Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bioaccumulation and biochemical markers in feral crab (Carcinus maenas) exposed to moderate environmental contamination—The impact of non‐contamination‐related variables

Moderate contamination is a challenging scenario for ecotoxicologists because of the occurrence of subtle biomarker responses and the increased relevance of non‐contamination related variables. This investigative biomonitoring study was performed in a moderately contaminated coastal system (Óbidos lagoon, Portugal) to examine winter–summer variations on biochemical responses and accumulated metals in Carcinus maenas, searching for associations with environmental and biological factors. Males and females were collected in three sites: Barrosa (BB) and Bom‐Sucesso (BS) in upper lagoon, and the middle lagoon (ML), closer to the lagoon inlet. Water and sediment were monitored for metals (Cu, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cd). Catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S‐transferase (GST), total glutathione content (GSHt), lipid peroxidation (LPO), and ethoxyresorufin‐O‐deethylase (EROD), as well as Cu, Mn, Ni, Cr and Cd were measured in the crabs' hepatopancreas. Inter‐site differences, though infrequent, pointed to the presence of crab stressors at BB. This was particularly obvious in summer when higher GST as well as lower GSHt and EROD were found in females, and accompanied by higher Ni accumulation. Seasonal differences of biochemical responses superimposed spatial variations in line with the contrasting winter–summer conditions regarding water quality and, to a lesser extent, with metal bioaccumulation. CAT, GSHt, and LPO were higher in summer, whereas enhancements of GPx and GST were recorded in winter. Winter increases were in agreement with higher availability of metals in water and enhancement of accumulated levels, particularly in females as emphasized by a bioaccumulation index. On the other hand, increases in summer were mainly driven by non‐contamination related factors. Males and females exhibited different patterns of metal accumulation and biochemical responses, with females being more responsive, as confirmed by a general stress index (IBR). Results recommend gender separation in biomonitoring programs using crabs. The integration of biochemical responses into IBR substantiated data interpretation. This is particularly relevant under moderate contamination allowing for better site‐distinction rather than biochemical responses considered individually. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2010.
The Relationship between Quinolone Exposures and Resistance Amplification Is Characterized by an Inverted U: a New Paradigm for Optimizing Pharmacodynamics To Counterselect Resistance

ABSTRACT We determined the relationship between garenoxacin exposure and quinolone-resistant subpopulations for three bacterial isolates in an in vitro hollow-fiber infection model. An “inverted-U” relationship was identified wherein resistant subpopulations rose initially and then declined with increasing exposure, until reaching a threshold that prevented resistance amplifications. Different targets for the area under the concentration-time curve over 24 h/MIC ratio were required for different bacteria.
International Evidence on Sectoral Interfuel Substitution

This paper estimates interfuel substitution elasticities in selected developing and industrialized economies at the sector level. In doing so, it employs state-of-the-art techniques in microeconometrics, particularly the locally flexible normalized quadratic functional form, and provides evidence consistent with neoclassical microeconomic theory. The results indicate that the interfuel substitution elasticities are consistently below unity, revealing the limited ability to substitute between major energy commodities (i.e., coal, oil, gas, and electricity). We find that on average, industrial and residential sectors tend to exhibit higher potential for substitution between energy inputs as compared to the electricity generation and transportation sectors in all countries, with the United States being the only exception. In addition, we find that developed countries demonstrate higher potential for interfuel substitution in their industrial and transportation sectors as compared to the developing economies. The implication is that interfuel substitution depends on the structure of the economy, not the level of economic development. Moreover, higher changes in relative prices are needed than what we have already experienced to induce switching toward a lower carbon economy.
Effect of bisphosphonates on proliferation and viability of mouse bone marrow‐derived macrophages

Bisphosphonates (BP) are powerful inhibitors of bone resorption. Their mechanism of action, although still unclear, is now believed to be at the cellular level. In this study we investigated the effects of these compounds on proliferation, induced either by L‐cell conditioned medium (CSF‐1) or 4‐phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) of bone marrow cells (BMC) and on CSF‐1‐induced proliferation and viability of bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMΦ). BMC proliferation, measured by [3H]‐TdR incorporation or by clonal assay in soft agar, was significantly inhibited by 4‐amino‐1‐hydroxybutylidene‐1,1‐bisphosphonate (AHBuBP) and 3‐amino‐1‐hydroxypropylidene‐1,1‐bisphosphonate (AHPrBP) at 2.5 × 10−7 M and by dichloromethylenebisphosphonate (Cl2MBP) at 2.5 × 10−6 M. This inhibitory effect was also confirmed on the proliferation, measured by [3H]‐TdR incorporation, of BMDMΦ. In the absence of CSF‐1, the viability of this latter cell population, estimated by DNA content per well and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released into the medium, was affected in the following order of concentrations: Cl2MBP, 1.0 × 10−4 M; AHBuBP, 5.0 × 10−5 M; and AHPrBP, 2.5 × 10−5 M. Since osteoclasts and macrophages might share a common early progenitor cell, probably under the control of CSF‐1, the effect exerted by BP on the proliferation of the macrophage precursors may also be extended to the osteoclast precursors.
Inhibition of Orai1‐mediated Ca2+ entry enhances chemosensitivity of HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells to 5‐fluorouracil

Increasing evidence supports that activation of store‐operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is implicated in the chemoresistance of cancer cells subjected to chemotherapy. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying chemoresistance are not well understood. In this study, we aim to investigate whether 5‐FU induces hepatocarcinoma cell death through regulating Ca2+‐dependent autophagy. [Ca2+]i was measured using fura2/AM dye. Protein expression was determined by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. We found that 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) induced autophagic cell death in HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells by inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Orai1 expression was obviously elevated in hepatocarcinoma tissues. 5‐FU treatment decreased SOCE and Orai1 expressions, but had no effects on Stim1 and TRPC1 expressions. Knockdown of Orai1 or pharmacological inhibition of SOCE enhanced 5‐FU‐induced inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and potentiated 5‐FU‐activated autophagic cell death. On the contrary, ectopic overexpression of Orai1 antagonizes 5‐FU‐induced autophagy and cell death. Our findings provide convincing evidence to show that Orai1 expression is increased in hepatocarcinoma tissues. 5‐FU can induce autophagic cell death in HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells through inhibition of SOCE via decreasing Orai1 expression. These findings suggest that Orai1 expression is a predictor of 5‐FU sensitivity for hepatocarcinoma treatment and blockade of Orai1‐mediated Ca2+ entry may be a promising strategy to sensitize hepatocarcinoma cells to 5‐FU treatment.
Short‐term cortical plasticity in patients with dystonia: A study with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) delivered at 5 Hz frequency and suprathreshold (RMT) intensity produces a progressive facilitation of motor‐evoked potential (MEP) amplitude that outlasts the end of stimulation. This phenomenon is related to a short‐term enhancement of cortical excitatory interneurones. In this study, we investigated whether 5 Hz‐rTMS elicits similar MEP facilitation during stimulation and similar facilitatory after‐effects in patients with upper limb dystonia and healthy subjects. Trains of 5, 10, and 20 stimuli were delivered at 120% RMT over the primary motor cortex with the subjects at rest. rTMS‐trains were followed by single test stimuli delivered at various interstimulus intervals (0.5–10 s) at 120% RMT using a conditioning‐test paradigm. Single conditioning stimuli were also delivered. The effects of suprathreshold 1 Hz‐rTMS were also tested. The MEP amplitude during the course of the trains and of the test stimuli was measured. In control experiments, we investigated the role of the afferent inputs elicited by muscle twitches after ulnar nerve stimulation on the MEP amplitude. In patients and healthy subjects, MEP amplitude increased significantly during the course of 5 Hz‐trains. In both groups the MEP facilitation outlasted the end of 5 Hz‐rTMS, however the facilitatory after‐effects were more pronounced and lasted longer in patients than in healthy subjects. MEP amplitudes during and after 1 Hz‐rTMS remained unchanged. Ulnar nerve stimulation did not change the test MEP amplitude. We conclude that in patients with upper limb dystonia there is an abnormal recovery from MEP facilitation after suprathreshold 5 Hz‐rTMS suggesting an abnormal pattern of short‐term cortical plasticity. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society
Engaging the multi-generational workforce in tourism and hospitality

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to present strategies that hospitality and tourism organisations might adopt as a means of encouraging employee engagement, thus enabling the more effective management of an increasingly multi-generational workforce. This paper evaluates current strategies being adopted that might encourage employee engagement by a selection of hospitality and tourism organisations and develop recommendations for organisations wishing to more effectively engage the multi-generational workforce. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts a mixed methods approach and presents findings based on a series of semi-structured interviews with management and self-completion questionnaires aimed at employees. Findings – The relationship between the supervisor and the employee remains a key enhancer regarding engagement and employees are increasingly demanding more contemporary methods of communication. Employers should take note of generational characteristics and adopt flexible policies attractive to all employees. Practical implications – This paper contributes no t only to the debate regarding generational differences in the workplace but it also identifies that the various generations evident in tourism organisations are desirous of similar working conditions and benefits. Organisations should consider the development of a range of packages that focus on linking employees with their purpose, their colleagues and their resources as a means of encouraging employee engagement. Originality/value – This study contributes to the debate regarding employee engagement and compares and contrasts initiatives that various tourism and hospitality organisations are adopting as a means of encouraging employee engagement. The study also elicits the views of the organisations employees to understand the extent of the effectiveness of such initiatives and makes recommendations regarding the most effective initiatives from both a management and employee perspective.
Agonist‐like pharmacotherapy for stimulant dependence: preclinical, human laboratory, and clinical studies

A variety of natural and synthetic agents have long been used for stimulant properties, with nontherapeutic use producing multiple waves of stimulant abuse and dependence. The multitude of effects of stimulants exist on continua, and accordingly, here we characterize stimulant abuse/dependence and candidate pharmacotherapies in this manner. Behavioral therapy and medications have been investigated for treatment of stimulant abuse/dependence. Effectiveness of some behavioral interventions has been demonstrated. Most medications studied have been found to lack efficacy. However, an expanding literature supports use of agonist‐like medications to treat stimulant abuse/dependence, a strategy effective for nicotine and opiate dependence. The agonist‐like conceptualization for stimulant dependence posits that medications with properties similar to that of the abused drug, but possessing lesser abuse liability, will normalize neurochemistry and stabilize behavior, thus reducing drug use. Data suggest use of a range of medications, from l‐dopa/carbidopa to amphetamine preparations, depending on the severity of use. This report reviews preclinical, human laboratory, and clinical trial data supporting the agonist‐like approach, including risks and benefits. Future directions for development of agonist‐like medications are also discussed.
Short-, Medium-, and Long-Term Consequences of Poor Infant Health: An Analysis Using Siblings and Twins

We use administrative data on a sample of births between 1978 and 1985 to investigate the short-, medium-, and long-term consequences of poor infant health. Our findings offer several advances to the existing literature on the effects of early infant health on subsequent health, education, and labor force attachment. First, we use a large sample of both siblings and twins, second, we use a variety of measures of infant health, and finally, we track children through their schooling years and into the labor force. Our findings suggest that poor infant health predicts both mortality within one year, and mortality up to age 17. We also find that infant health is a strong predictor of educational and labor force outcomes. In particular, infant health is found to predict both high school completion and welfare takeup and length.
Debt versus Equity under Asymmetric Information

Abstract In a world of asymmetric information in which only the insiders know the quality of the firm, it is claimed that debt, even if it is risky, is more advantageous than outside equity because issuance of debt is less attractive to inferior firms. The advantage to debt arises from the fact that it can keep unprofitable firms out of the market, thus improving the average quality of firms in the market. This advantage exists even if the firms cannot be perfectly sorted in the signaling equilibrium.
Polarized Pluralism in the Canadian Party System: Presidential Address to the Canadian Political Science Association, June 5, 2008

Abstract. The Canadian party system is an example “polarized pluralism,” whose key feature is domination by a party of the centre. Centrist domination induces centrifugal tendencies elsewhere in the system. Polarized pluralism accounts for several of the system's peculiar features: three-party competition in individual ridings, contrary to the predictions of Duverger's Law; the existence and episodic dynamics of sectional parties; boom and bust cycles in Conservative party electoral history; and the large gaps between federal and provincial outcomes within many provinces. But domination by a centrist party itself demands explanation. Résumé. Le système canadien des partis politiques exemplifie le «pluralisme polarisé», dont l'élément clé est la force dominante d'un parti du centre. Une telle domination induit des tendances centrifuges ailleurs dans le système. Pour sa part, le pluralisme polarisé explique plusieurs éléments du système canadien : la présence de trois partis compétitifs au niveau de la circonscription, malgré les prédictions du Duverger; l'existence même et la dynamique des partis sectionalistes; l'alternance entre force et faiblesse dans l'histoire du Parti conservateur; et les grands écarts qui se présentent dans plusieurs provinces entre les élections fédérales et les élections provinciales. Dans ce contexte, la force d'un parti centriste se doit d'être expliquée.
Cardiac output and related haemodynamics during pregnancy: a series of meta-analyses

Objective Cardiac output, a fundamental parameter of cardiovascular function, has consistently been shown to increase across healthy pregnancy; however, the time course and magnitude of adaptation remains equivocal within published literature. The aim of the present meta-analyses was to comprehensively describe the pattern of change in cardiac output during healthy pregnancy. Method A series of meta-analyses of previously published cardiac output data during healthy, singleton pregnancies was completed. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for studies published between 1996 and 2014. Included studies reported absolute values during a predetermined gestational age (non-pregnant, late first trimester, early and late second trimester, early and late third trimester, early and late postpartum). Cardiac output was measured through echocardiography, impedance cardiography or inert gas rebreathing. Observational data were meta-analysed at each gestational age using a random-effects model. If reported, related haemodynamic variables were evaluated. Results In total, 39 studies were eligible for inclusion, with pooled sample sizes ranging from 259 to 748. Cardiac output increased during pregnancy reaching its peak in the early third trimester, 1.5 L/min (31%) above non-pregnant values. The observed results from this study indicated a non-linear rise to this point. In the early postpartum, cardiac output had returned to non-pregnant values. Conclusion The present results suggest that cardiac output peaks in the early third trimester, following a non-linear pattern of adaptation; however, this must be confirmed using longitudinal studies. The findings provide new insight into the normal progression of cardiac output during pregnancy.
Networks and Fields: Corporate Business Leader Involvement in Voluntary Organizations of a Large Nonmetropolitan City

This paper examines the network structure of overlapping leadership between the corporate business sector and voluntary sector of a growing, non-metropolitan city in the Midwest. The data are from a study initially conducted in the early 1970s, and the analysis uncovers a pattern of selective, possibly strategic, involvement by corporate business leaders in the community's voluntary sector. An interactional field perspective is utilized to anticipate and interpret the findings. There are a number of community development implications of the findings and analytical approach, including support for expanded utilization of network analysis as a diagnostic tool for identifying strengths and limitations of community structures related to local capacity for community improvement activity.
"I'll look it up on the Web first": Barriers and overcoming barriers to consult for sexual dysfunction among young men.

QUESTIONS UNDER STUDY Our aim was to identify the barriers young men face to consult a health professional when they encounter sexual dysfunctions and where they turn to, if so, for answers. METHODS We conducted an exploratory qualitative research including 12 young men aged 16-20 years old seen in two focus groups. Discussions were triggered through vignettes about sexual dysfunction. RESULTS Young men preferred not to talk about sexual dysfunction problems with anyone and to solve them alone as it is considered an intimate and embarrassing subject which can negatively impact their masculinity. Confidentiality appeared to be the most important criterion in disclosing an intimate subject to a health professional. Participants raised the problem of males' accessibility to services and lack of reason to consult. Two criteria to address the problem were if it was long-lasting or considered as physical. The Internet was unanimously considered as an initial solution to solve a problem, which could guide them to a face-to-face consultation if necessary. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that Internet-based tools should be developed to become an easy access door to sexual health services for young men. Wherever they consult and for whatever problem, sexual health must be on the agenda.
Recent Developments in Dynamic Pricing Research: Multiple Products, Competition, and Limited Demand Information

Dynamic pricing enables a firm to increase revenue by better matching supply with demand, responding to shifting demand patterns, and achieving customer segmentation. In the last 20 years, numerous success stories of dynamic pricing applications have motivated a rapidly growing research interest in a variety of dynamic pricing problems in the academic literature. A large class of problems that arise in various revenue management applications involve selling a given amount of inventory over a finite time horizon without inventory replenishment. In this study, we identify most recent trends in dynamic pricing research involving such problems. We review existing research on three new classes of problems that have attracted a rapidly growing interest in the last several years, namely, problems with multiple products, problems with competition, and problems with limited demand information. We also identify a number of possible directions for future research.
Eph receptor expression defines midline boundaries for ephrin‐positive migratory neurons in the enteric nervous system of Manduca sexta

Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands participate in the control of neuronal growth and migration in a variety of contexts, but the mechanisms by which they guide neuronal motility are still incompletely understood. By using the enteric nervous system (ENS) of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta as a model system, we have explored whether Manduca ephrin (MsEphrin; a GPI‐linked ligand) and its Eph receptor (MsEph) might regulate the migration and outgrowth of enteric neurons. During formation of the Manduca ENS, an identified set of ∼300 neurons (EP cells) populates the enteric plexus of the midgut by migrating along a specific set of muscle bands forming on the gut, but the neurons strictly avoid adjacent interband regions. By determining the mRNA and protein expression patterns for MsEphrin and the MsEph receptor and by examining their endogenous binding patterns within the ENS, we have demonstrated that the ligand and its receptor are distributed in a complementary manner: MsEphrin is expressed exclusively by the migratory EP cells, whereas the MsEph receptor is expressed by midline interband cells that are normally inhibitory to migration. Notably, MsEphrin could be detected on the filopodial processes of the EP cells that extended up to but not across the midline cells expressing the MsEph receptor. These results suggest a model whereby MsEphrin‐dependent signaling regulates the response of migrating neurons to a midline inhibitory boundary, defined by the expression of MsEph receptors in the developing ENS. J. Comp. Neurol. 502:175–191, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Random amplification of polymorphic bacterial DNA: evaluation of 11 oligonucleotides and application to food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The polymerase chain reaction was used to obtain randomly-amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles from Listeria spp. and enterobacteria. Eleven different oligonucleotides were evaluated. Only one, HR4 (19mer), generated reproducible and specific profiles for Listeria spp. , while results for enterobacteria were controversial. A total of 57 different Listeria strains were subjected to the RAPD analysis and 27 different profiles were recognized. RAPD typing allowed strains of the same serotype to be distinguished but the same profile was obtained from different serotypes of L. monocytogenes in three cases and in one case two different serotypes of L. innocua yielded the same profile. RAPD-typing with HR4 allowed L. monocytogenes contamination in several food outlets to be traced back to a food processing plant. In additional experiments, the general utility of this RAPD system in typing Yersinia enterocolitica, verotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis was evaluated.