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An Analysis of the Annual Reports of Airline Companies
No full textInvestors are one of the primary target audiences for corporate communication; they seek non-financial as well as financial information from the companies they invest in, and they consider the social and environmental sustainability of these companies in addition to their economic sustainability. Because of this, as a tool for investor relations, annual reports now routinely and regularly incorporate non-financial information. This study examined thirty annual reports from six public airline firms issued between 2018 and 2022. A total of 8115 expressions on social, economic, and environmental sustainability issues-divided into 125 themes-were coded and analyzed in Maxqda 2020. Among the conclusions was the fact that, in 2022, all of the examined companies devoted 9% of their pages to sustainability statements and included them as an individual topic in their reports. It was found that 64% of both the sustainability-related pages of the reports and the messages of the company managers included in the report consisted of social sustainability statements, with the theme of governance playing an important role in these explanations. Additionally, it was revealed that the topics of governance issues (22.6%), the natural environment (21.7%), and human resources development (15.5%) are the most frequently discussed social, environmental, and economic sustainability themes in corporate annual reports
Propionyl-L-carnitine mitigates ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat epigastric island flaps
No full textBackground: Ischemia-reperfusion injury presents a substantial concern in various medical scenarios, notably in reconstructive surgery involving tissue flaps. Despite reports on the protective benefits of Propionyl-L-carnitine against ischemia-reperfusion injury, a thorough assessment of its efficacy in epigastric island flap models is currently lacking. Methods: Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent epigastric island flap surgery and were divided into two groups: a Propionyl-L-carnitine group that received intraperitoneal Propionyl-L-carnitine prior to ischemia induction and a sham group that received saline treatment. A comprehensive evaluation was performed including macroscopic, biochemical and histological assessments encompassing measurements of flap survival areas, lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde), glutathione, myeloperoxidase, nitric oxide and peripheral neutrophil counts. Results: The Propionyl-L-carnitine group demonstrated significantly increased flap survival areas when compared to the sham group. Administration of Propionyl-L-carnitine led to reduced malondialdehyde levels and elevated glutathione levels indicating a reduction in oxidative stress. Furthermore, the Propionyl-L-carnitine group exhibited lower myeloperoxidase levels, higher nitric oxide levels and reduced peripheral neutrophil counts, suggesting a decrease in the inflammatory response. Histopathological analysis revealed decreased levels of inflammation, necrosis, polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration and edema in the Propionyl-L-carnitine group. Additionally, vascularity was enhanced in the Propionyl-L-carnitine group. Conclusion: This study provides compelling evidence that Propionyl-L-carnitine administration effectively mitigates the deleterious effects of ischemia-reperfusion injury in epigastric island flaps. This is substantiated by the improved flap survival, diminished oxidative stress and inflammation, as well as the enhanced vascularity observed. Propionyl-L-carnitine emerges as a promising therapeutic intervention to enhance tissue flap survival in reconstructive surgery, warranting further exploration through larger-scale investigations. © 2024 The Author
Integration of chemical characterization, biological activities, and network pharmacology of different extracts from Syzygium rowlandii
No full textThe leaves and stem barks of Syzygium rowlandii, were considered as sources of biologically active compounds. Using the ultrasound-assisted extraction with different solvents, we obtained three types of extracts (ethyl acetate (EA), methanol (MeOH), and water), which were characterized by NMR and LC-MS. Quinic acid, myricetin-7-Oglucuronide, myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside, and oleanolic acid were the most abundant compounds. Bioassays were performed showing antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties. Molecular docking revealed the binding properties of some plant constituents against tested enzymes were evaluated allowing to obtain crucial information that combined chemical composition, bioassay results and in silico studies. Results showed that myricetin7-O-glucuronide had good binding potential for tyrosinase, amylase, and glucosidase partially explaining the observed bioactivity. Network pharmacology also predicted desirable and potent targets for the isolated compounds in various disease pathways. Our findings suggest that S. rowlandii can be a promising source of biologically active compounds and our approach can be useful for designing functional applications, such as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, or cosmeceuticals
Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker on oxidative stress and metabolism of elements in kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats
No full textIn diabetes, increased oxidative stress and impaired trace element metabolism play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. The objective of this research was to examine the outcomes of blocking the renin-angiotensin system, using either the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), perindopril, or the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker, irbesartan, on oxidative stress and trace element levels such as Zn, Mg, Cu, and Fe in the kidneys of diabetic rats that had been induced with streptozotocin. Thirty-two Wistar albino male rats were equally divided into four groups. The first group was used as a control. The second group of rats developed diabetes after receiving a single intraperitoneal dose of STZ. The third and fourth groups of rats had STZ-induced diabetes and received daily dosages of irbesartan (15 mg/kg b.w/day) and perindopril (6 mg/kg b.w/day) treatment, respectively. Biochemical analysis of the kidneys showed a distinct increase in oxidative stress, indicated by heightened levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, as well as reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in the kidneys of diabetic rats. In the kidneys of diabetic rats, the mean levels of Fe and Cu were found to be significantly higher than those of the control group. Additionally, the mean levels of Zn and Mg were significantly lower in the diabetic rats compared to the control rats. Both perindopril and irbesartan decreased significantly MDA content and increased SOD activities and GSH levels in the kidneys of rats with diabetes. The Zn and Mg concentrations in the kidneys of diabetic rats treated with perindopril and irbesartan were markedly higher than in untreated STZ-diabetic rats, while the Cu and Fe concentrations were significantly lower. The urinary excretion of rats treated with perindopril and irbesartan showed a pronounced increase in Cu levels, along with a significant reduction in Zn and Mg levels. Although diabetic rats demonstrated degenerative morphological alterations in their kidneys, both therapies also improved diabetes-induced histopathological modifications in the kidneys. Finally, the present results suggest that manipulating the levels of Zn, Mg, Cu, and Fe - either through ACE inhibition or by blocking AT1 receptors - could be advantageous in reducing lipid peroxidation and increasing antioxidant concentration in the kidneys of diabetic rats. © 2023 Elsevier Inc
Bioactive agents from Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R.Br. ex G. Don bark extracts for health promotion and nutraceutical uses
No full textBackground: Parkia biglobosa stem bark extracts were prepared using methanol, methanol 80%, water and ethyl acetate to investigate their phytochemical contents, as well as antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties.Results: Liquid chromatography (LC) quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) and LC-MSn revealed the presence of flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and gallotannins. Particularly, the water extract contained rutin (480 mu g per 100 mg) and 3-caffeoylquinic acid (1109 mu g per 100 mg) in higher amounts, whereas the 80% methanol extract contains methoxyluteolin-7-O-rutinoside and catechin derivatives as major compounds. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extracts were yielded in the range of 32.26-119.88 mg gallic acid equivalents g(-1) and 0.60-2.39 mg rutin equivalents g(-1) , respectively. Total antioxidant capacity was also displayed in the range of 0.53-6.34 mmol Trolox equivalents (TE) g(-1) . Both the methanolic extracts showed higher total antioxidant capacity that could be related to the total phenolic contents. Radical scavenging capacity in DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) (37.21-508.30 mg TE g(-1) ) and ABTS [2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline- 6-sulfonic acid)] (60.95-1068.06 mg TE g(-1) ) assays, reducing power in cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (54.23-1002.78 mg TE g(-1) ) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (33.18-558.68 mg TE g(-1) ) assays, as well as metal chelating activity (2.45-11.28 mg EDTA equivalents g(-1) ), were exhibited by all extracts. All extracts were found to inhibit acetylcholinesterase [0.23-2.47 mg galanthamine equivalents (GALAE) g(-1) ], tyrosinase [27.20-83.33 mg kojic acid equivalents g(-1) ], amylase [mmol acarbose equivalents (ACAE) g(-1) ]. On the other hand, all extracts, except the water extract, inhibited butyrylcholinesterase (5.38-6.56 mg GALAE g(-1) ), whereas only the water and ethyl acetate extract showed glucosidase inhibitory potential (1.96 and 1.82 mmol ACAE g(-1) ). In general, the water extract was found to be a weaker enzyme inhibitor suggesting that water is not the preferrable extraction solvent to obtain active products.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the stem bark extracts of P. biglobosa contains good amount of phytochemical and extracts present significant antioxidant, as well as reasonable enzyme inhibitory effects. Hence, these findings suggest that further studies can be performed on more specific biological targets and models of bioactivity to determine their safe usage as a nutraceutical or for the preparation functional foods.(c) 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry
Efficacy of one-hour negative pressure wound therapy and magnetic field energy in wound healing
No full textOBJECTIVE: Wound healing is an important aspect of health but needs further research to identify the effects and interactions of different treatment approaches on healing. The aims of this study were to investigate the effectiveness of one-hour negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) and compare histological differences between one-hour NPWT and magnetic field energy (MFE) in rats on early-stage wound healing, wound size and angiogenesis. METHOD: Standardised wounds were created on Wistar rats that were allocated and divided into NPWT, MFE and control groups. Both treatments were applied for 1 hour/day for 10 days. Wound size, histological changes and wound area blood flow were assessed. RESULTS: The wound size of all groups was similar on days 0, 2 and 10. The MFE group's wound size was smaller than the NPWT group on days 4, 6 and 8 (p[removed
Antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, toxicity, and molecular docking analysis of Melaleuca cajuputi leaf extract and fractions
No full textMelaleuca cajuputi plant has piqued the interest of researchers due to its pharmacological properties. However, there is scarce information regarding its enzyme inhibitory effects and possible mechanism of action. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and potential binding interactions of bioactive components in M. cajuputi extract and fractions with the target enzymes. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (DPPH) assay was used for the antioxidant activity. The enzyme inhibition potential was assessed using tyrosinase and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzymes. M. cajuputi methanolic extract (MCME) demonstrated the most potent scavenging activity in comparison to Melaleuca fraction (MF1) and (MF2), as evidenced by IC50 values of 28.14 ± 0.96, 35.26 ± 0.64, and 80.90 ± 0.17 µg/mL, respectively. Similarly, the results of the enzyme inhibition assay showed that the MCME (IC50 65.81± 0.39 µg/mL) had the highest potency on tyrosinase enzyme compared to MF1 (IC50 131.3± 0.43 µg/mL) and MF2 (IC50 215.3 ± 0.48 µg/mL). However, MF2 (IC50 3.35 ± 0.37 µg/mL) showed a remarkable AChE enzyme inhibition than MCME and MF1. On the other hand, MCME possessed a low toxicity effect with an LC50 of 781 ± 0.07 µg/mL, whereas MF1 and MF2 were non-toxic. The 10-methylanthracene-9-carboxaldehyde, 2-isopropyl-10-methylphenanthrene, 2-tert butylanthracene, β-eudesmol, and α-eudesmol showed a strong binding propensity ranging from-5.1 to-6.2 and-6.4 to-7.6 kcal/mol towards tyrosinase and AChE respectively. The leaf extract of M. cajuputi could be considered a novel source of naturally occurring antioxidants and promising enzyme inhibitors. © 2024 Visagaa Publishing House
Modulation of Neuronal Damage in DRG by Asprosin in a High-Glucose Environment and Its Impact on miRNA181-a Expression in Diabetic DRG
No full textAsprosin, a hormone secreted from adipose tissue, has been implicated in the modulation of cell viability. Current studies suggest that neurological impairments are increased in individuals with obesity-linked diabetes, likely due to the presence of excess adipose tissue, but the precise molecular mechanism behind this association remains poorly understood. In this study, our hypothesis that asprosin has the potential to mitigate neuronal damage in a high glucose (HG) environment while also regulating the expression of microRNA (miRNA)-181a, which is involved in critical biological processes such as cellular survival, apoptosis, and autophagy. To investigate this, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were exposed to asprosin in a HG (45 mmol/L) environment for 24 hours, with a focus on the role of the protein kinase A (PKA) pathway. Expression of miRNA-181a was measured by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in diabetic DRG. Our findings revealed a decline in cell viability and an upregulation of apoptosis under HG conditions. However, pretreatment with asprosin in sensory neurons effectively improved cell viability and reduced apoptosis by activating the PKA pathway. Furthermore, we observed that asprosin modulated the expression of miRNA-181a in diabetic DRG. Our study demonstrates that asprosin has the potential to protect DRG neurons from HG-induced damage while influencing miRNA-181a expression in diabetic DRG. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of clinical interventions targeting neurotoxicity in diabetes, with asprosin emerging as a promising therapeutic target for managing neurological complications in affected individuals. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
A Safe Option in THA Without Femoral Osteotomy
No full textIntroduction There is no consensus in literature on the surgical treatment of patients with Crowe type III/IV patients. Each arthroplasty procedure has its own advantages and disadvantages. In this study by placing the acetabular cup between the true and false acetabulum, we aimed to share our experience about criteria of patient selection, surgical technique, and mid-term results of THA (total hip arthroplasty) in which the risk of dislocation was minimized using a standard-sized acetabular cup.Materials and Methods We reviewed the clinical and radiographic data of the patients with Crowe type III/IV treated by cementless THA without femoral shortening osteotomy from January 2015 to January 2020. The clinical (Harris hip score, Trendelenburg sign, limb lengths) and radiographic (AP/L hip X-ray, 3D CT) examinations before surgery; 1, 3 months and 1 year after the surgery were evaluated. All postsurgical complications were noted.Results Among all, 268 patients met the inclusion criteria. Thirty-two patients (11.9%) were male and 236 (88.1%) were female. Mean age was 46.8 years. Mean follow-up duration was 42.4 (26-57) months. Mean Harris Hip score (HHS) was 49.7 and Trendelenburg sign was positive in all patients preoperatively. In the final evaluation, mean HHS significantly improved to 80.2 (p < 0.005) and none of the patients had Trendelenburg sign. Mean lengthening of the operated leg was 4.3 cm.Conclusion Total hip arthroplasty with placement of acetabular cup between true and false acetabulum can be successfully preferred in selected patients with Crowe III/IV dysplasia
Calculation of phase diagram and the thermodynamic quantities by the Landau mean field model close to the solid - liquid and solid - solid transitions in n-paraffins
No full textWe calculate the phase diagrams and predict the temperature dependence of the thermodynamic quantities at high pressures for the solid - liquid and solid - solid transitions in n-paraffins. This calculation is performed by fitting the phase line equations as obtainedfrom the Landau model to the experimental data from the literature. On thebasis of the Landau model, phase diagram of the solid - solid transition ispredicted at 0.1 MPa for the binary mixtures of n-tridecane + (n-hexane and cyclohexane).For the calculation of the heat capacity the extended mean field is employedfor the n-paraffins studied here. We find that our calculated phase diagrams explain the observed behaviour of the liquid - solid transitions at high pressures in those binary mixtures. Our phase diagrams predicted at 0.1 MPa and our predictions for the thermodynamic quantities can be compared with the experiments for those binary mixtures