Impact of Body Image Perception on Weight Status: A Refuelling of Non-communicable Disease in Urban South African Zulu Women: Not Just Calipers, Tapes and Scales

The purpose of this study was to determine Zulu women’s perceptions of their body image relative to weight status attending a noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) clinic in South Africa. A cross-sectional exploratory study design was used and included 328 (91%) Zulu women who were sampled systematically. The women were subjected to anthropometric measurements and engaged the Stunkard’s body image figures to determine perception. The study showed that 61% of the sample was in the 40–59 age strata. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 37 kg/m2 (±9.41 kg/m2) with over 90% being overweight or obese. A discrepancy between Zulu women’s perceived body image and actual (BMI) existed in all weight status categories with overweight and obesity demonstrating the widest variations (p < 0.000). Women perceived themselves to be thinner than their actual BMI. More than 99% associated an underweight body image to one with disease. Diabetes mellitus (72%) was the most frequent NCD encountered. Only 23% with this condition correctly perceived their body image. It was shown that the negative impact of preferring a larger body image in Zulu women with preexisting NCD’s could be refueling their existing comorbidities

Systematic Survey of the Role of IGF in the Link Between Diabetes and Cancer

Epidemiological studies have proposed a link between type II diabetes and cancer via the IGF/insulin signaling pathway, which includes insulin-like peptides (IGF1, IGF2, and insulin), insulin receptors (IR-A, IR-B, IGF1R, and hybrids), and insulin substrate proteins (IRS1-6). In this study, up- and down-regulation of various components in the IGF/insulin signaling pathway are compared to clinical outcomes for cancer patients; the components include diagnosis age, overall survival, tumor invasion and vascularization, and body mass index. It was found that the up-regulation of insulin growth Factor (IGF)/insulin components was associated with overall survival and tumor invasion and vascularization, while the down-regulation of equivalent components was not associated with clinical outcomes assessed in this study. Particularly, the up-regulation of DOK5, IGF2, and IRS2 in colorectal cancer and IGF1R in liver cancer is associated with significantly decreased overall survival. Functional aberrations in either of the two proteins in co-expression pairs were identified for each cancer and correlated with overall survival and diagnosis age. Specific biomarkers proposed in this study will be further analyzed to fine-tune consistent associations that can be translated to reliable prognostic standards for the roles of IGF/insulin signaling pathway modulations that promote cancer

A simulation comparison of methods for new product location

Includes bibliographical references (p. 29-31)

ECM STABILIZATION STRATEGIES FOR BIOPROSTHETIC HEART VALVES FOR IMPROVED DURABILITY

Abstract Approximately 85,000 heart valve replacement surgeries are performed every year in United States and about 300,000 surgeries worldwide. It is estimated that half of them are mechanical valve replacements and the other half bioprosthetic valve replacements. The use of bioprosthetic heart valves is slowly increasing. Bioprosthetic heart valves are made from porcine aortic valves or bovine pericardium. Commercially these bioprostheses are currently crosslinked using glutaraldehyde (GLUT) to prevent tissue degradation and reduce tissue antigenicity. GLUT crosslinks these bioprostheses by stabilizing the collagen present in the tissue via a Schiff base reaction of the aldehyde with the hydroxylysine / lysine residues of collagen. However, Glut crosslinked BHVs fail due to structural dysfunction or calcification and need second replacements. 10 years after surgery, 20-30% of these valves become dysfunctional, and more than 50% of them fail between 12 - 15 years postoperatively. GLUT is known to be a good fixative for the collagenous component of the heart valves. However, GLUT is known to cause cytotoxicity and it is one of the causes of calcification of BHVs. Several alternative fixatives have been researched for BHV stabilization. Physical methods of crosslinking include ultraviolet irradiation and dye mediated photo-oxidation (PhotoFix®, Carbomedics, Austin, TX). Alternative chemical fixatives include stabilization using epoxy compounds, diphenylphosphorylazide, acyl azides, cyanamide, diisocyanates, diglycidyl ether, polyethylene glycol (PEG), carbodiimide (Ultifix®, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN), diamine bridges, triglycidylamine, sodium metaperiodate, reuterin and genepin. They have shown significantly lower calcification of BHVs, however none of the above mentioned crosslinker is proven successful in long-term clinical studies. Glutaraldehyde is still the only major crosslinker used for clinically used BHVs. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and elastin the other two major components of heart valves apart from collagen are not stabilized by GLUT fixation. It has been shown that GAGs are lost during harvesting, fixation, storage, in vitro cyclic fatigue and after in vivo animal implantation. Clinically explanted BHVs also show GAG depletion. GAGs are an important component of the valves and they maintain a hydrated environment in the valves and help in absorbing compressive and shear stresses acting on the valve and resisting local tissue buckling. It has been hypothesized that loss of these important matrix elements might result in the accelerated degeneration of BHVs. Furthermore, fixation of these components in the valves may help in the better biomechanics of the valves and also improve in vivo durability of the valves. Better extracellular matrix (ECM) stabilization to prevent degeneration will determine the long-term success and durability of these valves. Crosslikers such as carbodiimide, triglycidylamine, and sodium metaperiodate were tried as GAG-targeted fixatives; however, they were unable to completely inhibit the enzyme mediated degradation of GAGs. The focus of this study is on using neomycin trisulfate, a hyaluronidase inhibitor, along with GAG-targeted fixative carbodiimide for stabilizing the GAGs present in the valves. Systematic approach is used in our studies to determine the tissue GAG content, resistance to enzymatic GAG degradation, collagen and elastin stability, in vitro cyclic fatigue, in vivo calcification, effect on biomechanical properties of valves as well as combination with anti-calcification treatments to prevent both degeneration and calcification. We show that neomycin based chemistry significantly stabilize GAGs in the BHVs against GAG degrading enzymes and such fixation would improve long-term durability of the prosthesis

Exploring Identifiers in the Luxury Consumer Segment – an Indian Perspective

Purpose: Conceptualize the identifiers of segments emerging on the bases of a) Income and Wealth, b) Socio-Cultural and c) Behavioural aspects by diving deep into academic literature, market and industry reports and new articles – all examined through the unique lens of the Indian context.   Theoretical Framework: This conceptual paper draws from theories on value drivers of luxury ( ) and synthesizes it with classical consumer market segmentation theory ( ).   Design Methodology and Approach: This is conceptual paper created by the integration of literatures and available secondary data to propose integrated frameworks.   Research, Practical and Social Implications: The research implication for this paper stems from the fact that the conceptual models proposed pave the way for empirical verification. The research also provides practitioners and luxury marketers with insights that may be referred to while designing marketing programs in this market.   Originality Value: The paper synthesizes and integrates existing luxury literature, secondary data on Indian luxury markets and classical segmentation theory to add value to analysing luxury segments in the unique cultural context of Indi

Tracing the Characteristics and Consequences of Luxury Through a Review of Literature

Purpose: The academic interest in ‘luxury’ as a concept may be traced to Veblen’s seminal work “Theory of the Leisure Class”, where he argues that wealthy individuals often consume luxury for purposes signalling status. This premise created numerous research work on answering questions such as – how does one identify a brand as luxury, what characteristics typify a luxury brand, how does a luxury marketer achieve these characteristics, what benefits do consumers seek from luxury, and finally, what are the consequences of luxury consumption for the consumer and to the society. This paper explores answers to these questions through an in-depth review of literature.   Theoretical Framework: The scoping for the review of literature was carried out by applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).   Design Methodology and Approach: Keywords like ‘luxury management’, ‘luxury consumer’, ‘luxury definition’ and ‘luxury brand’ were searched on prominent databases (EBSCO, Emerald, JSTOR, ProQuest and Google Scholar). The relevant papers were reviewed and cross referred to ensure comprehensiveness of the review of literature. The arguments and evidences from over 50 research papers (primarily between 1995-2023) have been stitched to create the conceptual model proposed in the paper. The literature reviewed and were categorized as a) research which discuss and propose the typifying characteristics of luxury, b) research which examined the consequences of luxury consumption to the society and to the consumer and c) research expounding the distinct approach required for managing luxury brands. By connecting the evidences from extant literature, this paper proposes a model that traces the characteristics of luxury (and the antecedent or source of the characteristic) with its corresponding benefits and consequences. Finally, the specificities of luxury management that arise from the characteristics and consequences have been explored and discussed.    Research, Practical and Social Implications: Elaborating on the features of luxury provides scholars and researchers with a basis for deriving operational definitions in future research. Moreover, by mapping the connection between the characteristics of luxury and their associated benefits and consequences, the research offers luxury marketers practical insights for effectively managing and cultivating robust luxury value.   Originality Value: The article consolidates existing literature to create a concise conceptual model, offering novel viewpoints on luxury and luxury marketing

TAR-RNA Recognition by a Novel Cyclic Aminoglycoside Analogue

Die Bildung des Tat-Protein/TAR RNA-Komplexes ist ein entscheidender Schritt in der Regulation der Expression des HI-Virus (Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV). Für eine vollständige Transkription des viralen Gens ist die Interaktion des Tat/TARKomplexes mit dem positiven Transkriptionsfaktor-Komplex P-EFTb (Positive Transcription Elongation Factor) über dessen Cyclin T1-Komponente (CycT1) notwendig. Durch Mutagenesestudien wurde die Hexanukleotid-Schleife der TAR RNA als Kontaktstelle für die Wechselwirkung mit CycT1 identifiziert. Zur Entwicklung neuer Arzneimittel gegen das HIV stellt die Störung des Zusammenspiels zwischen dem Tat/CycT1-Komplex und der TAR RNA ein lohnendes Ziel dar. Positiv geladene Verbindungen wie Aminoglycoside oder Peptidmimetika binden an die TAR RNA und brechen so den Tat/TAR-Komplex auf. In dieser Arbeit wird die Bestimmung der dreidimensionalen Struktur des Komplexes zwischen der HIV-2 TAR RNA und einem Neooligoaminodeoxysaccharid mit Hilfe der NMR-Spektroskopie beschrieben. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Aminoglycosiden wechselwirkt diese neuartige Verbindung gleichzeitig mit den für die Bindung des Tat-Proteins verantwortlichen Resten des Bulges wie auch mit dem Adenosin 35 der Hexanukleotid-Schleife der TAR RNA. Diese Schleifenregion erfährt bei der Bildung des Komplexes mit dem Aminoglycosid eine große konformationelle Änderung. Dieser neue Bindungsmodus eröffnet zusammen mit der einfachen synthetischen Zugänglichkeit von Neooligoaminodeoxysaccharid-Derivaten die Möglichkeit, eine neue Klasse von TAR RNA bindenden Molekülen zu entwerfen. Diese könnten gleichzeitig die Bildung des binären Tat/TAR- wie auch des ternären Tat/TAR/CycT1-Komplexes durch Störung der Schleifen- und Bulge-Region der RNA verhindern.The formation of the Tat-protein/TAR RNA complex is a crucial step in the regulation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-gene expression. To obtain fulllength viral transcripts the Tat/TAR complex has to recruit the positive transcription elongation factor complex (P-EFTb), which interacts with TAR through its CyclinT1 (CycT1) component. Mutational studies identified the TAR hexanucleotide loop as a crucial region for contacting CyclinT1. Interfering with the interaction between the Tat/CycT1 complex and the TAR RNA is an attractive strategy for the design of anti- HIV drugs. Positively charged molecules, like aminoglycosides or peptidomimetics, bind the TAR RNA, disrupting the Tat/TAR complex. Here, we investigate the complex between the HIV-2 TAR RNA and a neooligoaminodeoxysaccharide by NMR spectroscopy. In contrast to other aminoglycosides, this novel aminoglycoside analogue contacts simultaneously the bulge residues required for Tat binding and the A35 residue of the hexanucleotide loop. Upon complex formation, the loop region undergoes profound conformational changes. The novel binding mode, together with the easy accessibility of derivatives for the neooligoaminodeoxysaccharide, could open the way to the design of a new class of TAR RNA binders, which simultaneously inhibit the formation of both the Tat/TAR binary complex and the Tat/TAR/CyclinT1 ternary complex by obstructing both the bulge and loop regions of the RNA

Radiation tolerance of ceramics—insights from atomistic simulation of damage accumulation in pyrochlores

We have used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the effects of radiation damage accumulation in two pyrochlore-structured ceramics, namely Gd2Ti2O7 and Gd2Zr2O7. It is well known from experiment that the titanate is susceptible to radiation-induced amorphization, while the zirconate does not go amorphous under prolonged irradiation. Our simulations show that cation Frenkel pair accumulation eventually leads to amorphization of Gd2Ti2O7, and both anion disorder and cation disorder occur during damage accumulation. Amorphization in Gd2Ti2O7 is accompaniedby a density decrease of about 12.7% and a decrease of about 50% in the elastic modulus. In Gd2Zr2O7, amorphization does not occur, because the residual damage introduced by radiation is not sufficiently energetic to destabilize the crystal structure and drive the material amorphous. Subtle differences in damage accumulation and annealing between the two pyrochlores lead to drastically different radiation response as the damage accumulates