49 research outputs found
Containing, embracing and hyper-activating Britishness: British-based foreign-owned firms
There are in the UK ownership forms different to the characteristics of Britishness â British-based foreign-owned firms where dominant owners may have differentiated control interests. These may contain, that is, override, national institutional characteristics embedded in a particular national capitalism. Accordingly, separating the agency of these firms from presumed business system structures may reveal how diverse patterns of firm ownership â those associated with British-based foreign-owned firms â can inform dynamic ownership developments in British capitalism which contain and hyper-activate Britishness. The article theorizes British-based foreign-owned firms and provides empirical detail on how ownership characteristics influence financial commitment and strategic control in 10 of these firms
ATN classification and clinical progression in subjective cognitive decline
Objective: To investigate the relationship between the ATN classification system (amyloid, tau, neurodegeneration) and risk of dementia and cognitive decline in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD).
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Methods: We classified 693 participants with SCD (60 ± 9 years, 41% women, Mini-Mental State Examination score 28 ± 2) from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort and Subjective Cognitive Impairment Cohort (SCIENCe) project according to the ATN model, as determined by amyloid PET or CSF ÎČ-amyloid (A), CSF p-tau (T), and MRI-based medial temporal lobe atrophy (N). All underwent extensive neuropsychological assessment. For 342 participants, follow-up was available (3 ± 2 years). As a control population, we included 124 participants without SCD.
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Results: Fifty-six (n = 385) participants had normal Alzheimer disease (AD) biomarkers (AâTâNâ), 27% (n = 186) had non-AD pathologic change (AâTâN+, AâT+Nâ, AâT+N+), 18% (n = 122) fell within the Alzheimer continuum (A+TâNâ, A+TâN+, A+T+Nâ, A+T+N+). ATN profiles were unevenly distributed, with AâT+N+, A+TâN+, and A+T+N+ containing very few participants. Cox regression showed that compared to AâTâNâ, participants in A+ profiles had a higher risk of dementia with a doseâresponse pattern for number of biomarkers affected. Linear mixed models showed participants in A+ profiles showed a steeper decline on tests addressing memory, attention, language, and executive functions. In the control group, there was no association between ATN and cognition.
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Conclusions: Among individuals presenting with SCD at a memory clinic, those with a biomarker profile AâT+N+, A+TâNâ, A+T+Nâ, and A+T+N+ were at increased risk of dementia, and showed steeper cognitive decline compared to AâTâNâ individuals. These results suggest a future where biomarker results could be used for individualized risk profiling in cognitively normal individuals presenting at a memory clinic
Characteristics of subjective cognitive decline associated with amyloid positivity
Introduction: The evidence for characteristics of persons with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) associated with amyloid positivity is limited. Methods: In 1640 persons with SCD from 20 Amyloid Biomarker Study cohort, we investigated the associations of SCD-specific characteristics (informant confirmation, domain-specific complaints, concerns, feelings of worse performance) demographics, setting, apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) Δ4 carriership, and neuropsychiatric symptoms with amyloid positivity. Results: Between cohorts, amyloid positivity in 70-year-olds varied from 10% to 76%. Only older age, clinical setting, and APOE Δ4 carriership showed univariate associations with increased amyloid positivity. After adjusting for these, lower education was also associated with increased amyloid positivity. Only within a research setting, informant-confirmed complaints, memory complaints, attention/concentration complaints, and no depressive symptoms were associated with increased amyloid positivity. Feelings of worse performance were associated with less amyloid positivity at younger ages and more at older ages. Discussion: Next to age, setting, and APOE Δ4 carriership, SCD-specific characteristics may facilitate the identification of amyloid-positive individuals
A benzene-degrading nitrate-reducing microbial consortium displays aerobic and anaerobic benzene degradation pathways
All sequence data from this study were deposited at the European Bioinformatics Institute under the accession numbers ERS1670018 to ERS1670023. Further, all assigned genes, taxonomy, function, sequences of contigs, genes and proteins can be found in Table S3.In this study, we report transcription of genes involved in aerobic and anaerobic benzene degradation pathways in a benzene-degrading denitrifying continuous culture. Transcripts associated with the family Peptococcaceae dominated all samples (2136% relative abundance) indicating their key role in the community. We found a highly transcribed gene cluster encoding a presumed anaerobic benzene carboxylase (AbcA and AbcD) and a benzoate-coenzyme A ligase (BzlA). Predicted gene products showed >96% amino acid identity and similar gene order to the corresponding benzene degradation gene cluster described previously, providing further evidence for anaerobic benzene activation via carboxylation. For subsequent benzoyl-CoA dearomatization, bam-like genes analogous to the ones found in other strict anaerobes were transcribed, whereas gene transcripts involved in downstream benzoyl-CoA degradation were mostly analogous to the ones described in facultative anaerobes. The concurrent transcription of genes encoding enzymes involved in oxygenase-mediated aerobic benzene degradation suggested oxygen presence in the culture, possibly formed via a recently identified nitric oxide dismutase (Nod). Although we were unable to detect transcription of Nod-encoding genes, addition of nitrite and formate to the continuous culture showed indication for oxygen production. Such an oxygen production would enable aerobic microbes to thrive in oxygen-depleted and nitrate-containing subsurface environments contaminated with hydrocarbons.This study was supported by a grant of BE-Basic-FES funds from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. The research of A.J.M. Stams is supported by an ERC grant (project 323009) and the gravitation grant âMicrobes for Health and Environmentâ (project 024.002.002) of the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. F. Hugenholtz was supported by the same gravitation grant (project 024.002.002). B. Hornung is supported by Wageningen University and the Wageningen Institute for Environment and Climate Research (WIMEK) through the IP/OP program Systems Biology (project KB-17-003.02-023).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Living and dying with incurable cancer: a qualitative study on older patients' life values and healthcare professionals' responsivity
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Identification of amino acids within the MHC molecule important for the interaction with the adenovirus protein E3/19K.
The E3/19K protein of human adenovirus type 2 binds to class I MHC Ags thereby interfering with their cell surface expression and Ag presentation function. Currently, it is unclear exactly which structure of MHC molecules is recognized by the E3/19K protein. We have previously demonstrated that the murine H-2Kd Ag is able to associate with E3/19K, whereas the allelic H-2Kk molecule is not. By using exon shuffling between Kd and Kk molecules, the alpha 1 and alpha 2 domains of MHC class I molecules were identified as essential structures for binding the viral protein. In this report, we have examined the contribution of individual amino acids within the alpha 2 domain of MHC for binding E3/19K. First, we show that within this domain the alpha-helical part is most important for the interaction with E3/19K. By using site-directed mutagenesis, Kd-specific amino acids were introduced into the alpha-helix of the alpha 2 domain of Kk. By using the expression of mutagenized proteins in E3/19K+ cells, we have identified Tyr 156 and Leu 180 as being essential for the association with the E3/19K protein. In addition, Kd residue Glu 163 seems to contribute to the complex formation. Furthermore, analysis of a panel of Kd/Dd recombinants indicates that a similar region in the Dd molecule, namely, the C-terminal half of the alpha 2 domain, affects binding to E3/19K. Combining these results with Ab binding data, we present two alternative models of how the adenovirus protein may bind to the alpha 1 and alpha 2 domains
Expanding the current knowledge and biotechnological applications of the oxygenâindependent ortho
56 p.-7 fig.-1 tab.+8 p.( 4 fig. supl.-1 tab. supl.)ortho âPhthalate derives from industrially produced phthalate esters, which are massively used as plasticizers and constitute major emerging environmental pollutants. The pht pathway for the anaerobic bacterial biodegradation of o âphthalate involves its activation to phthaloylâCoA followed by decarboxylation to benzoylâCoA. Here, we have explored further the pht peripheral pathway in denitrifying bacteria and shown that it requires also an active transport system for o âphthalate uptake that belongs to the poorly characterized class of TAXIâTRAP transporters. The construction of a fully functional pht cassette combining both catabolic and transport genes allowed to expand the o âphthalate degradation ecological trait to heterologous hosts. Unexpectedly, the pht cassette also allowed the aerobic conversion of o âphthalate to benzoylâCoA when coupled to a functional box central pathway. Hence, the pht pathway may constitute an evolutionary acquisition for o âphthalate degradation by bacteria that thrive either in anoxic environments or in environments that face oxygen limitations and that rely on benzoylâCoA, rather than on catecholic central intermediates, for the aerobic catabolism of aromatic compounds. Finally, the recombinant pht cassette was used both to screen for functional aerobic box pathways in bacteria and to engineer recombinant biocatalysts for o âphthalate bioconversion into sustainable bioplastics, e.g., polyhydroxybutyrate, in plastic recycling industrial processes.Support was provided by grants BIO2016-79736-R and PCIN-2014-113 from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain; by a grant from the FundaciĂłn RamĂłn Areces XVII CN; by Grant CSIC 2016 2 0E 093; and by European Union H2020 Grant 760994.Peer reviewe
Spiritual care by nurses in curative oncology: a mixedâmethod study on patientsâ perspectives and experiences
Aims Spirituality can be important in adjusting to the experience of cancer and its medical treatment. Since nurses have frequent contact with patients, they seem to have a unique role in providing spiritual care. Nurses consider spiritual care important; however, little is known about how patients in a curative setting experience and value spiritual care. Therefore, this study aimed to give insight into patientsâ experiences with and opinions about spiritual care as provided by nurses in curative cancer care. Methods This is a national, multicentre mixedâmethods study, combining a quantitative approach using questionnaires (n = 62) and a qualitative analysis of semiâstructured interviews (n = 61). Nonparametric tests were used for quantitative data, and qualitative data were analysed inductively. Findings Most patients rarely received spiritual care by nurses. If spiritual care was provided, it mainly consisted of noticing problems and referring to other professionals. This appeared to be dependent on certain âtriggersâ, such as age. Structural discussions on spirituality with a nurse were experienced rarely. This was explained by, among other factors, the hospital setting. Yet, the majority (79%) of patients found the attention to spirituality sufficient or very good. Furthermore, a majority (58%) viewed spiritual care as a nursing task: nurses should notice spiritual problems and refer to other professionals, though extensively discussing patientsâ spirituality was neither considered nursesâ task nor capability. Conclusions Attention to spiritual care in a curative setting, though not so much desired by most patients, should be pursued, because of its importance in performing personâcentred nursing care and its positive impact on patientsâ health. By training nurses in offering spiritual care in proactive and ânonactiveâ (accepting) ways, spiritual care could be structurally offered in clinical practice in personalised forms. Since younger and less spiritual patients are not much satisfied with spiritual care by nurses, they need special attention