Estrogen-related receptor γ is an in vivo receptor of bisphenol A

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor that displays estrogenic activity. Several reports suggest that BPA may have estrogen receptor-independent effects. In zebrafish, 50 μM BPA exposure induces otic vesicle abnormalities, including otolith aggregation. The purpose of this study was to test if BPA action was mediated in vivo during zebrafish development by the orphan nuclear estrogen related receptor (ERR) γ. Combining pharmacological and functional approaches, we demonstrate that the zebrafish ERRγ mediates BPA-induced malformations in otoliths. Using different bisphenol derivatives, we show that different compounds can induce a similar otolith phenotype than BPA and that the binding affinity of these derivatives to the zebrafish ERRγ correlates with their ability to induce otolith malformations. Morpholino knockdown of ERRγ function suppresses the BPA effect on otoliths whereas overexpression of ERRγ led to a BPA-like otolith phenotype. Moreover, a subphenotypical dose of BPA (1 μM) combined with ERRγ overexpression led to a full-dose (50 μM) BPA otolith phenotype. We therefore conclude that ERRγ mediates the otic vesicle phenotype generated by BPA. Our results suggest that the range of pathways perturbed by this compound and its potential harmful effect are larger than expected.—Tohmé, M., Prud’homme, S. M., Boulahtouf, A., Samarut, E., Brunet, F., Bernard, L., Bourguet, W., Gibert, Y., Balaguer, P., Laudet, V. Estrogen-related receptor γ is an in vivo receptor of bisphenol A.

The advantages of the construction sector of China and India: a comparison

With the spectacular rise of the Chinese and Indian economies the accompanying growth in these two countries' construction sectors justifies more understanding. There is, however, a lot of unknowns about the two countries' construction sectors from a comparative perspective. This study attempted to identify and compare the comparative/competitive advantages of the two fast-growing economies in construction in pursuit of policy and management implications, which can benefit not only the two countries but also other developing countries. In this regard, a comparative advantage framework and Porter's Diamond Framework were applied to analyze the relative advantages of the Chinese and Indian construction sectors. The comparative analyses showed that China appears better endowed in labor with high productivity. Government intervention was identified as benefiting Chinese firms with support for the development of human resources. China also benefits from superior access to a wide range of inputs, including equipment, construction materials, and technology. The existence of large corporate champions provides scale of economy and contributes to the advantage of the construction sector of China. In contrast, India benefits from the increased competitive rivalry thanks to its more hands-off government policies that focus primarily on providing a good business environment with a favorable tax system, market entry policies, laws and regulations, and code/standard systems. The differences identified provide policy implications to the decision makers of the two countries in further developing their construction sectors. © 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Expression and regulation of Homer in human skeletal muscle during neuromuscular junction adaptation to disuse and exercise

Protein calcium sensors of the Homer family have been proposed to modulate the activity of various ion channels and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), the transcription factor modulating skeletal muscle differentiation. We monitored Homer expression and subcellular localization in human skeletal muscle biopsies following 60 d of bedrest [Second Berlin Bedrest Study (BBR2-2)]. Soleus (SOL) and vastus lateralis (VL) biopsies were taken at start (pre) and at end (end) of bedrest from healthy male volunteers of a control group without exercise (CTR; n=9), a resistive-only exercise group (RE; n=7), and a combined resistive/vibration exercise group (RVE; n=7). Confocal analysis showed Homer immunoreactivity at the postsynaptic microdomain of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) at bedrest start. After bedrest, Homer immunoreactivity decreased (CTR), remained unchanged (RE), or increased (RVE) at the NMJ. Homer2 mRNA and protein were differently regulated in a muscle-specific way. Activated NFATc1 translocates from cytoplasm to nucleus; increased amounts of NFATc1-immunopositive slow-type myonuclei were found in RVE myofibers of both muscles. Pulldown assays identified NFATc1 and Homer as molecular partners in skeletal muscle. A direct motor nerve control of Homer2 was confirmed in rat NMJs by in vivo denervation. Homer2 is localized at the NMJ and is part of the calcineurin-NFATc1 signaling pathway. RVE has additional benefit over RE as countermeasure preventing disuse-induced neuromuscular maladaptation during bedrest.

The impact of public capital and public investment on economic growth: an empirical investigation

in this anicle we measure the impact of public sector capital and investment on economic growth. Initially, traditional growth accounting regressions are run for a cross-country data set. A simple endogenous growth model is then constructed in order to take into account the determinants of labor, private capital and public capital. In both cases, public capital is a separate argument of the production function. An additional data-set constructed with quarterly American data was used in the estimations of the growth mode!. The results indicate lhat public capital and public investment play a significant role in determining growth rates and have a significant impact on capital and labor returns. Furthermore, the impact of public investment on productivity growth was found to be positive and always significant for bolh samples. Hence. in a fully optimizing modelo we confmn previous results in the literature that lhe failure of public investment to keep pace with output growlh during the Seventies and Eighties may have played a major role in the slowdown of lhe productivity growth in the period. Anolher main outcome concems the output elasticity wilh respect to public capital. The coefficiem estimates are always positive and significant but magnitudes depend on each of lhe two data set used.

Informal labor contracts: an analysis of the Brazilian experience

For representing an expressive souree of labor absorption, the jobs with informal labor eontraet have been reeeiving a eonsiderable attention among the speeialists in the Brazilian labor rnarket. This paper presents, eoneisely, some stylized faets about this labor rnarket segment, as well as some oftheir most eommon interpretations. We argue that sue h interpretations are, in general, not very integrated and a model trying to make them eompatible is developed. The model ineorporates both segmentation and workers with heterogeneity in qualifieation. The results of the analysis are shown to be eompatible with most of the observed faets.

Cardiovascular actions of rattlesnake bradykinin ([Val(1), Thr(6)] bradykinin) in the anesthetized South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus

Incubation of heat-denatured plasma from the rattlesnake Crotalus atrox with trypsin generated a bradykinin (BK) that contained two amino acid substitutions (Arg(1) --> Val and Ser(6) --> Thr) compared with mammalian BK. Bolus intra-arterial injections of synthetic rattlesnake BK (0.01-10 nmol/kg) into the anesthetized rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus terrificus, produced a pronounced and concentration-dependent increase in systemic vascular conductance (Gsys). This caused a fall in systemic arterial blood pressure (Psys) and an increase in blood flow. Heart rate and stroke volume also increased. This primary response was followed by a significant rise in Psys and pronounced tachycardia (secondary response). Pretreatment with N-G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester reduced the NK-induced systemic vasodilatation, indicating that the effect is mediated through increased NO synthesis. The tachycardia associated with the late primary and secondary response to BK was abolished with propranolol and the systemic vasodilatation produced in the primary phase was also significantly attenuated by pretreatment, indicating that the responses are caused, at least in part, by release of cathecholamines and subsequent stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors. In contrast, the pulmonary circulation was relatively unresponsive to BK.

Labor analgesia with ropivacaine added to clonidine: a randomized clinical trial

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: A associação entre ropivacaína e clonidina agiria menos que a ropivacaína isolada na mãe e no feto? Foram pesquisados os efeitos materno-fetais de duas técnicas farmacológicas: pequena dose de ropivacaína ou dose menor de ropivacaína mais clonidina na analgesia peridural para parto. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Estudo prospectivo, Departamento de Anestesiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista. MÉTODOS: Trinta e duas parturientes, estado físico de acordo com a American Society of Anesthesiologists I e II, foram aleatoriamente submetidas à analgesia peridural com 15 ml de ropivacaína 0,125% (grupo R) ou 15 ml de ropivacaína 0,0625% mais clonidina, 75 µg (grupo RC). Foram avaliados: intensidade da dor, nível do bloqueio sensitivo, latência, intensidade do bloqueio motor, duração da analgesia de parto e da analgesia peridural. Os neonatos foram avaliados pelo Apgar e método de Amiel-Tison (capacidade neurológica e adaptativa). RESULTADOS: Não houve diferenças significativas entre grupos para dor, nível de bloqueio sensitivo, duração da analgesia peridural e Apgar. Para latência, duração da analgesia de parto e bloqueio motor, grupo R < grupo RC. O escore da capacidade neurológica e adaptativa de meia e duas horas foi maior para o grupo R. Cem por cento dos neonatos do grupo R e 75% dos do grupo RC estavam neurologicamente saudáveis ao exame de 24 horas. CONCLUSÃO: Pequena dose de ropivacaína e dose menor mais clonidina aliviaram a dor materna durante o parto. Neonatos de mães que receberam apenas ropivacaína mostraram melhores escores da capacidade neurológica e adaptativa.

Reproductive behavior and parental roles of the cichlid fish Laetacara araguaiae

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

DEVELOPMENT of MICROSATELLITE MARKERS FOR PIMENTA PSEUDOCARYOPHYLLUS (MYRTACEAE), A WILD SOUTH AMERICAN SPECIES

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The gender dimension of globalization: a survey of the literature with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography