Industrial renewal within the construction network

The construction business network is generally seen as conservative and non-innovative, for which a number of reasons have been identified. One of these reasons relates to the special inter-organizational setting that exists within the industry. The starting point of our study was to investigate whether there is any truth in this perceived lack of innovation. One reason for the industry’s bad reputation could be that the way innovation generally is defined and measured is unsuitable for the construction business. Therefore, renewal was used as the central concept of change in our investigation. The second issue concerns factors that either assist or impede renewal, and the ambition was to identify those factors driving, as well as those hindering renewal. In order to identify the degree of renewal, as well as the factors affecting it, we conducted a survey of Swedish construction companies. The resulting picture shows a clear connection between the inter-organizational interfaces within the industry and how renewal takes place. The total renewal activity is on a considerable level with more than 60% having made changes visible from the customer’s point of view. The most active interface is also in relation to customers, while the relationship to suppliers generally is more distant. Finally, the project focus which characterizes the industry affects what type of renewal takes place, and exposes the lack of knowledge transfer between individual projects and actors as an important hindrance to renewal in the construction network.     

Promyelocytic blast crisis of chronic myelogenous leukaemia with translocations (9;22) and (15;17)

The murine monoclonal antibody A7 (MAb A7) is reactive against most human gastric cancer cell lines. Using a nude mouse peritoneal dissemination model of human gastric cancer, we investigated targeted chemotherapy using a conjugate of neocarzinostatin (NCS) with MAb A7 (A7-NCS). After demonstrating cytotoxicity of the complex against the human gastric cancer cell line MKN45 in vitro, we intraperitoneally injected A7-NCS, NCS or saline into nude mice bearing peritoneally disseminated human gastric cancer. A7-NCS inhibited peritoneal dissemination significantly more effectively than NCS. MAb A7 may prove to be an effective carrier for antineoplastic drugs in patients with peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer.     

Significance of concentrations and ratio of immunoglobulin G and M in the evaluation of anti-Toxoplasma IGM

The Authors have tested the significance of the correlation of the mean total IgM concentration, the IgG: IgM ratio and the presence of specific anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgM, determined with different serological reactions. The piece of research has been carried out on 72 samples of subjects with active toxoplasmic infections.     

Primary Cilia Structure Is Prolonged in Enteric Neurons of 5xFAD Alzheimer’s Disease Model Mice

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have long been acknowledged as mere disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). However, in recent years the gut with its autonomous nervous system and the multitude of microbial commensals has come into focus. Changes in gut properties have been described in patients and animal disease models such as altered enzyme secretion or architecture of the enteric nervous system. The underlying cellular mechanisms have so far only been poorly investigated. An important organelle for integrating potentially toxic signals such as the AD characteristic A-beta peptide is the primary cilium. This microtubule-based signaling organelle regulates numerous cellular processes. Even though the role of primary cilia in a variety of developmental and disease processes has recently been recognized, the contribution of defective ciliary signaling to neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, however, has not been investigated in detail so far. The AD mouse model 5xFAD was used to analyze possible changes in gut functionality by organ bath measurement of peristalsis movement. Subsequently, we cultured primary enteric neurons from mutant mice and wild type littermate controls and assessed for cellular pathomechanisms. Neurite mass was quantified within transwell culturing experiments. Using a combination of different markers for the primary cilium, cilia number and length were determined using fluorescence microscopy. 5xFAD mice showed altered gut anatomy, motility, and neurite mass of enteric neurons. Moreover, primary cilia could be demonstrated on the surface of enteric neurons and exhibited an elongated phenotype in 5xFAD mice. In parallel, we observed reduced β-Catenin expression, a key signaling molecule that regulates Wnt signaling, which is regulated in part via ciliary associated mechanisms. Both results could be recapitulated via in vitro treatments of enteric neurons from wild type mice with A-beta. So far, only a few reports on the probable role of primary cilia in AD can be found. Here, we reveal for the first time an architectural altered phenotype of primary cilia in the enteric nervous system of AD model mice, elicited potentially by neurotoxic A-beta. Potential changes on the sub-organelle level—also in CNS-derived neurons—require further investigations.     

Systematic Exploration of Natural and Synthetic Flavonoids for the Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms

When single-cell (or suspended) bacteria switch into the biofilm lifestyle, they become less susceptible to antimicrobials, imposing the need for anti-biofilms research. Flavonoids are among the most extensively studied natural compounds with an unprecedented amount of bioactivity claims. Most studies focus on the antibacterial effects against suspended cells; fewer reports have researched their anti-biofilm properties. Here, a high throughput phenotypic platform was utilized to screen for the inhibitory activity of 500 flavonoids, including natural and synthetic derivatives, against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. Since discrepancies among results from earlier antibacterial studies on flavonoids had been noted, the current study aimed to minimize sources of variations. After the first screen, flavonoids were classified as inactive (443), moderately active (47) or highly active (10). Further, exclusion criteria combining bioactivity and selectivity identified two synthetic flavans as the most promising. The body of data reported here serves three main purposes. First, it offers an improved methodological workflow for anti-biofilm screens of chemical libraries taking into account the (many times ignored) connections between anti-biofilm and antibacterial properties. This is particularly relevant for the study of flavonoids and other natural products. Second, it provides a large and freely available anti-biofilm bioactivity dataset that expands the knowledge on flavonoids and paves the way for future structure-activity relationship studies and structural optimizations. Finally, it identifies two new flavans that can successfully act on biofilms, as well as on suspended bacteria and represent more feasible antibacterial candidates.     

(+)-Dehydroabietic Acid,an Abietane-Type Diterpene,Inhibits Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms in Vitro

Potent drugs are desperately needed to counteract bacterial biofilm infections, especially those caused by gram-positive organisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, anti-biofilm compounds/agents that can be used as chemical tools are also needed for basic in vitro or in vivo studies aimed at exploring biofilms behavior and functionability. In this contribution, a collection of naturally-occurring abietane-type diterpenes and their derivatives was tested against S. aureus biofilms using a platform consisting of two phenotypic assays that have been previously published by our group. Three active compounds were identified: nordehydroabietylamine (1), (+)-dehydroabietic acid (2) and (+)-dehydroabietylamine (3) that prevented biofilm formation in the low micromolar range, and unlike typical antibiotics, only 2 to 4-fold higher concentrations were needed to significantly reduce viability and biomass of existing biofilms. Compound 2, (+)-dehydroabietic acid, was the most selective towards biofilm bacteria, achieving high killing efficacy (based on log Reduction values) and it was best tolerated by three different mammalian cell lines. Since (+)-dehydroabietic acid is an easily available compound, it holds great potential to be used as a molecular probe in biofilms-related studies as well as to serve as inspirational chemical model for the development of potent drug candidates.     

Effect of wheat flour characteristics on sponge cake quality

BACKGROUND: To select the flour parameters that relate strongly to cake‐making performance, in this study the relationship between sponge cake quality, solvent retention capacity (SRC) profile and flour physicochemical characteristics was investigated using 38 soft wheat samples of different origins. Particle size average, protein, damaged starch, water‐soluble pentosans, total pentosans, SRC and pasting properties were analysed. Sponge cake volume and crumb texture were measured to evaluate cake quality. Cluster analysis was applied to assess differences in flour quality parameters among wheat lines based on the SRC profile. RESULTS: Cluster 1 showed significantly higher sponge cake volume and crumb softness, finer particle size and lower SRC sucrose, SRC carbonate, SRC water, damaged starch and protein content. Particle size, damaged starch, protein, thickening capacity and SRC parameters correlated negatively with sponge cake volume, while total pentosans and pasting temperature showed the opposite effect. CONCLUSION: The negative correlations between cake volume and SRC parameters along with the cluster analysis results indicated that flours with smaller particle size, lower absorption capacity and higher pasting temperature had better cake‐making performance. Some simple analyses, such as SRC, particle size distribution and pasting properties, may help to choose flours suitable for cake making. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Living cells of Staphylococcus aureus immobilized onto the capillary surface in electrochromatography: a tool for screening of biofilms

Microorganisms attach to nonliving surfaces in many natural, industrial, and medical environments, enveloped within extracellular polymeric substances. The result is a biofilm. Biofilms are reported to exist in 65-80% of bacterial infections refractory to host defenses and antibiotics therapy and are regarded as a central problem in present-day medical microbiology. Understanding of the parameters governing the interaction of antimicrobials with biofilms is thus of great interest in any attempt to increase biocide efficacy. In this work, study was made of the feasibility of using open tubular capillary electrochromatography (CEC) in bacterial biofilm studies with living cells. Staphylococcus aureus was selected as model bacterium. First, S. aureus was shown, under various conditions, to form a biofilm on the inner wall of a fused-silica capillary coated with poly(L-lysine). Optimal conditions for biofilm formation, such as bacterial concentration, growing time, and the stability of the ensemble, were preliminarily defined with conventional 96-microtiter well plates. Continuous flushing of the capillary with fresh cells meant that no growth medium was needed. The presence of biofilm in the capillary was confirmed by atomic force microscopy. Interactions between S. aureus biofilms and different antibiomicrobial agents were studied by capillary electrochromatography. The effect of five antibiotics (penicillin G, oxacillin, fusidic acid, rifampicin, vancomycin) on biofilms was examined in terms of retention factors and reduced mobilities of the antibiotics. The antibiotic susceptibility profile for S. aureus is similar as the result of minimal inhibitory concentrations registered on the 96-microtiter well plates for both planktonic and biofilm cells. The results show, for the first time, that bacterial biofilms can be studied by CEC. The technique allows highly efficient and easy characterization of interactions between S. aureus biofilms and potentially active antimicrobial compounds under different conditions. Reagent and cell consumption are minimal.     

Renewal in construction projects: tracing effects of client requirements

Several studies identify clients as important drivers of innovation in the construction industry. How clients contribute to innovation is however less investigated. In two case studies of health care construction projects, we investigate how client requirements create renewal in the form of intra- as well as inter-project effects. Using an inter-organizational framework of actors, resources and activities (the ARA model), it is possible to identify a variation of effects. The paper concludes that both client requirements and their associated renewal effects are results of interaction in time as well as space. Renewal effects crossing individual projects are dependent on relationships among two or more actors that continue to interact in subsequent projects. In addition, these effects relate to several dimensions of interaction and include how actors relate in new ways, how resources are combined and how activities are organized. Thus, by adopting an interactive perspective, it is possible to reveal how construction clients can contribute to renewal such as innovation and learning, directly and indirectly, within and across projects. Finally, we suggest that managers need to consider the role of long-term business relationships in achieving increased renewal in construction.