Microbe-surface interactions in biofouling and biocorrosion processes

The presence of microorganisms on material surfaces can have a profound effect on materials performance. Surface-associated microbial growth, i.e. a biofilm, is known to instigate biofouling. The presence of biofilms may promote interfacial physico-chemical reactions that are not favored under abiotic conditions. In the case of metallic materials, undesirable changes in material properties due to a biofilm (or a biofouling layer) are referred to as biocorrosion or microbially influenced corrosion (MIC). Biofouling and biocorrosion occur in aquatic and terrestrial habitats varying in nutrient content, temperature, pressure and pH. Interfacial chemistry in such systems reflects a wide variety of physiological activities carried out by diverse microbial populations thriving within biofilms. Biocorrosion can be viewed as a consequence of coupled biological and abiotic electron-transfer reactions, i.e. redox reactions of metals, enabled by microbial ecology. Microbially produced extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which comprise different macromolecules, mediate initial cell adhesion to the material surface and constitute a biofilm matrix. Despite their unquestionable importance in biofilm development, the extent to which EPS contribute to biocorrosion is not well-understood. This review offers a current perspective on material/microbe interactions pertinent to biocorrosion and biofouling, with EPS as a focal point, while emphasizing the role atomic force spectroscopy and mass spectrometry techniques can play in elucidating such interactions. [Int Microbiol 2005; 8(3):157-168

Trips-plus Provisions in European Union Agreements: Enhanced Protection of Intellectual Property or Restriction of Human Rights?

This thesis charts, and investigates the role of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)-Plus provisions to protect intellectual property rights in the European Union (EU) international agreements. It critically discusses the extent to which the EU is seeking higher levels of intellectual property (IP) protection in the global sphere and analyses whether and to what extent the use of TRIPS-Plus provisions potentially clashes with the objective of the promotion and protection of human rights in the EU external action. This analysis is conducted across two intertwined axis: a chronological one and a conceptual one, in order to understand the evolution of the balance between IP and human rights protection. The main and overarching research question to which this thesis aims to answer is the following: To what extent and how has the EU reconciled high levels of IP protection with the promotion of human rights in its own international agreements? In answering this question, this thesis also purports broader considerations on the overall coherence of EU international agreements with the objectives laid down in Articles 3 and 21 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU). The theoretical framework of this research is that of the EU’s ‘constitutional regime governing foreign affairs’, and, in line with it, the approach adopted is normative, and the methodology used is doctrinal. This PhD dissertation is divided into three parts. The first part discusses the evolution of IP protection at the international level. The second part examines the position of IP rights within the EU, the competence of the EU to act in the IP field both internally and externally. The third and final part of this thesis systematically examines IP provisions in EU agreements and discusses the extent to which IP protection might conflict with the promotion of human right

Glucuronoyl Esterase Screening and Characterization Assays Utilizing Commercially Available Benzyl Glucuronic Acid Ester

Research on glucuronoyl esterases (GEs) has been hampered by the lack of enzyme assays based on easily obtainable substrates. While benzyl d-glucuronic acid ester (BnGlcA) is a commercially available substrate that can be used for GE assays, several considerations regarding substrate instability, limited solubility and low apparent affinities should be made. In this work we discuss the factors that are important when using BnGlcA for assaying GE activity and show how these can be applied when designing BnGlcA-based GE assays for different applications: a thin-layer chromatography assay for qualitative activity detection, a coupled-enzyme spectrophotometric assay that can be used for high-throughput screening or general activity determinations and a HPLC-based detection method allowing kinetic determinations. The three-level experimental procedure not merely facilitates routine, fast and simple biochemical characterizations but it can also give rise to the discovery of different GEs through an extensive screening of heterologous Genomic and Metagenomic expression libraries

Open strategy : a review and research agenda

In the whole, preceding literature reviews on the contemporary strategic management phenomena of open strategy include a number of limitations: they are deficient of a detailed concentration, deliver an excessive definitional focus or are absent of a distinct empirical analysis of research in the field. In order to address these shortcomings, this paper endeavours to systematically examine the existing literature on open strategy by classifying its main characteristics, connecting the different aspects together in a structured and comprehensive definition. This considered review of extant literature assesses numerous characteristics of open strategizing as they are presented in preceding research. Consequently, the systematic and methodical approach taken by this paper affords an alternative way of comprehending open strategy and contributes to the field by providing a consolidation of the literature and signifying potential streams for future research to explore

A GH115 alpha-glucuronidase from Schizophyllum commune contributes to the synergistic enzymatic deconstruction of softwood glucuronoarabinoxylan

Background: Lignocellulosic biomass from softwood represents a valuable resource for the production of biofuels and bio-based materials as alternatives to traditional pulp and paper products. Hemicelluloses constitute an extremely heterogeneous fraction of the plant cell wall, as their molecular structures involve multiple monosaccharide components, glycosidic linkages, and decoration patterns. The complete enzymatic hydrolysis of wood hemicelluloses into monosaccharides is therefore a complex biochemical process that requires the activities of multiple degradative enzymes with complementary activities tailored to the structural features of a particular substrate. Glucuronoarabinoxylan (GAX) is a major hemicellulose component in softwood, and its structural complexity requires more enzyme specificities to achieve complete hydrolysis compared to glucuronoxylans from hardwood and arabinoxylans from grasses. Results: We report the characterisation of a recombinant α-glucuronidase (Agu115) from Schizophyllum commune capable of removing (4-O-methyl)-glucuronic acid ((Me)GlcA) residues from polymeric and oligomeric xylan. The enzyme is required for the complete deconstruction of spruce glucuronoarabinoxylan (GAX) and acts synergistically with other xylan-degrading enzymes, specifically a xylanase (Xyn10C), an α-l-arabinofuranosidase (AbfA), and a β-xylosidase (XynB). Each enzyme in this mixture showed varying degrees of potentiation by the other activities, likely due to increased physical access to their respective target monosaccharides. The exo-acting Agu115 and AbfA were unable to remove all of their respective target side chain decorations from GAX, but their specific activity was significantly boosted by the addition of the endo-Xyn10C xylanase. We demonstrate that the proposed enzymatic cocktail (Agu115 with AbfA, Xyn10C and XynB) achieved almost complete conversion of GAX to arabinofuranose (Araf), xylopyranose (Xylp), and MeGlcA monosaccharides. Addition of Agu115 to the enzymatic cocktail contributes specifically to 25 % of the conversion. However, traces of residual oligosaccharides resistant to this combination of enzymes were still present after deconstruction, due to steric hindrances to enzyme access to the substrate. Conclusions: Our GH115 α-glucuronidase is capable of finely tailoring the molecular structure of softwood GAX, and contributes to the almost complete saccharification of GAX in synergy with other exo- and endo-xylan-acting enzymes. This has great relevance for the cost-efficient production of biofuels from softwood lignocellulose.Lauren S. McKee, Hampus Sunner, George E. Anasontzis, Guillermo Toriz, Paul Gatenholm, Vincent Bulone, Francisco Vilaplana and Lisbeth Olsso

Openness disposition and dilemmas in SME strategy : a sudden breeze of passion or a promising management practice?

The purpose of this paper is to gain deeper understanding into the dilemmas of Open Strategy (OS) initiatives, and investigate the already established dilemmas and identify further, if any in the context of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Central to our examination is the concept of 'openness disposition', which in the context of strategy refers to the tendency of individuals, collectives and managers to make strategy transparent, participatory and inclusive, or look for closure. We contribute to addressing the performative effects of this dynamic expansion and contraction in openness within SME strategy while using the concept of openness dilemmas and disposition. While OS is regarded as a positive means of contemporary management, fostering creativity, innovation and empowerment, there are some researched negative areas too. By using Paradox Theory to gain a deeper understanding of OS dilemmas, this paper will bring together theory with practitioners' experiences of OS initiatives. Based on findings emerging from a longitudinal multiple case study with eleven European SMEs, we empirically identify two new dilemmas, which are theorised to extend understanding of the dilemmas of OS

PACE-IT study protocol: a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial evaluating the implementation of telehealth visual assessment in emergency care for people living in residential aged-care facilities.

BACKGROUND:Transfer of residential aged-care facility (RACF) residents to Emergency Departments (ED) is common, risky and expensive. RACF residents who present to ED are more likely to have hospital readmissions, longer stays and face major risks related to hospital acquired complications. Aged Care Emergency services (ACE) is a nurse led, protocol- guided, telephone RACF/ED outreach model that has been shown to be effective in reducing hospitalisation and length of hospital stay for RACF residents in the Hunter New England Local Health District, New South Wales (NSW). The Partnerships in Aged-Care Emergency services using Interactive Telehealth (PACE-IT) project enhances ACE by incorporating interactive video assessment and consultation. The PACE-IT project's primary aim is to assess whether augmentation of ACE services through the addition of protocol-guided interactive Visual Telehealth Consultation (VTC) for clinical decision-making, plus telephone follow-up, reduces RACF resident transfers to ED. METHODS:A stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted. The intervention will be delivered sequentially to 8 clusters; each cluster comprises one ED and two RACFs in NSW, Australia. The 16 RACFs in the study will be selected for order of implementation using a computer-generated randomisation sequence. A 2-step randomisation process will be undertaken, randomising the hospital EDs first and then randomising the RACFs aligned with each hospital. The PACE-IT intervention comprises: an initial phone call by RACFs to the ACE service in the ED; the ACE service in ED responds with a protocol-guided VTC, a management plan agreed between all participants; an automated consultation summary letter to the General Practitioner and the RACF; a post VTC 24 h follow-up phone call to the RACF. DISCUSSION:If shown to be effective, the intervention has the potential to improve the clinical care and quality of life for residents. Findings will provide high level evidence that will inform sustainable change and broad translation into practice across NSW. It will show how the change has been achieved and highlight success factors for scalability and sustainability. It will inform review of processes, the development of policy and guidelines that will integrate PACE-IT into existing service models in NSW. TRIAL REGISTRATION:The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (Trial ID ACTR N12619001692123 ) 02/12/2020.)

Dependencia emocional y violencia intrafamiliar en mujeres que asisten al CEM - Yungay, 2022

La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo, determinar la relación entre la dependencia emocional y violencia intrafamiliar en mujeres que asisten al CEMYungay,2022. Fue de tipo básica y diseño no experimental. La muestra conformada por 120 mujeres víctimas de violencia, con edades que oscilaban entre 18 a 55 años. Para este estudio se utilizaron dos instrumentos, el primero es el cuestionario de Dependencia Emocional, elaborado por Lemos y Londoño (2006), adaptado en el Perú, Cajamarca por Brito y Gonzales (2016), y el segundo instrumento utilizado fue la Escala de medición de la Violencia Intrafamiliar (VIFJ4), creada por Jaramillo (2014). Los resultados determinaron que, si existe una correlación positiva alta y significativa entre las variables, haciendo uso del coeficiente de correlación de Pearson, puesto que las variables cumplen con el criterio de normalidad, donde finamente se adquiere el valor (r=0,75)

Metabolomic and high-throughput sequencing analysis—modern approach for the assessment of biodeterioration of materials from historic buildings

Preservation of cultural heritage is of paramount importance worldwide. Microbial colonization of construction materials, such as wood, brick, mortar and stone in historic buildings can lead to severe deterioration. The aim of the present study was to give modern insight into the phylogenetic diversity and activated metabolic pathways of microbial communities colonized historic objects located in the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp in Oświęcim, Poland. For this purpose we combined molecular, microscopic and chemical methods. Selected specimens were examined using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), metabolomic analysis and high-throughput Illumina sequencing. FESEM imaging revealed the presence of complex microbial communities comprising diatoms, fungi and bacteria, mainly cyanobacteria and actinobacteria, on sample surfaces. Microbial diversity of brick specimens appeared higher than that of the wood and was dominated by algae and cyanobacteria, while wood was mainly colonized by fungi. DNA sequences documented the presence of 15 bacterial phyla representing 99 genera including Halomonas, Halorhodospira, Salinisphaera, Salinibacterium, Rubrobacter, Streptomyces, Arthrobacter and 9 fungal classes represented by 113 genera including Cladosporium, Acremonium, Alternaria, Engyodontium, Penicillium, Rhizopus and Aureobasidium. Most of the identified sequences were characteristic of organisms implicated in deterioration of wood and brick. Metabolomic data indicated the activation of numerous metabolic pathways, including those regulating the production of primary and secondary metabolites, for example, metabolites associated with the production of antibiotics, organic acids and deterioration of organic compounds. The study demonstrated that a combination of electron microscopy imaging with metabolomic and genomic techniques allows to link the phylogenetic information and metabolic profiles of microbial communities and to shed new light on biodeterioration processes