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The aim of this study was to assess the inhibitory effect of three commercial bioprotectant agents on the growth of yogurt-spoiling fungi. Mucor circinelloides, Mucor racemosus, Penicillium spp., Saccharomyces exiguus, and Candida intermedia, commonly involved in the spoilage of dairy products, were isolated from spoiled yogurt and were fully characterized using molecular and phenotypic methods. HOLDBAC-YMC™, Lyofast-FPR2™ and MicroGARD 200™ were used as antifungal products. An optimized experimental mixture design was applied to determine the proportion of each bioprotectant in terms of growth-inhibition response against the fungal strains in standard laboratory media. The results of the challenge tests showed that the application of bioprotectants inhibited the growth of the moulds in the range of 85–100% and the growth of yeast between 1.23 and 5.40 log cycles. The optimal combination of the bioprotectants was determined, tested in standard laboratory media and found to inhibit fungal growth. The antifungal effect of the optimal combination of the bioprotectants was validated in yogurt against the most resistant fungal species of the study, M. circinelloides and C. intermedia. The bioprotectants elicited antifungal effect in yogurt by completely inhibiting all of the tested fungi compared to controls. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a mixture of commercial bioprotectants has been tested on yogurt as a potential alternative for the biopreservation of yogurt in order to reduce spoilage of fermented dairy products and economic losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Collected Papers of the Faculty of Law in Split / Zbornik Radova Pravnog Fakulteta u Splitu is the property of Split Faculty of Law and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Tikrit University for Humanities is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The powerful insecticidal and multi-drug-resistance-reversing activities displayed by the stemofoline group of alkaloids render them promising lead structures for further development as commercial agents in agriculture and medicine. However, concise, enantioselective total syntheses of stemofoline alkaloids remain a formidable challenge due to their structural complexity. We disclose herein the enantioselective total syntheses of four stemofoline alkaloids, including (+)-stemofoline, (+)-isostemofoline, (+)-stemoburkilline, and (+)-(11S,12R)-dihydrostemofoline, in just 19 steps. Our strategy relies on a biogenetic hypothesis, which postulates that stemoburkilline and dihydrostemofolines are biogenetic precursors of stemofoline and isostemofoline. Other highlights of our approach are the use of Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction to connect the two segments of the molecule, an improved protocol allowing gram-scale access to the tetracyclic cage-type core, and a Cu-catalyzed direct and versatile nucleophilic alkylation reaction on an anti-Bredt iminium ion. The synthetic techniques that we developed could also be extended to the preparation of other Stemona alkaloids. Stemofoline alkaloids are promising lead structures for further development in the fields of agriculture and medicine. Here, the authors report the enantioselective total syntheses of four stemofoline alkaloids in 19 steps based on a biogenetic hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Interactions are fundamental for successful relationships and stable cooperation in a business-to-business market. The main assumption in research on interactions, so obvious that usually not stated by researchers, is that they are set between humans. The development of artificial intelligence forces the re-examination of this assumption. This paper aims to conceptualize business virtual assistants (BVAs), a type of intelligent agent, as either a boundary object or an actor within business interactions. Design/methodology/approach: Reference is made to the literature on business interactions, boundary objects and identity attribution to problematize the process of interpretation through which BVA obtains an identity. The ARA model and the model of interaction process is used to create a theoretical framework. Findings: This paper contributes to the literature on business interactions, and to the core of the IMP discussion, in three aspects. The first provides a framework to understand the phenomenon of an artificial entity as an interlocutor in business interactions. While doing that a new type of entity, BVA, is introduced. The second contribution is the exploration and augmentation of the concept of a business actor. The third calls attention to BVA as a boundary object. These issues are seen as essential to move forward the discussion about the meaning of business interaction in the near future. Originality/value: This paper conceptualizes the presence of a new entity – BVA – in the business landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are widely used as antibacterial agents in both commercial products and for industrial applications. As such, AgNP has a high potential for release into freshwater environments. As part of a whole-lake ecosystem experiment to examine the impacts of AgNP exposure at low µg/L concentrations over multiple years, we evaluated biological responses in Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) before, during, and after AgNP additions to a freshwater lake. Yellow Perch were monitored for responses to in situ AgNP additions at the cellular (suite of biomarkers), individual (growth, prey consumption, and metabolism), and population (abundance and gross prey consumption) scales. At the cellular level, several biomarkers of oxidative stress in liver tissues revealed down-regulation, including decreased mRNA levels of catalase and glutathione peroxidase in Yellow Perch collected during AgNP exposure, and elevated ratios of reduced to oxidized glutathione. At the individual level, Yellow Perch bioenergetic models revealed that prey consumption and total metabolism significantly declined during AgNP additions and remained depressed one year after AgNP addition. At the population level, Yellow Perch densities and gross prey consumption declined after AgNP was added to the lake. Together, these results reveal a holistic assessment of the negative impacts of chronic exposure to environmentally relevant AgNP concentrations (i.e., µg/L) on Yellow Perch at cellular, individual, and population levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fowl adenoviruses (FAdVs) associated with certain clinical diseases including inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) have become of considerable importance in the poultry industry. Currently, an increasing number of IBH outbreaks in different parts of Iranian poultry industries is a growing concern. Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) or chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) have historically been incriminated as predisposing factors for FAdVs to cause IBH. Furthermore, some have speculated whether IBDV vaccine strains impact on IBH clinical manifestation. The present report assesses the potential predisposing role of IBDV, CIAV, and infectious bursal disease)IBD(vaccine strains for FAdVs in the course of an IBH occurrence in the field. Case description: 90000 day-old broiler chickens with the same parent source were housed, at 4 day-interval, in two commercial farms in Shiraz, Iran. Increased mortality with lesions of hepatitis, suggestive of IBH, started in the primitive farm right after blind prescription of IBD vaccine at the age of 12-days-old. Consequently, IBD vaccination was postponed for the apparently healthy chickens of the other farm in which chickens were monitored for the occurrence of IBH afterwards. Laboratory examination was followed by histopathology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on liver, cloacal bursa, and thymus samples to determine the involvement of FAdV, IBDV, and CIAV in the occurrence of the disease. Findings/treatment and outcome: No evidence was found to support the predisposing role of neither IBD vaccination nor IBDV/CIAV infection in this IBH occurence. The results also demonstrated a primary role of the FAdV-11 as a causal agent of the IBH occurrence. Conclusion: The findings suggest that certain FAdVs are pathogenic enough to primarily induce IBH in young broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the dynamic environment of the recent creative industries, collaboration performs a central role. The literature has consistently explored the interaction between creative professionals with three types of actors: (1) the clients or public; (2) co-workers and; (3) business agents. The relative importance of each actor in the face of creative activities, however, remains theoretically fragmented and empirically under-researched. Therefore, this study aims to address the following question: what is the role of creativity in the relation between the type of partner to which the collaborative efforts are directed and the performance factors? To answer that question, a quantitative study comparing university students in more creative-intensive and less creative-intensive occupations was performed. An exploratory structural equations modelling (SEM) was developed for that purpose. Performance factors of both groups seem to follow similar priorities. Their collaborative efforts, however, show different patterns, supporting the conclusion that creativity is indeed related to different collaboration strategies. Although collaboration with co-workers seems to be developed similarly between more creative and less creative professionals, that with clients and business agents showed different results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses commerce in Early Confucianism. It argues that the virtuous Confucian agent engages with the world in different ways, including in commerce – it is another way of acting with virtue. This conception is compared with two roughly contemporary approaches in economics, the thought of Wilhelm Röpke and the Humanomics project by Vernon Smith. In both, virtue is constitutive to commerce. However, they differ substantially in the exact relationship between virtue and commerce. While in Early Confucianism commerce is a way for the agent to unfold and cultivate virtues, in Röpke, virtues are a corrective to the utilitarianism in commerce. In Humanomics , agents engaging in commercial relations find shared virtues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Anbar University for Law & Political Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The customer service experience with a specific travel agency is a kind of moment of truth. Customer satisfaction is the outcome they have experienced when service performance met expectations. Contrary to satisfaction, consumers may experience dissatisfaction with the provided service. One of the responses to dissatisfaction is a consumer complaint. Apart from feeling satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the provided service, consumers may also be satisfied or unsatisfied with the complaint process. The aim of this paper is to identify differences in the determinants of complaint behavior (tendency to file a complaint, justice of interaction, perception of fairness, satisfaction with the complaint handling process and loyalty) between female and male respondents. Field research was conducted meaning that the primary data were collected through a survey. The paper presents the respondents' assessments of the set statements regarding experiences during the complaint process. To meet the research objectives, the Mann-Whitney U test was applied, which is used to examine the differences between the two independent groups as a nonparametric alternative to the t-test of independent samples. Uslužno iskustvo korisnika sa konkretnom turističkom agencijom je svojevrsni trenutak istine. Zadovoljstvo korisnika je ishod koji su oni doživeli kada su performanse usluge ispunile očekivanja. Suprotno zadovoljstvu korisnici mogu ostvariti nezadovoljstvo pruženom uslugom. Jedan od odgovora na nezadovljstvo je žalba korisnika. Kao što korisnici mogu osetiti zadovoljstvo ili nezadovoljstvo pruženom uslugom, tako mogu osetiti i zadovoljstvo ili nezadovoljstvo žalbenim procesom. Cilj rada je identifikacija razlika u determinantama žalbenog ponašanja (sklonost ka podnošenju žalbe, pravda interakcije, percepcija pravičnosti, zadovoljstvo procesom rukovanja žalbom i lojalnost) između ispitanika ženskog i muškog pola. Sprovedeno je terensko istraživanje tako da su primarni podaci prikupljeni metodom ankete. U radu su prikazane ocene ispitanika na postavljene tvrdnje koje se odnose na iskustva tokom žalbenog postupka. Da bi se ispunili ciljevi istraživanja primenjen je Mann-Whitney U test kao neparametarska alternativa t-testa nezavisnih uzoraka, koji se upotrebljava za ispitivanje razlika između dve nezavisne grupe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: The growing segment of elderly consumers implies the need to permanently explore the needs and expectations of older people in relation to the offer of food products. This is because, as the research results show, the households of the elderly are characterized by the different fulfillment of needs compared to others. Purpose: The survey conducted among people over 60 in 2019 was aimed at determining the selected concerns of senior consumers related to the safety of food products. Research methodology: The research among people over 60 years of age was conducted in the Wielkopolska region (of Poland) in 2019 on a sample of 373 people. The respondents were selected using the quota selection method. Results: The vast majority of seniors point to a variety of concerns about the safety of food products. This is surprising, as the respondents equally often emphasize that food in Poland is safe. Novelty: The observations are an important implication for producers or commercial agents – their task is to prepare messages to confirm that the food products offered meet the quality requirements. The process of educating older people can be made difficult – primarily through their well-established (over the years) nutritional practices related to the purchase and consumption of those products that are essential for life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibacterial fabrics have attracted wide attention since bacterial infection remains a leading threat to global health due to the abuse of antibiotics and the emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens. A novel tert‐butoxycarbonyl (Boc) protected guanidine containing isocyanate group (NCO) (IGUA-Boc) was developed and covalently bonded onto the cotton fabric surface to fabricate excellent antibacterial cotton fabrics with negligible cytotoxicity via dipping-padding-drying process followed by deprotection of Boc group through the acidification process. The guanidine-functionalized cotton fabrics could well retain their mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, moisture permeability, air permeability, softness and whiteness. More importantly, the antibacterial rates of the guanidine-functionalized cotton fabrics against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus were up to 88.5% and 99.9%, respectively even after 50 laundering cycles, which were much larger than that finished with commercial antibacterial agents. Therefore, these guanidine-functionalized cotton fabrics and their finishing method have well potential for applications in surgical equipment, hospitals, hotels and daily necessities. A novel tert‐butoxycarbonyl protected guanidine containing isocyanate group was developed and covalently bonded onto the cotton fabric surface to fabricate excellent antibacterial cotton fabrics without compromising their physicochemical properties and cytocompatibility via dipping-padding-drying followed by deprotection of Boc group [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertical agreements, such as commercial agency, franchise and distribution contracts are the legal backbone of modern distribution chains. Despite their fundamental economic importance in modern commerce, many laws do not provide a specific statutory regime for these contracts. This applies, particularly to franchise and distribution contract. The current state of franchise and distribution law and the related question of goodwill compensation after the termination of these contracts are still unexplored. In European law, there is no common attitude regarding this issue, not even among nations of similar cultures and legal systems, and judicial practice also proved to be inconsistent. There is no doubt that during franchising and distribution operation goodwill belongs to franchisor/supplier as the bearer of the system. However, having in mind that franchisee and distributor are an active party in the system who try to improve it, expand the clientele in the contracted area, and thus the business reputation of the overall system, doubts arise about the issue whether they are entitled to compensation for the increased goodwill, after the termination of the contract. This article reviews the treatment of goodwill upon the termination of franchise and distribution contracts in key European jurisdictions, as well as justification of the analogous application to these contracts of indemnity rules relating to a commercial agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista CES Derecho is the property of Universidad CES and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a mutant and complex system which represents a competitive challenge that companies are facing. It aims to optimize the product, financial and information flows, that the company manages with its suppliers, retailers and customers. Existent computing technologies have some faults in complex systems modeling. Nevertheless, research works in multi-agent system (MAS) technology have shown that complex systems can be modeled in order to generate smart and efficient solutions. SCM is considered to be a MAS, where protagonists are represented by different agents. In addition, cooperation between actors in Agent-based SCM has been proven to be an effective mechanism for improving SCM performance. The aim of this paper is to provide a solution for decision-making problems in information systems used in SCM, where each phase in the SC has been developed as an agent allowing communication, coordination and negotiation among the agents to achieve business goals. The proposed MAS will be implemented using a Java Agent Development Framework (JADE) based on specific methods to enhance collaboration in the SCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The objective of the study was to determine the effects of replacing binding agents with commercial low‐calorie sweetener solutions on the physicochemical and temporal dominance of sensations in amaranth bars. Five baked amaranth bar formulations (Sweetener‐Solution‐Formulated Amaranth Bars: SSFABs) were prepared using solutions of erythritol, sucralose, steviol and two sucrose concentrations (50% and 25%). A commercial bar (COMM) was used as a control. Proximal, pH, water activity, texture and colour were measured. Temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) was used to determine dominant attributes in time. In general, SSFABs showed a higher moisture, ash and protein content compared to COMM. Carbohydrates and total crude fat were lower in SSFABs than in COMM. Dominant attributes were Crispy, Dry, Sweet and Amaranth. Erythritol formulation was similar to the commercial bar in terms of maximum dominance rate. Replacement of binding agents impacted on the evolution of dominant attributes in amaranth bars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The repurposing of safe therapeutic drugs has emerged as an alternative approach to rapidly identify effective, safe, and conveniently available therapeutics to treat/prevent cancer. Therefore, it was hypothesized that acidic chelator drugs could have a genuine potential as antiproliferative agents. Based on their pKa, the selected 15 acidic drugs of eight classes—namely sulfonylureas, proton pump inhibitors, fluoroquinolones, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory agents, thiazolidinediones, thienopyridines, statins, and nicotinic acid—were assayed for anticancer HTS against the lung A549, skin A375, breast MCF7 and T47D, pancreatic PANC1, cervical HeLa, and leukemia K562 cancer cell lines and normal fibroblasts. Lipopolysaccharide‐prompted inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages was the potential anticancer mechanism. Atorvastatin exerted remarkably superior cytotoxicity against A375.2S (IC50 value 0.02 μM p <.001 vs. cisplatin 0.07 μM IC50 value). Atorvastatin exhibited an equipotency to cisplatin's T47D growth inhibition (34.6 μM vs. 34.59 μM; p >.05). Levofloxacin as well as ciprofloxacin superbly superseded the antineoplastic cisplatin activity against the K562 cell line (respective IC50 values [μM] 10.4 and 19.5 vs. 29.3; p <.05–<.01). Gemifloxacin and lansoprazole had comparable antiproliferation in K562 to cisplatin's (respective IC50 values [μM] 34.9 and 36.3 vs. 29.3; p >.05). The selected agents lacked cytotoxicity in the panel of MCF7, HeLa, A549, or Panc1 cancer cells. Most notably, LPS prompted RAW264.7 macrophages, atorvastatin, piroxicam, clopidogrel, esomeprazole, and lansoprazole were of higher anti‐inflammation potency than indomethacin (p <.01–.001). Evidently, omeprazole, pioglitazone, gemifloxacin, and indomethacin were of comparable anti‐inflammation potencies (p >.05). Collectively, this work reveals acidic chelator drugs (atorvastatin, gemifloxacin, and lansoprazole with dual anti‐inflammation and antiproliferation propensities) as authentic agents for the repurposing approach in anticancer chemotherapy/prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tiempos Modernos is the property of Tiempos Modernos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Tiempos Modernos is the property of Tiempos Modernos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article asks how local traders or middlemen continue to thrive in the agricultural markets of liberalized India. It studies this by focusing on the shifting politics of the relation between farmers and commission agents (arhtias) in post‐harvest wholesale markets in Ludhiana district, Punjab. It uses the framework of political analysis of markets towards this, paying close attention to the role of the state and the nature of interlinked markets. Drawing on intensive primary fieldwork, the article argues that the power of the arhtias is constituted differently across different commodities and in relation to different agrarian classes. At the same time, the state, notwithstanding its changing priorities, and the diversification of large farmers into the commission agent business have been crucial to their persistence in the wholesale grain markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initial reports from the 1960s describing the observations of ultrasound contrast enhancement by tiny gaseous bubbles during echocardiographic examinations prompted the development of the first ultrasound contrast agent in the 1980s. Current commercial contrast agents for echography, such as Definity, Optison, Sonazoid and SonoVue, have proven to be successful in a variety of on- and off-label clinical indications. Whereas contrast-specific technology has seen dramatic progress after the introduction of the first approved agents in the 1990s, successful clinical translation of new developments has been limited during the same period, while understanding of microbubble physical, chemical and biologic behavior has improved substantially. It is expected that for a successful development of future opportunities, such as ultrasound molecular imaging and therapeutic applications using microbubbles, new creative developments in microbubble engineering and production dedicated to further optimizing microbubble performance are required, and that they cannot rely on bubble technology developed more than 3 decades ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The infection of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae (Xoo), Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs), and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Citri (Xac) has become a major problem in agricultural production. In this study, a series of novel chalcone derivatives containing thioether triazoles were designed and synthesized. The structures of the novel compounds were systematically characterized via1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, and HRMS. Moreover, the antibacterial activity results showed that E10, E11, E15, and E16 have adequate antibacterial activities against Xoo, Rs, and Xac. Among the different compounds, E15 exhibited remarkable inhibitory effect against Xac with an EC50 of 9.1 μg.mL‐1, which was better than that of commercial agent bismerthiazol (54.9 μg.mL‐1). In addition, the possible antibacterial mechanism of the target compound E15 against Xac was studied via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of myricetin derivatives bearing ferulic acid amide scaffolds were designed and synthesized. The structures of all title compounds were determined by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 19F NMR and HRMS. Preliminary bioassays suggested that some of the target compounds exhibited remarkable antiviral activities. In particular, compound 4l possessed significant protective activity against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), with a half maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of 196.11 μg mL−1, which was better than that of commercial agent ningnanmycin (447.92 μg mL−1). Meanwhile, microscale thermophoresis (MST) indicated that compound 4l has strong binding capability to the tobacco mosaic virus coat protein (TMV-CP) with a dissociation constant (Kd) value of 0.34 μmol L−1, which was better than that of ningnanmycin (0.52 μmol L−1). These results suggested that novel myricetin derivatives bearing ferulic acid amide scaffolds may be considered as an activator for antiviral agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The labeling of (bio)molecules with metallic radionuclides such as 99mTc demands conjugated, multidentate chelators. However, this is not always necessary since phenyl rings can directly serve as integrated, organometallic ligands. Bis‐arene sandwich complexes are generally prepared by the Fischer–Hafner reaction. In extension of this, we show that [99mTc(η6‐C6R6)2]+‐type complexes are directly accessible from water and [99mTcO4]−, even using arenes incompatible with Fischer–Hafner conditions. To unambiguously confirm the nature of these unprecedented 99mTc complexes, their rhenium homologous have been prepared by substituting naphthalene ligands in [Re(η6‐C10H8)2]+ with the corresponding phenyl groups. The ease with which highly stable [99mTc(η6‐C6R6)2]+ complexes are formed under standard labeling conditions enables a multitude of new potential imaging agents based on commercial pharmaceuticals or lead structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The labeling of (bio)molecules with metallic radionuclides such as 99mTc demands conjugated, multidentate chelators. However, this is not always necessary since phenyl rings can directly serve as integrated, organometallic ligands. Bis‐arene sandwich complexes are generally prepared by the Fischer–Hafner reaction. In extension of this, we show that [99mTc(η6‐C6R6)2]+‐type complexes are directly accessible from water and [99mTcO4]−, even using arenes incompatible with Fischer–Hafner conditions. To unambiguously confirm the nature of these unprecedented 99mTc complexes, their rhenium homologous have been prepared by substituting naphthalene ligands in [Re(η6‐C10H8)2]+ with the corresponding phenyl groups. The ease with which highly stable [99mTc(η6‐C6R6)2]+ complexes are formed under standard labeling conditions enables a multitude of new potential imaging agents based on commercial pharmaceuticals or lead structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The labeling of (bio)molecules with metallic radionuclides such as 99mTc demands conjugated, multidentate chelators. However, this is not always necessary since phenyl rings can directly serve as integrated, organometallic ligands. Bis‐arene sandwich complexes are generally prepared by the Fischer–Hafner reaction. In extension of this, we show that [99mTc(η6‐C6R6)2]+‐type complexes are directly accessible from water and [99mTcO4]−, even using arenes incompatible with Fischer–Hafner conditions. To unambiguously confirm the nature of these unprecedented 99mTc complexes, their rhenium homologous have been prepared by substituting naphthalene ligands in [Re(η6‐C10H8)2]+ with the corresponding phenyl groups. The ease with which highly stable [99mTc(η6‐C6R6)2]+ complexes are formed under standard labeling conditions enables a multitude of new potential imaging agents based on commercial pharmaceuticals or lead structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The labeling of (bio)molecules with metallic radionuclides such as 99mTc demands conjugated, multidentate chelators. However, this is not always necessary since phenyl rings can directly serve as integrated, organometallic ligands. Bis‐arene sandwich complexes are generally prepared by the Fischer–Hafner reaction. In extension of this, we show that [99mTc(η6‐C6R6)2]+‐type complexes are directly accessible from water and [99mTcO4]−, even using arenes incompatible with Fischer–Hafner conditions. To unambiguously confirm the nature of these unprecedented 99mTc complexes, their rhenium homologous have been prepared by substituting naphthalene ligands in [Re(η6‐C10H8)2]+ with the corresponding phenyl groups. The ease with which highly stable [99mTc(η6‐C6R6)2]+ complexes are formed under standard labeling conditions enables a multitude of new potential imaging agents based on commercial pharmaceuticals or lead structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his literary response to the articles recently featured in the special issue of the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada, "OEuvrer ensemble. Les rouages collectifs dans la chaîne du livre,"? Nicholas Giguère addresses the myth of the lone genius bearing sole responsibility for the production of their literary works" a myth that has persisted but is now considered untenable among book historians. On the contrary, Giguère suggests that the "I"? always writes in collaboration with other literary agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Divergent synthesis of novel (-)-goniofufurone mimics with an alkoxymethyl group as the side chain have been accomplished from D-glucose in nine synthetic steps and in overall yields 6.7- 8.7%. Their in vitro antiproliferative activity was evaluated against eight human tumour cell lines as well as a single normal cell line. All analogues demonstrated powerful to good antiproliferative effects toward all malignant cell lines under evaluation. Against HL-60 cell line, all mimics showed increased activities being 27- to 1604-fold more potent than the lead compound, (-)-goniofufurone. Remarkably, the majority of synthesized analogues displayed higher or similar activity as commercial antitumour agent doxorubicin (DOX) against A549 cell line. The most potent compound exhibited 196-fold stronger cytotoxicity than DOX, in the culture of this cell line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a series of novel pyrethrin derivatives containing an 1,3,4‐oxadiazole thioether moiety were designed and synthesized. Bioassay results revealed that some of the target compounds possessed excellent insecticidal activities against Plutella xylostella (P. xylostella), Vegetable aphids (V. aphids), and Empoasca vitis (E. vitis), respectively. In particular, compound 4l revealed the best insecticidal activities against P. xylostella and V. aphids, with the 50% lethal concentration (LC50) values of 1.78 and 1.61 mg/L, respectively, meanwhile, compound 4k revealed the best insecticidal activity against E. vitis, with the LC50 value of 1.06 mg/L, which were superior to those of the commercial insecticidal agents of chlorpyrifos, beta cypermethrin, spinosad, and azadirachtin. These results indicated that novel pyrethrin derivatives containing an 1,3,4‐oxadiazole thioether moiety could effectively inhibit P. xylostella, V. aphids, and E. vitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the conservation of heritage buildings is an essential and important event. Different kinds of materials are available for restoring both natural and artificial stone substrates, and new commercial products have been proposed in recent years. In the present research work we investigated the effectiveness of an alkylalkoxysilane-based commercial consolidant (named VP5035) with respect to the well known tetraethoxysilane (TEOS, commercially labeled as DN). The two products were evaluated when applied on laboratory specimens of a very porous bio-calcarenite, i.e. Lecce stone (PL). Different experimental techniques were used to investigate the performances of both commercial products. At first, chromatic variation, static contact angle, water capillary absorption, permeability to water vapor were measured in order to evaluate the effects induced by treatments on the stone surface. The properties of treated stone were also investigated by Fourier-Transform InfraRed (FTIR-ATR ) and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive Xray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Measurements concerning surface cohesion and resistance to weathering effect induced by salt crystallization were performed in order to evaluate the consolidation performances of the two consolidants. These results suggest that the commercial product VP5035, when applied on Lecce stone displays a promising dual consolidating-protective behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ingeniería (0121-750X) is the property of Ingenieria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A maleimide‐based acyclic enediyne with salicylaldiminato substituents at the alkyne termini was synthesized, which was further chelated with three kinds of metal‐ions, CuII, ZnII, and MgII, and form metalloenediynes. The cycloaromatization of this thermally inactive enediyne ligand was greatly accelerated through the coordination with metal ions. Specifically, the CuII‐metalloenediyne showed an extremely low onset temperature of 55 °C and underwent spontaneous cycloaromatization at ambient temperature to produce free radicals, followed by generation of reactive oxygen species in the physiological environment. The metalloenediyne exhibited excellent DNA cleavage ability and high cytotoxicity towards HeLa cells, with half‐maximal inhibitory concentration values comparable to many commercial antitumor agents. The combination of the electron‐withdrawing effect of the maleimide moiety at the ene position and metal coordination at the yne termini provides a new inspiration for designing and synthesizing highly efficient enediyne antitumor agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel 1,2,4-triazole derivatives containing a pyrimidine moiety were synthesized and their fungicidal activities were evaluated. The preliminary biological test indicated that some of the target compounds exhibited moderate to good fungicidal activities against the tested plant pathogenic fungi compared with the commercial agent. Among them, compounds 9n and 9o exhibited excellent antifungal activity against Phompsis sp., with the half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) values of 25.4 and 31.6 μg/mL, which were even better than the commercial agent of Pyrimethanil (32.1 μg/mL). Meanwhile, compound 9o showed better fungicidal activities against B. dothidea and B. cinerea with 40.1 and 55.1 μg/mL, respectively, in comparison with that of commercial Pyrimethanil (57.6 and 62.8 μg/mL). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the World Health Organization, low-quality air results in 3.2 million premature annual deaths of which 21 % are attributed to respiratory infections. The recent coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, responsible for millions of deaths worldwide, has highlighted the issue of airborne pathogens on human health. Air filtration is an established method to ensure good indoor air quality, being effective at capturing airborne particles and dust, as well as pathogens, and preventing diseases such as asthma. Nevertheless, with usage, water from air humidity, dust, and dirt, including fungi and bacteria spores, can accumulate on filters creating ideal conditions for the propagation of microorganisms. Thus, the filter can become a secondary source for airborne pathogens. In this work, antiviral and antibacterial filters were prepared by spray coating Ag 2 O, CuO, and ZnO particles into commercially available air filters. The reliability of the filters was tested through particle release in air, through a scanning mobility particle sizer, and filtration performance was measured against an aerosol of iron nanoparticles in nitrogen gas produced through a spark discharge generator. Additionally, the biosafety of the filters was measured in vitro through cytotoxicity tests against L-929 mouse fibroblast cells. Antibacterial activity was measured in vitro against two clinically relevant pathogens: Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the anti-viral performance was measured against human respiratory syncytial virus. In general, the results have shown that spray coating is a reliable solution, with no detectable cytotoxicity effects or particle release in the air. After functionalization, both Ag 2 O and CuO compounds have been shown to have total antiviral activity (over 99 %), while only Ag 2 O presented a clear antibacterial action. In conclusion, spray coating as post-manufacturing functionalization of air filters can be an efficient and low-cost solution against airborne pathogens. • Spray coating is a reliable and verstile post-manufacturing functionalization process, suited for different substrates. • Filter efficiency was not affected by the functionalization process. • Reliability and safety was shown through minimal particle resuspension, with low toxic levels, release in liquid media. • Ag 2 O, CuO and ZnO was shown different antibacterial and antivirus effect with promising results against airborne pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plating, which involves converting liquid oils into oil-impregnated powders, is one of the techniques employed in molecular cooking. This study examined the oil holding capacity and mechanisms, physicochemical properties, and quantitative release of key odorant compounds of plated roasted sesame oil-impregnated powders. The plated oil powders were prepared with nutty-flavored roasted sesame oil and two commercial plating agents; Pine Flow (PF) and N-Zorbit 2144 (NZ). PF and NZ had distinctly different morphologies and physical properties. PF had a higher porosity, intrusion volume, and oil holding capacity than NZ. The oil holding capacities of NZ and PF were 1.35 and 3.44 g/g (oil to plating agent), respectively. The FT-IR data indicated that hydrogen bond, hydrophobic interaction, and van der Waals effect were responsible for the loading the oil onto the plating agents. The plated oil powders were efficient carriers for key odorants, releasing a high portion of volatiles up to 84% after adding water (simulated saliva). This study is the first to report on the physicochemical properties, oil-holding mechanisms, and quantitative information on the aroma release of plated oil powders as a flavored-oil carrier, which could be useful in molecular cooking and the food industry. • The morphologies and physical properties of two plating agents were different. • The oil holding capability of plating agent was related to its physical properties. • Pine Flow can hold 1.2 times its own weight in oil without losing flowability. • The oil holding mechanism for the plated sesame oil was studied. • Volatiles in the plated oils was efficiently released after the addition of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines contracting between a principal and an agent from the perspective of both social exchange theory and rational choice theory. Two experiments were conducted that tested competing predictions from the two theories. The first study examined effort decisions made by an agent under a series of contracts that varied in social context and compensation structure. The second experiment examined the negotiation of a compensation scheme between a principal and an agent and the agent's subsequent contract fulfillment, to test the mediating effects of verbal communication between parties on contracting and contract fulfillment. Both studies yielded results consistent with social exchange theory. Exchange theory appears to provide a better basis for deriving principles of organization design than rational choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies how to assign "monitors" to productive agents in order to generate signals about the agents' performance that are most useful from a contracting perspective. We show that if signals generated by the same monitor are negatively (positively) correlated, then the optimal monitoring assignment will be "focused" ("dispersed"). This holds because dispersed monitoring allows the firm to better utilize relative performance evaluation. On the other hand, if each monitor communicates only an aggregated signal to the principal, then focused monitoring is always optimal since aggregation undermines relative performance evaluation. We also study team-based compensation and randomized monitoring assignments. In particular, we show that the firm can gain from randomizing the monitoring assignment, compared with the optimal linear deterministic contract. Furthermore, under randomization, the conditional expected utility for the agent is higher when the agent is not monitored compared with the case where the agent is monitored. That is, the chance of being monitored serves as a "stick" rather than a "carrot". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a discussion of the paper "Monitoring in Multiagent Organizations." The article focuses on the characteristics and effectiveness of a randomized monitoring policy in organizations. The author discusses how agents should allocate their time in the monitoring process. The author examines the two methods that are proposed for monitoring agents, the focused monitoring method and the dispersed monitoring method. The author also discusses how monitoring information is aggregated and if the agents they monitor should be done on a random or deterministic basis.

Today's sales forces are under pressure to change or risk becoming extinct. Changes in the business marketplace have accelerated the need for salespeople to learn continuously. The purpose of this paper is to examine readiness for change in a sales force context. Change is presumed to be initiated in response to some galvanizing event in the business environment. Business turbulence requires recognition of the need for change by members of the sales organization. We discuss the sales force's perceptions of a sales organization's readiness for change and propose that these perceptions impact the organization's change success. Furthermore, an organization's culture, climate, and policies are proposed as key drivers of an organization's readiness for change. Sales force perceptions of organizational readiness for change are then posited to be related to several measures of change success. The paper concludes with a call for more research on salesperson's learning orientation and sales organizational readiness for change as keys to sales performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited attention has been devoted to the financial evaluation of sales training programs. In response to this shortcoming, this research proposes a sales training evaluation framework that integrates economic utility theory with Kirkpatrick's (1959a, 1959b, 1960a, 1960b) four-level training evaluation model. The proposed utility theory framework is tested using data derived from a sales training program conducted in Egypt. After performing the economic evaluation, sensitivity analysis is employed to demonstrate the financial trends of varying key training program variables. The paper concludes with discussions of theoretical and managerial implications, research limitations, and recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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