Concentrations of eight bisphenol analogues (BPs) including BPA, BPS, and BPF were determined in surface waters collected from select rivers in Japan, Korea, China, and India. BPA was found at a ...concentration in the range of several tens to several hundreds of nanograms per liter in most of the rivers surveyed and some of the highest concentrations (54–1950ng/L) were found in rivers in Chennai, India. Concentrations of BPF were one to two orders of magnitude higher than those of BPA in river and sea waters collected from Japan, Korea and China, which suggested that BPF is a major contaminant in surface waters in several Southeast Asian countries. BPF concentrations as high as 2850ng/L were found in the Tamagawa River in Japan. The flux of BPs through riverine discharges into Tokyo Bay was calculated to be approximately 5.5t per year. Based on the flux estimates and the mass of BPF found in water column and sediment in Tokyo Bay, it was found that BPF degrades faster than BPA in the environment. Elevated concentrations of BPF found in surface waters suggest the need for further studies to determine the fate and toxicity of this compound.
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•BPA, BPS, and BPF were measured in surface waters in four Asian countries.•BPA was found at several tens to hundreds of ng/L concentrations.•BPF was the major bisphenol in rivers and the levels exceeded those of BPA.•The riverine flux of BPA, BPS, and BPF was calculated for Tokyo Bay.
Embracing Transformational Leadership Schaubroeck, John; Lam, Simon S. K; Cha, Sandra E
Journal of applied psychology,
07/2007, Letnik:
92, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The authors investigated the relationship between transformational leadership behavior and group performance in 218 financial services teams that were branches of a bank in Hong Kong and the United ...States. Transformational leadership influenced team performance through the mediating effect of team potency. The effect of transformational leadership on team potency was moderated by team power distance and team collectivism, such that higher power distance teams and more collectivistic teams exhibited stronger positive effects of transformational leadership on team potency. The model was supported by data in both Hong Kong and the United States, which suggests a convergence in how teams function in the East and West and highlights the importance of team values.
► The partitioning of PFOA, PFOS and PFOSA between water and sediment was evaluated. ► The log
K
OC was 4.1
cm
3
g
−1 for PFOSA, 3.7
cm
3
g
−1 for PFOS and 2.4
cm
3
g
−1 for PFOA. ► PFOA, PFOS and ...PFOSA were present in the dissolved phase at low SPM concentration. ► The organic content and density of the sediment influencing the partitioning.
Laboratory partitioning experiments were conducted to elucidate the sorption behaviour and partitioning of perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs). Three different sediment types were used and separately spiked with perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA) at low environmentally realistic concentrations. PFOA, PFOS and PFOSA were mainly distributed in the dissolved phase at low suspended solid concentrations, indicating their long-range transport potential in the marine environment. In all cases, the equilibrium isotherms were linear and the organic carbon normalised partition coefficients (
K
OC) decreased in the following order: PFOSA (log
K
OC
=
4.1
±
0.35
cm
3
g
−1)
>
PFOS (3.7
±
0.56
cm
3
g
−1)
>
PFOA (2.4
±
0.12
cm
3
g
−1). The level of organic content had a significant influence on the partitioning. For the sediment with negligible organic content the density of the sediment became the most important factor influencing the partitioning. Ultimately, data on the partitioning of PFCs between aqueous media and suspended solids are essential for modelling their transport and environmental fate.
BackgroundThe goal of this study was to characterize viral loads and factors affecting viral clearance in persons with severe influenza MethodsThis was a 1-year prospective, observational study ...involving consecutive adults hospitalized with influenza. Nasal and throat swabs were collected at presentation, then daily until 1 week after symptom onset. Real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to determine viral RNA concentration and virus isolation were performed. Viral RNA concentration was analyzed using multiple linear or logistic regressions or mixed-effect models ResultsOne hundred forty-seven inpatients with influenza A (H3N2) infection were studied (mean age ± standard deviation, 72±16 years). Viral RNA concentration at presentation positively correlated with symptom scores and was significantly higher than that among time-matched outpatients (control subjects). Patients with major comorbidities had high viral RNA concentration even when presenting >2 days after symptom onset (mean ± standard deviation, 5.06±1.85 vs 3.62±2.13 log10 copies/mL; P=.005; β, +0.86 95% confidence interval, +0.03 to +1.68). Viral RNA concentration demonstrated a nonlinear decrease with time; 26% of oseltamivir-treated and 57% of untreated patients had RNA detected at 1 week after symptom onset. Oseltamivir started on or before symptom day 4 was independently associated with an accelerated decrease in viral RNA concentration (mean β standard error, −1.19 0.43 and −0.68 0.33 log10 copies/mL for patients treated on day 1 and days 2–3, respectively; P<.05) and viral RNA clearance at 1 week (odds ratio, 0.10 95% confidence interval, 0.03–0.35 and 0.30 0.10–0.90 for patients treated on day 1–2 and day 3–4, respectively). Conversely, major comorbidities and systemic corticosteroid use for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations were associated with slower viral clearance. Viral RNA clearance was associated with a shorter hospital stay (7.0 vs 13.5 days; P=.001) ConclusionPatients hospitalized with severe influenza have more active and prolonged viral replication. Weakened host defenses slow viral clearance, whereas antivirals started within the first 4 days of illness enhance viral clearance
To determine how the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling acts along the gut-liver axis, we employed an integrated metagenomic and metabolomic approach to comprehensively profile the microbial ...and metabolic networks. Adult zebrafish were exposed to a model agonist of the AhR: polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) 126. The metagenomic analysis showed that PCB126 suppressed microbial activities related to primary bile acid metabolism in male intestines. Accordingly, a suite of primary bile acids consistently showed higher concentrations, suggesting that bacterial conversion of primary bile acids was blocked. PCB126 also disturbed bacterial metabolism of bile acids in female intestines, as revealed by higher concentrations of primary bile acids (e.g., chenodeoxycholic acid) and activation of the nuclear farnesoid X receptor signaling. In addition, PCB126 exposure impaired the metabolism of various essential vitamins (e.g., retinol, vitamin B6, and folate). Degradation of vitamin B6 by bacterial enzymes was inhibited in male intestines, resulting in its intestinal accumulation. However, PCB126 suppressed the bacterial metabolism of vitamins in female intestines, causing systematic deficiency of essential vitamins. Overall, we found that PCB126 exposure dysregulated gut microbial activities, consequently interrupting bile acid and vitamin metabolism along the gut-liver axis. The findings provided an insight of the AhR action in microbe-host metabolic communication related to PCBs.
Adiponectin may have an antiatherogenic effect by reducing endothelial activation. We hypothesized that plasma adiponectin levels were correlated with endothelial function.
Plasma adiponectin level ...was determined by an in-house RIA assay using a rabbit polyclonal antibody in 73 type 2 diabetic patients and 73 controls. Endothelium-dependent and independent vasodilation of the brachial artery was measured by high-resolution vascular ultrasound. Plasma adiponectin level was lower in diabetic patients than in controls (4.73 ± 1.96 vs. 7.69 ± 2.80 μg/ml, respectively; P < 0.001), and they also had impaired endothelium-dependent (5.6 ± 3.6 vs. 8.6 ± 4.5%, respectively; P < 0.001) and -independent vasodilation (13.3 ± 4.9 vs. 16.5 ± 5.6%, respectively; P < 0.001). Plasma adiponectin correlated with endothelium-dependent vasodilation in controls (P = 0.02) and diabetic patients (P = 0.04). On general linear-model univariate analysis, brachial artery diameter, the presence of diabetes, plasma adiponectin, and high-density lipoprotein were significant independent determinants of endothelium-dependent vasodilation. In vitro experiments showed that endothelial cells expressed adiponectin receptors, and adiponectin increased nitric oxide production in human aortic endothelial cells.
In conclusion, low plasma adiponectin level is associated with impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation, and the association is independent of diabetes mellitus. Adiponectin may act as a link between adipose tissue and the vasculature.
Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an important source of pharmaceuticals released into the environment. Understanding how various pharmaceuticals are distributed and handled in WWTPs ...is a prerequisite to optimize their abatement. Here we investigated the spatial distribution and removal efficiencies pharmaceuticals in China's WWTPs. A total of 35 pharmaceuticals in wastewater samples from 12 WWTPs at different cities of China were analyzed. Among these detected pharmaceuticals, caffeine showed the highest concentration (up to 1775.98ngL−1) in the WWTP influent. In addition, there were significant regional differences in pharmaceutical distribution with higher influent concentrations of total pharmaceuticals detected in WWTPs in the northern cities than the southern ones. The state-of-the-art treatment processes were generally inefficient in removing pharmaceuticals. Only 14.3% of pharmaceuticals were removed effectively (mean removal efficiency>70%), while 51.4% had a removal rate of below 30%. The anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (AAO)-membrane bioreactor (MBR) integrated process and sequencing batch reactor (SBR) showed better performance than the AAO and oxidation ditch (OD) processes. Ofloxacin, erythromycin-H2O, clarithromycin, roxithromycin and sulfamethoxazole in WWTP effluents exhibited a high or medium ecological risk and deserved special attention.
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•Caffeine showed the highest influent concentration than other pharmaceuticals.•WWTPs in north China had higher influent level of total pharmaceuticals.•Pharmaceuticals removal performance was associated with the treatment processes.•Several high-risk pharmaceuticals to the environment were identified.
Emergent perspectives in marketing highlight new opportunities for co-opting customers as a means to define and cocreate value through their participation. This study delineates and empirically tests ...hypotheses regarding the effects of customer participation (CP) on value creation and satisfaction for both customers and employees with different cultural value orientations in the context of professional financial services. Using data collected from 349 pairs of customers and service employees in two national groups (Hong Kong and the United States) of a global financial institution, this study examines how (1) CP drives performance outcomes (i.e., customer satisfaction, employee job satisfaction, and employee job performance) through the creation of economic and relational values and (2) the effects of CP on value creation depend on participants' cultural value orientations. Promoting CP could be a double-edged sword for firms: CP enhances customers' economic value attainment and strengthens the relational bond between customers and employees, but it also increases employees' job stress and hampers their job satisfaction. Moreover, the effects of CP on value creation depend on the cultural values of both customers and service employees; this result implies that arranging customers and service employees with "matched" cultural value orientations could facilitate the creation of value through CP. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Marine lipophilic phycotoxins (MLPs) are produced by toxigenic microalgae and cause foodborne illnesses. However, there is little information on the trophic transfer potential of MLPs in marine food ...webs. In this study, various food web components including 17 species of mollusks, crustaceans, and fishes were collected for an analysis of 17 representative MLPs, including azaspiracids (AZAs), brevetoxins (BTXs), gymnodimine (GYM), spirolides (SPXs), okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxins (DTXs), pectenotoxins (PTXs), yessotoxins (YTXs), and ciguatoxins (CTXs). Among the 17 target MLPs, 12, namely, AZAs1–3, BTX3, GYM, SPX1, OA, DTXs1–2, PTX2, YTX, and the YTX derivative homoYTX, were detected, and the total MLP concentrations ranged from 0.316 to 20.3 ng g–1 wet weight (ww). The mean total MLP concentrations generally decreased as follows: mollusks (8.54 ng g–1, ww) > crustaceans (1.38 ng g–1, ww) > fishes (0.914 ng g–1, ww). OA, DTXs, and YTXs were the predominant MLPs accumulated in the studied biota. Trophic dilution of the total MLPs was observed with a trophic magnification factor of 0.109. The studied MLPs might not pose health risks to residents who consume contaminated seafood; however, their potential risks to the ecosystem can be a cause for concern.
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