Rewarding peer reviewers: a problem of adverse selection?

As a solution to the worsening peer reviewer shortage, many scientific journals now offer non-monetary rewards as an incentive to researchers to register to review. Marco Seeber and Monica Zaharie report on research studying the efficacy of non-monetary rewards in attracting peer reviewers, exploring whether acceptance varies according to the nature of the offer of the reward or the researcher’s gender, rank, or productivity. While it is often taken for granted that offering a reward will spur a particular behaviour, this is not necessarily true for an undertaking such as peer review, where efforts are often also driven by ethical commitment and other more intrinsic motivations

Particularities of Oxidative Stress in Newborns

The oxidative stress at newborns is augmented by different conditions like preterm birth, asphyxia, respiratory distress, and intraventricular hemorrhage. Preterm neonates associate a more pronounced oxidative stress than healthy term newborns. Several neonatal conditions like respiratory distress (RDS), asphyxia, intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy, and necrotizing enterocolitis will increase the oxidative stress. The harmful effects of free radicals are linked to their capacity to react with polyunsaturated fatty acids of cell membranes, proteins, and nucleic acids. Free radicals will produce protein alteration with function loss and lipid peroxidation

THE ECONOMIC CONTINENTAL UNIONS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

The present study proposes a display of the forming and developing of the modern economic continental unions within the context of the latest economic evolutions. Also, it presents an amazing parallel between the map of the new post-war world, as it was imagined by the visionary Maurice Gomberg and the latest evolutions regarding new world’s order reconfiguration.continental union, world order, regional integrative organization, economic superpower, supra-state structure, Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Does Administration Timing of Ondansetron, a 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonist, Affect Inhibition of the Bezold-Jarisch Reflex in OB C-section Patients Receiving Spinal Anesthesia

Ondansetron (a 5HT-3 receptor antagonist) has been shown in multiple randomized controlled trials (RCT’s) and meta-analysis to inhibit activation of Bezold-Jarisch Reflex (BJR) in response to spinal anesthesia for elective cesarean section patients. Studies have not determined whether the timing of administration changes the inhibitory affect of ondansetron in this patient population. This project addressed the following question: Does administration timing of Ondansetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, affect inhibition of the Bezold-Jarisch Reflex in obstetric cesarean section patients receiving spinal anesthesia? De-identified aggregated electronic medical record data for a one-year period was obtained. Data was grouped by ondansetron administration timing prior to spinal administration: ≤ 15 minutes (G1), \u3e 15 minutes and ≤ 30 minutes (G2), \u3e 30 minutes (G3). Blood Pressure (BP) data, including systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure (MAP), was included for four time points: pre spinal, 5-, 15- and 30-minutes post spinal. Change in BP from baseline were used for analysis. Total vasopressor usage was also included for analysis. Sixty-six obstetric cases were included, (G1 n=24), (G2 n=24) and (G3 n=18). Data was analyzed using the one-way ANOVA test for BP change scores and the Kruskal-Wallis for evaluating vasopressor use. No statistical significance between groups was found in BP change scores or vasopressor use. However, G3 did show greater drops in BP and increased vasopressor usage compared to G2 and G1. Further evaluation is recommended through either a large-scale retrospective study or randomized control trial (RCT)

A comparative study of continuum and structural modelling approaches to simulate bone adaptation in the pelvic construct

This study presents the development of a number of finite element (FE) models of the pelvis using different continuum and structural modelling approaches. Four FE models were developed using different modelling approaches: continuum isotropic, continuum orthotropic, hybrid isotropic and hybrid orthotropic. The models were subjected to an iterative adaptation process based on the Mechanostat principle. Each model was adapted to a number of common daily living activities (walking, stair ascent, stair descent, sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit) by applying onto it joint and muscle loads derived using a musculoskeletal modelling framework. The resulting models, along with a structural model previously developed by the authors, were compared visually in terms of bone architecture, and their response to a single load case was compared to a continuum FE model derived from computed tomography (CT) imaging data. The main findings of this study were that the continuum orthotropic model was the closest to the CT derived model in terms of load response albeit having less total bone volume, suggesting that the role of material directionality in influencing the maximum orthotropic Young’s modulus should be included in continuum bone adaptation models. In addition, the hybrid models, where trabecular and cortical bone were distinguished, had similar outcomes, suggesting that the approach to modelling trabecular bone is less influential when the cortex is modelled separately

Antioxidants at Newborns

Humans possess defense mechanisms against free radicals: enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Antioxidant defense is deficient in newborns and can be enhanced by the action of reactive oxygen species, generated by perinatal diseases such as respiratory distress or asphyxia. Prematurity itself will be associated with deficient antioxidant mechanisms, which are primarily enzymatic, but also non-enzymatic. Under oxidative stress conditions, antioxidant defense is overcome and thus, low-molecular weight free iron is released, which is not bound to transferrin and will play a role in Fenton’s reaction, catalyzing lipid peroxidation. The generated ROS will in turn influence antioxidant defense mechanisms, stimulating their synthesis, as an adaptation mechanism of the body in response to the presence of increased ROS levels

Environmental exposure of pharmaceuticals and musk fragrances in the Somes River before and after upgrading the municipal wastewater treatment plant Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Background, aim, and scope: Pharmaceutically active substances are a class of emerging contaminants, which has led to increasing concern about potential environmental risks. After excretion, substantial amounts of unchanged pharmaceuticals and their metabolites are discharged into domestic wastewaters. The absence of data on the environmental exposure in Eastern Europe is significant, since use patterns and volumes differ from country to country. In Romania, the majority of wastewater, from highly populated cities and industrial complex zones, is still discharged into surface waters without proper treatment or after inefficient treatment. In respect to this, it is important to determine the environmental occurrence and behavior of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in wastewaters and surface waters. The objective of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of selected PPCPs during the transport in the Somes River by mass flow analysis before and after upgrading a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Cluj-Napoca, which serves 350,000 inhabitants and is the largest plant discharging into the Somes River. The concentrations of PPCPs at Cluj-Napoca can be correlated with the high population and a high number of hospitals located in the catchment area leading to higher mass flows. The results of this study are expected to provide information, with respect to the Romanian conditions, for environmental scientists, WWTP operators, and legal authorities. The data should support the improvement of existing WWTPs and implementation of new ones where necessary and, therefore, minimize the input of contaminants into ambient waters. Materials and methods: The PPCPs were selected on the basis of consumption at the regional scale, reported aquatic toxicity, and the suitability of the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method for the determination of the compounds at trace levels. The studied PPCPs, caffeine (stimulant), carbamazepine (antiepileptic), pentoxifylline (anticoagulant), cyclophosphamide (cytostatic), ibuprofen (analgesic), and galaxolide (musk fragrance), were determined in samples of the Somes River. The analytes were enriched by solid-phase extraction and subsequently determined by GC/MS. Caffeine, pentoxifylline, and galaxolide were determined underivatized, whereas the acidic pharmaceuticals carbamazepine, cyclophosphamide, and ibuprofen were determined after derivatization with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide. Results and discussion: The concentrations in the Somes River varied from below 10ng/L up to 10μg/L. A substantial decrease of the exposure in the Somes River could be observed due to the upgrade of the municipal WWTP in Cluj-Napoca. The loads in the river stretch between Cluj-Napoca and Dej (Somes Mic) varied strongly: caffeine (400-2,000g/day), carbamazepine (78-213g/day), galaxolide (140-684g/day), ibuprofen (84-108g/day). After the upgrade of the WWTP Cluj-Napoca, the concentrations in the Somes of caffeine, pentoxifylline, cyclophosphamide, galaxolide, and tonalide were significantly reduced (over 75%). One might be cautious comparing both studies because the relative efficiency of the WWTP's removal of PPCP was not evaluated. However, the significantly lower concentrations of most compounds after the upgrade of the WWTP Cluj-Napoca allow one to infer that the technical measures at the source substantially reduced inputs of contaminants to the receiving river. Dej loads of the poorly biodegradable substance carbamazepine increased by a factor of 2-3 as a result of wastewater discharges into the river. The disproportionate increase in caffeine loads by a factor of 4 below Cluj-Napoca indicates inputs of untreated wastewater from the Somes Mare due to the discharge of untreated wastewater derived from Bistrita, Nasaud, and Beclean (115,000 inhabitants). Conclusions: The relative contribution of treated and untreated wastewater in surface water might be assessed by measuring chemical markers. Recalcitrant pharmaceuticals like carbamazepine are suitable as chemical markers for estimating the relative contribution of wastewater in surface water. The easily degradable caffeine might be a good indicator for raw sewage and hardly treated wastewaters. Recommendations and perspectives: Municipal WWTPs have the potential of a significant contribution in reducing the load of contaminants to ambient waters. The efficiency of the wastewater treatment in Cluj-Napoca improved considerably after the upgrade of the WWTP. Therefore, it is crucial that several WWTPs must be implemented or improved in the Somes Valley Watershed in order to reduce the discharge of contaminants in the Somes River from these point source

NEUROMARKETING – GETTING INSIDE THE CUSTOMER’S MIND

Neuromarketing is a relatively new concept which has developed as a consequence of accepting, by an increasing number of persons, the idea that there isn’t an objective reality and that the entire world is actually inside our mind, it is the sum of our exneuromarketing, fMRI(functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technology, “buy button”