Osteoarthritis is not a disease, but rather an accumulation of predisposing factors. A systematic review

Introduction: Although they do not endanger the life of the individual, the major symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA), such as pain, inflammation and dysfunction, it will slowly decrease quality of life and performance, leading finally to disabilities. Due to the fact that this disease has no cure, strategies are still being sought to slow its evolution. The lack of understanding of the predisposing and triggering factors of OA, has led to different approaches to this pathology so discussed, but with modest results. This systematic review aims to debate the main phenomena underlying joint destruction in OA, and etiopathogenic theories. Materials and Methods: In this study were included 58 bibliographic sources, of which title 39 refers to OA, 6 with inflammation, 28 with cartilage, 3 with chondrocytes, and 5 with synovitis. In this study were discussed the etiopathogenic theories of OA which include: age, alteration of the cartilaginous matrix, alteration of chondrocyte metabolism, microtrauma and major trauma, inflammation of the joints - synovitis and obesity. Results: Increasing the level of understanding of predisposing factors, the occurrence of acute inflammatory phenomenon and the perpetuation of mechanisms that latently maintain chronic inflammation that over time develops a destructive effect on articular cartilage, would limit the negative effects of OA, delay the evolution and optimally combat that maintain the vicious circle: inflammation → production of enzymes → chondrolysis → inflammation. Conclusions: These studies contribute significantly to the understanding of destructive phenomena in OA. More studies are needed on the risk factors of OA and its production mechanisms, to find increasingly effective therapies that limiting its progression. Keywords: Osteoarthritis, etiopathogenic theories, chronic inflammation, age, obesity, cartilaginous matrixm, chondrocyte metabolism

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Exercise time cues (zeitgebers) for human circadian systems can foster health and improve performance: a systematic review

BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine ◽

10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000443 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. e000443 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Philip Lewis ◽

Horst W Korf ◽

Liz Kuffer ◽

J Valérie Groß ◽

Thomas C Erren

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Circadian System ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Pubmed Database ◽

Preventative Strategy ◽

Effects On Children ◽

And Performance ◽

The Individual ◽

The Right

BackgroundCircadian system time cues (zeitgebers) acting synergistically at the right times can foster chronobiological homeostasis and ultimately health. Modern 24/7 societies are challenging chronobiological homeostasis and public health. Exercise has been discussed as a potential zeitgeber for the human circadian system. Thus, if timed correctly, exercise may help in maintenance of chronobiological homeostasis and foster public health amidst increasingly challenging 24/7 lifestyles.ObjectiveTo test, using a systematic review of the literature, the following hypothesis: exercise is a zeitgeber for the human circadian system.Data sourcesThe PubMed database was systematically searched on 19 October 2017 for relevant scientific studies and reports concerning chronobiology and exercise. Eligibility criteria were defined to include articles considering exercise as a potential zeitgeber for human circadian rhythmicity or chronobiological effects of exercise on health and/or physical performance. Cognitive effects and effects on children were excluded from the synthesis.ResultsOur systematic literature search and synthesis is compatible with the validity of the hypothesis. We report that potential exercise-zeitgeber properties may be used to improve health and performance.ConclusionsInformed timing of exercise, specific to the circadian rhythm phase and zeitgeber exposure of the individual, must be advocated in performance and disease contexts as an adjunct therapeutic or preventative strategy and physical enhancer.

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Learning Against the Wind: Diversity and Performance on the Ships of the Dutch East India Company

Strategy Science ◽

10.1287/stsc.2020.0114 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 330-347

Author(s):

Filippo Carlo Wezel ◽

Martin Ruef

Keyword(s):

East India Company ◽

Work Practices ◽

Dutch East India Company ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Diverse Workforce ◽

The Face ◽

And Performance ◽

Using Data ◽

Data Tracking ◽

The Individual

Learning is of paramount importance to organizations, often hinging on the accumulation of experience among workers. The returns from experience, however, are far from certain in large groups, marked by complex interdependencies and composed of a demographically diverse workforce. How do organizations manage to learn and improve their performance under these conditions? We claim that the standardization of work practices and procedures provides two key advantages. First, it magnifies the positive returns that a unit reaps from the experience of its workers. Second, standardization anchors the accumulated experience of workers to organizational routines that transcend the individual units in which they have worked. Increasing experience eases coordination among workers and attenuates the negative effects of diversity on a unit’s performance. We test these arguments using data tracking the composition of ship crews in the Dutch East India Company, an organization that witnessed significant efforts at standardizing work practices and procedures in the face of increasing national diversity. We find preliminary support for our hypotheses from analyses of the time to completion of 2,200 voyages to Asia during the period between 1700 and 1796.

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Undesirable Effects of Goal Setting on Perceived Fairness, Commitment, and Unethical Behavior

Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie A&O ◽

10.1026/0932-4089/a000267 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 62 (2) ◽

pp. 97-107 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nina Keith

Keyword(s):

Goal Setting ◽

Unethical Behavior ◽

The United States ◽

Goal Commitment ◽

Management Technique ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Perceived Fairness ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Positive Effects ◽

And Performance

Abstract. The positive effects of goal setting on motivation and performance are among the most established findings of industrial–organizational psychology. Accordingly, goal setting is a common management technique. Lately, however, potential negative effects of goal-setting, for example, on unethical behavior, are increasingly being discussed. This research replicates and extends a laboratory experiment conducted in the United States. In one of three goal conditions (do-your-best goals, consistently high goals, increasingly high goals), 101 participants worked on a search task in five rounds. Half of them (transparency yes/no) were informed at the outset about goal development. We did not find the expected effects on unethical behavior but medium-to-large effects on subjective variables: Perceived fairness of goals and goal commitment were least favorable in the increasing-goal condition, particularly in later goal rounds. Results indicate that when designing goal-setting interventions, organizations may consider potential undesirable long-term effects.

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The importance and significance of gene polymorphisms in preeclampsia

HEALTH OF WOMAN ◽

10.15574/hw.2016.114.45 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 45-49

Author(s):

P.N. Veropotvelyan ◽

◽

I.S. Tsehmistrenko ◽

N.P. Veropotvelyan ◽

N.S. Rusak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Early Diagnosis ◽

Gene Polymorphisms ◽

Individual Risk ◽

Extended Study ◽

Stress Genes ◽

Detoxification System ◽

The Individual ◽

The Relationship

Was to conduct a systematic review of data on the relationship between polymorphisms genes of detoxification system and development of preeclampsia (РЕ). Рresents the main genes of detoxification system (GSTPI, GSTМI, GSTТI, GРХI, ЕРНХI, SOD-2, SOD-3, CYPIAL, MTHЕR, MTR) and their functions. Of interest is the possibility of calculating the individual risk of PE based on the results about the presence of a combination of different polymorphisms in the genotype of the female. Question about early diagnosis of РЕ remains controversial and not fully understood. It is necessary to conduct further in-depth, extended study of this problem. Key words: preeclampsia, oxidative stress, genes of the detoxification system.

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Grünbrücke Loterbuck A 4.2.9: Eine Erfolgskontrolle nach drei Jahren | Fauna Overbridge Loterbuck A 4.2.9: Success Control after a Period of Three Years

Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen ◽

10.3188/szf.2000.0290 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 151 (8) ◽

pp. 290-297

Author(s):

Stephan Hatt

Keyword(s):

Local People ◽

Traffic Network ◽

Negative Effects ◽

The Individual

The expansion of the traffic network, in particular the construction of highways, has continuously diminished and divided into small sections the habitat of wild-living animals during the last decades. However, these negative effects can be minimised if suitable measures with regard to line-conduction and construction are taken against. One of these possibilities are the sown-down overbridges. It is essential that these constructions are planned and built in order to meet the requirements of their future users – the various wild-living animals. This study investigates the success of one of these sown-down overbridges. It is this the Loterbuck-overbridge on the A 4.2.9 near Henggart in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. The focus of this investigation was to find out which species of wild-living animals use the bridge and how much it is frequented. Local people and specialists of the region were interviewed and tracks were picked up on site. Taking into consideration five criteria (species of wild-living animals, positioning and number of overbridges nearby, dimensioning and design of the individual overbridges), the interviews and tracks were assessed. The Loterbuck-overbridge is used by all larger wild-living animals of the region. Especially the browsing and rubbing tracks of deer show that the overbridge has been accepted not only as sown-down overbridge but also as habitat.

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Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Plant Derived Natural Products – A Systematic Review

Current Medicinal Chemistry ◽

10.2174/0929867325666190523123357 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (24) ◽

pp. 4506-4536 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Iris E. Allijn ◽

René P. Brinkhuis ◽

Gert Storm ◽

Raymond M. Schiffelers

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Natural Products ◽

Positive Control ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Reference Compound ◽

Individual Molecular Species ◽

The Past ◽

Anti Inflammatory ◽

The Individual ◽

Natural Medicines

Traditionally, natural medicines have been administered as plant extracts, which are composed of a mixture of molecules. The individual molecular species in this mixture may or may not contribute to the overall medicinal effects and some may even oppose the beneficial activity of others. To better control therapeutic effects, studies that characterized specific molecules and describe their individual activity that have been performed over the past decades. These studies appear to underline that natural products are particularly effective as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. In this systematic review we aimed to identify potent anti-inflammatory natural products and relate their efficacy to their chemical structure and physicochemical properties. To identify these compounds, we performed a comprehensive literature search to find those studies, in which a dose-response description and a positive control reference compound was used to benchmark the observed activity. Of the analyzed papers, 7% of initially selected studies met these requirements and were subjected to further analysis. This analysis revealed that most selected natural products indeed appeared to possess anti-inflammatory activities, in particular anti-oxidative properties. In addition, 14% of the natural products outperformed the remaining natural products in all tested assays and are attractive candidates as new anti-inflammatory agents.

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Optimal Nitrogen Fertilization to Reach the Maximum Grain and Stover Yields of Maize (Zea mays L.): Tendency Modeling

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11071354 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1354

Author(s):

Sergio E. Medina-Cuéllar ◽

Deli N. Tirado-González ◽

Marcos Portillo-Vázquez ◽

Sergio Orozco-Cirilo ◽

Marco A. López-Santiago ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Fertilization ◽

Zea Mays L ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Alluvial Soils ◽

Grain Production ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Maize Stover ◽

The Individual ◽

Quadratic Models

Utilization of maize stover to the production of meat and milk and saving the grains for human consumption would be one strategy for the optimal usage of resources. Variance and tendency analyses were applied to find the optimal nitrogen (N) fertilization dose (0, 100, 145, 190, 240, and 290 kg/ha) for forage (F), stover (S), cob (C), and grain (G) yields, as well as the optimal grain-to-forage, cob-to-forage, and cob-to-stover ratios (G:F, C:F, and C:S, respectively). The study was performed in central Mexico (20.691389° N and −101.259722° W, 1740 m a.m.s.l.; Cwa (Köppen), 699 mm annual precipitation; alluvial soils). N-190 and N-240 improved the individual yields and ratios the most. Linear and quadratic models for CDM, GDM, and G:F ratio had coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.20–0.46 (p < 0.03). Cubic showed R2 = 0.30–0.72 (p < 0.02), and the best models were for CDM, GDM, and the G:F, C:F, and C:S DM ratios (R2 = 0.60–0.72; p < 0.0002). Neither SHB nor SDM negatively correlated with CDM or GDM (r = 0.23–0.48; p < 0.0001). Excess of N had negative effects on forage, stover, cobs, and grains yields, but optimal N fertilization increased the proportion of the G:F, C:F, and C:S ratios, as well as the SHB and SDM yields, without negative effects on grain production.

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Heat Pump Bridge Analysis Using the Modified Energy Transfer Diagram

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14010137 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 137

Author(s):

Florian Schlosser ◽

Heinrich Wiebe ◽

Timothy G. Walmsley ◽

Martin J. Atkins ◽

Michael R. W. Walmsley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Energy Transfer ◽

Heat Pump ◽

Heat Recovery ◽

Heat Pumps ◽

Coefficient Of Performance ◽

Combined Application ◽

Recovery Potential ◽

Composite Curve ◽

And Performance ◽

The Individual

Heat pumps are the key technology to decarbonise thermal processes by upgrading industrial surplus heat using renewable electricity. Existing insight-based integration methods refer to the idealised Grand Composite Curve requiring the full exploitation of heat recovery potential but leave the question of how to deal with technical or economic limitations unanswered. In this work, a novel Heat Pump Bridge Analysis (HPBA) is introduced for practically targeting technical and economic heat pump potential by applying Coefficient of Performance curves into the Modified Energy Transfer Diagram (METD). Removing cross-Pinch violations and operating heat exchangers at minimum approach temperatures by combined application of Bridge Analysis increases the heat recovery rate and reduce the temperature lift to be pumped at the same time. The insight-based METD allows the individual matching of heat surpluses and deficits of individual streams with the capabilities and performance of different market-available heat pump concepts. For an illustrative example, the presented modifications based on HPBA increase the economically viable share of the technical heat pump potential from 61% to 79%.

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Testing and Assessing Method for the Resistance of Wood-Plastic Composites to the Action of Destroying Fungi

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14030697 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 697

Author(s):

Anna Wiejak ◽

Barbara Francke

Keyword(s):

Bending Strength ◽

Test Results ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Destructive Effect ◽

Wood Plastic Composites ◽

Plastic Composites ◽

Wood Polymer ◽

Proposed Modification ◽

Assessing Method ◽

Biological Corrosion

Durability tests against fungi action for wood-plastic composites are carried out in accordance with European standard ENV 12038, but the authors of the manuscript try to prove that the assessment of the results done according to these methods is imprecise and suffers from a significant error. Fungi exposure is always accompanied by high humidity, so the result of tests made by such method is always burdened with the influence of moisture, which can lead to a wrong assessment of the negative effects of action fungus itself. The manuscript has shown a modification of such a method that separates the destructive effect of fungi from moisture accompanying the test’s destructive effect. The functional properties selected to prove the proposed modification are changes in the mass and bending strength after subsequent environmental exposure. It was found that intensive action of moisture measured in the culture chamber of about (70 ± 5)%, i.e., for 16 weeks, at (22 ± 2) °C, which was the fungi culture, which was accompanying period, led to changes in the mass of the wood-plastic composites, amounting to 50% of the final result of the fungi resistance test, and changes in the bending strength amounting to 30–46% of the final test result. As a result of the research, the correction for assessing the durability of wood-polymer composites to biological corrosion has been proposed. The laboratory tests were compared with the products’ test results following three years of exposure to the natural environment.

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Individual behavioural traits not social context affects learning about novel objects in archerfish

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology ◽

10.1007/s00265-021-02996-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 75 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Nick A. R. Jones ◽

Helen C. Spence-Jones ◽

Mike Webster ◽

Luke Rendell

Keyword(s):

Social Context ◽

Social Environment ◽

Social Contexts ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Behavioural Phenotype ◽

Social Species ◽

The Social ◽

Social Animals ◽

Novel Objects ◽

The Individual

Abstract Learning can enable rapid behavioural responses to changing conditions but can depend on the social context and behavioural phenotype of the individual. Learning rates have been linked to consistent individual differences in behavioural traits, especially in situations which require engaging with novelty, but the social environment can also play an important role. The presence of others can modulate the effects of individual behavioural traits and afford access to social information that can reduce the need for ‘risky’ asocial learning. Most studies of social effects on learning are focused on more social species; however, such factors can be important even for less-social animals, including non-grouping or facultatively social species which may still derive benefit from social conditions. Using archerfish, Toxotes chatareus, which exhibit high levels of intra-specific competition and do not show a strong preference for grouping, we explored the effect of social contexts on learning. Individually housed fish were assayed in an ‘open-field’ test and then trained to criterion in a task where fish learnt to shoot a novel cue for a food reward—with a conspecific neighbour visible either during training, outside of training or never (full, partial or no visible presence). Time to learn to shoot the novel cue differed across individuals but not across social context. This suggests that social context does not have a strong effect on learning in this non-obligatory social species; instead, it further highlights the importance that inter-individual variation in behavioural traits can have on learning. Significance statement Some individuals learn faster than others. Many factors can affect an animal’s learning rate—for example, its behavioural phenotype may make it more or less likely to engage with novel objects. The social environment can play a big role too—affecting learning directly and modifying the effects of an individual’s traits. Effects of social context on learning mostly come from highly social species, but recent research has focused on less-social animals. Archerfish display high intra-specific competition, and our study suggests that social context has no strong effect on their learning to shoot novel objects for rewards. Our results may have some relevance for social enrichment and welfare of this increasingly studied species, suggesting there are no negative effects of short- to medium-term isolation of this species—at least with regards to behavioural performance and learning tasks.

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