The Role of the Exo-Xis Region in Oxidative Stress-Mediated Induction of Shiga Toxin-Converting Prophages

Previous studies indicated that these genetic elements could be involved in the regulation of lysogenization and prophage induction processes. The effects were dramatic in Shiga toxin-converting phage Φ24B after treatment with oxidative stress-inducing agent, hydrogen peroxide, while they were less pronounced in bacteriophag

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Purpose: Our main aim is to establish which factors influence entrepreneurial intentions, with a particular focus on the role of entrepreneurial education and university support in Central and Eastern European countries (CEE). An additional aim is to determine the differences in these perceptions between students from seemingly similar but rather different CEE countries. Methodology: We based our study mainly on two theory constructs, namely the entrepreneurial support model (ESM) and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). Both concepts often appear in research on entrepreneurial intentions, but they are not used together. Moreover, we proposed a new education-related factor – perceived entrepreneurial education results (PEER). To verify hypotheses quantitative research was conducted using surveys among 2,085 first-year undergraduate students from three technical universities in three countries: Latvia, Poland and Ukraine. Findings: The results of the study indicate that entrepreneurial self-efficacy, perceived entrepreneurial education results, and perceived educational and relational support all influence the intention of students to launch a venture. The research did not provide support for the hypothesis of an impact of perceived structural support (PSS) on intentions. The impact of perceived educational and relational support appeared to be less important than the impact of ESE and PEER on intentions. Additionally, we identified that there are significant differences between students from the analysed countries. Implications for theory and practice: Our research has identified a new factor, not previously used in studies of entrepreneurial intentions, that is, perceived entrepreneurial education results. This new factor can be used in research as a complement to self-efficacy and it refers to hard skills related, in this particular case, to entrepreneurship. The results show the importance of the national context, implying the need to take this into account when modelling support policies at a national level. The findings can be used to remodel how this knowledge is delivered to young people. Originality and value: Firstly, we proposed the inclusion of a new education-related component called perceived entrepreneurial education results, which can examine the perceived results of education at any level, in our case, at the secondary school level. Secondly, we showed the stronger influence of factors related to perceptions of one's own skills than perceptions of support from the environment. In addition, we demonstrated that making judgements or recommendations about entrepreneurial support, for rather similar countries, should be considered separately. Furthermore, we conceptualised the three aspects ESE, PEER and ESM in a new way. Finally, we also proved that the role of individual factors varies from country to country, even if the countries belong to the same cultural background and share a similar past experience

Oxidative Stress in Shiga Toxin Production by Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

Virulence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains depends on production of Shiga toxins. These toxins are encoded in genomes of lambdoid bacteriophages (Shiga toxin-converting phages), present in EHEC cells as prophages. The genes coding for Shiga toxins are silent in lysogenic bacteria, and prophage induction is necessary for their efficient expression and toxin production. Under laboratory conditions, treatment withUV light or antibiotics interfering withDNA replication are commonly used to induce lambdoid prophages. Since such conditions are unlikely to occur in human intestine, various research groups searched for other factors or agents that might induce Shiga toxin-converting prophages. Among other conditions, it was reported that treatment with H2O2 caused induction of these prophages, though with efficiency significantly lower relative to UV-irradiation or mitomycin C treatment. A molecular mechanism of this phenomenon has been proposed. It appears that the oxidative stress represents natural conditions provoking induction of Shiga toxin-converting prophages as a consequence of H2O2 excretion by either neutrophils in infected humans or protist predators outside human body. Finally, the recently proposed biological role of Shiga toxin production is described in this paper, and the “bacterial altruism” and “Trojan Horse” hypotheses, which are connected to the oxidative stress, are discussed

Gender Perspective in Entrepreneurship Research

Researching women’s experiences of business ownership has historically been met with methodological challenges (Stevenson, 1990). Biological sex was used in entrepreneurship research to explain the differences in rates of activity between male and female ventures (Gupta et al., 2009). The use of gender as a lens enables the exploration of how gender and entrepreneurship is constructed within society and the impact of such on rates and types of entrepreneurial activity (Gupta et al., 2009). So, the question is no longer focused on whether gender impacts business ownership but how (Ahl & Marlow, 2012). Analyzing feminist research methodologies it is important to consider poststructuralist feminist theory. According to Ahl (2002) poststructuralist feminist research avoid essentialism and polarizing men and women and sees gender including the body as a socially constructed phenomenon that is culturally historically and locally specific. Gender is used as an analytical category, but instead of taking it for granted, using qualitative methods one can look at how it is constructed. Instead of looking at physical men and women and using their sex as an explanatory variable, one may look at how gender is accomplished in different contexts.Badając doświadczenia kobiet dotyczące posiadania własnych firm, historycznie spotykano się z wyzwaniami metodologicznymi (Stevenson, 1990). W badaniach nad przedsiębiorczością wykorzystano płeć biologiczną, aby wyjaśnić różnice w aktywności męskich i żeńskich przedsiębiorstw (Gupta i in., 2009). Wykorzystanie płci jako perspektywy pozwala zbadać, w jaki sposób płeć i przedsiębiorczość są konstruowane w społeczeństwie, a także jaki jest ich wpływ na udział i rodzaj poszczególnych przedsiębiorstw (Gupta i in., 2009). Tak więc pytanie nie skupia się już na tym, czy płeć wpływa na własność firmy, ale w jaki sposób wpływa (Ahl i Marlow, 2012). Analizując feministyczne podejścia badawcze ważne jest rozważenie poststrukturalistycznej teorii feministycznej. Poststrukturalistyczne badania feministyczne unikają esencjalizmu i polaryzacji mężczyzn i kobiet, i postrzegają płeć kulturową jako społecznie skonstruowane zjawisko, które jest kulturowo, historycznie i lokalnie specyficzne. Płeć jest wykorzystywana jako kategoria analityczna, ale zamiast przyjmować ją za pewnik, za pomocą metod jakościowych, można spojrzeć na to, jak jest skonstruowana

Inny – prawdziwy indywidualista

This paper deals with a common perception of the Other as a threat for a dialogue expressed by students and teachers in a general education inclusive classroom. This assumption is however governed by natural brain reflexes interpreted by culture and society. This reason has been deeply covered with modern discussions about normalcy because nature as philosophical problem has been eliminated by pragmatic mind. This study explores modern discussions about the Other, nature and language. The article posits an argument that the Other is a natural element to develop any meaningful dialogue. KEYWORDS: the Other, language, cultural therapy, nature.Artykuł jest teoretycznym studium nad INNYM w perspektywie edukacyjnej i codziennego życia szkoły. Treść artykułu dowodzi, że edukacyjne badania społeczne skoncentrowane na INNYM muszą mieć charakter interdyscyplinarny i opierać się na osiągnięciach współczesnej neuropsychologii, andragogiki, pedagogiki specjalnej, etnografii i filozofii (por. Rzeźnicka-Krupa 2007; Krause 2010). Terenem prowadzonych rozważań jest szkoła powszechna oraz uczniowie i nauczyciele klas włączających. Autorka dowodzi, że INNY w tym środowisku jest odbierany jako zagrożenie, a argumentacja filozoficzna wskazuje, że sensowny dialog z INNYM jest możliwy tylko przy jego pełnym udziale w procesie inkluzji. Autorka przedstawia argumenty odkrywające genezę tego poczucia zagrożenia zarówno u INNEGO, nauczycieli, jak i uczniów. Zdaniem Autorki wynika ono z wielowiekowej dominacji rozumu pragmatycznego i techniki jako narzędzia wykorzystywanego do panowania nad naturą/przyrodą, a w konsekwencji wyłączenia z dyskursu publicznego i naukowego emocji, takich jak strach, niepewność, lęk, które traktowane są jako wychodzące poza normalność. Poczucie zagrożenia odczuwane przez uczestników życia szkolnego uwarunkowane jest odruchem orientacyjnym, a reakcja na niego jest zinterpretowana przez kulturę danego społeczeństwa. Jednocześnie, jak dowodzi Autorka, w klasie szkolnej potrzeby „zrozumienia” dotyczą tylko zrozumienia na poziomie umysłu, a wykazują tendencje do niezrozumienia mowy ciała (jak np.: gestów, mimiki twarzy, sposobu poruszania się). Autorka proponuje wykorzystanie metod badań etnograficznych pozwalających na uwzględnienie i interpretację mowy ciała, wypowiedzianych słów, odczytywanie niedomówień i za pomocą terapii kulturowej pomaga uczestnikom badań nawiązać wspólny dialog. Artykuł nawiązuje do rozważań na temat Innego, przyrody, roli nauczyciela oraz języka i jest zaproszeniem do interdyscyplinarnych dyskusji

Open Innovation Competence for a Future-Proof Workforce: A Comparative Study from Four European Universities

Digital transformation is a key driving force of open innovation to capture and transfer knowledge inside and outside of a company’s bounds. New challenges in organizing multiple knowledge flows imply the need for increased competences related to this paradigm of future employees. In this article, we organize and aggregate the competencies required for open innovation collaboration and develop a competence profile that organizes individual competencies in an open innovation context. Based on elements of the European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework, we delineate an OI Competence Profile and list the core competencies to manage and accelerate the inflow and outflow of knowledge. We explore this profile by comparing data from 2332 students from four European universities to find differences in the distribution of OI competencies between countries. The study contributes to understanding the individual competencies that target the future OI needs of companies necessary in the context of digital transformation. It also introduces an interdisciplinary approach to integrate the research streams of management practice, open innovation, and entrepreneurial education