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The emergence of the internet of things (IoT) is changing the behavior of people, companies, and their businesses. The IoT can enhance e-commerce by reducing the gaps between the virtual and physical worlds. Although the integration of the IoT into e-commerce has several positive effects, security concerns are greater in the IoT context than in traditional e-commerce settings. The proposed research model is based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) along with trust, privacy, and confidential data concerns to explain the intention to use the IoT in e-commerce. The authors developed a questionnaire and received a total of 328 responses. The results show that among the IoT security factors, trust and privacy are significant determinants of the intention to use the IoT in e-commerce.

Background:Worldwide, approximately 95% of obese people who follow diets for weight loss fail to maintain their weight loss in the long term. To fill this gap, mindfulness-based interventions, with a focus on mindful eating, are promising therapies to address this challenging public health issue. Aim:To verify the effects of the Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT) protocol by exploring quantitative and qualitative data collected from Brazilian women. Methods:A single-group, mixed-methods trial was conducted at a public university with adult women (n= 34). Four MB-EAT groups were offered weekly for 2.5-h sessions over 12 weeks. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included body mass index (BMI) and self-report measures of anxiety, depression, mindfulness, self-compassion, and eating behaviour. Qualitative information was collected using focus groups in the last session of each group, including both participants and MB-EAT instructors. The qualitative data were examined using thematic analyses and empirical categories. Results:Twenty participants (58.8%) completed both pre- and post-intervention assessments, with adequate attendance (≥4 sessions). There was a significant average decrease in weight of 1.9 ± 0.6 kg from pre- to post-intervention. All participants who had scored at the risk level for eating disorders on the EAT-26 decreased their score below this risk level. Qualitative analysis identified that participants were able to engage a more compassionate perspective on themselves, as well as greater self-awareness and self-acceptance. Conclusion:The MB-EAT showed preliminary efficacy in promoting weight loss and improvements in mindfulness and eating behaviour. This intervention promoted effects beyond those expected, extending to other life contexts.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever a experiência e o perfil dos usuários do ambulatório de mindfulnesse promoção da saúde de uma universidade pública. O perfil dos participantes foi obtido a partir da aplicação de diferentes escalas psicométricas (BDI, SUBI, MAAS e EUROQOL 5D), bem como informações sociodemográficas e de saúde. A descrição da experiência do ambulatório foi realizada a partir da técnica SWOT. Nesta amostra, o perfil encontrado foi predominantemente feminino, com plano de saúde e assistência médica regular. Apesar dos problemas relatados, a percepção subjetiva de qualidade de vida ficou acima da média. Pertencer a uma universidade pública, contar com equipe multiprofissional e facilitadores de distintas formações em mindfulness, além de local de fácil acesso, são pontos fortes deste ambulatório, bem como a alta prevalência de ansiedade e depressão, que podem oportunizar a expansão desta atividade.

Abstract: Soybean oil deodorized distillate (SODD) is a byproduct from refining edible soybean oil; however, the deodorization process removes unsaponifiable materials, such as sterols and tocopherols. Tocopherols are highly added value materials. Molecular distillation has large potential to be used in order to concentrate tocopherols, because it uses very low levels of temperatures because of the high vacuum and short operating time for separation and, also, it does not use solvents. However, nowadays, the conventional way to recover tocopherols is carrying out chemical reactions prior to molecular distillation, making the process not so suitable to deal with natural products. The purpose of this work is to use only molecular distillation in order to recover tocopherols from SODD. Experiments were performed in the range of 140–220°C. The feed flow rate varied from 5 to 15 g/min. The objective of this study was to remove the maximum amount of free fatty acids (FFA) and, so, to increase the tocopherol concentration without add any extra component to the system. The percentage of FFA in the distillate stream of the molecular still is large at low feed flow rates and low evaporator temperatures, avoiding thermal decomposition effects.

Molecular distillation was studied for the separation of tocopherols from soya sludge, both experimentally and by simulation, under different operating conditions, with good agreement. Evaporator temperatures varied from 100°C to 160°C and feed flow rates ranged from 0.1 to 0.8 kg/h. The process pressure was maintained at 10−6bar, the feed temperature at 50°C, the condenser temperature at 60°C, and the stirring at 350 rpm. For each process condition, samples of both streams (distillate and residue) were collected and stored at −18°C before tocopherols analyses. Owing to the differences between molecular weights and vapor pressures of free fatty acids and tocopherols, tocopherols preferentially remained in the residue at evaporator temperatures of 100°C and 120°C, whereas for higher temperatures (140°C and 160°C) and lower feed flow rate, tocopherols tended to migrate to the distillate stream.

The objective of this study is to compare two different strategies for enriching tocopherols in soybean oil deodorizer distillate (SODD) using a molecular distillation process. The first strategy is to submit crude SODD to a sequence of molecular distillations using different temperatures without any preparation of the raw material. The second strategy is to modify chemically the raw material and submit it to a sequence of distillations. In SODD chemical modification, acylglycerol species are converted into free fatty acids (FFAs) and glycerol through a saponification reaction at 65 °C followed by an acidulation step. Crude and chemically modified SODD were submitted to five stages of molecular distillation to evaluate and compare the performance of both sequences of distillations. It was observed that the enrichment of tocopherols was 4.1 and 5.8 times higher than the original feed concentration for crude and chemically modified SODD, respectively.

Gluthathione (GSH) has been previously shown to promote the reduction of pentavalent antimony (Sb(V)) into the more toxic trivalent antimony (Sb(III)) in the antimonial drug, meglumine antimonate. However, this reaction occurred at acidic pH (pH 5) but not at the pH of the cytosol (pH 7.2) in which GSH is encountered. The aim of the present study was to further characterize the reaction between thiols and antimonial drugs, addressing the following aspects: (i) the reducing activity of cysteine (Cys) and cysteinyl-glycine (Cys-Gly), expected to be the predominant thiols in the acidic compartiments of mammalian cells; (ii) the reducing activity of trypanothione (T(SH)2), the main intracelular thiol in Leishmaniaparasites; (iii) the influence of the state of complexation of Sb(V) on the rate of Sb(V) reduction. We report here that Cys, Cys-Gly and T(SH)2did promote the reduction of Sb(V) into Sb(III) at 37 °C. Strikingly, the initial rates of reduction of Sb(V) were much greater in the presence of Cys-Gly, Cys and T(SH)2than in the presence of GSH. These reactions occurred at both pH 5 and pH 7 but were favored at acidic pH. Moreover, our data shows that Sb(V) is reduced more slowly in the form of meglumine antimonate than in its non-complexed form, indicating that the complexation of Sb(V) tends to slow down the rate of its reduction. In conclusion, our data supports the hypothesis that Sb(V) is reduced in vivo byT(SH)2within Leishmaniaparasites and by Cys or Cys-Gly within the acidic compartments of mammalian cells.

Carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx is a relatively common malignancy treated with either surgery, radiotherapy, or a combined approach. The radiotherapy records of 190 patients with carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx treated at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) from 1981 to 1992 were reviewed. Of these patients, 164 were available for evaluation for local control and 169 for disease-specific survival. The patients were treated with accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy to 67.2–72 Gy/1.6 Gy per fraction twice a day in 6 weeks. The median follow-up was 56 months. Five-year actuarial local and regional control, relapse-free and overall survival, and voice-preservation rates were analyzed. For T1, T2, T3, and T4 tumors, local control rates were 96%, 86%, 76%, and 43%, respectively (p < .01), and the corresponding relapse-free survival rates were 78%, 82%, 64%, and 40% (p < .01). For the patients with N0, N1, and N2–3 disease, local control rates at the primary site were 86%, 74%, and 46%, respectively (p < .01), and the corresponding relapse-free survival rates were 79%, 53%, and 39% (p < .01). Including surgical salvage, the ultimate local control rates were 96%, 93%, 88%, and 51%, respectively (p < .01). Voice preservation rate for the entire group was 79% and for T1, T2, T3, and T4 tumors, rates were 96%, 80%, 72%, and 43%, respectively. Our experience with accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy for supraglottic carcinoma showed excellent locoregional control, relapse-free survival, and laryngeal preservation. The radiation toxicity was acceptable. The T and N stages were significant predictors of outcome, and the T4 tumors and node-positive neck disease portended a poor prognosis and therefore should be considered for protocols that include adjuvant therapies. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 20: 379–384, 1998.

Purpose: To study the effects of midcourse treatment break or gaps related to the local control of T3 carcinoma of the oropharynx and larynx following accelerated hyperfractionated radiation therapy.Methods and Materials: All patients were treated at the Massachusetts General Hospital from 1979 through 1994 with treatment consisting of 1.6 Gy per fraction, two fractions a day for the treatment of T3 carcinoma of the oropharynx and larynx. They were entered in the head and neck data base. Their treatment dates, treatment breaks, and doses vs. local control were analyzed and compared. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: A total of 162 patients were available for review. Due to the acute severe mucosal effects, most of the patients required a midcourse pause or “break” after a dose of 38.4–48 Gy before treatment could be resumed and completed. The data indicate that (a) prolongation of the treatment gap for more than 14 days, (b) total treatment course longer than 45 days, (c) total dose less than 67 Gy, and (d) male gender adversely affected local control. In spite of the gaps, the female patients with advanced carcinomas enjoyed the benefits of improved local control after the accelerated hyperfractionated radiation therapy.Conclusions: Accelerated hyperfractionation radiation therapy using 1.6 Gy per fraction/twice-a-day (b.i.d.) for a total dose of 70.4 Gy in 6 weeks is effective in achieving high local control of T3 squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx and larynx. The midcourse treatment gap should be as short as possible with the projected total dose and time. Should the gaps be unduly prolonged due to various circumstances, further increase in the total dose, for example, 72–75 Gy, and/or increase of the fraction sizes, for example, 1.8–2.0 Gy/f b.i.d. after the gap may be necessary to compensate for the adverse effects of the tumor regeneration from the prolonged gap.

For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.