Identification of the main glutamine and glutamate transporters in Staphylococcus aureus and their impact on c-di-AMP production

A Staphylococcus aureus strain deleted for the c‐di‐AMP cyclase gene dacA is unable to survive in rich medium unless it acquires compensatory mutations. Previously identified mutations were in opuD, encoding the main glycine‐betaine transporter, and alsT, encoding a predicted amino acid transporter. Here, we show that inactivation of OpuD restores the cell size of a dacA mutant to near wild‐type (WT) size, while inactivation of AlsT does not. AlsT was identified as an efficient glutamine transporter, indicating that preventing glutamine uptake in rich medium rescues the growth of the S. aureus dacA mutant. In addition, GltS was identified as a glutamate transporter. By performing growth curves with WT, alsT and gltS mutant strains in defined medium supplemented with ammonium, glutamine or glutamate, we revealed that ammonium and glutamine, but not glutamate promote the growth of S. aureus. This suggests that besides ammonium also glutamine can serve as a nitrogen source under these conditions. Ammonium and uptake of glutamine via AlsT and hence likely a higher intracellular glutamine concentration inhibited c‐di‐AMP production, while glutamate uptake had no effect. These findings provide, besides the previously reported link between potassium and osmolyte uptake, a connection between nitrogen metabolism and c‐di‐AMP signalling in S. aureus

High-Performance Work Systems and Organizational Performance in Emerging Economies: Evidence from MNEs in Turkey

This study examines the association between the usage of high-performance work systems (HPWS) by subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in Turkey and employee and subsidiary level outcomes. The study is based on a survey of 148 MNE subsidiaries operating in Turkey. The results show that the usage of HPWS has a significant positive impact on employee effectiveness. However, their impact on employee skills and development, and organizational financial performance are far less clear. Our findings highlight the extent to which HWPS need to be adapted to take account of context-specific institutional realities. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Developing international business relationships in a Russian context

The collapse of the former Soviet Union has opened up a wealth of business opportunities for companies seeking new markets in the Russian Federation. Despite this, firms intending to do business in Russia have found themselves hampered by cultural differences in business practices and expectations. As Russia integrates into the global economy, understanding such practices and the managerial mindset of business people is crucial for managers who hope to navigate Russia's complex markets. This study draws on the trust literature and adopts quantitative tools to deconstruct the Russian 'Sviazi' system of social capital business networking. We develop a model isolating three dimensions of Sviazi: one an affective or emotional component; the second, a conative component; and the third, a cognitive component. The model provides a useful guide for helping foreign firms to succeed in Russia, while also serving as a basis for further research in the field. Keywords

Evolution of metabolic divergence in <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> during long-term infection facilitates a proto-cooperative interspecies interaction

The effect of polymicrobial interactions on pathogen physiology and how it can act either to limit pathogen colonization or to potentiate pathogen expansion and virulence are not well understood. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are opportunistic pathogens commonly found together in polymicrobial human infections. However, we have previously shown that the interactions between these two bacterial species are strain dependent. Whereas P. aeruginosa PAO1, a commonly used laboratory strain, effectively suppressed S. aureus growth, we observed a commensal-like interaction between the human host-adapted strain, DK2-P2M24-2003, and S. aureus. In this study, characterization by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) and mass spectral (MS) molecular networking revealed a significant metabolic divergence between P. aeruginosa PAO1 and DK2-P2M24-2003, which comprised several virulence factors and signaling 4-hydroxy-2-alkylquinoline (HAQ) molecules. Strikingly, a further modulation of the HAQ profile was observed in DK2-P2M24-2003 during interaction with S. aureus, resulting in an area with thickened colony morphology at the P. aeruginosa–S. aureus interface. In addition, we found an HAQ-mediated protection of S. aureus by DK2-P2M24-2003 from the killing effect of tobramycin. Our findings suggest a model where the metabolic divergence manifested in human host-adapted P. aeruginosa is further modulated during interaction with S. aureus and facilitate a proto-cooperative P. aeruginosa–S. aureus relationship

Narrative competence among hearing-impaired and normal-hearing children: analytical cross-sectional study

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Oral narrative is a means of language development assessment. However, standardized data for deaf patients are scarce. The aim here was to compare the use of narrative competence between hearing-impaired and normal-hearing children. DESIGN AND SETTING: Analytical cross-sectional study at the Department of Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). METHODS: Twenty-one moderately to profoundly bilaterally hearing-impaired children (cases) and 21 normal-hearing children without language abnormalities (controls), matched according to sex, age, schooling level and school type, were studied. A board showing pictures in a temporally logical sequence was presented to each child, to elicit a narrative, and the child's performance relating to narrative structure and cohesion was measured. The frequencies of variables, their associations (Mann-Whitney test) and their 95% confidence intervals was analyzed. RESULTS: The deaf subjects showed poorer performance regarding narrative structure, use of connectives, cohesion measurements and general punctuation (P < 0.05). There were no differences in the number of propositions elaborated or in referent specification between the two groups. The deaf children produced a higher proportion of orientation-related propositions (P = 0.001) and lower proportions of propositions relating to complicating actions (P = 0.015) and character reactions (P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Hearing-impaired children have abnormalities in different aspects of language, involving form, content and use, in relation to their normal-hearing peers. Narrative competence was also associated with the children's ages and the school type.CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: A narrativa oral constitui elemento de avaliação do desenvolvimento lingüístico, entretanto, são escassos os dados padronizados para pacientes surdos. O objetivo foi comparar o uso das competências narrativas entre crianças deficientes auditivas e ouvintes. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Estudo transversal analítico no Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). MÉTODO: Foram avaliadas 21 crianças com deficiência auditiva de grau moderado a profundo bilateral (casos) e 21 crianças ouvintes sem alterações de linguagem (controles) pareadas por sexo, idade, grau de escolaridade e tipo de escola frequentada. Foi apresentada uma prancha com figuras em sequência lógico-temporal para cada criança, para elicitar uma narrativa, e foi medido o desempenho na estrutura da narrativa e coesão. Foram analisadas as frequências das variáveis, suas associações (teste de Mann-Whitney) e intervalos de confiança de 95%. RESULTADOS: As crianças surdas apresentaram desempenho pior, na estrutura da narrativa, uso de conjunções, medidas de coesão e pontuação geral da narrativa (P < 0,05). Não houve diferença no número de proposições elaboradas e especificação de referentes nos dois grupos. Os surdos produziram maior proporção de proposições do tipo orientação (P = 0,001) e menor proporção dos tipos ações complicadoras (P = 0,015) e reação do personagem (P = 0,005). CONCLUSÃO: Os deficientes auditivos possuem alterações nos diferentes aspectos da linguagem, envolvendo forma, conteúdo e uso em relação a seus pares ouvintes. A competência narrativa também está relacionada ao tipo de escola e idade das crianças estudadas.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Hospital São PauloUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Department of Speech-Hearing SciencesUNIFESP, Hospital São PauloUNIFESP, Department of Speech-Hearing SciencesSciEL

Changes in Russian managerial values: a test of the convergence hypothesis?

This paper considers how Russian managerial values are developing in the context of the sweeping economic, political and social changes associated with the transition of Russia to a market economy. By replicating earlier research (Holt et al., 1994; Ralston et al., 1997), it was possible to overcome the weaknesses of previous cross-sectional studies by tracking changes in Russian managers' values over time. The paper concludes that some convergence between the values of Russian and US managers can be observed, but that the form of this convergence is not uniform. In addition, the way in which Russian managers act upon these values in the context of their own national context means that considerable divergence in managerial behaviour is still evident. Implications for international human resource management are discussed

The potential of antisense oligonucleotide therapies for inherited childhood lung diseases.

Antisense oligonucleotides are an emerging therapeutic option to treat diseases with known genetic origin. In the age of personalised medicines, antisense oligonucleotides can sometimes be designed to target and bypass or overcome a patient's genetic mutation, in particular those lesions that compromise normal pre-mRNA processing. Antisense oligonucleotides can alter gene expression through a variety of mechanisms as determined by the chemistry and antisense oligomer design. Through targeting the pre-mRNA, antisense oligonucleotides can alter splicing and induce a specific spliceoform or disrupt the reading frame, target an RNA transcript for degradation through RNaseH activation, block ribosome initiation of protein translation or disrupt miRNA function. The recent accelerated approval of eteplirsen (renamed Exondys 51™) by the Food and Drug Administration, for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and nusinersen, for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, herald a new and exciting era in splice-switching antisense oligonucleotide applications to treat inherited diseases. This review considers the potential of antisense oligonucleotides to treat inherited lung diseases of childhood with a focus on cystic fibrosis and disorders of surfactant protein metabolism

Sourcing Technological Knowledge Through Foreign Inward Licensing to Boost the Performance of Indian Firms: The Contingent Effects of Internal R&D and Business Group Affiliation

Sourcing technological knowledge from abroad is becoming a popular strategy among emerging market firms (EMFs). Combining the Knowledge-Based View and the Resource Dependence Theory, we argue that augmenting technological knowledge through foreign licensing enables EMFs to access state-of-the-art technological knowledge, reduce operational costs and risks associated to the innovation process, and develop a knowledge-based competitive advantage, ultimately boosting their financial performance. Using data about Indian firms observed from 2001 to 2013, we find that firms with a higher share of foreign inward technology licenses report better financial performance. However, the positive impact of technological knowledge accessed through inward licensing on firm performance is contingent upon: (1) the internal knowledge developed through R&D activity, and (2) the affiliation with business groups. While Indian firms with higher level of internal R&D are able to better leverage the value of foreign technological knowledge, thus reaching higher performance, firms affiliated to business groups gain fewer benefits from licensed foreign technological knowledge than non-business-group affiliated firms