The Malaysian Workplace Bullying Index (MWBI): A new measure of workplace bullying in Eastern countries

Workplace bullying is a significant cause of stress at work. Existing studies, primarily based on Western-oriented frameworks and instruments, have largely overlooked the role of culture. This oversight questions whether understandings generated from those studies can be generalised to employees working in Eastern countries, which differ on important cultural dimensions. To date, there is no Eastern-based instrument for measuring workplace bullying. In two studies, we developed and validated such a measure: the Malaysian Workplace Bullying Index (MWBI). Study 1 entailed a content validation of bullying behaviours via written records (diaries) completed by Malaysian bullying victims. The 19 validated behaviours formed the basis of Study 2, with additions from the wider literature. Study 2 used survey data collected at three time-points from Malaysian employees exposed to bullying at work. The final result was an 18-item scale with two nine-item factors: work-related bullying and person-related bullying. Overall, the MWBI is a psychometrically sound measure of workplace bullying in Eastern workplaces

Expression of polycomb protein BMI-1 1 maintains the plasticity of basal 2 bronchial epithelial cells

The airway epithelium is altered in respiratory disease and is thought to contribute to disease aetiology. A caveat to disease research is that the technique of isolation of bronchial epithelial cells from patients is invasive and cells have a limited lifespan. The aim of the current study was to extensively characterise the plasticity of primary human bronchial epithelial cells that have been engineered to delay cell senescence including the ability of these cells to differentiate. Cells were engineered to express BMI-1 or hTERT using viral vector systems. Cells were characterised at passage (p) early (p5), mid (p10) and late (p15) stage for; BMI-1, p16 and CK14 protein expression, viability and the ability to differentiate at air-liquid interface (ALI), using a range of techniques including immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF), transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), (MUC5AC and beta tubulin (BTUB) staining). BMI-1 expressing cells maintained elevated levels of the BMI-1 protein and the epithelial marker CK14 and showed a suppression of p16. BMI-1 expressing cells had a viability advantage, differentiated at ALI and had a normal karyotype. In contrast hTERT expressing cells had a reduced viability, showed limited differentiation and had an abnormal karyotype. We therefore provide extensive characterisation of the plasticity of BMI-1 expression cells in the context of the ALI model. These cells retain properties of wild-type cells and may be useful to characterise respiratory disease mechanisms in vitro over sustained periods

Human feeder cell line for derivation and culture of hESc/hiPSc

AbstractWe have generated a human feeder cell line from early second trimester Placental Stromal Fibroblasts (ihPSF) stably over-expressing the polycomb protein BMI-1. These feeder cells retain the ability to maintain human Embryonic Stem cells (hESc) over long-term culture whereas hTERT or BMI-1/hTERT immortalised feeder cell lines do not. ihPSFs were able to support the derivation of a new hESc line in near xenofree (free of non-human animal components) conditions and support continued culture of newly derived hESc and human induced Pluripotent Stem (hiPS) cell lines in complete xenofree conditions necessary for clinical use

Foreign language as a novel stimulus in influencing consumer attitudes.

The effective use of novelty to elicit changes in consumer attitudes has not been studied widely by academics. In this paper, we seek to investigate this relationship with the use of foreign language on product packaging as the novel stimulus. A non-established brand and an unfamiliar foreign language (Greek) were chosen as the basis of research with respondents comprising of Singapore undergraduates. The affect and purchase intention components of attitude were measured and results revealed that foreign language did not lead to a change in consumer attitude. A focus group was conducted to discover factors that would lead to consumers attitude change towards products with product packaging in a foreign language. This paper provides insight to manufacturers on the benefits of importing their non-translated products directly into Singapore market.BUSINES

Gankyrin Is an Ankyrin-repeat Oncoprotein That Interacts with CDK4 Kinase and the S6 ATPase of the 26 S Proteasome*

A yeast two-hybrid screen with the human S6 (TBP7, RPT3) ATPase of the 26 S proteasome has identified gankyrin, a liver oncoprotein, as an interacting protein. Gankyrin interacts with both free and regulatory complex-associated S6 ATPase and is not stably associated with the 26 S particle. Deletional mutagenesis shows that the C-terminal 78 amino acids of the S6 ATPase are necessary and sufficient to mediate the interaction with gankyrin. Deletion of an orthologous gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggests that it is dispensable for cell growth and viability. Overexpression and precipitation of tagged gankyrin from cultured cells detects a complex containing co-transfected tagged S6 ATPase (or endogenous S6) and endogenous cyclin D-dependent kinase CDK4. The proteasomal ATPases are part of the AAA (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) family, members of which are molecular chaperones; gankyrin complexes may therefore influence CDK4 function during oncogenesis

TLR2 stimulation regulates the balance between regulatory T cell and Th17 function: a novel mechanism of reduced regulatory T cell function in multiple sclerosis

CD4+CD25hi FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) maintain tolerance to self-Ags. Their defective function is involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS. However, the mechanisms of such defective function are poorly understood. Recently, we reported that stimulation of TLR2, which is preferentially expressed by human Tregs, reduces their suppressive function and skews them into a Th17-like phenotype. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that TLR2 activation is involved in reduced Treg function in MS. We found that Tregs from MS patients expressed higher levels of TLR2 compared with healthy controls, and stimulation with the synthetic lipopeptide Pam3Cys, an agonist of TLR1/2, reduced Treg function and induced Th17 skewing in MS patient samples more than in healthy controls. These data provide a novel mechanism underlying diminished Treg function in MS. Infections that activate TLR2 in vivo (specifically through TLR1/2 heterodimers) could shift the Treg/Th17 balance toward a proinflammatory state in MS, thereby promoting disease activity and progression

Erasmus Darwin, Thomas Beddoes, and “The Golden Age” of the 1790s

An anonymous poetic parody entitled “The Golden Age, A Poetical Epistle from Erasmus D——n, M.D. to Thomas Beddoes, M.D.” appeared in England in 1794 and has often been attributed to Erasmus Darwin since then. This article explores how the parody presents half-truths and surprising facts about 1790s radicalism(s) and the sexual revolution that grew out of early botanical studies to convince generations of readers that the slanderous sentiments leveled at Darwin and Beddoes were Darwin's own. The article demonstrates further that this apparently silly mockery makes such clever use of the traditional features of poetic parody that it may be considered to be a model of the literary form. In these ways, the poet of “The Golden Age” engages in an ideological battle to silence the radical scientist-poets by identifying them with unnaturalness, or perversion