The Moderating Effect of Managerial Environmental Concern on the Relationship between Green Innovation and Firm Performance: Evidence from Bahrain

This study aimed to demonstrate the relationship between environmental innovations and performance, both operational and financial, in the business environment in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as to demonstrate the impact of administrative environmental concern on this relationship. The question is whether Managerial environmental concern strengthens or weakens this relationship? Through a questionnaire distributed to 56 respondents working in administrative positions in (12) Bahraini companies, and through the use of hierarchical linear modelling analysis, the direct impact of green innovation was proven, as was the positive impact of Managerial environmental concerns on this relationship. The study recommended that more studies should be conducted by introducing more moderators and mediators’ variables to achieve a better understanding of the relationship between environmental innovation and performance. Proving this relationship will create a motivation for companies to take an interest in protecting the environment, which means unlimited positive impacts on the environment

The Impact of Green Innovation on Financial Performance: The Moderating Effect of Green Organisation Culture

Several studies found a direct relationship between Green Innovation (GI) and financial performance in Bahrain. This is an excellent result as it means the incentive within the Bahraini business sector to consider environmental issues in their processes and products is a built-in motivation. After proving this direct impact on financial performance, there was a need to test factors that can enhance this link. This study added to the literature the role of Green organisational culture (GOC) in enhancing the impact of GI on financial performance. The study found a positive moderating impact of GOC on the relationship between GI and Financial performance. When employees share environmental ideals, attitudes, and behaviours, a green culture emerges, promoting environmental awareness. This research highlights real-world examples to illustrate critical ideas for implementing environmental measures in organisations. One way to accomplish this is by creating a more environmentally friendly workplace and educating employees on the relevance of environmental issues. Natural resource preservation should also be a top priority for businesses. It is also possible for businesses to foster employees intrinsic drive to participate in green activities and keep their GI levels up through internal campaigns to create a green culture

The Moderating Effect of Managerial Environmental Concern on the Relationship between Green Innovation and Firm Performance: Evidence from Bahrain

This study aimed to demonstrate the relationship between environmental innovations and performance, both operational and financial, in the business environment in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as to demonstrate the impact of administrative environmental concern on this relationship. The question is whether Managerial environmental concern strengthens or weakens this relationship? Through a questionnaire distributed to 56 respondents working in administrative positions in (12) Bahraini companies, and through the use of hierarchical linear modelling analysis, the direct impact of green innovation was proven, as was the positive impact of Managerial environmental concerns on this relationship. The study recommended that more studies should be conducted by introducing more moderators and mediators’ variables to achieve a better understanding of the relationship between environmental innovation and performance. Proving this relationship will create a motivation for companies to take an interest in protecting the environment, which means unlimited positive impacts on the environment

Bacterial community structure in High-Arctic snow and freshwater as revealed by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes and cultivation

The bacterial community structures in High-Arctic snow over sea ice and an ice-covered freshwater lake were examined by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of cultivated isolates. Both the pyrosequence and cultivation data indicated that the phylogenetic composition of the microbial assemblages was different within the snow layers and between snow and freshwater. The highest diversity was seen in snow. In the middle and top snow layers, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria dominated, although Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were relatively abundant also. High numbers of chloroplasts were also observed. In the deepest snow layer, large percentages of Firmicutes and Fusobacteria were seen. In freshwater, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia were the most abundant phyla while relatively few Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria were present. Possibly, light intensity controlled the distribution of the Cyanobacteria and algae in the snow while carbon and nitrogen fixed by these autotrophs in turn fed the heterotrophic bacteria. In the lake, a probable lower light input relative to snow resulted in low numbers of Cyanobacteria and chloroplasts and, hence, limited input of organic carbon and nitrogen to the heterotrophic bacteria. Thus, differences in the physicochemical conditions may play an important role in the processes leading to distinctive bacterial community structures in High-Arctic snow and freshwater

Local diversity of heathland Cercozoa explored by in-depth sequencing

Cercozoa are abundant free-living soil protozoa and quantitatively important in soil food webs; yet, targeted high-throughput sequencing (HTS) has not yet been applied to this group. Here we describe the development of a targeted assay to explore Cercozoa using HTS, and we apply this assay to measure Cercozoan community response to drought in a Danish climate manipulation experiment (two sites exposed to artificial drought, two unexposed). Based on a comparison of the hypervariable regions of the 18S ribosomal DNA of 193 named Cercozoa, we concluded that the V4 region is the most suitable for group-specific diversity analysis. We then designed a set of highly specific primers (encompassing ~270 bp) for 454 sequencing. The primers captured all major cercozoan groups; and >95% of the obtained sequences were from Cercozoa. From 443 350 high-quality short reads (>300 bp), we recovered 1585 operational taxonomic units defined by >95% V4 sequence similarity. Taxonomic annotation by phylogeny enabled us to assign >95% of our reads to order level and ~85% to genus level despite the presence of a large, hitherto unknown diversity. Over 40% of the annotated sequences were assigned to Glissomonad genera, whereas the most common individually named genus was the euglyphid Trinema. Cercozoan diversity was largely resilient to drought, although we observed a community composition shift towards fewer testate amoebae

Detection of Helicobacter ganmani-Like 16S rDNA in Pediatric Liver Tissue

Background. To determine the presence of Helicobacter species in the liver biopsy specimens from children with various chronic liver diseases as data in adult literature suggests a possible role of these bacteria in their pathogenesis.Materials and methods. Paraffin sections of 61 liver biopsies of pediatric patients with miscellaneous diseases and autopsy liver tissue from 10 control subjects with no evidence of preexisting liver disease were examined for the presence of Helicobacter species by a genus-specific seminested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. PCRproducts of positive samples were further characterized by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and DNA-sequence analysis. Based on those results, a seminested PCR assay for H. ganmani was developed and applied to the samples.Results. On analysis, 40/61 patient samples were positive in the genus-specific Helicobacter PCR and 4/10 from the control group. The nucleotide sequences of 16S rDNA fragments were 99100 similar to mainly Helicobacter sp. liver and H. ganmani. PCR-products similar to H. canis and H. bilis were also found. The 16S rDNAs of control specimens showed similarity to Helicobacter sp. liver. In the H. ganmani-specific PCR analysis 19 patients, but none of the controls, were positive.Conclusions. Amplified Helicobacter 16S rDNAs were related to Helicobacter sp. liver or H. ganmani in liver biopsy specimens of pediatric patients. The possible significance of Helicobacter species in pediatric liver diseases needs to be evaluated further in prospective studies

High prevalence of Helicobacter Species detected in laboratory mouse strains by multiplex PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and pyrosequencing.

Rodent models have been developed to study the pathogenesis of diseases caused by Helicobacter pylori, as well as by other gastric and intestinal Helicobacter spp., but some murine enteric Helicobacter spp. cause hepatobiliary and intestinal tract diseases in specific inbred strains of laboratory mice. To identify these murine Helicobacter spp., we developed an assay based on PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and pyrosequencing. Nine strains of mice, maintained in four conventional laboratory animal houses, were assessed for Helicobacter sp. carriage. Tissue samples from the liver, stomach, and small intestine, as well as feces and blood, were collected; and all specimens (n = 210) were screened by a Helicobacter genus-specific PCR. Positive samples were identified to the species level by multiplex denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, pyrosequencing, and a H. ganmani-specific PCR assay. Histologic examination of 30 tissue samples from 18 animals was performed. All mice of eight of the nine strains tested were Helicobacter genus positive; H. bilis, H. hepaticus, H. typhlonius, H. ganmani, H. rodentium, and a Helicobacter sp. flexispira-like organism were identified. Helicobacter DNA was common in fecal (86%) and gastric tissue (55%) specimens, whereas samples of liver tissue (21%), small intestine tissue (17%), and blood (14%) were less commonly positive. Several mouse strains were colonized with more than one Helicobacter spp. Most tissue specimens analyzed showed no signs of inflammation; however, in one strain of mice, hepatitis was diagnosed in livers positive for H. hepaticus, and in another strain, gastric colonization by H. typhlonius was associated with gastritis. The diagnostic setup developed was efficient at identifying most murine Helicobacter spp