Human resource management in change – one reason: the European Union

Times are moving fast, especially if political changes are coming up. Romania’s accession to the European Union is followed by several changes in the Human Resource Management; in Romania itself, but also in the other EU countries. Employees are moving beyond borders to work abroad and need to be caught and imbedded in the new working environment. Motivation is an important issue, but also other appeals for qualified staff to decide upon the move into a foreign European country. Further of importance is the integration and therefore new demands for the Human Resources Management, of the non native new employees. Dangers and mistakes that occur due to wrong integration and cultural misunderstandings may harm the good intensions of cross-country and -cultural working.human resource management, international work.

The Candidate phylum "Termite Group". Diversity, distribution, metabolism and evolution of representatives of an unexplored bacterial phylum

This thesis summarizes a series of studies of the phylum Elusimicrobia (formerly candidate phylum "Termite Group"). The environmental distribution of members of this phylum, and the genome sequence of the first and only cultivated representative, Elusimicrobium minutum, were the focus of these studies. In addition, a comparative genome analysis of the endosymbiotic representatives from this phylum was conducted. Intestinal tracts of insects harbor several novel deep-rooting lineages of hitherto uncultivated bacteria, whose physiology is obscure. One of these groups is the phylum Elusimicrobia. Originally, the Elusimicrobia were represented only by the so-called endomicrobia, which had been identified as endosymbionts of flagellate protists of lower termites and wood-feeding cockroaches, but public databases contain a growing number of distantly related 16S rRNA gene sequences that fall into the radiation of the Elusimicrobia phylum. In the first study, group-specific primers were used to demonstrate that members of the Elusimicrobia are widespread in the environment and, in addition to the endomicrobia, comprise numerous other monophyletic lineages occurring in various habitats. One of these lineages consisted of sequences obtained from various intestinal habitats. It comprised also the 16S rRNA gene of Elusimicrobium minutum, the first cultivated representative of the Elusimicrobia phylum, which was isolated from the gut of the scarab beetle larva Pachnoda ephippiata. This pure culture was the basis for the second study, which included the physiological and morphological characterization of E. minutum and the analysis of its genome. The genome allowed reconstruction of the metabolic pathways for the most important growth substrates (glucose, fructose, N-acetyl-glucosamine), revealing all genes required for uptake and fermentation of sugars via the Embden-Meyerhoff pathway and production of ethanol, acetate, H2, and CO2. Based on the genome, it could be predicted that a [NiFe] hydrogenase is responsible for the production of hydrogen, depending on the hydrogen partial pressure. This enzyme probably couples the production of hydrogen with the generation of a proton-motive force (energy-converting hydrogenase). At low hydrogen partial pressure, hydrogen production may shift to a [FeFe] hydrogenase that synergistically uses NADH and reduced ferredoxin to produce hydrogen. In addition the genome also encodes for an unusual peptide degradation pathway that comprises transamination reactions and leads to the formation of alanine from pyruvate, an explanation for why E. minutum excretes alanine in substantial amounts. The function of the exceptionally high number of pilE genes in the genome is still elusive, and since electron micrographs showed no cell appendages, their participation in pilus assembly is uncertain. The presence of a rubredoxin:oxygen oxidoreductase operon in the genome of E. minutum indicated that the strictly anaerobic bacterium may also be able to reduce small amounts of molecular oxygen, which is also in accordance with physiological observations. The phylogenetic analysis of 22 concatenated single-copy marker genes from the genome reinforced the phylum-level status of Elusimicrobia and confirmed the reproducible relationship between E. minutum and endomicrobia (represented by Candidatus "Endomicrobium trichonymphae" strain Rs-D17) as already predicted at the 16S rRNA level. This analysis was possible because of the recent publication of the genome of strain Rs-D17 from Trichonympha agilis. In parallel, a metagenome library from an enriched CET population derived from diverse flagellates of Zootermopsis nevadensis was prepared. The last part of this thesis consists of a comparative analysis of the large genome fragments from the metagenome library with the genome of strain Rs-D17. It revealed parallel evolution of endomicrobia strains in different termites and indicated the presence of genome rearrangements. The genome rearrangements suggest the ability for homologous recombination, which could be facilitated by the horizontal transfer of endosymbionts between Trichonympha species during occasional sexual reproduction. Together, these studies contribute fundamental insights into the diversity, distribution, metabolism, and evolution of representatives from the phylum Elusimicrobia. The genome revealed along with the metabolic capacities of E. minutum numerous genes with only hypothetical functions, e.g., polyketide synthesis, indicating the presence of hitherto undiscovered physiological traits which could be the subject for further investigations. The detailed annotation of E. minutum will also serve as reference for future annotations of other closely related members of this phylum. Together, these studies contribute fundamental insights into the diversity, distribution, metabolism and evolution of representatives from the phylum Elusimicrobia. The genome revealed along with the metabolic capacities of E. minutum numerous genes with only hypothetical functions, e.g., polyketide synthesis indicating the presence of hitherto undiscovered physiological traits which could be the subject for further investigation. The detailed annotation of E. minutum will also serve as reference for future annotations of other closely related members of this phylum

Measurement of the transient shielding effectiveness of enclosures using UWB pulses inside an open TEM waveguide

Recently, new definitions of shielding effectiveness (SE) for high-frequency and transient electromagnetic fields were introduced by Klinkenbusch (2005). Numerical results were shown for closed as well as for non closed cylindrical shields. In the present work, a measurement procedure is introduced using ultra wideband (UWB) electromagnetic field pulses. The procedure provides a quick way to determine the transient shielding effectiveness of an enclosure without performing time consuming frequency domain measurements. For demonstration, a cylindrical enclosure made of conductive textile is examined. The field pulses are generated inside an open TEM-waveguide. From the measurement of the transient electric and magnetic fields with and without the shield in place, the electric and magnetic shielding effectiveness of the shielding material as well as the transient shielding effectiveness of the enclosure are derived

Measurement of the transient shielding effectiveness of shielding cabinets

Recently, new definitions of shielding effectiveness (SE) for high-frequency and transient electromagnetic fields were introduced by Klinkenbusch (2005). Analytical results were shown for closed as well as for non closed cylindrical shields. In the present work, the shielding performance of different shielding cabinets is investigated by means of numerical simulations and measurements inside a fully anechoic chamber and a GTEM-cell. For the GTEM-cell-measurements, a downscaled model of the shielding cabinet is used. For the simulations, the numerical tools CONCEPT II and COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS were available. The numerical results agree well with the measurements. They can be used to interpret the behaviour of the shielding effectiveness of enclosures as function of frequency. From the measurement of the electric and magnetic fields with and without the enclosure in place, the electric and magnetic shielding effectiveness as well as the transient shielding effectiveness of the enclosure are calculated. The transient SE of four different shielding cabinets is determined and discussed. © Author(s) 2008

Decipher identifies men with otherwise clinically favorable-intermediate risk disease who may not be good candidates for active surveillance

BACKGROUND: We aimed to validate Decipher to predict adverse pathology (AP) at radical prostatectomy (RP) in men with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) favorable-intermediate risk (F-IR) prostate cancer (PCa), and to better select F-IR candidates for active surveillance (AS). METHODS: In all, 647 patients diagnosed with NCCN very low/low risk (VL/LR) or F-IR prostate cancer were identified from a multi-institutional PCa biopsy database; all underwent RP with complete postoperative clinicopathological information and Decipher genomic risk scores. The performance of all risk assessment tools was evaluated using logistic regression model for the endpoint of AP, defined as grade group 3-5, pT3b or higher, or lymph node invasion. RESULTS: The median age was 61 years (interquartile range 56-66) for 220 patients with NCCN F-IR disease, 53% classified as low-risk by Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA 0-2) and 47% as intermediate-risk (CAPRA 3-5). Decipher classified 79%, 13% and 8% of men as low-, intermediate- and high-risk with 13%, 10%, and 41% rate of AP, respectively. Decipher was an independent predictor of AP with an odds ratio of 1.34 per 0.1 unit increased (p value = 0.002) and remained significant when adjusting by CAPRA. Notably, F-IR with Decipher low or intermediate score did not associate with significantly higher odds of AP compared to VL/LR. CONCLUSIONS: NCCN risk groups, including F-IR, are highly heterogeneous and should be replaced with multivariable risk-stratification. In particular, incorporating Decipher may be useful for safely expanding the use of AS in this patient population

Impact of a Major Inflow Event on the Composition and Distribution of Bacterioplankton Communities in the Baltic Sea

Major Baltic inflow (MBI) events carry highly saline water from the North Sea to the central Baltic Sea and thereby affect both its environmental conditions and its biota. While bacterioplankton communities in the Baltic Sea are strongly structured by salinity, how MBIs impact the composition and distribution of bacteria is unknown. The exceptional MBI in 2014, which brought saline and oxygenated water into the basins of the central Baltic Sea, enabled the linkage of microbiological investigations to hydrographic and modeling studies of this MBI. Using sequence data of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and 16S rRNA genes (rDNA), we analyzed bacterioplankton community composition in the inflowing water and in the uplifted former bottomwater at stations reached by the MBI. Bacterial diversity data were compared with respective data obtained from previous, non-inflow conditions. Changes in bacterial community composition following the 2014 MBI were mainly apparent at the genus level. A number of specific taxa were enriched in the inflowing water, with large changes in the rRNA/rDNA ratios indicating the different activity levels between of the water masses. The relative similarity of the bacterial communities in the inflowing and uplifted waters as well as the results from an inflow-simulating numerical model showed that the inflowing water did not originate directly from the North Sea but mostly from adjacent areas in the Baltic Sea. This suggested that the inflow event led to a series of shifts in Baltic Sea water masses among the Baltic Sea basins and a gradual mixing of the water bodies. Dramatic changes in the bacterial community composition occurred when the bottomwater inflow reached the anoxic, sulfidic deep basins, resulting in an uplifting of the formerly anoxic bacterial community, dominated by Epsilonproteobacteria. Our study of the impact of MBIs on bacterioplankton communities therefore highlights two relevant underlying mechanisms that impact the distribution and possibly also the activities of planktonic bacteria in the Baltic Sea: (1) the successive dilution of inflowing North Sea water with ambient waters and (2) the uplifting of former bottom-water communities to higher water strata.This work was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (projects JU367/15-1, JU367/16-1 to KJ and LA1466/8- 1 to ML). DH was supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Estonian Research Council Mobilitas Plus Top Researcher grant “MOBTT24.” UG was supported by the BMBF project “Hydrodynamic observations and simulations of munition in the sea,” a subproject of the collaborative project “Environmental monitoring for the delaboration of munitions in the sea” (Grant No. #03F0747C).This work was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (projects JU367/15-1, JU367/16-1 to KJ and LA1466/8- 1 to ML). DH was supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Estonian Research Council Mobilitas Plus Top Researcher grant “MOBTT24.” UG was supported by the BMBF project “Hydrodynamic observations and simulations of munition in the sea,” a subproject of the collaborative project “Environmental monitoring for the delaboration of munitions in the sea” (Grant No. #03F0747C)