Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Workplace mobbing : experiences in the public sector

This paper discusses the counterproductive behaviour of ‘workplace mobbing’ where gossip, rumour, innuendo, and malicious accusations are reported to unfairly target and discredit targeted workers. The discussion is based on an Australian study of reports from public sector employees who self identified as targets of workplace mobbing. The behaviours are typically covert and are sometimes instigated and perpetuated by management. In focusing on three themes that emerged from the interview study, the paper discusses the sometimes toxic nature of public sector culture, mobbing behaviours and workplace expulsion. It also discusses some recommended regulatory and organizational responses that could potentially reduce the occurrence of such behaviours.
Effect of low-level laser therapy in the myonecrosis induced by Bothrops jararacussu snake venom.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this work was to investigate the capacity of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) alone or in combination with antivenom (AV) to reduce myonecrosis induced by Bothrops jararacussu snake venom. BACKGROUND DATA Myonecrosis is the most pronounced local effect caused by B. jararacussu venom. AV therapy and other first-aid treatments do not reverse these local effects. MATERIAL AND METHODS Male Swiss mice were used. Myonecrosis was induced by injection of 0.6 mg/kg of B. jararacussu venom in the right gastrocnemius muscle and was evaluated at 3 or 24 h after venom injection. The site of venom administration was irradiated for 29 s with a low power semiconductor laser (685 nm) at a dose of 4.2 J/cm(2). Intravenous AV therapy (0.5 mL dose) was administered at different times: 30 min before venom injection or 0, 1, or 3 h afterward. Both AV therapy and LLLT treatments were duplicated in mice groups killed at 3 or 24 h. RESULTS B. jararacussu venom caused a significant myonecrotic effect 3 and 24 h after venom injection. LLLT significantly reduced myonecrosis by 83.5% at 24 h (p < 0.05) but not at 3 h, and AV therapy alone was ineffective for reducing myonecrosis at 3 and 24 h. CONCLUSION Only LLLT significantly reduced myonecrosis of the envenomed muscle, suggesting that LLLT is a potentially therapeutic approach for treating the local effects of B. jararacussu venom.
Cross-Section of Equity Returns: Stock Market Volatility and Priced Factors

We discuss the nature of risk valid factors should represent. The Campbell's (1993) ICAPM extended with heteroskedastic asset returns guides us to identify the risk; we show that many of empirically well-established factors contain information about the future changes in the investment opportunity set and that is why these factors are strongly priced across assets. Specifically, we show that size, momentum, liquidity (trading strategy based factors), industrial production growth, and inflation (macroeconomic factors) factors as well as both short- and long-run market volatility factors are significantly priced because they all have information about the changes in the future market volatility which characterizes the future investment opportunity set in our model. The time-series studies show that the above-mentioned factors do predict the market volatility and the cross-sectional studies show that these factors are priced due to their predictability on the future market volatility. Both studies are consistent and strongly support the relationship between the stock market volatility and the priced factors. By revealing the nature of risk the empirically well-established factors represent, we provide an explanation why we observe so many empirically strong factors in the literature.
Sources of variation in international real interest rates

This paper analyses the effects of inflation on ex-post real interest rates in an international framework. A dynamic factor model is estimated in which real interest rates are influenced by real interest and inflation factors that are common to all the countries, and by country-specific factors. We find that the source of domestic inflation is an important determinant of the effect of inflation on real interest rates. A common inflation factor has a negative effect on ex-post real interest rates, lending support to a form of the Mundell-Tobin effect in international real interest rates, and that a country-specific inflation factor tends to have a positive effect.
Combined effect of topical arsenic trioxide and radiation therapy on skin-infiltrating lesions of breast cancer—a pilot study

It has been reported that arsenic trioxide (As2O3) is an apoptosis inducer and radiation sensitizer for various cancer cell lines. In this study of breast cancer patients, we examined the combined effect of topical As2O3 and radiation therapy on fungating and/or skin-infiltrating lesions of breast cancer. The dermatological, gastrointestinal, hematological, renal and hepatic toxicities of the treatment were also monitored. As2O3 gel (0.05%) was applied to tumor lesions 1 h prior to delivery of each fraction, with the gel removed about 5 min before the irradiation. Superficial radiation was delivered using an electron beam from a linear accelerator. Every week, the tumor lesions were photographed to evaluate effectiveness, and blood was sampled to monitor changes in hemogram and biochemical profile. Seven breast cancer patients with cutaneous metastasis were enrolled in this study. In terms of tumor, the rates for complete, partial response and stable disease were 42.9 (three of seven), 42.9 (three of seven) and 14.3% (one of seven), respectively. The skin pain, assessed by a visual analog scale, and secretion from all of the seven superficial and fungating wounds decreased markedly after treatment. Significant bone marrow suppression or granulocytosis was not noted. Further, changes in renal and hepatic function were also not significant. It seems reasonable to conclude that As2O3 may be an effective and safe radiosensitizer for palliative radiotherapy for skin-infiltrating lesions of breast cancer.
Agreement between amoA Gene-Specific Quantitative PCR and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization in the Measurement of Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria in Activated Sludge

ABSTRACT Microbial abundance is central to most investigations in microbial ecology, and its accurate measurement is a challenging task that has been significantly facilitated by the advent of molecular techniques over the last 20 years. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is considered the gold standard of quantification techniques; however, it is expensive and offers low sample throughput, both of which limit its wider application. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is an alternative that offers significantly higher throughput, and it is used extensively in molecular biology. The accuracy of qPCR can be compromised by biases in the DNA extraction and amplification steps. In this study, we compared the accuracy of these two established quantification techniques to measure the abundance of a key functional group in biological wastewater treatment systems, the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), in samples from a time-series experiment monitoring a set of laboratory-scale reactors and a full-scale plant. For the qPCR analysis, we tested two different sets of AOB-specific primers, one targeting the 16SrRNA gene and one targeting the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene. We found that there was a positive linear logarithmic relationship between FISH and the amoA gene-specific qPCR, where the data obtained from both techniques was equivalent at the order of magnitude level. The 16S rRNA gene-specific qPCR assay consistently underestimated AOB numbers.
The Conflict Trap in the Greek Civil War 1946-1949: An economic approach

The paper provides a quantitative analysis of the armed confrontation that took place in Greece between the Communist Party and the Centre-Right Government during 1946-1949. Using monthly data for battle casualties a dynamic Lotka-Volterra framework is estimated, pointing to the existence of a conflict trap that explains the prolongation of the civil war and its dire consequences for the country. To examine the extent to which the confrontation was influenced by socio-economic factors, a regional analysis finds that political discontent was mainly correlated with pre-war grievances rather than class-structure, while the mobilization of guerilla forces was crucially affected by morphology and the local persecutions by the Government. The economic cost of the conflict is estimated to be close to an annual GDP, and its effect to last for at least a decade, in line with similar findings in contemporary civil wars. The failure to prevent the conflict or stop its escalation is discussed together with some conclusions for the long term repercussions and the current social discontent in Greece.
Significant reduction of human monocyte chemotactic response to monocyte‐chemotactic protein 1 in patients with primary and metastatic malignant melanoma

Abstract The recruitment of leukocytes from the peripheral blood is a key event for the development and composition of the inflammatory infiltrate in solid tumors and tumor metastases like malignant melanoma. Tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and tumor‐associated macro‐phages (TAM) are thought to play a crucial rôle in tumor immunosurveillance. In malignant melanoma expression and secretion of monocyte‐chemotactic protein 1 (MCP‐1) have been demonstrated. MCP‐1 serves as an attractant for monocytes and activated T‐cells. In this study we addressed the question whether circulating monocytes show altered chemotaxis to MCP‐1. Therefore the chemotactic responsiveness of monocytes towards MCP‐1 was investigated in patients with primary and metastatic melanoma and compared to patients with basal cell carcinoma and healthy persons. The results show that monocytes from melanoma patients showed a significantly decreased chemotactic migration towards MCP‐1 while chemotaxis to the stimulus N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (FMLP) remained normal. Patients with basal cell carcinoma showed normal monocyte chemotaxis to all stimuli tested. In primary melanoma, there was no relation of the number of TAM or TIL to ihe decreased chemotaxis of circulating monocytes to MCP‐1. From these data it can be concluded that circulating monocytes from patients with primary and metastatic melanoma show a MCP‐1‐specific decrease in chemotactic migration. This may be due to deactivation or modulation of the MCP‐1‐receptor expression on these cells.
Multilateral Solutions to the Erosion of Non-Reciprocal Preferences in Nama

This paper analyzes the risks of preference erosion arising from MFN trade liberalization in manufactured products. It focuses on developing countries that receive non-reciprocal preferences in the markets of United States, EU, Japan, Canada and Australia. The paper estimates preference margins as the difference between non-reciprocal preferential rates received by individual countries and the best available (MFN or better-than-MFN) treatment received on average by all other suppliers. Most previous work on this subject has compared the preferential rates for individual countries with MFN rates alone, which the paper found to have the effect of over-stating the margin at risk from erosion following MFN reductions. The paper also considers the effect of less than full utilization of preference margins by beneficiaries, but a lack of data prevented the inclusion of this additional moderating factor relating to erosion risk.The paper finds that developing countries as a whole do not loose from preference erosion following MFN liberalization, although significant gains and losses underlie the estimate of the average. Almost all least-developed countries either lose from preference erosion or are unaffected by it because their exports are already largely MFN duty-free. A large number of LDCs are in the latter group. The main sectors where preference erosion occurs are textiles, fish and fish products, leather and leather products, electrical machinery and wood and wood products. As regards trade solutions to preference erosion, options are somewhat limited. Improved utilization rates may help certain countries but certainly do not offer a generalized solution. Limited scope exists for expanding the coverage of preference schemes within the destination markets considered in the paper. Other destination markets might offer some prospect, but these are limited by the fact that the markets studied dominate the trade flows of the beneficiary countries.
Recovery of a Functional Class 2 Integron from an Escherichia coli Strain Mediating a Urinary Tract Infection

ABSTRACT A class 2 integron was found in an Escherichia coli isolate mediating a urinary tract infection. Unlike other class 2 integrons from pathogens, the encoded IntI2 protein was functional. The integron possessed a dfrA14 cassette, and a second novel cassette in which a lipoprotein signal peptidase gene is predicted.
Diminished Hematopoietic Activity Associated with Alterations in Innate and Adaptive Immunity in a Mouse Model of Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis

ABSTRACT Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) is a tick-borne disease caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis. Patients exhibit diagnostically important hematological changes, including anemia and thrombocytopenia, although the basis of the abnormalities is unknown. To begin to understand these changes, we used a mouse model of ehrlichiosis to determine whether the observed hematological changes induced by infection are associated with altered hematopoietic activity. Infection with Ehrlichia muris, a pathogen closely related to E. chaffeensis, resulted in anemia, thrombocytopenia, and a marked reduction in bone marrow cellularity. CFU assays, conducted on days 10 and 15 postinfection, revealed a striking decrease in multipotential myeloid and erythroid progenitors. These changes were accompanied by an increase in the frequency of immature granulocytes in the bone marrow and a decrease in the frequency of B lymphocytes. Equally striking changes were observed in spleen cellularity and architecture, and infected mice exhibited extensive extramedullary hematopoiesis. Splenomegaly, a characteristic feature of E. muris infection, was associated with an expanded and disorganized marginal zone and a nearly 66-fold increase in the level of Ter119+ erythroid cells, indicative of splenic erythropoiesis. We hypothesize that inflammation associated with ehrlichia infection suppresses bone marrow function, induces the emigration of B cells, and establishes hematopoietic activity in the spleen. We propose that these changes, which may be essential for providing the innate and acquired immune cells to fight infection, are also responsible in part for blood cytopenias and other clinical features of HME.
Lack of global population genetic differentiation in the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae suggests a recent range expansion which may have coincided with the spread of agriculture

The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae is commonly found in agricultural fields. The cosmopolitan species is found in Africa, Europe, America, Asia and Australia. Three hypotheses may explain this worldwide distribution: First, speciation occurred before the continents separated 120 Ma; second, the distribution is a result of human‐mediated dispersal related to agriculture and finally, the morphologically defined species may encompass several local endemic species. To test these hypotheses, three genes were sequenced from 82 isolates of G. mosseae originating from six continents and the resulting sequences analysed for geographical subdivision and estimation of migration between continents. Coalescent analyses estimated divergence and age of mutations. Bayesian coalescent modelling was used to reveal important past population changes in the global population. The sequence data showed no geographical structure, with identical genotypes found on different continents. Coalescence analyses indicated a recent diversification in the species, and the data could be explained by a recent population expansion in G. mosseae. The results of this study suggest that speciation and the range expansion happened much later than continental spread and that human activity may have had a major impact on the dispersal and the population structure of the fungus.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the Amur rat-snake Elaphe schrenckii (Squamata: Colubridae)

Abstract In this study, the whole mitochondrial genome of Elaphe schrenckii (Squamata: Colubridae) is first sequenced. It is a circular molecule of 17,165 bp in size and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and 2 control regions (CRI and CRII). Except for eight tRNAs and ND6 gene, all other mitochondrial genes were encoded on the heavy strand (H strand). The gene order and orientation of E. schrenckii mitogenome are basically identical to that of other alethinophidian snakes. Mitochondrial genome analyses based on MP, ML and NJ yielded identical phylogenetic trees, indicating a close phylogenetic affinity of 12 species of Colubridae snakes. This study will facilitate the further research of the population genetics of this species and systematic analyses of the genus Elaphe.
Social networks in natural resource management: what is there to learn from a structural perspective?

With accelerating urbanization it is crucial to understand how urban ecosystems play a part in generating ecosystem services for urban dwellers, such as clean water, spaces for recreation, stress relief and improved air quality. An equally important question relate to who gets to enjoy these benefits, i.e. the distribution of ecosystem services, and how issues of power and equity influence the management of ecosystems. Through case studies from the urban landscape of Stockholm, this doctoral thesis engages with these perspectives through combining ecological theory with social theory, including social network analysis, actor-network theory and social movement theory. Strategies for how to improve urban ecosystem management are presented along with frameworks for how to analyze issues of power and equity in relation to natural resource management.Paper I shows that ecosystem management can be studied through analyzing the structure of social networks, i.e. the patterns of relations between agencies, stake-holders and user groups. Paper II and Paper III analyze, based on a network survey of 62 civil society organizations and in-depth interviews, a transformational process of how an urban local movement managed to protect a large urban green area from exploitation (The Stockholm National Urban Park). Paper IV discusses, based on several case studies from Stockholm, a conducive network structure for linking managers and user groups (e.g. allotment gardens, cemetery managers, and urban planners) across spatial ecological scales so as to improve urban green area management. Paper V presents a framework to analyze the social-ecological dynamics behind the generation and distribution of ecosystem services in urban landscapes.The thesis points towards the notion of "a social production of ecosystem services" and argues for deeper engagement with urban political ecology and critical geography to inform governance and collective action in relation to urban ecosystems.
Downregulation of MicroRNA 29a/b exacerbated diabetic retinopathy by impairing the function of Müller cells via Forkhead box protein O4

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a neurological disease, which can lead to blindness in severe cases. The pathogenesis underlying diabetic retinopathy is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the role of dysregulated microRNA 29a/b in the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy. Methods: Diabetes mellitus was induced in rats using 60 mg/kg of streptozotocin. Glucose (5.5 and 25 mM) was used to stimulate rat retinal Müller cells. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses were used to determine gene expression. A luciferase reporter assay was conducted to validate the relationship of microRNA 29a/b with glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 and Forkhead box protein O4. Results: The expression of microRNA 29a/b and glutamine synthetase decreased in both diabetes mellitus rats and rat retinal Müller cells stimulated with high glucose, whereas the expression of sonic hedgehog, glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and vascular endothelial growth factor, as well as the content of glutamate, increased. Dysregulated microRNA 29a/b was directly regulated by the sonic hedgehog–glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 signalling pathway, and microRNA 29a and microRNA 29b targeted Forkhead box protein O4 and regulated its expression. Conclusion: Downregulation of microRNA 29a/b, mediated by the sonic hedgehog–glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 signalling pathway, exacerbated diabetic retinopathy by upregulating Forkhead box protein O4.
Fluid Bolus Over 15–20 Versus 5–10 Minutes Each in the First Hour of Resuscitation in Children With Septic Shock: A Randomized Controlled Trial*

Objectives: To compare the effect of administration of 40–60 mL/kg of fluids as fluid boluses in aliquots of 20 mL/kg each over 15–20 minutes with that over 5–10 minutes each on the composite outcome of need for mechanical ventilation and/or impaired oxygenation—increase in oxygenation index by 5 from baseline in the initial 6 and 24 hours in children with septic shock. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Pediatric emergency and ICU of a tertiary care institute. Patients: Children (< 18 yr old) with septic shock. Interventions: We randomly assigned participants to 15–20 minutes bolus (study group) or 5–10 minutes bolus groups (control group). Measurements and Main Results: We assessed the composite outcomes in the initial 6 and 24 hours after fluid resuscitation in both groups. We performed logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with need for ventilation in the first hour. Data were analyzed using Stata 11.5. Of the 96 children, 45 were randomly assigned to “15–20 minutes group” and 51 to “5–10 minutes group. ” Key baseline characteristics were not different between the groups. When compared with 5–10 minutes group, fewer children in 15–20 minutes group needed mechanical ventilation or had an increase in oxygenation index in the first 6 hours (36% vs 57%; relative risk, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.39–0.99) and 24 hours (43% vs 68%; relative risk, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.42–0.93) after fluid resuscitation. We did not find any difference in secondary outcomes such as death (1.2; 0.70–2.03), length of stay (mean difference: 0.52; –1.72 to 2.7), or resolution of shock (0.98; 0.63–1.53). Conclusion: Children receiving fluid boluses over 5–10 minutes each had a higher risk of intubation than those receiving boluses over 15–20 minutes each. Notwithstanding the lack of difference in risk of mortality and the possibility that a lower threshold of intubation and mechanical ventilation was used in the presence of fluid overload, our results raise concerns on the current recommendation of administering boluses over 5–10 minutes each in children with septic shock.