bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Potentiality of probiotic yoghurt as a functional food – a review
Authors: Sarkar S. 
Published: September 2018

PurposeYoghurt is most popular and more acceptable throughout the world because of its general positive image among consumers because of its diverse nutritional and therapeutic properties and can be the most suitable probiotic carrier. Key factors for consumer’s inclination towards functional foods are increased awareness for healthy foods because of health deterioration resulting from busy lifestyles, growing healthcare cost and the aspiration for an improved quality life in later years. Yoghurt is still not consumed in certain parts of the world because of a lack of a cultural tradition of consuming yogurt and further people are not aware of the health benefits associated with yogurt consumption. In this study an attempt has been to project probiotic yoghurt as a functional food in the current era of self-care and complementary medicine.Design/methodology/approachAttempt has been made to review the literature on the biochemical activities of yoghurt cultures and their behavior in association with diverse probiotic cultures. Both review and research papers related to biochemical activities and functional properties of yoghurt cultures in association with probiotics and their health benefits published in diverse journals under Pub Med and Science Direct have been considered. Keywords used for data search included functional foods, yoghurt, probiotic, health benefits, etc.FindingsFunctional properties of yoghurt can be further enhanced with fortification of minerals and vitamins or inclusion of probiotic cultures. Diversity in biochemical behavior yoghurt cultures in association with different probiotic cultures has been reported. Conjugated application of probiotics with yoghurt cultures would result in a product with enhanced functional properties to extend health benefits.Originality/valueInclusion of probiotic cultures in yoghurt is suggested to extend the functional properties of normal yoghurt, thus providing necessary nutrients, improving health and preventing or reducing nutrition-related diseases. Regular intake of probiotic yoghurt is suggested for healthy lifestyles, as it will help in retaining their health and reduce the potentially long-term risk of disease. Food industries can have profit-driven business by projecting the probiotic yoghurt as a functional food.
Sex trafficking and sex tourism in a globalised world
Authors: Brooks Ann , Heaslip Vanessa 
Published: September 2018

Purpose
This paper aims to explore the dark side of the relationship between gender, mobility, migration and tourism. Specifically, the paper looks at one form of human trafficking, the global sex industry and the relationship between sex trafficking and sex tourism. More particularly, the paper examines the global sex industry (Goh, 2009; Sasse, 2000, 2001) and the impact of migration and human rights aspects (Voronova and Radjenovic, 2016) of sex trafficking and sex tourism, as well as the emotional dimensions of trauma, violence and vulnerability (Heaslip, 2016).

Design/methodology/approach
The paper is an interdisciplinary discussion paper combining socio-economic perspectives (Goh, 2009; Brooks and Devasayaham, 2011), human rights perspectives (Cheah, 2006), migration perspectives (Voronova and Radjenovic, 2016), tourism perspectives (Carolin et al., 2015) and health perspectives (Cary et al., 2016; Matos et al., 2013; Reid and Jones, 2011). The contribution of these intersecting perspectives to an understanding of sex trafficking and sex tourism is explored.

Findings
The paper highlights the moral and ethical responsibility of the tourist industry to counteract sex trafficking and sex tourism, an issue which tourism studies have failed to fully engage with. In presenting the human costs of trafficking from a gender perspective, the paper considers the ways in which the tourism industries, in some countries, are attempting to respond.

Research limitations/implications
The originality of the research is the focus on the dark side of the relationship between gender, mobility and tourism through sex trafficking and sex tourism drawing on an interdisciplinary perspective.

Social implications
The paper looks at the individual and social implications of sex trafficking and sex tourism for different countries and states and for the individuals concerned. In addition, it looks at the ways in which the tourism industry is responding to sex trafficking and sex tourism and the social impact of this.

Originality/value
In theorising the relationship between gender, migration, sex trafficking and tourism from an interdisciplinary perspective, exploring the societal and individual impact, this paper provides a framework for further empirical research or policy changes with regard to the intersection of sex trafficking and tourism.
The fibronectin‐binding protein homologue Fbp62 of Streptococcus anginosus is a potent virulence factor
Authors: Kodama Yoshitoyo , Ishikawa Taichi , Shimoyama Yu , Sasaki Daisuke , Kimura Shigenobu , Sasaki Minoru 
Published: September 2018

ABSTRACTStreptococcus anginosus appears to be able to adhere to cultured epithelial cells or fibronectin and this may be associated with bacterial pathogenicity. In the present study, the molecular characteristics and virulence of the fibronectin‐binding protein (FBP), Fbp62, of S. anginosus were investigated in animal models to determine the role of the molecule in bacterial infection. fbp62 encodes a 549 amino acid residue with an apparent molecular mass of 62.8 kDa that lacks a membrane anchor motif and a leader peptide, suggesting that fbp62 codes for an atypical FBP. It has been observed that the S. anginosus Fbp62 is very similar to the FbpA of Streptococcus gordonii, PavA of Streptococcus pneumoniae, SmFnB of Streptococcus mutans and Fbp54 of Streptococcus pyogenes. Recombinant Fbp62 prepared from pGEX‐4T‐2 was found to bind to fibronectin in a dose‐dependent manner and competitively inhibit the binding of S. anginosus to fibronectin. Furthermore, anti‐Fbp62 antiserum abrogated the binding of S. anginosus to fibronectin. Adhesion of the isogenic mutant, Δfbp62, constructed from S. anginosus NCTC 10713 (wild‐type, WT) by homologous recombination to HEp‐2 cells and DOK cells was significantly weaker than that of S. anginosus WT. In addition, Δfbp62’s lethality and ability to form abscesses were weaker in a mouse model of infection than in the WT strain. Taken together, these results suggest that Fbp62 is an important pathogenic factor of S. anginosus.
Contingent factors explain average divergence in functional composition over 88 years of old field succession
Authors: Clark Adam Thomas , Knops Johannes M. H. , Tilman Dave 
Published: September 2018

Abstract

“Old fields” are ecosystems that have been previously managed and subsequently abandoned, usually from agricultural use. These systems are classic testing grounds for hypotheses about community assembly. However, old field succession can be difficult to predict: seemingly similar fields often diverge in terms of species composition and environmental conditions.

Here, we test the relative roles of contingency and stochasticity in driving vegetative successional dynamics. We draw on three decades of surveys in 24 old fields at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (Minnesota, USA), and focus on five drivers that are known to shape local plant communities: soil fertility, fire, climate, competition, and demography. These drivers can contribute to contingency when they act consistently across fields and years (e.g., soil nitrogen accumulation, experimental fire regimes, or average climate), or to stochasticity when their effects are variable (e.g., annual variations in weather, or colonization and mortality events).

We proceed in two steps. First, we fit regressions estimating abundance, colonization, and mortality for eight major functional groups in relation to these five drivers. We then use these regressions to parameterize a series of metacommunity simulation models, and test whether observed levels of stochasticity and variation in the drivers are sufficient to explain successional divergence.

All drivers were significantly associated with plant species abundances, colonization, and mortality. Contingent factors strongly altered predicted successional trajectories. However, replicate simulations with similar conditions followed similar successional trajectories, suggesting that stochastic processes did not lead to divergence. This robustness of successional dynamics may be explained by compensatory trade‐offs. For example, species that were abundant late in succession typically suffered from low colonization rates and high mortality rates early in succession.

Synthesis. Average successional dynamics among old fields at Cedar Creek follow largely consistent trends. Though dynamics of individual fields vary, much of this variation can be explained by contingent factors. Stochastic processes appear not to be sufficiently strong to create divergent successional trajectories among fields with similar sets of drivers. Our results therefore suggest that divergence among successional trajectories in chronosequences may be the result of predictable contingent factors, rather than unpredictable stochastic fluctuations.
Short‐ and Long‐Run Policy Evaluation: Support for Grassland‐Based Milk Production in Switzerland
Authors: Mack Gabriele , Kohler Andreas 
Published: September 2018

AbstractFollowing the abolition of the milk quota in 2008, farmers in Switzerland strongly increased the use of concentrate feed in milk production. Against this background, the Swiss government introduced the voluntary grassland‐based milk and meat (GMF) programme in 2014, which combines economic incentives with feeding restrictions to reduce the reliance on concentrate feed and increase the use of grass feed. We analyse the economic and ecological impacts of the GMF programme at the farm and at the sector level in the short‐ and long‐run. We use a difference‐in‐differences approach (ex‐post) and an agent‐based simulation model SWISSland (ex‐ante) to construct counterfactual states to evaluate the programme's impacts. We find that the GMF programme reduces the use of concentrate feed and increases the use of grass feed in Swiss milk production. Whereas the programme has a positive effect on economic indicators such as the farm income, we find no effect on ecological indicators such as the N surplus. Our analysis suggests that feeding restrictions on concentrate feed are not enough to achieve a reduction in the N surplus. Additional feeding restrictions on grassland are necessary. Furthermore, the GMF programme has a dampening effect on sectoral milk supply, and leads to a higher milk price.
Shareholder Activism and Voluntary Disclosure Initiation: The Case of Political Spending
Authors: Baloria Vishal P. , Klassen Kenneth J. , Wiedman Christine I. 
Published: September 2018

ABSTRACTDemand for disclosures on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues has increased dramatically. Using corporate political spending disclosures as our setting, we conduct a detailed inquiry of 541 political spending‐related shareholder proposals from 2004 to 2012 to highlight the role of shareholder activism as a mechanism to motivate ESG disclosure. Unlike earlier studies, we examine both proposals that went to a vote and proposals that were withdrawn by the activist, allowing us to assess more comprehensively the success of shareholder activism. We find that 20 percent of firms targeted by disclosure proposals begin disclosing in the subsequent year, although implementation rates vary by proposal type—8 percent for proposals subject to a vote versus 56 percent for proposals withdrawn. The sponsor is also important: unions and public pension funds are less likely than other activists to target firms with agency problems and are less successful in having proposals withdrawn, and the implementations they obtain are viewed more negatively by the broader investor base. Our findings highlight shareholder proposals as one mechanism through which investors can successfully express their preferences for corporate disclosure policies. Given activists' long‐standing interest in environmental and social disclosure policies, we believe our findings generalize to a broader set of ESG disclosures.
Robust, real‐time and autonomous monitoring of ecosystems with an open, low‐cost, networked device
Authors: Sethi Sarab S. , Ewers Robert M. , Jones Nick S. , Orme Christopher David L. , Picinali Lorenzo 
Published: September 2018

Abstract

Automated methods of monitoring ecosystems provide a cost‐effective way to track changes in natural system's dynamics across temporal and spatial scales. However, methods of recording and storing data captured from the field still require significant manual effort.

Here, we introduce an open source, inexpensive, fully autonomous ecosystem monitoring unit for capturing and remotely transmitting continuous data streams from field sites over long time‐periods. We provide a modular software framework for deploying various sensors, together with implementations to demonstrate proof of concept for continuous audio monitoring and time‐lapse photography.

We show how our system can outperform comparable technologies for fractions of the cost, provided a local mobile network link is available. The system is robust to unreliable network signals and has been shown to function in extreme environmental conditions, such as in the tropical rainforests of Sabah, Borneo.

We provide full details on how to assemble the hardware, and the open‐source software. Paired with appropriate automated analysis techniques, this system could provide spatially dense, near real‐time, continuous insights into ecosystem and biodiversity dynamics at a low cost.
Corrective ventilation strategies in delivery room resuscitation of preterm infants
Authors: Kilmartin Keira C. , Finn Darragh , Hawkes Gavin A. , Kenosi Mmoloki , Dempsey Eugene M. , Livingstone Vicki , Ryan Anthony C. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractAimCorrective ventilation strategies (CVS) during neonatal resuscitation and stabilisation (R&S) are taught through the MRSOPA mnemonic: Mask adjustment, Repositioning airway, Suctioning, Opening the mouth, Increasing inspiratory Pressure, and Alternative airway. The aim was to examine the use of CVS and to investigate the relationship between MRSOPA strategies and intubation of very preterm infants <32 weeks’ gestation in the delivery room.MethodsRetrospective review of video recordings of R&S of preterm infants born in Cork University Maternity Hospital, Ireland.ResultsIn 46 resuscitation recordings, mask adjustment was observed in almost all (95.6%), followed by suctioning, (23.9%), opening the mouth (100%), increasing inspiratory pressure (81.0%) and intubation (32.6%). The most frequently used mask holds were: one‐handed (95.6%), two‐handed (63.0%), stem hold (23.8%), and modified spider hold (6.5%). There were no significant associations between individual mask holds and intubation. The more CVS employed the greater the need for intubation.ConclusionThe greater the number of MRSOPA strategies used in the delivery room, the more likely intubation occurred. Further studies may identify the effect of these CVS on short‐ and long‐term outcomes, in order to enhance R&S training and clinical practice.
Infant body mass index growth patterns predicted overweight at five years, waist‐to‐height ratio did not add to this predictivity
Authors: Lindholm Annelie , Bergman Stefan , Alm Bernt , Almquist‐Tangen Gerd , Dahlgren Jovanna , Roswall Josefine 
Published: September 2018

AbstractAimThe aim of the present study was to examine body mass index (BMI) and waist‐to‐height ratio (WHtR) growth patterns from birth until five years regarding their ability to predict overweight or obesity in children at five years of age.MethodsPopulation‐based longitudinal birth cohort study of 1540 children from the south‐west region of Sweden, recruited at the first visit to the child health care centres in 2007–2008. The children were followed for five years and classified into two weight groups according to the 2012 International Obesity Task Force criteria. BMI and WHtR standard deviation scores (SDS) were analysed with Student's t‐tests and multiple logistic regression models.ResultsBMI‐SDS and WHtR‐SDS growth patterns were from an early age different in children with overweight or obesity, compared to in children with normal weight or underweight. Overweight or obesity was significantly predicted by BMI‐SDS at 0–1 month (p < 0.001), ΔBMI‐SDS between 0–1 and 12 months (p < 0.001) and between 18 and 48 months (p < 0.001), but not by WHtR‐SDS, except for a negative association between 18 and 48 months in the boys (p = 0.040).ConclusionOverweight or obesity at five years could be predicted by early BMI‐SDS growth patterns, and WHtR‐SDS did not add to the predictivity with regard to BMI‐SDS.
Genotype‐sensitive reversible and time‐dependent CYP2D6 inhibition in human liver microsomes
Authors: Storelli Flavia , Desmeules Jules , Daali Youssef 
Published: September 2018

AbstractCytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 metabolizes a wide range of xenobiotics and is characterized by a huge interindividual variability. A recent clinical study highlighted differential magnitude of CYP inhibition as a function of CYP2D6 genotype. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of CYP2D6 genotype on the inhibition of dextromethorphan O‐demethylation by duloxetine and paroxetine in human liver microsomes (HLMs). The study focused on genotypes defined by the combination of two fully functional alleles (activity score 2, AS 2, n = 6), of one fully functional and one reduced allele (activity score 1.5, AS 1.5, n = 4) and of one fully functional and one non‐functional allele (activity score 1, AS 1, n = 6), which all predict extensive metabolizer phenotype. Kinetic experiments showed that maximal reaction velocity was affected by CYP2D6 genotype, with a decrease in 33% of Vmax in AS 1 HLMs compared to AS 2 (P = 0.06). No difference in inhibition parameters Ki, KI and kinact was observed neither with the competitive inhibitor duloxetine nor with the time‐dependent inhibitor paroxetine. Among the genotypes tested, we found no difference in absolute CYP2D6 microsomal levels with ELISA immunoquantification. Therefore, our results suggest that genotype‐sensitive magnitude of drug‐drug interactions recently observed in vivo is likely to be due to differential amounts of functional enzymes at the microsomal level rather than to a difference in inhibition potencies across genotypes, which motivates for further quantitative proteomic investigations of functional and variant CYP2D6 alleles.
Supporting social sustainability in resource‐based communities through leisure and recreation
Authors: Lamanes Trina , Deacon Leith 
Published: September 2018

AbstractCommunity development can be conceptualized as a balance that exists amongst environmental, economic, and social systems; this achievement, however, is difficult for communities undergoing rapid urban development. In particular, resource‐based communities (RBCs) that develop as a result of investment into the extraction of a natural resource such as oil and gas have been found to experience uneven economic development, environmental degradation, and social instability. A contributing factor to social instability in RBCs is the reliance on a large transient workforce drawn to the area in search of employment opportunities and the inability to provide this burgeoning population with sufficient urban infrastructure and services. Building on previous research that theorized the key to increasing the sustainability of RBCs is to retain a permanent population, this research explores the contribution that opportunities for leisure and recreation makes to resident retention. Using Fort McMurray, Alberta as a case study, results indicate that among a group of people who lack established social ties, the main source of social interaction is participation in leisure and recreation activities. However, traditional activities associated with leisure and recreation did not take into account the unique challenges found in RBCs indicating an adaptable approach to provision is necessary.
FGF9/FGFR2 increase cell proliferation by activating ERK1/2, Rb/E2F1, and cell cycle pathways in mouse Leydig tumor cells
Authors: Chang Ming‐Min , Lai Meng‐Shao , Hong Siou‐Ying , Pan Bo‐Syong , Huang Hsin , Yang Shang‐Hsun , Wu Chia‐Ching , Sun H. Sunny , Chuang Jih‐Ing , Wang Chia‐Yih , Huang Bu‐Miin 
Published: September 2018

AbstractFibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) promotes cancer progression; however, its role in cell proliferation related to tumorigenesis remains elusive. We investigated how FGF9 affected MA‐10 mouse Leydig tumor cell proliferation and found that FGF9 significantly induced cell proliferation by activating ERK1/2 and retinoblastoma (Rb) phosphorylations within 15 minutes. Subsequently, the expressions of E2F1 and the cell cycle regulators: cyclin D1, cyclin E1 and cyclin‐dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) in G1 phase and cyclin A1, CDK2 and CDK1 in S‐G2/M phases were increased at 12 hours after FGF9 treatment; and cyclin B1 in G2/M phases were induced at 24 hours after FGF9 stimulation, whereas the phosphorylations of p53, p21 and p27 were not affected by FGF9. Moreover, FGF9‐induced effects were inhibited by MEK inhibitor PD98059, indicating FGF9 activated the Rb/E2F pathway to accelerate MA‐10 cell proliferation by activating ERK1/2. Immunoprecipitation assay and ChIP‐quantitative PCR results showed that FGF9‐induced Rb phosphorylation led to the dissociation of Rb‐E2F1 complexes and thereby enhanced the transactivations of E2F1 target genes, Cyclin D1, Cyclin E1 and Cyclin A1. Silencing of FGF receptor 2 (FGFR2) using lentiviral shRNA inhibited FGF9‐induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation and cell proliferation, indicating that FGFR2 is the obligate receptor for FGF9 to bind and activate the signaling pathway in MA‐10 cells. Furthermore, in a severe combined immunodeficiency mouse xenograft model, FGF9 significantly promoted MA‐10 tumor growth, a consequence of increased cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis. Conclusively, FGF9 interacts with FGFR2 to activate ERK1/2, Rb/E2F1 and cell cycle pathways to induce MA‐10 cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo.
Minocycline decreases Th2 chemokines from M2 macrophages: Possible mechanisms for the suppression of bullous pemphigoid by traditional bullous disease drugs
Authors: Tanita Kayo , Fujimura Taku , Sato Yota , Lyu Chunbing , Aiba Setsuya 
Published: September 2018

AbstractMinocycline/tetracycline is clinically used for the treatment of bullous pemphigoid (BP), and its clinical benefits are superior to those of prednisolone when considering adverse events. Although the clinical benefits of minocycline/tetracycline are well known, its immunosuppressive mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of traditional anti‐BP drugs (minocycline, nicotinic acid amide, dexamethasone and cyclosporine) on CD163+ M2 macrophages in vitro, with special focus on the production of CCL18 and CCL22, both of which are produced by CD163+ M2 macrophages in the lesional skin of BP and are increased in the serum of BP patients. Minocycline decreased the production of CCL22, CCL24 and CCL26 as well as CCL2 from M2 macrophages. CCL18 from M2 macrophages was decreased by dexamethasone and cyclosporine, but not decreased by minocycline. These data suggest that the clinical benefit of minocycline is partially explained by its suppressive effects against the production of specific Th2 chemokines from M2 macrophages, which should contribute to the recruitment of Th2 cells and eosinophils in the lesional skin of BP patients.