Engaging the Bored Board A complex responsive process inquiry into the relationship between meaning and structure

Non-profit board functioning is traditionally examined through structures and procedures. While there is a growing interesting in meaningfulness at work, most research focuses on paid employment. This report looks at a non-profit board functioning in relation to meaningfulness. Presented as a case study, this report analyses a consulting project through the combined lenses of complex responsive processes of relating (Stacey, 2003a) and process consultation (Schein, 1999). The project found that meaningfulness within a non-profit board was inextricably related to its organisational structure, that complex responsive processes of relating uses the reality of our humanity to help make sense of how we organise, and finally, how consultant learning emerges from imperfect experiences. The hope is that further research will be conducted on the impact of meaningfulness on non-profit boards, and that complex responsive processes will become a more widely used lens for consulting practice

The anti-biofilm activity of essential oils against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Enteritidis

[SPA] La presencia de biofilms es habitual en la industria alimentaria. Los biofilms pueden presentarse en todo tipo de superficies de las plantas de procesado de alimentos, desde plásticos, vidrio, metal o madera, hasta los propios alimentos. La fijación de las bacterias a los alimentos o a las superficies conduce a serios problemas higiénicos y pérdidas económicas debidas a la alteración de alimentos. Además, los biofilms persisten en las superficies en contacto con los alimentos. Por estas razones, se considera que la presencia de biofilms en los sistemas alimentarios constituye un riesgo grave para la salud pública. El uso de productos químicos no está recomendado ya que las bacterias pueden desarrollar resistencia a los mismos, que puede llevar a un aumento significativo del número de cepas microbianas con resistencia adquirida. Así pues, resulta conveniente investigar el uso de productos naturales(aceites esenciales), conocidos por su actividad antimicrobiana, para el control de los biofilms causados por microorganismos patógenos. [ENG] The presence of biofilms is common in food industry. Biofilms can exist on all types of surfaces in food plants ranging from plastic, glass, metal, wood, to food products. The attachment of the bacteria to the food product or the product contact surfaces leads to serious hygienic problems and economic losses due to food spoilage. In addition to that, biofilms persist on food contact surfaces. For these reasons, it is considered that the presence of biofilms in the food systems is a serious public health risk. Chemical products are not recommended because the bacteria can acquire resistance, which lead to a significant increase in the number of microbial strains becoming resistant. Therefore, it is important to investigate the use of natural products (essential oils), known for their antimicrobial activity, in order to control biofilm development by foodborne pathogens.This research will be financially supported, initially, by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Spanish Government and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through project AGL2013-48993-C2-1-R

Demand Response and Energy Prosumers: A Legislative Comparison Between Estonia, France and Norway

Written as part of the ARQUS Twinning Programme on “Local Energy Transitions” between Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 and University of Bergen spring 2022By now, there is a sufficient amount of binding EU legislation enabling the incorporation of energy prosumers and demand response in the national regulations of the Member States. Nevertheless, the Member States are just now transposing the Recast Electricity Regulation and Electricity Directive into their domestic laws for which reason demand-side management and the empowering of consumers has been delayed. Because Norway has not accepted the Clean Energy Package, the relevant EU legislation is not mandatory for them to implement. As for the EU Member States, regardless of the binding rules, they have some discretion in designing the conditions for aggregation, energy prosumers and flexibility services. This results in an array of different regulations in Europe, with some more open to new competitors while others not. Looking into how France, Estonia and Norway (a non-EU state) have regulated these fields showcases that European jurisdictions are still in very different stages of introducing active consumers and independent aggregators to the electricity markets. While France has been leading the game for years by now with actual energy communities and consumers concluding aggregation contracts with their energy suppliers, Estonia has just made these options legally available and is awaiting the emergence of new market participants. Even though Norway produces a lot of energy, there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in the prosumer-movement. There is not a lot of legislation regarding this, and the existing legislation is not very developed compared to other European countries. The most likely reasons for this are the already low electricity prices and the overwhelming dominance of renewable energy in Norway. Therefore, there is no strong need for greenification and little motivation for consumers becoming prosumers. When it comes to the reviewed legal challenges, the ones still prevalent when it comes to prosumers are enabling consumers to become prosumers without triggering the European Union competition law and without sacrificing the consumers’ right to property. The problem regarding the EU competition law and its state aid regulation has been mostly eliminated though when it comes to prosumers. The issues that States may have to face in the future might be mostly related to protecting the consumers’ personal data when they become prosumers, but also when they choose not to become one. Regarding demand response, the first obstacle is still non-sufficient regulation, as Norway has none and Estonia is still in the process of adopting further rules. Before there are binding rules for network operators to accept flexibility services, whether independent or aggregated, the new market participants won’t be allowed entrance on the market or will be rendered unsuccessful competitors. Furthermore, independent aggregation must be authorised, since retailers still don’t have sufficient interest in becoming aggregators. On the other hand, all markets are moving towards facilitating smaller bids with shorter duration and other more flexible conditions. This is partly triggered by pan-European network codes and regional cooperation projects which aim to harmonise the European electricity markets. Moreover, consumers’ rights as energy prosumers have been codified and therefore expanded which also means that consumers are a step closer to playing a part in the energy transition. On the whole, it seems that things are getting better in time and a lot has changed since the analysis by Zancanella et al in 2017. With the threat of climate change becoming more real every year, so increases the urgency for an energy transition. Involving consumers in the transition and initiating a bottom-up movement in facilitating clean, yet unstable, renewable energy on the market and managing the grid through energy efficiency and demand-side management instead of network expansion is of utmost importance. For consumers to be proactive in the energy transition, governments must create conditions for participation in the electricity markets which at the same time are in accordance with the capabilities of small actors and allow them a fair chance to compete next to the established and experienced market participants. Therefore, the authors of this paper believe that the obstacles remaining in unleashing the full potential of energy prosumers and demand response in Europe are the inactivity of states in making the necessary regulatory changes and the lack of information available to consumers about their rights and possibilities

Physico-chemical and thermochemical studies of the hydrolytic conversion of amorphous tricalcium phosphate into apatite

Abstract The conversion of amorphous tricalcium phosphate with different hydration ratio into apatite in water at 25 °C has been studied by microcalorimetry and several physical-chemical methods. The hydrolytic transformation was dominated by two strong exothermic events. A fast, relatively weak, wetting process and a very slow but strong heat release assigned to a slow internal rehydration and the crystallization of the amorphous phase into an apatite. The exothermic phenomenon related to the rehydration exceeded the crystalline transformation enthalpy. Rehydration occurred before the conversion of the amorphous phase into apatite and determined the advancement of the hydrolytic reaction. The apatitic phases formed evolved slightly with time after their formation. The crystallinity increased whereas the amount of HPO 4 2− ion decreased. These data allow a better understanding of the behavior of biomaterials involving amorphous phases such as hydroxyapatite plasma-sprayed coatings. Graphical abstract The hydrolytic evolution of amorphous tricalcium phosphate shows two main exothermic events corresponding to wetting of the particle surface and to a slow inner rehydration associated with crystallization. These data allowed the determination of the rehydration and crystalline transformation enthalpies

Physico-chemical and thermochemical studies of the hydrolytic conversion of amorphous tricalcium phosphate into apatite

The conversion of amorphous tricalcium phosphate with different hydration ratio into apatite in water at 25 °C has been studied by microcalorimetry and several physical–chemical methods. The hydrolytic transformation was dominated by two strong exothermic events. A fast, relatively weak, wetting process and a very slow but strong heat release assigned to a slow internal rehydration and the crystallization of the amorphous phase into an apatite. The exothermic phenomenon related to the rehydration exceeded the crystalline transformation enthalpy. Rehydration occurred before the conversion of the amorphous phase into apatite and determined the advancement of the hydrolytic reaction. The apatitic phases formed evolved slightly with time after their formation. The crystallinity increased whereas the amount of HPO4 2− ion decreased. These data allow a better understanding of the behavior of biomaterials involving amorphous phases such as hydroxyapatite plasma-sprayed coating

Perspectives on Preparedness for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Threats in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Application of Artificial Intelligence Techniques

Over the past 3 decades, the diversity of ethnic, religious, and political backgrounds worldwide, particularly in countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), has led to an increase in the number of intercountry conflicts and terrorist attacks, sometimes involving chemical and biological agents. This warrants moving toward a collaborative approach to strengthening preparedness in the region. In disaster medicine, artificial intelligence techniques have been increasingly utilized to allow a thorough analysis by revealing unseen patterns. In this study, the authors used text mining and machine learning techniques to analyze open-ended feedback from multidisciplinary experts in disaster medicine regarding the MENA region's preparedness for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) risks. Open-ended feedback from 29 international experts in disaster medicine, selected based on their organizational roles and contributions to the academic field, was collected using a modified interview method between October and December 2022. Machine learning clustering algorithms, natural language processing, and sentiment analysis were used to analyze the data gathered using R language accessed through the RStudio environment. Findings revealed negative and fearful sentiments about a lack of accessibility to preparedness information, as well as positive sentiments toward CBRN preparedness concepts raised by the modified interview method. The artificial intelligence analysis techniques revealed a common consensus among experts about the importance of having accessible and effective plans and improved health sector preparedness in MENA, especially for potential chemical and biological incidents. Findings from this study can inform policymakers in the region to converge their efforts to build collaborative initiatives to strengthen CBRN preparedness capabilities in the healthcare sector

The anti-biofilm activity of essential oils on Listeria monocytogenesand Salmonella Enteritidis

[SPA] La mayoría de los alimentos representan un entorno fértil para el crecimiento de bacterias patógenas. En condiciones poco higiénicas, la contaminación causada por estos microorganismos podría resultar en brotes de enfermedades de transmisión alimentaria que afecten a la salud pública. Además, esta contaminación puede causar importantes pérdidas económicas a las industrias al tener que retirar el producto del mercado, lo cual afectará notablemente a su reputación. Por esta razón, las buenas prácticas de higiene deben mantenerse y controlarse desde la granja hasta la mesa. En otras palabras, se debe aplicar una desinfección adecuada, una buena manipulación y se debe cumplir la normativa durante la producción, procesado, transporte, distribución, venta y consumo. Listeria monocytogenes y Salmonella Enteritidis son dos de los retos más importantes para la industria alimentaria por diferentes razones. La listeriosis tiene una de las tasas de mortalidad más alta respeto a otros patógenos alimentarios y podría llegar a ser letal para los grupos más vulnerables. Otro problema asociado con L. monocytogenes, es su capacidad de multiplicarse a temperaturas de refrigeración. Salmonella spp. ha sido vinculada con la mayoría de los brotes de intoxicación alimentaria en la Unión Europea, siendo S. Enteritidis la serovariedad más predominante. Además, la salmonelosis puede llegar a ser grave poniendo en peligro a los humanos. Ambos patógenos pueden introducirse en la cadena alimentaria a través de materias primas, trabajadores y otras fuentes, ya que viven en varios hábitats. Además de eso, pueden formar biofilms sobre diferentes superficies, lo que hace que su presencia sea muy preocupante. Los biofilms son comunidades microbianas complejas unidas entre sí por una matriz extracelular polimérica. Las células que forman parte de un biofilm son más resistentes que sus formas planctónicas. Por lo general, los biofilms se forman en zonas inaccesibles de las plantas de procesado, ya que estas áreas no siempre se limpian bien. Por lo tanto, pueden persistir durante mucho tiempo provocando problemas y contaminación. Se ha aplicado protocolos de limpieza y desinfección empleando varios productos comerciales con el objetivo de eliminar los biofilms. Sin embargo, el uso de estos productos está cuestionado, ya que acarrea algunos problemas adicionales. Primero, su uso repetido y especialmente la exposición a concentraciones subletales pueden generar resistencia. En segundo lugar, este tipo de sustancias químicas no son muy respetuosas con el medio ambiente, lo que las convierte en poco deseables. Así pues, la investigación y la búsqueda de alternativas naturales se ha ido incrementando año tras año para responder a las demandas del consumidor. Entre estas alternativas, los aceites esenciales (AE) se consideran una opción natural y ecológica. La actividad de estas sustancias volátiles y aromáticas se ha descrito ampliamente en la literatura. Entre los AE, los de canela, clavo, cebolla y ajo han sido utilizados en diferentes culturas, en forma de aditivos naturales, para prevenir el deterioro de los alimentos. Además, varios estudios indican su actividad antimicrobiana frente a varios microorganismos. En cambio, su actividad anti-biofilm no ha sido completamente investigada, lo que los hace muy interesantes de explorar. El objetivo de esta tesis fue estudiar la capacidad inhibitoria de diferentes aceites esenciales sobre diferentes etapas de la formación de los biofilms por parte de L. monocytogenes y S. Enteritidis. Para lograr este objetivo general, se establecieron varios objetivos parciales: 1) evaluar la actividad antibacteriana de los cuatro aceites esenciales frente a L.monocytogenes y S. Enteritidis; 2) establecer la concentración mínima inhibitoria (CIM) de cada AE frente a ambos microorganismos; 3) evaluar el efecto de las diferentes dosis (0,5CMI, CMI y 2CMI) sobre la etapa inicial de formación del biofilm; 4) evaluar el efecto de las diferentes dosis (0,5CMI, CMI y 2CMI) sobre la erradicación de los biofilms; 5) realizar el análisis químico de los diferentes AE para caracterizar sus compuestos mayoritarios. Los AE se analizaron mediante cromatografía de gases-espectrometría de masas (GC-MS) para identificar los principales componentes presentes. La actividad antibacteriana se determinó mediante dos ensayos con el fin de evaluar la sensibilidad de los microorganismos a los AE seleccionados. El primero fue el método de difusión en agar, con el que se midieron los halos de inhibición (HI). El diámetro del HI se relacionó después con la susceptibilidad de la cepa al AE. El segundo experimento fue la determinación de la CMI. Para este ensayo, las bacterias se incubaron durante 18 horas con concentraciones decrecientes del AE. La concentración más baja del AE que inhibió el crecimiento de las bacterias, se consideró como la CMI. Posteriormente se investigó la actividad anti-biofilm. Para empezar, se efectuó el estudio del efecto de los AE sobre la adhesión inicial. Los AE se incubarona 37°C durante 24 horas junto con los cultivos a diferentes dosis (0,5CMI, CMI y 2CMI) en placas de poliestireno de 96 pocillos. Luego, se realizó el ensayo de los mismos AE pero sobre los biofilms previamente formados. Para este ensayo, L. monocytogenes y S. Enteritidis se dejaron crecer previamente para obtener una adherencia, más o menos fuerte. Posteriormente, se añadieron los AE a diferentes dosis (0,5CMI, CMI y 2CMI) a los pocillos y se midió la densidad óptica tras1, 5 y 20 horas de incubación con los aceites esenciales. Finalmente, la biomasa de los biofilms se midió mediante tinción con cristal violeta. Los análisis cromatográficos realizados han mostrado que los tiosulfatos son los principales componentes presentes en los aceites esenciales de ajo y cebolla, mientras que el cinamaldehído fue el componente mayoritario del AE de canela y el eugenol el del AE de clavo. En el método de difusión en agar, el AE de cebolla fue el más inhibidor frente a L. monocytogenes, exhibiendo el HI más alto (37,8 ± 0,4 mm) y el AE de clavo para S. Enteritidis (HI = 12,3 ± 0,4 mm). Para la CMI, en el caso de L. monocytogenes, el AE de canela y el AE de ajo exhibieron el mismo valor (0,1 mg mL−1), mientras que el AE de cebolla y el de clavo tuvieron respectivamente valores de 0,025 y 0,05 mg mL-1. Para S. Enteritidis, el AE de cebolla y el de ajo mostraron el mismo valor: 0,4 mg mL−1. Por otro lado, el AE de canela y el de clavo mostraron un valor de 0,2 y 0,1 mg mL1 respectivamente. La inhibición de la adhesión inicial fue muy alta a una dosis CMI, oscilando entre el 61% y el 100% para L. monocytogenes, mientras que para S. Enteritidis varió del 50% al 65%. Tras una hora de incubación con los AE, la inhibición de los biofilms preformados se encontró entre el 67,7% y el 52,5% para L. monocytogenes, mientras que para S. Enteritidis estaba entre el 40,2% y el 20,3%. Las conclusiones más significativas de esta tesis fueron: 1) el efecto de los aceites esenciales fue mayor sobre L. monocytogenes que sobre S. Enteritidis en todos los casos; 2) el efecto antibiofilm dependió de la dosis; 3) el porcentaje de inhibición fue más alto sobre la adhesión inicial que sobre los biofilms previamente formados. En definitiva, esta investigación ha revelado el potencial de estos aceites esenciales como agentes anti-biofilm, lo cual puede resultar de gran ayuda para la industria alimentaria. [ENG] Most foods represent a fertile environment for pathogenic bacteria growth. When the hygienic conditions are missing, the contamination caused by these microorganisms can result in foodborne diseases and outbreaks affecting public health. Also, this contamination can cause important economic losses to food industries in terms of recalls affecting their reputation in the market. For this reason, good hygienic practices have to be held and controlled from farm to fork. In other words, proper disinfection, careful manipulation and the respect of regulations have to be applied during production, processing, shipping, distribution, retail and consumption. Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Enteritidis represent two of the most challenging pathogens for food processing environments for different reasons. Listeriosis has a higher fatality rate than other foodborne illnesses and could be mortal for vulnerable groups. Another problem associated with L. monocytogenes, is its ability to grow at refrigeration temperatures, which poses a challenge to food manufacturers and consumers. Salmonella spp. have been predominant in food poisoning outbreaks with S. Enteritidis being the most reported serovar. Also, this microorganism can lead to mild to severe symptoms in humans. Both food pathogens can be introduced in the food chain through raw material, workers and other sources as they habit a wide range of niches. Added to that, they are able to form biofilms on different surfaces making their presence yet very challenging. Biofilms are complex microbial communities formed into an extracellular matrix and they are more resistant forms than their planktonic counterparts. They are formed usually in inaccessible parts of manufacturing plants, as these areas are not well cleaned. Therefore, they can persist for a long time causing problems and contamination. In order to get rid of biofilms, many different cleaning and disinfection protocols have been applied with the use of a wide range of commercial products. However, many of these products can be controversial as they can have various side effects. First, the repetitive use and especially the exposition to sub-inhibitory concentrations can generate resistance by modifying some genes and leading to an increased tolerance. Second, the environmental impact of this kind of chemicals makes them undesirable. Therefore, the investigation for natural alternatives has been increasing every year in order to respond to the consumer’s demands. Among these alternatives, essential oils (EOs) are considered as an eco-friendly and natural option. The activity of these volatile and aromatic products has been widely described in literature. Among them, the essential oils of cinnamon, clove, onion and garlic have been used in different cultures, as well as in the food industry as natural flavorings and preservative agents against food spoilage. Also, they have been reported for their antimicrobial action against several foodborne pathogens. However, their anti-biofilm activity has not been fully investigated, which make them interesting to explore. The objective of this thesis was to explore the capacity of different essential oils to inhibit different stages of biofilm formation by L. monocytogenes and S. Enteritidis. To achieve this general aim, several goals were established: 1) evaluate the antibacterial activity of the four essential oils against L. monocytogenes and S. Enteritidis; 2) establish the minimal inhibitory concentration of every EO against both microorganisms; 3) assess the effect of MIC-related doses on the initial cell attachment; 4) assess the effect of the MIC-related doses on biofilm eradication; 5) perform the chemical analysis of the different EOs in order to characterize the bioactive compounds. The analysis of the EOs was done by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in order to identify the major components implicated. The antibacterial assays were performed by two experiments in order to assess the sensibility of the microorganisms to the EOs selected. The first one consisted in the disc diffusion assay where the inhibition zones (IZ) were measured. The second experiment was the determination of the MIC. During this step, the bacteria were incubated overnight with different concentration of the different EOs. So, the lowest concentration that prevented the pathogen growth was considered as the MIC. Afterwards, the antibiofilm assays were performed. Firstly, the effect of the EOs was experimented against the inhibition of the initial cell attachment. The EOs were pipetted together with bacterial cultures at different doses (0.5 MIC, MIC and 2MIC) into the 96- well plates. Then, they were incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. Secondly, the eradication assay was done in order to explore the effect of EOs on preformed biofilms. L. monocytogenes and S. Enteritidis were left to grow for initial cell attachment. Afterwards, the EOs were added at different doses (0.5 MIC, MIC and 2MIC) to the wells and left for 1, 5 and 20 hours. Finally, the biofilm’s biomass was assessed by the crystal violet assay. The chemical analysis carried out revealed that thiosulfates were the major compounds present in the EOs of garlic and onion. Added to that, E-cinnamaldehyde and eugenol were the major compounds for cinnamon and clove respectively. Concerning disk diffusion assay, the EO of onion was the most inhibitory for L. monocytogenes, exhibiting the highest IZ (37.8 ± 0.4 mm) and the EO of clove for S. Enteritidis (IZ = 12.3 ± 0.4mm). For the MIC, in the case of L. monocytogenes, EO of cinnamon and EO of garlic displayed an identical value (0.1 mg mL−1). On the other hand, EO of onion and EO of clove, had respectively a value of 0.025 and 0.05 mg mL-1. For S. Enteritidis, EO of onion and EO of garlic displayed the same value: 0.4 mg mL−1. On the other hand, the EO of cinnamon and the EO of clove showed a value of 0.2 and 0.1 mg mL−1 respectively. The inhibition of initial cell attachment was high at MIC dose, ranging from 61% till 100% for L.monocytogene, while for S. Enteritidis ranged from 50% to 65%. At one hour incubation with the EOs, the inhibition of preformed biofilms at MIC ranged from 67.7% till 52.5% for L. monocytogenes while for S. Enteritidis ranged from 40.2% to 20.3 %. The most significant conclusions from this thesis were: 1) the effect of essential oils was higher on L. monocytogenes than in S. Enteritidis in all cases; 2) the antibiofilm effect was dose dependent; 3) the inhibition rate was high on initial cell attachment, but lower on preformed biofilms. This research has revealed the potential use of these essential oils as antibiofilm agents for the food industry.Escuela Internacional de Doctorado de la Universidad Politécnica de CartagenaUniversidad Politécnica de CartagenaPrograma de Doctorado en Técnicas avanzadas en investigación y desarrollo agrario y alimentari

Néphropathie du purpura rhumatoïde de l enfant (évaluation d un protocole régional de prise en charge)

GRENOBLE1-BU Médecine pharm. (385162101) / SudocSudocFranceF