Efficacy of a strategy to prevent neonatal early-onset group B streptococcal (GBS) sepsis

Background: Existing guidelines recommend different strategies to prevent early-onset neonatal GBS sepsis. In 1997, using our own data on incidence and risk factors, we established a new prevention strategy which includes GBS screening at 36 weeks' gestation and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) in women with positive or unknown GBS colonization with at least one risk factor. The present study evaluates the efficacy of the new prevention strategy. Methods: Retrospective study of the incidence of early-onset GBS sepsis among all live births at the University Women's Hospital Basel between 1997 and 2002. Additional analysis of delivery and post partum period of all GBS sepsis cases, including GBS screening, risk factors during labor (prematurity, rupture of membranes (ROM) <12 h, intrapartum signs of infection), and IAP. Comparison of this group's characteristics G2 (9,385 live births, using the new strategy) with the previous group, G1 (1984-1993, 16,126 live births, without GBS screening or routine IAP) was performed. Results: The incidence of early-onset GBS sepsis was reduced from 1/1000 (G1) to 0.53/1000 (G2). We observed a significant reduction of overall intrapartum riskfactors in cases of GBS sepsis. Conclusion: This study suggests that our new prevention strategy is effective in reducing the incidence of early-onset GBS sepsis in neonates. In comparison, implementation of the CDC's prevention strategy might have prevented 2 additional cases in 9385 live births. However, this would have required treating a much larger number of pregnant women with IAP with consequential increasing costs, side effects and complication

Aphanomyces euteiches cell wall fractions containing novel glucan-chitosaccharides induce defense genes and nuclear calcium oscillations in the plant host Medicago truncatula

N-acetylglucosamine-based saccharides (chitosaccharides) are components of microbial cell walls and act as molecular signals during host-microbe interactions. In the legume plant Medicago truncatula, the perception of lipochitooligosaccharide signals produced by symbiotic rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi involves the Nod Factor Perception (NFP) lysin motif receptor-like protein and leads to the activation of the so-called common symbiotic pathway. In rice and Arabidopsis, lysin motif receptors are involved in the perception of chitooligosaccharides released by pathogenic fungi, resulting in the activation of plant immunity. Here we report the structural characterization of atypical chitosaccharides from the oomycete pathogen Aphanomyces euteiches, and their biological activity on the host Medicago truncatula. Using a combination of biochemical and biophysical approaches, we show that these chitosaccharides are linked to β-1,6-glucans, and contain a β-(1,3;1,4)-glucan backbone whose β-1,3-linked glucose units are substituted on their C-6 carbon by either glucose or N-acetylglucosamine residues. This is the first description of this type of structural motif in eukaryotic cell walls. Glucan-chitosaccharide fractions of A. euteiches induced the expression of defense marker genes in Medicago truncatula seedlings independently from the presence of a functional Nod Factor Perception protein. Furthermore, one of the glucan-chitosaccharide fractions elicited calcium oscillations in the nucleus of root cells. In contrast to the asymmetric oscillatory calcium spiking induced by symbiotic lipochitooligosaccharides, this response depends neither on the Nod Factor Perception protein nor on the common symbiotic pathway. These findings open new perspectives in oomycete cell wall biology and elicitor recognition and signaling in legumes.Amaury Nars, Claude Lafitte, Mireille Chabaud, Sophie Drouillard, Hugo Mélida, Saïda Danoun, Tinaig Le Costaouëc, Thomas Rey, Julie Benedetti, Vincent Bulone, David George Barker, Jean-Jacques Bono, Bernard Dumas, Christophe Jacquet, Laurent Heux, Judith Fliegmann, Arnaud Botti

Distorted policy transfer? South Korea’s adaptation of UK social enterprise policy

This study draws upon communicative processes in policy transfer to consider the ways in which policy may be adapted to context or distorted. The theoretical framework is used to investigate exactly what the South Korean government borrowed from UK social enterprise policy. Despite claims that the UK was the source of both the general policy direction and the particular regulatory device, the Korean government did not learn about the specific contexts of the British policy, nor attempt two-way communication with domestic stakeholders. Rather, the UK policy was interpreted in accordance with the Korean government’s own ideas about how to utilize social enterprise. Historical legacies of top-down decision-making played an important role in this process, as did the state’s role as a regulator which mobilizes the private sector to achieve policy goals. The consequences have been negative for those organizations refused social enterprise status under the Ministry of Labor’s strict approval system, as well as for the original target population: the socially disadvantaged and vulnerable. It is suggested that the model advanced may help to illuminate the reasons why some borrowed policies differ considerably from the originals, and the use of policy transfer as a means of legitimizatio

Estrogen protects primary osteocytes against glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis

Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis may be at least in part due to the increased apoptosis of osteocytes. To study the role of osteocyte apoptosis in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, we isolated primary osteocytes from murine calvaria for the analysis of the effects of dexamethasone in in vitro culture. The cells were identified by morphology, cytochemical staining, immunocytochemical staining and mRNA expression of phosphate-regulating gene with homology to endopeptidases on the X chromosome (PHEX) and sclerosteosis/van Buchem disease gene (SOST). We found that dexamethasone induced osteocyte apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. A glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, mifepristone (RU486), suppressed dexamethasone-Induced osteocyte apoptosis, suggesting that it was mediated by glucocorticoid receptor. Immunocytochemical stainings showed that glucocorticoid receptors are present in primary osteocytes, and they were translocated to nuclei after the exposure to dexamethasone. Addition of estrogen prevented glucocorticoid receptor translocation into nuclei. Corresponding antiapoptotic effects in primary osteocytes were also seen after the pretreatment of primary osteocytes with a picomolar concentration of estrogen. The pure antiestrogen ICI 182,780 inhibited estrogen effect on apoptosis induced by dexamethasone. These data suggest that glucocorticoid receptors play an important role in glucocorticoid-induced osteocyte apoptosis. Most importantly, estrogen has a protective effect against osteocyte apoptosis. To conclude, the mechanism of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis may be due to the apoptosis of osteocytes, which can be opposed by estrogen

THE MOTIVATION OF MAN TO WORK: IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS STUDY

The general objective of this research is to identify significant differences in the levels of ‘Satisfactionand Motivation’ among employees of the Best Companies to Work For in Brazil, elected by Guia VocêS/A-Exame, between 2007 and 2009. The specific objectives seek to: (1) verify if the result of the category‘Satisfaction and Motivation’ in 2009 differs significantly from 2007 and 2008, (2) assess the variations inthe indices that composes the result of this category in 2009 and relate them to the theory of motivation,and (3) identify elements in the speech of employees that demonstrate the actions taken by companiesbefore the global economic crisis in 2009 to keep them motivated and relate them to the theory of managementin the era of economic turbulence. The theoretical framework addresses three main issues: (1)organizational climate - its relationship to the organizational system and motivation, the importance ofits measurement through organizational climate surveys structured by categories and actions of seniormanagement due to its results. (2) Motivation - a conceptual overview and the recent discussion aboutthe meaning assigned to work as a source of motivation. (3) The management in the era of economicturbulence - the role of leadership dealing with new challenges of management in the chaos, clarity andeffectiveness communication due to maintain team morale in times of crisis. In order to find the answersto the proposed problem, we performed a descriptive analysis with focus on quantitative and qualitativedata. The survey sample was comprised of 66 companies that figured in the Guides for 2007, 2008 and2009. The Statistical analysis was given by applying the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test, additionally theGeneral Linear Model (GLM) and the selection method of Wilks Lambda. The quantitative results obtainedby applying hypothesis and comparison tests between means showed a drop in the levels of ‘Satisfactionand Motivation’ in 2009 compared to 2007 and 2008. From this result, we applied two methodsof qualitative analysis (exploratory data analysis and discourse analysis), in order to verify the possibleinfluence of global economic crisis on this result. Qualitative results show seven points of attention, fiveof which had higher negative change between 2008 and 2009 and only two showed positive growthbetween 2008 and 2009. In addition to these points of attention, the qualitative analysis according tothe speech of employees identified some actions taken by companies about leadership, communicationand maintenance of morale, corroborating the theory presented. The study’s findings point to the fallinglevels of ‘Satisfaction and Motivation’ in 2009 and the efforts of management focused on overcoming thecrisis. Some practical recommendations are submitted to the HR community, so that in times of economicturbulence they might be applied in order to mitigate potential negative impacts explained by research

Efficacy of a strategy to prevent neonatal early-onset group B streptococcal (GBS) sepsis

BACKGROUND: Existing guidelines recommend different strategies to prevent early-onset neonatal GBS sepsis. In 1997, using our own data on incidence and risk factors, we established a new prevention strategy which includes GBS screening at 36 weeks' gestation and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) in women with positive or unknown GBS colonization with at least one risk factor. The present study evaluates the efficacy of the new prevention strategy. METHODS: Retrospective study of the incidence of early-onset GBS sepsis among all live births at the University Women's Hospital Basel between 1997 and 2002. Additional analysis of delivery and post partum period of all GBS sepsis cases, including GBS screening, risk factors during labor (prematurity, rupture of membranes (ROM) <12 h, intrapartum signs of infection), and IAP. Comparison of this group's characteristics G2 (9,385 live births, using the new strategy) with the previous group, G1 (1984-1993, 16,126 live births, without GBS screening or routine IAP) was performed. RESULTS: The incidence of early-onset GBS sepsis was reduced from 1/1000 (G1) to 0.53/1000 (G2). We observed a significant reduction of overall intrapartum risk factors in cases of GBS sepsis. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that our new prevention strategy is effective in reducing the incidence of early-onset GBS sepsis in neonates. In comparison, implementation of the CDC's prevention strategy might have prevented 2 additional cases in 9385 live births. However, this would have required treating a much larger number of pregnant women with IAP with consequential increasing costs, side effects and complications

Highly fluorinated g-C3N4 obtain by gas-solid fluorination and its application in photodegradation.

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