scholarly journals Pesticide Residues and Stuck Fermentation in Wine: New Evidences Indicate the Urgent Need of Tailored Regulations

Fermentation ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pasquale Russo ◽  
Carmen Berbegal ◽  
Cristina De Ceglie ◽  
Francesco Grieco ◽  
Giuseppe Spano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Growth ◽  
Culture Media ◽  
Candida Spp ◽  
Inhibitory Spectrum ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Screening Procedures ◽  
Moderately Resistant ◽  
First Time ◽  
Commercial Fungicide

For three consecutive years, an Italian winery in Apulia has dealt with sudden alcoholic stuck fermentation in the early stages of vinification process, i.e., typical defects addressable to bacterial spoilage. After a prescreening trial, we assessed, for the first time, the influence of the commercial fungicide preparation Ridomil Gold® (Combi Pepite), containing Metalaxyl-M (4.85%) and Folpet (40%) as active principles, on the growth of several yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces spp.) and lactic acid bacteria of oenological interest. We also tested, separately and in combination, the effects of Metalaxyl-M and Folpet molecules on microbial growth both in culture media and in grape must. We recalled the attention on Folpet negative effect on yeasts, extending its inhibitory spectrum on non-Saccharomyces (e.g., Candida spp.). Moreover, we highlighted a synergic effect of Metalaxyl-M and Folpet used together and a possible inhibitory role of the fungicide excipients. Interestingly, we identified the autochthonous S. cerevisiae strain E4 as moderately resistant to the Folpet toxicity. Our findings clearly indicate the urgent need for integrating the screening procedures for admission of pesticides for use on wine grape with trials testing their effects on the physiology of protechnological microbes.

Insurance regulations, risk and performance in Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-96
Author(s):  
Baah Aye Kusi ◽  
Abdul Latif Alhassan ◽  
Daniel Ofori-Sasu ◽  
Rockson Sai
Keyword(s):  
Random Effect ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Insurance Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
And Performance ◽  
First Time

Purpose This study aims to examine the hypothesis that the effect of insurer risks on profitability is conditional on regulation, using two main regulatory directives in the Ghanaian insurance market as a case study. Design/methodology/approach This study used the robust ordinary least square and random effect techniques in a panel data of 30 insurers from 2009 to 2015 to test the research hypothesis. Findings The results suggest that regulations on no credit premium and required capital have insignificant effects on profitability of insurers. On the contrary, this study documents evidence that both policies mitigate the effect of underwriting risk on profitability and suggests that regulations significantly mitigate the negative effect of underwriting risk to improve profitability. Practical implications The finding suggests that policymakers and regulators must continue to initiate, design and model regulations such that they help tame risk to improve the performance of insurers in Ghana. Originality/value This study provides first-time evidence on the role of regulations in controlling risks in a developing insurance market.

scholarly journals Inhibition of ovarian steroidogenesis by cyclic GMP in a fly

2003 ◽  
Vol 177 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Maniere ◽  
E Vanhems ◽  
F Gautron ◽  
JP Delbecque
Keyword(s):  
Close Correlation ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Phormia Regina ◽  
No Donor ◽  
Ovarian Steroidogenesis ◽  
Cgmp Analog ◽  
Ecdysteroid Biosynthesis ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
First Time

Previous investigations in the female blowfly Phormia regina have shown that 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), a broad spectrum inhibitor of phosphodiesterases (PDEs), fails to mimic the steroidogenic effects of cAMP on ovaries, although it efficiently increases the concentrations of this second messenger. In this study, experiments carried out to clear up this contradiction demonstrated that IBMX, besides its effect on cAMP, also increased cGMP concentrations in blowfly ovary and that these two cyclic nucleotides controlled ovarian steroidogenesis antagonistically. In particular, a selective inhibitor of cGMP-specific PDEs, unlike IBMX, had a very strong negative effect on ovarian steroidogenesis. Moreover, a cGMP analog was able to inhibit steroid biosynthesis in previtellogenic and vitellogenic ovaries, thus affecting basal and acute steroidogenesis respectively. Our observations also demonstrated that cGMP was always present in blowfly ovary, reaching its maximal levels at the end of vitellogenesis, in close correlation with the physiological decrease in ovarian steroidogenesis. Experiments using an inhibitor of protein kinase G clearly indicated that the effects of cGMP were mediated by this enzyme. On the contrary, these effects did not seem to involve cGMP-regulated PDEs or ion channels. Our results also indicated that ovarian cGMP concentrations were not controlled by brain factors, suggesting a probable involvement of paracrine/autocrine factors. Nitric oxide (NO) appeared to be a good candidate for such a control, because an NO donor was able to stimulate ovarian cGMP concentrations and to drastically decrease ovarian ecdysteroid biosynthesis in blowflies. These data thus demonstrate, for the first time in invertebrates, a potent role of cGMP in the negative control of ovarian steroidogenesis and suggest a possible co-regulation with NO.

scholarly journals The Effects of Corporate Bonds on Employment: Early Evidence from Greece

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-253
Author(s):  
Sotirios Karagiannis ◽  
Dimitrios Thomakos
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Bonds ◽  
Banking System ◽  
External Financing ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
Investment Choices ◽  
Positive Effect

This study investigates the impact of corporate bonds issued by Greek listed firms on employment. Even though external financing and the effects on employment has been studied in the literature, we extend the existing literature by focusing for the first time on the specific role of corporate bonds on employment. We have collected all the relevant papers on this line of the literature and concisely report them in a table format and then use them in analyzing our results. Our empirical analysis is based on a panel dataset from 2001 to 2014 and we examine the effect of corporate bonds in the pre and post period of the Greek economic crisis, in which the banking system is vulnerable and unable to provide financing to the firms. The results suggest that corporate bonds have a positive effect on employment in the pre-crisis sample, denoting that firms hire employees and proceed to investment choices. On the contrary, during the recession, corporate bonds have a negative effect on employment. Firms reduce their costs and try to control their debt obligations by issuing corporate bonds.

scholarly journals Intercultural Mobility and European Identity: Impact of the Erasmus Exchange Programme in Terms of Cultural Differences

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-94
Author(s):  
Fatih Goksu
Keyword(s):  
National Identity ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
European Identity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Exchange Programme ◽  
First Time

European mobility programmes have been seen as a promising method to promote European identity, particularly with a focus on young generations. In this article, I discussed the constructing role of the Erasmus exchange programme by employing the result of direct crosscultural interaction. Data from Eurobarometer surveys and outcomes concluded from the semistructured interviews revealed that socialising with other Europeans strengthened European identity but contact with the host country remained limited. Diff erent from other studies, this paper also reveals that the national identity of the participants precisely empower as a result of coaction. Furthermore, for the first time in the literature, semi-structured interviews unveiled that cultural differences such as stereotypes and prejudices have no negative effect in promoting European identity among students. Rather, it generates a positive impact for the awareness of national identity.

scholarly journals Cell death in Ustilago maydis: comparison with other fungi and the effect of metformin and curcumin on its chronological lifespan

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cinthia V Soberanes-Gutiérrez ◽  
Claudia León-Ramírez ◽  
Lino Sánchez-Segura ◽  
Emmanuel Cordero-Martínez ◽  
Julio C Vega-Arreguín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Culture Media ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Ustilago Maydis ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Sporisorium Reilianum ◽  
A Minor ◽  
First Time ◽  
Positive Effect

ABSTRACT Ustilago maydis is a Basidiomycota fungus, in which very little is known about its mechanisms of cell survival and death. To date, only the role of metacaspase1, acetate and hydrogen peroxide as inducers of cell death has been investigated. In the present work, we analyzed the lifespan of U. maydis compared with other species like Sporisorium reilianum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica, and we observed that U. maydis has a minor lifespan. We probe the addition of low concentrations metformin and curcumin to the culture media, and we observed that both prolonged the lifespan of U. maydis, a result observed for the first time in a phytopathogen fungus. However, higher concentrations of curcumin were toxic for the cells, and interestingly induced the yeast-to-mycelium dimorphic transition. The positive effect of metformin and curcumin appears to be related to an inhibition of the mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, increase expression of autophagy genes and reducing of reactive oxygen species. These data indicate that U. maydis may be a eukaryotic model organism to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying apoptotic and necrosis pathways, and the lifespan increase caused by metformin and curcumin.

scholarly journals An Alternative In Vitro Method for Examining Nanoparticle-Induced Cytotoxicity

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 385-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Gu ◽  
Elvis Cuevas ◽  
Syed F. Ali ◽  
Merle G. Paule ◽  
Victor Krauthamer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Culture Media ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Ag Nps ◽  
Validation Data ◽  
Vitro Assay ◽  
Brain Microvessel ◽  
First Time

Conventional in vitro assays are often used as initial screens to identify potential toxic effects of nanoparticles (NPs). However, many NPs have shown interference with conventional in vitro assays, resulting in either false-positive or -negative outcomes. Here, we report an alternative method for the in vitro assessment of NP-induced cytotoxicity utilizing Fluoro-Jade C (FJ-C). To provide proof of concept and initial validation data, Ag-NPs and Au-NPs were tested in 3 different cell cultures including rat brain microvessel endothelial cells, mouse neural stem cells, and the human SH-SY5Y cell line. Conventional 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were run in parallel with the new method and served as references. The results demonstrate for the first time that FJ-C labeling can be a useful tool for assessing NP-induced cytotoxicity in vitro. Using these approaches, it was also demonstrated that removal of Ag-NPs—while keeping the Ag-ions that were released from the Ag-NPs in culture media—abolished the measured cytotoxicity, indicating that Ag-NPs rather than Ag-ions in solution contributed to the observed cytotoxic effects. Further, co-treatment of Ag-NPs with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) prevented the observed cytotoxicity, suggesting a protective role of NAC in Ag-NP-induced cytotoxicity. Thus, this alternative in vitro assay is well suited for identify potential cytotoxicity associated with exposure to NPs.

Social Motives Predict Loneliness During a Developmental Transition

2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 145-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Nikitin ◽  
Alexandra M. Freund
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Avoidance ◽  
Social Approach ◽  
Social Motives ◽  
Developmental Transitions ◽  
Avoidance Motivation ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Low Levels

Abstract. Establishing new social relationships is important for mastering developmental transitions in young adulthood. In a 2-year longitudinal study with four measurement occasions (T1: n = 245, T2: n = 96, T3: n = 103, T4: n = 85), we investigated the role of social motives in college students’ mastery of the transition of moving out of the parental home, using loneliness as an indicator of poor adjustment to the transition. Students with strong social approach motivation reported stable and low levels of loneliness. In contrast, students with strong social avoidance motivation reported high levels of loneliness. However, this effect dissipated relatively quickly as most of the young adults adapted to the transition over a period of several weeks. The present study also provides evidence for an interaction between social approach and social avoidance motives: Social approach motives buffered the negative effect on social well-being of social avoidance motives. These results illustrate the importance of social approach and social avoidance motives and their interplay during developmental transitions.

Psychological Resilience Provides No Independent Protection From Suicidal Risk

Crisis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danica W. Y. Liu ◽  
A. Kate Fairweather-Schmidt ◽  
Richard Burns ◽  
Rachel M. Roberts ◽  
Kaarin J. Anstey
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Psychological Resilience ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Resilience Factors ◽  
First Time

Abstract. Background: Little is known about the role of resilience in the likelihood of suicidal ideation (SI) over time. Aims: We examined the association between resilience and SI in a young-adult cohort over 4 years. Our objectives were to determine whether resilience was associated with SI at follow-up or, conversely, whether SI was associated with lowered resilience at follow-up. Method: Participants were selected from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Project from Canberra and Queanbeyan, Australia, aged 28–32 years at the first time point and 32–36 at the second. Multinomial, linear, and binary regression analyses explored the association between resilience and SI over two time points. Models were adjusted for suicidality risk factors. Results: While unadjusted analyses identified associations between resilience and SI, these effects were fully explained by the inclusion of other suicidality risk factors. Conclusion: Despite strong cross-sectional associations, resilience and SI appear to be unrelated in a longitudinal context, once risk/resilience factors are controlled for. As independent indicators of psychological well-being, suicidality and resilience are essential if current status is to be captured. However, the addition of other factors (e.g., support, mastery) makes this association tenuous. Consequently, resilience per se may not be protective of SI.

THE NOTHING THAT REALLY IS!

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 4172-4177
Author(s):  
Abdul Malek
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Dynamics ◽  
Theoretical Physics ◽  
Historical Evolution ◽  
Proper Understanding ◽  
Physical Universe ◽  
Wave Particle Duality ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Materialist Interpretation

The denial of the existence of contradiction is at the root of all idealism in epistemology and the cause for alienations.  This alienation has become a hindrance for the understanding of the nature and the historical evolution mathematics itself and its role as an instrument in the enquiry of the physical universe (1). A dialectical materialist approach incorporating  the role of the contradiction of the unity of the opposites, chance and necessity etc., can provide a proper understanding of the historical evolution of mathematics and  may ameliorate  the negative effect of the alienation in modern theoretical physics and cosmology. The dialectical view also offers a more plausible materialist interpretation of the bewildering wave-particle duality in quantum dynamics (2).

Synergetic Theory of Document in Evolution of Document Science

2018 ◽  
pp. 1060-1068
Author(s):  
Galina A. Dvoenosova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Role ◽  
Scientific Study ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
Universal Theory ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Social Goal ◽  
The Social ◽  
Synergetic Theory ◽  
First Time

The article assesses synergetic theory of document as a new development in document science. In information society the social role of document grows, as information involves all members of society in the process of documentation. The transformation of document under the influence of modern information technologies increases its interest to representatives of different sciences. Interdisciplinary nature of document as an object of research leads to an ambiguous interpretation of its nature and social role. The article expresses and contends the author's views on this issue. In her opinion, social role of document is incidental to its being a main social tool regulating the life of civilized society. Thus, the study aims to create a scientific theory of document, explaining its nature and social role as a tool of social (goal-oriented) action and social self-organization. Substantiation of this idea is based on application of synergetics (i.e., universal theory of self-organization) to scientific study of document. In the synergetic paradigm, social and historical development is seen as the change of phases of chaos and order, and document is considered a main tool that regulates social relations. Unlike other theories of document, synergetic theory studies document not as a carrier and means of information transfer, but as a unique social phenomenon and universal social tool. For the first time, the study of document steps out of traditional frameworks of office, archive, and library. The document is placed on the scales with society as a global social system with its functional subsystems of politics, economy, culture, and personality. For the first time, the methods of social sciences and modern sociological theories are applied to scientific study of document. This methodology provided a basis for theoretical vindication of nature and social role of document as a tool of social (goal-oriented) action and social self-organization. The study frames a synergetic theory of document with methodological foundations and basic concepts, synergetic model of document, laws of development and effectiveness of document in the social continuum. At the present stage of development of science, it can be considered the highest form of theoretical knowledge of document and its scientific explanatory theory.

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