bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The importance of integrating multiple administrative levels in capacity assessment for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation
Authors: Becker Per
Published: April 2012

Purpose

Capacity assessment is increasingly identified as a vital tool for effective capacity development for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. However, most internationally supported capacity assessments focus mainly on one administrative level in their attempts to understand the current capacities and capacity needs of the system under study. This article aims to investigate the potential for discrepancies between what stakeholders on different administrative levels in Fiji express when explaining how their system for managing risk and disaster situations functions.

Design/methodology/approach

The study includes semi‐structured interviews with involved stakeholders from all administrative levels in Fiji, who are asked to describe what information and assistance is given or requested between administrative levels, in everyday circumstances and in disaster situations. The data were then analysed to identify similarities and differences in descriptions.

Findings

The study illustrates that there may be substantial discrepancies between accounts on different administrative levels concerning key functions of their system.

Research limitations/implications

The study is not claiming that this always is the case, only that there may be a possibility for it. Potentially undermining the effectiveness of ensuing capacity development activities.

Practical implications

Given that capacity assessment is to create a coherent foundation for capacity development, the study indicates that it would beneficial to include a wider range of administrative levels in attempting to construct one comprehensive view of the current capacities and future capacity needs.

Originality/value

The research topic is novel and valuable for stakeholders in the international community active in capacity development.
Multi‐agency community engagement during disaster recovery
Authors: Johnston David , Becker Julia , Paton Douglas
Published: April 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to look at the role of community participation in reducing anxiety and trauma in communities during two New Zealand earthquakes: the 1987 Edgecumbe and 2003 Te Anau events and explore the effectiveness of various approaches in providing information, reducing stress, and facilitating a recovery process.

Design/methodology/approach

The principle methods of data collection were semi‐structured interviews were undertaken between October 2006 and March 2007 with key agencies and individuals involved in the response and comprehensive analysis of papers, reports and articles in newspapers. The research was undertaken prior to the 4 September 2010 and 2011 earthquakes in Canterbury, New Zealand, and therefore community recovery from these events are not discussed in this paper.

Findings

Effective survival and recovery from disasters depends not just on people's abilities to cope with the physical impacts of the event, but also on how the societal environment complements and supports the complex and protracted processes of community recovery. Central to recovery is how society organises, mobilises and coordinates the diverse range of organizational and professional resources that can be called upon to assist recovery.

Originality/value

The paper offers insight into the effectiveness and benefit of incorporating of community participation in reducing anxiety and trauma in communities during earthquakes.
Improving employees' job satisfaction and innovation performance using conflict management
Authors: Chen Xiao‐Hong , Zhao Ke , Liu Xiang , Dash Wu Desheng
Published: April 2012

Purpose

The major aim of this study is to explore the mechanism through which conflict management behavior impacts job satisfaction and innovation performance, and to verify this relationship with the empirical analysis in the context of China.

Design/methodology/approach

A model of the relationship among conflict management behavior, job satisfaction and innovation performance was developed and empirically tested. Based on a survey composed of 333 questionnaires designed for Chinese employees, the authors examine the effects of conflict management behavior on job satisfaction and innovation performance in Chinese contexts.

Findings

Results show that integrating and compromising conflict management behaviors are positively related to job satisfaction; integrating conflict management behavior is positively related to innovation performance; and avoiding conflict management behavior is negatively related to innovation performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study does not take the industry differences into consideration, though how to maintain job satisfaction and promote innovation might differ from one industry to another. This study only studied on the personal level, therefore future studies can be extended to the team level.

Originality/value

This paper offers some useful suggestions for business managers as well as employees to improve employees' job satisfaction and innovation performance.
Examining the influence of cross‐cultural training on cultural intelligence and specific self‐efficacy
Authors: Rehg Michael T. , Gundlach Michael J. , Grigorian Reza A.
Published: April 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between cultural intelligence (CQ) and specific self‐efficacy (SSE), and the effect of training on CQ and SSE.

Design/methodology/approach

Pre and post‐test surveys were administered to 110 US government contracting trainees, in four separate training settings, to measure the effects of training on mean CQ and SSE scores. Two administrations included pre and post‐test surveys. One was designed as a post‐test only, while the fourth was taken from 25 contracting officers in a recurring training setting. Statistical analyses were performed through the use of t‐tests to measure the significance of the change in means across training classes.

Findings

It was found that training using a lecture format significantly improved mean levels of CQ on the cognitive and behavioral dimensions, while less significantly improving motivational CQ. SSE scores from pre‐ to post‐training were also only marginally improved. An additional finding showed significant positive correlations between CQ and SSE, but only in post‐ training samples.

Practical implications

These findings indicate that managers can use cultural training as an effective tool to increase the cognitive and behavioral dimensions of their employees' CQ, helping employees to be more effective in overseas assignments. In addition, improving employees' SSE on a task to be performed in a cross‐cultural situation may help to improve levels of CQ, and thus cross‐cultural performance.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates the link between SSE and CQ, and shows that CQ and SSE can be improved through training. The relationship among these variables had not been empirically tested in past research, especially involving samples of public sector employees.
Economic efficiency of wood and furniture innovation system
Authors: Trigkas Marios , Papadopoulos Ioannis , Karagouni Glykeria
Published: April 2012

Purpose

The study aims to analyse the wood and furniture innovation system in the region of Thessaly, Greece, and the recording and benchmarking of innovative activity of enterprises in order to detect best practices applied, and to propose ways of increasing efficiency through improvement of the use of innovation inputs.

Design/methodology/approach

Following the systemic approach, an empirical study registers the economic dimension of innovation in the enterprises of the sector in the region. The data collection is based on the Oslo manual. Based on data envelopment analysis, a benchmarking analysis of wood and furniture firms was applied by measuring the efficiency of both innovation inputs and the sector's innovation system.

Findings

Efforts have to be made to import innovation into the production process by means of investment in technological equipment. Generally, an increase in innovation performance incurs an increase in sales. The efficiency of the innovation system is evaluated as adequate when the majority of firms apply innovation inputs satisfactorily. However, there is additional margin for improvement regarding R&D, staff training and the diffusion of innovation. The analysis of the innovation system at the sector level in the region may lead to a better innovation‐oriented policy and decision making.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides useful data concerning innovation in the sector, and the efficiency analysis proposes a benchmarking tool in order to set margins for business operation improvement.

Practical implications

Industries struggle to strengthen their competitiveness in global markets. The findings show the absence of a strategy in the wood and furniture sector with regard to innovation, and utilization of the relative expenditures.

Originality/value

The present study expands on previous research and knowledge, offering a profound analysis of the effects and improvement of innovative activity in the wood and furniture sector. It is a prototype research paper in Greece in relation to innovative activity in this sector.
Identifying collaborative innovation capabilities within knowledge‐intensive environments
Authors: Barbaroux Pierre
Published: April 2012

Purpose

This article aims to identify the capabilities supporting the development of collaborative innovation within knowledge‐intensive environments.

Design/methodology/approach

Re‐considering the history of the ARPANET project as a vivid example of collaborative innovation, the article presents qualitative research from a historical case.

Findings

Within this framework, the article shows that benefiting from collaboration in innovation entails that the innovative organisation is capable of achieving (at least) the following tasks: to leverage complementarities between internal and external sources of innovation (design capability); to codify, capitalise and disseminate knowledge outcomes (knowledge management capability); and to align product and organisations in a dynamic way (adaptive governance capability).

Research limitations/implications

This contribution is limited by looking at a single case. On the premise that model generalization depends on extensive empirical data, the current article should be considered as preliminary/exploratory research that aims at identifying the capabilities supporting collaborative innovation within knowledge‐intensive environments.

Originality/value

The originality of this article is to look at a historical case to elaborate on a typology of collaborative innovation capabilities.
Factors influencing healthcare consumers' search for healthcare associated infection information on the World Wide Web
Authors: Reid Paulette S. , Borycki Elizabeth M.
Published: April 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to provide a narrative review of some of the factors that influence healthcare consumers' information seeking involving healthcare associated infections (HAI) on the internet.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes the form of a narrative review arising from the authors' presentation and subsequent discussions that took place during the Universities Council Symposium held in Vancouver, Canada in May 2011.

Findings

There are a number of important factors that affect healthcare consumers' desire to seek information online about HAI, including the search engine used, the type of technology used, web site usability, information availability, consumers' learning style, consumers' personality traits, and finally, consumers' situational, emotional, and psychological contexts. These factors may affect healthcare consumers' decision making about where they will obtain healthcare (i.e. in their selection of a clinic, hospital, regional health authority and/or health care system).

Research limitations/implications

HAI reporting via web sites is being done by health care organizations across North America. There is a need to more fully understand the factors that affect consumer use of these web sites.

Practical implications

Fundamental questions have been raised about the impact of providing HAI information over the WWW. There is a need to consider the varying factors that influence consumers' information seeking involving the WWW (i.e. technology‐driven and consumer‐driven factors) especially when searching for HAI‐related information about health care organizations.

Originality/value

Historically, HAI information was the purview of those who had a background to interpret such data (e.g. infection control and public health practitioners). The literature focusing on what consumers want to know regarding HAIs over the WWW is only beginning to emerge. More research is needed to better understand what health care consumers need to support their decision making involving HAIs.
Government quality control with excellence model: a case study on AQSIQ, China
Authors: Yang Yu , Hu Hanhui , Qian Xiao
Published: April 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report a pilot project on quality control in China's government department (AQSIQ), based on an extended EFQM excellence model.

Design/methodology/approach

After careful comparisons, the EFQM Excellence Model was selected as the fundamental framework for further practice and analysis. The original Excellence Model was extended into three‐section style in the ongoing Super‐ministry Reform. The extended model includes decision‐making, implementation, and supervision. With a brief introduction on AQSIQ in current reform, the first quality control practice in China was investigated in terms of responsibilities, standards, supervision, and assessment. Achievements from quality control were obtained after analysis.

Findings

The extended Excellence Model enabled AQSIQ great achievements. This paper finds that, with the guidance under this extended model, a unified leadership with reallocation in people, policy, and partnership has significantly promoted the performance in decision‐making. Further, with regard to principle of simplicity as the key basis of process reengineering, the two‐way innovation and learning feedback mechanism in this model have simplified the process and enhanced knowledge process in the government. Finally, efficiency being the main focus in performance reassessment was also accomplished by this quality practice.

Practical implications

The initial success of AQSIQ has practical and managerial values. On the practical side, the implications in the AQSIQ case that are embodied in the ongoing Super‐ministry Reform in China help to shape fundamental quality control framework in China's government sectors. Two probable managerial enlightenments are for the theory of process engineering and the quality control in theoretical dimension. Therefore, this extended excellence model could further spread into other departments with careful considerations.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to research the first quality control practice in China's government department.
Counseling assistance, entrepreneurship education, and new venture performance
Authors: Chrisman James J. , McMullan W.E. , Kirk Ring J. , Holt Daniel T.
Published: April 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply the theory of guided preparation to investigate the relative impact of outside counseling assistance and entrepreneurship courses on new venture creation and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

To attain a sample of nascent entrepreneurs who had been impacted by entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial counseling, 256 individuals who received counseling from the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center in 1996 or 1998 were surveyed. The authors ran a logistic regression model using venture start‐up as the categorical dependent variable to investigate whether entrepreneurial education and counseling had an influence on the creation of new ventures. To test whether entrepreneurial education or counseling had a long‐term impact on the growth of new ventures, hierarchical regression analyses were run using employment in 2003 as the dependent variable. Various control variables were used for both sets of analyses.

Findings

Findings indicate that counseling has a significant impact on venture performance but entrepreneurship courses do not. In contrast, entrepreneurship courses are related to venture creation while counseling is not.

Research limitations/implications

Consistent with theory, the results suggest that counseling programs allow entrepreneurs to develop context‐specific tacit knowledge about their ventures and are best delivered immediately prior to venture start‐up. Entrepreneurship courses appear to indirectly influence new venture performance by increasing the odds of start up.

Originality/value

This comparative test of the theory of guided preparation contributes to the understanding of the effects of education and counseling on the creation and long‐term performance of new ventures, informing how the delivery of such programs can be improved.
The brewer, the baker, and the monopoly maker
Authors: Thomas Diana W. , Leeson Peter T.
Published: April 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine how productive entrepreneurial activities, such as innovation, influence unproductive entrepreneurial activities, such as regulatory rent seeking.

Design/methodology/approach

To investigate the argument the authors consider Bavaria's brewing industry in the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries using an analytic narrative approach.

Findings

The example of Bavaria's brewing industry suggests that productive entrepreneurial activities may increase unproductive entrepreneurial activities. Confronted with a situation in which innovation erodes their monopoly returns, legally protected producers and policymakers reregulate industry to recapture lost rents. Regulation policy under such reregulation tends to be more encompassing, and thus produces more unproductive entrepreneurial activity, than pre‐innovation regulation policy. This reflects the greater number or variety of producers that new regulation policy must encompass for reregulation to recreate rents.

Originality/value

The paper builds on Thomas’ work, which suggests that innovation can undermine existing regulatory institutions and result in deregulation. This paper identifies an alternative channel through which productive entrepreneurial innovation may influence unproductive entrepreneurial rent seeking. It argues that productive entrepreneurial innovation by legally unprotected producers in an industry can also increase, rather than decrease, the extent of unproductive entrepreneurship in that industry.
Prevalence and clinical characteristics of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in hospital patients with Type 2 diabetes in Korea
Authors: Won J. C. , Kwon H. S. , Kim C. H. , Lee J. H. , Park T. S. , Ko K. S. , Cha B. Y.
Published: April 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, e290‐e296 (2012)

Aims  Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes. This cross‐sectional study investigated the prevalence and clinical characteristics of this neuropathy in patients with Type 2 diabetic mellitus treated at hospitals in Korea.

Methods  Questionnaires and medical records were used to collect data on 4000 patients with Type 2 diabetes from the diabetes clinics of 40 hospitals throughout Korea. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy was diagnosed based on a review of medical records or using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument score and monofilament test.

Results  The prevalence of neuropathy was 33.5% (n = 1338). Multivariate analysis revealed that age, female sex, diabetes duration, lower glycated haemoglobin, treatment with oral hypoglycaemic agents or insulin, presence of retinopathy, history of cerebrovascular or peripheral arterial disease, presence of hypertension or dyslipidaemia, and history of foot ulcer were independently associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Of the patients with neuropathy, 69.8% were treated for the condition and only 12.6% were aware of their neuropathy.

Conclusion  There was a high prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in patients with Type 2 diabetes in Korea and those patients were far more likely to have complications or co‐morbidities. The proper management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy deserves attention from clinicians to ensure better management of diabetes in Korea.
Development of visual working memory precision in childhood
Authors: Burnett Heyes Stephanie , Zokaei Nahid , van der Staaij Irene , Bays Paul M. , Husain Masud
Published: April 2012

Visual working memory (VWM) is the facility to hold in mind visual information for brief periods of time. Developmental studies have suggested an increase during childhood in the maximum number of complete items that can simultaneously be stored in VWM. Here, we exploit a recent theoretical and empirical innovation to investigate instead the precision with which items are stored in VWM, where precision is a continuous measure reflecting VWM resolution. Ninety boys aged 7 to 13 years completed one‐item and three‐item VWM tasks in which stimuli were coloured bars varying in orientation. On each trial, participants used a rotating dial to reproduce the probed stimulus from memory. Results show linear age‐related improvement in recall precision for both one‐item and three‐item VWM tasks. However, even the youngest age group stored a significant amount of information about all three items on the difficult 3‐item VWM task. Importantly, the development of VWM precision was not accounted for by development on a sensorimotor control task. Whereas storage of a single complete item was previously thought to be well within the capacity limitations of the current age range, these results suggest protracted development during childhood and early adolescence in the resolution with which single and multiple items are stored in VWM. Probabilistic modelling of response distribution data suggests that improvement in VWM performance is attributable to a specific decrease in variability of stored feature representations, rather than to a decrease in misbinding or random noise. As such, we highlight a novel, potentially developmentally plausible mechanism that may underlie developmental improvement in VWM performance, independent of any alterations in the maximum number of complete items which can be stored.
Adult tooth loss for residents of US coal mining and Appalachian counties
Authors: Hendryx Michael , Ducatman Alan M. , Zullig Keith J. , Ahern Melissa M. , Crout Richard
Published: April 2012

Objectives

The authors compared rates of tooth loss between adult residents of Appalachian coal‐mining areas and other areas of the nation before and after control for covariate risks.

Methods

The authors conducted a cross‐sectional secondary data analysis that merged 2006 national Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (BRFSS) (N = 242 184) with county coal‐mining data and other county characteristics. The hypothesis tested was that adult tooth loss would be greater in Appalachian mining areas after control for other risks. Primary independent variables included main effects for coal‐mining present (yes/no) residence in Appalachia (yes/no), and their interaction. Data were weighted using the BRFSS final weights and analyzed using SUDAAN Proc Multilog to account for the multilevel complex sampling structure. The odds of two measures of tooth loss were examined controlling for age, race\ethnicity, drinking, smoking, income, education, supply of dentists, receipt of dental care, fluoridation rate, and other variables.

Results

After covariate adjustment, the interaction variable for the residents of Appalachian coal‐mining counties showed a significantly elevated odds for any tooth loss [odds ratio (OR) = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.38], and greater tooth loss measured by a 4‐level edentulism scale (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.36). The main effect for Appalachia was also significant for both measures, but the main effect for coal mining was not.

Conclusions

Greater risk of tooth loss among adult residents of Appalachian coal‐mining areas is present and is not explained by differences in reported receipt of dental care, fluoridation rates, supply of dentists or other behavioral or socioeconomic risks. Possible contributing factors include mining‐specific disparities related to access, behavior or environmental exposures.
Interspecies competition and inhibition within the oral microbial flora: environmental factors influence the inhibition of Streptococcus mutans by Streptococcus oligofermentans
Authors: Liu Ying , Wu Ligeng , Wu Fei , Chu Lei , Liu Xinxin , Xia Keke , Wang Yinghui
Published: April 2012

Liu Y, Wu L, Wu F, Chu L, Liu X, Xia K, Wang Y. Interspecies competition and inhibition within the oral microbial flora: environmental factors influence the inhibition of Streptococcus mutans by Streptococcus oligofermentans.  Eur J Oral Sci 2012; 120: 179–184. © 2012 Eur J Oral Sci

Dental caries is a bacterial infectious disease. Streptococcus mutans is the primary pathogen that causes dental caries. Streptococcus oligofermentans is a new oral streptococcal species that can inhibit the growth of S. mutans specifically. The study aimed to assess the inhibition of S. mutans by S. oligofermentans under different oral environmental conditions. The inhibition under different carbohydrate and oxygen conditions was investigated in vitro using an interspecies interaction assay. The 4‐aminoantipyine (4‐ATTP) method was used to measure the yield and the initial production rate of H2O2 in S. oligofermentans. The inhibitory effect was enhanced when the bacteria were cultured with carbohydrates and under aerobic conditions, or when S. oligofermentans was inoculated earlier than S. mutans. The initial synthesis rates of H2O2 by S. oligofermentans were higher in the presence of carbohydrates and in aerobic culture conditions. In terms of the total H2O2 yield, the effect of the environmental conditions was as follows: no carbohydrates > sucrose > glucose, and aerobic conditions > anaerobic conditions. We conclude that the presence of carbohydrate and oxygen significantly affect the ability of S. oligofermentans to inhibit the growth of S. mutans. The difference in inhibitory effect may be attributed to changes in the capacity of S. oligofermentans to produce H2O2.
Resonance frequency analysis: a new diagnostic tool for dental ankylosis
Authors: Bertl Michael H. , Weinberger Thomas , Schwarz Kerstin , Gruber Reinhard , Crismani Adriano G.
Published: April 2012

Bertl MH, Weinberger T, Schwarz K, Gruber R, Crismani AG. Resonance frequency analysis: a new diagnostic tool for dental ankylosis.   Eur J Oral Sci 2012; 120: 255–258. © 2012 Eur J Oral Sci

Ankylosed teeth are considered in orthodontic treatment planning; however, diagnostic tools to quantify the rigidity of the tooth‐to‐bone connection are rare. Resonance frequency analysis (RFA) can quantify the rigidity of the dental implant‐to‐bone connection and thus may serve as a potential diagnostic tool to identify ankylosed teeth. To test this assumption, we examined 15 and 30 primary mandibular molars, with and without clinical signs of ankylosis, using the Osstell Mentor system. A cut‐off implant stability quotient (ISQ) of 43 provided a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 53.3% when measured in the mesio‐distal direction or a sensitivity of 20% when measured in the bucco‐lingual direction. Based on a receiver–operating characteristic (ROC), the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.807 showed the mesio‐distal direction of measurement to be a test of moderate discriminatory power. Given its non‐invasiveness, RFA may serve as a quantitative diagnostic supplement to the clinical examination of potentially ankylosed primary molars.
Curcumin inhibits proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cells through inactivation of Notch‐1 signaling
Authors: Li Yonggang , Zhang Jingru , Ma Daoxin , Zhang Lei , Si Meng , Yin Han , Li Jianmin
Published: April 2012

The Notch signaling pathway plays critical roles in human cancers, including osteosarcoma, suggesting that the discovery of specific agents targeting Notch would be extremely valuable for osteosarcoma. Curcumin, a naturally occurring phenolic compound found in curcuma longa, has been shown to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells in vitro and tumor growth in xenotransplant or orthotransplant models. However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which curcumin exerts its antitumor activity remain unclear. Here we used multiple molecular approaches, such as the 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, the invasion assay, gene transfection, real‐time RT‐PCR, western blot and gelatin zymography, to investigate whether the downregulation of Notch‐1 contributes to curcumin‐induced inhibition of proliferation and invasion in osteosarcoma cells. The results showed that curcumin caused marked inhibition of osteosarcoma cell growth and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. This was associated with concomitant attenuation of Notch‐1 and downregulation of its downstream genes, such as matrix metalloproteinases, resulting in the inhibition of osteosarcoma cell invasion through Matrigel. We also found that specific downregulation of Notch‐1 via small‐interfering RNA prior to curcumin treatment resulted in enhanced inhibition of cell growth and invasion. These results suggest that antitumor activity of curcumin is mediated through a novel mechanism involving inactivation of the Notch‐1 signaling pathway. Our data provide the first evidence that the downregulation of Notch‐1 by curcumin may be an effective approach for the treatment of osteosarcoma.
On the function of the various quinone species in Escherichia coli
Authors: Sharma Poonam , Teixeira de Mattos Maarten J. , Hellingwerf Klaas J. , Bekker Martijn
Published: April 2012

The respiratory chain of Escherichia coli contains three quinones. Menaquinone and demethylmenaquinone have low midpoint potentials and are involved in anaerobic respiration, while ubiquinone, which has a high midpoint potential, is involved in aerobic and nitrate respiration. Here, we report that demethylmenaquinone plays a role not only in trimethylaminooxide‐, dimethylsulfoxide‐ and fumarate‐dependent respiration, but also in aerobic respiration. Furthermore, we demonstrate that demethylmenaquinone serves as an electron acceptor for oxidation of succinate to fumarate, and that all three quinol oxidases of E. coli accept electrons from this naphtoquinone derivative.
The evolutionary relationship of the transcriptionally active fabp11a (intronless) and fabp11b genes of medaka with fabp11 genes of other teleost fishes
Authors: Parmar Manoj B. , Venkatachalam Ananda B. , Wright Jonathan M.
Published: April 2012

Here we describe the structure of the fatty acid‐binding protein 11a and 11b genes (fabp11a and fabp11b) in medaka, and their evolutionary relationship to fabp11 genes from other teleost fishes. Initial studies indicated that the medaka fabp11a gene is intronless, but the fabp11b gene consists of four exons separated by three introns, a genomic organization that is characteristic of most members of the intracellular lipid‐binding protein family. Based on genomic sequence, we conclude that the intronless fabp11a gene most likely arose as a result of reverse transcription of its mRNA transcript into cDNA followed by integration into chromosomal DNA. The ancestral intron‐containing fabp11a gene was presumably lost from the medaka genome. The duplicated fabp11 genes extant in medaka encode polypeptides of 134 amino acids, which share highest sequence identity and similarity, and cluster in a distinct phylogenetic clade, with their orthologs in other teleost fishes. The fabp11a and fabp11b genes in medaka are therefore orthologs of the fabp11a and fabp11b genes, respectively, of other teleost fishes. No conserved gene synteny was found between medaka fabp11a and fabp11a genes from other teleost fishes, supporting our suggestion as to how this intronless gene arose. However, conserved gene synteny was evident between medaka fabp11b and fabp11b genes from other teleost fishes. The tissue‐specific distribution of transcripts for medaka and zebrafish fabp11a and fabp11b genes revealed acquisition of a new function(s) in various tissues by the medaka fabp11b gene, which may explain the retention of sister duplicates of fabp11 in the medaka genome.
Metabolite profiling of plasma and urine from rats with TNBS‐induced acute colitis using UPLC‐ESI‐QTOF‐MS‐based metabonomics – a pilot study
Authors: Zhang Xiaojun , Choi Franky F. K. , Zhou Yan , Leung Feung P. , Tan Shun , Lin Shuhai , Xu Hongxi , Jia Wei , Sung Joseph J. Y. , Cai Zongwei , Bian Zhaoxiang
Published: April 2012

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease, a relapsing intestinal condition whose precise etiology is still unclear, has continually increased over recent years. Metabolic profiling is an effective method with high sample throughput that can detect and identify potential biomarkers, and thus may be useful in investigating the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, using a metabonomics approach, a pilot study based on ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC‐ESI‐QTOF‐MS) was performed to characterize the metabolic profile of plasma and urine samples of rats with experimental colitis induced by 2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid. Acquired metabolic profile data were processed by multivariate data analysis for differentiation and screening of potential biomarkers. Five metabolites were identified in urine: two tryptophan metabolites [4‐(2‐aminophenyl)‐2,4‐dioxobutanoic acid and 4,6‐cihydroxyquinoline], two gut microbial metabolites (phenyl‐acetylglycine and p‐cresol glucuronide), and the bile acid 12α‐hydroxy‐3‐oxocholadienic acid. Seven metabolites were identified in plasma: three members of the bile acid/alcohol group (cholic acid, 12α‐hydroxy‐3‐oxocholadienic acid and cholestane‐3,7,12,24,25‐pentol) and four lysophosphatidylcholines [LysoPC(20:4), LysoPC(16:0), LysoPC(18:1) and LysoPC(18:0)]. These metabolites are associated with damage of the intestinal barrier function, microbiota homeostasis, immune modulation and the inflammatory response, and play important roles in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Our results positively support application of the metabonomic approach in study of the pathophysiological mechanism of inflammatory bowel disease.
Amino acid screening based on structural modeling identifies critical residues for the function, ion selectivity and structure of Arabidopsis MTP1
Authors: Kawachi Miki , Kobae Yoshihiro , Kogawa Sayaka , Mimura Tetsuro , Krämer Ute , Maeshima Masayoshi
Published: April 2012

Arabidopsis thaliana MTP1 is a vacuolar membrane Zn2+/H+ antiporter of the cation diffusion facilitator family. Here we present a structure–function analysis of AtMTP1‐mediated transport and its remarkable Zn2+ selectivity by functional complementation tests of more than 50 mutant variants in metal‐sensitive yeast strains. This was combined with homology modeling of AtMTP1 based on the crystal structure of the Escherichia coli broad‐specificity divalent cation transporter YiiP. The Zn2+‐binding sites of EcYiiP in the cytoplasmic C‐terminus, and the pore formed by transmembrane helices TM2 and TM5, are conserved in AtMTP1. Although absent in EcYiiP, Cys31 and Cys36 in the extended N‐terminal cytosolic domain of AtMTP1 are necessary for complementation of a Zn‐sensitive yeast strain. On the cytosolic side of the active Zn2+‐binding site inside the transmembrane pore, Ala substitution of either Asn258 in TM5 or Ser101 in TM2 non‐selectively enhanced the metal tolerance conferred by AtMTP1. Modeling predicts that these residues obstruct the movement of cytosolic Zn2+ into the intra‐membrane Zn2+‐binding site of AtMTP1. A conformational change in the immediately preceding His‐rich cytosolic loop may displace Asn258 and permit Zn2+ entry into the pore. This would allow dynamic coupling of Zn2+ transport to the His‐rich loop, thus acting as selectivity filter or sensor of cytoplasmic Zn2+ levels. Individual mutations at diverse sites within AtMTP1 conferred Co and Cd tolerance in yeast, and included deletions in N‐terminal and His‐rich intra‐molecular cytosolic domains, and mutations of single residues flanking the transmembrane pore or participating in intra‐ or inter‐molecular domain interactions, all of which are not conserved in the non‐selective EcYiiP.
Increased central and peripheral inflammation and inflammatory hyperalgesia in Zucker rat model of leptin receptor deficiency and genetic obesity
Authors: Iannitti Tommaso , Graham Annette , Dolan Sharron
Published: April 2012

This study investigated whether sensitivity to nociceptive stimuli is altered in obese rats using established models of inflammatory pain, and using real‐time PCR, profiled alterations in expression of key adipokine and inflammatory mediator mRNA (adiponectin, tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐1β, cyclooxygenase‐2, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)) in spinal cord with obesity. Responses to thermal and mechanical stimulation of the hindpaw and paw oedema were assessed in adult male Zucker fatty rats (fa/fa) and their lean littermates (fa/–; n= 6–9 per group) in the absence of inflammation (acute nociception), then in response to intradermal hindpaw injection of carrageenan (3%; 50 μl) or capsaicin (10 μg; 50 μl) or hindpaw incision. The analgesic potency of morphine (1, 2.5 or 5 mg kg−1 or vehicle; s.c.) was also assessed. Acute nociception was unaltered in obese animals, but following carrageenan‐induced inflammation the obese rats were significantly more sensitive to mechanical and thermal stimulation of the inflamed paw, and displayed greater paw oedema. No difference in the capsaicin‐ or paw‐incision‐induced pain sensitivity or in the analgesic potency of morphine was observed between groups. Levels of adiponectin and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA were downregulated in spinal cord from obese rats, whereas tumour necrosis factor‐α mRNA was upregulated; interleukin‐1β and cyclo‐oxygenase were unchanged. The increased pain sensitivity and inflammatory response together with changes in spinal adipokine expression in obese rats fit well with the hypothesis that obesity is a chronic low‐grade inflammatory disorder, producing a state where responses to subsequent inflammatory challenge are potentiated.
Interleukin‐6 mediates exercise‐induced increase in insulin sensitivity in mice
Authors: Benrick Anna , Wallenius Ville , Asterholm Ingrid Wernstedt
Published: April 2012

Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is released from working skeletal muscle during exercise. We investigated the acute and the long‐term beneficial effects of IL‐6 on exercise‐induced glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and insulin sensitivity. The acute effect on exercise‐induced glucose uptake was measured in IL‐6‐deficient (IL‐6−/−) mice and wild‐type control animals using a tracer technique. There was no difference in serum disappearance of 3[H]2‐deoxyglucose after a single bout of exercise between IL‐6−/− and wild‐type mice (13565 ± 426 versus 14343 ± 1309 d.p.m. min ml−1, P= 0.5). The glucose uptake rate in the extensor digitorum longus muscle was, however, lower in IL‐6−/− compared with wild‐type mice (398 ± 44 versus 657 ± 41 nmol g−1 min−1, P < 0.01). In a long‐term study, we monitored insulin sensitivity, serum retinol‐binding protein‐4 (RBP‐4) levels, running activity, food intake, body weight and body composition in IL‐6−/− and wild‐type mice on a high‐fat diet (HFD), with or without access to running wheels. In sedentary IL‐6−/− and wild‐type mice, the HFD decreased insulin sensitivity (glucose area under the concentration–time curve increased about 20% during an insulin tolerance test, P < 0.05 for both genotypes versus baseline) and led to a 30% increase in serum RBP‐4 levels (P < 0.01 for both genotypes versus baseline). Wild‐type mice with access to running wheels were protected against these effects of the HFD and maintained their baseline insulin sensitivity and serum RBP‐4 levels. In contrast, IL‐6−/− mice did not benefit from running to the same extent as wild‐type animals. The IL‐6−/− mice with access to running wheels had a similar decrease in insulin sensitivity to their sedentary littermates (glucose area under the concentration–time curve during an insulin tolerance test in runners versus sedentary IL‐6−/− HFD mice, 312 ± 14 versus 340 ± 22 mmol min l−1, P= 0.4) and displayed a 14% increase in serum RBP‐4 compared with baseline levels (P < 0.01). Our results indicate that endogenous IL‐6 contributes to the exercise‐induced increase in insulin sensitivity, but plays only a minor role for glucose uptake into skeletal muscle during exercise.
Don’t Look Back in Anger! Responsiveness to Missed Chances in Successful and Nonsuccessful Aging
Authors: Brassen Stefanie , Gamer Matthias , Peters Jan , Gluth Sebastian , Büchel Christian
Published: April 2012

Emotionally healthy older adults show a reduced responsiveness to regret when performing a sequential decision task.
Phylogenetic Grouping and Virulence Potential of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli Strains in Cattle
Authors: Valat Charlotte , Auvray Frédéric , Forest Karine , Métayer Véronique , Gay Emilie , Peytavin de Garam Carine , Madec Jean-Yves , Haenni Marisa
Published: April 2012

In line with recent reports of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) in
Escherichia coli
isolates of highly virulent serotypes, such as O104:H4, we investigated the distribution of phylogroups (A, B1, B2, D) and virulence factor (VF)-encoding genes in 204 ESBL-producing
E. coli
isolates from diarrheic cattle. ESBL genes, VFs, and phylogroups were identified by PCR and a commercial DNA array (Alere, France). ESBL genes belonged mostly to the CTX-M-1 (65.7%) and CTX-M-9 (27.0%) groups, whereas those of the CTX-M-2 and TEM groups were much less represented (3.9% and 3.4%, respectively). One ESBL isolate was
stx
1
and
eae
positive and belonged to a major enterohemorrhagic
E. coli
(EHEC) serotype (O111:H8). Two other isolates were
eae
positive but
stx
negative; one of these had serotype O26:H11. ESBL isolates belonged mainly to phylogroup A (55.4%) and, to lesser extents, to phylogroups D (25.5%) and B1 (15.6%), whereas B2 strains were quasi-absent (1/204). The number of VFs was significantly higher in phylogroup B1 than in phylogroups A (
P
= 0.04) and D (
P
= 0.02). Almost all of the VFs detected were found in CTX-M-1 isolates, whereas only 64.3% and 33.3% of them were found in CTX-M-9 and CTX-M-2 isolates, respectively. These results indicated that the widespread dissemination of the
bla
CTX-M
genes within the
E. coli
population from cattle still spared the subpopulation of EHEC/Shiga-toxigenic
E. coli
(STEC) isolates. In contrast to other reports on non-ESBL-producing isolates from domestic animals, B1 was not the main phylogroup identified. However, B1 was found to be the most virulent phylogroup, suggesting host-specific distribution of virulence determinants among phylogenetic groups.
Biotransformation Strategy To Reduce Allergens in Propolis
Authors: Gardana Claudio , Barbieri Andrea , Simonetti Paolo , Guglielmetti Simone
Published: April 2012

Propolis (bee glue) is a resinous, sticky, dark-colored material produced by honeybees. Propolis today, due to its medicinal properties, is increasingly popular and is extensively used in food, beverages, and cosmetic products. Besides its numerous positive properties, propolis may also have adverse effects, such as, principally, allergic eczematous contact dermatitis in apiarists and in consumers with an allergic predisposition. In this study, we found appropriate conditions for removing caffeate esters, which are the main allergenic components, from raw propolis. The proposed method consists of the resuspension of propolis in a food grade solvent, followed by a biotransformation based on the cinnamoyl esterase activity of
Lactobacillus helveticus
. We showed that the reduction of caffeate esters by
L. helveticus
did not affect the content of flavonoids, which are the main bioactive molecules of propolis. Furthermore, we verified that the biotransformation of propolis did not cause a loss of antimicrobial activity. Finally, we demonstrated that the ability of
L. helveticus
to hydrolyze caffeate esters in propolis is strain specific. In conclusion, the proposed strategy is simple, employs food grade materials, and is effective in selectively removing allergenic molecules without affecting the bioactive fraction of propolis. This is the first study demonstrating that the allergenic caffeate esters of propolis can be eliminated by means of a bacterial biotransformation procedure.
Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for the Characterization of 936-Like Phages Infecting Lactococcus lactis
Authors: Moisan Maxim , Moineau Sylvain
Published: April 2012

Lactococcus lactis
phage infections are costly for the dairy industry because they can slow down the fermentation process and adversely impact product safety and quality. Although many strategies have been developed to better control phage populations, new virulent phages continue to emerge. Thus, it is beneficial to develop an efficient method for the routine identification of new phages within a dairy plant to rapidly adapt antiphage tactics. Here, we present a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for the characterization of the 936-like phages, the most prevalent phage group infecting
L. lactis
strains worldwide. The proposed MLST system targets the internal portion of five highly conserved genomic sequences belonging to the packaging, morphogenesis, and lysis modules. Our MLST scheme was used to analyze 100 phages with different restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns isolated from 11 different countries between 1971 and 2010. PCR products were obtained for all the phages analyzed, and sequence analysis highlighted the high discriminatory power of the MLST system, detecting 93 different sequence types. A conserved locus within the
lys
gene (coding for endolysin) was the most discriminative, with 65 distinct alleles. The locus within the
mcp
gene (major capsid protein) was the most conserved (54 distinct alleles). Phylogenetic analyses of the concatenated sequences exhibited a strong concordance of the clusters with the phage host range, indicating the clonal evolution of these phages. A public database has been set up for the proposed MLST system, and it can be accessed at
http://pubmlst.org/bacteriophages/
.