A one-year monitoring of nicotine use in sport: frontier between potential performance enhancement and addiction issues

Tobacco consumption is a global epidemic responsible for a vast burden of disease. With pharmacological properties sought-after by consumers and responsible for addiction issues, nicotine is the main reason of this phenomenon. Accordingly, smokeless tobacco products are of growing popularity in sport owing to potential performance enhancing properties and absence of adverse effects on the respiratory system. Nevertheless, nicotine does not appear on the 2011 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List or Monitoring Program by lack of a comprehensive large-scale prevalence survey. Thus, this work describes a one-year monitoring study on urine specimens from professional athletes of different disciplines covering 2010 and 2011. A method for the detection and quantification of nicotine, its major metabolites (cotinine, trans-3-hydroxycotinine, nicotine-N′-oxide and cotinine-N-oxide) and minor tobacco alkaloids (anabasine, anatabine and nornicotine) was developed, relying on ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-TQ-MS/MS). A simple and fast dilute-and-shoot sample treatment was performed, followed by hydrophilic interaction chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) operated in positive electrospray ionization (ESI) mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) data acquisition. After method validation, assessing the prevalence of nicotine consumption in sport involved analysis of 2185 urine samples, accounting for 43 different sports. Concentrations distribution of major nicotine metabolites, minor nicotine metabolites and tobacco alkaloids ranged from 10 (LLOQ) to 32,223, 6670 and 538 ng/mL, respectively. Compounds of interest were detected in trace levels in 23.0% of urine specimens, with concentration levels corresponding to an exposure within the last three days for 18.3% of samples. Likewise, hypothesizing conservative concentration limits for active nicotine consumption prior and/or during sport practice (50 ng/mL for nicotine, cotinine and trans-3-hydroxycotinine and 25 ng/mL for nicotine-N′-oxide, cotinine-N-oxide, anabasine, anatabine and nornicotine) revealed a prevalence of 15.3% amongst athletes. While this number may appear lower than the worldwide smoking prevalence of around 25%, focusing the study on selected sports highlighted more alarming findings. Indeed, active nicotine consumption in ice hockey, skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, skating, football, basketball, volleyball, rugby, American football, wrestling and gymnastics was found to range between 19.0 and 55.6%. Therefore, considering the adverse effects of smoking on the respiratory tract and numerous health threats detrimental to sport practice at top level, likelihood of smokeless tobacco consumption for performance enhancement is greatly supported.

Enhancement of the antimalarial efficacy of amodiaquine by chlorpheniramine in vivo

Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum to amodiaquine (AQ) can be reversed in vitro with with antihistaminic and tricyclic antidepressant compounds, but its significance in vivo is unclear. The present report presents the enhancement of the antimalarial efficacy of AQ by chlorpheniramine, an H1 receptor antagonist that reverses chloroquine (CQ) resistance in vitro and enhances its efficacy in vivo, in five children who failed CQ and/or AQ treatment, and who were subsequently retreated and cured with a combination of AQ plus CP, despite the fact that parasites infecting the children harboured mutant pfcrtT76 and pfmdr1Y86 alleles associated with AQ resistance. This suggests a potential clinical appliation of the reversal phenomenon.

Enhancement by diuretics of the antihypertensive action of long-term angiotensin converting enzyme blockade

Thirty-nine patients with various types of hypertension were treated by chronic blockage of the angiotensin converting enzyme, i.e. by twice daily administration of captopril, 50 to 200 mg p.o. The blood pressure reduction observed 1 hour following administration of the inhibitor was directly related to the baseline plasma renin activity (r=- 0.67, p < 0.001). Whenever blockade of the renin system alone did not lower blood pressure to normal levels additional sodium subtraction brought it under control. With the renin system neutralized, blood pressure becomes exquisitely sensitive to changes in sodium balance. Diuretics seem to preserve optimal natriuretic efficacy despite blood pressure reduction, probably because aldosterone levels are reduced and renal blood flow increases. Blockade of the renin system together with individually tailored salt subtraction provides an attractive new approach to long-term treatment of clinical hypertension.

Usefulness of late enhancement MRI as diagnostic tool to differentiate myocardial infarction from myocarditis

Introduction: Residual pulmonary artery (PA) anomalies are a major concern after surgery for cono-truncal malformations. This study sought to assess residual PA anomalies using MRI/MRA. Methods: 43 MRI/MRA studies were performed in 37 patients after corrective surgery for cono-truncal malformations. MRI/MRA studies comprised spin-echo, cine, velocity-encoded and 3D Gadolinium-enhanced MRA sequences. Residual PA anomalies were searched in ail patients; angiographie data were available in 13 patients and a comparison with MRI/MRA was made. Results: 32/37 patients had postoperative anomalies of the pulmonary arterial tree. Left pulmonary artery stenosis was the most common finding (14/32), followed by stenosis at multiple sites (11/32). Isolated right pulmonary artery stenosis was rare (2/32). The median time interval between MRI/MRA and angiography in the 13 patients undergoing both types of studies was 54 days. The findings between the two examinations were identical regarding stenoses and collateral vessels. In 4 patients, the MRI/MRA study allowed to plan interventional catheterization with balloon dilatation and/or stenting of the obstructed arteries or co il-occlusion of systemic collaterals. Eleven patients had additional surgery based on MRI/MRA findings. Conclusions: Post-operative anomalies of the PA in cono-truncal malformations can reliably be detected with MRI/MRA. This technique allows planning of the intervention al or surgical procedure to correct the residual anomalies and may th us replace or precede catheterization during the follow-up of surgically corrected cono-truncal malformations.

A compositional statistical analysis of capital stock

Most of economic literature has presented its analysis under the assumption of homogeneous capital stock.However, capital composition differs across countries. What has been the pattern of capital compositionassociated with World economies? We make an exploratory statistical analysis based on compositional datatransformed by Aitchinson logratio transformations and we use tools for visualizing and measuring statisticalestimators of association among the components. The goal is to detect distinctive patterns in the composition.As initial findings could be cited that:1. Sectorial components behaved in a correlated way, building industries on one side and , in a lessclear view, equipment industries on the other.2. Full sample estimation shows a negative correlation between durable goods component andother buildings component and between transportation and building industries components.3. Countries with zeros in some components are mainly low income countries at the bottom of theincome category and behaved in a extreme way distorting main results observed in the fullsample.4. After removing these extreme cases, conclusions seem not very sensitive to the presence ofanother isolated cases

U.S. subprime financial crisis contagion on BRIC and European Union stock markets

ABSTRACTThe Copula Theory was used to analyze contagion among the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and European Union stock markets with the U.S. Equity Market. The market indexes used for the period between January 01, 2005 and February 27, 2010 are: MXBRIC (BRIC), MXEU (European Union) and MXUS (United States). This article evaluated the adequacy of the main copulas found in the financial literature using log-likelihood, Akaike information and Bayesian information criteria. This article provides a groundbreaking study in the area of contagion due to the use of conditional copulas, allowing to calculate the correlation increase between indexes with non-parametric approach. The conditional Symmetrized Joe-Clayton copula was the one that fitted better to the considered pairs of returns. Results indicate evidence of contagion effect in both markets, European Union and BRIC members, with a 5% significance level. Furthermore, there is also evidence that the contagion of U.S. financial crisis was more pronounced in the European Union than in the BRIC markets, with a 5% significance level. Therefore, stock portfolios formed by equities from the BRIC countries were able to offer greater protection during the subprime crisis. The results are aligned with recent papers that present an increase in correlation between stock markets, especially in bear markets.

Capitalism in the classroom : the impact of self-enhancement values and normative assessment on student motivation, goals and attitudes towards cheating

Abstract The neo-liberal capitalist ideology has come under heavy fire with anecdotal evidence indicating a link between these same values and unethical behavior. Academic institutions reflect social values and act as socializing agents for the young. Can this explain the high and increasing rates of cheating that currently prevail in education? Our first chapter examines the question of whether self-enhancement values of power and açhievement, the individual level equivalent of neo-liberal capitalist values, predict positive attitudes towards cheating. Furthermore, we explore the mediating role of motivational factors. Results of four studies reveal that self-enhancement value endorsement predicts the adoption of performance-approach goals, a relationship mediated by introjected regulation, namely desire for social approval and that self-enhancement value endorsement also predicts the condoning of cheating, a relationship mediated by performance-approach goal adoption. However, self-transcendence values prescribed by a normatively salient source have the potential to reduce the link between self-enhancement value endorsément and attitudes towards cheating. Normative assessment constitutes a key tool used by academic institutions to socialize young people to accept the competitive, meritocratic nature of a sociéty driven by a neo-liberal capitalist ideology. As such, the manifest function of grades is to motivate students to work hard and to buy into the competing ethos. Does normative assessment fulfill these functions? Our second chapter explores the reward-intrinsic motivation question in the context of grading, arguably a high-stakes reward. In two experiments, the relative capacity of graded high performance as compared to the task autonomy experienced in an ungraded task to predict post-task intrinsic motivation is assessed. Results show that whilst the graded task performance predicts post-task appreciation, it fails to predict ongoing motivation. However, perceived autonomy experienced in non-graded condition, predicts both post-task appreciation and ongoing motivation. Our third chapter asks whether normative assessment inspires the spirit of competition in students. Results of three experimental studies reveal that expectation of a grade for a task, compared to no grade, induces greater adoption of performance-avoidance, but not performance-approach, goals. Experiment 3 provides an explanatory mechanism for this, showing that reduced autonomous motivation experienced in previous graded tasks mediates the relationship between grading and adoption of performance avoidance goals in a subsequent task. The above results, when combined, provide evidence as to the deleterious effects of self enhancement values and the associated practice of normative assessment in school on student motivation, goals and ethics. We conclude by using value and motivation theory to explore solutions to this problem.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation of cultured brain cells. I. Enhancement of the developmental increase in glial enzymatic activity.

Serum-free aggregating cell cultures of fetal rat telencephalon grown in the presence of 3 ng/ml (5 X 10(-10) M) epidermal growth factor (EGF) until day 12 showed 2- to 3-fold increased activities in the two glial enzymes, glutamine synthetase (GLU-S) and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNPase). This effect was concentration-dependent, with maximal stimulation in cultures treated daily with 3 ng/ml EGF. Addition of EGF during the first 10 culture days was sufficient to produce a maximal stimulation of both GLU-S and CNPase on day 19, whereas treatments starting on day 12 were ineffective. The stimulation of GLU-S preceded that of CNPase. The EGF-induced increase in GLU-S activity was not directly dependent on the presence of insulin, triiodothyronine, or hydrocortisone in the medium, whereas insulin was required for the stimulation of CNPase. A single dose of 5 ng/ml EGF on day 2 caused a slight but significant decrease in DNA synthesis after day 6. The present results indicate that in serum-free aggregating cell cultures of fetal rat telencephalon EGF partially inhibits DNA synthesis, and stimulates an early step in glial differentiation.

Enhancement of writings on a damaged medieval manuscript using ultraviolet imaging

The Minutarium Majus, a register dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, was transferred by the paleographers responsible for its transcription to the Institute of Forensic Science of the University of Lausanne with the aim of enhancing portions of text that had become worn away and illegible. The manuscript had suffered from deterioration and damage for different unknown reasons, but most likely because of the colour instability of the ink, contaminations, storage conditions and repeated human manipulation. A total of 69 areas of text, ranging in size from just a few words to full pages, were photographically recorded under both white and ultraviolet (UV) light illumination. UV illumination observed in the visible range proved to be efficient in detecting the writings. Most of the texts could thus be successfully transcribed by the paleographers. The technique proved to be extremely useful for the exposure of damaged medieval writings.

Contagion or Interdependence in the recent Global Financial Crisis? An application to the stock markets using unconditional cross-market correlations

We consider stock market contagion as a significant increase in cross-market linkages after a shock to one country or group of countries. Under this definition we study if contagion occurred from the U.S. Financial Crisis to the rest of the major stock markets in the world by using the adjusted (unconditional) correlation coefficient approach (Forbes and Rigobon, 2002) which consists of testing if average crossmarket correlations increase significantly during the relevant period of turmoil. We would not reject the null hypothesis of interdependence in favour of contagion if the increase in correlation only suggests a continuation of high linkages in all state of the world. Moreover, if contagion occurs, this would justify the intervention of the IMF and the suddenly portfolio restructuring during the period under study.

Being Drunk to Have Fun or to Forget Problems? Identifying Enhancement and Coping Drinkers Among Risky Drinking Adolescents

Prevention programs in adolescence are particularly effective if they target homogeneous risk groups of adolescents who share a combination of particular needs and problems. The present work aims to identify and classify risky single-occasion drinking (RSOD) adolescents according to their motivation to engage in drinking. An easy-to-use coding procedure was developed. It was validated by means of cluster analyses and structural equation modeling based on two randomly selected subsamples of a nationally representative sample of 2,449 12- to 18-year-old RSOD students in Switzerland. Results revealed that the coding procedure classified RSOD adolescents as either enhancement drinkers or coping drinkers. The high concordance (Sample A: kappa - .88, Sample B: kappa - .90) with the results of the cluster analyses demonstrated the convergent validity of the coding classification. The fact that enhancement drinkers in both subsamples were found to go out more frequently in the evenings and to have more satisfactory social relationships, as well as a higher proportion of drinking peers and a lower likelihood to drink at home than coping drinkers demonstrates the concurrent validity of the classification. To conclude, the coding procedure appears to be a valid, reliable, and easy-to-use tool that can help better adapt prevention activities to adolescent risky drinking motives.

A Classification of Adjectives for Polarity Lexicons Enhancement

Subjective language detection is one of the most important challenges in Sentiment Analysis. Because of the weight and frequency in opinionated texts, adjectives are considered a key piece in the opinion extraction process. These subjective units are more and more frequently collected in polarity lexicons in which they appear annotated with their prior polarity. However, at the moment, any polarity lexicon takes into account prior polarity variations across domains. This paper proves that a majority of adjectives change their prior polarity value depending on the domain. We propose a distinction between domain dependent and romain independent adjectives. Moreover, our analysis led us to propose a further classification related to subjectivity degree: constant, mixed and highly subjective adjectives. Following this classification, polarity values will be a better support for Sentiment Analysis.