bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Health and productivity management in Europe
Authors: Kirsten Wolf 
Published: June 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to provide an overview of the major health‐related challenges facing the European workplace and a summary of emerging research in the workplace health management field. Specific health and productivity strategies and outcome variables are also discussed.Design/methodology/approachNumerous current resources were used in order to craft a comprehensive overview: European Union and World Health Organization statistics, surveys and research briefs, research studies, technical reports, political briefs and green papers, scientific theories and models, internal corporate reports and personal interviews.FindingsWhile a growing number of studies and programs are addressing the mounting workplace health challenges in Europe, only a small number of initiatives are systematic and evaluated. The case for enhanced data collection and integrated programs targeting lifestyles as well as the psychosocial working environment with productivity as an outcome variable is made. Two key strengths of the field in Europe are a salutogenic approach focusing on health potential and the social capital concept.Originality/valueThe paper provides a unique interdisciplinary perspective and a current review of health and productivity management in Europe.
Islamic banking: the case of Algeria
Authors: Benamraoui Abdelhafid 
Published: June 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed analysis of the Islamic banking in Algeria following the financial liberalisation initiated in the 1990 s. It seeks to examine the performance of the sole bank offering Islamic financial products in Algeria, Banque Al Baraka d'Algérie. The study also aims to analyse the methods adopted by the bank to improve the allocation of its financial resources and to boost its earnings.Design/methodology/approachInterviews were conducted to learn about the performance and risks associated with Banque Al Baraka d'Algérie operations. All interviews were held one‐to‐one with each respondent in Algeria. Statistical data and financial ratio analyses are also used to support the arguments made in this study. Analyses are carried out on major factors affecting the bank operations.FindingsThe study reveals four key findings: Banque Al Baraka d'Algérie offers only a few Islamic financial products to its customers; most of the instruments are geared towards short‐term financing; the bank's overall performance has improved since its operations in Algeria; and credit risk remains the main obstacle facing the bank.Research limitations/implicationsThis research uses a single country case study. The study also refers to the case of one Islamic bank with no competition from other Islamic finance providers.Practical implicationsThe analyses presented in this research can be used by policymakers and managers as a guide to developing the existing Islamic banking practices in Algeria.Originality/valueThe study makes a contribution to the literature on Islamic banking in Algeria. It is the first study to particularly investigate the issue of Islamic banking performance in Algeria. The findings achieved in this research will be of interest for practitioners and academics concerned with developments of the Algerian banking industry.
Understanding the objectives of Islamic banking: a survey of stakeholders' perspectives
Authors: Wajdi Dusuki Asyraf 
Published: June 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to survey the viewpoints of various stakeholder groups on the philosophy and objectives of Islamic banking, particularly in a dual banking environment, as in the case of Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents primary data collected by self‐administered and postal questionnaires involving a sample of 1,500 respondents representing seven stakeholder groups, namely customers, depositors, local communities, Islamic banking managers, employees, banking regulatory officers and Shariah advisers. An exploratory factor analysis is employed to examine the respondents' perceptions towards various objectives of Islamic banking.FindingsThis paper reveals that respondents regard Islamic banking as an institution that should uphold social objectives and promote Islamic values towards their staffs, clients and the general public. Other factors perceived to be important include contributing to the social welfare of the community, promoting sustainable development projects and alleviating poverty.Practical implicationsThe empirical evidence of this paper affects two aspects; first Islamic banks must not be solely profit‐driven entities; rather they must aim at promoting Islamic norms and values to achieve the economic objectives as prescribed by Shariah (Islamic Law). Second, true success for Islamic banking participants depends on the extent to which they can integrate social goals with the mechanics of financial innovation. This research will be of interest to both incumbent and potential entrants into this niche market.Originality/valueThe paper reports findings from the first nation‐wide survey of diverse stakeholder groups in the area of Islamic banking and finance.
Employees' perceptions of supervisory facets
Authors: El‐Kot Ghada , Leat Mike 
Published: June 2008

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore the supervision facets from the employees' perception in Egypt. Another aim is to explore the relationships between the supervisors' facets and their satisfaction level.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the aims of this research, the researchers collected data from different employees in deterrent organizations in Egypt (n=272). Validity and reliability tests were computed for the measures used in the research. Descriptive statistics, inter‐correlations were computed for the variables used in this research to test the research hypothesis.FindingsThe similarities with the non‐western contest were found in some facets of supervisors, while others are not. Significant relationships were found between supervisors' facets and employees' satisfaction from their supervisors.Practical implicationsSome practical conclusions which would lead to effective and successful organizations in the Egyptian context are: creating a positive environment by focusing on the social relationships between employees and their supervisors and developing a clear job description to help employees understand what they have to do, along with allowing some real participation by the employees in making decisions.Originality/valueInvestigating such concepts will provide the basic information needed to develop a clear understanding for supervisory‐employees relationships in a non‐Western context, which is not available currently.
Integration of Metabolic Modeling and Phenotypic Data in Evaluation and Improvement of Ethanol Production Using Respiration-Deficient Mutants of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Dikicioglu Duygu , Pir Pinar , Onsan Z. Ilsen , Ulgen Kutlu O. , Kirdar Betul , Oliver Stephen G. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

Flux balance analysis and phenotypic data were used to provide clues to the relationships between the activities of gene products and the phenotypes resulting from the deletion of genes involved in respiratory function in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. The effect of partial or complete respiratory deficiency on the ethanol production and growth characteristics of
hap4
Δ
/hap4
Δ,
mig1
Δ
/mig1
Δ,
qdr3
Δ
/qdr3
Δ,
pdr3
Δ
/pdr3
Δ,
qcr7
Δ
/qcr7
Δ,
cyt1
Δ
/cyt1
Δ, and
rip1
Δ
/rip1
Δ mutants grown in microaerated chemostats was investigated. The study provided additional evidence for the importance of the selection of a physiologically relevant objective function, and it may improve quantitative predictions of exchange fluxes, as well as qualitative estimations of changes in intracellular fluxes. Ethanol production was successfully predicted by flux balance analysis in the case of the
qdr3
Δ
/qdr3
Δ mutant, with maximization of ethanol production as the objective function, suggesting an additional role for Qdr3p in respiration. The absence of similar changes in estimated intracellular fluxes in the
qcr7
Δ
/qcr7
Δ mutant compared to the
rip1
Δ
/rip1
Δ and
cyt1
Δ
/cyt1
Δ mutants indicated that the effect of the deletion of this subunit of complex III was somehow compensated for. Analysis of predicted flux distributions indicated self-organization of intracellular fluxes to avoid NAD
+
/NADH imbalance in
rip1
Δ
/rip1
Δ and
cyt1
Δ
/cyt1
Δ mutants, but not the
qcr7
Δ
/qcr7
Δ mutant. The flux through the glycerol efflux channel, Fps1p, was estimated to be zero in all strains under the investigated conditions. This indicates that previous strategies for improving ethanol production, such as the overexpression of the glutamate synthase gene
GLT1
in a
GDH1
deletion background or deletion of the glycerol efflux channel gene
FPS1
and overexpression of
GLT1
, are unnecessary in a respiration-deficient background.
Simple Method for Plating
Escherichia coli
Bacteriophages Forming Very Small Plaques or No Plaques under Standard Conditions
Authors: Łoś Joanna M. , Golec Piotr , Węgrzyn Grzegorz , Węgrzyn Alicja , Łoś Marcin 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

The use of low concentrations (optimally 2.5 to 3.5 μg/ml, depending on top agar thickness) of ampicillin in the bottom agar of the plate allows for formation of highly visible plaques of bacteriophages which otherwise form extremely small plaques or no plaques on
Escherichia coli
lawns. Using this method, we were able to obtain plaques of newly isolated bacteriophages, propagated after induction of prophages present in six
E. coli
O157:H
−
strains which did not form plaques when standard plating procedures were employed.
The Porous Surface Model, a Novel Experimental System for Online Quantitative Observation of Microbial Processes under Unsaturated Conditions
Authors: Dechesne Arnaud , Or Dani , Gülez Gamze , Smets Barth F. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

Water is arguably the most important constituent of microbial microhabitats due to its control of physical and physiological processes critical to microbial activity. In natural environments, bacteria often live on unsaturated surfaces, in thin (micrometric) liquid films. Nevertheless, no experimental systems are available that allow real-time observation of bacterial processes in liquid films of controlled thickness. We propose a novel, inexpensive, easily operated experimental platform, termed the porous surface model (PSM) that enables quantitative real-time microscopic observations of bacterial growth and activity under controlled unsaturated conditions. Bacteria are inoculated on a porous ceramic plate, wetted by a liquid medium. The thickness of the liquid film at the surface of the plate is set by imposing suction, corresponding to soil matric potential, to the liquid medium. The utility of the PSM was demonstrated using
Pseudomonas putida
KT2440 tagged with
gfp
as a model bacterium. Single cells were inoculated at the surface of the PSM, and the rate at which colonies expanded laterally was measured for three matric potentials (−0.5, −1.2, and −3.6 kPa). The matric potential exerted significant influence on colony expansion rates, with a faster rate of spreading at −0.5 than at −1.2 or −3.6 kPa (diameter increase rate, ca. 1,000, 200, and 17 μm h
−1
, respectively). These differences can be attributed to cell motility, strongly limited under the most negative matric potential. The PSM constitutes a tool uniquely adapted to study the influence of liquid film geometry on microbial processes. It should therefore contribute to uncovering mechanisms of microbial adaptation to unsaturated environments.
Differences in Survival among 13Listeria monocytogenesStrains in a Dynamic Model of the Stomach and Small Intestine
Authors: Barmpalia-Davis Ioanna M. , Geornaras Ifigenia , Kendall Patricia A. , Sofos John N. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTThirteenListeria monocytogenesstrains were compared for the ability to survive in a dynamic gastrointestinal model. Strains displayed various degrees of susceptibility to gastric acidity; however, strain-to-strain variations became evident mainly after 90 min of exposure (pH 2.0). Cell levels transferred to the intestine depended on initial populations, while reductions during intestinal exposure were relatively small for all strains.
Characterization of
Salmonella enterica
serovar Heidelberg from Turkey-Associated Sources
Authors: Kaldhone Pravin , Nayak Rajesh , Lynne Aaron M. , David Donna E. , McDermott Patrick F. , Logue Catherine M. , Foley Steven L. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

Salmonella enterica
serovar Heidelberg strains are frequently associated with food-borne illness, with recent isolates showing higher rates of resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents. One hundred eighty
S. enterica
serovar Heidelberg isolates, collected from turkey-associated production and processing sources, were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and compared by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and plasmid profile analysis. The potential for the transfer of resistance between strains was studied by conjugation experiments. PFGE analysis using XbaI digestion identified eight clusters (based on 90% similarity), with the largest containing 71% of the isolates. Forty-two percent of the isolates were resistant to at least 1 of the 15 antimicrobial agents tested, and 4% of the isolates were resistant to 8 or more antimicrobial agents. Resistances to streptomycin (32%), tetracycline (30%), and kanamycin (24%) were most commonly detected. Interestingly, the XbaI PFGE profiles of selective multidrug-resistant strains (
n
= 22) of
S. enterica
serovar Heidelberg from turkey-associated sources were indistinguishable from the predominant profile (JF6X01.0022) detected in isolates associated with human infections. These isolates were further differentiated into seven distinct profiles following digestion with the BlnI enzyme, with the largest cluster comprising 15 isolates from veterinary diagnostic and turkey processing environments. Conjugation experiments indicated that resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents was transferable among strains with diverse PFGE profiles.
Improved Inactivation of Nonenveloped Enteric Viruses and Their Surrogates by a Novel Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer
Authors: Macinga David R. , Sattar Syed A. , Jaykus Lee-Ann , Arbogast James W. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

Norovirus is the leading cause of food-related illness in the United States, and contamination of ready-to-eat items by food handlers poses a high risk for disease. This study reports the in vitro (suspension test) and in vivo (fingerpad protocol) assessments of a new ethanol-based hand sanitizer containing a synergistic blend of polyquaternium polymer and organic acid, which is active against viruses of public health importance, including norovirus. When tested in suspension, the test product reduced the infectivity of the nonenveloped viruses human rotavirus (HRV), poliovirus type 1 (PV-1), and the human norovirus (HNV) surrogates feline calicivirus (FCV) F-9 and murine norovirus type 1 (MNV-1) by greater than 3 log
10
after a 30-s exposure. In contrast, a benchmark alcohol-based hand sanitizer reduced only HRV by greater than 3 log
10
and none of the additional viruses by greater than 1.2 log
10
after the same exposure. In fingerpad experiments, the test product produced a 2.48 log
10
reduction of MNV-1 after a 30-s exposure, whereas a 75% ethanol control produced a 0.91 log
10
reduction. Additionally, the test product reduced the infectivity titers of adenovirus type 5 (ADV-5) and HRV by ≥3.16 log
10
and ≥4.32 log
10
, respectively, by the fingerpad assay within 15 s; and PV-1 was reduced by 2.98 log
10
in 30 s by the same method. Based on these results, we conclude that this new ethanol-based hand sanitizer is a promising option for reducing the transmission of enteric viruses, including norovirus, by food handlers and care providers.
Bacillus subtilis
Spores Germinate in the Chicken Gastrointestinal Tract
Authors: Cartman Stephen T. , La Ragione Roberto M. , Woodward Martin J. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

A number of poultry probiotics contain bacterial spores. In this study, orally administered spores of
Bacillus subtilis
germinated in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of chicks. Furthermore, 20 h after spores were administered, vegetative cells outnumbered spores throughout the GI tract. This demonstrates that spore-based probiotics may function in this host through metabolically active mechanisms.
Identification of a Gene Encoding a Transporter Essential for Utilization of C
4
Dicarboxylates in
Corynebacterium glutamicum
Authors: Teramoto Haruhiko , Shirai Tomokazu , Inui Masayuki , Yukawa Hideaki 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

The
Corynebacterium glutamicum
R genome contains a total of eight genes encoding proteins with sequence similarity to C
4
-dicarboxylate transporters identified from other bacteria. Three of the genes encode proteins within the dicarboxylate/amino acid:cation symporter (DAACS) family, another three encode proteins within the tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic transporter family, and two encode proteins within the divalent anion:Na
+
symporter (DASS) family. We observed that a mutant strain deficient in one of these genes, designated
dcsT
, of the DASS family did not aerobically grow on the C
4
dicarboxylates succinate, fumarate, and malate as the sole carbon sources. Mutant strains deficient in each of the other seven genes grew as well as the wild-type strain under the same conditions, although one of these genes is a homologue of
dctA
of the DAACS family, involved in aerobic growth on C
4
dicarboxylates in various bacteria. The utilization of C
4
dicarboxylates was markedly enhanced by overexpression of the
dcsT
gene. We confirmed that the uptake of [
13
C]labeled succinate observed for the wild-type cells was hardly detected in the
dcsT
-deficient mutant but was markedly enhanced in a
dcsT
-overexpressing strain. These results suggested that in
C. glutamicum
, the uptake of C
4
dicarboxylates for aerobic growth was mainly mediated by the DASS transporter encoded by
dcsT
. The expression level of the
dcsT
gene transiently increased in the early exponential phase during growth on nutrient-rich medium. This expression was enhanced by the addition of succinate in the mid-exponential phase and was repressed by the addition of glucose in the early exponential phase.
Engineering
Pseudomonas putida
S12 for Efficient Utilization of
d
-Xylose and
l
-Arabinose
Authors: Meijnen Jean-Paul , de Winde Johannes H. , Ruijssenaars Harald J. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

The solvent-tolerant bacterium
Pseudomonas putida
S12 was engineered to utilize xylose as a substrate by expressing xylose isomerase (XylA) and xylulokinase (XylB) from
Escherichia coli
. The initial yield on xylose was low (9% [g CDW g substrate
−1
], where CDW is cell dry weight), and the growth rate was poor (0.01 h
−1
). The main cause of the low yield was the oxidation of xylose into the dead-end product xylonate by endogenous glucose dehydrogenase (Gcd). Subjecting the XylAB-expressing
P. putida
S12 to laboratory evolution yielded a strain that efficiently utilized xylose (yield, 52% [g CDW g xylose
−1
]) at a considerably improved growth rate (0.35 h
−1
). The high yield could be attributed in part to Gcd inactivity, whereas the improved growth rate may be connected to alterations in the primary metabolism. Surprisingly, without any further engineering, the evolved
d
-xylose-utilizing strain metabolized
l
-arabinose as efficiently as
d
-xylose. Furthermore, despite the loss of Gcd activity, the ability to utilize glucose was not affected. Thus, a
P. putida
S12-derived strain was obtained that efficiently utilizes the three main sugars present in lignocellulosic hydrolysate: glucose, xylose, and arabinose. This strain will form the basis for a platform host for the efficient production of biochemicals from renewable feedstock.
Sequence Diversity ofBacillus thuringiensisFlagellin (H Antigen) Protein at the Intra-H Serotype Level
Authors: Xu Dong , Côté Jean-Charles 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTInBacillus thuringiensis, thehaggene encodes flagellin, the protein responsible for eliciting the immunological reaction in H serotyping. Specific flagellin amino acid sequences have been correlated to specificB. thuringiensisH serotypes, H1 to H67. Ten H serotypes, however, contain three or more antigenic subfactors, labeled a, b, c, d, or e, and have been subdivided into 23 serovars. In the present study, we set out to analyze the sequence diversity of flagellins among serovars from the same H serotypes. We studied thehaggenes in 39B. thuringiensisstrains representing the 23 serovars from the 10 H serotypes mentioned above. A serovar and a biovar from an 11th H serotype were also included. Thehaggenes were amplified and cloned and their nucleotide sequences were determined and translated into amino acid sequences, or the sequences were retrieved directly from GenBank when available. Strains of the H3 serotype contained two or three copies of theflagene, an ortholog of thehaggene. Strains of the H6 serotype contained three copies. Strains of all other H serotypes each contained a single copy of thehaggene. Alignments of amino acid sequences from all copies in all strains of the H3 serotype revealed short signature sequences, GGAG and SGG, GPDPDDAVKNLT, and DITTTK, that appeared to be specific to the H3c, H3d, and H3e antigenic subfactors, respectively. Similar short signature sequences, GDIT, AFIK, TSAGKA, and SAPSKG, were revealed for H8b, H8c, H20b, and H20c, respectively. Amino acid sequences in the flagellin central variable region were highly conserved among serovars of the H3, H5, H11, and H20 serotypes and much more divergent among serovars of the H4, H10, H18, H24, and H28 serotypes. Two bootstrapped neighbor-joining trees were respectively generated from the alignments of the amino acid sequences translated from all copies of thehaggenes in theB. thuringiensisstrains of the H3 and H6 serotypes. Sequence identities and relationships were revealed. A third bootstrapped neighbor-joining tree was generated, this one from the alignment of the flagellin amino acid sequences from all theB. thuringiensisstrains in the study. Eight clusters, I to VIII, were revealed. Although most clusters contained strains and serovars from the same H serotype, clusters VII and VIII contained serovars from different H serotypes.
Phylogenetic Diversity of Sequences of Cyanophage Photosynthetic Gene
psbA
in Marine and Freshwaters
Authors: Chénard C. , Suttle C. A. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

Many cyanophage isolates which infect the marine cyanobacteria
Synechococcus
spp. and
Prochlorococcus
spp. contain a gene homologous to
psbA
, which codes for the D1 protein involved in photosynthesis. In the present study, cyanophage
psbA
gene fragments were readily amplified from freshwater and marine samples, confirming their widespread occurrence in aquatic communities. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that sequences from freshwaters have an evolutionary history that is distinct from that of their marine counterparts. Similarly, sequences from cyanophages infecting
Prochlorococcus
and
Synechococcus
spp. were readily discriminated, as were sequences from podoviruses and myoviruses. Viral
psbA
sequences from the same geographic origins clustered within different clades. For example, cyanophage
psbA
sequences from the Arctic Ocean fell within the
Synechococcus
as well as
Prochlorococcus
phage groups. Moreover, as
psbA
sequences are not confined to a single family of phages, they provide an additional genetic marker that can be used to explore the diversity and evolutionary history of cyanophages in aquatic environments.