants considering more appropriate for brands to use emoji when publicizing on social media and less appropriate when making callbacks of defective products. Results further showed that such perceptions were more favorable among younger participants and those who used emoji more frequently, but also among those who considered emoji use more useful and formal. These findings contribute to the CMC field by highlighting how perceptions of emoji use by brands are shaped, while also informing how brands can enhance CMC with consumers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluating the adequacy of emoji use in positive and negative messages from close and distant senders

Computer-mediated communication allows people to communicate across several contexts (e.g., friends, professional settings) by using video-based or text-based channels. In the latter case, communication lacks nonverbal cues (e.g., tone of voice) that are critical to message interpretation. Including emoji can help express emotion and reinforce or clarify the meaning of a message. However, the benefits of using emoji are likely to depend on the context (e.g., the relationship between interlocutors) and the messages' features (e.g., the valence of the message). To date, studies have not systematically and empirically examined how the use of emoji is perceived across different communication scenarios. In the current study, we asked 175 participants (49.5 percent women; Mage = 36.32, SD = 12.22) to imagine receiving either a negative or a positive message from 22 senders (e.g., friend; bank manager) and to indicate, for each case, how much they would like to receive an emoji and how useful and appropriate they considered the use of emoji. These ratings were combined into a single index of emoji use adequacy. Based on factor analysis, the 22 scenarios were aggregated in distant and close scenarios. Overall, results showed that participants considered emoji use more inadequate in distant (vs. close) scenarios and for negative (vs. positive) messages. These findings suggest that the perceived benefits of emoji use for text-based communication may not be generalized to all text-based communication contexts, such that relationship proximity and message valence should not be overlooked. Implications for the fields of consumer psychology and communication are discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Impacto de la variabilidad intrapaciente en la concentración sanguínea de anticalcineurínicos en los resultados del trasplante cardiaco

[Abstract] Introduction and objectives. Intrapatient blood level variability (IPV) of calcineurin inhibitors has been associated with poor outcomes in solid-organ transplant, but data for heart transplant are scarce. Our purpose was to ascertain the clinical impact of IPV in a multi-institutional cohort of heart transplant recipients. Methods. We retrospectively studied patients aged ≥ 18 years, with a first heart transplant performed between 2000 and 2014 and surviving ≥ 1 year. IPV was assessed by the coefficient of variation of trough levels from posttransplant months 4 to 12. A composite of rejection or mortality/graft loss or rejection and all-cause mortality/graft loss between years 1 to 5 posttransplant were analyzed by Cox regression analysis. Results. The study group consisted of 1581 recipients (median age, 56 years; women, 21%). Cyclosporine immediate-release tacrolimus and prolonged-release tacrolimus were used in 790, 527 and 264 patients, respectively. On multivariable analysis, coefficient of variation > 27.8% showed a nonsignificant trend to association with 5-year rejection-free survival (HR, 1.298; 95%CI, 0.993-1.695; P = .056) and with 5-year mortality (HR, 1.387; 95%CI, 0.979-1.963; P = .065). Association with rejection became significant on analysis of only those patients without rejection episodes during the first year posttransplant (HR, 1.609; 95%CI, 1.129-2.295; P = .011). The tacrolimus-based formulation had less IPV than cyclosporine and better results with less influence of IPV. Conclusions. IPV of calcineurin inhibitors is only marginally associated with mid-term outcomes after heart transplant, particularly with the tacrolimus-based immunosuppression, although it could play a role in the most stable recipients.[Resumen] Introducción y objetivos. El objetivo es estudiar el impacto clínico de la variabilidad intrapaciente (VIP) de la concentración sanguínea de los anticalcineurínicos en el trasplante cardiaco, pues la información actual es escasa. Métodos. Se analizó retrospectivamente a pacientes de edad ≥ 18 años con un trasplante cardiaco realizado entre 2000 y 2014 y con supervivencia ≥ 1 año. La VIP se valoró mediante el coeficiente de variación de concentraciones entre los meses 4 a 12 postrasplante. El compuesto de rechazo, mortalidad o pérdida del injerto y la mortalidad o pérdida del injerto 1-5 años tras el trasplante se analizaron mediante regresión de Cox. Resultados. Se estudió a 1.581 receptores (edad, 56 años; mujeres, 21%), tratados con ciclosporina (790 pacientes) o tacrolimus (791 pacientes). En el análisis multivariable, un coeficiente de variación > 27,8% tendió a asociarse con el compuesto de rechazo/mortalidad (HR = 1,298; IC95%, 0,993-1,695; p = 0,056) y con la mortalidad (HR = 1,387; IC95%, 0,979-1,963; p = 0,065) a los 5 años. La asociación con el rechazo fue significativa al analizar a la población sin rechazos durante el primer año del trasplante (HR = 1,609; IC95%, 1,129-2,295; p = 0,011). El tacrolimus tuvo menos VIP que la ciclosporina, junto con unos mejores resultados por la menor influencia de la VIP. Conclusiones. La VIP de los anticalcineurínicos, especialmente con la inmunosupresión basada en el tacrolimus, se asocia solo marginalmente con los resultados a medio plazo del trasplante cardiaco, aunque puede tener influencia en los pacientes más estables durante el primer año tras el trasplante

An 8-mm diameter fibre robot positioner for massive spectroscopy surveys

This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of Royal Astronomical Society © 2015 The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reservedMassive spectroscopic survey are becoming trendy in astrophysics and cosmology, as they can address new fundamental knowledge such as understanding the formation of the Milky Way and probing the nature of the mysterious dark energy. To enable massive spectroscopic surveys, new technology has been developed to place thousands of optical fibres at a given position on a focal plane. This technology needs to be: (1) accurate, with micrometer positional accuracy; (2) fast to minimize overhead; (3) robust to minimize failure; and (4) low cost. In this paper, we present the development, properties, and performance of a new single 8-mm in diameter fibre positioner robot, using two 4-mm DC-brushless gearmotors, that allows us to achieve accuracies up to 0.07 arcsec (5 μm). This device has been developed in the context of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic InstrumentWe acknowledge support from the Spanish MICINNs Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Program me under grant MultiDark CSD2009-00064, HEPHACOS S2009/ESP-1473, and MINECO Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa Programme under grant SEV-2012-0249. We also thank the support from a CSIC-AVS contract through MICINN grant AYA2010-21231-C02- 01, and CDTI grant IDC-20101033; and support from the Spanish MINECO research grants AYA2012-31101 and FPA2012-34694. JPK, PH and LM acknowledge support from the ERC advanced grant LIDA and from an SNF Interdisciplinary grant

An 8-mm diameter fibre robot positioner for massive spectroscopy surveys

Massive spectroscopic survey are becoming trendy in astrophysics and cosmology, as they can address new fundamental knowledge such as understanding the formation of the Milky Way and probing the nature of the mysterious dark energy. To enable massive spectroscopic surveys, new technology has been developed to place thousands of optical fibres at a given position on a focal plane. This technology needs to be: (1) accurate, with micrometer positional accuracy; (2) fast to minimize overhead; (3) robust to minimize failure; and (4) low cost. In this paper, we present the development, properties, and performance of a new single 8-mm in diameter fibre positioner robot, using two 4-mm DC-brushless gearmotors, that allows us to achieve accuracies up to 0.07arcsec (5 μm). This device has been developed in the context of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument.

Prevalence and severity of renal dysfunction among 1062 heart transplant patients according to criteria based on serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate: results from the CAPRI study

[Abstract] Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is staged on the basis of glomerular filtration rate; generally, the MDRD study estimate, eGFR, is used. Renal dysfunction (RD) in heart transplant (HT) patients is often evaluated solely in terms of serum creatinine (SCr). In a cross-sectional, 14-center study of 1062 stable adult HT patients aged 59.1 ± 12.5 yr (82.3% men), RD was graded as absent-or-mild (AoM), moderate, or severe (this last including dialysis and kidney graft) by two classifications: SCr-RD (SCr cutoffs 1.6 and 2.5 mg/dL) and eGFR-RD (eGFR cutoffs 60 and 30 mL/min/1.73 m2). SCr-RD was AoM in 68.5% of patients, moderate in 24.9%, and severe in 6.7%; eGFR-RD, AoM in 38.6%, moderate in 52.2%, severe in 9.2%. Among patients evaluated 9.5 yr post-HT (the periods defined by time-since-transplant quartiles), AoM/moderate/severe RD prevalences were 9.5, SCr-RD 58/32/10%, eGFR-RD 32/52/16%. The prevalence of severe RD increases with time since transplant. If the usual CKD stages are appropriate for HT patients, the need for less nephrotoxic immunosuppressants and other renoprotective measures is greater than is suggested by direct SCr-based grading, which should be abandoned as excessively insensitive

First broadband characterization and redshift determination of the VHE blazar MAGIC J2001+439

We aim to characterize the broadband emission from 2FGL J2001.1+4352, which has been associated with the unknown-redshift blazar MG4 J200112+4352. Based on its gamma-ray spectral properties, it was identified as a potential very high energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray emitter. The source was observed with MAGIC first in 2009 and later in 2010 within a multi-instrument observation campaign. The MAGIC observations yielded 14.8 hours of good quality stereoscopic data. The object was monitored at radio, optical and gamma-ray energies during the years 2010 and 2011. The source, named MAGIC J2001+439, is detected for the first time at VHE with MAGIC at a statistical significance of 6.3 {\sigma} (E > 70 GeV) during a 1.3-hour long observation on 2010 July 16. The multi-instrument observations show variability in all energy bands with the highest amplitude of variability in the X-ray and VHE bands. We also organized deep imaging optical observations with the Nordic Optical Telescope in 2013 to determine the source redshift. We determine for the first time the redshift of this BL Lac object through the measurement of its host galaxy during low blazar activity. Using the observational evidence that the luminosities of BL Lac host galaxies are confined to a relatively narrow range, we obtain z = 0.18 +/- 0.04. Additionally, we use the Fermi-LAT and MAGIC gamma-ray spectra to provide an independent redshift estimation, z = 0.17 +/- 0.10. Using the former (more accurate) redshift value, we adequately describe the broadband emission with a one-zone SSC model for different activity states and interpret the few-day timescale variability as produced by changes in the high-energy component of the electron energy distribution.Comment: 17 pages, 15 figures, Accepted for publication in A&

Risk factors associated with moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction among heart transplant patients: results from the CAPRI study

[Abstract] The longer survival of patients with heart transplantation (HT) favors calcineurin inhibitor–related chronic kidney disease (CKD). It behoves to identify risk factors. At 14 Spanish centers, data on 1062 adult patients with HT (age 59.2 ± 12.3 yr, 82.5% men) were collected at routine follow-up examinations. Glomerular filtration rate, GFR, was estimated using the four-variable MDRD equation, and moderate-or-severe renal dysfunction (MSRD) was defined as K/DOQI stage 3 CKD or worse. Time since transplant ranged from one month to 22 yr (mean 6.7 yr). At assessment, 26.6% of patients were diabetic and 63.9% hypertensive; 53.9% were taking cyclosporine and 33.1% tacrolimus; and 61.4% had MSRD. Among patients on cyclosporine or tacrolimus at assessment, multivariate logistic regression identified male sex (OR 0.44), pre- and post-HT creatinine (2.73 and 3.13 per mg/dL), age at transplant (1.06 per yr), time since transplant (1.05 per yr), and tacrolimus (0.65) as independent positive or negative predictors of MSRD. It is concluded that female sex, pre- and one-month post-HT serum creatinine, age at transplant, time since transplant, and immunosuppression with cyclosporine rather than tacrolimus may all be risk factors for development of CKD ≥ stage 3 by patients with HT

Detection of very high energy gamma-ray emission from the gravitationally-lensed blazar QSO B0218+357 with the MAGIC telescopes

Context. QSO B0218+357 is a gravitationally lensed blazar located at a redshift of 0.944. The gravitational lensing splits the emitted radiation into two components, spatially indistinguishable by gamma-ray instruments, but separated by a 10-12 day delay. In July 2014, QSO B0218+357 experienced a violent flare observed by the Fermi-LAT and followed by the MAGIC telescopes. Aims. The spectral energy distribution of QSO B0218+357 can give information on the energetics of z ~ 1 very high energy gamma- ray sources. Moreover the gamma-ray emission can also be used as a probe of the extragalactic background light at z ~ 1. Methods. MAGIC performed observations of QSO B0218+357 during the expected arrival time of the delayed component of the emission. The MAGIC and Fermi-LAT observations were accompanied by quasi-simultaneous optical data from the KVA telescope and X-ray observations by Swift-XRT. We construct a multiwavelength spectral energy distribution of QSO B0218+357 and use it to model the source. The GeV and sub-TeV data, obtained by Fermi-LAT and MAGIC, are used to set constraints on the extragalactic background light. Results. Very high energy gamma-ray emission was detected from the direction of QSO B0218+357 by the MAGIC telescopes during the expected time of arrival of the trailing component of the flare, making it the farthest very high energy gamma-ray sources detected to date. The observed emission spans the energy range from 65 to 175 GeV. The combined MAGIC and Fermi-LAT spectral energy distribution of QSO B0218+357 is consistent with current extragalactic background light models. The broad band emission can be modeled in the framework of a two zone external Compton scenario, where the GeV emission comes from an emission region in the jet, located outside the broad line region.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&