The effect of loss aversion and entitlement on cheating: An online experiment

We investigate how loss aversion and entitlement influence lying. We conduct an online experiment with a cheating task in which participants draw and report a number. Participants can cheat by reporting a different number to earn a higher payoff. We vary whether participants perform (or not) a real effort task to generate their endowment before the cheating task to evoke a sense of entitlement, and whether participants can cheat for an additional gain or to avoid a loss using a 2 (earned/not earned endowment) × 2 (loss/gain) design. We find no effect of loss aversion on cheating and only weak evidence of a prior stage of real effort on lying behavior. Furthermore, we find a correlation between real effort task performance and lying, but only in the gain domain. This is the first study to look at how entitlement affects cheating behavior in both the gain and loss domains

Volatile compounds in the thermoplastic extrusion of bovine rumen

The volatile compounds of raw and extruded bovine rumen, extracted by dynamic headspace, were separated by gas chromatography and analyzed by GC-MS. Raw and extruded materials presented thirty-two volatile compounds. The following compounds were identified in raw bovine rumen: heptane, 1-heptene, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, toluene, hexanal, ethyl butyrate, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, heptanal, limonene, nonanal, dodecane, tridecane, tetradecane, pentadecane, hexadecane, heptadecane and octadecane. The following compounds were identified in the extruded material: 1-heptene, 2,4-dimethylhexane, toluene, limonene, undecane, tetradecane, pentadecane, hexadecane, heptadecane, octadecane and nonadecane. Mass spectra of some unidentified compounds indicated the presence of hydrocarbons with branched chains or cyclic structure.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Phylogeny, ultrastructure, histopathology and prevalence of Myxobolus oliveirai sp. nov., a parasite of Brycon hilarii (Characidae) in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil

This paper presents the morphological, histological and ultrastructural characteristics of Myxobolus oliveirai sp. nov., a parasite of the gill filaments in Brycon hilarii from the Brazilian Pantanal. Out of 216 B. hilariispecimens examined (126 wild and 90 cultivated), 38.1% of wild specimens (n = 48) were infected. The parasites form elongated plasmodia primarily in the tip of gill filaments, reaching about 3 mm in length. A thorough comparison with all the Myxobolus species described from South American hosts, as well as nearly all the Myxobolus species described so far is provided. Partial sequencing of the 18S rDNA gene revealed a total of 1,527 bp. The Myxobolus species parasite of B. hilarii did not match any of the Myxozoa available in GenBank. In the phylogenetic analysis, M. oliveirai sp. nov. composed a monophyletic group with eight other species: five species of Myxobolus parasites of mugilid fishes, two parasites of pangasiid and one of centrarchid. Infection prevalence values of the parasite revealed no significant differences between wet and dry seasons or between males and females. The importance of the infection to the farming of the host species is emphasized1056762769sem informaçã

Expression of tumor suppressors miR-195 and let-7a as potential biomarkers of invasive breast cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Some miRNAs, including let-7a and miR-195, have been described as tumor suppressors. However, the roles of these microRNAs in breast cancer progression remain controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate miR-195 and let-7a expression as potential biomarkers of invasive breast cancer.The authors acknowledge the Avon Institute for sponsoring this study. The authors would like to thank the Barretos Cancer Hospital's Research Support Nucleus for patient identification, sample selection, and biostatistics support, as well as Barretos Cancer Hospital's Tumor Bank for sample provision and RNA extraction.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Expression of tumor suppressors miR-195 and let-7a as potential biomarkers of invasive breast cancer

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Some miRNAs, including let-7a and miR-195, have been described as tumor suppressors. However, the roles of these microRNAs in breast cancer progression remain controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate miR-195 and let-7a expression as potential biomarkers of invasive breast cancer. METHODS: In the present study, 200 individuals were separated into three groups: (i) 72 women constituting the control group who were selected according to rigorous and well-established criteria; (ii) 56 patients with benign breast tumors; and (iii) 72 patients with malignant breast cancers of different clinical stages. The miR-195 and let-7a expression levels in serum were evaluated by real-time PCR. The results were assessed alone and in combination, and the analysis included an estimation of sensitivity and specificity in ROC curves. RESULTS: Compared with the benign and control groups, both microRNAs were downregulated in the malignant breast cancer patient group. Compared with the malignant group, the combination of both biomarkers in the control and benign groups showed good sensitivity and specificity in the serum with AUCs of 0.75 and 0.72, respectively. The biomarker combination for the control group versus the malignant group exhibited a better sensitivity and specificity than for the benign group versus the malignant group. CONCLUSION: These findings support the evidence that the analysis of miR-195 and let-7a can be used as a noninvasive biomarker for breast cancer detection

Coronarin D induces apoptotic cell death and cell cycle arrest in human glioblastoma cell line

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent and highest–grade brain tumor in adults. The prognosis is still poor despite the use of combined therapy involving maximal surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. The development of more efficient drugs without noticeable side effects is urgent. Coronarin D is a diterpene obtained from the rhizome extract of Hedychium coronarium, classified as a labdane with several biological activities, principally anticancer potential. The aim of the present study was to determine the anti–cancer properties of Coronarin D in the glioblastoma cell line and further elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Coronarin D potently suppressed cell viability in glioblastoma U–251 cell line, and also induced G1 arrest by reducing p21 protein and histone H2AX phosphorylation, leading to DNA damage and apoptosis. Further studies showed that Coronarin D increased the production of reactive oxygen species, lead to mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, and subsequently activated caspases and ERK phosphorylation, major mechanisms involved in apoptosis. To our knowledge, this is the first analysis referring to this compound on the glioma cell line. These findings highlight the antiproliferative activity of Coronarin D against glioblastoma cell line U–251 and provide a basis for further investigation on its antineoplastic activity on brain cancer.This research was funded by grants from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP 2014/06636–7 and 2016/06137–6), financiadora de Estudos e Projetos FINEP (MCTI/FINEP/MS/SCTIE/DECIT–01/2013–FPXII–BIOPLAT)

Potential wound healing effect of gel based on chicha gum, chitosan, and mauritia flexuosa oil

Wounds are considered a clinically critical issue, and effective treatment will decrease complications, prevent chronic wound formation, and allow rapid healing. The development of products based on naturally occurring materials is an efficient approach to wound healing. Natural polysaccharides can mimic the extracellular matrix and promote cell growth, thus making them attractive for wound healing. In this context, the aim of this work was to produce a gel based on chicha gum, chitosan, and Mauritia flexuosa oil (CGCHO) for wound treatment. TG and DTG analyzed the thermal behavior of the materials, and SEM investigated the surface roughness. The percentages of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidants were determined, presenting a value of 81.811 ± 7.257 µmol gallic acid/g Mauritia flexuosa oil, 57.915 ± 0.305 µmol quercetin/g Mauritia flexuosa oil, and 0.379 mg/mL, respectively. The anti-inflammatory was determined, presenting a value of 10.35 ± 1.46% chicha gum, 16.86 ± 1.00% Mauritia flexuosa oil, 10.17 ± 1.05% CGCHO, and 15.53 ± 0.65% chitosan, respectively. The materials were tested against Gram-negative (Klebsiella pneumoniae) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria and a fungus (Candida albicans). The CGCHO formulation showed better antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. In addition, an in vivo wound healing study was also performed. After 21 days of treatment, the epidermal re-epithelialization process was observed. CGCHO showed good thermal stability and roughness that can help in cell growth and promote the tissue healing process. In addition to the good results observed for the antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activities and providing wound healing, they provided the necessary support for the healing process, thus representing a new approach to the wound healing process.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio