Labour migrations to resource-rich countries: Comparative perspectives on migrants\u27 rights in Canada, Norway and the United Arab Emirates

© koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2017. This article compares migrants\u27 rights and labour-migration policies of three resource-rich receiving countries located in the Persian Gulf, North America and Europe, respectively. The wealthy economies of Canada, Norway and the United Arab Emirates have emerged as some of the largest receivers of labour migrants. The comparative analysis herein focuses on distinctive characteristics of the different migration regimes and policies which regulate the rights of labour migrants. It is maintained that the countries we have explored could hardly be more different, and that the actual similarities with regard to migration policies are limited. Yet, we have still identified some surprising and unexpected converging trends. Specifically, these countries use some similar tools and exclusionary policies in order to restrict the legal status of certain categories of labour migrants, particularly low-skilled migrants

Labour Migrations to Resource-rich Countries: Comparative Perspectives on Migrants’ Rights in Canada, Norway and the United Arab Emirates

This article compares migrants’ rights and labour-migration policies of three resource-rich receiving countries located in the Persian Gulf, North America and Europe, respectively. The wealthy economies of Canada, Norway and the United Arab Emirates have emerged as some of the largest receivers of labour migrants. The comparative analysis herein focuses on distinctive characteristics of the different migration regimes and policies which regulate the rights of labour migrants. It is maintained that the countries we have explored could hardly be more different, and that the actual similarities with regard to migration policies are limited. Yet, we have still identified some surprising and unexpected converging trends. Specifically, these countries use some similar tools and exclusionary policies in order to restrict the legal status of certain categories of labour migrants, particularly low-skilled migrants.© Brill. This is the authors' accepted and refereed manuscript to the article. Locked until 30 April 2019 due to copyright restriction

Continuous manufacturing via hot-melt extrusion and scale up: regulatory matters

Currently, because globalization, the pharmaceutical industry is facing enormous challenges to comply with regulatory matters. Reduced patent life and overall decreased profitability of newly discovered drugs are also forcing the pharmaceutical industry to shorten the drug development time with maximum throughput. Therefore, continuous manufacturing (CM) processes via hot melt extrusion (HME) can be a promising alternative for achieving these goals. HME offers solvent-free green technology with a process that is easy to scale up. Moreover, CM provides better product quality assurance compared with batch processes, with fewer labor costs and shorter time to development. In this review, we primarily focus on various aspects of CM and the emerging application of HME to bridge the current manufacturing gap in pharmaceutical sphere

The Impact of Sex, Circadian Disruption, and the Clock\u3csup\u3e∆19/∆19\u3c/sup\u3e Genotype on Alcohol Drinking in Mice

Shift work is associated with increased alcohol drinking, more so in males than females, and is thought to be a coping mechanism for disrupted sleep cycles. However, little is presently known about the causal influence of circadian rhythm disruptions on sex differences in alcohol consumption. In this study, we disrupted circadian rhythms in female and male mice using both environmental (i.e., shifting diurnal cycles) and genetic (i.e., Clock∆19/∆19 mutation) manipulations, and measured changes in alcohol consumption and preference using a two-bottle choice paradigm. Alcohol consumption and preference, as well as food and water consumption, total caloric intake, and weight were assessed in adult female and male Clock∆19/∆19 mutant mice or wild-type (WT) litter-mates, housed under a 12-hour:12-hour light:dark (L:D) cycle or a shortened 10-hour:10-hour L:D cycle. Female WT mice (under both light cycles) increased their alcohol consumption and preference over time, a pattern not observed in male WT mice. Compared to WT mice, Clock∆19/∆19 mice displayed increased alcohol consumption and preference. Sex differences were not apparent in Clock∆19/∆19 mice, with or without shifting diurnal cycles. In conclusion, sex differences in alcohol consumption patterns are evident and increase with prolonged access to alcohol. Disrupting circadian rhythms by mutating the Clock gene greatly increases alcohol consumption and abolishes sex differences present in WT animals

Rev-erbα Knockout Reduces Ethanol Consumption and Preference in Male and Female Mice

Alcohol use is a contributor in the premature deaths of approximately 3 million people annually. Among the risk factors for alcohol misuse is circadian rhythm disruption; however, this connection remains poorly understood. Inhibition of the circadian nuclear receptor REV-ERBα is known to disrupt molecular feedback loops integral to daily oscillations, and impact diurnal fluctuations in the expression of proteins required for reward-related neurotransmission. However, the role of REV-ERBα in alcohol and substance use-related phenotypes is unknown. Herein, we used a Rev-erbα knockout mouse line and ethanol two-bottle choice preference testing to show that disruption of Rev-erbα reduces ethanol preference in male and female mice. Rev-erbα null mice showed the lowest ethanol preference in a two-bottle choice test across all genotypes, whereas there were no ethanol preference differences between heterozygotes and wildtypes. In a separate experiment, alcohol-consuming wildtype C57Bl/6N mice were administered the REV-ERBα/β inhibitor SR8278 (25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg) for 7 days and alcohol preference was evaluated daily. No differences in alcohol preference were observed between the treatment and vehicle groups. Our data provides evidence that genetic variation in REV-ERBα may contribute to differences in alcohol drinking

Gut Microbiota, Probiotics and Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition of multifactorial origin, involving several molecular mechanisms related to the intestinal microbiota for its development. In type 2 diabetes, receptor activation and recognition by microorganisms from the intestinal lumen may trigger inflammatory responses, inducing the phosphorylation of serine residues in insulin receptor substrate-1, reducing insulin sensitivity. In type 1 diabetes, the lowered expression of adhesion proteins within the intestinal epithelium favours a greater immune response that may result in destruction of pancreatic β cells by CD8+ T-lymphocytes, and increased expression of interleukin-17, related to autoimmunity. Research in animal models and humans has hypothesized whether the administration of probiotics may improve the prognosis of diabetes through modulation of gut microbiota. We have shown in this review that a large body of evidence suggests probiotics reduce the inflammatory response and oxidative stress, as well as increase the expression of adhesion proteins within the intestinal epithelium, reducing intestinal permeability. Such effects increase insulin sensitivity and reduce autoimmune response. However, further investigations are required to clarify whether the administration of probiotics can be efficiently used for the prevention and management of diabetes

Reunion with a peer partner reduces PVN oxytocin neuron immunoreactivity in socially selective voles

Friendships—i.e. selective peer relationships—are an important aspect of human behavior, but are rare in rodent species. Meadow voles are seasonally social rodents that form non-reproductive social groups in winter/short day lengths that are selective in nature. Across rodents, oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus are typically active during socially salient events, including interaction with novel individuals as well as social separation. To assess whether familiar and novel peer interactions produce different patterns of immunolabeling in a species that forms bonds with familiar individuals, we measured oxytocin neuron immunoreactivity and colabeling with the immediate early gene product cFos. Oxytocin labeling and oxytocin/cFos colabeling were higher after interaction with a novel same-sex conspecific than after reunion with a peer partner. Colabeling was also high after 24 h separation without reunion. Circulating corticosterone concentrations paralleled PVN oxytocin neuron activity. We also investigated whether oxytocin signaling was photoperiod dependent and could contribute to seasonal differences in meadow vole social behavior. Oxytocin receptor densities are known to be higher in multiple brain regions in short day lengths in meadow voles, but we found no concomitant change in PVN oxytocin positive cell count. Together these studies indicate that seasonal changes in behavior correlate with oxytocin signaling at the receptor level, while short term experiences modulated oxytocin neuron activity differentially by social context

Reunion with a Peer Partner Reduces PVN Oxytocin Neuron Immunoreactivity in Socially Selective Voles

Friendships—i.e. selective peer relationships—are an important aspect of human behavior, but are rare in rodent species. Meadow voles are seasonally social rodents that form non-reproductive social groups in winter/short day lengths that are selective in nature. Across rodents, oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus are typically active during socially salient events, including interaction with novel individuals as well as social separation. To assess whether familiar and novel peer interactions produce different patterns of immunolabeling in a species that forms bonds with familiar individuals, we measured oxytocin neuron immunoreactivity and colabeling with the immediate early gene product cFos. Oxytocin labeling and oxytocin/cFos colabeling were higher after interaction with a novel same-sex conspecific than after reunion with a peer partner. Colabeling was also high after 24 h separation without reunion. Circulating corticosterone concentrations paralleled PVN oxytocin neuron activity. We also investigated whether oxytocin signaling was photoperiod dependent and could contribute to seasonal differences in meadow vole social behavior. Oxytocin receptor densities are known to be higher in multiple brain regions in short day lengths in meadow voles, but we found no concomitant change in PVN oxytocin positive cell count. Together these studies indicate that seasonal changes in behavior correlate with oxytocin signaling at the receptor level, while short term experiences modulated oxytocin neuron activity differentially by social context

Biosorption and Biomineralization of U(VI) by the Marine Bacterium Idiomarina loihiensis MAH1: Effect of Background Electrolyte and pH

The main goal of this study is to compare the effects of pH, uranium concentration, and background electrolyte (seawater and NaClO4 solution) on the speciation of uranium(VI) associated with the marine bacterium Idiomarina loihiensis MAH1. This was done at the molecular level using a multidisciplinary approach combining X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), Time-Resolved Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy (TRLFS), and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). We showed that the U(VI)/bacterium interaction mechanism is highly dependent upon pH but also the nature of the used background electrolyte played a role. At neutral conditions and a U concentration ranging from 5·10−4 to 10−5 M (environmentally relevant concentrations), XAS analysis revealed that uranyl phosphate mineral phases, structurally resembling meta-autunite [Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2 2–6H2O] are precipitated at the cell surfaces of the strain MAH1. The formation of this mineral phase is independent of the background solution but U(VI) luminescence lifetime analyses demonstrated that the U(VI) speciation in seawater samples is more intricate, i.e., different complexes were formed under natural conditions. At acidic conditions, pH 2, 3 and 4.3 ([U] = 5·10−4 M, background electrolyte = 0.1 M NaClO4), the removal of U from solution was due to biosorption to Extracellular Polysaccharides (EPS) and cell wall components as evident from TEM analysis. The LIII-edge XAS and TRLFS studies showed that the biosorption process observed is dependent of pH. The bacterial cell forms a complex with U through organic phosphate groups at pH 2 and via phosphate and carboxyl groups at pH 3 and 4.3, respectively. The differences in the complexes formed between uranium and bacteria on seawater compared to NaClO4 solution demonstrates that the actinide/microbe interactions are influenced by the three studied factors, i.e., the pH, the uranium concentration and the chemical composition of the solution.This work was funded by the grants CGL2009-09760 and CGL2012-36505 (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación), and RNM 3943 (Junta de Andalucía), Spain