Salmonella-secreted Virulence Factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heffron, Fred; Niemann, George; Yoon, Hyunjin; Kidwai, Afshan S.; Brown, Roslyn N.; McDermott, Jason E.; Smith, Richard D.; Adkins, Joshua N.

2011-05-01

In this short review we discuss secreted virulence factors of Salmonella, which directly affect Salmonella interaction with its host. Salmonella secretes protein to subvert host defenses but also, as discussed, to reduce virulence thereby permitting the bacteria to persist longer and more successfully disperse. The type III secretion system (TTSS) is the best known and well studied of the mechanisms that enable secretion from the bacterial cytoplasm to the host cell cytoplasm. Other secretion systems include outer membrane vesicles, which are present in all Gram-negative bacteria examined to date, two-partner secretion, and type VI secretion will also be addressed. Excellent reviews of Salmonella secreted effectors have focused on themes such as actin rearrangements, vesicular trafficking, ubiquitination, and the activities of the virulence factors themselves. This short review is based on S. Typhimurium infection of mice because it is a model of typhoid like disease in humans. We have organized effectors in terms of events that happen during the infection cycle and how secreted effectors may be involved.

Virulence Factors Associated with Enterococcus Faecalis Infective Endocarditis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Kristian T; Skov, Marianne N; Gill, Sabine

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: The enterococci are accountable for up to 20% of all cases of infective endocarditis, with Enterococcus faecalis being the primary causative isolate. Infective endocarditis is a life-threatening infection of the endocardium that results in the formation of vegetations. Based...... on a literature review, this paper provides an overview of the virulence factors associated with E. faecalis infective endocarditis. Furthermore, it reports the effects of active or passive immunization against some of these involved factors. INDIVIDUAL VIRULENCE FACTORS: Nine virulence factors have in particular...... been associated with E. faecalis infective endocarditis. Absence of these factors entailed attenuation of strains in both mixed- and mono-bacterial infection endocarditis models as well as in in vitro and ex vivo assays when compared to their virulence factor expressing parental strains. PATHOGENESIS...

Expression of virulence factors by Staphylococcus aureus grown in serum.

Science.gov (United States)

Oogai, Yuichi; Matsuo, Miki; Hashimoto, Masahito; Kato, Fuminori; Sugai, Motoyuki; Komatsuzawa, Hitoshi

2011-11-01

Staphylococcus aureus produces many virulence factors, including toxins, immune-modulatory factors, and exoenzymes. Previous studies involving the analysis of virulence expression were mainly performed by in vitro experiments using bacterial medium. However, when S. aureus infects a host, the bacterial growth conditions are quite different from those in a medium, which may be related to the different expression of virulence factors in the host. In this study, we investigated the expression of virulence factors in S. aureus grown in calf serum. The expression of many virulence factors, including hemolysins, enterotoxins, proteases, and iron acquisition factors, was significantly increased compared with that in bacterial medium. In addition, the expression of RNA III, a global regulon for virulence expression, was significantly increased. This effect was partially restored by the addition of 300 μM FeCl₃ into serum, suggesting that iron depletion is associated with the increased expression of virulence factors in serum. In chemically defined medium without iron, a similar effect was observed. In a mutant with agr inactivated grown in serum, the expression of RNA III, psm, and sec4 was not increased, while other factors were still induced in the mutant, suggesting that another regulatory factor(s) is involved. In addition, we found that serum albumin is a major factor for the capture of free iron to prevent the supply of iron to bacteria grown in serum. These results indicate that S. aureus expresses virulence factors in adaptation to the host environment.

Production Of Some Virulence Factors Under Different Growth ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Production Of Some Virulence Factors Under Different Growth Conditions And Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern Of ... Animal Research International ... Keywords: Virulence, Haemolytic activity, Susceptibility, Antibiotics, Aeromonas hydrophila

Factors Manipulate ERP Implementation: An Experiential Study from Pakistan

OpenAIRE

Muhammad Jamil Anjum; Saif-ur-rehman Khan

2015-01-01

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a foremost improvement in the arena of organizational management and information system. ERP has the ability to integrate and assimilate the information in an efficient way. ERP is an utmost extensive business management system that presents real-time competences and flawless presentation of information for organizations and businesses. Nevertheless, not all the ERP implementation projects are successful. Implementation of ERP affects the overall processe...

Risk Management method to ERP systems implementation based os critical sucess factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Márcio Saez Caputo

2004-10-01

Full Text Available From the second half of years 90, the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP systems implementation appears like one of the main investment focus related to the use of information technology in the companies, which aimed to acquire competitive advantages through cost reduction and differentiation of products with the use of these systems. ERP implementation showed to be much more than a technology project, involving structural and managing changes, becoming a complex and high risk process for the organizations. In the literature specialized on ERP, there are many examples of the difficulties of this type of project and about implementations that had not reached the expected objectives, frustrating the expectations of the contractors. The present work describes, first of all, the development of a risk management method to ERP systems implementation, based on critical success factors. Then, a case of application of the considered method is analyzed, detailing the steps and the results gotten until the moment. To the end, evidences regarding to how the method helps to improve risk management during ERP implementations are presented.

Virulence regulation in Staphylococcus aureus: the need for in vivo analysis of virulence factor regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pragman, Alexa A; Schlievert, Patrick M

2004-10-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic microorganism that is responsible for a wide variety of clinical infections. These infections can be relatively mild, but serious, life-threatening infections may result from the expression of staphylococcal virulence factors that are coordinated by virulence regulators. Much work has been done to characterize the actions of staphylococcal virulence regulators in broth culture. Recently, several laboratories showed that transcriptional analyses of virulence regulators in in vivo animal models or in human infection did not correlate with transcriptional analyses accomplished in vitro. In describing the differences between in vitro and in vivo transcription of staphylococcal virulence regulators, we hope to encourage investigators to study virulence regulators using infection models whenever possible.

Helicobacter pylori virulence factors in development of gastric carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ming-Yi; Liu, Xiao-Fei; Gao, Xiao-Zhong

2015-01-01

Helicobacter pylori plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of gastric carcinoma. However, only a relatively small proportion of individuals infected with H. pylori develop gastric carcinoma. Differences in the incidence of gastric carcinoma among infected individuals can be explained, at least partly, by the different genotypes of H. pylori virulence factors. Thus far, many virulence factors of H. pylori, such as Cag PAI, VacA, OMPs and DupA, have been reported to be involved in the development of gastric cancer. The risk of developing gastric cancer during H. pylori infection is affected by specific host-microbe interactions that are independent of H. pylori virulence factors. In this review, we discuss virulence factors of H. pylori and their role in the development of gastric carcinoma that will provide further understanding of the biological interactions of H. pylori with the host.

Modularity, Integration and IT Personnel Skills Factors in Linking ERP to SCM Systems

OpenAIRE

Chung, Sock H; Tang, Hung-Lian; Ahmad, Imtiaz

2011-01-01

This study investigates some underlying technological factors for linking enterprise resource planning (ERP) to supply chain management (SCM) systems. ERP systems serve technological requirements across functional areas within a corporate boundary while SCM systems focus on collaborative relationships with partners in the supply chain, emphasizing business process integration and information sharing through IT. In order to facilitate SCM operations for business planning and decision making, a...

ERP ASSIMILATION: AN END-USER APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hurbean Luminita

2013-07-01

The paper discusses the ERP adoption based on the IT assimilation theory. The ERP lifecycle is associated with the IT assimilation steps. We propose a distribution of these steps along the lifecycle. Derived from the findings in the reviewed literature we will focus the cultural factors, in particular those related to the end-users (determined as a major impact factor in our previous study: Negovan et al., 2011. Our empirical study is centred on the end-users perspective and it tries to determine if and how their behaviour affects the achievement of the ERP assimilation steps. The paper reasons that organizations that understand the IT assimilation steps correlated to the ERP implementation critical factors are more likely to implement and use ERP successfully.

Mechanisms of disease: Helicobacter pylori virulence factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaoka, Yoshio

2010-11-01

Helicobacter pylori plays an essential role in the development of various gastroduodenal diseases; however, only a small proportion of people infected with H. pylori develop these diseases. Some populations that have a high prevalence of H. pylori infection also have a high incidence of gastric cancer (for example, in East Asia), whereas others do not (for example, in Africa and South Asia). Even within East Asia, the incidence of gastric cancer varies (decreasing in the south). H. pylori is a highly heterogeneous bacterium and its virulence varies geographically. Geographic differences in the incidence of gastric cancer can be explained, at least in part, by the presence of different types of H. pylori virulence factor, especially CagA, VacA and OipA. However, it is still unclear why the pathogenicity of H. pylori increased as it migrated from Africa to East Asia during the course of evolution. H. pylori infection is also thought to be involved in the development of duodenal ulcer, which is at the opposite end of the disease spectrum to gastric cancer. This discrepancy can be explained in part by the presence of H. pylori virulence factor DupA. Despite advances in our understanding of the development of H. pylori-related diseases, further work is required to clarify the roles of H. pylori virulence factors.

Systems analysis of multiple regulator perturbations allows discovery of virulence factors in Salmonella

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Hyunjin; Ansong, Charles; McDermott, Jason E.; Gritsenko, Marina A.; Smith, Richard D.; Heffron, Fred; Adkins, Joshua N.

2011-06-28

Background: Systemic bacterial infections are highly regulated and complex processes that are orchestrated by numerous virulence factors. Genes that are coordinately controlled by the set of regulators required for systemic infection are potentially required for pathogenicity. Results: In this study we present a systems biology approach in which sample-matched multi-omic measurements of fourteen virulence-essential regulator mutants were coupled with computational network analysis to efficiently identify Salmonella virulence factors. Immunoblot experiments verified network-predicted virulence factors and a subset was determined to be secreted into the host cytoplasm, suggesting that they are virulence factors directly interacting with host cellular components. Two of these, SrfN and PagK2, were required for full mouse virulence and were shown to be translocated independent of either of the type III secretion systems in Salmonella or the type III injectisome-related flagellar mechanism. Conclusions: Integrating multi-omic datasets from Salmonella mutants lacking virulence regulators not only identified novel virulence factors but also defined a new class of translocated effectors involved in pathogenesis. The success of this strategy at discovery of known and novel virulence factors suggests that the approach may have applicability for other bacterial pathogens.

Virulence Factors of Erwinia amylovora: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Núria Piqué

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Erwinia amylovora, a Gram negative bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family, is the causal agent of fire blight, a devastating plant disease affecting a wide range of host species within Rosaceae and a major global threat to commercial apple and pear production. Among the limited number of control options currently available, prophylactic application of antibiotics during the bloom period appears the most effective. Pathogen cells enter plants through the nectarthodes of flowers and other natural openings, such as wounds, and are capable of rapid movement within plants and the establishment of systemic infections. Many virulence determinants of E. amylovora have been characterized, including the Type III secretion system (T3SS, the exopolysaccharide (EPS amylovoran, biofilm formation, and motility. To successfully establish an infection, E. amylovora uses a complex regulatory network to sense the relevant environmental signals and coordinate the expression of early and late stage virulence factors involving two component signal transduction systems, bis-(3′-5′-cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP and quorum sensing. The LPS biosynthetic gene cluster is one of the relatively few genetic differences observed between Rubus- and Spiraeoideae-infecting genotypes of E. amylovora. Other differential factors, such as the presence and composition of an integrative conjugative element associated with the Hrp T3SS (hrp genes encoding the T3SS apparatus, have been recently described. In the present review, we present the recent findings on virulence factors research, focusing on their role in bacterial pathogenesis and indicating other virulence factors that deserve future research to characterize them.

Expression of Virulence Factors by Staphylococcus aureus Grown in Serum▿†

OpenAIRE

Oogai, Yuichi; Matsuo, Miki; Hashimoto, Masahito; Kato, Fuminori; Sugai, Motoyuki; Komatsuzawa, Hitoshi

2011-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus produces many virulence factors, including toxins, immune-modulatory factors, and exoenzymes. Previous studies involving the analysis of virulence expression were mainly performed by in vitro experiments using bacterial medium. However, when S. aureus infects a host, the bacterial growth conditions are quite different from those in a medium, which may be related to the different expression of virulence factors in the host. In this study, we investigated the expression of...

Virulence factors of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex

Science.gov (United States)

Forrellad, Marina A.; Klepp, Laura I.; Gioffré, Andrea; Sabio y García, Julia; Morbidoni, Hector R.; Santangelo, María de la Paz; Cataldi, Angel A.; Bigi, Fabiana

2013-01-01

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) consists of closely related species that cause tuberculosis in both humans and animals. This illness, still today, remains to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. The mycobacteria enter the host by air, and, once in the lungs, are phagocytated by macrophages. This may lead to the rapid elimination of the bacillus or to the triggering of an active tuberculosis infection. A large number of different virulence factors have evolved in MTBC members as a response to the host immune reaction. The aim of this review is to describe the bacterial genes/proteins that are essential for the virulence of MTBC species, and that have been demonstrated in an in vivo model of infection. Knowledge of MTBC virulence factors is essential for the development of new vaccines and drugs to help manage the disease toward an increasingly more tuberculosis-free world. PMID:23076359

Vicious and virtuous cycles in ERP implementation : a case study of interrelations between critical success factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akkermans, H.A.; Helden, van K.

2002-01-01

ERP implementations are complex undertakings. Recent research has provided us with plausible critical success factors (CSFs) for such implementations. This article describes how one list of CSFs (Somers & Nelson, 2001) was used to analyse and explain project performance in one ERP implementation in

Using the partial least squares (PLS) method to establish critical success factor interdependence in ERP implementation projects

OpenAIRE

Esteves, José; Pastor Collado, Juan Antonio; Casanovas Garcia, Josep

2002-01-01

This technical research report proposes the usage of a statistical approach named Partial Least squares (PLS) to define the relationships between critical success factors for ERP implementation projects. In previous research work, we developed a unified model of critical success factors for ERP implementation projects. Some researchers have evidenced the relationships between these critical success factors, however no one has defined in a form...

Successful Issues for Implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LI Bing-guang; Michael W. Riley

2003-01-01

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have emerged and have matured to become the core of successful information management and the enterprise backbone of organizations for applications such as e-business, Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Customer Relation Management (CRM). This paper theorizes and generalizes the important steps and factors for ERP implementation success. First, the paper gives an introduction to ERP and the relationships between MRP, MPRII and ERP. The benefits and motivations of adoption of ERP systems are introduced. Steps for ERP system selection and implementation are presented. The paper proposes a qualitative analysis of the key factors that affect a successful ERP implementation.

Determination of virulence factors and biofilm formation among isolates of vulvovaginal candidiasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tapan Majumdar

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Under morphogenesis-inducing conditions, Candida spp. begins to undergo yeast-to-hypha switch. This shift from commensal to pathogenic state is dependent on several virulence factors. Aim: To find out whether the isolated Candida spp. were pathogens causing vulvovaginal candidiasis or mere bystanders. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional observational study conducted on 275 symptomatic hospital patients in Tripura between August 2012 and April 2015. Subjects and Methods: Discharge was collected from patients and identified by Grams staining and wet mount test. Culturing was done in Sabouraud dextrose agar followed by speciation. To test for virulence factors, assays for adherence, plasma coagulase, phospholipase, lipase, protease, hemolysin, and biofilm formation were carried out. Statistical Analysis Used: Significance between two groups was compared using one-way analysis of variance along with Tukey test, and Chi-square 2 × 2 contingency table at 95% confidence interval. Results: Fifty-six Candida spp. could be isolated in the study which was used for further virulence tests. One hundred percent of isolates expressed adherence. Among other virulence factors, maximum virulence 25 (45% was shown through protease production. Hemolysin production and biofilm formation were the second most 22 (39% expressed virulence factors. In a comparison of virulence factors between biofilm-forming isolates and planktonic cells, significant difference was seen for plasma coagulase and hemolysin production. Conclusions: All the isolates expressed one or more virulence factors. Adherence was expressed in all isolates but highest number was observed for Candida albicans. Furthermore, C. albicans strain number was highest for protease, hemolysin and coagulase expression and biofilm formation. Candida krusei isolates were the least in number for expressing any of the virulence factors. Significantly higher number of biofilm forming isolates produced

User Satisfaction Issues in ERP Projects

OpenAIRE

Shahin Dezdar

2012-01-01

Over the past few years, companies in developing countries have implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Regardless of the various benefits of the ERP system, its adoption and implementation have not been without problems. Many companies have assigned considerable organizational resources to their ERP projects, but have encountered unexpected challenges. Neglecting a number of important factors in ERP projects might lead to failure instead of success. User ...

Modularity, Integration and IT Personnel Skills Factors in Linking ERP to SCM Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sock H Chung

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This study investigates some underlying technological factors for linking enterprise resource planning (ERP to supply chain management (SCM systems. ERP systems serve technological requirements across functional areas within a corporate boundary while SCM systems focus on collaborative relationships with partners in the supply chain, emphasizing business process integration and information sharing through IT. In order to facilitate SCM operations for business planning and decision making, an ERP system must be extensible in terms of support for a range of external constituents in the supply chain. The research reported in this paper investigates these linkages and provides a framework for developing and evaluating SCM processes in order to serve enterprise needs in terms of resource management for scalability, implementation costs and operational efficiency for meeting the business objectives.

The Central Metabolism Regulator EIIAGlc Switches Salmonella from Growth Arrest to Acute Virulence through Activation of Virulence Factor Secretion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alain Mazé

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The ability of Salmonella to cause disease depends on metabolic activities and virulence factors. Here, we show that a key metabolic protein, EIIAGlc, is absolutely essential for acute infection, but not for Salmonella survival, in a mouse typhoid fever model. Surprisingly, phosphorylation-dependent EIIAGlc functions, including carbohydrate transport and activation of adenylate cyclase for global regulation, do not explain this virulence phenotype. Instead, biochemical studies, in vitro secretion and translocation assays, and in vivo genetic epistasis experiments suggest that EIIAGlc binds to the type three secretion system 2 (TTSS-2 involved in systemic virulence, stabilizes its cytoplasmic part including the crucial TTSS-2 ATPase, and activates virulence factor secretion. This unexpected role of EIIAGlc reveals a striking direct link between central Salmonella metabolism and a crucial virulence mechanism.

Proteomics Analysis Reveals Previously Uncharacterized Virulence Factors in Vibrio proteolyticus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ann Ray

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Members of the genus Vibrio include many pathogens of humans and marine animals that share genetic information via horizontal gene transfer. Hence, the Vibrio pan-genome carries the potential to establish new pathogenic strains by sharing virulence determinants, many of which have yet to be characterized. Here, we investigated the virulence properties of Vibrio proteolyticus, a Gram-negative marine bacterium previously identified as part of the Vibrio consortium isolated from diseased corals. We found that V. proteolyticus causes actin cytoskeleton rearrangements followed by cell lysis in HeLa cells in a contact-independent manner. In search of the responsible virulence factor involved, we determined the V. proteolyticus secretome. This proteomics approach revealed various putative virulence factors, including active type VI secretion systems and effectors with virulence toxin domains; however, these type VI secretion systems were not responsible for the observed cytotoxic effects. Further examination of the V. proteolyticus secretome led us to hypothesize and subsequently demonstrate that a secreted hemolysin, belonging to a previously uncharacterized clan of the leukocidin superfamily, was the toxin responsible for the V. proteolyticus-mediated cytotoxicity in both HeLa cells and macrophages. Clearly, there remains an armory of yet-to-be-discovered virulence factors in the Vibrio pan-genome that will undoubtedly provide a wealth of knowledge on how a pathogen can manipulate host cells.

Long-distance delivery of bacterial virulence factors by Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane vesicles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer M Bomberger

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Bacteria use a variety of secreted virulence factors to manipulate host cells, thereby causing significant morbidity and mortality. We report a mechanism for the long-distance delivery of multiple bacterial virulence factors, simultaneously and directly into the host cell cytoplasm, thus obviating the need for direct interaction of the pathogen with the host cell to cause cytotoxicity. We show that outer membrane-derived vesicles (OMV secreted by the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa deliver multiple virulence factors, including beta-lactamase, alkaline phosphatase, hemolytic phospholipase C, and Cif, directly into the host cytoplasm via fusion of OMV with lipid rafts in the host plasma membrane. These virulence factors enter the cytoplasm of the host cell via N-WASP-mediated actin trafficking, where they rapidly distribute to specific subcellular locations to affect host cell biology. We propose that secreted virulence factors are not released individually as naked proteins into the surrounding milieu where they may randomly contact the surface of the host cell, but instead bacterial derived OMV deliver multiple virulence factors simultaneously and directly into the host cell cytoplasm in a coordinated manner.

Frequency of virulence factors in Helicobacter pylori-infected patients with gastritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Salimzadeh, Loghman; Bagheri, Nader; Zamanzad, Behnam; Azadegan-Dehkordi, Fatemeh; Rahimian, Ghorbanali; Hashemzadeh-Chaleshtori, Morteza; Rafieian-Kopaei, Mahmoud; Sanei, Mohammad Hossein; Shirzad, Hedayatollah

2015-03-01

The outcome of Helicobacter pylori infection has been related to specific virulence-associated bacterial genotypes. The vacuolating cytotoxin (vacA), cagA gene, oipA and babA2 gene are important virulence factor involving gastric diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between virulence factors of H. pylori and histopathological findings. Gastroduodenoscopy was performed in 436 dyspeptic patients. Antrum biopsy was obtained for detection of H. pylori, virulence factors and for histopathological assessment. The polymerase chain reaction was used to detect virulence factors of H. pylori using specific primers. vacA genotypes in patients infected with H. pylori were associated with cagA, iceA1 and iceA2. In the patients with H. pylori infection there was a significant relationship between cagA positivity and neutrophil activity (P = 0.004) and chronic inflammation (P = 0.013) and with H. pylori density (P = 0.034). Neutrophil infiltration was found to be more severe in the s1 group than in the s2 group (P = 0.042). Also was a significant relationship between oipA positivity and neutrophil activity (P = 0.004) and with H. pylori density (P = 0.018). No significant relationships were observed between other vacA genotypes and histopathological parameters. H. pylori strains showing cagA, vacA s1 and oipA positivity are associated with more severe gastritis in some histological features but virulence factors of H. pylori do not appear to determine the overall pattern of gastritis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How Do the Virulence Factors of Shigella Work Together to Cause Disease?

Science.gov (United States)

Mattock, Emily; Blocker, Ariel J

2017-01-01

Shigella is the major cause of bacillary dysentery world-wide. It is divided into four species, named S. flexneri, S. sonnei, S. dysenteriae , and S. boydii , which are distinct genomically and in their ability to cause disease. Shigellosis, the clinical presentation of Shigella infection, is characterized by watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. Shigella 's ability to cause disease has been attributed to virulence factors, which are encoded on chromosomal pathogenicity islands and the virulence plasmid. However, information on these virulence factors is not often brought together to create a detailed picture of infection, and how this translates into shigellosis symptoms. Firstly, Shigella secretes virulence factors that induce severe inflammation and mediate enterotoxic effects on the colon, producing the classic watery diarrhea seen early in infection. Secondly, Shigella injects virulence effectors into epithelial cells via its Type III Secretion System to subvert the host cell structure and function. This allows invasion of epithelial cells, establishing a replicative niche, and causes erratic destruction of the colonic epithelium. Thirdly, Shigella produces effectors to down-regulate inflammation and the innate immune response. This promotes infection and limits the adaptive immune response, causing the host to remain partially susceptible to re-infection. Combinations of these virulence factors may contribute to the different symptoms and infection capabilities of the diverse Shigella species, in addition to distinct transmission patterns. Further investigation of the dominant species causing disease, using whole-genome sequencing and genotyping, will allow comparison and identification of crucial virulence factors and may contribute to the production of a pan- Shigella vaccine.

Virulence Factors of Aeromonas hydrophila: in the Wake of Reclassification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cody R Rasmussen-Ivey

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The ubiquitous jack-of-all-trades, Aeromonas hydrophila, is a freshwater, Gram-negative bacterial pathogen under revision in regard to its phylogenetic and functional affiliation with other aeromonads. While virulence factors are expectedly diverse across A. hydrophila strains and closely related species, our mechanistic knowledge of the vast majority of these factors is based on the molecular characterization of the strains A. hydrophila AH-3 and SSU, which were reclassified as A. piscicola AH-3 in 2009 and A. dhakensis SSU in 2013. Individually, these reclassifications raise important questions involving the applicability of previous research on A. hydrophila virulence mechanisms; however, this issue is exacerbated by a lack of genomic data on other research strains. Collectively, these changes represent a fundamental gap in the literature on A. hydrophila and confirm the necessity of biochemical, molecular, and morphological techniques in the classification of research strains that are used as a foundation for future research. This review revisits what is known about virulence in A. hydrophila and the feasibility of using comparative genomics in light of this phylogenetic revision. Conflicting data between virulence factors, secretion systems, quorum sensing, and their effect on A. hydrophila pathogenicity appears to be an artifact of inappropriate taxonomic comparisons and/or be due to the fact that these properties are strain-specific. This review audits emerging data on dominant virulence factors that are present in both A. dhakensis and A. hydrophila in order to synthesize existing data with the aim of locating where future research is needed.

Factors Influencing Post-Adoptive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Utilization

Science.gov (United States)

McGinnis, Thomas C.

2011-01-01

Organizations expend a great deal of time, effort and money on the implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. They are considered the price of entry for large organizations to do business. Yet the success rate of ERP systems is poor. IS literature suggests that one possible reason for this is the underutilization of these…

ERP, a new member of the ets transcription factor/oncoprotein family: cloning, characterization, and differential expression during B-lymphocyte development.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, M; Oettgen, P; Akbarali, Y; Dendorfer, U; Libermann, T A

1994-05-01

The ets gene family encodes a group of proteins which function as transcription factors under physiological conditions and, if aberrantly expressed, can cause cellular transformation. We have recently identified two regulatory elements in the murine immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) enhancer, pi and microB, which exhibit striking similarity to binding sites for ets-related proteins. To identify ets-related transcriptional regulators expressed in pre-B lymphocytes that may interact with either the pi or the microB site, we have used a PCR approach with degenerate oligonucleotides encoding conserved sequences in all members of the ets family. We have cloned the gene for a new ets-related transcription factor, ERP (ets-related protein), from the murine pre-B cell line BASC 6C2 and from mouse lung tissue. The ERP protein contains a region of high homology with the ETS DNA-binding domain common to all members of the ets transcription factor/oncoprotein family. Three additional smaller regions show homology to the ELK-1 and SAP-1 genes, a subgroup of the ets gene family that interacts with the serum response factor. Full-length ERP expresses only negligible DNA-binding activity by itself. Removal of the carboxy terminus enables ERP to interact with a variety of ets-binding sites including the E74 site, the IgH enhancer pi site, and the lck promoter ets site, suggesting a carboxy-terminal negative regulatory domain. At least three ERP-related transcripts are expressed in a variety of tissues. However, within the B-cell lineage, ERP is highly expressed primarily at early stages of B-lymphocyte development, and expression declines drastically upon B-cell maturation, correlating with the enhancer activity of the IgH pi site. These data suggest that ERP might play a role in B-cell development and in IgH gene regulation.

Effect of Negative Pressure on Proliferation, Virulence Factor Secretion, Biofilm Formation, and Virulence-Regulated Gene Expression of Pseudomonas aeruginosa In Vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guo-Qi Wang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To investigate the effect of negative pressure conditions induced by NPWT on P. aeruginosa. Methods. P. aeruginosa was cultured in a Luria–Bertani medium at negative pressure of −125 mmHg for 24 h in the experimental group and at atmospheric pressure in the control group. The diameters of the colonies of P. aeruginosa were measured after 24 h. ELISA kit, orcinol method, and elastin-Congo red assay were used to quantify the virulence factors. Biofilm formation was observed by staining with Alexa Fluor® 647 conjugate of concanavalin A (Con A. Virulence-regulated genes were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. Results. As compared with the control group, growth of P. aeruginosa was inhibited by negative pressure. The colony size under negative pressure was significantly smaller in the experimental group than that in the controls (p<0.01. Besides, reductions in the total amount of virulence factors were observed in the negative pressure group, including exotoxin A, rhamnolipid, and elastase. RT-PCR results revealed a significant inhibition in the expression level of virulence-regulated genes. Conclusion. Negative pressure could significantly inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosa. It led to a decrease in the virulence factor secretion, biofilm formation, and a reduction in the expression level of virulence-regulated genes.

The Organisational Performance Impact Of ERP Systems On Selected Companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hart, Colin Anthony

2014-05-01

Full Text Available There is a need to determine the performance benefits that firms gain from enterprise resource planning (ERP systems, and the factors that contribute to success. Consequently, the central research problem is: To determine the impact of ERP systems on organisational performance by analysing achieved ERP benefits within the framework of a suitable performance measurement system (PMS, and to investigate the association between critical success factors (CSFs and ERP benefits. A list of expected ERP benefits and CSFs is compiled. Performance measurement models are evaluated, and one model is designed to evaluate ERP impact. ERP experts refine identified ERP benefits and CSFs using structured interviews. These are built into a questionnaire, and used to survey South African (SA companies in manufacturing, mining, and power generation. Results indicate that business benefits are realised by companies that implement ERP systems. By building benefits into the performance measurement model, a positive impact on organisational performance is observed. Although a core list of CSFs is identified, and three associations are found between CSFs and ERP benefits, further research is needed.

Ecto-5′-Nucleotidase: A Candidate Virulence Factor in Streptococcus sanguinis Experimental Endocarditis

OpenAIRE

Fan, Jingyuan; Zhang, Yongshu; Chuang-Smith, Olivia N.; Frank, Kristi L.; Guenther, Brian D.; Kern, Marissa; Schlievert, Patrick M.; Herzberg, Mark C.

2012-01-01

Streptococcus sanguinis is the most common cause of infective endocarditis (IE). Since the molecular basis of virulence of this oral commensal bacterium remains unclear, we searched the genome of S. sanguinis for previously unidentified virulence factors. We identified a cell surface ecto-5′-nucleotidase (Nt5e), as a candidate virulence factor. By colorimetric phosphate assay, we showed that S. sanguinis Nt5e can hydrolyze extracellular adenosine triphosphate to generate adenosine. Moreover, ...

Antimicrobial peptide GH12 suppresses cariogenic virulence factors of Streptococcus mutans

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yufei; Wang, Xiuqing; Jiang, Wentao; Wang, Kun; Luo, Junyuan; Li, Wei; Zhou, Xuedong; Zhang, Linglin

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Cariogenic virulence factors of Streptococcus mutans include acidogenicity, aciduricity, and extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) synthesis. The de novo designed antimicrobial peptide GH12 has shown bactericidal effects on S. mutans, but its interaction with virulence and regulatory systems of S. mutans remains to be elucidated. The objectives were to investigate the effects of GH12 on virulence factors of S. mutans, and further explore the function mechanisms at enzymatic and transcriptional levels. To avoid decrease in bacterial viability, we limited GH12 to subinhibitory levels. We evaluated effects of GH12 on acidogenicity of S. mutans by pH drop, lactic acid measurement and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, on aciduricity through survival rate at pH 5.0 and F1F0-ATPase assay, and on EPS synthesis using quantitative measurement, morphology observation, vertical distribution analyses and biomass calculation. Afterwards, we conducted quantitative real-time PCR to acquire the expression profile of related genes. GH12 at 1/2 MIC (4 mg/L) inhibited acid production, survival rate, EPS synthesis, and biofilm formation. The enzymatic activity of LDH and F1F0-ATPase was inhibited, and ldh, gtfBCD, vicR, liaR, and comDE genes were significantly downregulated. In conclusion, GH12 inhibited virulence factors of S. mutans, through reducing the activity of related enzymes, downregulating virulence genes, and inactivating specific regulatory systems. PMID:29503706

Virulence factor genotypes of Helicobacter pylori affect cure rates of eradication therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugimoto, Mitsushige; Yamaoka, Yoshio

2009-01-01

The cure rates of Helicobacter pylori infection by using a combination of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and antimicrobial agents are mainly influenced by bacterial susceptibility to antimicrobial agents and the magnitude of acid inhibition during the treatment. Currently used empirical triple therapies do not reliably produce a > or =80% cure rate on an intention-to-treat basis. Therefore, tailored regimens based on relevant microbiological findings and pharmacogenomics are recommended for attaining an acceptable > or =95% cure rate. Recently, virulence factors of H. pylori, such as cagA and vacA, are reported to be major factors determining the cure rates. Individuals infected with strains with cagA-negative and vacA s2 genotypes have significantly increased risk of eradication failure of H. pylori infection. These virulence factors enhance gastric mucosal inflammation and are associated with the development of peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. H. pylori virulence factors induce proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- which influence mucosal inflammation and/or gastric acid secretion. When physicians select an H. pylori eradication regimen with an acceptable cure rate, they might need to consider H. pylori virulence factors, especially cagA and vacA.

The significance of virulence factors in Helicobacter pylori.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiota, Seiji; Suzuki, Rumiko; Yamaoka, Yoshio

2013-07-01

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is linked to various gastroduodenal diseases; however, only a small fraction of these patients develop associated diseases. Despite the high prevalence of H. pylori infection in Africa and South Asia, the incidence of gastric cancer in these areas is much lower than those in other countries. The incidence of gastric cancer tends to decrease from north to south in East Asia. Such geographical differences in the pathology can be explained, at least in part, by the presence of different types of H. pylori virulence factors in addition to host and environmental factors. Virulence factors of H. pylori, such as CagA, VacA, DupA, IceA, OipA and BabA, have been demonstrated to be the predictors of severe clinical outcomes. Interestingly, a meta-analysis showed that CagA seropositivity was associated with gastric cancer compared with gastritis, even in East Asian countries where almost the strains possess cagA. Another meta-analysis also confirmed the significance of vacA, dupA and iceA. However, it is possible that additional important pathogenic genes may exist because H. pylori consists of approximately 1600 genes. Despite the advances in our understanding of the development of H. pylori infection-related diseases, further work is required to clarify the roles of H. pylori virulence factors. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Digestive Diseases © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd and Chinese Medical Association Shanghai Branch, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine.

A Primary Human Critical Success Factors Model for the ERP System Implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenko Aleksander

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: Many researchers have investigated various Critical success factors (CSFs and the different causes of ERP implementation project failures. Despite a detailed literature preview, we were unable to find an appropriate research with a comprehensive overview of the true causes behind CSFs, observed from a human factors perspective. The objective of this research was therefore to develop and evaluate the Primary human factors (PHFs model and to confirm the significant impact of PHFs on traditional CSFs and on the project success.

Organization Readiness and ERP Implementation in Albaha University

Science.gov (United States)

Alaqeel, K.; Shakkah, M. S.; Rahmat, R. F.; Alfageeh, A.; Budiarto, R.

2017-04-01

This work studies the correlation between the organizational readiness in Albaha University and the respective Critical Success Factors with regards to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation. The study also considers some suggestions to improve the ABU’s ERP systems and roadmap towards the self -development strategy and to reduce vendor-dependency. A survey regarding ERP to the end-users, experts and developers in Albaha University was conducted. The analysis of the results in this work confirmed with the results of an existing work. The four significance success factors: Project Management, Business Process Re-engineering, System Integration, and Training and Education are recommended to be adopted to assure the smooth adoption of ERP at Albaha University.

Analisis Dampak Penerapan Sistem ERP terhadap Kinerja Pengguna

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aries Wicaksono

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The background of this research was to determine how the impact of the implementation and use of ERP systems on user performance and the factors that affect the successful implementation of the ERP system so that it can have a positive impact for users of the ERP system after the implementation of ERP systems. This study aims to Knowing whether the implementation of ERP systems on firm performance impact on ERP users in the company and Produce conclusions in the form of an evaluation of the implementation of ERP in the company in order to provide a positive impact on user performance. The model used to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the ERP system is Quantity of Work, Quality of Work, Job Knowledge, Creativeness Cooperation, Dependability, Initiative, personal qualities. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative method of analytical and evaluative, by analyzing the impact of the implementation of the ERP system to the components of the user's performance. The results obtained are implementing ERP systems have a positive impact on user performance components.

[Analysis of virulence factors of Porphyromonas endodontalis based on comparative proteomics technique].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, H; Ji, H; Wu, S S; Hou, B X

2016-12-09

Objective: To analyze the protein expression profile and the potential virulence factors of Porphyromonas endodontalis (Pe) via comparison with that of two strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) with high and low virulences, respectively. Methods: Whole cell comparative proteomics of Pe ATCC35406 was examined and compared with that of high virulent strain Pg W83 andlow virulent strain Pg ATCC33277, respectively. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) combined with nano liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (Nano-LC-MS/MS) were adopted to identify and quantitate the proteins of Pe and two strains of Pg with various virulences by using the methods of isotopically labeled peptides, mass spectrometric detection and bioinformatics analysis. The biological functions of similar proteins expressed by Pe ATCC35406 and two strains of Pg were quantified and analyzed. Results: Totally 1 210 proteins were identified while Pe compared with Pg W83. There were 130 proteins (10.74% of the total proteins) expressed similarly, including 89 known functional proteins and 41 proteins of unknown functions. Totally 1 223 proteins were identified when Pe compared with Pg ATCC33277. There were 110 proteins (8.99% of the total proteins) expressed similarly, including 72 known functional proteins and 38 proteins of unknown functions. The similarly expressed proteins in Pe and Pg strains with various virulences mainly focused on catalytic activity and binding function, including recombination activation gene (RagA), lipoprotein, chaperonin Dnak, Clp family proteins (ClpC and ClpX) and various iron-binding proteins. They were involved in metabolism and cellular processes. In addition, the type and number of similar virulence proteins between Pe and high virulence Pg were higher than those between Pe and low virulence Pg. Conclusions: Lipoprotein, oxygen resistance protein, iron binding protein were probably the potential virulence factors of Pe ATCC35406. It was

Ecto-5'-nucleotidase: a candidate virulence factor in Streptococcus sanguinis experimental endocarditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Jingyuan; Zhang, Yongshu; Chuang-Smith, Olivia N; Frank, Kristi L; Guenther, Brian D; Kern, Marissa; Schlievert, Patrick M; Herzberg, Mark C

2012-01-01

Streptococcus sanguinis is the most common cause of infective endocarditis (IE). Since the molecular basis of virulence of this oral commensal bacterium remains unclear, we searched the genome of S. sanguinis for previously unidentified virulence factors. We identified a cell surface ecto-5'-nucleotidase (Nt5e), as a candidate virulence factor. By colorimetric phosphate assay, we showed that S. sanguinis Nt5e can hydrolyze extracellular adenosine triphosphate to generate adenosine. Moreover, a nt5e deletion mutant showed significantly shorter lag time (PS. sanguinis caused IE (4 d) in a rabbit model with significantly decreased mass of vegetations (PS. sanguinis in vivo. As a virulence factor, Nt5e may function by (i) hydrolyzing ATP, a pro-inflammatory molecule, and generating adenosine, an immunosuppressive molecule to inhibit phagocytic monocytes/macrophages associated with valvular vegetations. (ii) Nt5e-mediated inhibition of platelet aggregation could also delay presentation of platelet microbicidal proteins to infecting bacteria on heart valves. Both plausible Nt5e-dependent mechanisms would promote survival of infecting S. sanguinis. In conclusion, we now show for the first time that streptococcal Nt5e modulates S. sanguinis-induced platelet aggregation and may contribute to the virulence of streptococci in experimental IE.

ERP systems selection in multinational enterprises: a practical guide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moutaz Haddara

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP system selection is an early phase in the ERP adoption process. When organizations evaluate an ERP, they commonly develop their own selection criteria that usually involve various system and vendor related factors. While the selection process is critical, however, there is an apparent research gap in literature. The ERP selection effort also focuses on the system’s fit with the organizational requirements and needs. Thus, the selection phase is critical, because if an organization chooses an unfit ERP, the whole project could be predestined to fail. This research provides an overview of an ERP selection process at an overseas branch office of a multinational company. The process employed a simple multi-attribute rating technique (SMART for evaluation. In addition, this research presents how cross-border data protection laws between the parent company and its branch have influenced the selection process. As the ERP system has been implemented successfully, the method and the selection factors have been proven adequate for the selection process.

Examining Success Factors Related to ERP Implementations in Higher Education Shared Services Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Stoyanoff, Dawn Galadriel Pfeiffer

2012-01-01

This study examined the enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations that utilized a shared services model in higher education. The purpose of this research was to examine the critical success factors which were perceived to contribute to project success. This research employed a quantitative non-experimental correlational design and the…

Arcanobacterium pyogenes: Virulence factors, importance in mastitis etiology and therapeutic (impossibilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milanov Dubravka

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Arcanobacterium pyogenes is an opportunistic pathogen, a causative agent of suppurative infections of organs and tissues in economically important livestock species. Most frequently this bacteria is isolated from inflamed lung lesions in pigs and cattle, in samples of uterine mucus of cows with endometritis and milk from cows with clinical mastitis. A. pyogenes possesses a number of virulence factors: cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (pyolysin, two neuraminidases, several proteases, extracellular matrix-binding proteins, DNases, fimbriae. The virulence factors are well studied in laboratory conditions, but the role of these factors in the pathogenesis of A. pyogenes infections remains to be elucidated. Lately, the ability of A. pyogenes to form biofilm in vivo has also been implicated as a virulence factor and a possible cause of therapeutic failure. Despite the fact that A. pyogenes milk isolates in cows with mastitis in vitro are very sensitive to β-lactam drugs and tetracycline, experience has shown that therapy is usually ineffective, prognosis is poor and the affected quarter is lost for milk production.

Ecto-5'-nucleotidase: a candidate virulence factor in Streptococcus sanguinis experimental endocarditis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingyuan Fan

Full Text Available Streptococcus sanguinis is the most common cause of infective endocarditis (IE. Since the molecular basis of virulence of this oral commensal bacterium remains unclear, we searched the genome of S. sanguinis for previously unidentified virulence factors. We identified a cell surface ecto-5'-nucleotidase (Nt5e, as a candidate virulence factor. By colorimetric phosphate assay, we showed that S. sanguinis Nt5e can hydrolyze extracellular adenosine triphosphate to generate adenosine. Moreover, a nt5e deletion mutant showed significantly shorter lag time (P<0.05 to onset of platelet aggregation than the wild-type strain, without affecting platelet-bacterial adhesion in vitro (P=0.98. In the absence of nt5e, S. sanguinis caused IE (4 d in a rabbit model with significantly decreased mass of vegetations (P<0.01 and recovered bacterial loads (log(10CFU, P=0.01, suggesting that Nt5e contributes to the virulence of S. sanguinis in vivo. As a virulence factor, Nt5e may function by (i hydrolyzing ATP, a pro-inflammatory molecule, and generating adenosine, an immunosuppressive molecule to inhibit phagocytic monocytes/macrophages associated with valvular vegetations. (ii Nt5e-mediated inhibition of platelet aggregation could also delay presentation of platelet microbicidal proteins to infecting bacteria on heart valves. Both plausible Nt5e-dependent mechanisms would promote survival of infecting S. sanguinis. In conclusion, we now show for the first time that streptococcal Nt5e modulates S. sanguinis-induced platelet aggregation and may contribute to the virulence of streptococci in experimental IE.

Genome-wide screen of Pseudomonas aeruginosa In Saccharomyces cerevisiae identifies new virulence factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafat eZrieq

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a human opportunistic pathogen that causes mortality in cystic fibrosis and immunocompromised patients. While many virulence factors of this pathogen have already been identified, several remain to be discovered. In this respect we set an unprecedented genome-wide screen of a P. aeruginosa expression library based on a yeast growth phenotype. 51 candidates were selected in a three-round screening process. The robustness of the screen was validated by the selection of three well known secreted proteins including one demonstrated virulence factor, the protease LepA. Further in silico sorting of the 51 candidates highlighted three potential new Pseudomonas effector candidates (Pec. By testing the cytotoxicity of wild type P. aeruginosa vs pec mutants towards macrophages and the virulence in the Caenorhabditis elegans model, we demonstrated that the three selected Pecs are novel virulence factors of P. aeruginosa. Additional cellular localization experiments in the host revealed specific localization for Pec1 and Pec2 that could inform about their respective functions.

ERP systems selection in multinational enterprises: a practical guide

OpenAIRE

Moutaz Haddara

2018-01-01

The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system selection is an early phase in the ERP adoption process. When organizations evaluate an ERP, they commonly develop their own selection criteria that usually involve various system and vendor related factors. While the selection process is critical, however, there is an apparent research gap in literature. The ERP selection effort also focuses on the system’s fit with the organizational requirements and needs. Thus, the selection phase is critical,...

Genospecies and virulence factors of Aeromonas species in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction: Aeromonads of medical importance have been reported from numerous clinical, food, and water sources, but identification of genospecies and virulence factors of Aeromonas species from countries in North Africa and the Middle East are few. Methods: In total 99 Aeromonas species isolates from different ...

Detection of some virulence factors in Staphylococcus aureus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

2010-06-21

Jun 21, 2010 ... Mastitis is one of the common diseases of dairy cattle and an inflammatory ... Key words: Bovine mastitis, Staphylococcus aureus, virulence factors, ... frequent cause of subclinical intramammary infections in ... genotypes has not been investigated. ... genes in S. aureus, we were particularly interested in the.

Method of evaluating the impact of ERP implementation critical success factors - a case study in oil and gas industries

Science.gov (United States)

Gajic, Gordana; Stankovski, Stevan; Ostojic, Gordana; Tesic, Zdravko; Miladinovic, Ljubomir

2014-01-01

The so far implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have in many cases failed to meet the requirements regarding the business process control, decrease of business costs and increase of company profit margin. Therefore, there is a real need for an evaluation of the influence of ERP on the company's performance indicators. Proposed in this article is an advanced model for the evaluation of the success of ERP implementation on organisational and operational performance indicators in oil-gas companies. The recommended method establishes a correlation between a process-based method, a scorecard model and ERP critical success factors. The method was verified and tested on two case studies in oil-gas companies using the following procedure: the model was developed, tested and implemented in a pilot gas-oil company, while the results were implemented and verified in another gas-oil company.

Ecto-5′-Nucleotidase: A Candidate Virulence Factor in Streptococcus sanguinis Experimental Endocarditis

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Jingyuan; Zhang, Yongshu; Chuang-Smith, Olivia N.; Frank, Kristi L.; Guenther, Brian D.; Kern, Marissa; Schlievert, Patrick M.; Herzberg, Mark C.

2012-01-01

Streptococcus sanguinis is the most common cause of infective endocarditis (IE). Since the molecular basis of virulence of this oral commensal bacterium remains unclear, we searched the genome of S. sanguinis for previously unidentified virulence factors. We identified a cell surface ecto-5′-nucleotidase (Nt5e), as a candidate virulence factor. By colorimetric phosphate assay, we showed that S. sanguinis Nt5e can hydrolyze extracellular adenosine triphosphate to generate adenosine. Moreover, a nt5e deletion mutant showed significantly shorter lag time (PS. sanguinis caused IE (4 d) in a rabbit model with significantly decreased mass of vegetations (PS. sanguinis in vivo. As a virulence factor, Nt5e may function by (i) hydrolyzing ATP, a pro-inflammatory molecule, and generating adenosine, an immunosuppressive molecule to inhibit phagocytic monocytes/macrophages associated with valvular vegetations. (ii) Nt5e-mediated inhibition of platelet aggregation could also delay presentation of platelet microbicidal proteins to infecting bacteria on heart valves. Both plausible Nt5e-dependent mechanisms would promote survival of infecting S. sanguinis. In conclusion, we now show for the first time that streptococcal Nt5e modulates S. sanguinis-induced platelet aggregation and may contribute to the virulence of streptococci in experimental IE. PMID:22685551

Common Virulence Factors and Tissue Targets of Entomopathogenic Bacteria for Biological Control of Lepidopteran Pests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anaïs Castagnola

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This review focuses on common insecticidal virulence factors from entomopathogenic bacteria with special emphasis on two insect pathogenic bacteria Photorhabdus (Proteobacteria: Enterobacteriaceae and Bacillus (Firmicutes: Bacillaceae. Insect pathogenic bacteria of diverse taxonomic groups and phylogenetic origin have been shown to have striking similarities in the virulence factors they produce. It has been suggested that the detection of phage elements surrounding toxin genes, horizontal and lateral gene transfer events, and plasmid shuffling occurrences may be some of the reasons that virulence factor genes have so many analogs throughout the bacterial kingdom. Comparison of virulence factors of Photorhabdus, and Bacillus, two bacteria with dissimilar life styles opens the possibility of re-examining newly discovered toxins for novel tissue targets. For example, nematodes residing in the hemolymph may release bacteria with virulence factors targeting neurons or neuromuscular junctions. The first section of this review focuses on toxins and their context in agriculture. The second describes the mode of action of toxins from common entomopathogens and the third draws comparisons between Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The fourth section reviews the implications of the nervous system in biocontrol.

Helicobacter pylori infection: An overview of bacterial virulence factors and pathogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng-Yen Kao

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Helicobacter pylori pathogenesis and disease outcomes are mediated by a complex interplay between bacterial virulence factors, host, and environmental factors. After H. pylori enters the host stomach, four steps are critical for bacteria to establish successful colonization, persistent infection, and disease pathogenesis: (1 Survival in the acidic stomach; (2 movement toward epithelium cells by flagella-mediated motility; (3 attachment to host cells by adhesins/receptors interaction; (4 causing tissue damage by toxin release. Over the past 20 years, the understanding of H. pylori pathogenesis has been improved by studies focusing on the host and bacterial factors through epidemiology researches and molecular mechanism investigations. These include studies identifying the roles of novel virulence factors and their association with different disease outcomes, especially the bacterial adhesins, cag pathogenicity island, and vacuolating cytotoxin. Recently, the development of large-scale screening methods, including proteomic, and transcriptomic tools, has been used to determine the complex gene regulatory networks in H. pylori. In addition, a more available complete genomic database of H. pylori strains isolated from patients with different gastrointestinal diseases worldwide is helpful to characterize this bacterium. This review highlights the key findings of H. pylori virulence factors reported over the past 20 years.

ERP=Efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Violino, Bob

2008-01-01

This article discusses the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Deploying an ERP system is one of the most extensive--and expensive--IT projects a college or university can undertake. The potential benefits of ERP are significant: a more smoothly running operation with efficiencies in virtually every area of administration, from automated…

Catheter-related infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: virulence factors involved and their relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Olejnickova, Katerina; Hola, Veronika; Ruzicka, Filip

2014-11-01

The nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is equipped with a large arsenal of cell-associated and secreted virulence factors which enhance its invasive potential. The complex relationships among virulence determinants have hitherto not been fully elucidated. In the present study, 175 catheter-related isolates were observed for the presence of selected virulence factors, namely extracellular enzymes and siderophore production, biofilm formation, resistance to antibiotics, and motility. A high percentage of the strains produced most of the tested virulence factors. A positive correlation was identified between the production of several exoproducts, and also between the formation of both types of biofilm. An opposite trend was observed between the two types of biofilm and the production of siderophores. Whereas the relationship between the submerged biofilm production (i.e. the biofilm formed on the solid surface below the water level) and the siderophore secretion was negative, the production of air-liquid interface (A-L) biofilm (i.e. the biofilm floating on the surface of the cultivation medium) and the siderophore secretion were positively correlated. All correlations were statistically significant at the level P = 0.05 with the correlation coefficient γ ≥ 0.50. Our results suggest that: (1) the co-production of the lytic enzymes and siderophores can play an important role in the pathogenesis of the catheter-related infections and should be taken into account when the virulence potential is assessed; (2) biofilm-positive strains are capable of forming both submerged and non-attached A-L biofilms; and (3) the different micro-environment in the submerged biofilm and A-L biofilm layers have opposite consequences for the production of other virulence factors. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection of some virulence factors in Staphylococcus aureus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Detection of some virulence factors in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinical and subclinical bovine mastitis in Iran. ... Mastitis is one of the common diseases of dairy cattle and an inflammatory response of the mammary glands tissue. ... and B genes, 10 samples contained agrI gene, 42 samples contained agrII gene, ...

The Composition and Spatial Patterns of Bacterial Virulence Factors and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in 19 Wastewater Treatment Plants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bing Zhang

Full Text Available Bacterial pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance are of concern for environmental safety and public health. Accumulating evidence suggests that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs are as an important sink and source of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs. Virulence genes (encoding virulence factors are good indicators for bacterial pathogenic potentials. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of bacterial pathogenic potentials and antibiotic resistance in WWTPs, bacterial virulence genes and ARGs in 19 WWTPs covering a majority of latitudinal zones of China were surveyed by using GeoChip 4.2. A total of 1610 genes covering 13 virulence factors and 1903 genes belonging to 11 ARG families were detected respectively. The bacterial virulence genes exhibited significant spatial distribution patterns of a latitudinal biodiversity gradient and a distance-decay relationship across China. Moreover, virulence genes tended to coexist with ARGs as shown by their strongly positive associations. In addition, key environmental factors shaping the overall virulence gene structure were identified. This study profiles the occurrence, composition and distribution of virulence genes and ARGs in current WWTPs in China, and uncovers spatial patterns and important environmental variables shaping their structure, which may provide the basis for further studies of bacterial virulence factors and antibiotic resistance in WWTPs.

The animal model determines the results of Aeromonas virulence factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro Romero

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The selection of an experimental animal model is of great importance in the study of bacterial virulence factors. Here, a bath infection of zebrafish larvae is proposed as an alternative model to study the virulence factors of A. hydrophila. Intraperitoneal infections in mice and trout were compared with bath infections in zebrafish larvae using specific mutants. The great advantage of this model is that bath immersion mimics the natural route of infection, and injury to the tail also provides a natural portal of entry for the bacteria. The implication of T3SS in the virulence of A. hydrophila was analysed using the AH-1::aopB mutant. This mutant was less virulent than the wild-type strain when inoculated into zebrafish larvae, as described in other vertebrates. However, the zebrafish model exhibited slight differences in mortality kinetics only observed using invertebrate models. Infections using the mutant AH-1∆vapA lacking the gene coding for the surface S-layer suggested that this protein was not totally necessary to the bacteria once it was inside the host, but it contributed to the inflammatory response. Only when healthy zebrafish larvae were infected did the mutant produce less mortality than the wild type. Variations between models were evidenced using the AH-1∆rmlB, which lacks the O-antigen lipopolysaccharide (LPS, and the AH-1∆wahD, which lacks the O-antigen LPS and part of the LPS outer-core. Both mutants showed decreased mortality in all of the animal models, but the differences between them were only observed in injured zebrafish larvae, suggesting that residues from the LPS outer core must be important for virulence. The greatest differences were observed using the AH-1ΔFlaB-J (lacking polar flagella and unable to swim and the AH-1::motX (non-motile but producing flagella. They were as pathogenic as the wild-type strain when injected into mice and trout, but no mortalities were registered in zebrafish larvae. This study

Typing and virulence factors of food-borne Candida spp. isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajkowska, Katarzyna; Kunicka-Styczyńska, Alina

2018-08-20

Food-borne yeasts, excluding yeasts used as starter cultures, are commonly considered as food spoilage microorganisms. However, the incidence of non-C. albicans Candida (NCAC) infections has increased considerably over the past two decades. Although 15 Candida species are frequently identified as pathogens, a threat to human from food-borne Candida is poorly recognized. In the present study food-borne NCAC were characterized for the virulence factors, known to be associated with yeast pathogenicity. All food-borne strains in planktonic forms and 89% in biofilm structures represented biotypes established for C. albicans, and 61% demonstrated hemolytic activity. 56-94% of food-borne isolates formed biofilms on glass and biomaterials at a level comparable to clinical C. albicans. Nine out of eighteen tested food-borne NCAC strains (C. krusei, C. lusitaniae, C. famata, C. colliculosa, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis) showed similarity to clinical C. albicans in terms of their biotypes and the tested virulence factors, allocating them in a group of risk of potential pathogens. However, their capacity to grow at 37 °C seems to be the preliminary criterion in the study of potential virulence of food-borne yeasts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Level of Harmonization and ERP Architecture in Multinational Corporations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rahimi, Fatemeh; Møller, Charles

2013-01-01

multinational corporations. The ERP distribution decision in MNCs has been mainly associated with the corporate strategy and governance structure. As global ERP deployment benefits mainly come from business consolidation, and as there are significant costs and risks associated with centralized ERP...... to be more directly affected by the factors prohibiting further divergence, namely the corporate business process governance structure and the degree of similarity of its business models....

The Impact of Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) in a South African Company

OpenAIRE

Mushavhanamadi K.; Mbohwa C.

2013-01-01

This paper presents the findings of the investigation of ERP implementation, challenges experiences by a South African Company in ERP implementation, success factors, failures, and propose recommendations to improve ERP implementation. The data collections methods used are questionnaires. The paper contributes to discussion on ERP implementation in developing economics.

Teaching ERP Systems: A Multi-Perspective View on the ERP System Market

Science.gov (United States)

Winkelmann, Axel; Leyh, Christian

2010-01-01

In order to increase the diversity in IS education, we discuss an approach for teaching medium-sized ERP systems in university courses. Many of today's IS curricula are biased toward a few large ERP packages. Nevertheless, these ERP systems are only a part of the ERP market. Therefore, this paper describes a course outline for an additional course…

Evolution of ERP systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wortmann, J.C.; Bititci, U.S.; Carrie, A.S.

1998-01-01

This paper describes the development of ERP systems over time. It explores both the functionality and the technology of ERP-systems. It explains the increased importance of ERP systems in practice. The paper also addresses the difficulties encountered in implementing ERP systems in real life. Modern

Amoebapore is an important virulence factor of Entamoeba histolytica

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

... ap-a genes. The silenced transfectant was not virulent at all. These results demonstrate that important factors need to be expressed at the correct cellular location and that the parasite has additional internal control mechanisms such as transcriptional gene silencing which can prevent excess amounts of gene expression.

A preliminary survey of M. hyopneumoniae virulence factors based on comparative genomic analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrique Bunselmeyer Ferreira

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is the etiological agent of porcine enzootic pneumonia (PEP, a major problem for the pig industry. The mechanisms of M. hyopneumoniae pathogenicity allow to predict the existence of several classes of virulence factors, whose study has been essentially restricted to the characterization of adhesion-related and major antigenic proteins. The now available complete sequences of the genomes of two pathogenic and one non-pathogenic strain of M. hyopneumoniae allowed to use a comparative genomics approach to putatively identify virulence genes. In this preliminary survey, we were able to identify 118 CDSs encoding putative virulence factors, based on specific criteria ranging from predicted cell surface location or variation between strains to previous functional studies showing antigenicity or involvement in host-pathogen interaction. This survey is expected to serve as a first step towards the functional characterization of new virulence genes/proteins that will be important not only for a better comprehension of M. hyopneumoniae biology, but also for the development of new and improved protocols for PEP vaccination, diagnosis and treatment.

AhrC and Eep Are Biofilm Infection-Associated Virulence Factors in Enterococcus faecalis

Science.gov (United States)

Guiton, Pascale S.; Barnes, Aaron M. T.; Manias, Dawn A.; Chuang-Smith, Olivia N.; Kohler, Petra L.; Spaulding, Adam R.; Hultgren, Scott J.; Schlievert, Patrick M.; Dunny, Gary M.

2013-01-01

Enterococcus faecalis is part of the human intestinal microbiome and is a prominent cause of health care-associated infections. The pathogenesis of many E. faecalis infections, including endocarditis and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), is related to the ability of clinical isolates to form biofilms. To identify chromosomal genetic determinants responsible for E. faecalis biofilm-mediated infection, we used a rabbit model of endocarditis to test strains with transposon insertions or in-frame deletions in biofilm-associated loci: ahrC, argR, atlA, opuBC, pyrC, recN, and sepF. Only the ahrC mutant was significantly attenuated in endocarditis. We demonstrate that the transcriptional regulator AhrC and the protease Eep, which we showed previously to be an endocarditis virulence factor, are also required for full virulence in murine CAUTI. Therefore, AhrC and Eep can be classified as enterococcal biofilm-associated virulence factors. Loss of ahrC caused defects in early attachment and accumulation of biofilm biomass. Characterization of ahrC transcription revealed that the temporal expression of this locus observed in wild-type cells promotes initiation of early biofilm formation and the establishment of endocarditis. This is the first report of AhrC serving as a virulence factor in any bacterial species. PMID:23460519

Virulence factor genes possessing Enterococcus faecalis strains from rabbits and their sensitivity to enterocins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Pogány Simonová

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Information concerning the virulence factor genes and antibiotic resistance of rabbit enterococci is limited, so in this study we tested the virulence factor genes in Enterococcus faecalis strains from rabbits. Moreover, their resistance/sensitivity to antibiotics and sensitivity to enterocins was also tested, with the aim of contributing to our enterocin spectra study and to indicate the possibility of enterocin application in prevention or contaminant elimination in rabbit husbandry. A total of 144 rabbit samples were treated using a standard microbiological method. Thirty-one pure colonies of the species Enterococcus faecalis were identified, using the MALDI-TOF identification system and confirmed using phenotyping, among which 15 strains were virulence factor gene absent. The gelE gene was the most detected (42%; however, the expression of gelatinase phenotype did not always correlate with the detection of gelE. Strains did not show ß-haemolysis and were mostly resistant to tested antibiotics, but sensitive to enterocins (Ent, mainly to Ents EK13=A (P, 2019 and Ent M. Rabbit E. faecalis strains displayed antibiotic resistant traits and the presence of expressed and silent virulence genes, but they showed high levels of sensitivity to natural antimicrobials-enterocins, which indicates the possible prevention of multidrug and virulent enterococcal contaminants by enterocins.

The Clinical Correlations of Helicobacter pylori Virulence Factors and Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Chun Chiu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Study Aims. The association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori and chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU remains controversial. This study explored the role of H. pylori in CSU among different virulent genotypes patients. Patients and Methods. Patients infected by H. pylori were sorted into two groups as group A (with CSU and group B (without CSU. The tissue materials were taken via endoscopy for polymerase chain reaction study to determine virulence factors. After H. pylori eradication therapy, the eradication rate and response of urticaria were evaluated by using C13-UBT and a three-point scale (complete remission, partial remission, or no improvement. Results. The results were comparable between patients of groups A and B in terms of H. pylori infection rates and eradication rate. Longitudinal follow-up of 23.5 months showed complete remission of urticaria in 63.6% but no improvement in 36.4% of the patients after H. pylori eradication. H. pylori infected patients with different virulence factors such as cytotoxin-associated gene A, vacuolating cytotoxin gene A signal region and middle region have similar remission rates for CSU. Conclusions. Current study suggests that H. pylori may play a role in the development and disease course of CSU but may be irrelevant to different virulent genotypes.

Evaluation of phytochemicals from medicinal plants of Myrtaceae family on virulence factor production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Musthafa, Khadar Syed; Sianglum, Wipawadee; Saising, Jongkon; Lethongkam, Sakkarin; Voravuthikunchai, Supayang Piyawan

2017-05-01

Virulence factors regulated by quorum sensing (QS) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of an opportunistic human pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in causing infections to the host. Hence, in the present work, the anti-virulence potential of the medicinal plant extracts and their derived phytochemicals from Myrtaceae family was evaluated against P. aeruginosa. In the preliminary screening of the tested medicinal plant extracts, Syzygium jambos and Syzygium antisepticum demonstrated a maximum inhibition in QS-dependent violacein pigment production by Chromobacterium violaceum DMST 21761. These extracts demonstrated an inhibitory activity over a virulence factor, pyoverdin, production by P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of 23 and 12 phytochemicals from the extracts of S. jambos and S. antisepticum respectively. Three top-ranking phytochemicals, including phytol, ethyl linoleate and methyl linolenate, selected on the basis of docking score in molecular docking studies lowered virulence factors such as pyoverdin production, protease and haemolytic activities of P. aeruginosa to a significant level. In addition, the phytochemicals reduced rhamnolipid production by the organism. The work demonstrated an importance of plant-derived compounds as anti-virulence drugs to conquer P. aeruginosa virulence towards the host. © 2017 APMIS. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hands-On ERP Learning: Using OpenERP[R], an Alternative to SAP[R

Science.gov (United States)

Ayyagari, Ramakrishna

2011-01-01

Recent struggles with ERP systems (Kanaracus, 2010) highlight that teaching ERP skills is still very relevant today. Previous research suggests that knowledge of ERP concepts is more important than skills with any particular ERP package (Strong et al., 2006). However, a review of published studies in "JISE" shows a bias towards commercial ERP…

Candida Species From Eye Infections: Drug Susceptibility, Virulence Factors, and Molecular Characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranjith, Konduri; Sontam, Bhavani; Sharma, Savitri; Joseph, Joveeta; Chathoth, Kanchana N; Sama, Kalyana C; Murthy, Somasheila I; Shivaji, Sisinthy

2017-08-01

To determine the type of Candida species in ocular infections and to investigate the relationship of antifungal susceptibility profile to virulence factors. Fifty isolates of yeast-like fungi from patients with keratitis, endophthalmitis, and orbital cellulitis were identified by Vitek-2 compact system and DNA sequencing of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 regions of the rRNA gene, followed by phylogenetic analysis for phenotypic and genotypic identification, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentration of six antifungal drugs was determined by E test/microbroth dilution methods. Phenotypic and genotypic methods were used to determine the virulence factors. Phylogenetic analysis showed the clustering of all isolates into eight distinct groups with a major cluster formed Candida parapsilosis (n = 21), which was the most common species by both Vitek 2 and DNA sequencing. Using χ2 test no significant difference was noted between the techniques except that Vitek 2 did not identify C. viswanathii, C. orthopsilosis, and two non-Candida genera. Of 43 tested Candida isolates high susceptibility to amphotericin B (39/43, 90.6%) and natamycin (43/43, 100%) was noted. While none of the isolates produced coagulase, all produced esterase and catalase. The potential to form biofilm was detected in 23/43 (53.4%) isolates. Distribution of virulence factors by heat map analysis showed difference in metabolic activity of biofilm producers from nonbiofilm producers. Identified by Vitek 2 and DNA sequencing methods C. parapsilosis was the most common species associated with eye infections. Irrespective of the virulence factors elaborated, the Candida isolates were susceptible to commonly used antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B and natamycin.

Dynamics of E.coli virulence factors in dairy cow herds

Science.gov (United States)

Background. Dairy farms are known reservoirs of entero-pathogenic E. coli (EPEC). EPEC, or the virulence factors associated with pathogenicity, have been detected in manure, milk, and the farm environment. However, it is unclear which farm compartments are reservoirs contributing to EPEC persistence...

Cyt toxin expression reveals an inverse regulation of insect and plant virulence factors of Dickeya dadantii.

Science.gov (United States)

Costechareyre, Denis; Dridi, Bedis; Rahbé, Yvan; Condemine, Guy

2010-12-01

The plant pathogenic bacteria Dickeya dadantii is also a pathogen of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. The genome of the bacteria contains four cyt genes, encoding homologues of Bacillus thuringiensis Cyt toxins, which are involved in its pathogenicity to insects. We show here that these genes are transcribed as an operon, and we determined the conditions necessary for their expression. Their expression is induced at high temperature and at an osmolarity equivalent to that found in the plant phloem sap. The regulators of cyt genes have also been identified: their expression is repressed by H-NS and VfmE and activated by PecS. These genes are already known to regulate plant virulence factors, but in an opposite way. When tested in a virulence assay by ingestion, the pecS mutant was almost non-pathogenic while hns and vfmE mutants behaved in the same way as the wild-type strain. Mutants of other regulators of plant virulence, GacA, OmpR and PhoP, that do not control Cyt toxin production, also showed reduced pathogenicity. In an assay by injection of bacteria, the gacA strain was less pathogenic but, surprisingly, the pecS mutant was slightly more virulent. These results show that Cyt toxins are not the only virulence factors required to kill aphids, and that these factors act at different stages of the infection. Moreover, their production is controlled by general virulence regulators known for their role in plant virulence. This integration could indicate that virulence towards insects is a normal mode of life for D. dadantii. © 2010 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Helicobacter pylori virulence and cancer pathogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaoka, Yoshio; Graham, David Y

2014-06-01

Helicobacter pylori is human gastric pathogen that causes chronic and progressive gastric mucosal inflammation and is responsible for the gastric inflammation-associated diseases, gastric cancer and peptic ulcer disease. Specific outcomes reflect the interplay between host-, environmental- and bacterial-specific factors. Progress in understanding putative virulence factors in disease pathogenesis has been limited and many false leads have consumed scarce resources. Few in vitro-in vivo correlations or translational applications have proved clinically relevant. Reported virulence factor-related outcomes reflect differences in relative risk of disease rather than specificity for any specific outcome. Studies of individual virulence factor associations have provided conflicting results. Since virulence factors are linked, studies of groups of putative virulence factors are needed to provide clinically useful information. Here, the authors discuss the progress made in understanding the role of H. pylori virulence factors CagA, vacuolating cytotoxin, OipA and DupA in disease pathogenesis and provide suggestions for future studies.

Virulence Factors of Helicobacter pylori

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Sinclair

1991-01-01

environment with respect to pH. The spiral shape of the cells and their flagellar motility allow them to wind themselves into the mucous layer of the stomach. Some evidence exists for the production of strong proteolytic activity, hence degrading the mucous barrier and increasing permeability for the organism. Cyroroxin excreted by the bacteria may have some effect on the surrounding cells, with the possible lysis and release of bacterial growth factors. There is evidence that a chemotactic response is present due to these growth factors and their higher concentration in the intracellular spaces. The presence of specific and nonspecific adhesion has also been demonstrated, thus allowing the bacterium, once at the epithelial cell surface, to attach and avoid being washed off by movement within the stomach. Although treatment with antimicrobials eradicates the organism and improves symptoms of peptic ulcer patients, there is no indication that the same occurs in nonulcer dyspepsia patients. Further work is essential to describe the virulence mechanisms of H pylori and the possible pathogenic role of the organism.

Identification of Burkholderia cenocepacia strain H111 virulence factors using nonmammalian infection hosts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwager, Stephan; Agnoli, Kirsty; Köthe, Manuela

2013-01-01

Burkholderia cenocepacia H111, a strain isolated from a cystic fibrosis patient, has been shown to effectively kill the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We used the C. elegans model of infection to screen a mini-Tn5 mutant library of B. cenocepacia H111 for attenuated virulence....... Of the approximately 5,500 B. cenocepacia H111 random mini-Tn5 insertion mutants that were screened, 22 showed attenuated virulence in C. elegans. Except for the quorum-sensing regulator cepR, none of the mutated genes coded for the biosynthesis of classical virulence factors such as extracellular proteases...... or siderophores. Instead, the mutants contained insertions in metabolic and regulatory genes. Mutants attenuated in virulence in the C. elegans infection model were also tested in the Drosophila melanogaster pricking model, and those also attenuated in this model were further tested in Galleria mellonella. Six...

Moving from Evaluation to Trial: How do SMEs Start Adopting Cloud ERP?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siti Aisyah Salim

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The advent of cloud technology involving low subscription overheads cost has provided small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs with the opportunity to adopt new cloud-based corporate-wide systems (i.e., cloud ERP. This technology, operating through subscription-based services, has now provided SMEs with a complete range of IT applications that were once restricted to larger organisations. As anecdotal evidences suggest, SMEs are increasingly adopting cloud-based ERP software. The selection of an ERP is a complex process involving multiple stages and stakeholders, suggesting the importance of closer examination of cloud ERP adoption in SMEs. Yet, prior studies have predominantly treated technology adoption as a single activity and largely ignored the issue of ERP adoption in SMEs. Understanding of the process nature of the adoption and the factors that are important in each stage of the adoption potentially may result in guiding SMEs to make well-informed decisions throughout the ERP selection process. Thus, our study proposes that the adoption of cloud ERP should be examined as a multi-stage process. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB and Ettlie’s adoption stages, as well as employing data gathered from 162 owners of SMEs, our findings show that the factors that influence the intention to adopt cloud ERP vary significantly across adoptive stages.

Pemodelan ERP pada Perusahaan Manufaktur dengan Software OpenERP7.0

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dewa Komang Mahardika

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Pemodelan dan penerapan sistem informasi terintegrasi dalam proses bisnis perlu dilakukan untuk peningkatan kinerja dan kepuasan pelanggan. Kinerja yang baik diperoleh jika departemen-departemen di dalamnya sudah terintegrasi dengan baik pula. Enterprise resource planning adalah sistem informasi terintegrasi yang menjadikan sebuah bisnis proses menjadi satu kesatuan sistem. Penelitian yang dilakukan adalah tentang pemodelan ERP pada perusahaan garmen yaitu pada bagian accounting, human resource, dan point of sale dengan software OpenERP. Proses bisnis yang sedang berlangsung pada masing-masing departemen dimodelkan dalam diagram alir. Pemodelan sistem yang baru dihasilkan dari perbaikan terhadap kekurangan model sistem yang lama. Hasil pemodelan yang baru diimplementasikan dalam aplikasi ERP yaitu OpenERP. Sistem terintegrasi dengan bisnis proses yang lebih terencana, terintegrasi dan lebih otomatis dihasilkan dari pemodelan dan implementasi yang dilakukan terhadap sistem yang lama.   Kata Kunci: Enterprise resource planning, Implementasi Bisnis Proses, Pemodelan ERP

Identification of virulence factors and type III effectors of phylotype I ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Trupti Asolkar

2018-03-06

Mar 6, 2018 ... (Asia), phylotype II (America), phylotype III (Africa) and phylotype IV (Indonesia). ... terium is the primary virulence factor and impairs water transport within its .... With the availability of genomic data through whole genome ...

Chemical Inhibition of Kynureninase Reduces Pseudomonas aeruginosa Quorum Sensing and Virulence Factor Expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasper, Stephen H; Bonocora, Richard P; Wade, Joseph T; Musah, Rabi Ann; Cady, Nathaniel C

2016-04-15

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa utilizes multiple quorum sensing (QS) pathways to coordinate an arsenal of virulence factors. We previously identified several cysteine-based compounds inspired by natural products from the plant Petiveria alliacea which are capable of antagonizing multiple QS circuits as well as reducing P. aeruginosa biofilm formation. To understand the global effects of such compounds on virulence factor production and elucidate their mechanism of action, RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis was performed on P. aeruginosa PAO1 exposed to S-phenyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide, the most potent inhibitor from the prior study. Exposure to this inhibitor down-regulated expression of several QS-regulated virulence operons (e.g., phenazine biosynthesis, type VI secretion systems). Interestingly, many genes that were differentially regulated pertain to the related metabolic pathways that yield precursors of pyochelin, tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, phenazines, and Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS). Activation of the MexT-regulon was also indicated, including the multidrug efflux pump encoded by mexEF-oprN, which has previously been shown to inhibit QS and pathogenicity. Deeper investigation of the metabolites involved in these systems revealed that S-phenyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide has structural similarity to kynurenine, a precursor of anthranilate, which is critical for P. aeruginosa virulence. By supplementing exogenous anthranilate, the QS-inhibitory effect was reversed. Finally, it was shown that S-phenyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide competitively inhibits P. aeruginosa kynureninase (KynU) activity in vitro and reduces PQS production in vivo. The kynurenine pathway has been implicated in P. aeruginosa QS and virulence factor expression; however, this is the first study to show that targeted inhibition of KynU affects P. aeruginosa gene expression and QS, suggesting a potential antivirulence strategy.

A unique virulence factor for proliferation and dwarfism in plants identified from a phytopathogenic bacterium

OpenAIRE

Hoshi, Ayaka; Oshima, Kenro; Kakizawa, Shigeyuki; Ishii, Yoshiko; Ozeki, Johji; Hashimoto, Masayoshi; Komatsu, Ken; Kagiwada, Satoshi; Yamaji, Yasuyuki; Namba, Shigetou

2009-01-01

One of the most important themes in agricultural science is the identification of virulence factors involved in plant disease. Here, we show that a single virulence factor, tengu-su inducer (TENGU), induces witches' broom and dwarfism and is a small secreted protein of the plant-pathogenic bacterium, phytoplasma. When tengu was expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants, these plants showed symptoms of witches' broom and dwarfism, which are typical of phytoplasma infection. Transgenic Arabidop...

Antecedents for the Success of the Adoption of Organizational ERP Among Higher Education Institutions and Competitive Advantage in Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Soliman

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Although the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP system has long been acknowledged in higher education institutions (HEIs to improve their performance and efficiency, there are not many HEIs in Egypt that adopt ERP system and those that do are in an early stage. The research on ERP system in HEI is still limited and in the immature stage, hence little is known about the success factors for the adoption stage of ERP systems. Consequently, this article aims to understand what are the success factors for ERP adoption and further develop a conceptual model that explains the successful implementation of ERP in HEIs and its impact on competitive advantage. Based on previous studies, this paper identifies and conceptualizes success factors for ERP and further develops the proposed model for the adoption of ERP system in HEIs. This article contributes to the development of the theoretical framework of the successful implementation of the ERP system to explain the competitive advantage of HEI by merging information system (IS success and diffusion of innovation (DOI theories with the success factors for the adoption stage of ERP systems. The current study will provide recommendations and guidelines for both the potential adopters and the vendors on the successful ERP system adoption.

Pouring Salt on a Wound: Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence Factors Alter Na+ and Cl− Flux in the Lung

Science.gov (United States)

Ballok, Alicia E.

2013-01-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen with multiple niches in the human body, including the lung. P. aeruginosa infections are particularly damaging or fatal for patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis (CF). To establish an infection, P. aeruginosa relies on a suite of virulence factors, including lipopolysaccharide, phospholipases, exoproteases, phenazines, outer membrane vesicles, type III secreted effectors, flagella, and pili. These factors not only damage the epithelial cell lining but also induce changes in cell physiology and function such as cell shape, membrane permeability, and protein synthesis. While such virulence factors are important in initial infection, many become dysregulated or nonfunctional during the course of chronic infection. Recent work on the virulence factors alkaline protease (AprA) and CF transmembrane conductance regulator inhibitory factor (Cif) show that P. aeruginosa also perturbs epithelial ion transport and osmosis, which may be important for the long-term survival of this microbe in the lung. Here we discuss the literature regarding host physiology-altering virulence factors with a focus on Cif and AprA and their potential roles in chronic infection and immune evasion. PMID:23836869

Presence of virulence factors in Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium susceptible and resistant to vancomycin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina Baldisserotto Comerlato

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Despite the increasing importance of Enterococcus as opportunistic pathogens, their virulence factors are still poorly understood. This study determines the frequency of virulence factors in clinical and commensal Enterococcus isolates from inpatients in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Fifty Enterococcus isolates were analysed and the presence of the gelE, asa1 and esp genes was determined. Gelatinase activity and biofilm formation were also tested. The clonal relationships among the isolates were evaluated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The asa1, gelE and esp genes were identified in 38%, 60% and 76% of all isolates, respectively. The first two genes were more prevalent in Enterococcus faecalis than in Enterococcus faecium, as was biofilm formation, which was associated with gelE and asa1 genes, but not with the esp gene. The presence of gelE and the activity of gelatinase were not fully concordant. No relationship was observed among any virulence factors and specific subclones of E. faecalis or E. faecium resistant to vancomycin. In conclusion, E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates showed significantly different patterns of virulence determinants. Neither the source of isolation nor the clonal relationship or vancomycin resistance influenced their distribution.

Measuring Individual Differences in Emotion Regulation: The Emotion Regulation Profile-Revised (ERP-R

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delphine Nelis

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this study was to validate a new instrument aimed to assess emotion regulation: the Emotion Regulation Profile-Revised (ERP-R. Exploratory factor analyses yielded two theoretically meaningful factors: down-regulation of negative emotions and up-regulation of positive emotions. Internal reliability scores of the two factors were good. Findings showed evidence of convergent/discriminant validity, with ERP-R scores being independent of non verbal reasoning and verbal skills while positively related to emotional intelligence and to relevant personality dimensions. There was also preliminary evidence of criterion validity. ERP-R scores also demonstrated incremental validity to predict a number of criteria over and above emotional intelligence and emotional stability. Overall, the results show a clear 2 factors solution for the ERP-R and high correlations with convergent and divergent scales as well as good criterion and incremental validities.

Comparative analysis of the ternary complex factors Elk-1, SAP-1a and SAP-2 (ERP/NET).

Science.gov (United States)

Price, M A; Rogers, A E; Treisman, R

1995-06-01

A transcription factor ternary complex composed of Serum Response Factor (SRF) and Ternary Complex Factor (TCF) mediates the response of the c-fos Serum Response Element (SRE) to growth factors and mitogens. Three Ets domain proteins, Elk-1, SAP-1 and ERP/NET, have been reported to have the properties of TCF. Here we compare Elk-1 and SAP-1a with the human ERP/NET homologue SAP-2. All three TCF RNAs are ubiquitously expressed at similar relative levels. All three proteins contain conserved regions that interact with SRF and the c-fos SRE with comparable efficiency, but in vitro complex formation by SAP-2 is strongly inhibited by its C-terminal sequences. Similarly, only Elk-1 and SAP-1a efficiently bind the c-fos SRE in vivo; ternary complex formation by SAP-2 is weak and is substantially unaffected by serum stimulation or v-ras co-expression. All three TCFs contain C-terminal transcriptional activation domains that are phosphorylated following growth factor stimulation. Activation requires conserved S/T-P motifs found in all the TCF family members. Each TCF activation domain can be phosphorylated in vitro by partially purified ERK2, and ERK activation in vivo is sufficient to potentiate transcriptional activation.

ERP system implementation in SMEs: exploring the influences of the SME context

Science.gov (United States)

Zach, Ondrej; Munkvold, Bjørn Erik; Håkon Olsen, Dag

2014-03-01

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Compared to large enterprises, SMEs differ in a number of inherent characteristics, which are likely to impact the ERP system implementations. The purpose of this study is to explore these influences of the SME context on the ERP system implementation process. SME characteristics are synthesised from relevant literature and the influences of the contextual factors on various activities across the ERP life cycle are investigated. The study presents findings from a multiple case study of four SMEs. The ownership type of the companies and limited resources were identified as the most influential contextual factors. Among the ERP life-cycle phases, the implementation phase was affected most by the SME context. The case studies also illustrate the need for a more nuanced view on what should be considered general characteristics of SMEs; for example, regarding the level of IS knowledge, business processes, and market characteristics.

Prevalence of virulence factors in Staphylococcus intermedius isolates from dogs and pigeons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fukuyasu Tsuguaki

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Staphylococcus intermedius has been isolated from healthy dogs and pigeons as well as diseased dogs. Similar to Staphylococcus aureus, S. intermedius is known to carry many virulence factors but most of these factors remain to be studied. In this study, we examined 106 S. intermedius isolates (44 dog isolates and 62 pigeon isolates for their hemolytic activity, biofilm formation, protease activity, and clumping factor and protein A production. Results Forty-three dog isolates (97.7% and all pigeon isolates were hemolytic on sheep RBCs with a mean hemolytic titer of 336.7 and 47.32, respectively, whereas 43 dog isolates (97.7% and 11 pigeon isolates (17.7% exhibited a significant difference in their hemolytic activity on rabbit RBCs with a mean hemolytic titer of 11.04 and 3.76, respectively (p Conclusion S. intermedius strains carrying the virulence factors examined in this study were more prevalent in dogs than pigeons.

Clumping factor A-mediated virulence during Staphylococcus aureus infection is retained despite fibrinogen depletion.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmqvist, Niklas; Josefsson, Elisabet; Tarkowski, Andrzej

2004-02-01

Clumping factor A (ClfA), a fibrinogen-binding protein expressed on the Staphylococcus aureus cell surface, has previously been shown to act as a virulence factor in experimental septic arthritis. Although the interaction between ClfA and fibrinogen is assumed to be of importance for the virulence of S. aureus, this has not been demonstrated in any in vivo model of infection. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of this interaction to ClfA-mediated virulence in murine S. aureus-induced arthritis. Ancrod, a serine protease with thrombin-like activity, was used to induce in vivo depletion of fibrinogen in mice. Ancrod treatment significantly aggravated septic arthritis following inoculation with a ClfA-expressing strain (Newman) compared to control treatment. Also, ancrod treatment tended to enhance the arthritis induced by a clfA mutant strain (DU5876), indicating that fibrinogen depletion exacerbates septic arthritis in a ClfA-independent manner. Most importantly, the ClfA-expressing strain was much more arthritogenic than the isogenic clfA mutant, following inoculation of fibrinogen-depleted mice. This finding indicates that the interaction between ClfA and free fibrinogen is not required for ClfA-mediated functions contributing to S. aureus virulence. It is conceivable that ClfA contributes to the virulence of S. aureus through interactions with other host ligands than fibrinogen.

Sequence Analysis of Hypothetical Proteins from 26695 to Identify Potential Virulence Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Abu Turab Naqvi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacteria that is responsible for gastritis in human. Its spiral flagellated body helps in locomotion and colonization in the host environment. It is capable of living in the highly acidic environment of the stomach with the help of acid adaptive genes. The genome of H. pylori 26695 strain contains 1,555 coding genes that encode 1,445 proteins. Out of these, 340 proteins are characterized as hypothetical proteins (HP. This study involves extensive analysis of the HPs using an established pipeline which comprises various bioinformatics tools and databases to find out probable functions of the HPs and identification of virulence factors. After extensive analysis of all the 340 HPs, we found that 104 HPs are showing characteristic similarities with the proteins with known functions. Thus, on the basis of such similarities, we assigned probable functions to 104 HPs with high confidence and precision. All the predicted HPs contain representative members of diverse functional classes of proteins such as enzymes, transporters, binding proteins, regulatory proteins, proteins involved in cellular processes and other proteins with miscellaneous functions. Therefore, we classified 104 HPs into aforementioned functional groups. During the virulence factors analysis of the HPs, we found 11 HPs are showing significant virulence. The identification of virulence proteins with the help their predicted functions may pave the way for drug target estimation and development of effective drug to counter the activity of that protein.

Network analysis of S. aureus response to ramoplanin reveals modules for virulence factors and resistance mechanisms and characteristic novel genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanian, Devika; Natarajan, Jeyakumar

2015-12-10

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen and ramoplanin is an antimicrobial attributed for effective treatment. The goal of this study was to examine the transcriptomic profiles of ramoplanin sensitive and resistant S. aureus to identify putative modules responsible for virulence and resistance-mechanisms and its characteristic novel genes. The dysregulated genes were used to reconstruct protein functional association networks for virulence-factors and resistance-mechanisms individually. Strong link between metabolic-pathways and development of virulence/resistance is suggested. We identified 15 putative modules of virulence factors. Six hypothetical genes were annotated with novel virulence activity among which SACOL0281 was discovered to be an essential virulence factor EsaD. The roles of MazEF toxin-antitoxin system, SACOL0202/SACOL0201 two-component system and that of amino-sugar and nucleotide-sugar metabolism in virulence are also suggested. In addition, 14 putative modules of resistance mechanisms including modules of ribosomal protein-coding genes and metabolic pathways such as biotin-synthesis, TCA-cycle, riboflavin-biosynthesis, peptidoglycan-biosynthesis etc. are also indicated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How to Disable Mortal Loops of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP Implementation: A System Dynamics Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaveh M. Cyrus

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Successful Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP implementation depends upon various factors known as critical success factors (CSFs. This study developed a system dynamics model of ERP implementation based on CSFs to discuss ERP implementation complexities, which identifies the effect of CSF interrelations on different aspects of ERP project failure. Based on the model hypothesis, CSF interrelations include many causal loop dependencies. Some of these causal loops are called mortal loops, because they may cause the failure of risk reduction efforts to a more severe failure in effect of lack of system thinking on CSFs interrelations. This study discusses how system thinking works as a leverage point for overcoming ERP implementation challenges.

ERP Institutionalisation- A Quantitative Data Analysis Using The Integrative Framework of IS Theories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azadeh Pishdad

2014-11-01

Full Text Available There is a wide agreement that IT projects have disappointing success rates and often generate less value than originally promised. In the context of ERP systems, the same statistical reports exist which demonstrate an overwhelming number of failures in ERP implementations. A thorough review of IS literature, however, leads us to believe that organisations that broadly deploy and routinise IT (in particular, ERPs into their day-to-day work procedures realise the greatest productivity benefit and business values, and in return perceive to be more successful. The stage wherein ERP is fully assimilated, widely accepted and routinised is also referred to as institutionalised ERP in the extant IS literature of institutional theory. As a result, the authors of this paper believe that studying the influence of various social, environmental, technological and organisational factors on ERP institutionalisation has significant potential in improving the chance of successful ERP projects. In doing so, this paper introduces an integrative framework of IS theories based on an in-depth review of IS literature. The survey instrument is developed to gather data on possible impacts of factors derived from each theory on ERP institutionalisation. The gathered data is then analysed using quantitative data analysis methods to shape the final hypothetical inferences. Finally, based on the data analysis results, this paper proposed valuable suggestions to business and IT managers to improve the chance of ERP success in their organisations.

Working with OpenERP

CERN Document Server

Moss, Greg

2013-01-01

This book is a practical, hands-on guide that provides the reader with a number of real-world examples and step-by-step instructions.""Working with OpenERP"" is written to make it easy for even a non-technical business person to begin implementing OpenERP in their business. This book uses real-world examples and is perfect for people who have never implemented an ERP system before or used OpenERP, or for those who would like to learn more advanced features, such as creating your own custom modules.

Differential regulation of type I interferon and epidermal growth factor pathways by a human Respirovirus virulence factor.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grégory Caignard

2009-09-01

Full Text Available A number of paramyxoviruses are responsible for acute respiratory infections in children, elderly and immuno-compromised individuals, resulting in airway inflammation and exacerbation of chronic diseases like asthma. To understand the molecular pathogenesis of these infections, we searched for cellular targets of the virulence protein C of human parainfluenza virus type 3 (hPIV3-C. We found that hPIV3-C interacts directly through its C-terminal domain with STAT1 and GRB2, whereas C proteins from measles or Nipah viruses failed to do so. Binding to STAT1 explains the previously reported capacity of hPIV3-C to block type I interferon signaling, but the interaction with GRB2 was unexpected. This adaptor protein bridges Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF receptor to MAPK/ERK pathway, a signaling cascade recently found to be involved in airway inflammatory response. We report that either hPIV3 infection or transient expression of hPIV3-C both increase cellular response to EGF, as assessed by Elk1 transactivation and phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2, 40S ribosomal subunit protein S6 and translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E. Furthermore, inhibition of MAPK/ERK pathway with U0126 prevented viral protein expression in infected cells. Altogether, our data provide molecular basis to explain the role of hPIV3-C as a virulence factor and determinant of pathogenesis and demonstrate that Paramyxoviridae have evolved a single virulence factor to block type I interferon signaling and to boost simultaneous cellular response to growth factors.

Comparative genomics and transcriptomics of Escherichia coli isolates carrying virulence factors of both enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic E. coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Hazen, Tracy H; Michalski, Jane; Luo, Qingwei; Shetty, Amol C; Daugherty, Sean C; Fleckenstein, James M; Rasko, David A

2017-06-14

Escherichia coli that are capable of causing human disease are often classified into pathogenic variants (pathovars) based on their virulence gene content. However, disease-associated hybrid E. coli, containing unique combinations of multiple canonical virulence factors have also been described. Such was the case of the E. coli O104:H4 outbreak in 2011, which caused significant morbidity and mortality. Among the pathovars of diarrheagenic E. coli that cause significant human disease are the enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). In the current study we use comparative genomics, transcriptomics, and functional studies to characterize isolates that contain virulence factors of both EPEC and ETEC. Based on phylogenomic analysis, these hybrid isolates are more genomically-related to EPEC, but appear to have acquired ETEC virulence genes. Global transcriptional analysis using RNA sequencing, demonstrated that the EPEC and ETEC virulence genes of these hybrid isolates were differentially-expressed under virulence-inducing laboratory conditions, similar to reference isolates. Immunoblot assays further verified that the virulence gene products were produced and that the T3SS effector EspB of EPEC, and heat-labile toxin of ETEC were secreted. These findings document the existence and virulence potential of an E. coli pathovar hybrid that blurs the distinction between E. coli pathovars.

An investigation of virulence factors of Legionella pneumophila environmental isolates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elif Özlem Arslan-Aydoğdu

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Nine Legionella pneumophila strains isolated from cooling towers and a standard strain (L. pneumophila serogroup 1, ATCC 33152, Philadelphia 1 were analyzed and compared in terms of motility, flagella structure, ability to form biofilms, enzymatic activities (hemolysin, nucleases, protease, phospholipase A, phospholipase C, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and lipase, hemagglutination capabilities, and pathogenicity in various host cells (Acanthamoeba castellanii ATCC 30234, mouse peritoneal macrophages and human peripheral monocytes. All the isolates of bacteria appeared to be motile and polar-flagellated and possessed the type-IV fimbria. Upon the evaluation of virulence factors, isolate 4 was found to be the most pathogenic strain, while 6 out of the 9 isolates (the isolates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 were more virulent than the ATCC 33152 strain. The different bacterial strains exhibited differences in properties such as adhesion, penetration and reproduction in the hosts, and preferred host type. To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare the virulence of environmental L. pneumophila strains isolated in Turkey, and it provides important information relevant for understanding the epidemiology of L. pneumophila.

Analyzing the effects of information technology on supply chain integration: The role of ERP success mediator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samaneh Alimohamadian

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This research analyzes the effects of Information Technology (IT on Supply Chain Integration (SCI through ERP mediator by proposing a conceptual model among these components. We also hypothesize that three constructs of IT influence on enterprise resource planning (ERP success and one construct of ERP success influences on SCI. To clarify the relationships among the constructs, structural equation model (SEM is conducted to examine the model fit and seven hypotheses. The data was collected from three Iranian firms through questionnaire with 23 questions adopted by past researches. The results confirmed that top management support of IT and employees’ general IT skills factors of IT enhance ERP success, and ERP success positively influences on Supply Chain Integration, so these two IT factors influence Supply Chain Integration through ERP success. Our data unsupported negative impact of satisfaction with legacy IT system on ERP success.

Staphylococcus aureus clonal dynamics and virulence factors in children with atopic dermatitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lomholt, Hans Bredsted; Andersen, KE; Kilian, Mogens

2005-01-01

A prospective cohort study was undertaken to determine the clonal dynamics of Staphylococcus aureus colonization and infection during 1 y in children with atopic dermatitis, and to correlate specific clones, accessory gene regulator (agr) groups, and production of virulence factors with eczema......, toxins, and were assigned to agr groups. S. aureus colonization patterns ranged from rare colonization over transient colonization to persistent colonization by a single clone or a dynamic exchange of up to five clones. Production of no single virulence factor including superantigens and toxins...... activity. Eleven children were examined every 6 wk with swaps taken from active eczema, anterior nose, axillae and perineum, and scoring of eczema activity by severity scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD). Individual S. aureus clonal types were identified and examined for production of superantigens...

ERP as a Service

OpenAIRE

Mach, Jan

2012-01-01

This work is focused on the problematics of ERP as a Service and its main goal is to identify opportunities for new Czech providers of ERP as a Service. In theoretical part of this work at first is described that, what is provided by ERP as a Service. Further off is this part focused on that, how and under which terms can be and should be ERP as a Service provided. In last chapter of this part are presented world IT trends (for example Lean IT) and its relation to ERP as a Service. In second ...

Molecular investigation of virulence factors of Brucella melitensis and Brucella abortus strains isolated from clinical and non-clinical samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirnejad, Reza; Jazi, Faramarz Masjedian; Mostafaei, Shayan; Sedighi, Mansour

2017-08-01

Brucella is zoonotic pathogen that induces abortion and sterility in domestic mammals and chronic infections in humans called Malta fever. It is a facultative intracellular potential pathogen with high infectivity. The virulence of Brucella is dependent upon its potential virulence factors such as enzymes and cell envelope associated virulence genes. The aim of this study was to investigate the Brucella virulence factors among strains isolated from humans and animals in different parts of Iran. Seventy eight strains of Brucella species isolated from suspected human and animal cases from several provinces of Iran during 2015-2016 and identified by phenotypic and molecular methods. The multiplex-PCR (M-PCR) assay was performed in order to detect the ure, wbkA, omp19, mviN, manA and perA genes by using gene specific primers. Out of 78 isolates of Brucella spp., 57 (73%) and 21 (27%) isolates were detected as B. melitensis and B. abortus, respectively, by molecular method. The relative frequency of virulence genes ure, wbkA, omp19, mviN, manA and perA were 74.4%, 89.7%, 93.6%, 94.9%, 100% and 92.3%, respectively. Our results indicate that the most of Brucella strains isolated from this region possess high percent of virulence factor genes (ure, wbkA, omp19, mviN, manA and perA) in their genome. So, each step of infection can be mediated by a number of virulence factors and each strain may have a unique combination of these factors that affected the rate of bacterial pathogenesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The interoperability force in the ERP field

Science.gov (United States)

Boza, Andrés; Cuenca, Llanos; Poler, Raúl; Michaelides, Zenon

2015-04-01

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems participate in interoperability projects and this participation sometimes leads to new proposals for the ERP field. The aim of this paper is to identify the role that interoperability plays in the evolution of ERP systems. To go about this, ERP systems have been first identified within interoperability frameworks. Second, the initiatives in the ERP field driven by interoperability requirements have been identified from two perspectives: technological and business. The ERP field is evolving from classical ERP as information system integrators to a new generation of fully interoperable ERP. Interoperability is changing the way of running business, and ERP systems are changing to adapt to the current stream of interoperability.

MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF ERP SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo André da Conceição Menezes

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning systems have been consolidated in companies with different sizes and sectors, allowing their real benefits to be definitively evaluated. In this study, several interactions have been studied in different phases, such as the strategic priorities and strategic planning defined as ERP Strategy; business processes review and the ERP selection in the pre-implementation phase, the project management and ERP adaptation in the implementation phase, as well as the ERP revision and integration efforts in the post-implementation phase. Through rigorous use of case study methodology, this research led to developing and to testing a framework for maximizing the benefits of the ERP systems, and seeks to contribute for the generation of ERP initiatives to optimize their performance.

Studi Mengenai Peneriamaan system ERP: EnhancementTerhadap Model Penerimaan Sistem ERP Berbasis Technoloy Acceptance Model

OpenAIRE

Govindaraju, Rajesri; de Bruijn, E.J.; Govindaraju, R.; Indriany, Nenny

2007-01-01

Dalam penelitian dibangun model yang menjelaskan penerimaan user terhadap sistem ERP yang diimplementasikan, serta melakukan survey untuk menguji hipotesis. Dengan model yang dibangun dikaji pengaruh attitude toward ERP system use dan ERP symbolic adoption yang mengacu pada penerimaan mental secara sukarela terhadap sistem ERP. Model yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah adaptasi dari model TAM yang dikembangkan oleh Nah et al (2004) dan menambahkan lima konstruk baru yang berkaitan deng...

Blue light treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Strong bactericidal activity, synergism with antibiotics and inactivation of virulence factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fila, Grzegorz; Kawiak, Anna; Grinholc, Mariusz Stanislaw

2017-08-18

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is among the most common pathogens responsible for both acute and chronic infections of high incidence and severity. Additionally, P. aeruginosa resistance to conventional antimicrobials has increased rapidly over the past decade. Therefore, it is crucial to explore new therapeutic options, particularly options that specifically target the pathogenic mechanisms of this microbe. The ability of a pathogenic bacterium to cause disease is dependent upon the production of agents termed 'virulence factors', and approaches to mitigate these agents have gained increasing attention as new antibacterial strategies. Although blue light irradiation is a promising alternative approach, only limited and preliminary studies have described its effect on virulence factors. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of lethal and sub-lethal doses of blue light treatment (BLT) on P. aeruginosa virulence factors. We analyzed the inhibitory effects of blue light irradiation on the production/activity of several virulence factors. Lethal BLT inhibited the activity of pyocyanin, staphylolysin, pseudolysin and other proteases, but sub-lethal BLT did not affect the production/expression of proteases, phospholipases, and flagella- or type IV pili-associated motility. Moreover, a eukaryotic cytotoxicity test confirmed the decreased toxicity of blue light-treated extracellular P. aeruginosa fractions. Finally, the increased antimicrobial susceptibility of P. aeruginosa treated with sequential doses of sub-lethal BLT was demonstrated with a checkerboard test. Thus, this work provides evidence-based proof of the susceptibility of drug-resistant P. aeruginosa to BLT-mediated killing, accompanied by virulence factor reduction, and describes the synergy between antibiotics and sub-lethal BLT.

An empirical identification and categorisation of training best practices for ERP implementation projects

Science.gov (United States)

Esteves, Jose Manuel

2014-11-01

Although training is one of the most cited critical success factors in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems implementations, few empirical studies have attempted to examine the characteristics of management of the training process within ERP implementation projects. Based on the data gathered from a sample of 158 respondents across four stakeholder groups involved in ERP implementation projects, and using a mixed method design, we have assembled a derived set of training best practices. Results suggest that the categorised list of ERP training best practices can be used to better understand training activities in ERP implementation projects. Furthermore, the results reveal that the company size and location have an impact on the relevance of training best practices. This empirical study also highlights the need to investigate the role of informal workplace trainers in ERP training activities.

Evaluation of approaches to monitor Staphylococcus aureus virulence factor expression during human disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rozemeijer, Wouter; Fink, Pamela; Rojas, Eduardo; Jones, C Hal; Pavliakova, Danka; Giardina, Peter; Murphy, Ellen; Liberator, Paul; Jiang, Qin; Girgenti, Douglas; Peters, Remco P H; Savelkoul, Paul H M; Jansen, Kathrin U; Anderson, Annaliesa S; Kluytmans, Jan

2015-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen of medical significance, using multiple virulence factors to cause disease. A prophylactic S. aureus 4-antigen (SA4Ag) vaccine comprising capsular polysaccharide (types 5 and 8) conjugates, clumping factor A (ClfA) and manganese transporter C (MntC) is

Framework of ERP System Implementation for SMEs In Punjab

OpenAIRE

Sarvjit Singh

2012-01-01

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can effectively reduce product cost, improve customer service experience, and increase enterprise competitiveness is one of the most significant information systems for Punjab enterprises, However, the successful implementation rate of ERP system/is much lower than initially planned and many enterprises did not achieve their intended goals. There are a lot of factors (e.g., high implementation costs, technical complexity, lack of well-trained employee...

A Strong Case for Viral Genetic Factors in HIV Virulence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua T. Herbeck

2011-03-01

Full Text Available HIV infections show great variation in the rate of progression to disease, and the role of viral genetic factors in this variation had remained poorly characterized until recently. Now a series of four studies [1–4] published within a year has filled this important gap and has demonstrated a robust effect of the viral genotype on HIV virulence.

The red pigment prodigiosin is not an essential virulence factor in entomopathogenic Serratia marcescens.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Wei; Li, JingHua; Chen, Jie; Liu, XiaoYuan; Xiang, TingTing; Zhang, Lin; Wan, YongJi

2016-05-01

Although pigments produced by pathogenic microbes are generally hypothesized as essential virulence factors, the role of red pigment prodigiosin in the pathogenesis of entomopathogenic Serratia marcescens is not clear. In this study, we analyzed the pathogenicity of different pigmented S. marcescens strains and their non-pigmented mutants in silkworms. Each pigmented strain and the corresponding non-pigmented mutants showed very similar LD50 value (statistically no difference), but caused very different symptom (color of the dead larva). Our results clearly indicated that the red pigment prodigiosin is not an essential virulence factor in entomopathogenic S. marcescens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Studi Mengenai Peneriamaan system ERP: EnhancementTerhadap Model Penerimaan Sistem ERP Berbasis Technoloy Acceptance Model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Govindaraju, Rajesri; de Bruijn, E.J.; Govindaraju, R.; Indriany, Nenny

2007-01-01

Dalam penelitian dibangun model yang menjelaskan penerimaan user terhadap sistem ERP yang diimplementasikan, serta melakukan survey untuk menguji hipotesis. Dengan model yang dibangun dikaji pengaruh attitude toward ERP system use dan ERP symbolic adoption yang mengacu pada penerimaan mental secara

Random T-DNA mutagenesis identifies a Cu-Zn-superoxide dismutase gene as a virulence factor of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Science.gov (United States)

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT) was used to identify potential virulence factors in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Screening AMT transformants identified two mutants showing significantly reduced virulence. The mutants showed similar growth rate, colony morphology, and sclerotial and oxalate ...

Comparison of Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Factors among Escherichia coli Isolated from Conventional and Free-Range Poultry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanessa L. Koga

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Microbiological contamination in commercial poultry production has caused concerns for human health because of both the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and the increase in antimicrobial resistance in bacterial strains that can cause treatment failure of human infections. The aim of our study was to analyze the profile of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors of E. coli isolates from chicken carcasses obtained from different farming systems (conventional and free-range poultry. A total of 156 E. coli strains were isolated and characterized for genes encoding virulence factors described in extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed for 15 antimicrobials, and strains were confirmed as extended spectrum of β-lactamases- (ESBLs- producing E. coli by phenotypic and genotypic tests. The results indicated that strains from free-range poultry have fewer virulence factors than strains from conventional poultry. Strains from conventionally raised chickens had a higher frequency of antimicrobial resistance for all antibiotics tested and also exhibited genes encoding ESBL and AmpC, unlike free-range poultry isolates, which did not. Group 2 CTX-M and CIT were the most prevalent ESBL and AmpC genes, respectively. The farming systems of poultries can be related with the frequency of virulence factors and resistance to antimicrobials in bacteria.

Prevalence and virulence factors of Candida spp. associated with blow flies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wimonrat GunTang

2017-05-01

Conclusions: The results indicate that blow flies could play an essential role in the transmission of potentially pathogenic and antifungal resistant C. albicans into the environment. Further investigation on other virulence factors and genetic relatedness among isolates from the blow flies, the environment and clinical specimens is required to confirm this role.

Multiplex-PCR-Based Screening and Computational Modeling of Virulence Factors and T-Cell Mediated Immunity in Helicobacter pylori Infections for Accurate Clinical Diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Oktem-Okullu, Sinem; Tiftikci, Arzu; Saruc, Murat; Cicek, Bahattin; Vardareli, Eser; Tozun, Nurdan; Kocagoz, Tanil; Sezerman, Ugur; Yavuz, Ahmet Sinan; Sayi-Yazgan, Ayca

2015-01-01

The outcome of H. pylori infection is closely related with bacteria's virulence factors and host immune response. The association between T cells and H. pylori infection has been identified, but the effects of the nine major H. pylori specific virulence factors; cagA, vacA, oipA, babA, hpaA, napA, dupA, ureA, ureB on T cell response in H. pylori infected patients have not been fully elucidated. We developed a multiplex- PCR assay to detect nine H. pylori virulence genes with in a three PCR reactions. Also, the expression levels of Th1, Th17 and Treg cell specific cytokines and transcription factors were detected by using qRT-PCR assays. Furthermore, a novel expert derived model is developed to identify set of factors and rules that can distinguish the ulcer patients from gastritis patients. Within all virulence factors that we tested, we identified a correlation between the presence of napA virulence gene and ulcer disease as a first data. Additionally, a positive correlation between the H. pylori dupA virulence factor and IFN-γ, and H. pylori babA virulence factor and IL-17 was detected in gastritis and ulcer patients respectively. By using computer-based models, clinical outcomes of a patients infected with H. pylori can be predicted by screening the patient's H. pylori vacA m1/m2, ureA and cagA status and IFN-γ (Th1), IL-17 (Th17), and FOXP3 (Treg) expression levels. Herein, we report, for the first time, the relationship between H. pylori virulence factors and host immune responses for diagnostic prediction of gastric diseases using computer-based models.

Risk assessment for enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementations: a fault tree analysis approach

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Yajun; Skibniewski, Miroslaw J.

2013-08-01

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementations are often characterised with large capital outlay, long implementation duration, and high risk of failure. In order to avoid ERP implementation failure and realise the benefits of the system, sound risk management is the key. This paper proposes a probabilistic risk assessment approach for ERP system implementation projects based on fault tree analysis, which models the relationship between ERP system components and specific risk factors. Unlike traditional risk management approaches that have been mostly focused on meeting project budget and schedule objectives, the proposed approach intends to address the risks that may cause ERP system usage failure. The approach can be used to identify the root causes of ERP system implementation usage failure and quantify the impact of critical component failures or critical risk events in the implementation process.

Vitamin D inhibits the growth of and virulence factor gene expression by Porphyromonas gingivalis and blocks activation of the nuclear factor kappa B transcription factor in monocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Grenier, D; Morin, M-P; Fournier-Larente, J; Chen, H

2016-06-01

Increasing evidence suggests that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2 D3 ), a fat-soluble secosteroid hormone, has a positive impact on periodontal health through diverse mechanisms. The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of 1,25(OH)2 D3 on the growth of and virulence factor gene expression by the periodontopathogenic bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis. The effect of 1,25(OH)2 D3 on P. gingivalis-mediated activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) transcription factor in monocytes was also assessed. A broth microdilution assay was used to determine the antibacterial activity of 1,25(OH)2 D3 . The modulation of virulence factor gene expression in P. gingivalis was assessed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. NF-κB activation was assessed using a human monocytic cell line stably transfected with a luciferase reporter containing NF-κB binding sites. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of 1,25(OH)2 D3 against P. gingivalis ranged from 3.125 to 6.25 μg/mL. Moreover, a partial synergistic effect was observed when 1,25(OH)2 D3 was used in association with metronidazole. 1,25(OH)2 D3 attenuated the virulence of P. gingivalis by reducing the expression of genes coding for important virulence factors, including adhesins (fimA, hagA and hagB) and proteinases (rgpA, rgpB and kgp). 1,25(OH)2 D3 dose-dependently prevented P. gingivalis-induced NF-κB activation in a monocyte model. Our study suggested that 1,25(OH)2 D3 selectively inhibits the growth of and virulence factor gene expression by P. gingivalis, in addition to attenuating NF-κB activation by this periodontopathogen. This dual action on P. gingivalis and the inflammatory response of host cells may be of particular interest with a view to developing a novel and inexpensive preventive/therapeutic strategy. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Exploring the Effects of Technology Overload on the Outcomes of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Implementation Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Kates, Earl B.

2016-01-01

Despite significant investments made by organizations to implement ERP systems and prior research that explored contributing factors of ERP failure, the ERP implementation success rate continues to remain low in practice. Increased technology usage in the workplace coupled with higher dependency on technology to complete project tasks often leads…

Characterization of virulence factor regulation by SrrAB, a two-component system in Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Pragman, Alexa A; Yarwood, Jeremy M; Tripp, Timothy J; Schlievert, Patrick M

2004-04-01

Workers in our laboratory have previously identified the staphylococcal respiratory response AB (SrrAB), a Staphylococcus aureus two-component system that acts in the global regulation of virulence factors. This system down-regulates production of agr RNAIII, protein A, and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1), particularly under low-oxygen conditions. In this study we investigated the localization and membrane orientation of SrrA and SrrB, transcription of the srrAB operon, the DNA-binding properties of SrrA, and the effect of SrrAB expression on S. aureus virulence. We found that SrrA is localized to the S. aureus cytoplasm, while SrrB is localized to the membrane and is properly oriented to function as a histidine kinase. srrAB has one transcriptional start site which results in either an srrA transcript or a full-length srrAB transcript; srrB must be cotranscribed with srrA. Gel shift assays of the agr P2, agr P3, protein A (spa), TSST-1 (tst), and srr promoters revealed SrrA binding at each of these promoters. Analysis of SrrAB-overexpressing strains by using the rabbit model of bacterial endocarditis demonstrated that overexpression of SrrAB decreased the virulence of the organisms compared to the virulence of isogenic strains that do not overexpress SrrAB. We concluded that SrrAB is properly localized and oriented to function as a two-component system. Overexpression of SrrAB, which represses agr RNAIII, TSST-1, and protein A in vitro, decreases virulence in the rabbit endocarditis model. Repression of these virulence factors is likely due to a direct interaction between SrrA and the agr, tst, and spa promoters.

Sistemas ERP: características, custos e tendências ERP systems: characteristics, implementation cost, tendencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thais Cássia Cabral Padilha

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Muitas empresas estão adotando Sistemas ERP devido a várias razões, tais como: decepção com sistemas incompatíveis, incapacidade do Departamento de Tecnologia de Informação em realizar a integração entre os sistemas existentes atualmente na empresa e outros motivos que influenciam diretamente a competitividade da Empresa. Neste contexto, este artigo apresenta as principais características de Sistemas ERP, suas vantagens e desvantagens, bem como os custos envolvidos na sua implementação. Finalmente, as tendências e o futuro de Sistemas ERP são comentados.Several Companies are adopting ERP systems due to different reasons, such as: deceptions with incompatible systems, incapacity of Technology Information Department of doing integration among current systems, and other reasons which have direct influence in Company's competitiveness. In this context, this work presents the main ERP system characteristics, and the advantages, disadvantages and costs involved with its implementation. Besides this, the tendencies and the future for ERP systems are commented.

Assessing ERP SAP implementation in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Yohannes; Gunawan, W.; Ikhsan, R. B.; Aries

2018-03-01

The consistent growth of Indonesian SMEs has received attention of global IT vendors. One of major ERP player in Indonesian market such as SAP, has introduced ERP solutions for SMEs through SAP Business One. Due to its fast growth, unfortunately, there are still very few articles can be found to understand the ERP implementation in Indonesian SMEs. The article addressed the common factors that affect the successful of the ERP implementation at SMEs. They are: identifying vendor quality, opening balance data migration, and A-SAP methodology. The article applied case study method to examine the fast growth companies owned by same owners, such as: GRK, MMM, and KM25; with the objectives to identify the practical pattern of ERP implementation in SMEs that will be useful for SAP project manager and consultants.

Multiplex-PCR-Based Screening and Computational Modeling of Virulence Factors and T-Cell Mediated Immunity in Helicobacter pylori Infections for Accurate Clinical Diagnosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sinem Oktem-Okullu

Full Text Available The outcome of H. pylori infection is closely related with bacteria's virulence factors and host immune response. The association between T cells and H. pylori infection has been identified, but the effects of the nine major H. pylori specific virulence factors; cagA, vacA, oipA, babA, hpaA, napA, dupA, ureA, ureB on T cell response in H. pylori infected patients have not been fully elucidated. We developed a multiplex- PCR assay to detect nine H. pylori virulence genes with in a three PCR reactions. Also, the expression levels of Th1, Th17 and Treg cell specific cytokines and transcription factors were detected by using qRT-PCR assays. Furthermore, a novel expert derived model is developed to identify set of factors and rules that can distinguish the ulcer patients from gastritis patients. Within all virulence factors that we tested, we identified a correlation between the presence of napA virulence gene and ulcer disease as a first data. Additionally, a positive correlation between the H. pylori dupA virulence factor and IFN-γ, and H. pylori babA virulence factor and IL-17 was detected in gastritis and ulcer patients respectively. By using computer-based models, clinical outcomes of a patients infected with H. pylori can be predicted by screening the patient's H. pylori vacA m1/m2, ureA and cagA status and IFN-γ (Th1, IL-17 (Th17, and FOXP3 (Treg expression levels. Herein, we report, for the first time, the relationship between H. pylori virulence factors and host immune responses for diagnostic prediction of gastric diseases using computer-based models.

 Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, internal control and ERP systems: Automation and the case of mySAP ERP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rikhardsson, Pall M.; Best, Peter; Juhl-Christensen, Claus

  The effort to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) has focused management attention on the importance of assessing, developing and maintaining an effective and efficient internal control system. ERP systems are a crucial factor in developing such a system. Despite the attention this has att...

The Challenge of Implementing an ERP System in a Small and Medium Enterprise--A Teaching Case of ERP Project Management

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Hongjiang; Rondeau, Patrick J.; Mahenthiran, Sakthi

2011-01-01

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system implementation projects are notoriously risky. While large-scale ERP cases continue to be developed, relatively few new ERP cases have been published that further ERP implementation education in small to medium size firms. This case details the implementation of a new ERP system in a medium sized…

ERP SOLUTIONS FOR SMEs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TUTUNEA MIHAELA FILOFTEIA

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The integration of activities, the business processes as well as their optimization, bring the perspective of profitable growth and create significant and competitive advantages in any company. The adoption of some ERP integrated software solutions, from SMEs’ perspective, must be considered as a very important management decision in medium and long term. ERP solutions, along with the transparent and optimized management of all internal processes, also offer an intra and inter companies collaborative platform, which allows a rapid expansion of activities towards e- business and mobile-business environments. This material introduces ERP solutions for SMEs from commercial offer and open source perspective; the results of comparative analysis of the solutions on the specific market, can be an useful aid to the management of the companies, in making the decision to integrate business processes, using ERP as a support.

MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF ERP SYSTEMS

OpenAIRE

Paulo André da Conceição Menezes; Fernando González-Ladrón-de-Guevara

2010-01-01

The ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems have been consolidated in companies with different sizes and sectors, allowing their real benefits to be definitively evaluated. In this study, several interactions have been studied in different phases, such as the strategic priorities and strategic planning defined as ERP Strategy; business processes review and the ERP selection in the pre-implementation phase, the project management and ERP adaptation in the implementation phase, as well as th...

Exploring Education Culture by Employing Hofstede?s Cultural Dimensions to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Current ERP Training Approach in Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Chayakonvikom, Monta; Fuangvut, Parin; Cannell, Stephen

2016-01-01

ERP training is a critical success factor in ERP implementation. The current ERP training was largely ineffective and caused user resistance and ERP implementation failure. The objective of this paper is to investigate whether the current ERP training approach can accommodate the cultural learning behaviors of end-users. Hofstede's cultural…

Pathogenicity, Epidemiology and Virulence Factors of Salmonella species: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamègnon Victorien DOUGNON

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Salmonella infections are major public health problems worldwide. The hereby review aimed to establish an overview on the pathogenicity, epidemiology and virulence factors of Salmonella spp. in the world. A systematic search was conducted online using the keywords ‘Salmonella’, ‘Salmonella spp.’, ‘Salmonella spp. Epidemiology’, ‘virulence factors of Salmonella spp. in the world’, ‘bacteria responsible for the contamination of meat products’, ‘non-typhoid salmonella’. These keywords were entered into databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar using mainly French language. The obtained articles were included based on the reliability of their source, the study area (usually Benin and Africa and the subject. The review revealed that Salmonella spp. is motile Gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria, of the family Enterobacteriaceae, currently counting more than 2,600 serovars. Human contamination occurs through the ingestion of contaminated water and food and can cause gastroenteritis or typhoid fever, which are two serious public health problems. A gene set constituting the pathogenicity islands determines the pathogenesis of Salmonella spp. The diagnosis is based on bacteriological, serological and molecular techniques. Salmonella infections are usually treated using antibiotics; however, emergence of antibiotic resistance in these microorganisms suggests that the anti-salmonella control should explore new sources such as medicinal plants

Elongation factor P mediates a novel post-transcriptional regulatory pathway critical for bacterial virulence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zou, S Betty; Roy, Hervé; Ibba, Michael

2012-01-01

Bacterial pathogens detect and integrate multiple environmental signals to coordinate appropriate changes in gene expression including the selective expression of virulence factors, changes to metabolism and the activation of stress response systems. Mutations that abolish the ability of the path......Bacterial pathogens detect and integrate multiple environmental signals to coordinate appropriate changes in gene expression including the selective expression of virulence factors, changes to metabolism and the activation of stress response systems. Mutations that abolish the ability...... our laboratory and others now suggests that EF-P, previously thought to be essential, instead plays an ancillary role in translation by regulating the synthesis of a relatively limited subset of proteins. Other observations suggest that the eukaryotic homolog of EF-P, eIF5A, may illicit similar...

ERP and CRM Data Integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Željko Tomić

2016-05-01

As a rule, the CRM and ERP systems contain separate databases even if they come from the same manufacturer. Such separately kept databases also lead to separate basic records (identifiers, which primarily relate to business partners, items and services. This may create problems with updating and maintaining consistency of the data within the information system of a company. The CRM and ERP systems usually overlap in certain segments of business processes (e.g., orders, order confirmations, quotations, etc., thus potentially creating redundant information and documents. More often than not, the CRM and ERP also differ in terms of technology, both by their vertical architectures and with regard to the DBMS and API support. The objective of this paper is to generate an ERP-CRM integration data model by way of optimising the relevant processes and costs, and to provide details about the processes of integration of the logical and physical data models. The structural integration of the ERP-CRM databases provide the integration services that ensure all the necessary functionalities in various interface logics and technologies with regard to software solutions and applications given, or used for local adaptations of the existing ERP and CRM applications.

Tempo de implantação de sistemas ERP: análise da influência de fatores e aplicação de técnicas de gerenciamento de projetos ERP systems introduction time: factors, analysis and application of projects management techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thais Cássia Cabral Padilha

2004-04-01

Full Text Available Freqüentemente, a implantação de sistemas ERP é complexa e demorada, requerendo, em alguns casos, três ou quatro anos. Em geral, um sistema ERP divide-se em módulos cujas implantações são feitas em vários estágios. Um problema sério é que os prazos para a implantação desses módulos são críticos e raramente são cumpridos. Esses atrasos geram insatisfação dos clientes, pois resultam em custos adicionais não previstos. A implantação de sistemas ERP depende de vários fatores, alguns dos quais têm muita influência nos prazos de implantação. Considera-se neste trabalho a técnica de planejamento de experimentos para a determinação dos principais fatores. Além disso, são usados métodos de caminhos críticos para a identificação das atividades que requerem mais investimentos para que haja redução no tempo total de implantação do projeto.Usually the implementation of ERP systems is very complex, and not immediate, in some cases requires three or even four years. In general, the ERP system is divided in modules, and its implementation is made in stages. At each stage, a few modules are implemented. According to several authors the deadlines of modules implementation are critical, and rarely are obeyed, so such delays make the customer insatisfied because they result in additional costs for them. The implementation of ERP are dictaded by several factors, some of them have more influence on its duration. The technique of Design Planning is considered here to determine these factors. Moreover, using Critical Path Methods are identified the bottleneck activities which require more investment in order to reduce the duration of whole project.

Aligning ERP systems with companies' real needs: an `Operational Model Based' method

Science.gov (United States)

Mamoghli, Sarra; Goepp, Virginie; Botta-Genoulaz, Valérie

2017-02-01

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems offer standard functionalities that have to be configured and customised by a specific company depending on its own requirements. A consistent alignment is therefore an essential success factor of ERP projects. To manage this alignment, an 'Operational Model Based' method is proposed. It is based on the design and the matching of models, and conforms to the modelling views and constructs of the ISO 19439 and 19440 enterprise-modelling standards. It is characterised by: (1) a predefined design and matching order of the models; (2) the formalisation, in terms of modelling constructs, of alignment and misalignment situations; and (3) their association with a set of decisions in order to mitigate the misalignment risk. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the alignment management during ERP projects is given. Unlike existing methods, this one includes decisions related to the organisational changes an ERP system can induce, as well as criteria on which the best decision can be based. In this way, it provides effective support and guidance to companies implementing ERP systems, as the alignment process is detailed and structured. The method is applied on the ERP project of a Small and Medium Enterprise, showing that it can be used even in contexts where the ERP project expertise level is low.

Virulence factors in Proteus bacteria from biofilm communities of catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Hola, Veronika; Peroutkova, Tereza; Ruzicka, Filip

2012-07-01

More than 40% of nosocomial infections are those of the urinary tract, most of these occurring in catheterized patients. Bacterial colonization of the urinary tract and catheters results not only in infection, but also various complications, such as blockage of catheters with crystalline deposits of bacterial origin, generation of gravels and pyelonephritis. The diversity of the biofilm microbial community increases with duration of catheter emplacement. One of the most important pathogens in this regard is Proteus mirabilis. The aims of this study were to identify and assess particular virulence factors present in catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) isolates, their correlation and linkages: three types of motility (swarming, swimming and twitching), the ability to swarm over urinary catheters, biofilm production in two types of media, urease production and adherence of bacterial cells to various types of urinary tract catheters. We examined 102 CAUTI isolates and 50 isolates taken from stool samples of healthy people. Among the microorganisms isolated from urinary catheters, significant differences were found in biofilm-forming ability and the swarming motility. In comparison with the control group, the microorganisms isolated from urinary catheters showed a wider spectrum of virulence factors. The virulence factors (twitching motility, swimming motility, swarming over various types of catheters and biofilm formation) were also more intensively expressed. © 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional genomic characterization of virulence factors from necrotizing fasciitis-causing strains of Aeromonas hydrophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Grim, Christopher J; Kozlova, Elena V; Ponnusamy, Duraisamy; Fitts, Eric C; Sha, Jian; Kirtley, Michelle L; van Lier, Christina J; Tiner, Bethany L; Erova, Tatiana E; Joseph, Sandeep J; Read, Timothy D; Shak, Joshua R; Joseph, Sam W; Singletary, Ed; Felland, Tracy; Baze, Wallace B; Horneman, Amy J; Chopra, Ashok K

2014-07-01

The genomes of 10 Aeromonas isolates identified and designated Aeromonas hydrophila WI, Riv3, and NF1 to NF4; A. dhakensis SSU; A. jandaei Riv2; and A. caviae NM22 and NM33 were sequenced and annotated. Isolates NF1 to NF4 were from a patient with necrotizing fasciitis (NF). Two environmental isolates (Riv2 and -3) were from the river water from which the NF patient acquired the infection. While isolates NF2 to NF4 were clonal, NF1 was genetically distinct. Outside the conserved core genomes of these 10 isolates, several unique genomic features were identified. The most virulent strains possessed one of the following four virulence factors or a combination of them: cytotoxic enterotoxin, exotoxin A, and type 3 and 6 secretion system effectors AexU and Hcp. In a septicemic-mouse model, SSU, NF1, and Riv2 were the most virulent, while NF2 was moderately virulent. These data correlated with high motility and biofilm formation by the former three isolates. Conversely, in a mouse model of intramuscular infection, NF2 was much more virulent than NF1. Isolates NF2, SSU, and Riv2 disseminated in high numbers from the muscular tissue to the visceral organs of mice, while NF1 reached the liver and spleen in relatively lower numbers on the basis of colony counting and tracking of bioluminescent strains in real time by in vivo imaging. Histopathologically, degeneration of myofibers with significant infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells due to the highly virulent strains was noted. Functional genomic analysis provided data that allowed us to correlate the highly infectious nature of Aeromonas pathotypes belonging to several different species with virulence signatures and their potential ability to cause NF. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Stakeholder Salience in ERP Projects

OpenAIRE

Salhotra, Eashan

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine stakeholder involvement in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System project that involves implementation and improvement of the implemented system. The study targets stakeholders, their classification, and their degree of importance during different phases of an ERP project life cycle, i.e. planning, implementation, stabilisation and improvement. The study shows that stakeholder involvement and their salience vary along the ERP project life cycle a...

Towards a product independent ERP training model: An Insight from a literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Mohammad Motahar

2018-03-01

Full Text Available ERP can be called as one of the most significant contributions of computer science and particularly information systems for the business environment which can support all complicated business process of an organisation including sale, purchase, warehouse and manufacturing into a single database. For such complex system like ERP, implementation involves much collaboration which raises the concern of the success of the project. Among most significant success and failure factors of ERP implementation cited in the literature are training and consultation. For many years the majority of ERP vendors promote their product specific training models as long-term and expensive allowing the organisation to gain knowledge of the ERP system and the way it handles the business process. However, recent studies showed that ERP training can be conducted in the short term and with minimum investment and yet to be effective. Findings triggered a signal and opened a new door for research to investigate vendor-independent training models that require limited investment in training and consultancy. This paper aims to provide an overview of the literature; highlighting the research methods and theories used by authors towards building ERP training models and methods.

Genetic relatedness and virulence factors of bovine Staphylococcus aureus isolated from teat skin and milk.

Science.gov (United States)

da Costa, L B; Rajala-Schultz, P J; Hoet, A; Seo, K S; Fogt, K; Moon, B S

2014-11-01

The objective of this study was to assess the role of teat skin colonization in Staphylococcus aureus intramammary infections (IMI) by evaluating genetic relatedness of Staph. aureus isolates from milk and teat skin of dairy cows using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and characterizing the isolates based on the carriage of virulence genes. Cows in 4 known Staph. aureus-positive herds were sampled and Staph. aureus was detected in 43 quarters of 20 cows, with 10 quarters positive in both milk and skin (20 isolates), 18 positive only in milk, and 15 only on teat skin. Quarters with teat skin colonized with Staph. aureus were 4.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with Staph. aureus IMI than quarters not colonized on teat skin. Three main clusters were identified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis using a cutoff of 80% similarity. All 3 clusters included both milk and skin isolates. The majority of isolates (72%) belonged to one predominant cluster (B), with 60% of isolates in the cluster originating from milk and 40% from teat skin. Genotypic variability was observed within 10 pairs (formed by isolates originating from milk and teat skin of the same quarter), where isolates in 5 out of the 10 pairs belonged to the same cluster. Forty-two virulence factors were screened using PCR. Some virulence factors were carried more frequently by teat skin isolates than by milk isolates or isolates from quarters with high somatic cell counts. Isolates in the predominant cluster B carried virulence factors clfA and clfB significantly more often than isolates in the minor clusters, which may have assisted them in becoming predominant in the herds. The present findings suggest that teat skin colonization with Staph. aureus can be an important factor involved in Staph. aureus IMI. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AMES: Towards an Agile Method for ERP Selection

OpenAIRE

Juell-Skielse, Gustaf; Nilsson, Anders G.; Nordqvist, Andreas; Westergren, Mattias

2012-01-01

Conventional on-premise installations of ERP are now rapidly being replaced by ERP as service. Although ERP becomes more accessible and no longer requires local infrastructure, current selection methods do not take full advantage of the provided agility. In this paper we present AMES (Agile Method for ERP Selection), a novel method for ERP selection which better utilizes the strengths of service oriented ERP. AMES is designed to shorten lead time for selection, support identification of essen...

ERP inside Large Organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constantin Daniel AVRAM

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Many large companies in Romania are still functioning without an ERP system. Instead they are using traditional application systems built around the strong boundaries of specific functions: finance, selling, HR, production. An ERP will offer lots of advantages among which the integration of functionalities and support for top management decisions. Although the total cost of ownership is not small and there are some risks when implementing an ERP inside large and very large organizations, having such a system is mandatory. Choosing the right product and vendor and using a correct risk management strategy, will ensure a successful implementation.

Cold Plasma Inactivation of Bacterial Biofilms and Reduction of Quorum Sensing Regulated Virulence Factors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dana Ziuzina

Full Text Available The main objectives of this work were to investigate the effect of atmospheric cold plasma (ACP against a range of microbial biofilms commonly implicated in foodborne and healthcare associated human infections and against P. aeruginosa quorum sensing (QS-regulated virulence factors, such as pyocyanin, elastase (Las B and biofilm formation capacity post-ACP treatment. The effect of processing factors, namely treatment time and mode of plasma exposure on antimicrobial activity of ACP were also examined. Antibiofilm activity was assessed for E. coli, L. monocytogenes and S. aureus in terms of reduction of culturability and retention of metabolic activity using colony count and XTT assays, respectively. All samples were treated 'inpack' using sealed polypropylene containers with a high voltage dielectric barrier discharge ACP generated at 80 kV for 0, 60, 120 and 300 s and a post treatment storage time of 24 h. According to colony counts, ACP treatment for 60 s reduced populations of E. coli to undetectable levels, whereas 300 s was necessary to significantly reduce populations of L. monocytogenes and S. aureus biofilms. The results obtained from XTT assay indicated possible induction of viable but non culturable state of bacteria. With respect to P. aeruginosa QS-related virulence factors, the production of pyocyanin was significantly inhibited after short treatment times, but reduction of elastase was notable only after 300 s and no reduction in actual biofilm formation was achieved post-ACP treatment. Importantly, reduction of virulence factors was associated with reduction of the cytotoxic effects of the bacterial supernatant on CHO-K1 cells, regardless of mode and duration of treatment. The results of this study point to ACP technology as an effective strategy for inactivation of established biofilms and may play an important role in attenuation of virulence of pathogenic bacteria. Further investigation is warranted to propose direct evidence

Deployment of ERP Systems at Automotive Industries, Security Inspection (Case Study: IRAN KHODRO Automotive Company)

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Hatamirad; Hasan, Mehrjerdi

Automotive industry and car production process is one of the most complex and large-scale production processes. Today, information technology (IT) and ERP systems incorporates a large portion of production processes. Without any integrated systems such as ERP, the production and supply chain processes will be tangled. The ERP systems, that are last generation of MRP systems, make produce and sale processes of these industries easier and this is the major factor of development of these industries anyhow. Today many of large-scale companies are developing and deploying the ERP systems. The ERP systems facilitate many of organization processes and make organization to increase efficiency. The security is a very important part of the ERP strategy at the organization, Security at the ERP systems, because of integrity and extensive, is more important of local and legacy systems. Disregarding of this point can play a giant role at success or failure of this kind of systems. The IRANKHODRO is the biggest automotive factory in the Middle East with an annual production over 600.000 cars. This paper presents ERP security deployment experience at the "IRANKHODRO Company". Recently, by launching ERP systems, it moved a big step toward more developments.

Clindamycin Affects Group A Streptococcus Virulence Factors and Improves Clinical Outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreoni, Federica; Zürcher, Claudia; Tarnutzer, Andrea; Schilcher, Katrin; Neff, Andrina; Keller, Nadia; Marques Maggio, Ewerton; Poyart, Claire; Schuepbach, Reto A; Zinkernagel, Annelies S

2017-01-15

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) has acquired an arsenal of virulence factors, promoting life-threatening invasive infections such as necrotizing fasciitis. Current therapeutic regimens for necrotizing fasciitis include surgical debridement and treatment with cell wall-active antibiotics. Addition of clindamycin (CLI) is recommended, although clinical evidence is lacking. Reflecting the current clinical dilemma, an observational study showed that only 63% of the patients with severe invasive GAS infection received CLI. This work thus aimed to address whether CLI improves necrotizing fasciitis outcome by modulating virulence factors of CLI-susceptible and CLI-resistant GAS in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with CLI reduced extracellular DNase Sda1 and streptolysin O (SLO) activity in vivo, whereas subinhibitory CLI concentrations induced expression and activity of SLO, DNase, and Streptococcus pyogenes cell envelope protease in vitro. Our in vivo results suggest that CLI should be administered as soon as possible to patients with necrotizing fasciitis, while our in vitro studies emphasize that a high dosage of CLI is essential. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

ERP Effort Estimation Based on Expert Judgments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Erasmus, I.P.; Daneva, Maia; Demirors, O.; Abran, A.

2013-01-01

A new technology shift brings to the ERP domain a change in the industry and a new platform build on in-memory optimized databases, introduced and known as SAP HANA [1]. This technology shift in the ERP domain led to SAP's ERP on HANA, the solution where the ERP suite is offered on the same platform

Characterization of putative virulence factors of Serratia marcescens strain SEN for pathogenesis in Spodoptera litura.

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Chetana; Paul, Sangeeta; Tripathi, Vishwas; Paul, Bishwajeet; Khan, Md Aslam

2017-02-01

Two Serratia marcescens strains, SEN and ICC-4, isolated from diseased insect cadavers were observed to differ considerably in their virulence towards Spodoptera litura. The present study was aimed to characterize the possible virulence factors present in the virulent Serratia marcescens strain SEN. Both the S. marcescens strains were evaluated for the presence of various lytic enzymes such as chitinase, lipase, protease and phospholipase. The virulent S. marcescens strain SEN was observed to possess considerably higher activity of chitinase and protease enzymes; activity of phospholipase enzyme was also higher. Although, all the three toxin genes shlA, phlA and swr could be detected in both the S. marcescens strains, there was a higher expression of these genes in the virulent strain SEN. S. marcescens strain ICC-4 showed greater reduction in overall growth yield in the post-exponential phase in the presence of midgut juice and hemolymph of S. litura larvae, as compared to S. marcescens strain SEN. Proliferation of the S. marcescens strain SEN was also considerably higher in foregut, midgut and hemolymph of S. litura larvae, as compared to strain ICC-4. Peritrophic membrane treated with broth culture of the S. marcescens strain SEN showed higher damage as compared to strain ICC-4. The peritrophic membrane of larvae fed on diet treated with the virulent strain showed considerable damage while the peritrophic membrane of larvae fed on diet treated with the non-virulent strain showed no damage. This is the first report documenting the fate of ingested S. marcescens in S. litura gut and the relative expression of toxin genes from two S. marcescens strains differing in their virulence towards S. litura. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Selection Process of ERP Systems

OpenAIRE

Molnár, Bálint; Szabó, Gyula; Benczúr, András

2013-01-01

Background: The application and introduction of ERP systems have become a central issue for management and operation of enterprises. The competition on market enforces the improvement and optimization of business processes of enterprises to increase their efficiency, effectiveness, and to manage better the resources outside the company. The primary task of ERP systems is to achieve the before-mentioned objectives. Objective: The selection of a particular ERP system has a decisive effect on th...

Mp1p Is a Virulence Factor in Talaromyces (Penicillium marneffei.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick C Y Woo

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Talaromyces marneffei is an opportunistic dimorphic fungus prevalent in Southeast Asia. We previously demonstrated that Mp1p is an immunogenic surface and secretory mannoprotein of T. marneffei. Since Mp1p is a surface protein that can generate protective immunity, we hypothesized that Mp1p and/or its homologs are virulence factors.We examined the pathogenic roles of Mp1p and its homologs in a mouse model. All mice died 21 and 30 days after challenge with wild-type T. marneffei PM1 and MP1 complemented mutant respectively. None of the mice died 60 days after challenge with MP1 knockout mutant (P<0.0001. Seventy percent of mice died 60 days after challenge with MP1 knockdown mutant (P<0.0001. All mice died after challenge with MPLP1 to MPLP13 knockdown mutants, suggesting that only Mp1p plays a significant role in virulence. The mean fungal loads of PM1 and MP1 complemented mutant in the liver, lung, kidney and spleen were significantly higher than those of the MP1 knockout mutant. Similarly, the mean load of PM1 in the liver, lung and spleen were significantly higher than that of the MP1 knockdown mutant. Histopathological studies showed an abundance of yeast in the kidney, spleen, liver and lung with more marked hepatic and splenic necrosis in mice challenged with PM1 compared to MP1 knockout and MP1 knockdown mutants. Likewise, a higher abundance of yeast was observed in the liver and spleen of mice challenged with MP1 complemented mutant compared to MP1 knockout mutant. PM1 and MP1 complemented mutant survived significantly better than MP1 knockout mutant in macrophages at 48 hours (P<0.01 post-infection. The mean fungal counts of Pichia pastoris GS115-MP1 in the liver (P<0.001 and spleen (P<0.05 of mice were significantly higher than those of GS115 at 24 hours post-challenge.Mp1p is a key virulence factor of T. marneffei. Mp1p mediates virulence by improving the survival of T. marneffei in macrophages.

TRENDI NA PODROČJU CELOVITIH INFORMACIJSKIH REŠITEV (ERP)

OpenAIRE

Bednjanič, Aljaž

2012-01-01

V diplomskem seminarju so predstavljeni trendi na področju rešitev ERP. Ponudniki rešitev ERP nenehno spreminjajo in dopolnjujejo svoje produkte ter jim dodajajo nove funkcionalnosti. Predstavljeni so naslednji trendi: x-ERP, zunanje izvajanje rešitev ERP, rešitev ERP kot storitev (SaaS ERP), ERP v oblaku in mobilni dostop. Zagotovo je najzanimivejša novost ERP v oblaku. Ta nudi številne prednosti, a obstaja veliko vprašanj, povezanih z varnostjo podatkov v oblaku. Pogledali smo, kako je z zu...

DEMATEL METHOD IN ERP SYSTEMS FOR TSL BRANCH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Witold TORBACKI

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article introduces issues concerning the implementation of key performance indicators (KPIs dedicated to the TSL (Transport-Shipping-Logistics branch. The KPIs are used in different modules of the ERP (Enterprise resource planning information systems, which support strategic decision making. Selected indicators have been used to create four perspectives of Balanced Scorecard in accordance with Balanced Scorecard methodology. Using the multi-factor method of DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory analysis, the evaluation of indicators and Balanced Scorecard’s perspectives has been performed. This article can be useful to persons interested in the implementation of modern solutions in ERP applications dedicated to the TSL branch. Presented article can be useful to persons from upper management of TSL companies who are interested in modern methods of supporting strategic management and for IT system developers who are considering expanding modules of ERP software solutions dedicated to TSL industry which support strategic management and decision making.

Effect of subinhibitory concentrations of chlorogenic acid on reducing the virulence factor production by Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Guanghui; Qiao, Mingyu; Guo, Yan; Wang, Xin; Xu, Yunfeng; Xia, Xiaodong

2014-09-01

Chlorogenic acid (CA) has been reported to inhibit several pathogens, but the influence of subinhibitory concentrations of CA on virulence expression of pathogens has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of CA on the virulence factor production of Staphylococcus aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CA against S. aureus was determined using a broth microdilution method. Hemolysin assays, coagulase titer assays, adherence to solid-phase fibrinogen assays, Western blot, and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction were performed to evaluate the effect of subinhibitory concentrations of CA on the virulence factors of S. aureus. MIC of CA against S. aureus ATCC29213 was found to be 2.56 mg/mL. At subinhibitory concentrations, CA significantly inhibited the hemolysis and dose-dependently decreased coagulase titer. Reduced binding to fibrinogen and decreased production of SEA were observed with treatment of CA at concentrations ranging from 1/16MIC to 1/2MIC. CA markedly inhibited the expression of hla, sea, and agr genes in S. aureus. These data demonstrate that the virulence expression of S. aureus could be reduced by CA and suggest that CA could be potentially developed as a supplemental strategy to control S. aureus infection and to prevent staphylococcal food poisoning.

ERP Software Selection Model using Analytic Network Process

OpenAIRE

Lesmana , Andre Surya; Astanti, Ririn Diar; Ai, The Jin

2014-01-01

During the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in any company, one of the most important issues is the selection of ERP software that can satisfy the needs and objectives of the company. This issue is crucial since it may affect the duration of ERP implementation and the costs incurred for the ERP implementation. This research tries to construct a model of the selection of ERP software that are beneficial to the company in order to carry out the selection of the right ERP sof...

Implementing ERP-systems with accelerated ERP more efficient and quickly – a best practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yücel Yılmaz

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This best practice deals with the Accelerated ERP Methodology and the relevant project steps, while defining the main parameters such as administration, system availability, security and planning the project and the network. In this case, the implementation project in a food company (JKL, name altered is analyzed within the scope of project management, and it is described how this methodology put into practice. With this study, efficiency and quickness of an ERP implementation with the Accelerated ERP Methodology is pointed out.

NEW VIRULENCE FACTORS OF STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hermans, Peter Wilhelmus Maria; Bootsma, Jeanette Hester; Burghout, Pieter Jan; Kuipers, Oscar; Bijlsma, Johanna Jacoba Elisabeth; Kloosterman, Tomas Gerrit; Andersen, Christian O.

2011-01-01

The present invention provides proteins/genes, which are essential for survival, and consequently, for virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae in vivo, and thus are ideal vaccine candidates for a vaccine preparation against pneumococcal infection. Further, also antibodies against said protein(s) are

Characteristics of the biologically active 35-kDa metalloprotease virulence factor from Listeria monocytogenes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coffey, A; van den Burg, B; Veltman, R; Abee, T

Listeria monocytogenes, a facultative intracellular pathogen, synthesizes an extracellular protease which is responsible for the maturation of phosphatidylcholine phospholipase C (lecithinase), a virulence factor involved in cell-to-cell spread. This work describes the environmental parameters

ERP in large Danish enterprises: Implications for SCM

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Charles

2004-01-01

This paper argues that with the present state of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) adoption by the companies, the potential benefits of Supply Chain Management (SCM) and integration is about to be unleashed. This paper presents the results and the implications of a survey on ERP adoption...... in the 500 largest Danish enterprises. The study is based on telephone interviews with ERP managers in 88.4% of the "top 500" enterprises in Denmark. Based on the survey, the paper suggests the following four propositions: (i) ERP has become the pervasive infrastructure; (ii) ERP has become a contemporary...... technology; (iii) ERP adoption has matured; and (iv) ERP adoption is converging towards a dominant design. Finally, the paper discusses the general implications of the surveyed state of practice on the SCM research challenges. Consequently we argue that research needs to adjust its conceptions of the ERP...

A peptide factor secreted by Staphylococcus pseudintermedius exhibits properties of both bacteriocins and virulence factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wladyka, Benedykt; Piejko, Marcin; Bzowska, Monika; Pieta, Piotr; Krzysik, Monika; Mazurek, Łukasz; Guevara-Lora, Ibeth; Bukowski, Michał; Sabat, Artur J; Friedrich, Alexander W; Bonar, Emilia; Międzobrodzki, Jacek; Dubin, Adam; Mak, Paweł

2015-09-28

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a common commensal bacterium colonizing the skin and mucosal surfaces of household animals. However, it has recently emerged as a dangerous opportunistic pathogen, comparable to S. aureus for humans. The epidemiological situation is further complicated by the increasing number of methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius infections and evidence of gene transmission driving antibiotic resistance between staphylococci colonizing human and zoonotic hosts. In the present study, we describe a unique peptide, BacSp222, that possesses features characteristic of both bacteriocins and virulence factors. BacSp222 is secreted in high quantities by S. pseudintermedius strain 222 isolated from dog skin lesions. This linear, fifty-amino-acid highly cationic peptide is plasmid-encoded and does not exhibit significant sequence similarities to any other known peptides or proteins. BacSp222 kills gram-positive bacteria (at doses ranging from 0.1 to several micromol/l) but also demonstrates significant cytotoxic activities towards eukaryotic cells at slightly higher concentrations. Moreover, at nanomolar concentrations, the peptide also possesses modulatory properties, efficiently enhancing interferon gamma-induced nitric oxide release in murine macrophage-like cell lines. BacSp222 appears to be one of the first examples of multifunctional peptides that breaks the convention of splitting bacteriocins and virulence factors into two unrelated groups.

COMPETITIVE FACTORS IN ERP SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION: A CASE STUDY OF A COMPANY OF ELECTRIC GENERATORS

OpenAIRE

Prado, Emerson Luiz; Passanezi, Paula Meyer Soares

2015-01-01

The increasing globalization of markets and increased competitiveness has required the use of appropriate management information in decision-making of companies. The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is an integrated information system widely used by managers in their decision making processes. This exploratory case study, conducted in the company Stemac S/A, aims to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the ERP system and compares them the real needs of the company. Specifics objectiv...

Genome-wide analysis of gene expression and protein secretion of Babesia canis during virulent infection identifies potential pathogenicity factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Eichenberger, Ramon M; Ramakrishnan, Chandra; Russo, Giancarlo; Deplazes, Peter; Hehl, Adrian B

2017-06-13

Infections of dogs with virulent strains of Babesia canis are characterized by rapid onset and high mortality, comparable to complicated human malaria. As in other apicomplexan parasites, most Babesia virulence factors responsible for survival and pathogenicity are secreted to the host cell surface and beyond where they remodel and biochemically modify the infected cell interacting with host proteins in a very specific manner. Here, we investigated factors secreted by B. canis during acute infections in dogs and report on in silico predictions and experimental analysis of the parasite's exportome. As a backdrop, we generated a fully annotated B. canis genome sequence of a virulent Hungarian field isolate (strain BcH-CHIPZ) underpinned by extensive genome-wide RNA-seq analysis. We find evidence for conserved factors in apicomplexan hemoparasites involved in immune-evasion (e.g. VESA-protein family), proteins secreted across the iRBC membrane into the host bloodstream (e.g. SA- and Bc28 protein families), potential moonlighting proteins (e.g. profilin and histones), and uncharacterized antigens present during acute crisis in dogs. The combined data provides a first predicted and partially validated set of potential virulence factors exported during fatal infections, which can be exploited for urgently needed innovative intervention strategies aimed at facilitating diagnosis and management of canine babesiosis.

Higher Education ERP: Lessons Learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Swartz, Dave; Orgill, Ken

2001-01-01

Shares experiences and lessons learned by chief information officers of large universities about enterprise resource planning (ERP). Specifically, provides a framework for approaching an ERP that could save universities millions of dollars. (EV)

Healthcare Firms and the ERP Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Garefalakis

2016-04-01

Full Text Available With the continuous and drastic changes due to the economic crisis, along with the increasing market demands, major reforms are initiated in the healthcare sector in order to improve the quality of healthcare and operational efficiency, while reducing costs and optimizing back-end operations. ERP systems have been the basic technological infrastructure to many sectors as well as healthcare. The main objective of this study is to discuss how the adoption of ERP systems in healthcare organizations improves their functionality, simplifies their business processes, assure the quality of care services and helps their management accounting and controlling. This study presents also the stages required for the implementation of ERP system in healthcare organizations. This study utilizes a literature review in order to reach the research conclusions. Specifically, through related case studies and research, it examines how ERP systems are used to evaluate the better functionality of the healthcare organizations, addressing in parallel important problems, and possible malfunctions. The implementation of ERP systems in healthcare organizations promises to evolve and align strictly to the organizations’ corporate objectives and high-levels of healthcare quality. In order to accomplish this goal, the right decisions should be made by the managers of the healthcare organization regarding the choice of the appropriate ERP system following its installation and its application. Limited research exists on the significance ERP systems implementation in healthcare organizations, while possible dysfunctions and challenges during its installation and implementation are recorded. Therefore, new evidence in the significance of ERP systems in healthcare organization is provided.

ERP-systemer i Danmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Charles; Kræmmergaard, Pernille

2004-01-01

Denne artikel beskriver ERP systemers udbredelse blandt store virksomheder i Danmark. Artiklen bygger på projektet "Virksomhedssystemer i Danmark (VIDK) 2003". VIDK 2003 er en undersøgelse af de 500 største danske virksomheders brug af ERP. Undersøgelsen, der har en har en svarprocent på 88,4%, e...

VISLISI trial, a prospective clinical study allowing identification of a new metalloprotease and putative virulence factor from Staphylococcus lugdunensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Argemi, X; Prévost, G; Riegel, P; Keller, D; Meyer, N; Baldeyrou, M; Douiri, N; Lefebvre, N; Meghit, K; Ronde Oustau, C; Christmann, D; Cianférani, S; Strub, J M; Hansmann, Y

2017-05-01

Staphylococcus lugdunensis is a coagulase-negative staphylococcus that displays an unusually high virulence rate close to that of Staphylococcus aureus. It also shares phenotypic properties with S. aureus and several studies found putative virulence factors. The objective of the study was to describe the clinical manifestations of S. lugdunensis infections and investigate putative virulence factors. We conducted a prospective study from November 2013 to March 2016 at the University Hospital of Strasbourg. Putative virulence factors were investigated by clumping factor detection, screening for proteolytic activity, and sequence analysis using tandem nano-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. In total, 347 positive samples for S. lugdunensis were collected, of which 129 (37.2%) were from confirmed cases of S. lugdunensis infection. Eighty-one of these 129 patients were included in the study. Bone and prosthetic joints (PJI) were the most frequent sites of infection (n=28; 34.6%) followed by skin and soft tissues (n=23; 28.4%). We identified and purified a novel protease secreted by 50 samples (61.7%), most frequently associated with samples from deep infections and PJI (pr 0.97 and pr 0.91, respectively). Protease peptide sequencing by nano-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed a novel protease bearing 62.42% identity with ShpI, a metalloprotease secreted by Staphylococcus hyicus. This study confirms the pathogenicity of S. lugdunensis, particularly in bone and PJI. We also identified a novel metalloprotease called lugdulysin that may contribute to virulence. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF KEY POINTS WHEN CHOOSING OPEN SOURCE ERP SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Gustavo Dos Santos Gripe

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The present work is aimed at presenting a theoretical analysis of the main features of Open Source ERP systems, herein identified as success technical factors, in order to contribute to the establishment of parameters to be used in decision-making processes when choosing a system which fulfills the organization´s needs. Initially, the life cycle of ERP systems is contextualized, highlighting the features of Open Source ERP systems. As a result, it was verified that, when carefully analyzed, these systems need further attention regarding issues of project continuity and maturity, structure, transparency, updating frequency, and support, all of which are inherent to the reality of this type of software. Nevertheless, advantages were observed in what concerns flexibility, costs, and non-discontinuity as benefits. The main goal is to broaden the discussion about the adoption of Open Source ERP systems.

Um estudo sobre a implantação de sistemas ERP: pesquisa realizada em grandes empresas industriais A study on ERP system implementation: a survey at large industrial companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lindomar Subtil de Oliveira

2012-08-01

Full Text Available A notável expansão dos sistemas ERP gerou muitas discussões entre especialistas, pesquisadores e empresários, no intuito de encontrar uma explicação para os diversos casos de sucesso e insucesso na sua implantação. O objetivo desse estudo empírico foi identificar nas 50 maiores empresas industriais atuantes no Brasil quais os principais fatores que dificultam ou contribuem para o processo de implantação de sistemas ERP. Tratou-se de uma pesquisa aplicada e exploratória. Além do levantamento bibliográfico, elaborou-se um questionário estruturado com 29 perguntas, o qual foi respondido pelos gestores de TI (tecnologia de informação das empresas selecionadas. Os resultados demonstraram que fatores relacionados às dificuldades funcionais do sistema, customização, adaptação aos processos de negócio e carências do ERP no apoio aos planos estratégicos globais foram alguns dos pontos considerados mais complexos. Essencialmente, outros fatores concernentes ao intenso treinamento, engajamento das principais lideranças, fatores humanos, sociais e culturais também foram referidos.The large utilization of ERP systems has become the scope of discussion among specialists, researchers and professionals of the area, with the purpose of finding an answer for the success and failure cases on ERP implementation. This paper aimed to present an experimental study with the 50 biggest industrial companies with activities in Brazil in order to identify the main factors that contribute or hinder ERP implementation processes. This study was characterized by an applied and exploratory research. Besides the bibliographical survey, a structured questionnaire containing 29 questions was elaborated by the researchers and then responded by the IT (Information Technology managers of the selected companies. Results showed that the factors concerning system functionality difficulties, customization, adjustment to business processes, and lack of support

Chinese Cultural Implications for ERP Implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukesh Srivastava

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP system in a global environment can be fragmented due to the internal enterprise culture, which is representative of societal culture. In China, this is especially true due to the nationalistic culture of business. The way ERP systems are perceived, treated, and integrated within the business plays a critical role in the success or failure of the implementation. When a Western developed ERP system is implemented in a country where the culture differs greatly from that of the developer, implementation may require localization in order to be successful. In doing so, strategic benefits of ERP systems may be diminished. This research paper looks into the characteristics of Chinese localization by Western vendors and the implications to the Chinese enterprise. Keywords: ERP, Chinese Cultural Implications, Societal Culture, Strategy

Firemní ERP systém

OpenAIRE

Komárek, Lukáš

2010-01-01

Tato bakalářská práce pojednává o problematice tvorby ERP systému na platformě .NET Framework s využitím Microsoft technologií. Jednotlivé kapitoly seznámí čtenáře s analýzou, návrhem a implementací vlastního ERP systému. Čtenář bude podrobněji seznámen se zařazením a komponentami ERP systému, moderními vývojovými technologiemi a nástroji, příkladem návrhu modulů a funkcí ERP systému včetně implementace a nasazení aplikace ERP systému. This thesis focuses on the issues while creating the E...

Porphyromonas gingivalis Uses Specific Domain Rearrangements and Allelic Exchange to Generate Diversity in Surface Virulence Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Dashper, Stuart G; Mitchell, Helen L; Seers, Christine A; Gladman, Simon L; Seemann, Torsten; Bulach, Dieter M; Chandry, P Scott; Cross, Keith J; Cleal, Steven M; Reynolds, Eric C

2017-01-01

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a keystone pathogen of chronic periodontitis. The virulence of P. gingivalis is reported to be strain related and there are currently a number of strain typing schemes based on variation in capsular polysaccharide, the major and minor fimbriae and adhesin domains of Lys-gingipain (Kgp), amongst other surface proteins. P. gingivalis can exchange chromosomal DNA between strains by natural competence and conjugation. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic variability of P. gingivalis strains sourced from international locations over a 25-year period and to determine if variability in surface virulence factors has a phylogenetic basis. Whole genome sequencing was performed on 13 strains and comparison made to 10 previously sequenced strains. A single nucleotide polymorphism-based phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a shallow tri-lobed phylogeny. There was a high level of reticulation in the phylogenetic network, demonstrating extensive horizontal gene transfer between the strains. Two highly conserved variants of the catalytic domain of the major virulence factor the Kgp proteinase (Kgp cat I and Kgp cat II) were found. There were three variants of the fourth Kgp C-terminal cleaved adhesin domain. Specific variants of the cell surface proteins FimA, FimCDE, MfaI, RagAB, Tpr, and PrtT were also identified. The occurrence of all these variants in the P. gingivalis strains formed a mosaic that was not related to the SNP-based phylogeny. In conclusion P. gingivalis uses domain rearrangements and genetic exchange to generate diversity in specific surface virulence factors.

Detection of Methicillin Resistance and Various Virulence Factors in Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Nasal Carriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hatice Türk Dağı

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Staphylococus aureus can be found as a commensal on skin and nasal flora or it may cause local and invasive infections. S. aureus has a large number of virulence factors. Aims: To investigate the methicillin resistance and frequency of various virulence factors in S. aureus nasal isolates. Study Design: Descriptive study. Methods: Nasal samples collected from university students were cultured in media. S. aureus was identified by conventional methods and the Staphyloslide latex test (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, USA. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted, and the methicillin resistance was determined. The mecA, nuc, pvl and staphylococcal toxin genes were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR. Results: S. aureus was isolated in 104 of 600 (17.3% nasal samples. In total, 101 (97.1% S. aureus isolates were methicillin-sensitive and the remaining 3 (2.9% were methicillin-resistant. Furthermore, all but five isolates carried at least one staphylococcal enterotoxin gene, with seg being predominant. The tst and eta genes were determined in 29 (27.9%, and 3 (2.9% isolates, respectively. None of the S. aureus isolates harbored see, etb, and pvl genes. Conclusion: A moderate rate of S. aureus carriage and low frequency of MRSA were detected in healthy students. S. aureus isolates had a high prevalence of staphylococcal enterotoxin genes and the tst gene. In this study, a large number of virulence factors were examined in S. aureus nasal isolates, and the data obtained from this study can be used for monitoring the prevalence of virulence genes in S. aureus strains isolated from nasal carriers.

Comparative Genomics of Mycoplasma bovis Strains Reveals That Decreased Virulence with Increasing Passages Might Correlate with Potential Virulence-Related Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad A. Rasheed

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Mycoplasma bovis is an important cause of bovine respiratory disease worldwide. To understand its virulence mechanisms, we sequenced three attenuated M. bovis strains, P115, P150, and P180, which were passaged in vitro 115, 150, and 180 times, respectively, and exhibited progressively decreasing virulence. Comparative genomics was performed among the wild-type M. bovis HB0801 (P1 strain and the P115, P150, and P180 strains, and one 14.2-kb deleted region covering 14 genes was detected in the passaged strains. Additionally, 46 non-sense single-nucleotide polymorphisms and indels were detected, which confirmed that more passages result in more mutations. A subsequent collective bioinformatics analysis of paralogs, metabolic pathways, protein-protein interactions, secretory proteins, functionally conserved domains, and virulence-related factors identified 11 genes that likely contributed to the increased attenuation in the passaged strains. These genes encode ascorbate-specific phosphotransferase system enzyme IIB and IIA components, enolase, L-lactate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase, glycerol, and multiple sugar ATP-binding cassette transporters, ATP binding proteins, NADH dehydrogenase, phosphate acetyltransferase, transketolase, and a variable surface protein. Fifteen genes were shown to be enriched in 15 metabolic pathways, and they included the aforementioned genes encoding pyruvate kinase, transketolase, enolase, and L-lactate dehydrogenase. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 production in M. bovis strains representing seven passages from P1 to P180 decreased progressively with increasing numbers of passages and increased attenuation. However, eight mutants specific to eight individual genes within the 14.2-kb deleted region did not exhibit altered H2O2 production. These results enrich the M. bovis genomics database, and they increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying M. bovis virulence.

Secretome Analysis Identifies Potential Pathogenicity/Virulence Factors of Tilletia indica, a Quarantined Fungal Pathogen Inciting Karnal Bunt Disease in Wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Vishakha; Singh, Manoj; Pandey, Dinesh; Marla, Soma; Kumar, Anil

2018-04-01

Tilletia indica is a smut fungus that incites Karnal bunt in wheat. It has been considered as quarantine pest in more than 70 countries. Despite its quarantine significance, there is meager knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. Moreover, various disease management strategies have proven futile. Development of effective disease management strategy requires identification of pathogenicity/virulence factors. With this aim, the present study was conducted to compare the secretomes of T. indica isolates, that is, highly (TiK) and low (TiP) virulent isolates. About 120 and 95 protein spots were detected reproducibly in TiK and TiP secretome gel images. Nineteen protein spots, which were consistently observed as upregulated/differential in the secretome of TiK isolate, were selected for their identification by MALDI-TOF/TOF. Identified proteins exhibited homology with fungal proteins playing important role in fungal adhesion, penetration, invasion, protection against host-derived reactive oxygen species, production of virulence factors, cellular signaling, and degradation of host cell wall proteins and antifungal proteins. These results were complemented with T. indica genome sequence leading to identification of candidate pathogenicity/virulence factors homologs that were further subjected to sequence- and structure-based functional annotation. Thus, present study reports the first comparative secretome analysis of T. indica for identification of pathogenicity/virulence factors. This would provide insights into pathogenic mechanisms of T. indica and aid in devising effective disease management strategies. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Association of polymorphisms in virulence factor of Helicobacter pylori and gastroduodenal diseases in South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ji Yeon; Kim, Nayoung; Nam, Ryoung Hee; Suh, Ji Hyung; Chang, Hyun; Lee, Jung Won; Kim, Young Sun; Kim, Jung Mogg; Choi, Jae Won; Park, Jung Geun; Lee, Yeon Suk; Lee, Dong Ho; Jung, Hyun Chae

2014-05-01

Clinical outcomes of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection have been shown to be dependent on the variability of virulence factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of each virulence factor and the association between polymorphisms of the virulence factors of HP, and the clinical outcome of gastroduodenal diseases in South Korea. Four hundred one HP colonies were analyzed (75 colonies from 45 controls; 71 colonies from 39 benign gastric ulcer [BGU] patients; 102 colonies from 54 duodenal ulcer [DU] patients; 121 colonies from 77 stomach cancer patients; and 32 colonies from 25 dysplasia patients). Polymerase chain reaction amplifications for vacA, cagA, iceA, oipA, and dupA were performed using DNA extract from HP isolates cultured from mucosal biopsy specimens. dupA was regarded as positive when all of jph0718, jph0719, and dupA were positive. Most colonies were composed of vacA s1 (100.0%), i1 (100.0%) and m1 (92.9%), cagA-positive (87.2%), iceA1 (95.8%), oipA-positive (91.2%), and dupA-negative (52.0%) genotypes. dupA was more frequently expressed in BGU (81.3%), DU (74.7%), and dysplasia (41.7%) than control (16.7%) (P dupA-positive HP showed an increased risk of BGU (odds ratio 33.06, 95% confidence interval 11.91-91.79) and DU (odds ratio 15.60, 95% confidence interval 6.49-37.49). HP infection in South Koreans appears to be closely related to highly virulent strains (vacA s1/i1/m1, cagA(+), iceA1(+), and oipA(+)), except dupA. dupA has an intimate association with the development of peptic ulcer diseases. © 2013 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Risks in ERP projects implementation : How communication and business processes re-engineering risks effect ERP projects

OpenAIRE

Aslanyan, Armine

2017-01-01

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have been regarded as one of the most important information technology developments in the past decades. While ERP systems provide the potential to bring substantial benefits, their implementations are characterized by large capital outlay, long duration, and high might be a solution to ensure the success of ERP system implementations in organizations. The overall objective of this research is to to provide detailed analysis and impacts of busines...

Mobility Integration of ERP systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Álvaro LOZANO

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Nowadays a lot of enterprises work with ERP systems. It usefulness is generally used in office environments and different enterprises which offer this software are developing mobile applications. These mobile applications work with their own system and they don’t usually work in other platforms. Currently any mobile application can communicate with more than one ERP system because each one has its own communications methods. This article presents a system that expect unify the communication between different ERP systems and allows mobile applications to communicate with them in a homogeneous way.

The invisible accounting side of ERP systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iliyan Dimitrov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available ERP (Enterprise Resource planning systems are widely used in many organizations, including companies in Bulgaria. Depending of the point of view statistical results of their implementation in recent years are contradictory (Infostat, 2017, (Eurostat, 2017. This paper reveals an overview of researchers and practitioners’ interpretations, who express opinion for an essence and advantages of adopting ERP systems. In academic and professional discussions one potential benefit stays invisible. The purpose of this publication is to provide new sight of essence and potential benefits which are given with ERP implementation. Some advantages of ERP systems are discussed. Some aspects of the links between ERP systems, management accounting and financial accounting are described.

Evaluation of Approaches to Monitor Staphylococcus aureus Virulence Factor Expression during Human Disease

OpenAIRE

Rozemeijer, Wouter; Fink, Pamela; Rojas, Eduardo; Jones, C. Hal; Pavliakova, Danka; Giardina, Peter; Murphy, Ellen; Liberator, Paul; Jiang, Qin; Girgenti, Douglas; Peters, Remco P. H.; Savelkoul, Paul H. M.; Jansen, Kathrin U.; Anderson, Annaliesa S.; Kluytmans, Jan

2015-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen of medical significance, using multiple virulence factors to cause disease. A prophylactic S. aureus 4-antigen (SA4Ag) vaccine comprising capsular polysaccharide (types 5 and 8) conjugates, clumping factor A (ClfA) and manganese transporter C (MntC) is under development. This study was designed to characterize S. aureus isolates recovered from infected patients and also to investigate approaches for examining expression of S. aureus vaccine candid...

Exploring potential virulence regulators in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolates of varying virulence through quantitative proteomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Castilho, Daniele G; Chaves, Alison F A; Xander, Patricia; Zelanis, André; Kitano, Eduardo S; Serrano, Solange M T; Tashima, Alexandre K; Batista, Wagner L

2014-10-03

Few virulence factors have been identified for Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, the agent of paracoccidioidomycosis. In this study, we quantitatively evaluated the protein composition of P. brasiliensis in the yeast phase using minimal and rich media to obtain a better understanding of its virulence and to gain new insights into pathogen adaptation strategies. This analysis was performed on two isolates of the Pb18 strain showing distinct infection profiles in B10.A mice. Using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, we identified and quantified 316 proteins in minimal medium, 29 of which were overexpressed in virulent Pb18. In rich medium, 29 out of 295 proteins were overexpressed in the virulent fungus. Three proteins were found to be up-regulated in both media, suggesting the potential roles of these proteins in virulence regulation in P. brasiliensis. Moreover, genes up-regulated in virulent Pb18 showed an increase in its expression after the recovery of virulence of attenuated Pb18. Proteins up-regulated in both isolates were grouped according to their functional categories. Virulent Pb18 undergoes metabolic reorganization and increased expression of proteins involved in fermentative respiration. This approach allowed us to identify potential virulence regulators and provided a foundation for achieving a molecular understanding of how Paracoccidioides modulates the host-pathogen interaction to its advantage.

7 CFR 1730.28 - Emergency Restoration Plan (ERP).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Emergency Restoration Plan (ERP). 1730.28 Section... § 1730.28 Emergency Restoration Plan (ERP). (a) Each borrower with an approved RUS electric program loan as of October 12, 2004 shall have a written ERP no later than January 12, 2006. The ERP should be...

ERP II: Next-generation Extended Enterprise Resource Planning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Charles

2004-01-01

ERP II (ERP/2) systems is a new concept introduced by Gartner Group in 2000 in order to label the latest extensions of the ERP-systems. The purpose of this paper is to explore the next-generation of ERP systems, the Extended Enterprise Resource Planning (EERP or as we prefer to use: e...... impact on extended enterprise architecture.....

ERP II - Next-generation Extended Enterprise Resource Planning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Charles

2003-01-01

ERP II (ERP/2) systems is a new concept introduced by Gartner Group in 2000 in order to label the latest extensions of the ERP-systems. The purpose of this paper is to explore the next-generation of ERP systems, the Extended Enterprise Resource Planning (EERP or as we prefer to use: e...... impact on extended enterprise architecture....

Guía de selección de ERP en las pequeñas y medianas empresas mexicanas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rivera, Igor

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP systems are information system characterised by having a shared database for all the company’s departments. Organisations use ERP sys- tems to manage their data and help improve decision-making. However, recent studies show that 92% of ERP projects do not end in success (De Pablos Heredero and De Pablos Heredero, 2009. This paper aims to design a guide to ERP selection for Mexican SMEs. It starts with a review of the scientific literature, which is divided into methodological proposals, case studies, micro-sociological studies, and critical success factors for ERP projects. To complement our theoretical study we interviewed consultants, users and ERP project experts, who supported our conception of this issue at local level. Finally, we designed an ERP selection guide.Los Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP son Sistemas de Información caracterizados por tener una base de datos común para todos los departamentos de la empresa y son utilizados por las organizaciones para administrar sus datos con el fin de tomar mejores decisiones. Sin embargo, estudios recientes demuestran que el 92% de los proyectos ERP no terminan con éxito (De Pablos Heredero y De Pablos Heredero, 2009. El objetivo de este artículo es diseñar una guía de selección de ERP en las Pymes mexicanas. En primera instancia se realizó un examen de la literatura científica, el cual se dividió en: propuestas metodológicas, casos de estudio, estudios microsociológicos y factores críticos de éxito para proyectos ERP. Para complementar nuestro estudio teórico se entrevistaron consultores, utilizadores y expertos en proyectos ERP, los cuales apoyaron nuestra concepción de esta problemática en el ámbito local. Finalmente se diseñó la guía de selección de ERP.

High-accuracy Subdaily ERPs from the IGS

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, J. R.; Griffiths, J.

2012-04-01

Since November 2000 the International GNSS Service (IGS) has published Ultra-rapid (IGU) products for near real-time (RT) and true real-time applications. They include satellite orbits and clocks, as well as Earth rotation parameters (ERPs) for a sliding 48-hr period. The first day of each update is based on the most recent GPS and GLONASS observational data from the IGS hourly tracking network. At the time of release, these observed products have an initial latency of 3 hr. The second day of each update consists of predictions. So the predictions between about 3 and 9 hr into the second half are relevant for true RT uses. Originally updated twice daily, the IGU products since April 2004 have been issued every 6 hr, at 3, 9, 15, and 21 UTC. Up to seven Analysis Centers (ACs) contribute to the IGU combinations. Two sets of ERPs are published with each IGU update, observed values at the middle epoch of the first half and predicted values at the middle epoch of the second half. The latency of the near RT ERPs is 15 hr while the predicted ERPs, based on projections of each AC's most recent determinations, are issued 9 hr ahead of their reference epoch. While IGU ERPs are issued every 6 hr, each set represents an integrated estimate over the surrounding 24 hr. So successive values are temporally correlated with about 75% of the data being common; this fact should be taken into account in user assimilations. To evaluate the accuracy of these near RT and predicted ERPs, they have been compared to the IGS Final ERPs, available about 11 to 17 d after data collection. The IGU products improved dramatically in the earlier years but since about 2008.0 the performance has been stable and excellent. During the last three years, RMS differences for the observed IGU ERPs have been about 0.036 mas and 0.0101 ms for each polar motion component and LOD respectively. (The internal precision of the reference IGS ERPs over the same period is about 0.016 mas for polar motion and 0

76 FR 47055 - Emergency Restoration Plan (ERP)

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-04

... (ERP) AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service... 12, 2004, at 69 FR 60541 requiring all borrowers to maintain an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) that... major natural or manmade disaster or other causes. This ERP requirement was not entirely new to the...

ERP – a moving target

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Christian

2007-01-01

Enterprise Resource Planning systems are central elements in longterm wide-ranging design and use networks. Present ERP research focuses on single-enterprise implementation and fails to address important features of the ERP networks such as multi-spatiality, the design of the generic and the dyna...

Hypercompetition in the ERP Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Antero, Michelle

2012-01-01

Applying the Red Queen Theory (RQT), the study posits that an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software vendor counters the Red Queen Effect (RQE) in the hypercompetitive ERP industry by strategically aligning itself with multiple partners to form an ecosystem that can be leveraged for growth...

TECNOLOGÍA DE INFORMACIÓN Y VENTAJA COMPETITIVA: EL CASO DE LOS SISTEMAS ERP EN CHILE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricio Ramírez C.

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Este trabajo presenta un examen de los factores que anteceden la integración exitosa de una tecnología de información, como son los sistemas ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning, y cuales de estos factores pueden generar una ventaja competitiva sostenible para la empresa. El análisis se basa en un estudio empírico que indagó el fenómeno de implantación exitosa de sistemas ERP en 72 grandes empresas chilenas y lo contrastó con un modelo de investigación propuesto por los autores, utilizando para estos efectos la técnica PLS (Partial Least Square de modelado de ecuaciones estructurales. Basados en el enfoque conceptual de la teoría de recursos y capacidades, los resultados de la investigación indican que el aprendizaje y la predisposición para el cambio (en conjunción con los otros factores antecedentes del éxito de un sistema ERP y del propio ERP pueden ser fuentes de una ventaja competitiva sostenible.

Design Patterns Application in the ERP Systems Improvements

Science.gov (United States)

Jovičić, Bojan; Vlajić, Siniša

Design patterns application have long been present in software engineering. The same is true for ERP systems in business software. Is it possible that ERP systems do not have a good maintenance score? We have found out that there is room for maintenance improvement and that it is possible to improve ERP systems using design patterns. We have conducted comparative analysis of ease of maintenance of the ERP systems. The results show that the average score for our questions is 64%, with most answers for ERP systems like SAP, Oracle EBS, Dynamics AX. We found that 59% of ERP system developer users are not familiar with design patterns. Based on this research, we have chosen Dynamics AX as the ERP system for examination of design patterns improvement possibilities. We used software metrics to measure improvement possibility. We found that we could increase the Conditional Complexity score 17-fold by introducing design patterns.

ERP Usage in Practice : Understanding End-Users ‘Acceptance of ERP Systems in Chinese large companies by applying UTAUT model

OpenAIRE

Chen, Bo; Zeng, Zili

2012-01-01

Introduction: The Enterprise  Resource  Planning system is  an  emerging  technology  that belongs to the scientific discipline of information systems. In simple words the ERP system integrates an organization’s resources and also involves business processes and organiza-tional changes. With the ubiquitous growth of IS investment, ERP systems implementation grows strongly. More and more companies introduced ERP systems. However many ERP implementation success stays at technical perspective. U...

Is Open Source the ERP Cure-All?

Science.gov (United States)

Panettieri, Joseph C.

2008-01-01

Conventional and hosted applications thrive, but open source ERP (enterprise resource planning) is coming on strong. In many ways, the evolution of the ERP market is littered with ironies. When Oracle began buying up customer relationship management (CRM) and ERP companies, some universities worried that they would be left with fewer choices and…

Implementace ERP systémů

OpenAIRE

Přívratský, Miroslav

2008-01-01

První část této práce uvádí vztah ERP systémů a jiných aplikací běžně zaváděných v podnikových informačních systémech a rozvádí funkcionalitu ERP systémů. Druhá část se poté věnuje detailní kategorizaci ERP produktů z mnoha různých hledisek a analyzuje obecné parametry, podle kterých je možné ERP systémy posuzovat (např. při výběru produktu, který má být implementován). Poslední část je zaměřena na projekty implementace ERP systémů, jejich průběh a hodnocení jejich úspěšnosti. Na závěr práce ...

Phenotypic, antimicrobial susceptibility profile and virulence factors of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from buffalo and cow mastitic milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Osman, Kamelia M; Hassan, Hany M; Orabi, Ahmed; Abdelhafez, Ahmed S T

2014-06-01

Studies on the prevalence and virulence genes of Klebsiella mastitis pathogens in a buffalo population are undocumented. Also, the association of rmpA kfu, uge, magA, Aerobactin, K1 and K2 virulent factors with K. pneumoniae buffalo, and cow mastitis is unreported. The virulence of K. pneumoniae was evaluated through both phenotypic and molecular assays. In vivo virulence was assessed by the Vero cell cytotoxicity, suckling mouse assay and mice lethality test. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by disk diffusion method. The 45 K. pneumoniae isolates from buffalo (n = 10/232) and cow (n = 35/293) milk were isolated (45/525; 8.6%) and screened via PCR for seven virulence genes encoding uridine diphosphate galactose 4 epimerase encoding gene responsible for capsule and smooth lipopolysaccharide synthesis (uge), siderophores (kfu and aerobactin), protectines or invasins (rmpA and magA), and the capsule and hypermucoviscosity (K1 and K2). The most common virulence genes were rmpA, kfu, uge, and magA (77.8% each). Aerobactin and K1 genes were found at medium rates of 66.7% each and K2 (55.6%). The Vero cell cytotoxicity and LD (50) in mice were found in 100% of isolates. A multidrug resistance pattern was observed for 40% of the antimicrobials. The distribution of virulence profiles indicate a role of rmpA, kfu, uge, magA, Aerobactin, and K1 and K2 in pathogenicity of K. pneumoniae in udder infections and invasiveness, and constitutes a threat for vulnerable animals, even more if they are in combination with antibiotic resistance.

Helicobacter pylori virulence factors and their role in peptic ulcer diseases in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuncel, I E; Hussein, N R; Bolek, B K; Arikan, S; Salih, B A

2010-01-01

The role of virulence factors present in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains and the characterization of such factors being predictive of specific disease is still not clear. In this study, the cagA, vacA alleles and the recently characterized vacA i-region and dupA and their association with the severity of the disease was determined. Antral biopsies from 91patients with peptic ulcer (PU) (n = 41), gastritis (n = 48) and gastric cancer (GC) (n = 2) were analyzed for the presence of H. pylori by the CLO-test and PCR. A 79/91 (86%) patients were positive for H. pylori by either PCR or by both PCR and CLO-test. PCR-based typing of H. pylori isolates was performed on DNA extracted directly from biopsy samples. The cagA+ strains were found more likely to be associated with vacA s1 than s2. The vacA i1 allele detected in 16/23 (70%) of samples had significant association with duodenal ulcers than those 16/37 (44%) of gastritis (P dupA and duodenal ulcer. This study provided more evidence that the vacA i1 allele is one of the virulence factors of H. pylori that had significant association with severe outcome.

Identification and Characterization of msf, a Novel Virulence Factor in Haemophilus influenzae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer M Kress-Bennett

Full Text Available Haemophilus influenzae is an opportunistic pathogen. The emergence of virulent, non-typeable strains (NTHi emphasizes the importance of developing new interventional targets. We screened the NTHi supragenome for genes encoding surface-exposed proteins suggestive of immune evasion, identifying a large family containing Sel1-like repeats (SLRs. Clustering identified ten SLR-containing gene subfamilies, each with various numbers of SLRs per gene. Individual strains also had varying numbers of SLR-containing genes from one or more of the subfamilies. Statistical genetic analyses of gene possession among 210 NTHi strains typed as either disease or carriage found a significant association between possession of the SlrVA subfamily (which we have termed, macrophage survival factor, msf and the disease isolates. The PittII strain contains four chromosomally contiguous msf genes. Deleting all four of these genes (msfA1-4 (KO resulted in a highly significant decrease in phagocytosis and survival in macrophages; which was fully complemented by a single copy of the msfA1 gene. Using the chinchilla model of otitis media and invasive disease, the KO strain displayed a significant decrease in fitness compared to the WT in co-infections; and in single infections, the KO lost its ability to invade the brain. The singly complemented strain showed only a partial ability to compete with the WT suggesting gene dosage is important in vivo. The transcriptional profiles of the KO and WT in planktonic growth were compared using the NTHi supragenome array, which revealed highly significant changes in the expression of operons involved in virulence and anaerobiosis. These findings demonstrate that the msfA1-4 genes are virulence factors for phagocytosis, persistence, and trafficking to non-mucosal sites.

Antecedents for the Success of the Adoption of Organizational ERP Among Higher Education Institutions and Competitive Advantage in Egypt

OpenAIRE

M. Soliman; N. Karia

2017-01-01

Although the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system has long been acknowledged in higher education institutions (HEIs) to improve their performance and efficiency, there are not many HEIs in Egypt that adopt ERP system and those that do are in an early stage. The research on ERP system in HEI is still limited and in the immature stage, hence little is known about the success factors for the adoption stage of ERP systems. Consequently, this article aims to understand what are the success fa...

A novel framework of ERP implementation in Indian SMEs: Kernel principal component analysis and intuitionistic Fuzzy TOPSIS driven approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Indranil Ghosh

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Over the years, organizations have witnessed a transformational change at global market place. Integration of operations and partnership have become the key success factors for organizations. In order to achieve inclusive growth while operating in a dynamic uncertain environment, organizations irrespective of the scale of business need to stay connected across the entire value chain. The purpose of this paper is to analyze Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP implementation process for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs in India to identify the key enablers. Exhaustive survey of existing literature as a part of secondary research work, has been conducted in order to identify the critical success factors and usefulness of ERP implementation in different industrial sectors initially and examines the impact of those factors in Indian SMEs. Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA has been applied on survey response to recognize the key constructs related to Critical Success Factors (CSFs and tangible benefits of ERP implementation. Intuitionistic Fuzzy set theory based Technique of Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS method is then used to rank the respective CSFs by mapping their contribution to the benefits realized through implementing ERP. Overall this work attempts to present a guideline for ERP adoption process in the said sector utilizing the framework built upon KPCA and Intuitionistic Fuzzy TOPSIS. Findings of this work can act as guidelines for monitoring the entire ERP implementation project.

ERP implementation in hospitals: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Divya; Garg, Poonam

2012-01-01

In a competitive healthcare sector, hospitals have to focus on their processes in order to deliver high-quality care while at the same time reducing costs. Many hospitals have decided to adopt one or another Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to improve their businesses, but implementing an ERP system can be a demanding endeavour. The systems are so difficult to implement that some are successful; many have failed, causing multimillion dollar losses. The challenge of ERP solutions lie in implementation because they are complex, time consuming and expensive too. This paper describes the various process workflows and phases of ERP implementation at Fortis Hospital Cunningham Road, Bangalore, India. This knowledge will provide valuable insights for the researchers and practitioners to understand the different process workflows and to make informed decisions when implementing ERP in any hospital.

Open ERP Odoo guidebook for small and medium enterprises

OpenAIRE

Devkota, Arun

2016-01-01

ERP systems are vital part of any businesses, For SMEs managing accounting, sales, inventory control, manufacturing, customer relationship all at the same time is not a small task. To meet rising customer demand and market competition business must implement efficient ERP system. Implementing popular high end ERP systems like SAP Business One, Oracle ERP etc. are very costly for SMEs to implement as SMEs lack manpower and financial resources. The current ERP market is poised with various low ...

Stay on the ERP Treadmill!

Science.gov (United States)

Panettieri, Joseph C.

2007-01-01

This article discusses University of Central Florida's proactive approach to enterprise resource planning (ERP) and highlights UCF's success with ERP. The article points out that much of this success comes from the strength and management experience of those in leadership positions at UCF, and from the expertise and strong credentials of the team…

ERP Project Management Lessons Learned

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Timothy D.

2009-01-01

Implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is a major undertaking for any higher education institution, with many challenges along the way. More than three years ago, Roane State Community College began a journey to implement an ERP system. Roane State recently completed a very successful implementation of the SunGard Banner Student…

Implementasi Sistem ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning PT Pos Indonesia : Sebuah Inisiasi dan Strategi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Susanto

2013-12-01

options is due without reasoning, many of internal and external environments that influence and drive the need of implementation ERP at PT Posindo. External factors such as the increasing of competition, attempts IPO (Initial Public Offering which requires the application of the business governance standards that apply best practices and internationally acceptable and  a wide range of policies and regulations is related postal laws and  the regulations of State-Owned Enterprise. As an integrated system, ERP is expected to improve the efficiency and performance of assets in order to further increase product added value for the company, such as the Postal Service and retail businesses that are financially provide negative value added in 2012. In the initiation phase, ERP implementation is done in stages starting with the modules of SAP FICO ( Financial Controlling with regard infrastructure readiness and the development of existing applications (in-house development that to be integrated with the ERP database.

Iron regulation of the major virulence factors in the AIDS-associated pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Won Hee Jung

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Iron overload is known to exacerbate many infectious diseases, and conversely, iron withholding is an important defense strategy for mammalian hosts. Iron is a critical cue for Cryptococcus neoformans because the fungus senses iron to regulate elaboration of the polysaccharide capsule that is the major virulence factor during infection. Excess iron exacerbates experimental cryptococcosis and the prevalence of this disease in Sub-Saharan Africa has been associated with nutritional and genetic aspects of iron loading in the background of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. We demonstrate that the iron-responsive transcription factor Cir1 in Cr. neoformans controls the regulon of genes for iron acquisition such that cir1 mutants are "blind" to changes in external iron levels. Cir1 also controls the known major virulence factors of the pathogen including the capsule, the formation of the anti-oxidant melanin in the cell wall, and the ability to grow at host body temperature. Thus, the fungus is remarkably tuned to perceive iron as part of the disease process, as confirmed by the avirulence of the cir1 mutant; this characteristic of the pathogen may provide opportunities for antifungal treatment.

Aligning ERP and Business Strategy after going live

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Christian

2004-01-01

Steering enterprises with Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERP) is not only an issue of implementation and of “once and for all” aligning the ERP system with the strategy of the company, it is a long term exercise. This paper is about managing ERP systems after going live. It is argued...... that companies has to align the ERP systems with the strategy of the company and guidelines as to how this can be achieved is given....

Implementación de OpenErp en PYME

OpenAIRE

Bentancur Pisciottano, Ernesto Germán

2012-01-01

El proyecto describe el proceso de implementación del ERP OpenErp, en las áreas logística y contable, de una PYME ficticia dedicada al diseño y venta de material informático. El projecte descriu el procés d'implementació de l'ERP OpenERP, a les àrees logística i comptable, d'una PIME fictícia dedicada al disseny i venda de material informàtic.

Virulence Factors and Antibiotic Resistance in Uropathogenic and Commensal Escherichia coli Isolates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iraj Sedighi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs, including cystitis and pyelonephritis, are the most common infectious diseases in childhood. Aim and Objectives: Escherichia coli (E. coli account for as much as 90% of the community-acquired and also 50% of nosocomial UTIs. Therefore, the identification of E. coli strains and antibiotic resistance patterns is important for both clinical and epidemiological implications. Material and Methods: To characterize uropathogenic strains E. coli, we studied 100 strains recovered from both urine samples of children aged less than 7 years with community-acquired UTIs and stool samples of healthy children, respectively. Results: We assessed Virulence Factors (VFs and drug sensitivities of E. coli isolates. Drug sensitivities of the isolates were 94% (amikacin, 90% (nitrofurantoin, 66% (gentamicin, 56% (cefixime, 40% (nalidixic acid and 28% (cotrimoxazol. Laboratory tests showed that the prevalence of virulence factors ranged from 18% for hemolysin and P-fimbriae to 2% for type1-fimbriae. Most drug resistance was cotrimoxazole and amikacin was the lowest. P-fimbriae and hemolysin in uropathogenic E. coli were more frequent than non-pathogen type of E. coli. Conclusion: Although amikacin appeared to be the first choice for UTI in children, but nitrofurantoin seems to be practical and could be considered as the selective choice for uncomplicated lower UTIs.

Investigation of the mediating effects of IT governance-value delivery on service quality and ERP performance

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Wen-Hsien; Chou, Yu-Wei; Leu, Jun-Der; Chao Chen, Der; Tsaur, Tsen-Shu

2015-02-01

This study aimed to explore the mediating effects of IT governance (ITG)-value delivery in the relationships among the quality of vendor service, the quality of consultant services, ITG-value delivery and enterprise resource planning (ERP) performance. The sampling of this research was acquired from a questionnaire survey concerning ERP implementations in Taiwan. In this survey, 4366 questionnaires were sent to manufacturing and service companies listed in the TOP 5000: The Largest Corporations in Taiwan 2009. The results showed that an ERP system will exhibit a decreased error rate and improved performance if ERP system vendors and consultants provide good service quality. The results also demonstrated that significant relationships exist among the quality of vendor service, the quality of consultant services and value delivery. The contribution of this article is twofold. First, it found that value delivery provides an effective measure of ERP performance under an ITG framework. Second, it provides evidence of the partial mediating effects of value delivery between service quality and ERP performance. In other words, if enterprises want to improve ERP performance, they need to consider factors such as value delivery and the quality of a vendor/consultant's service.

Virulence Factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induce Both the Unfolded Protein and Integrated Stress Responses in Airway Epithelial Cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily F A van 't Wout

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection can be disastrous in chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Its toxic effects are largely mediated by secreted virulence factors including pyocyanin, elastase and alkaline protease (AprA. Efficient functioning of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER is crucial for cell survival and appropriate immune responses, while an excess of unfolded proteins within the ER leads to "ER stress" and activation of the "unfolded protein response" (UPR. Bacterial infection and Toll-like receptor activation trigger the UPR most likely due to the increased demand for protein folding of inflammatory mediators. In this study, we show that cell-free conditioned medium of the PAO1 strain of P. aeruginosa, containing secreted virulence factors, induces ER stress in primary bronchial epithelial cells as evidenced by splicing of XBP1 mRNA and induction of CHOP, GRP78 and GADD34 expression. Most aspects of the ER stress response were dependent on TAK1 and p38 MAPK, except for the induction of GADD34 mRNA. Using various mutant strains and purified virulence factors, we identified pyocyanin and AprA as inducers of ER stress. However, the induction of GADD34 was mediated by an ER stress-independent integrated stress response (ISR which was at least partly dependent on the iron-sensing eIF2α kinase HRI. Our data strongly suggest that this increased GADD34 expression served to protect against Pseudomonas-induced, iron-sensitive cell cytotoxicity. In summary, virulence factors from P. aeruginosa induce ER stress in airway epithelial cells and also trigger the ISR to improve cell survival of the host.

Virulence Factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induce Both the Unfolded Protein and Integrated Stress Responses in Airway Epithelial Cells

Science.gov (United States)

van ‘t Wout, Emily F. A.; van Schadewijk, Annemarie; van Boxtel, Ria; Dalton, Lucy E.; Clarke, Hanna J.; Tommassen, Jan; Marciniak, Stefan J.; Hiemstra, Pieter S.

2015-01-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection can be disastrous in chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Its toxic effects are largely mediated by secreted virulence factors including pyocyanin, elastase and alkaline protease (AprA). Efficient functioning of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is crucial for cell survival and appropriate immune responses, while an excess of unfolded proteins within the ER leads to “ER stress” and activation of the “unfolded protein response” (UPR). Bacterial infection and Toll-like receptor activation trigger the UPR most likely due to the increased demand for protein folding of inflammatory mediators. In this study, we show that cell-free conditioned medium of the PAO1 strain of P. aeruginosa, containing secreted virulence factors, induces ER stress in primary bronchial epithelial cells as evidenced by splicing of XBP1 mRNA and induction of CHOP, GRP78 and GADD34 expression. Most aspects of the ER stress response were dependent on TAK1 and p38 MAPK, except for the induction of GADD34 mRNA. Using various mutant strains and purified virulence factors, we identified pyocyanin and AprA as inducers of ER stress. However, the induction of GADD34 was mediated by an ER stress-independent integrated stress response (ISR) which was at least partly dependent on the iron-sensing eIF2α kinase HRI. Our data strongly suggest that this increased GADD34 expression served to protect against Pseudomonas-induced, iron-sensitive cell cytotoxicity. In summary, virulence factors from P. aeruginosa induce ER stress in airway epithelial cells and also trigger the ISR to improve cell survival of the host. PMID:26083346

Využití databázových systémů v sw balících typu ERP/ERP II

OpenAIRE

Vašek, Martin

2010-01-01

This thesis is concerning with problems of using database systems in ERP / ERP II software packages. The goal is to define position of ERP / ERP II systems in the Information System market. With this topic are also connected characteristics of database systems and definition of their specific position towards ERP / ERP II solutions. Except classical solutions, when the whole Information System is situated "inside" a company, there are also analyzed new attitudes, which respect external provid...

Interpreting an ERP implementation from a stakeholder perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boonstra, A.

2005-01-01

ERP systems are software packages that enable the integration of transactions oriented data and business processes throughout an organization. ERP implementation can be viewed as an organizational change process: many problems related to ERP implementation are related to a misfit of the system with

In vivo transcriptional profiling of Listeria monocytogenes and mutagenesis identify new virulence factors involved in infection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Camejo

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Listeria monocytogenes is a human intracellular pathogen able to colonize host tissues after ingestion of contaminated food, causing severe invasive infections. In order to gain a better understanding of the nature of host-pathogen interactions, we studied the L. monocytogenes genome expression during mouse infection. In the spleen of infected mice, approximately 20% of the Listeria genome is differentially expressed, essentially through gene activation, as compared to exponential growth in rich broth medium. Data presented here show that, during infection, Listeria is in an active multiplication phase, as revealed by the high expression of genes involved in replication, cell division and multiplication. In vivo bacterial growth requires increased expression of genes involved in adaptation of the bacterial metabolism and stress responses, in particular to oxidative stress. Listeria interaction with its host induces cell wall metabolism and surface expression of virulence factors. During infection, L. monocytogenes also activates subversion mechanisms of host defenses, including resistance to cationic peptides, peptidoglycan modifications and release of muramyl peptides. We show that the in vivo differential expression of the Listeria genome is coordinated by a complex regulatory network, with a central role for the PrfA-SigB interplay. In particular, L. monocytogenes up regulates in vivo the two major virulence regulators, PrfA and VirR, and their downstream effectors. Mutagenesis of in vivo induced genes allowed the identification of novel L. monocytogenes virulence factors, including an LPXTG surface protein, suggesting a role for S-layer glycoproteins and for cadmium efflux system in Listeria virulence.

Genome sequence of the endosymbiont Rickettsia peacockii and comparison with virulent Rickettsia rickettsii: identification of virulence factors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roderick F Felsheim

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Rickettsia peacockii, also known as the East Side Agent, is a non-pathogenic obligate intracellular bacterium found as an endosymbiont in Dermacentor andersoni ticks in the western USA and Canada. Its presence in ticks is correlated with reduced prevalence of Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It has been proposed that a virulent SFG rickettsia underwent changes to become the East Side Agent. We determined the genome sequence of R. peacockii and provide a comparison to a closely related virulent R. rickettsii. The presence of 42 chromosomal copies of the ISRpe1 transposon in the genome of R. peacockii is associated with a lack of synteny with the genome of R. rickettsii and numerous deletions via recombination between transposon copies. The plasmid contains a number of genes from distantly related organisms, such as part of the glycosylation island of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Genes deleted or mutated in R. peacockii which may relate to loss of virulence include those coding for an ankyrin repeat containing protein, DsbA, RickA, protease II, OmpA, ScaI, and a putative phosphoethanolamine transferase. The gene coding for the ankyrin repeat containing protein is especially implicated as it is mutated in R. rickettsii strain Iowa, which has attenuated virulence. Presence of numerous copies of the ISRpe1 transposon, likely acquired by lateral transfer from a Cardinium species, are associated with extensive genomic reorganization and deletions. The deletion and mutation of genes possibly involved in loss of virulence have been identified by this genomic comparison. It also illustrates that the introduction of a transposon into the genome can have varied effects; either correlating with an increase in pathogenicity as in Francisella tularensis or a loss of pathogenicity as in R. peacockii and the recombination enabled by multiple transposon copies can cause significant deletions in some genomes while not in others.

ANALISIS FAKTOR PENDORONG REALISASI MANFAAT IMPLEMENTASI ERP DI PERUSAHAAN INDONESIA

OpenAIRE

Iqbal Yulizar M.; Rajesri Govindaraju

2017-01-01

Pengelolaan implementasi ERP pada fase post project yaitu fase ketika ERP telah digunakan secara integral dalam perusahaan, menentukan terealisasinya manfaat dari implementasi ERP, karenanya terkait pengelolaan pada fase post project ini dibutuhkan kajian lebih lanjut untuk mengetahui upaya-upaya merealisasikan manfaat dari implementasi ERP. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana mengukur manfaat implementasi ERP dan mengetahui sejauh mana perusahaan-perusahaan Indonesia merealis...

Hemolysin as a Virulence Factor for Systemic Infection with Isolates of Mycobacterium avium Complex

Science.gov (United States)

Maslow, Joel N.; Dawson, David; Carlin, Elizabeth A.; Holland, Steven M.

1999-01-01

Isolates of the Mycobacterium avium complex were examined for hemolysin expression. Only invasive isolates of M. avium were observed to be hemolytic (P < 0.001), with activity the greatest for isolates of serovars 4 and 8. Thus, M. avium hemolysin appears to represent a virulence factor necessary for invasive disease. PMID:9889239

Acquisition (Purchasing of ERP Systems from Organizational Buying Behavior Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tariq Bhatti

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP systems are becoming a mature infrastructure in many organizations. Organizations purchase these systems to integrate, improve internal business processes, serve their customers better and fulfill their needs. The buying process of these systems is more complicated and it requires a lot more consideration as it can have long term effects and consequences for the organization as well as for its stakeholders. Acquisition (purchasing of ERP systems is a complex behavior for organizations and has a lot to consider, from motives all the way to goals being pursued. Buying organizations consider several components that make up its business entity: like vendors, consumers, competitors, and regulations (Harris, 2013. Importance and relevance should be given to each one of these components as they all play key essential roles in sales organizations and their success. Typical organizations treat the purchasing process as a problem solving situation and rely on consultants or sometimes miss out on systematic buying process and the success factors to be considered vary from technicality, price, risk aversion, reputation, all the way to ethical decisions and legal regulations (Bellizzi, 2009. This research paper describe the current acquisition processes, critical success factors literature and propose integrated ERP systems acquisition model for organizations interested in buying similar systems in future.

Developing a cultural perspective on ERP

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boersma, F.K.; Kingma, S.F.

2005-01-01

Purpose - To develop an analytical framework through which the organizational cultural dimension of enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations can be analyzed. Design/methodology/approach - This paper is primarily based on a review of the literature. Findings - ERP is an enterprise system

Reconstruction of the metabolic network of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to interrogate virulence factor synthesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bartell, Jennifer; Blazier, Anna S; Yen, Phillip

2017-01-01

Virulence-linked pathways in opportunistic pathogens are putative therapeutic targets that may be associated with less potential for resistance than targets in growth-essential pathways. However, efficacy of virulence-linked targets may be affected by the contribution of virulence-related genes t...

Virulence factors genes of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from caprine subclinical mastitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Salaberry, Sandra Renata Sampaio; Saidenberg, André Becker Simões; Zuniga, Eveline; Melville, Priscilla Anne; Santos, Franklin Gerônimo Bispo; Guimarães, Ednaldo Carvalho; Gregori, Fábio; Benites, Nilson Roberti

2015-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate genes involved in adhesion expression, biofilm formation, and enterotoxin production in isolates of Staphylococcus spp. from goats with subclinical mastitis and associate these results with the staphylococcal species. One hundred and twenty-four isolates were identified and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect the following genes: cna, ebpS, eno, fib, fnbA, fnbB, bap, sea, seb, sec, sed and see. The most commonly Staphylococcus species included S. epidermidis, S. lugdunensis, S. chromogenes, S. capitis ss capitis and S. intermedius. With the exception of fnbB, the genes were detected in different frequencies of occurrence in 86.3% of the Staphylococcus spp. isolates. Eno (73.2%) and bap (94.8%) were more frequently detected in coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS); ebpS (76%), fib (90.9%) and fnbA (87%) were the most frequent genes in coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS). Regarding enterotoxins, genes sed (28.2%) and see (24.2%) had a higher frequency of occurrence; sec gene was more frequently detected in CPS (58.8%). There was no association between the presence of the genes and the Staphylococcus species. Different virulence factors genes can be detected in caprine subclinical mastitis caused by CNS and CPS. The knowledge of the occurrence of these virulence factors is important for the development of effective control and prevention measures of subclinical mastitis caused by CNS and CPS in goats. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The NlpD lipoprotein is a novel Yersinia pestis virulence factor essential for the development of plague.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avital Tidhar

Full Text Available Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of plague. Previously we have isolated an attenuated Y. pestis transposon insertion mutant in which the pcm gene was disrupted. In the present study, we investigated the expression and the role of pcm locus genes in Y. pestis pathogenesis using a set of isogenic surE, pcm, nlpD and rpoS mutants of the fully virulent Kimberley53 strain. We show that in Y. pestis, nlpD expression is controlled from elements residing within the upstream genes surE and pcm. The NlpD lipoprotein is the only factor encoded from the pcm locus that is essential for Y. pestis virulence. A chromosomal deletion of the nlpD gene sequence resulted in a drastic reduction in virulence to an LD(50 of at least 10(7 cfu for subcutaneous and airway routes of infection. The mutant was unable to colonize mouse organs following infection. The filamented morphology of the nlpD mutant indicates that NlpD is involved in cell separation; however, deletion of nlpD did not affect in vitro growth rate. Trans-complementation experiments with the Y. pestis nlpD gene restored virulence and all other phenotypic defects. Finally, we demonstrated that subcutaneous administration of the nlpD mutant could protect animals against bubonic and primary pneumonic plague. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Y. pestis NlpD is a novel virulence factor essential for the development of bubonic and pneumonic plague. Further, the nlpD mutant is superior to the EV76 prototype live vaccine strain in immunogenicity and in conferring effective protective immunity. Thus it could serve as a basis for a very potent live vaccine against bubonic and pneumonic plague.

Trust at first sight: evidence from ERPs.

Science.gov (United States)

Marzi, Tessa; Righi, Stefania; Ottonello, Sara; Cincotta, Massimo; Viggiano, Maria Pia

2014-01-01

We used event-related potentials (ERPs) to tap the temporal dynamics of first impressions based on face appearance. Participants were asked to evaluate briefly presented faces for trustworthiness and political choice. Behaviorally, participants were better at discriminating faces that were pre-rated as untrustworthy. The ERP results showed that the P100 component was enhanced for untrustworthy faces, consistently with the view that signals of potential threat are given precedence in neural processing. The enhanced ERP responses to untrustworthy faces persisted throughout the processing sequence and the amplitude of early posterior negativity (EPN), and subsequent late positive potential (LPP) was increased with respect to trustworthy faces which, in contrast, elicited an enhanced positivity around 150 ms on frontal sites. These ERP patterns were found specifically for the trustworthiness evaluation and not for the political decision task. Political decision yielded an increase in the N170 amplitude, reflecting a more demanding and taxing structural encoding. Similar ERP responses, as previously reported in the literature for facial expressions processing, were found throughout the entire time course specifically elicited by faces explicitly judged as untrustworthy. One possibility might be that evolution has provided the brain with a 'special toolkit' for trust evaluation that is fast and triggers ERPs related to emotional processing.

A unique virulence factor for proliferation and dwarfism in plants identified from a phytopathogenic bacterium

Science.gov (United States)

Hoshi, Ayaka; Oshima, Kenro; Kakizawa, Shigeyuki; Ishii, Yoshiko; Ozeki, Johji; Hashimoto, Masayoshi; Komatsu, Ken; Kagiwada, Satoshi; Yamaji, Yasuyuki; Namba, Shigetou

2009-01-01

One of the most important themes in agricultural science is the identification of virulence factors involved in plant disease. Here, we show that a single virulence factor, tengu-su inducer (TENGU), induces witches' broom and dwarfism and is a small secreted protein of the plant-pathogenic bacterium, phytoplasma. When tengu was expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants, these plants showed symptoms of witches' broom and dwarfism, which are typical of phytoplasma infection. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines expressing tengu exhibited similar symptoms, confirming the effects of tengu expression on plants. Although the localization of phytoplasma was restricted to the phloem, TENGU protein was detected in apical buds by immunohistochemical analysis, suggesting that TENGU was transported from the phloem to other cells. Microarray analyses showed that auxin-responsive genes were significantly down-regulated in the tengu-transgenic plants compared with GUS-transgenic control plants. These results suggest that TENGU inhibits auxin-related pathways, thereby affecting plant development. PMID:19329488

A graphical user interface for infant ERP analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaatiala, Jussi; Yrttiaho, Santeri; Forssman, Linda; Perdue, Katherine; Leppänen, Jukka

2014-09-01

Recording of event-related potentials (ERPs) is one of the best-suited technologies for examining brain function in human infants. Yet the existing software packages are not optimized for the unique requirements of analyzing artifact-prone ERP data from infants. We developed a new graphical user interface that enables an efficient implementation of a two-stage approach to the analysis of infant ERPs. In the first stage, video records of infant behavior are synchronized with ERPs at the level of individual trials to reject epochs with noncompliant behavior and other artifacts. In the second stage, the interface calls MATLAB and EEGLAB (Delorme & Makeig, Journal of Neuroscience Methods 134(1):9-21, 2004) functions for further preprocessing of the ERP signal itself (i.e., filtering, artifact removal, interpolation, and rereferencing). Finally, methods are included for data visualization and analysis by using bootstrapped group averages. Analyses of simulated and real EEG data demonstrated that the proposed approach can be effectively used to establish task compliance, remove various types of artifacts, and perform representative visualizations and statistical comparisons of ERPs. The interface is available for download from http://www.uta.fi/med/icl/methods/eeg.html in a format that is widely applicable to ERP studies with special populations and open for further editing by users.

Global analysis of the impact of linezolid onto virulence factor production in S. aureus USA300

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bonn, Florian; Pane-Farre, Jan; Schlueter, Rabea; Schaffer, Marc; Fuchs, Stephan; Bernhardt, Joerg; Riedel, Katharina; Otto, Andreas; Voelker, Uwe; van Dijl, Jan Maarten; Hecker, Michael; Maeder, Ulrike; Becher, Doerte

The translation inhibitor linezolid is an antibiotic of last resort against Gram-positive pathogens including methicillin resistant strains of the nosocomial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Linezolid is reported to inhibit production of extracellular virulence factors, but the molecular cause is

The disulfide isomerase ERp57 is required for fibrin deposition in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, J; Wu, Y; Wang, L; Rauova, L; Hayes, V M; Poncz, M; Essex, D W

2014-11-01

ERp57 is required for platelet function; however, whether ERp57 contributes to fibrin generation is unknown. Using an inhibitory anti-ERp57 antibody (mAb1), Pf4-Cre/ERp57(fl/fl) mice, Tie2-Cre/ERp57(fl/fl) mice, and mutants of ERp57, we analyzed the function of ERp57 in laser-induced thrombosis. Fibrin deposition was decreased in Pf4-Cre/ERp57(fl/fl) mice, consistent with a role for platelet ERp57 in fibrin generation. Fibrin deposition was further decreased with infusion of mAb1 and in Tie2-Cre/ERp57(fl/fl) mice, consistent with endothelial cells also contributing to fibrin deposition. Infusion of eptibifatide inhibited platelet and fibrin deposition, confirming a role for platelets in fibrin deposition. Infusion of recombinant ERp57 corrected the defect in fibrin deposition but not platelet accumulation, suggesting a direct effect of ERp57 on coagulation. mAb1 inhibited thrombin generation in vitro, consistent with a requirement for ERp57 in coagulation. Platelet accumulation was decreased to similar extents in Pf4-Cre/ERp57(fl/fl) mice, Tie2-Cre/ERp57(fl/fl) mice and normal mice infused with mAb1. Infusion of completely inactivated ERp57 or ERp57 with a non-functional second active site inhibited fibrin deposition and platelet accumulation, indicating that the isomerase activity of the second active site is required for these processes. ERp57 regulates thrombosis via multiple targets. © 2014 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

Virulence potential of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from Buruli ulcer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Amissah, Nana Ama; Chlebowicz, Monika A; Ablordey, Anthony; Tetteh, Caitlin S; Prah, Isaac; van der Werf, Tjip S; Friedrich, Alex W; van Dijl, Jan Maarten; Stienstra, Ymkje; Rossen, John W

2017-06-01

Buruli ulcer (BU) is a necrotizing infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. BU wounds may also be colonized with other microorganisms including Staphylococcus aureus. This study aimed to characterize the virulence factors of S. aureus isolated from BU patients. Previously sequenced genomes of 21 S. aureus isolates from BU patients were screened for the presence of virulence genes. The results show that all S. aureus isolates harbored on their core genomes genes for known virulence factors like α-hemolysin, and the α- and β-phenol soluble modulins. Besides the core genome virulence genes, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), i.e. prophages, genomic islands, pathogenicity islands and a Staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) were found to carry different combinations of virulence factors, among them genes that are known to encode factors that promote immune evasion, superantigens and Panton-Valentine Leucocidin. The present observations imply that the S. aureus isolates from BU patients harbor a diverse repertoire of virulence genes that may enhance bacterial survival and persistence in the wound environment and potentially contribute to delayed wound healing. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

How little do we need to know about Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)? - A critical review of information systems research on ERP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Christian; Olsen, Martin; Tambo, Torben

2010-01-01

ERP. It is discussed whether sociomaterial, actornetwork approaches can deliver another and richer analysis or whether a dual paradigmatic approach, combining a content analysis on the technical side, based on a systems theory approach, with a sociological approach to the social side, would...... aside in the IS-research on ERP: the technological content and the time dynamics.Using two different small reviews of journal articles from IS journals in 2004 and 2010 it is showed how IS research on ERP delivers strong insight in social processes and conditions around ERP, but largely disregards...

Clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) diversity and virulence factor distribution in avian Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Qiang; Su, Zhixin; Cheng, Yuqiang; Wang, Zhaofei; Li, Shiyu; Wang, Heng'an; Sun, Jianhe; Yan, Yaxian

In order to investigate the diverse characteristics of clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) arrays and the distribution of virulence factor genes in avian Escherichia coli, 80 E. coli isolates obtained from chickens with avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) or avian fecal commensal E. coli (AFEC) were identified. Using the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), five genes were subjected to phylogenetic typing and examined for CRISPR arrays to study genetic relatedness among the strains. The strains were further analyzed for CRISPR loci and virulence factor genes to determine a possible association between their CRISPR elements and their potential virulence. The strains were divided into five phylogenetic groups: A, B1, B2, D and E. It was confirmed that two types of CRISPR arrays, CRISPR1 and CRISPR2, which contain up to 246 distinct spacers, were amplified in most of the strains. Further classification of the isolates was achieved by sorting them into nine CRISPR clusters based on their spacer profiles, which indicates a candidate typing method for E. coli. Several significant differences in invasion-associated gene distribution were found between the APEC isolates and the AFEC isolates. Our results identified the distribution of 11 virulence genes and CRISPR diversity in 80 strains. It was demonstrated that, with the exception of iucD and aslA, there was no sharp demarcation in the gene distribution between the pathogenic (APEC) and commensal (AFEC) strains, while the total number of indicated CRISPR spacers may have a positive correlation with the potential pathogenicity of the E. coli isolates. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Listeriolysin S Is a Streptolysin S-Like Virulence Factor That Targets Exclusively Prokaryotic Cells In Vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan J. Quereda

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Streptolysin S (SLS-like virulence factors from clinically relevant Gram-positive pathogens have been proposed to behave as potent cytotoxins, playing key roles in tissue infection. Listeriolysin S (LLS is an SLS-like hemolysin/bacteriocin present among Listeria monocytogenes strains responsible for human listeriosis outbreaks. As LLS cytotoxic activity has been associated with virulence, we investigated the LLS-specific contribution to host tissue infection. Surprisingly, we first show that LLS causes only weak red blood cell (RBC hemolysis in vitro and neither confers resistance to phagocytic killing nor favors survival of L. monocytogenes within the blood cells or in the extracellular space (in the plasma. We reveal that LLS does not elicit specific immune responses, is not cytotoxic for eukaryotic cells, and does not impact cell infection by L. monocytogenes. Using in vitro cell infection systems and a murine intravenous infection model, we actually demonstrate that LLS expression is undetectable during infection of cells and murine inner organs. Importantly, upon intravenous animal inoculation, L. monocytogenes is found in the gastrointestinal system, and only in this environment LLS expression is detected in vivo. Finally, we confirm that LLS production is associated with destruction of target bacteria. Our results demonstrate therefore that LLS does not contribute to L. monocytogenes tissue injury and virulence in inner host organs as previously reported. Moreover, we describe that LlsB, a putative posttranslational modification enzyme encoded in the LLS operon, is necessary for murine inner organ colonization. Overall, we demonstrate that LLS is the first SLS-like virulence factor targeting exclusively prokaryotic cells during in vivo infections.

Antibiotic resistance, virulence factors and biofilm formation ability in Escherichia coli strains isolated from chicken meat and wildlife in the Czech Republic.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlickova, Silvie; Klancnik, Anja; Dolezalova, Magda; Mozina, Sonja Smole; Holko, Ivan

2017-08-03

Attachment of pathogenic bacteria to food contact surfaces and the subsequent biofilm formation represent a serious threat for the food industry, since these bacteria are more resistant to antimicrobials or possess more virulence factors. The main aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between antibiotic resistance against 13 antibiotics, distribution of 10 virulence factors and biofilm formation in 105 Escherichia coli strains according to their origin. The high prevalence of antibiotic resistance that we have found in wildlife isolates could be acquired by horizontal transfer of resistance genes from human or domestic or farm animals. Consequently, these commensal bacteria might serve as indicator of antimicrobial usage for human and veterinary purposes in the Czech Republic. Further, 46 out of 66 resistant isolates (70%) were able to form biofilm and we found out statistically significant correlation between prevalence of antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation ability. The highest prevalence of antibiotic resistance was observed in weak biofilm producers. Biofilm formation was not statistically associated with any virulence determinant. However, we confirmed the correlation between prevalence of virulence factors and host origin. Chicken isolates possessed more virulence factors (66%), than isolates from wildlife (37%). We can conclude that the potential spread of antibiotic resistance pattern via the food chain is of high concern for public health. Even more, alarming is that E. coli isolates remain pathogenic potential with ability to form biofilm and these bacteria may persist during food processing and consequently lead to greater risks of food contamination.

Virulence factors and antibiotic susceptibility in enterococci isolated from oral mucosal and deep infections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gunnar Dahlén

2012-02-01

Full Text Available This study evaluates the presence of virulence factors and antibiotic susceptibility among enterococcal isolates from oral mucosal and deep infections. Forty-three enterococcal strains from oral mucosal lesions and 18 from deep infections were isolated from 830 samples that were sent during 2 years to Oral Microbiology, University of Gothenburg, for analysis. The 61 strains were identified by 16S rDNA, and characterized by the presence of the virulence genes efa A (endocarditis gene, gel E (gelatinase gene, ace (collagen binding antigen gene, asa (aggregation substance gene, cyl A (cytolysin activator gene and esp (surface adhesin gene, tested for the production of bacteriocins and presence of plasmids. MIC determination was performed using the E-test method against the most commonly used antibiotics in dentistry, for example, penicillin V, amoxicillin and clindamycin. Vancomycin was included in order to detect vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE strains. Sixty strains were identified as Enterococcus faecalis and one as Enterococcus faecium. All the virulence genes were detected in more than 93.3% (efa A and esp of the E. faecalis strains, while the presence of phenotypic characteristics was much lower (gelatinase 10% and hemolysin 16.7%. Forty-six strains produced bacteriocins and one to six plasmids were detected in half of the isolates. Enterococcal strains from oral infections had a high virulence capacity, showed bacteriocin production and had numerous plasmids. They were generally susceptible to ampicillins but were resistant to clindamycin, commonly used in dentistry, and no VRE-strain was found.

Virulence-associated gene profiling of Streptococcus suis isolates by PCR

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Silva, L.M.G.; Baums, C.G.; Rehm, T.; Wisselink, H.J.; Goethe, R.; Valentin-Weigand, P.

2006-01-01

Definition of virulent Streptococcus suis strains is controversial. One successful approach for identification of virulent European strains is differentiation of capsular serotypes (or the corresponding cps types) and subsequent detection of virulence-associated factors, namely the extracellular

EEG frequency PCA in EEG-ERP dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, Robert J; De Blasio, Frances M

2018-05-01

Principal components analysis (PCA) has long been used to decompose the ERP into components, and these mathematical entities are increasingly accepted as meaningful and useful representatives of the electrophysiological components constituting the ERP. A similar expansion appears to be beginning in regard to decomposition of the EEG amplitude spectrum into frequency components via frequency PCA. However, to date, there has been no exploration of the brain's dynamic EEG-ERP linkages using PCA decomposition to assess components in each measure. Here, we recorded intrinsic EEG in both eyes-closed and eyes-open resting conditions, followed by an equiprobable go/no-go task. Frequency PCA of the EEG, including the nontask resting and within-task prestimulus periods, found seven frequency components within the delta to beta range. These differentially predicted PCA-derived go and no-go N1 and P3 ERP components. This demonstration suggests that it may be beneficial in future brain dynamics studies to implement PCA for the derivation of data-driven components from both the ERP and EEG. © 2017 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

A Study of Successful ERP – From the Organization Fit Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huei-Huang Chen

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Many enterprises implemented Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP systems as a bedrock strategy with a view to integrating all data and bringing an organization into a joint system. However, most enterprises in an attempt to carry out ERP often end up in failure and it seems the probability of the mishaps is considerably high. This paper applies the Organization Fit Theory to examine an organization characters and features beforehand can present a clearer picture for the ERP designers. This paper is to sort out key variables in Organization Fit corresponding to successful ERP cases. Questionnaires are sent through conventional postal means and electronic networks. Its samplings include top 500 enterprises in Taiwan with data regarding successful working experience of ERP as well as impacts on the ERP process as a result of the related variables. The research result shows that organizational fit of ERP has a positive influence on implementation success. The research result also shows that none of ERP adaptation, process adaptation, and organizational resistance has any moderating effect on organizational fit of ERP and ERP implementation success.

CAPABILITIES AND ACTORS IN ERP SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY IN CORPORATE USERS OF SAP ERP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronaldo Zwicker

2007-10-01

Full Text Available ERP systems are now an important component of information technology architecture in most large and medium sized companies. As such, it is inevitable that the activities undertaken to align this component to business requirements, conduct its evolution and ensure its performance and availability become increasingly important to companies’ IT areas. Success of these activities relies upon knowledge and participation of various actors inside and outside the IT area, imposing challenges not observed in internally developed systems. This paper proposes a model for the analysis of ERP systems management based on a previous work on the subject with the inclusion of the IT capabilities model and a description of the actors (stakeholders involved in the process of using an ERP system in a company. The proposed model is the basis for an exploratory survey conducted with 85 Brazilian companies whose results also comprise this text. The results suggest that only part of the capabilities is present and only part of the actors effectively participates on the ERP systems management effort.

Discovery of Salmonella Virulence Factors Translocated via Outer Membrane Vesicles to Murine Macrophages.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Hyunjin; Ansong, Charles; Adkins, Joshua N.; Heffron, Fred

2011-06-01

We have previously shown that the regulators SpvR, FruR, IHF, PhoP/PhoQ, SsrA/SsrB, SlyA, Hnr, RpoE, SmpB, CsrA, RpoS, Crp, OmpR/EnvZ, and Hfq are essential for Salmonella Typhimurium virulence in mice. Here we use quantitative LC-MS-based proteomics profiling of in-frame deletion mutants of these 14 regulators to identify proteins that are coordinately regulated by these virulence regulators and are thus presumably novel factors contributing to Salmonella pathogenesis. Putative candidate proteins from proteomics analysis were determined, which exhibited similar abundance profiles to those of Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-2 type III secretion system (TTSS) proteins. A subset of 5 proteins including STM0082, STM1548, PdgL, STM1633, and STM3595 was selected for further analysis. All 5 proteins were expressed inside macrophage cells and STM0082 (SrfN) was secreted into host cytoplasm. Furthermore, deletion of STM0082 attenuated virulence in mice when administered intraperitoneally as determined by competitive index. srfN transcription was positively regulated by SsrAB, however, secretion was independent of SPI-2 TTSS as well as SPI-1 TTSS and flagella. Proteins including PagK and STM2585A, which are positively regulated by PhoP/PhoQ, have sec signal peptides as predicted for SrfN and were secreted into macrophage cytoplasm regardless of SPI-2 TTSS. Isolation of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) revealed the presence of SrfN, PagK, and STM2585A inside vesicle compartments. This result is the first case showing delivery of virulence effectors via OMVs in S. Typhimurium. Moreover, Hfq regulation of SrfN translation suggests that small non-coding RNAs may be responsible for regulating effector protein expression.

Exploring Value Cocreation in Relationships Between an ERP Vendor and its Partners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sarker, Suprateek; Sarker, Saonee; Sahaym, Arvin

2012-01-01

cocreation within business-to business(B2B) contexts. Using a revelatory case study of the relationship between an ERP vendor with a global reputation and its partners, and informed by the resource-based view of the firm and related theoretical perspectives, we develop an understanding of value cocreation...... in B2B alliances associated with selling, extending, and implementing packaged software, specifically ERP systems. Our study reveals that there are different mechanisms underlying value cocreation within B2B alliances, and also points to several categories of contingency factors that influence...

Molecular characterization of Candida in the oral cavity and factors involved in biofilm formation and virulence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kraneveld, E.A.

2014-01-01

The research described in this thesis addresses current issues related to oral Candida infections. Interactions of Candida with the oral microbiome were characterized and factors involved in biofilm formation and virulence were studied. All in all, the work described in this thesis contributes

Using the AHP Method to Select an ERP System for an SME Manufacturing Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kłos Sławomir

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process method to support decision making regarding the selection of an Enterprise Resource Planning system in a manufacturing company. The main assumption of the work is that the management of the selection of an ERP system should consider that the most important selection criteria are concerned with the functionality of the ERP system. Besides this, the aspects of total cost of ownership, technical support and implementation time or vendor experience are taken into consideration to guarantee a successful ERP implementation. The proposed procedure of an ERP system selection is dedicated for small and medium manufacturing enterprises. A structure of attributes for the AHP method is proposed on the basis of an analysis and identification of critical success factors. Different kinds of production (make-to-stock, make-to-order and engineer-to-order are taken into consideration. Illustrative examples are also given.

The effect of mutation on Rhodococcus equi virulence plasmid gene expression and mouse virulence.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Jun; Prescott, John F

2004-11-15

An 81 kb virulence plasmid containing a pathogenicity island (PI) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals but its specific function in virulence and regulation of plasmid-encoded virulence genes is unclear. Using a LacZ selection marker developed for R. equi in this study, in combination with an apramycin resistance gene, an efficient two-stage homologous recombination targeted gene mutation procedure was used to mutate three virulence plasmid genes, a LysR regulatory gene homologue (ORF4), a ResD-like two-component response regulator homologue (ORF8), and a gene (ORF10) of unknown function that is highly expressed by R. equi inside macrophages, as well as the chromosomal gene operon, phoPR. Virulence testing by liver clearance after intravenous injection in mice showed that the ORF4 and ORF8 mutants were fully attenuated, that the phoPR mutant was hypervirulent, and that virulence of the ORF10 mutant remained unchanged. A virulence plasmid DNA microarray was used to compare the plasmid gene expression profile of each of the four gene-targeted mutants against the parental R. equi strain. Changes were limited to PI genes and gene induction was observed for all mutants, suggesting that expression of virulence plasmid genes is dominated by a negative regulatory network. The finding of attenuation of ORF4 and ORF8 mutants despite enhanced transcription of vapA suggests that factors other than VapA are important for full expression of virulence. ORF1, a putative Lsr antigen gene, was strongly and similarly induced in all mutants, implying a common regulatory pathway affecting this gene for all four mutated genes. ORF8 is apparently the centre of this common pathway. Two distinct highly correlated gene induction patterns were observed, that of the ORF4 and ORF8 mutants, and that of the ORF10 and phoPR mutants. The gene induction pattern distinguishing these two groups paralleled their virulence in mice.

The determination of Exserohilum turcicum virulence factors in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lević Jelena

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The determination of Exserohilum turcicum virulence factors and resistance responses of three sets of maize inbred lines (four differential, eight isogenic and 22 commercial inbreeds to three isolates of this pathogen under greenhouse conditions were studied. The maize inbreeds were selected according to previous testing of resistance based on lesion types in 194 inbreeds under field conditions of plant inoculation with the E. turcicum race 0 (designated as the isolate MRI-Et. The standard procedure was applied to obtained isolates MRIZP-1747 and MRIZP-1416 from resistant and susceptible lesion types, respectively. These lesions were developed on the same leaf of a plant of the experimental hybrid no. 163/99 grown in a nursery at Zemun Polje during 1999. The third isolate (MRIZP-1435 was isolated from a leaf sample originating from the location of Srbobran in which the occurrence of northern corn leaf blight (NCLB, caused by Exserohilum turcicum, was intensive. Based upon virulence/avirulence of three isolates of E. turcicum on differential maize inbred lines, it was found out that the isolate MRIZP-1747 could be classified as race 0, whereas isolates MRIZP-1416 and MRIZP-1435 could be classified as race 1. These are the first results that confirm the presence of race 1 of E. turcicum in Serbia. Not including differential lines, 22 and six lines were resistant to race 0 and race 1, respectively, while eight and five lines were resistant and susceptible to both races, respectively. All isogenic lines not containing the Ht gene were susceptible to both races 0 and 1.

Staphylococcus aureus hyaluronidase is a CodY-regulated virulence factor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibberson, Carolyn B; Jones, Crystal L; Singh, Shweta; Wise, Matthew C; Hart, Mark E; Zurawski, Daniel V; Horswill, Alexander R

2014-10-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive pathogen that causes a diverse range of bacterial infections. Invasive S. aureus strains secrete an extensive arsenal of hemolysins, immunomodulators, and exoenzymes to cause disease. Our studies have focused on the secreted enzyme hyaluronidase (HysA), which cleaves the hyaluronic acid polymer at the β-1,4 glycosidic bond. In the study described in this report, we have investigated the regulation and contribution of this enzyme to S. aureus pathogenesis. Using the Nebraska Transposon Mutant Library (NTML), we identified eight insertions that modulate extracellular levels of HysA activity. Insertions in the sigB operon, as well as in genes encoding the global regulators SarA and CodY, significantly increased HysA protein levels and activity. By altering the availability of branched-chain amino acids, we further demonstrated CodY-dependent repression of HysA activity. Additionally, through mutation of the CodY binding box upstream of hysA, the repression of HysA production was lost, suggesting that CodY is a direct repressor of hysA expression. To determine whether HysA is a virulence factor, a ΔhysA mutant of a community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) USA300 strain was constructed and found to be attenuated in a neutropenic, murine model of pulmonary infection. Mice infected with this mutant strain exhibited a 4-log-unit reduction in bacterial burden in their lungs, as well as reduced lung pathology and increased levels of pulmonary hyaluronic acid, compared to mice infected with the wild-type, parent strain. Taken together, these results indicate that S. aureus hyaluronidase is a CodY-regulated virulence factor. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

[Virulence and its relationship to antibiotic resistance].

Science.gov (United States)

Joly-Guillou, M L

1998-12-01

PATHOGENIC ISLANDS: Certain DNA blocks inserted into the chromosome of most Gram negative bacteria originated in pathogens found in plants. VIRULENCE-ANTIBIOTIC INTERACTIONS: During the invasive phase, the bacterial cell covers itself with adhesins which facilitate its adherence to tissues. The bacterial cell produces a fibronectin which protects its defense systems. Antibiotics favor bacterial resistance by increasing the expression of surface adhesins and fibronectin production. PENICILLIN RESISTANT PNEUMOCOCCI: Experimental models have demonstrated that mortality in mice and host resistance to pneumococcal infection are related to the type of capsule and not to antibiotic resistance. QUORUM SENSING: The bacterial inoculum regulates the production of virulence factors in vivo via quorum sensing. This regulation can play an important role in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. ACINETOBACTER BAUMANNI VIRULENCE: Long poorly understood, factors favoring A. baumanni virulence appear to result from bacterial production of IROMPs in the extracellular growth medium in response to iron depletion during the exponential growth phase.

Virulence Factors Associated with Pediatric Shigellosis in Brazilian Amazon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolinie Batista Nobre da Cruz

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Shigellosis is a global human health problem and the incidence is highest among children. In the present work, main Shigella virulence genes was examined by PCR and compared to symptoms of pediatric shigellosis. Thirty Shigella isolates were identified from an etiologic study at which 1,339 children ranging 0–10 years old were enrolled. S. flexneri was the most frequent species reaching 60.0% of isolates, 22.2% were S. sonnei, and 6.6% were both S. dysenteriae and S. boydii. All Shigella infected children had diarrhea, but not all were accompanied by others symptoms of bacillary dysentery. Among major virulence genes, the PCR typing revealed ipaBCD was present in all isolates, followed by IpaH7.8, set-1A, set-1B, sen/ospD3, virF, and invE. The pathogenic potential of the ShET-1B subunit was observed in relation to dehydration (P<0.001 and ShET-2 related to the intestinal injury (P=0.033 evidenced by the presence of bloody diarrhea. Our results show associations among symptoms of shigellosis and virulence genes of clinical isolates of Shigella spp.

ERP services effort estimation strategies based on early requirements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Erasmus, I.P.; Daneva, Maia; Kalenborg, Axel; Trapp, Marcus

2015-01-01

ERP clients and vendors necessarily estimate their project interventions at a very early stage, before the full requirements to an ERP solution are known and often before a contract is finalized between a vendor/ consulting company and a client. ERP project estimation at the stage of early

Glucose starvation boosts Entamoeba histolytica virulence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayala Tovy

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The unicellular parasite, Entamoeba histolytica, is exposed to numerous adverse conditions, such as nutrient deprivation, during its life cycle stages in the human host. In the present study, we examined whether the parasite virulence could be influenced by glucose starvation (GS. The migratory behaviour of the parasite and its capability to kill mammalian cells and to lyse erythrocytes is strongly enhanced following GS. In order to gain insights into the mechanism underlying the GS boosting effects on virulence, we analyzed differences in protein expression levels in control and glucose-starved trophozoites, by quantitative proteomic analysis. We observed that upstream regulatory element 3-binding protein (URE3-BP, a transcription factor that modulates E.histolytica virulence, and the lysine-rich protein 1 (KRiP1 which is induced during liver abscess development, are upregulated by GS. We also analyzed E. histolytica membrane fractions and noticed that the Gal/GalNAc lectin light subunit LgL1 is up-regulated by GS. Surprisingly, amoebapore A (Ap-A and cysteine proteinase A5 (CP-A5, two important E. histolytica virulence factors, were strongly down-regulated by GS. While the boosting effect of GS on E. histolytica virulence was conserved in strains silenced for Ap-A and CP-A5, it was lost in LgL1 and in KRiP1 down-regulated strains. These data emphasize the unexpected role of GS in the modulation of E.histolytica virulence and the involvement of KRiP1 and Lgl1 in this phenomenon.

Business Management Software Axolon ERP

OpenAIRE

Axolon ERP Solution

2018-01-01

Axolon ERP a Business Management Software www.axolonerp.com by Micromind is a comprehensive business management software solution for businesses. We deliver Business Management Software Dubai in UAE, GCC Countries and products also include ERP Software Dubai. HR & Payroll, Inventory Software, Project Management, Software Development, Solutions and Services in Dubai, UAE for small and medium sized Enterprises (SME) in the middle east with a easy-to-use, secure and efficient business management...

Purification and Phytotoxic Analysis of Botrytis cinerea Virulence Factors: New Avenues for Crop Protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria R. Davis

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungus infecting over 230 plant species worldwide. This highly adaptable pathogen can afflict agricultural products from seed to storage, causing significant economic losses and instability in the food supply. Small protein virulence factors secreted by B. cinerea during infection play an important role in initiation and spread of disease. BcSnod1 was found to be abundantly expressed upon exposure to media containing strawberry extract. From sequence similarity, BcSnod2 was also identified and both were recognized as members of the Ceratoplatanin family of small phytotoxic proteins. Recombinant BcSnod1 was shown to have a phytotoxic effect and play an important role in pathogenicity while the role of BcSnod2 remains less clear. Both bacterial and yeast production systems are reported, though the bacterial protein is less toxic and mostly unfolded relative to that made in yeast. Compared to BcSnod1, recombinant bacterial BcSnod2 shows similar, but delayed phytotoxicity on tomato leaves. Further studies of these critical virulence factors and their inhibition promise to provide new avenues for crop protection.

The interacting Cra and KdpE regulators are involved in the expression of multiple virulence factors in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Njoroge, Jacqueline W; Gruber, Charley; Sperandio, Vanessa

2013-06-01

The human pathogen enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 codes for two interacting DNA binding proteins, Cra and KdpE, that coregulate expression of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) genes in a metabolite-dependent manner. Cra is a transcription factor that uses fluctuations in the concentration of carbon metabolism intermediates to positively regulate virulence of EHEC. KdpE is a response regulator that activates the transcription of homeostasis genes in response to salt-induced osmolarity and virulence genes in response to changes in metabolite concentrations. Here, we probed the transcriptional profiles of the Δcra, ΔkdpE, and Δcra ΔkdpE mutant strains and show that Cra and KdpE share several targets besides the LEE, but both Cra and KdpE also have independent targets. Several genes within O-islands (genomic islands present in EHEC but absent from E. coli K-12), such as Z0639, Z0640, Z3388, Z4267, and espFu (encoding an effector necessary for formation of attaching and effacing lesions on epithelial cells), were directly regulated by both Cra and KdpE, while Z2077 was only regulated by Cra. These studies identified and confirmed new direct targets for Cra and KdpE that included putative virulence factors as well as characterized virulence factors, such as EspFu and EspG. These results map out the role of the two interacting regulators, Cra and KdpE, in EHEC pathogenesis and global gene regulation.

Limiting opportunities for cheating stabilizes virulence in insect parasitic nematodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro-Ilan, David; Raymond, Ben

2016-03-01

Cooperative secretion of virulence factors by pathogens can lead to social conflict when cheating mutants exploit collective secretion, but do not contribute to it. If cheats outcompete cooperators within hosts, this can cause loss of virulence. Insect parasitic nematodes are important biocontrol tools that secrete a range of significant virulence factors. Critically, effective nematodes are hard to maintain without live passage, which can lead to virulence attenuation. Using experimental evolution, we tested whether social cheating might explain unstable virulence in the nematode Heterorhabditis floridensis by manipulating relatedness via multiplicity of infection (MOI), and the scale of competition. Passage at high MOI, which should reduce relatedness, led to loss of fitness: virulence and reproductive rate declined together and all eight independent lines suffered premature extinction. As theory predicts, relatedness treatments had more impact under stronger global competition. In contrast, low MOI passage led to more stable virulence and increased reproduction. Moreover, low MOI lineages showed a trade-off between virulence and reproduction, particularly for lines under stronger between-host competition. Overall, this study indicates that evolution of virulence theory is valuable for the culture of biocontrol agents: effective nematodes can be improved and maintained if passage methods mitigate possible social conflicts.

Plasma membrane lipids and their role in fungal virulence.

Science.gov (United States)

Rella, Antonella; Farnoud, Amir M; Del Poeta, Maurizio

2016-01-01

There has been considerable evidence in recent years suggesting that plasma membrane lipids are important regulators of fungal pathogenicity. Various glycolipids have been shown to impart virulent properties in several fungal species, while others have been shown to play a role in host defense. In addition to their role as virulence factors, lipids also contribute to other virulence mechanisms such as drug resistance, biofilm formation, and release of extracellular vesicles. In addition, lipids also affect the mechanical properties of the plasma membrane through the formation of packed microdomains composed mainly of sphingolipids and sterols. Changes in the composition of lipid microdomains have been shown to disrupt the localization of virulence factors and affect fungal pathogenicity. This review gathers evidence on the various roles of plasma membrane lipids in fungal virulence and how lipids might contribute to the different processes that occur during infection and treatment. Insight into the role of lipids in fungal virulence can lead to an improved understanding of the process of fungal pathogenesis and the development of new lipid-mediated therapeutic strategies. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Implications of Real Options on ERP-Enabled Adoption

Science.gov (United States)

Nwankpa, Joseph K.

2012-01-01

Current research on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and real options focuses on valuation and justification issues that manager's face prior to project approval with existing literature attempting to demonstrate that ERP systems as technology positioning investments have option-like characteristics thus making such ERP systems…

Molecular adaptation of a plant-bacterium outer membrane protease towards plague virulence factor Pla

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Omptins are a family of outer membrane proteases that have spread by horizontal gene transfer in Gram-negative bacteria that infect vertebrates or plants. Despite structural similarity, the molecular functions of omptins differ in a manner that reflects the life style of their host bacteria. To simulate the molecular adaptation of omptins, we applied site-specific mutagenesis to make Epo of the plant pathogenic Erwinia pyrifoliae exhibit virulence-associated functions of its close homolog, the plasminogen activator Pla of Yersinia pestis. We addressed three virulence-associated functions exhibited by Pla, i.e., proteolytic activation of plasminogen, proteolytic degradation of serine protease inhibitors, and invasion into human cells. Results Pla and Epo expressed in Escherichia coli are both functional endopeptidases and cleave human serine protease inhibitors, but Epo failed to activate plasminogen and to mediate invasion into a human endothelial-like cell line. Swapping of ten amino acid residues at two surface loops of Pla and Epo introduced plasminogen activation capacity in Epo and inactivated the function in Pla. We also compared the structure of Pla and the modeled structure of Epo to analyze the structural variations that could rationalize the different proteolytic activities. Epo-expressing bacteria managed to invade human cells only after all extramembranous residues that differ between Pla and Epo and the first transmembrane β-strand had been changed. Conclusions We describe molecular adaptation of a protease from an environmental setting towards a virulence factor detrimental for humans. Our results stress the evolvability of bacterial β-barrel surface structures and the environment as a source of progenitor virulence molecules of human pathogens. PMID:21310089

UPAYA MENINGKATKAN KEBERHASILAN IMPLEMENTASI ERP UNTUK MEMBANGUN KEUNGGULAN BERSAINGPADA UKM DI JAWA TENGAH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mudiantono .

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Enterprise Resource Planning is an integrated software applied in the organization. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence the successful implementation of ERP in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs in Central Java to build competitive advantage. The hypothesis were tested by SEM to 107 respondents. Results of data analysis proved that the variable Business Process Reengineering was the most impact. It recommended that small and medium entrepreneurs to learn and consolidate prior efforts to reengineer its business before applying ERP.

ERP sistēmas ieviešana

OpenAIRE

Proskurins, Aleksandrs

2008-01-01

Šajā darbā tika apskatīta informācijas sistēmu klasifikācija, uzņēmuma resursu plānošanas sistēmas (ERP) definīcija un tās vieta IS klasifikācijā. Tika apskatīti ERP sistēmu ieviešanas teorētiskie aspekti, izstrādes un pielāgošanas specifika, kā arī tika izanalizēti vairāki ERP sistēmas ieviešanas projekti Latvijas uzņēmumos.

Structural characterization of the virulence factor nuclease A from Streptococcus agalactiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Andrea F; Gaudu, Philippe; Pedersen, Lars C

2014-11-01

The group B pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae commonly populates the human gut and urogenital tract, and is a major cause of infection-based mortality in neonatal infants and in elderly or immunocompromised adults. Nuclease A (GBS_NucA), a secreted DNA/RNA nuclease, serves as a virulence factor for S. agalactiae, facilitating bacterial evasion of the human innate immune response. GBS_NucA efficiently degrades the DNA matrix component of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which attempt to kill and clear invading bacteria during the early stages of infection. In order to better understand the mechanisms of DNA substrate binding and catalysis of GBS_NucA, the high-resolution structure of a catalytically inactive mutant (H148G) was solved by X-ray crystallography. Several mutants on the surface of GBS_NucA which might influence DNA substrate binding and catalysis were generated and evaluated using an imidazole chemical rescue technique. While several of these mutants severely inhibited nuclease activity, two mutants (K146R and Q183A) exhibited significantly increased activity. These structural and biochemical studies have greatly increased our understanding of the mechanism of action of GBS_NucA in bacterial virulence and may serve as a foundation for the structure-based drug design of antibacterial compounds targeted to S. agalactiae.

CEO Interests and Concerns in Second Wave ERP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Martin Lyngaa; Nielsen, Esben Toftdahl; Kræmmergaard, Pernille

2006-01-01

This paper is the product of a study of what top management find interesting and what is of concern to them in relation to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in the second wave of ERP. Very little empirical research exists on the subject of the interests and concerns of CEOs in relation...... to a company's ERP System. However research into information system literature indicates that CEOs are valued as key players in the management of IT to secure that the IT strategy is aligned with the business strategy. Based on the fact that very little prior research exists on the CEOs' interests and concerns...... in relation to the ERP system in the second wave, we employed an interpretive explorative case study with a grounded approach carried out through open interviews with CEOs. The research was conducted in three mid-size Danish production companies all of which have an ERP system. The contribution of this paper...

Training and testing ERP-BCIs under different mental workload conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Yufeng; Wang, Peiyuan; Chen, Yuqian; Gu, Bin; Qi, Hongzhi; Zhou, Peng; Ming, Dong

2016-02-01

Objective. As one of the most popular and extensively studied paradigms of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), event-related potential-based BCIs (ERP-BCIs) are usually built and tested in ideal laboratory settings in most existing studies, with subjects concentrating on stimuli and intentionally avoiding possible distractors. This study is aimed at examining the effect of simultaneous mental activities on ERP-BCIs by manipulating various levels of mental workload during the training and/or testing of an ERP-BCI. Approach. Mental workload was manipulated during the training or testing of a row-column P300-speller to investigate how and to what extent the spelling performance and the ERPs evoked by the oddball stimuli are affected by simultaneous mental workload. Main results. Responses of certain ERP components, temporal-occipital N200 and the late reorienting negativity evoked by the oddball stimuli and the classifiability of ERP features between targets and non-targets decreased with the increase of mental workload encountered by the subject. However, the effect of mental workload on the performance of ERP-BCI was not always negative but depended on the conditions where the ERP-BCI was built and applied. The performance of ERP-BCI built under an ideal lab setting without any irrelevant mental activities declined with the increasing mental workload of the testing data. However, the performance was significantly improved when an ERP-BCI was built under an appropriate mental workload level, compared to that built under speller-only conditions. Significance. The adverse effect of concurrent mental activities may present a challenge for ERP-BCIs trained in ideal lab settings but which are to be used in daily work, especially when users are performing demanding mental processing. On the other hand, the positive effects of the mental workload of the training data suggest that introducing appropriate mental workload during training ERP-BCIs is of potential benefit to the

Inhibitory effect of Thymus vulgaris and Origanum vulgare essential oils on virulence factors of phytopathogenic Pseudomonas syringae strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Carezzano, M E; Sotelo, J P; Primo, E; Reinoso, E B; Paletti Rovey, M F; Demo, M S; Giordano, W F; Oliva, M de Las M

2017-07-01

Pseudomonas syringae is a phytopathogenic bacterium that causes lesions in leaves during the colonisation process. The damage is associated with production of many virulence factors, such as biofilm and phytotoxins. The essential oils of Thymus vulgaris (thyme) and Origanum vulgare (oregano) have been demonstrated to inhibit P. syringae. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of T. vulgaris and O. vulgare essential oils on production of virulence factors of phytopathogenic P. syringae strains, including anti-biofilm and anti-toxins activities. The broth microdilution method was used for determination of MIC and biofilm inhibition assays. Coronatine, syringomycin and tabtoxin were pheno- and genotypically evaluated. Both oils showed good inhibitory activity against P. syringae, with MIC values from 1.43 to 11.5 mg·ml -1 for thyme and 5.8 to 11.6 mg·ml -1 for oregano. Biofilm formation, production of coronatine, syringomycin and tabtoxin were inhibited by thyme and oregano essential oil in most strains. The results presented here are promising, demonstrating the bactericidal activity and reduction of virulence factor production after treatment with thyme and oregano oil, providing insight into how they exert their antibacterial activity. These natural products could be considered in the future for the control of diseases caused by P. syringae. © 2017 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Just in time or Just in case: A Case study on the impact of context in ERP implementations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Don V Kerr

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper looks at a case study of an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP implementation in a geographically dispersed utility company and the approach by middle management to several problem situations involving contextual issues and end-user developed (feral systems. The paper contends that despite the extremely effective databases and sophisticated modules for business analytic functions within most ERP’s, middle managers are still in the “just in case of an incident” mode of inventory management and data entered in their own feral systems may be significantly different to the inventory levels recorded in the main ERP. We contend that these problems point towards the failure of ERP systems to be context sensitive to organisations. It highlights problems in contemporary research which appears to lack understanding of different organisational contexts and how they could impact on ERP implementations. This paper argues that context and the ideals of ERP systems are often mismatched which leads to the development of feral systems, poor inventory practices and ERP systems implementation failure. The paper discusses the literature around ERP systems implementation and argues that context is an overlooked factor in the analysis of such systems. The paper uses case study evidence to demonstrate mismatched context and highlights the problems with assuming ERP systems are one size fits all. The paper concludes with a call to build more contextual research in the study of ERP implementations.

Profile of Virulence Factors in the Multi-Drug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains of Human Urinary Tract Infections (UTI).

Science.gov (United States)

Habibi, Asghar; Honarmand, Ramin

2015-12-01

Putative virulence factors are responsible for the pathogenicity of UTIs caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Resistance of P. aeruginosa to commonly used antibiotics is caused by the extreme overprescription of those antibiotics. The goal of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of virulence factors and the antibiotic resistance patterns of P. aeruginosa isolates in UTI cases in Iran. Two hundred and fifty urine samples were collected from patients who suffered from UTIs. Samples were cultured immediately, and those that were P. aeruginosa-positive were analyzed for the presence of virulence genes using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using the disk diffusion method. Of the 250 urine samples analyzed, 8 samples (3.2%) were positive for P. aeruginosa. The prevalence of P. aeruginosa in male and female patients was 2.7% and 3.5%, respectively, (P = 0.035). In patients less than 10 years old, it was 4.2%, and in patients more than 55 years old, it was 4.2%. These were the most commonly infected groups. The highest levels of resistance were seen against ampicillin (87.5%), norfloxacin (62.5%), gentamycin (62.5%), amikacin (62.5%), and aztreonam (62.5%), while the lowest were seen for meropenem (0%), imipenem (12.5%), and polymyxin B (12.5%). LasB (87.5%), pclH (75%), pilB (75%), and exoS (75%) were the most commonly detected virulence factors in the P. aeruginosa isolates. It is logical to first prescribe meropenem, imipenem, and polymyxin B in cases of UTIs caused by P. aeruginosa. Medical practitioners should be aware of the presence of levels of antibiotic resistance in hospitalized UTI patients in Iran.

Virulence Factors of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in an Iranian Referral Children's Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabouni, Farah; Mahmoudi, Shima; Bahador, Abbas; Pourakbari, Babak; Sadeghi, Reihaneh Hosseinpour; Ashtiani, Mohammad Taghi Haghi; Nikmanesh, Bahram; Mamishi, Setareh

2014-04-01

The clinical importance of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is attributed to notable virulence factors, surface proteins, toxins, and enzymes as well as the rapid development of drug resistance. The aim of this study was to compare the occurrence of virulence factors produced by S. aureus strains isolated from children in an Iranian referral children's hospital. The presence of genes encoding for the enterotoxins A (sea), B (seb), C (sec), D (sed), TSST-1 (tsst), exfoliative toxin A (eta), and exfoliative toxin B (etb) were detected by Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers. In addition, the standardized Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion method was performed on Mueller-Hinton agar. In total, 133 S. aureus isolates were obtained from different patients. Of these S. aureus isolates, 64 (48%) were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and all of these tested positive for the mecA gene. Regarding the classical enterotoxin genes, sea gene (40.6%) was the most prevalent followed by seb (19.6%), tsst (12.8%), eta (11.3%), etb (9%), sed (4.5%), and sec (3%). Among methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates, seb and tsst were the more prevalent toxins in comparison with MRSA isolates (p  0.05). In our study enterotoxin A was produced by 40.6% of the isolates (48% from MRSA and 33% from MSSA isolates) which was higher than in previous reports. According to our results, strict hygiene and preventative measures during food processing are highly recommended.

The Evaluation of ERP Sandtable Simulation Based on AHP

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Lan

Due to the trend of world globalization, many enterprises have extended their business to operate globally. Enterprise resource planning is a powerful management system providing the best business resources information. This paper proposed the theory of AHP, and presented ERP sandtable simulation evaluation to discuss how to make a decision using AHP. Using this method can make enterprises consider factors influence operation of enterprise adequately, including feedback and dependence among the factors.

A Fuzzy-MOORA approach for ERP system selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prasad Karande

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In today’s global and dynamic business environment, manufacturing organizations face the tremendous challenge of expanding markets and meeting the customer expectations. It compels them to lower total cost in the entire supply chain, shorten throughput time, reduce inventory, expand product choice, provide more reliable delivery dates and better customer service, improve quality, and efficiently coordinate demand, supply and production. In order to accomplish these objectives, the manufacturing organizations are turning to enterprise resource planning (ERP system, which is an enterprise-wide information system to interlace all the necessary business functions, such as product planning, purchasing, inventory control, sales, financial and human resources into a single system having a shared database. Thus to survive in the global competitive environment, implementation of a suitable ERP system is mandatory. However, selecting a wrong ERP system may adversely affect the manufacturing organization’s overall performance. Due to limitations in available resources, complexity of ERP systems and diversity of alternatives, it is often difficult for a manufacturing organization to select and install the most suitable ERP system. In this paper, two ERP system selection problems are solved using fuzzy multi-objective optimization on the basis of ratio analysis (MOORA method and it is observed that in both the cases, SAP is the best solution.

Identification and Structural Basis of Binding to Host Lung Glycogen by Streptococcal Virulence Factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lammerts van Bueren,A.; Higgins, M.; Wang, D.; Burke, R.; Boraston, A.

2007-01-01

The ability of pathogenic bacteria to recognize host glycans is often essential to their virulence. Here we report structure-function studies of previously uncharacterized glycogen-binding modules in the surface-anchored pullulanases from Streptococcus pneumoniae (SpuA) and Streptococcus pyogenes (PulA). Multivalent binding to glycogen leads to a strong interaction with alveolar type II cells in mouse lung tissue. X-ray crystal structures of the binding modules reveal a novel fusion of tandem modules into single, bivalent functional domains. In addition to indicating a structural basis for multivalent attachment, the structure of the SpuA modules in complex with carbohydrate provides insight into the molecular basis for glycogen specificity. This report provides the first evidence that intracellular lung glycogen may be a novel target of pathogenic streptococci and thus provides a rationale for the identification of the streptococcal {alpha}-glucan-metabolizing machinery as virulence factors.

A Comprehensive, Competency-Based Education Framework Using Medium-Sized ERP Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Scholtz, Brenda; Cilliers, Charmain; Calitz, Andre

2012-01-01

Graduates with industry-relevant ERP competencies are highly sought after. This requirement is due to a dominance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and the positive affect which good quality ERP specialists have on the success rate of ERP system implementation projects. Universities are therefore increasingly pressurised to supply…

Personalized Training in Romanian SME’s ERP Implementation Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iuliana DOROBAT

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Many practitioners and IS researchers have stated that the overwhelming majority of Enter-prise Resource Planning (ERP systems implementations exceed their training budget and their time allocations. In consequence many Romanian SMEs that implement an ERP system are looking to new approaches of knowledge transfer and performance support that are better aligned with business goals, deliver measurable results and are cost effective. Thus, we have begun to analyze the training methods used in ERP implementation in order to provide a so-lution that could help us maximize the efficiency of an ERP training program. We proposed a framework of an ERPTraining module that can be integrated with a Romanian ERP system and which provides a training management that is more personalized, effective and less ex-pensive.

ERP implementations and their impact upon management accountants

OpenAIRE

Sangster, Alan; Leech, Stewart A.; Grabski, Severin

2009-01-01

This paper considers the impact of ERP implementations upon the role of management accountants, upon management accounting in general, and upon business processes. It does so in the context of the perceived success of the ERP implementation. A postal questionnaire was circulated to almost 700 management accountants working in large UK-based organisations. It finds that under successful ERP implementations, management accountants have time for other, less mundane activities and their role beco...

Screening of virulence genes in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from rabbits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Viana Martín

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen able to cause disease in both humans and animals. In rabbits, this bacterium infects animals of different ages, producing several purulent lesions. The ability of S. aureus to cause disease depends on a combination of virulence factors. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the distribution of bacterial virulence determinants in 69 S. aureus isolates from rabbits. Some virulence factors (7 adhesins, 1 toxin and 1 protease were positive in all rabbit S. aureus isolates analysed, while others (1 adhesin and 10 toxins were always negative. The remaining virulence factors were more variable among isolates. An association between genotype and the different profiles of virulence factors was observed, but not with the type of lesion (P<0.05. One strain of each genotype was further analysed by multilocus sequence typing, generating ST121, ST96 and ST2951, determining a greater number of enterotoxins in ST121 isolates compared to ST96 and ST2951 isolates, which could justify the different pathogenicity between strains. 

A Framework for ERP Post-Implementation Amendments: A Literature Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taiwo Oseni

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Post-implementation amendments to ERP systems (ERP-PIA are of importance for advancing ERP research, but more importantly essential if ERP systems are to be used as a strategic and competitive business tool. For ease of clarity, we have adopted the term “amendments” to encompass the main forms of post implementation activities: maintenance, enhancements and upgrades. The term ‘amendments’ is used to counteract one of the major findings from this research - the inconsistency of terms used by many authors to explain post implementation activities. This paper presents a review of the ERP post-implementation amendment literature in order to provide answers to two specific questions: first, what is the current state of research in the field of ERP-PIA; and second, what are the future research directions that need to be explored in the field of ERP-PIA. From the review, we develop a framework to identify: (a major themes concerning ERP post-implementation amendments, (b inherent gaps in the post-implementation amendments literature, and (c specific areas that require further research attention influencing the uptake of amendments. Suggestions on empirical evaluation of research directions and their relevance in the extension of existing literature is presented.

PROBLEM OF CHOICE ERP-SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna A. Varshavskaya

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article describes the criteria for selecting the ERP-system and groups of risk of such systems. The descriptions of the leaders of the Russian market of ERP-systems, which have shown good results over the years of its existence in Russia, are given. The solution of such problem is a synthesis of the views of their own and third-party experts. A company will be glad with the system, if it is chosen in such way.

Investigating the ?Trojan Horse? Mechanism of Yersinia pestis Virulence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCutchen-Maloney, S L; Fitch, J P

2005-02-08

Yersinia pestis, the etiological agent of plague, is a Gram-negative, highly communicable, enteric bacterium that has been responsible for three historic plague pandemics. Currently, several thousand cases of plague are reported worldwide annually, and Y. pestis remains a considerable threat from a biodefense perspective. Y. pestis infection can manifest in three forms: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. Of these three forms, pneumonic plague has the highest fatality rate ({approx}100% if left untreated), the shortest intervention time ({approx}24 hours), and is highly contagious. Currently, there are no rapid, widely available vaccines for plague and though plague may be treated with antibiotics, the emergence of both naturally occurring and potentially engineered antibiotic resistant strains makes the search for more effective therapies and vaccines for plague of pressing concern. The virulence mechanism of this deadly bacterium involves induction of a Type III secretion system, a syringe-like apparatus that facilitates the injection of virulence factors, termed Yersinia outer membrane proteins (Yops), into the host cell. These virulence factors inhibit phagocytosis and cytokine secretion, and trigger apoptosis of the host cell. Y. pestis virulence factors and the Type III secretion system are induced thermally, when the bacterium enters the mammalian host from the flea vector, and through host cell contact (or conditions of low Ca{sup 2+} in vitro). Apart from the temperature increase from 26 C to 37 C and host cell contact (or low Ca{sup 2+} conditions), other molecular mechanisms that influence virulence induction in Y. pestis are largely uncharacterized. This project focused on characterizing two novel mechanisms that regulate virulence factor induction in Y. pestis, immunoglobulin G (IgG) binding and quorum sensing, using a real-time reporter system to monitor induction of virulence. Incorporating a better understanding of the mechanisms of virulence

Profiling antibody responses to infections by Chlamydia abortus enables identification of potential virulence factors and candidates for serodiagnosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vera Forsbach-Birk

Full Text Available Enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE due to infection with the obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydia (C. abortus is an important zoonosis leading to considerable economic loss to agriculture worldwide. The pathogen can be transmitted to humans and may lead to serious infection in pregnant women. Knowledge about epidemiology, clinical course and transmission to humans is hampered by the lack of reliable diagnostic tools. Immunoreactive proteins, which are expressed in infected animals and humans, may serve as novel candidates for diagnostic marker proteins and represent putative virulence factors. In order to broaden the spectrum of immunogenic C. abortus proteins we applied 2D immunoblot analysis and screening of an expression library using human and animal sera. We have identified 48 immunoreactive proteins representing potential diagnostic markers and also putative virulence factors, such as CAB080 (homologue of the "macrophage infectivity potentiator", MIP, CAB167 (homologue of the "translocated actin recruitment protein", TARP, CAB712 (homologue of the "chlamydial protease-like activity factor", CPAF, CAB776 (homologue of the "Polymorphic membrane protein D", PmpD, and the "hypothetical proteins" CAB063, CAB408 and CAB821, which are predicted to be type III secreted. We selected two putative virulence factors for further characterization, i.e. CAB080 (cMIP and CAB063, and studied their expression profiles at transcript and protein levels. Analysis of the subcellular localization of both proteins throughout the developmental cycle revealed CAB063 being the first C. abortus protein shown to be translocated to the host cell nucleus.

Profiling antibody responses to infections by Chlamydia abortus enables identification of potential virulence factors and candidates for serodiagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsbach-Birk, Vera; Foddis, Corinna; Simnacher, Ulrike; Wilkat, Max; Longbottom, David; Walder, Gernot; Benesch, Christiane; Ganter, Martin; Sachse, Konrad; Essig, Andreas

2013-01-01

Enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE) due to infection with the obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydia (C.) abortus is an important zoonosis leading to considerable economic loss to agriculture worldwide. The pathogen can be transmitted to humans and may lead to serious infection in pregnant women. Knowledge about epidemiology, clinical course and transmission to humans is hampered by the lack of reliable diagnostic tools. Immunoreactive proteins, which are expressed in infected animals and humans, may serve as novel candidates for diagnostic marker proteins and represent putative virulence factors. In order to broaden the spectrum of immunogenic C. abortus proteins we applied 2D immunoblot analysis and screening of an expression library using human and animal sera. We have identified 48 immunoreactive proteins representing potential diagnostic markers and also putative virulence factors, such as CAB080 (homologue of the "macrophage infectivity potentiator", MIP), CAB167 (homologue of the "translocated actin recruitment protein", TARP), CAB712 (homologue of the "chlamydial protease-like activity factor", CPAF), CAB776 (homologue of the "Polymorphic membrane protein D", PmpD), and the "hypothetical proteins" CAB063, CAB408 and CAB821, which are predicted to be type III secreted. We selected two putative virulence factors for further characterization, i.e. CAB080 (cMIP) and CAB063, and studied their expression profiles at transcript and protein levels. Analysis of the subcellular localization of both proteins throughout the developmental cycle revealed CAB063 being the first C. abortus protein shown to be translocated to the host cell nucleus.

Role of dupA in virulence of Helicobacter pylori.

Science.gov (United States)

Talebi Bezmin Abadi, Amin; Perez-Perez, Guillermo

2016-12-14

Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) is a gastric human pathogen associated with acute and chronic gastritis, 70% of all gastric ulcers, 85% of all duodenal ulcers, and both forms of stomach cancer, mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma and adenocarcinoma. Recently, attention has focused on possible relationship between presence of certain virulence factor and H. pylori -associated diseases. Some contradictory data between this bacterium and related disorders has been observed since not all the colonized individuals develop to severe disease. The reported diseases plausibility related to H. pylori specific virulence factors became an interesting story about this organism. Although a number of putative virulence factors have been identified including cytotoxin-associated gene a ( cagA ) and vacA , there are conflicting data about their actual participation as specific risk factor for H. pylori -related diseases. Duodenal ulcer promoting gene a ( dupA ) is a virulence factor of H. pylori that is highly associated with duodenal ulcer development and reduced risk of gastric cancer. The prevalence of dupA in H. pylori strains isolated from western countries is relatively higher than in H. pylori strains from Asian countries. Current confusing epidemiological reports will continue unless future sophisticated and molecular studies provide data on functional and complete dupA cluster in H. pylori infected individuals. This paper elucidates available knowledge concerning role of dupA in virulence of H. pylori after a decade of its discovery.

ERP, Ciborgues e Memórias Protéticas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludmer, Gilson

2011-11-01

Full Text Available ERP systems have profound impacts on businesses processes and on the knowledge that employees need to carry out their activities. This essay discusses the ERP phenomenon using the metaphor of the cyborg and concepts about prosthetic memory based on the works of Haraway (2000 and Landsberg (1995. These works are used to explore aspects of ERP that seem to be otherwise obscure or camouflaged, so in need to be revealed. The cyborg can contribute to the understanding of different ways in which science and technology affect our lives, subjectivity and concepts. Issues such as complexity, changes in the workforce, changes in control strategies, identity and potential influences on knowledge and organizational actions related with ERP systems are interpreted in this essay. Finally, some questions and recommendations are presented on how to work with ERP systems.

Inhibitory Effects of Chrysanthemum boreale Essential Oil on Biofilm Formation and Virulence Factor Expression of Streptococcus mutans

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Beom-Su; Park, Sun-Ju; Kim, Myung-Kon; Kim, Young-Hoi; Lee, Sang-Bong; Lee, Kwang-Hee; Lee, Young-Rae; Lee, Young-Eun; You, Yong-Ouk

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of essential oil extracted from Chrysanthemum boreale (C. boreale) on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans). To investigate anticariogenic properties, and bacterial growth, acid production, biofilm formation, bacterial adherence of S. mutans were evaluated. Then gene expression of several virulence factors was also evaluated. C. boreale essential oil exhibited significant inhibition of bacterial growth, adherence capacity, and acid production of S. mutans at concentrations 0.1–0.5 mg/mL and 0.25–0.5 mg/mL, respectively. The safranin staining and scanning electron microscopy results showed that the biofilm formation was also inhibited. The result of live/dead staining showed the bactericidal effect. Furthermore, real-time PCR analysis showed that the gene expression of some virulence factors such as gtfB, gtfC, gtfD, gbpB, spaP, brpA, relA, and vicR of S. mutans was significantly decreased in a dose dependent manner. In GC and GC-MS analysis, seventy-two compounds were identified in the oil, representing 85.42% of the total oil. The major components were camphor (20.89%), β-caryophyllene (5.71%), α-thujone (5.46%), piperitone (5.27%), epi-sesquiphellandrene (5.16%), α-pinene (4.97%), 1,8-cineole (4.52%), β-pinene (4.45%), and camphene (4.19%). These results suggest that C. boreale essential oil may inhibit growth, adhesion, acid tolerance, and biofilm formation of S. mutans through the partial inhibition of several of these virulence factors. PMID:25763094

Inhibitory Effects of Chrysanthemum boreale Essential Oil on Biofilm Formation and Virulence Factor Expression of Streptococcus mutans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beom-Su Kim

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of essential oil extracted from Chrysanthemum boreale (C. boreale on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans. To investigate anticariogenic properties, and bacterial growth, acid production, biofilm formation, bacterial adherence of S. mutans were evaluated. Then gene expression of several virulence factors was also evaluated. C. boreale essential oil exhibited significant inhibition of bacterial growth, adherence capacity, and acid production of S. mutans at concentrations 0.1–0.5 mg/mL and 0.25–0.5 mg/mL, respectively. The safranin staining and scanning electron microscopy results showed that the biofilm formation was also inhibited. The result of live/dead staining showed the bactericidal effect. Furthermore, real-time PCR analysis showed that the gene expression of some virulence factors such as gtfB, gtfC, gtfD, gbpB, spaP, brpA, relA, and vicR of S. mutans was significantly decreased in a dose dependent manner. In GC and GC-MS analysis, seventy-two compounds were identified in the oil, representing 85.42% of the total oil. The major components were camphor (20.89%, β-caryophyllene (5.71%, α-thujone (5.46%, piperitone (5.27%, epi-sesquiphellandrene (5.16%, α-pinene (4.97%, 1,8-cineole (4.52%, β-pinene (4.45%, and camphene (4.19%. These results suggest that C. boreale essential oil may inhibit growth, adhesion, acid tolerance, and biofilm formation of S. mutans through the partial inhibition of several of these virulence factors.

Virulence factors in environmental and clinical Vibrio cholerae from endemic areas in Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Racheal W. Kimani

2014-10-01

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to determine the environmental reservoirs of V. cholerae during an interepidemic period in Kenya and to characterise their virulence factors. Methods: One hundred (50 clinical, 50 environmental samples were tested for V. cholerae isolates using both simplex and multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Results: Both sediments and algae from fishing and landing bays yielded isolates of V. cholerae. Clinical strains were characterised along with the environmental strains for comparison. All clinical strains harboured ctxA, tcpA (El Tor, ompU, zot, ace, toxR, hylA (El Tor and tcpI genes. Prevalence for virulence genes in environmental strains was hylA (El Tor (10%, toxR (24%, zot (22%, ctxA (12%,tcpI (8%, hylA (26% and tcpA (12%. Conclusion: The study sites, including landing bays and beaches, contained environmental V. cholerae, suggesting that these may be reservoirs for frequent epidemics. Improved hygiene and fish-handling techniques will be important in reducing the persistence of reservoirs.

The roles of users personal characteristics and organisational support in the attitude towards using ERP systems in a Spanish public hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Escobar-Rodriguez, Tomas; Bartual-Sopena, Lourdes

Enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems enable central and integrative control over all processes throughout an organisation by ensuring one data entry point and the use of a common database. T his paper analyses the attitude of healthcare personnel towards the use of an ERP system in a Spanish public hospital, identifying influencing factors. This research is based on a regression analysis of latent variables using the optimisation technique of partial least squares. We propose a research model including possible relationships among different constructs using the technology acceptance model. Our results show that the personal characteristics of potential users are key factors in explaining attitude towards using ERP systems.

ERP for Romanian Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Also most of the big ERP providers provide solutions for higher education, including SAP AG, Oracle, JD Eduards, Peoplesoft, universities preferr other specialized applications which better fit their specific needs. This paper presents the advantages of an integrated solution for higher education and analyzes the solutions offered for this sector by the Romanian ERP market. The conlusion is more like an invitation to discussion about possible solutions to the present Romanian university situation: low budgets, changing regulations, isolated, self-developed applications.

Applying Real Options for Evaluating Investments in ERP Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Nakagane, Jun; Sekozawa, Teruji

This paper intends to verify effectiveness of real options approach for evaluating investments in Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERP) and proves how important it is to disclose shadow options potentially embedded in ERP investment. The net present value (NPV) method is principally adopted to evaluate the value of ERP. However, the NPV method assumes no uncertainties exist in the object. It doesn't satisfy the current business circumstances which are filled with dynamic issues. Since the 1990s the effectiveness of option pricing models for Information System (IS) investment to solve issues in the NPV method has been discussed in the IS literature. This paper presents 3 business cases to review the practical advantages of such techniques for IS investments, especially ERP investments. The first case is EDI development. We evaluate the project by a new approach with lighting one of shadow options, EDI implementation. In the second case we reveal an ERP investment has an “expanding option” in a case of eliminating redundancy. The third case describes an option to contract which is deliberately slotted in ERP development to prepare transferring a manufacturing facility.

TECNOLOGÍA DE INFORMACIÓN Y VENTAJA COMPETITIVA: EL CASO DE LOS SISTEMAS ERP EN CHILE [doi: 10.5329/RECADM.20070601002

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricio Ramírez C.

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Este trabajo presenta un examen de los factores que anteceden la integración exitosa de una tecnología de información, como son los sistemas ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning, y cuales de estos factores pueden generar una ventaja competitiva sostenible para la empresa. El análisis se basa en un estudio empírico que indagó el fenómeno de implantación exitosa de sistemas ERP en 72 grandes empresas chilenas y lo contrastó con un modelo de investigación propuesto por los autores, utilizando para estos efectos la técnica PLS (Partial Least Square de modelado de ecuaciones estructurales. Basados en el enfoque conceptual de la teoría de recursos y capacidades, los resultados de la investigación indican que el aprendizaje y la predisposición para el cambio (en conjunción con los otros factores antecedentes del éxito de un sistema ERP y del propio ERP pueden ser fuentes de una ventaja competitiva sostenible.

The Toxin and Virulence Database: A Resource for Signature Development and Analysis of Virulence

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wolinsky, Murray A

2004-01-01

In this joint effort with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Walter Reed, MITRE and USAMRIID, we are developing a comprehensive database for microbial toxins and virulence factors (www.tvfac.lanl.gov...

Information security challenges - vulnerabilities brought by ERP applications and cloud platforms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sinziana-Maria Rindasu

2018-02-01

This article aims to provide an overview of ERP applications and cloud computing platforms that are currently used in the financial and accounting field, focusing on the main technical vulnerabilities and the human factor, which is one of the most important aspects of data security.

Implantación de SAP ERP en una distribuidora

OpenAIRE

Martínez Costales, Guillermo

2013-01-01

En este trabajo se pretende reflejar en qué consistiría un proyecto de implantación de un ERP, en nuestro caso SAP ERP, en una empresa del sector de la distribución alimenticia. Para llevarlo a cabo se empleará la metodología ASAP, pretendiendo ser el resultado final del proyecto el análisis y diseño del mismo. En aquest treball es pretén reflectir en què consistiria un projecte d'implantació d'un ERP, en el nostre cas SAP ERP, en una empresa del sector de la distribució alimentària. Per f...

Brain processing of task-relevant and task-irrelevant emotional words: an ERP study.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Villar, Alberto J; Triñanes, Yolanda; Zurrón, Montserrat; Carrillo-de-la-Peña, María T

2014-09-01

Although there is evidence for preferential perceptual processing of written emotional information, the effects of attentional manipulations and the time course of affective processing require further clarification. In this study, we attempted to investigate how the emotional content of words modulates cerebral functioning (event-related potentials, ERPs) and behavior (reaction times, RTs) when the content is task-irrelevant (emotional Stroop Task, EST) or task-relevant (emotional categorization task, ECT), in a sample of healthy middle-aged women. In the EST, the RTs were longer for emotional words than for neutral words, and in the ECT, they were longer for neutral and negative words than for positive words. A principal components analysis of the ERPs identified various temporospatial factors that were differentially modified by emotional content. P2 was the first emotion-sensitive component, with enhanced factor scores for negative nouns across tasks. The N2 and late positive complex had enhanced factor scores for emotional relative to neutral information only in the ECT. The results reinforce the idea that written emotional information has a preferential processing route, both when it is task-irrelevant (producing behavioral interference) and when it is task-relevant (facilitating the categorization). After early automatic processing of the emotional content, late ERPs become more emotionally modulated as the level of attention to the valence increases.

The alternative sigma factor sigma B of Staphylococcus aureus modulates virulence in experimental central venous catheter-related infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, Udo; Hüttinger, Christian; Schäfer, Tina; Ziebuhr, Wilma; Thiede, Arnulf; Hacker, Jörg; Engelmann, Susanne; Hecker, Michael; Ohlsen, Knut

2008-03-01

The impact of the alternative sigma factor sigma B (SigB) on pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus is not conclusively clarified. In this study, a central venous catheter (CVC) related model of multiorgan infection was used to investigate the role of SigB for the pathogenesis of S. aureus infections and biofilm formation in vivo. Analysis of two SigB-positive wild-type strains and their isogenic mutants revealed uniformly that the wild-type was significantly more virulent than the SigB-deficient mutant. The observed difference in virulence was apparently not linked to the capability of the strains to form biofilms in vivo since wild-type and mutant strains were able to produce biofilm layers inside of the catheter. The data strongly indicate that the alternative sigma factor SigB plays a role in CVC-associated infections caused by S. aureus.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from chicken meat in Iran: serogroups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Momtaz, Hassan; Jamshidi, Alireza

2013-05-01

The aim of the current study was to determine the virulence factors, serogroups, and antibiotic resistance properties of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from chicken meat samples. A total of 422 chicken meat samples were collected from 5 townships of Iran. Specimens were immediately transferred to the laboratory in a cooler with an ice pack. Samples were cultured, and the positive culture samples were analyzed by PCR assays. Finally, the antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using the disk diffusion method in Mueller-Hinton agar. According to the results, out of 422 samples, 146 (34.59%) were confirmed to be E. coli positive and among E. coli-positive samples, 51 (34.93%) and 31 (21.23%) were from attaching and effacing E. coli (AEEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) subgroups, respectively. All of the EHEC-positive samples had all stx1, eaeA, and ehly virulence genes, whereas only 5 (9.80%) of AEEC subgroup had all stx1, stx2, and eaeA genes. As the data revealed, O157 was the most prevalent and O111 was the least prevalent strains in the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) population. Among STEC strains, sulI and blaSHV had the highest and lowest incidence rate, respectively. There was a high resistance to tetracycline (76.82%), followed by chloramphenicol (73.17%) and nitrofurantoin (63.41%), but there was low resistance to cephalotine (7.31%) antibiotics in isolated strains. Results shows that the PCR technique has a high performance for detection of serogroups, virulence genes, and antibiotic resistance genes in STEC strains. This study is the first prevalence report of detection of virulence genes, serogroups, and antibiotic resistance properties of STEC strains isolated from chicken meat samples in Iran. Based on the results, chicken meat is one of the main sources of STEC strains and its virulence factors in Iran, so an accurate meat inspection would reduce disease outbreaks.

ERP as a Support for the Knowledge Age

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The current article presents the current situation of ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning systems and the way these systems have been changing the global economic environment. The analysis is based on a set of statistical data originating from the corporate reports and specialized literature. A special attention is paid the competitive advantages induced by using ERP at a corporate level. As a result the article identifies the main benefits of ERP systems and indicates the advantages of using such systems at a corporate level

Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Properties in Escherichia coli ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study determined E. coli resistance to commonly used antibiotics together with their virulence properties in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. A total of 137 E. coli isolates from cases of urinary tract infection were tested for their sensitivity to commonly used antibiotics and possession of virulence factors using standard methods.

Effects of cue frequency and repetition on prospective memory: an ERP investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Jennifer; Cutmore, Tim R H; Wang, Ya; Chan, Raymond C K; Shum, David H K

2013-11-01

Prospective memory involves the formation and completion of delayed intentions and is essential for independent living. In this study (n = 33), event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to systematically evaluate the effects of PM cue frequency (10% versus 30%) and PM cue repetition (high versus low) on ERP modulations. PM cues elicited prospective positivity and frontal positivity but not N300, perhaps due to the semantic nature of the task. Results of this study revealed an interesting interaction between PM cue frequency and PM cue repetition for prospective positivity and frontal positivity, highlighting the importance of taking both factors into account when designing future studies. © 2013.

Identification of Virulence Factors in Nematode-Trapping Fungi - Insights from Genomics, Transcriptomics and Proteomics

OpenAIRE

Andersson, Karl-Magnus

2013-01-01

Nematode-trapping fungi are soil-living organisms with the unique ability to capture and infect free-living nematodes. The interest in studying these fungi arises from their potential use as biological control agents for plant- and animal-parasitic nematodes. To enter the parasitic stage, nematode-trapping fungi develop different kinds of trapping structures. In order to understand more about the evolution of parasitism in the nematode-trapping fungi and to identify virulence factors in these...

Archetypes for Managing ERP Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kræmmergaard, Pernille; Fill, Michael; Simonsen, Martin

2007-01-01

. In our research of 20 case-studies we found certain similarities and differences in the patterns which coalesced around three alternatives in the way organizations approach the managing of ERP in the second wave. We describe these archetypes, which we call the Calculators, the Co-players and the Drivers......, and we present illustrative cases of each of the archetypes. The archetypes are believed to play an important role in conveying the essential differences existing in alternative ways in which organizations manage their ERP system during the second wave....

Archetypes for Managing ERP Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kræmmergaard, Pernille; Hansen, Michael Fiil

2006-01-01

. In our research of 20 case-studies we found certain similarities and differences in the patterns which coalesced around three alternatives in the way organizations approach the managing of ERP in the second wave. We describe these archetypes, which we call the Calculators, the Co-players and the Drivers......, and we present illustrative cases of each of the archetypes. The archetypes are believed to play an important role in conveying the essential differences existing in alternative ways in which organizations manage their ERP system during the second wave....

TAL effectors: highly adaptable phytobacterial virulence factors and readily engineered DNA targeting proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Doyle, Erin L.; Stoddard, Barry L.; Voytas, Daniel F.; Bogdanove, Adam J.

2013-01-01

Transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors are transcription factors injected into plant cells by pathogenic bacteria in the genus Xanthomonas. They function as virulence factors by activating host genes important for disease, or as avirulence factors by turning on genes that provide resistance. DNA binding specificity is encoded by polymorphic repeats in each protein that correspond one-to-one with different nucleotides. This code has facilitated target identification and opened new avenues for engineering disease resistance. It has also enabled TAL effector customization for targeted gene control, genome editing, and other applications. This article reviews the structural basis for TAL effector-DNA specificity, the impact of the TAL effector-DNA code on plant pathology and engineered resistance, and recent accomplishments and future challenges in TAL effector-based DNA targeting. PMID:23707478

Moving ERP Systems to the Cloud - Data Security Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo Saa

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This paper brings to light data security issues and concerns for organizations by moving their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP systems to the cloud. Cloud computing has become the new trend of how organizations conduct business and has enabled them to innovate and compete in a dynamic environment through new and innovative business models. The growing popularity and success of the cloud has led to the emergence of cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS ERP systems, a new alternative approach to traditional on-premise ERP systems. Cloud-based ERP has a myriad of benefits for organizations. However, infrastructure engineers need to address data security issues before moving their enterprise applications to the cloud. Cloud-based ERP raises specific concerns about the confidentiality and integrity of the data stored in the cloud. Such concerns that affect the adoption of cloud-based ERP are based on the size of the organization. Small to medium enterprises (SMEs gain the maximum benefits from cloud-based ERP as many of the concerns around data security are not relevant to them. On the contrary, larger organizations are more cautious in moving their mission critical enterprise applications to the cloud. A hybrid solution where organizations can choose to keep their sensitive applications on-premise while leveraging the benefits of the cloud is proposed in this paper as an effective solution that is gaining momentum and popularity for large organizations.

ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems can streamline healthcare business functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, E K; Christenson, E

2001-05-01

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software applications are designed to facilitate the systemwide integration of complex processes and functions across a large enterprise consisting of many internal and external constituents. Although most currently available ERP applications generally are tailored to the needs of the manufacturing industry, many large healthcare systems are investigating these applications. Due to the significant differences between manufacturing and patient care, ERP-based systems do not easily translate to the healthcare setting. In particular, the lack of clinical standardization impedes the use of ERP systems for clinical integration. Nonetheless, an ERP-based system can help a healthcare organization integrate many functions, including patient scheduling, human resources management, workload forecasting, and management of workflow, that are not directly dependent on clinical decision making.

Accelerating Computation of DCM for ERP in MATLAB by External Function Calls to the GPU

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei-Jen; Hsieh, I-Fan; Chen, Chun-Chuan

2013-01-01

This study aims to improve the performance of Dynamic Causal Modelling for Event Related Potentials (DCM for ERP) in MATLAB by using external function calls to a graphics processing unit (GPU). DCM for ERP is an advanced method for studying neuronal effective connectivity. DCM utilizes an iterative procedure, the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm, to find the optimal parameters given a set of observations and the underlying probability model. As the EM algorithm is computationally demanding and the analysis faces possible combinatorial explosion of models to be tested, we propose a parallel computing scheme using the GPU to achieve a fast estimation of DCM for ERP. The computation of DCM for ERP is dynamically partitioned and distributed to threads for parallel processing, according to the DCM model complexity and the hardware constraints. The performance efficiency of this hardware-dependent thread arrangement strategy was evaluated using the synthetic data. The experimental data were used to validate the accuracy of the proposed computing scheme and quantify the time saving in practice. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme can accelerate the computation by a factor of 155 for the parallel part. For experimental data, the speedup factor is about 7 per model on average, depending on the model complexity and the data. This GPU-based implementation of DCM for ERP gives qualitatively the same results as the original MATLAB implementation does at the group level analysis. In conclusion, we believe that the proposed GPU-based implementation is very useful for users as a fast screen tool to select the most likely model and may provide implementation guidance for possible future clinical applications such as online diagnosis. PMID:23840507

Epitaxial growth of matched metallic ErP0.6As0.4 layers on GaAs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guivarc'h, A.; Le Corre, A.; Gaulet, J.; Guenais, B.; Minier, M.; Ropars, G.; Badoz, P.A.; Duboz, J.Y.

1990-01-01

Successful growth of (001)ErP 0.6 As 0.4 single crystal film on (001) GaAs has been demonstrated. The epitaxial metallic layers reproducibly showed lattice mismatch below 5 10 -4 . This is, to the authors' knowledge, the first report of a stable, epitaxial and lattice-matched metal/compound semiconductor heterostructure. The ErP 0.6 As 0.4 /n-GaAs diodes yielded excellent I-V characteristics with an ideality factor of 1.1 and barrier height of 0.88 eV. For a 240 Angstrom- thick film, metallic behavior was observed with resistivities of 25 and 86 μΩcm at 1.5 K and room temperature, respectively. As the other Er compounds ErP, ErAs, ErSb and ErSi 2 , ErP 0.6 As 0.4 presents an abrupt drop in resistivity in the vicinity of the liquid helium temperature, due to a paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic phase transition

RNAi-Based Functional Genomics Identifies New Virulence Determinants in Mucormycosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trung Anh Trieu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Mucorales are an emerging group of human pathogens that are responsible for the lethal disease mucormycosis. Unfortunately, functional studies on the genetic factors behind the virulence of these organisms are hampered by their limited genetic tractability, since they are reluctant to classical genetic tools like transposable elements or gene mapping. Here, we describe an RNAi-based functional genomic platform that allows the identification of new virulence factors through a forward genetic approach firstly described in Mucorales. This platform contains a whole-genome collection of Mucor circinelloides silenced transformants that presented a broad assortment of phenotypes related to the main physiological processes in fungi, including virulence, hyphae morphology, mycelial and yeast growth, carotenogenesis and asexual sporulation. Selection of transformants with reduced virulence allowed the identification of mcplD, which encodes a Phospholipase D, and mcmyo5, encoding a probably essential cargo transporter of the Myosin V family, as required for a fully virulent phenotype of M. circinelloides. Knock-out mutants for those genes showed reduced virulence in both Galleria mellonella and Mus musculus models, probably due to a delayed germination and polarized growth within macrophages. This study provides a robust approach to study virulence in Mucorales and as a proof of concept identified new virulence determinants in M. circinelloides that could represent promising targets for future antifungal therapies.

Virulence Factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induce Both the Unfolded Protein and Integrated Stress Responses in Airway Epithelial Cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van 't Wout, Emily F A; van Schadewijk, Annemarie; van Boxtel, Ria; Dalton, Lucy E; Clarke, Hanna J; Tommassen, J.P.M.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/069127077; Marciniak, Stefan J; Hiemstra, Pieter S

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection can be disastrous in chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Its toxic effects are largely mediated by secreted virulence factors including pyocyanin, elastase and alkaline protease (AprA). Efficient functioning of the

Perceived Organizational ERP Benefits for SMEs: Middle Eastern Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soud Almahamid

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This study aims to examine the impact of organizational environment (top management support, company-wide support, business process reengineering, effective project management, and organizational culture and enterprise resource planning (ERP vendor environment (ERP vendor support on ERP perceived benefits. In order to achieve the study’s aim, a questionnaire was developed based on the extant literature to collect relevant data from the research informants. The population for this research consisted of all users of Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains (a typical type of enterprise system, which is frequently used in Jordanian companies in Amman City. A random sample of 30% of the research population was selected. The results revealed that business process reengineering, effective project management, company-wide support, and organizational culture have a positive correlation with ERP perceived benefits, whereas top management support does not. In addition, there is a significant positive correlation between vendor support and ERP perceived benefits. Academic and practical recommendations are provided.

Confronting, Confirming, and Dispelling Myths Surrounding ERP-in-the-Cloud

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beaulieu, Tanya; C. Martin, Todd; Sarker, Saonee

2015-01-01

on the topic, there is substantial uncertainty surrounding the benefits and challenges of ERP cloud computing. Consequently, as often is the case with new technologies, popular myths surrounding the technology are used to make adoption and implementation decisions. As a first step toward providing an informed...... with stakeholders related to an ERP cloud-based solution. Our results dispel some of the myths, while supporting others, and highlight how ERP vendors work around the different types of challenges surrounding this technology. Our study also helps understand the benefits of ERP cloud computing, and informs about how...

Quorum sensing signals are produced by Aeromonas salmonicida and quorum sensing inhibitors can reduce production of a potential virulence factor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasch, Maria; Kastbjerg, Vicky Gaedt; Bruhn, Jesper Bartholin

2007-01-01

Many pathogens control production of virulence factors by self-produced signals in a process called quorum sensing (QS). We demonstrate that acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) signals, which enable bacteria to express certain phenotypes in relation to cell density, are produced by a wide spectrum...... of Aeromonas salmonicida strains. All 31 typical strains were AHL producers as were 21 of 26 atypical strains, but on a strain population basis, production of virulence factors such as protease, lipase, A-layer or pigment did not correlate with the production and accumulation of AHLs in the growth medium...... of Aeromonas salmonicida. The most efficient compound N-(heptylsulfanylacetyl)-L-homoserine lactone (HepS-AHL), reduced protease production by a factor of 10. Five extracellular proteases were detected on gelatin-containing sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gels and 3...

Genetic Regulation of Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii

Science.gov (United States)

Kröger, Carsten; Kary, Stefani C.; Schauer, Kristina; Cameron, Andrew D. S.

2016-01-01

Multidrug resistant microorganisms are forecast to become the single biggest challenge to medical care in the 21st century. Over the last decades, members of the genus Acinetobacter have emerged as bacterial opportunistic pathogens, in particular as challenging nosocomial pathogens because of the rapid evolution of antimicrobial resistances. Although we lack fundamental biological insight into virulence mechanisms, an increasing number of researchers are working to identify virulence factors and to study antibiotic resistance. Here, we review current knowledge regarding the regulation of virulence genes and antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii. A survey of the two-component systems AdeRS, BaeSR, GacSA and PmrAB explains how each contributes to antibiotic resistance and virulence gene expression, while BfmRS regulates cell envelope structures important for pathogen persistence. A. baumannii uses the transcription factors Fur and Zur to sense iron or zinc depletion and upregulate genes for metal scavenging as a critical survival tool in an animal host. Quorum sensing, nucleoid-associated proteins, and non-classical transcription factors such as AtfA and small regulatory RNAs are discussed in the context of virulence and antibiotic resistance. PMID:28036056

On the relationship between perceived importance of ERP systems selection characteristics and satisfaction with selected ERP systems in these characteristics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sudzina, Frantisek; Pucihar, Andreja; Lenart, Gregor

2011-01-01

of the relationship between the two. The paper focuses on the correlation between importance of ERP system selection criteria and the level of satisfaction with the chosen ERP systems in these characteristics. The research hypothesis is that there exists a correlation between the two. The analysis presented...

Functional Role of the Disulfide Isomerase ERp57 in Axonal Regeneration.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentina Castillo

Full Text Available ERp57 (also known as grp58 and PDIA3 is a protein disulfide isomerase that catalyzes disulfide bonds formation of glycoproteins as part of the calnexin and calreticulin cycle. ERp57 is markedly upregulated in most common neurodegenerative diseases downstream of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress response. Despite accumulating correlative evidence supporting a neuroprotective role of ERp57, the contribution of this foldase to the physiology of the nervous system remains unknown. Here we developed a transgenic mouse model that overexpresses ERp57 in the nervous system under the control of the prion promoter. We analyzed the susceptibility of ERp57 transgenic mice to undergo neurodegeneration. Unexpectedly, ERp57 overexpression did not affect dopaminergic neuron loss and striatal denervation after injection of a Parkinson's disease-inducing neurotoxin. In sharp contrast, ERp57 transgenic animals presented enhanced locomotor recovery after mechanical injury to the sciatic nerve. These protective effects were associated with enhanced myelin removal, macrophage infiltration and axonal regeneration. Our results suggest that ERp57 specifically contributes to peripheral nerve regeneration, whereas its activity is dispensable for the survival of a specific neuronal population of the central nervous system. These results demonstrate for the first time a functional role of a component of the ER proteostasis network in peripheral nerve regeneration.

Anti-Leukemic Activity of Shikonin: Role of ERP57 in Shikonin Induced Apoptosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachana Trivedi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: ER-Stress and activation of unfolded protein response belong to the major factors involved in chemoresistance in cancer cells. In this study we investigated the effect of shikonin on the survival of acute myeloid leukemia cells and the role of ER-stress protein ERP57, a protein disulfide isomerase, in improvement of chemotherapy. Methods: Using MTT assay we studied cytotoxic effects of shikonin on HL-60 cells. The flow cytometry was adopted to examine the shikonin induced mode of cell death in HL-60 cells. The overall protein expression alteration resulting from shikonin treatment was investigated using proteomics methods. Western blotting was performed to quantify the alteration in protein expression in HL-60 after shikonin treatment. Silencing and overexpression studies were carried out to highlight the therapeutic role of ERP57 in shikonin effect on AML cells. Results: Shikonin induces apoptosis in HL-60 cells without significant effect on Primary cells from healthy volunteers. The apoptotic effect was dose and time dependent and was accompanied by strong alteration in cell proteome. Among the proteins targeted by shikonin, ERP57 was significantly downregulated in HL-60 after treatment. Compared to healthy control ERP57 was found to be highly expressed in AML cell line HL60 and was downregulated after shikonin treatment. Overexpression of ERP57 protected HL-60 from shikonin induced apoptosis, whereas knockdown of ERP57 expression resulted in increase in shikonin induced apoptosis. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that ERP57 plays a crucial role in resistance towards shikonin induced apoptosis in AML cells. Targeting of ERP57 might offer a new therapeutic option for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

Produktionslogistik mit ERP-Systemen

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Jürgen

Im Folgenden werden die Teilprozesse der Produktionslogistik bei Eigenfertigung unter Einsatz des ERP-Systems SAP R/3 beschrieben. Dabei wird die häufigste Fertigungsart, die kundenanonyme Losfertigung, zugrundegelegt.

CDDIS_GNSS_products_erp

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Earth Rotation Parameters (ERPs) derived from analysis of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data. These products are the generated by analysis centers in...

Cell Density Control of Staphylococcal Virulence Mediated by an Octapeptide Pheromone

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Guangyong; Beavis, Ronald C.; Novick, Richard P.

1995-12-01

Some bacterial pathogens elaborate and secrete virulence factors in response to environmental signals, others in response to a specific host product, and still others in response to no discernible cue. In this study, we have demonstrated that the synthesis of Staphylococcus aureus virulence factors is controlled by a density-sensing system that utilizes an octapeptide produced by the organism itself. The octapeptide activates expression of the agr locus, a global regulator of the virulence response. This response involves the reciprocal regulation of genes encoding surface proteins and those encoding secreted virulence factors. As cells enter the postexponential phase, surface protein genes are repressed by agr and secretory protein genes are subsequently activated. The intracellular agr effector is a regulatory RNA, RNAIII, whose transcription is activated by an agr-encoded signal transduction system for which the octapeptide is the ligand.

ERP řešení v podnikové praxi

OpenAIRE

Kupka, Tomáš

2013-01-01

This Bachelor thesis deals with the ERP systems, which is part of the higher whole of business informatics or information system. It answers the questions about substance and inclusion of ERP solutions in the framework of information system, its classification from several aspects, historical development, market availability and product range of ERP market and management methods. Among others it deals with other extended and additional modules of ERP. All these theoretical pieces of knowledge...

ERP in het grootbouwbedrijf: evaluatie van recente implementaties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leuven, A.; Voordijk, Johannes T.; Laan, Albertus

2003-01-01

Bijna alle grote bouwbedrijven hebben de afgelopen jaren veel geïnvesteerd in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systemen als Baan, Metacom en SAP. Deze ERP-systemen hebben tot doel de verschillende bedrijfsprocessen binnen de onderneming te integreren. In grote bouwbedrijven blijkt echter de

Customer requirements based ERP customization using AHP technique

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Parthasarathy, S.; Daneva, Maia

2014-01-01

Purpose– Customization is a difficult task for many organizations implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new framework based on customers’ requirements to examine the ERP customization choices for the enterprise. The analytical hierarchy

Clonal Clusters and Virulence Factors of Group C and G Streptococcus Causing Severe Infections, Manitoba, Canada, 2012-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Lother, Sylvain A; Demczuk, Walter; Martin, Irene; Mulvey, Michael; Dufault, Brenden; Lagacé-Wiens, Philippe; Keynan, Yoav

2017-07-01

The incidence of group C and G Streptococcus (GCGS) bacteremia, which is associated with severe disease and death, is increasing. We characterized clinical features, outcomes, and genetic determinants of GCGS bacteremia for 89 patients in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, who had GCGS bacteremia during 2012-2014. Of the 89 patients, 51% had bacteremia from skin and soft tissue, 70% had severe disease features, and 20% died. Whole-genome sequencing analysis was performed on isolates derived from 89 blood samples and 33 respiratory sample controls: 5 closely related genetic lineages were identified as being more likely to cause invasive disease than non-clade isolates (83% vs. 57%, p = 0.002). Virulence factors cbp, fbp, speG, sicG, gfbA, and bca clustered clonally into these clades. A clonal distribution of virulence factors may account for severe and fatal cases of bacteremia caused by invasive GCGS.

An applicable approach for performance auditing in ERP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wan Jian Guo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper aims at the realistic problem of performance auditing in ERP environment. Traditional performance auditing methods and existing approaches for performance evaluation of ERP implementation could not work well, because they are either difficult to work or contains certain subjective elements. This paper proposed an applicable performance auditing approach for SAP ERP based on quantitative analysis. This approach consists of 3 parts which are system utilization, data quality and the effectiveness of system control. In each part, we provide the main process to conduct the operation, especially how to calculate the online settlement rate of SAP system. This approach has played an important role in the practical auditing work. A practical case is provided at the end of this paper to describe the effectiveness of this approach. Implementation of this approach also has some significance to the performance auditing of other ERP products.

Determination of some virulence factors of Candida spp. isolated from locally produced cheese in Diyala Governorate-Iraq

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suhail Jawdat Fadihl

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Locally produced cheese which called (Gibin Al arab is one of the most common dairy products in Iraq, it has an economic importance and great social value. This research aimed to identify yeast species from locally produced cheese (Gibin Al Arab in Diyala city which traditionally made and sold in markets of old town in Baquba, and study some of virulence factors (Esterase production, Phospholipase and Hemolytic production of yeasts belong to genus of Candida . All cheese samples showed contamination with varying number of yeast, total 88 yeast isolates obtained from 70 cheese samples, they were Geotrichum candidum(20.5%, Rhodotorela species(19.4%, Candida parapsilosis (18%, Candida albicans (13.6%, Candida  tropicalis (10.5%, Candida krusei (8%, Saccharomyces cerevisice (3.3% and mixed yeast (un identified at rate of (6.7%. Species of Candida formed half of the total isolates and the most prevalent isolate of Candida spp. was Candida parapsilosis .According to the results determining of  (Esterase production, Phospholipase and Hemolytic production as a virulence factors identifying Candida spp. these activities referred that all isolates of Candida spp. show one or more of these activities and that isolates of  medically important species Candida albicans were the most virulent isolates. this referred to the importance of take attention about consuming of such types of dairy products and need for applying more hygienic measures during handling, processing of milk and form of storage and/or selling of cheese.

VIRULANCE FACTOR OF Staphylococcus sp. ISOLATED FROM SUBCLINICAL MASTITIS IN ETTAWA GRADE GOAT’S MILK IN SLEMAN REGENCY -YOGYAKARTA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Suwito

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Stapphylococcus sp., is bacteria that caused subclinical mastitis in Ettawa Grade (EG goat. Thepurpose of this study was to determine virulance factor Stapphylococcus sp., which was isolated fromsubclinical mastitis EG goat’s milk in Sleman regency, Yogyakarta. A total of 7 isolate Stapphylococcussp., were isolated from subclinical mastitis EG goat’s milk were determinated by several virulancefactors such as haemolysin, clumping factor, and coagulase. Haemolysin was determinated by culture inblood agar plate and incubated in the temperature of 37°C for 24 hours. Clumping factor wasdeterminated by mixing the rabbit plasma with Stapphylococcus sp., in the glass objects. Coagulase wasdeterminated by mixing the rabbit plasma and broth culture of Stapphylococcus sp. After incubated inthe temperature of 37°C for 24 hours in tube, then the gel formation was observed. Haemolytic type ßwas yielded from 5 isolate Stapphylococcus sp., whereas 2 isolates were not haemolytic. Clumpingfactor and coagulase were produced from 2 isolate Stapphylococcus sp. This study showed that not all ofStapphylococcus sp., isolate causing subclinical mastitis in EG goat have virulance factor.

Choosing Open Source ERP Systems: What Reasons Are There For Doing So?

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Björn; Sudzina, Frantisek

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems attract a high attention and open source software does it as well. The question is then if, and if so, when do open source ERP systems take off. The paper describes the status of open source ERP systems. Based on literature review of ERP system selection criteria based on Web of Science articles, it discusses reported reasons for choosing open source or proprietary ERP systems. Last but not least, the article presents some conclusions that could act as input for future research. The paper aims at building up a foundation for the basic question: What are the reasons for an organization to adopt open source ERP systems.

Identification of New Virulence Factors and Vaccine Candidates for Yersinia pestis.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, Jourdan A; Sha, Jian; Erova, Tatiana E; Fitts, Eric C; Ponnusamy, Duraisamy; Kozlova, Elena V; Kirtley, Michelle L; Chopra, Ashok K

2017-01-01

Earlier, we reported the identification of new virulence factors/mechanisms of Yersinia pestis using an in vivo signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) screening approach. From this screen, the role of rbsA , which encodes an ATP-binding protein of ribose transport system, and vasK , an essential component of the type VI secretion system (T6SS), were evaluated in mouse models of plague and confirmed to be important during Y. pestis infection. However, many of the identified genes from the screen remained uncharacterized. In this study, in-frame deletion mutants of ypo0815, ypo2884, ypo3614-3168 (cyoABCDE) , and ypo1119-1120 , identified from the STM screen, were generated. While ypo0815 codes for a general secretion pathway protein E (GspE) of the T2SS, the ypo2884 -encoded protein has homology to the βγ crystallin superfamily, cyoABCDE codes for the cytochrome o oxidase operon, and the ypo1119-1120 genes are within the Tol-Pal system which has multiple functions. Additionally, as our STM screen identified three T6SS-associated genes, and, based on in silico analysis, six T6SS clusters and multiple homologs of the T6SS effector hemolysin-coregulated protein (Hcp) exist in Y. pestis CO92, we also targeted these T6SS clusters and effectors for generating deletion mutants. These deletion mutant strains exhibited varying levels of attenuation (up to 100%), in bubonic or pneumonic murine infection models. The attenuation could be further augmented by generation of combinatorial deletion mutants, namely Δ lpp Δ ypo0815 , Δ lpp Δ ypo2884 , Δ lpp Δ cyoABCDE , Δ vasK Δ hcp6 , and Δ ypo2720-2733 Δ hcp3 . We earlier showed that deletion of the lpp gene, which encodes Braun lipoprotein (Lpp) and activates Toll-like receptor-2, reduced virulence of Y. pestis CO92 in murine models of bubonic and pneumonic plague. The surviving mice infected with Δ lpp Δ cyoABCDE , Δ vasK Δ hcp6 , and Δ ypo2720-2733 Δ hcp3 mutant strains were 55-100% protected upon subsequent re

Identification of New Virulence Factors and Vaccine Candidates for Yersinia pestis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jourdan A. Andersson

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Earlier, we reported the identification of new virulence factors/mechanisms of Yersinia pestis using an in vivo signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM screening approach. From this screen, the role of rbsA, which encodes an ATP-binding protein of ribose transport system, and vasK, an essential component of the type VI secretion system (T6SS, were evaluated in mouse models of plague and confirmed to be important during Y. pestis infection. However, many of the identified genes from the screen remained uncharacterized. In this study, in-frame deletion mutants of ypo0815, ypo2884, ypo3614-3168 (cyoABCDE, and ypo1119-1120, identified from the STM screen, were generated. While ypo0815 codes for a general secretion pathway protein E (GspE of the T2SS, the ypo2884-encoded protein has homology to the βγ crystallin superfamily, cyoABCDE codes for the cytochrome o oxidase operon, and the ypo1119-1120 genes are within the Tol-Pal system which has multiple functions. Additionally, as our STM screen identified three T6SS-associated genes, and, based on in silico analysis, six T6SS clusters and multiple homologs of the T6SS effector hemolysin-coregulated protein (Hcp exist in Y. pestis CO92, we also targeted these T6SS clusters and effectors for generating deletion mutants. These deletion mutant strains exhibited varying levels of attenuation (up to 100%, in bubonic or pneumonic murine infection models. The attenuation could be further augmented by generation of combinatorial deletion mutants, namely ΔlppΔypo0815, ΔlppΔypo2884, ΔlppΔcyoABCDE, ΔvasKΔhcp6, and Δypo2720-2733Δhcp3. We earlier showed that deletion of the lpp gene, which encodes Braun lipoprotein (Lpp and activates Toll-like receptor-2, reduced virulence of Y. pestis CO92 in murine models of bubonic and pneumonic plague. The surviving mice infected with ΔlppΔcyoABCDE, ΔvasKΔhcp6, and Δypo2720-2733Δhcp3 mutant strains were 55–100% protected upon subsequent re-challenge with wild

Distribution of genes encoding virulence factors and molecular analysis of Shigella spp. isolated from patients with diarrhea in Kerman, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini Nave, Hossein; Mansouri, Shahla; Emaneini, Mohammad; Moradi, Mohammad

2016-03-01

Shigella is one of the important causes of diarrhea worldwide. Shigella has several virulence factors contributing in colonization and invasion of epithelial cells and eventually death of host cells. The present study was performed in order to investigate the distribution of virulence factors genes in Shigella spp. isolated from patients with acute diarrhea in Kerman, Iran as well as the genetic relationship of these isolates. A total of 56 isolates including 31 S. flexneri, 18 S. sonnei and 7 S. boydii were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of 11 virulence genes (ipaH, ial, set1A, set1B, sen, virF, invE, sat, sigA, pic and sepA). Then, the clonal relationship of these strains was analyzed by multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) method. All isolates were positive for ipaH gene. The other genes include ial, invE and virF were found in 80.4%, 60.7% and 67.9% of the isolates, respectively. Both set1A and set1B were detected in 32.3% of S. flexneri isolates, whereas 66.1% of the isolates belonging to different serogroup carried sen gene. The sat gene was present in all S. flexneri isolates, but not in the S. sonnei and S. boydii isolates. The result showed, 30.4% of isolates were simultaneously positive and the rest of the isolates were negative for sepA and pic genes. The Shigella isolates were divided into 29 MLVA types. This study, for the first time, investigated distribution of 11 virulence genes in Shigella spp. Our results revealed heterogeneity of virulence genes in different Shigella serogroups. Furthermore, the strains belonging to the same species had little diversity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Invasion thresholds and the evolution of nonequilibrium virulence.

Science.gov (United States)

Bull, James J; Ebert, Dieter

2008-02-01

The enterprise of virulence management attempts to predict how social practices and other factors affect the evolution of parasite virulence. These predictions are often based on parasite optima or evolutionary equilibria derived from models of host-parasite dynamics. Yet even when such models accurately capture the parasite optima, newly invading parasites will typically not be at their optima. Here we show that parasite invasion of a host population can occur despite highly nonoptimal virulence. Fitness improvements soon after invasion may proceed through many steps with wide changes in virulence, because fitness depends on transmission as well as virulence, and transmission improvements can overwhelm nonoptimal virulence. This process is highly sensitive to mutation supply and the strength of selection. Importantly, the same invasion principle applies to the evolution of established parasites, whenever mutants arise that overcome host immunity/resistance. A host population may consequently experience repeated invasions of new parasite variants and possible large shifts in virulence as it evolves in an arms race with the parasite. An experimental study of phage lysis time and examples of mammalian viruses matching some of these characteristics are reviewed.

SMEs: ERP or virtual collaboration teams

OpenAIRE

Ale Ebrahim, Nader; Ahmed, Shamsuddin; Taha, Zahari

2009-01-01

Small firms are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role to promote economic development. SMEs in the beginning of implementing new technologies always face capital shortage and need technological assistance. Available ERP systems do not fulfil the specific requirements of Small firms. SMEs has scarce resources and manpower therefore many SMEs don?t have the possessions to buy and operate an ERP System. On the other hand competit...

SMEs: ERP or Virtual Collaboration Teams

OpenAIRE

Ebrahim, Nader Ale

2009-01-01

Small firms are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role to promote economic development. SMEs in the beginning of implementing new technologies always face capital shortage and need technological assistance. Available ERP systems do not fulfill the specific requirements of Small firms. SMEs has scarce resources and manpower therefore many SMEs don’t have the possessions to buy and operate an ERP System. On the other hand competi...

Virulence determinants of Moraxella catarrhalis: distribution and considerations for vaccine development.

Science.gov (United States)

Blakeway, Luke V; Tan, Aimee; Peak, Ian R A; Seib, Kate L

2017-10-01

Moraxella catarrhalis is a human-restricted opportunistic bacterial pathogen of the respiratory mucosa. It frequently colonizes the nasopharynx asymptomatically, but is also an important causative agent of otitis media (OM) in children, and plays a significant role in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. As the current treatment options for M. catarrhalis infection in OM and exacerbations of COPD are often ineffective, the development of an efficacious vaccine is warranted. However, no vaccine candidates for M. catarrhalis have progressed to clinical trials, and information regarding the distribution of M. catarrhalis virulence factors and vaccine candidates is inconsistent in the literature. It is largely unknown if virulence is associated with particular strains or subpopulations of M. catarrhalis, or if differences in clinical manifestation can be attributed to the heterogeneous expression of specific M. catarrhalis virulence factors in the circulating population. Further investigation of the distribution of M. catarrhalis virulence factors in the context of carriage and disease is required so that vaccine development may be targeted at relevant antigens that are conserved among disease-causing strains. The challenge of determining which of the proposed M. catarrhalis virulence factors are relevant to human disease is amplified by the lack of a standardized M. catarrhalis typing system to facilitate direct comparisons of worldwide isolates. Here we summarize and evaluate proposed relationships between M. catarrhalis subpopulations and specific virulence factors in the context of colonization and disease, as well as the current methods used to infer these associations.

THE MODEL FOR RISK ASSESSMENT ERP-SYSTEMS INFORMATION SECURITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. S. Oladko

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the problem assessment of information security risks in the ERP-system. ERP-system functions and architecture are studied. The model malicious impacts on levels of ERP-system architecture are composed. Model-based risk assessment, which is the quantitative and qualitative approach to risk assessment, built on the partial unification 3 methods for studying the risks of information security - security models with full overlapping technique CRAMM and FRAP techniques developed.

Usability evaluation of in-housed developed ERP system

Science.gov (United States)

Faisal, Chaudhry Muhammad Nadeem; Shakeel Faridi, Muhammad; Javed, Zahid

2011-10-01

Enterprise Resource Planning systems are the combination of different business IS (Information System) applications that are designed according to the organization requirements. Generally ERP systems are suffering from complex user interface issues. Recent research shows that there is a need for improvement concerning, the user interface from their perspectives. In order to design the software applications that are easy to use, memorize and apply to new problems, we must know the users philosophy and something about learning, reminiscence and problems solving. The Usability engineering is the only way to study the deeds of users while interacting with ERP (Enterprise Resource & Planning). This paper will focus on the users' experiences view of financial module in ERP system. The HCI research method, explicitly survey questionnaire method was adopted to gather users understanding in order to evaluate the selected modules for in-housed ERP system. The study involved group of users from two industries, the results can not be generalized as a whole. The study was first time successfully applied Usability evaluation on in-housed ERP in local industry (Masood Textile Mills, Interloop Ltd) in Pakistan. The results may hopefully opened-up an area of research and methodology that could provide considerable further benefits to Industry in developments of Industrial information systems.

Criteria for the selection of ERP software

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The implementation of an ERP software package is an important investment for an organization, which is characterized also by a high degree of risk. Selecting the most appropriate software is a necessary condition for a successful implementation. This paper is describing the major aspects of software selection in general and the relevant criteria in the case of ERP software.

Staphylococcus aureus clonal dynamics and virulence factors in children with atopic dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomholt, Hans; Andersen, Klaus Ejner; Kilian, Mogens

2005-11-01

A prospective cohort study was undertaken to determine the clonal dynamics of Staphylococcus aureus colonization and infection during 1 y in children with atopic dermatitis, and to correlate specific clones, accessory gene regulator (agr) groups, and production of virulence factors with eczema activity. Eleven children were examined every 6 wk with swaps taken from active eczema, anterior nose, axillae and perineum, and scoring of eczema activity by severity scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD). Individual S. aureus clonal types were identified and examined for production of superantigens, toxins, and were assigned to agr groups. S. aureus colonization patterns ranged from rare colonization over transient colonization to persistent colonization by a single clone or a dynamic exchange of up to five clones. Production of no single virulence factor including superantigens and toxins was significantly associated with exacerbation of eczema. In four children there was a shift between visits in agr group of colonizing clones. These shifts were associated with an increased SCORAD value of 19 (SE = 7, p = 0.009). Change of clones belonging to the same agr group was not associated with a higher SCORAD value. In 11 of 12 cases with two different clones co-colonizing a child the clones belonged to the same agr group. In conclusion, this limited group of children with atopic dermatitis showed highly variable colonization patterns of S. aureus, and communication between strains by use of agr encoded octa peptides appeared to be active in vivo. Increased severity of eczema was related to a change in agr group and may have been because of inflammation triggered by the takeover of an antigenically different clone, as agr groups represent ancient phylogenetic lineages.

Understanding Organizational Memory from the Integrated Management Systems (ERP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilberto Perez

2013-10-01

Full Text Available With this research, in the form of a theoretical essay addressing the theme of Organizational Memory and Integrated Management Systems (ERP, we tried to present some evidence of how this type of system can contribute to the consolidation of certain features of Organizational Memory. From a theoretical review of the concepts of Human Memory, extending to the Organizational Memory and Information Systems, with emphasis on Integrated Management Systems (ERP we tried to draw a parallel between the functions and structures of Organizational Memory and features and characteristics of ERPs. The choice of the ERP system for this study was made due to the complexity and broad scope of this system. It was verified that the ERPs adequately support many functions of the Organizational Memory, highlighting the implementation of logical processes, practices and rules in business. It is hoped that the dialogue presented here can contribute to the advancement of the understanding of organizational memory, since the similarity of Human Memory is a fertile field and there is still much to be researched.

What Practitioners Think of Inter-organizational ERP Requirements Engineering Practices: Focus Group Results

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daneva, Maia; Ahituv, Niv

2011-01-01

Empirical studies on requirements engineering for inter-organizational enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have demonstrated that the ERP vendor-provided prescriptive models for ERP roll-outs make tacit assumptions about the ERP adopter’s context. This, in turn, leads to the implementation of

ERP and Knowledge Management Integration: The Case of Malaysian Business Firms

Science.gov (United States)

Supramaniam, Mahadevan; Kuppusamy, Mudiarasan

2010-01-01

In order to compete in a global environment, Malaysian business firms need to improve their products and services through best practices. This paper aims to investigate the critical success factors to adopt Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) with knowledge management (KM) strategies among Malaysian business firms. In order to achieve the research…

The Determinants of Student Effort at Learning ERP: A Cultural Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Alshare, Khaled A.; El-Masri, Mazen; Lane, Peggy L.

2015-01-01

This paper develops a research model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model (UTAUT) and Hofstede's cultural dimensions to explore factors that influence student effort at learning Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) using LISREL was utilized to validate the proposed research…

Genotypes, Virulence Factors and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated in Bovine Subclinical Mastitis from Eastern China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javed Memon§, Yongchun Yang§, Jam Kashifa, Muhammad Yaqoob, Rehana Buriroa, Jamila Soomroa, Wang Liping and Fan Hongjie*

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out to determine the genotypes, virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance traits of 34 Staphylococcus aureus isolated from subclinical mastitis in Eastern China. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC results showed resistance to erythromycin in all isolates. A high frequency of Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA; 29% was observed and these isolates were also highly resistant to penicillin, oxacillin, oxytetracycline and chloramphenicol than methicillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA isolates. Thirteen pathogenic factors and seven resistance genes including mecA and blaZ gene were checked through PCR. The spaX gene was found in all isolates, whereas cna, spaIg, nuc, clfA, fnbpB, hlA, hlB and seA were present in 35, 79, 85, 59, 35, 85, 71 and 38% isolates, respectively. Nine isolates carried a group of 8 different virulence genes. Moreover, macrolide resistance genes ermB and ermC were present in all isolates. High resistance rate against methicillin was found but no isolate was positive for mecA gene, whereas blaZ and tetK were detected in 82 and 56% isolates, respectively. Genes; fnbpA, seB, seC, seD, dfrK and tetM were not found in any isolate. The statistical association between phenotypic resistance and virulence genes showed, clfA, fnbpB, hlB and seA, were potentially associated with penicillin G, ciprofloxacin, methicillin, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim and oxytetracycline resistance (P≤0.05. REP-PCR based genotyping showed seven distinct genotypes (A-G prevalent in this region. This study reports the presence of multidrug resistant S. aureus in sub-clinical mastitis which were also highly virulent that could be a major obstacle in the treatment of mastitis in this region of China.

Prevalence of genes encoding extracellular virulence factors among meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from the University Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauer, P; Síla, J; Stosová, T; Vecerová, R; Hejnar, P; Vágnerová, I; Kolár, M; Raclavsky, V; Petrzelová, J; Lovecková, Y; Koukalová, D

2008-04-01

A rather fast and complicated progression of an infection caused by some strains of Staphylococcus aureus could be associated with the expression and co-action of virulence factor complexes in these strains. This study screened the antibiotic susceptibility and prevalence of virulence markers in isolates of meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) obtained from patients hospitalized at the University Hospital in Olomouc, Czech Republic. A total of 100 isolates was screened for 13 genes encoding extracellular virulence determinants (tst, pvl, eta, etb, sea, seb, sec, sed, see, seg, seh, sei and sej) and for their distribution in sample types. Eighty-nine isolates were positive for at least one of the genes. Genes for etb, pvl, see and seh were not detected in any of the MRSA isolates. No statistically significant differences in the occurrence of the determinants studied among sample types were found.

Friend or foe: Endoplasmic reticulum protein 29 (ERp29) in epithelial cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shaohua; Zhang, Daohai

2015-01-01

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein 29 (ERp29) is a molecular chaperone that plays a critical role in protein secretion from the ER in eukaryotic cells. Recent studies have also shown that ERp29 plays a role in cancer. It has been demonstrated that ERp29 is inversely associated with primary tumor development and functions as a tumor suppressor by inducing cell growth arrest in breast cancer. However, ERp29 has also been reported to promote epithelial cell morphogenesis, cell survival against genotoxic stress and distant metastasis. In this review, we summarize the current understanding on the biological and pathological functions of ERp29 in cancer and discuss the pivotal aspects of ERp29 as “friend or foe” in epithelial cancer. PMID:25709888

OrfX, a Nucleomodulin Required for Listeria monocytogenes Virulence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrzej Prokop

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen causing severe foodborne infections in humans and animals. Listeria can enter into host cells and survive and multiply therein, due to an arsenal of virulence determinants encoded in different loci on the chromosome. Several key Listeria virulence genes are clustered in Listeria pathogenicity island 1. This important locus also contains orfX (lmo0206, a gene of unknown function. Here, we found that OrfX is a small, secreted protein whose expression is positively regulated by PrfA, the major transcriptional activator of Listeria virulence genes. We provide evidence that OrfX is a virulence factor that dampens the oxidative response of infected macrophages, which contributes to intracellular survival of bacteria. OrfX is targeted to the nucleus and interacts with the regulatory protein RybP. We show that in macrophages, the expression of OrfX decreases the level of RybP, which controls cellular infection. Collectively, these data reveal that Listeria targets RybP and evades macrophage oxidative stress for efficient infection. Altogether, OrfX is after LntA, the second virulence factor acting directly in the nucleus.

Detection of virulence-associated genes in Brucella melitensis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ibrahim Eldaghayes

2018-03-20

Mar 20, 2018 ... isolated from goats. This discrepancies may indicate that B. melitensis field strains prevailing in Egypt are more virulent than the strains of B. melitensis isolated from caprines in Iran. As, it was emphasized that the. T4SS of Brucella encoded by the virB operon is a major virulence factor (Delrue et al., 2005).

Cloud ERP Adoption Opportunities and Concerns: The Role of Organizational Size

OpenAIRE

Johansson, Björn; Alajbegovic, Amar; Alexopoulo, Vasileios; Desalermos, Achilles

2015-01-01

Cloud computing has become one of the fastest growing segments of the IT industry. In the wake of this, cloud based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have emerged as an alternative to traditional ERPs. The marketing of cloud based ERPs states that adoption require low upfront investments and can rapidly be deployed, as they are provided over the cloud. In this study we seek to unravel cloud ERP adoption by identifying and classifying opportunities and concerns often associated with c...

ERP SAP-osaamisen kehittäminen Pohjois-Karjalan ammattikorkeakoulussa

OpenAIRE

Nuutinen, Päivi

2012-01-01

Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli tutkia, millä toimin Pohjois-Karjalan ammattikorkeakoulun liiketalouden ja tekniikan keskuksen opetushenkilöstön ERP SAP-osaamista on kehitetty ja vastaako osaaminen ulkoisten asiakkaiden tarpeisiin. Tutkimustavoitteena oli selvittää myös ne menetelmät, jotka opetushenkilöstö kokee parhaimpina ERP SAP-osaamisen kehittämisen keinoina. ERP SAP-osaamisen kehittämisessä huomioitiin ulkoisten asiakkuuksien näkemykset. Tutkimustulosten osalta tuli esille, että ty...

ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING - ERP FOR BUSINESS AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurenţia Elena SCURTU

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This article presents the advantages of using the most modern information technologies to support business objectives and to provide a real support in transforming the company's internal processes through the implementation of an ERP suitable solution. ERP systems are the right IT solution for the management of company’s resources, regardless their size, they are integrated systems that optimize and simplify the internal business processes. ERP systems supports operations from important areas such as distribution, retail, manufacturing, medical, pharmaceutical, agriculture, energy or services. The main advantages on the implementation of an integrated ERP in a company are: reducing operating costs; improving sales processes; increasing the level of orders fulfillment; improving cash flow; store optimization and more important facilitating the decision making process and knowledge management processes.

Sizing ERP implementation projects: an activity-based approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssens, G.; Kusters, R.J.; Heemstra, F.J.

2008-01-01

ERP implementation projects affect large parts of an implementing organization and lead to changes in the way an organization performs its tasks. The costs needed for the effort to implement these systems are hard to estimate. Research indicates that the size of an ERP project can be a useful

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolated from patients exposed to invasive devices in a university hospital in Argentina: molecular typing, susceptibility and detection of potential virulence factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Alcaraz, Eliana; Garcia, Carlos; Papalia, Mariana; Vay, Carlos; Friedman, Laura; Passerini de Rossi, Beatriz

2018-05-25

The aim of this work was to investigate the presence of selected potential virulence factors, susceptibility and clonal relatedness among 63 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolates recovered from patients exposed to invasive devices in a university hospital in Argentina between January 2004 and August 2012. Genetic relatedness was assessed by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Isolates were characterized by antimicrobial resistance, the presence and/or expression of potential virulence determinants, and virulence in the Galleria mellonella model.Results/Key findings. ERIC-PCR generated 52 fingerprints, and PFGE added another pattern. Resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (6.35 %), levofloxacin (9.52 %) and ciprofloxacin (23.80 %) was detected. All isolates were susceptible to minocycline. All isolates were lipase, protease and siderophore producers, while all but Sm61 formed biofilms. However, 11/63 isolates did not amplify the major extracellular protease-coding gene (stmPr1). Sm61 is an stmPr1-negative isolate, and showed (as did Sm13 and the reference strain K279a) strong proteolysis and siderophore production, and high resistance to hydrogen peroxide. The three isolates were virulent in the G. mellonella model, while Sm10, a low-resistance hydrogen peroxide stmPr1-negative isolate, and weak proteolysis and siderophore producer, was not virulent. This is the first epidemiological study of the clonal relatedness of S. maltophilia clinical isolates in Argentina. Great genomic diversity was observed, and only two small clusters of related S. maltophilia types were found. Minocycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were the most active agents. S. maltophilia virulence in the G. mellonella model is multifactorial, and further studies are needed to elucidate the role of each potential virulence factor.

Unfolded Protein Response (UPR Regulator Cib1 Controls Expression of Genes Encoding Secreted Virulence Factors in Ustilago maydis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Hampel

Full Text Available The unfolded protein response (UPR, a conserved eukaryotic signaling pathway to ensure protein homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER, coordinates biotrophic development in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis. Exact timing of UPR activation is required for virulence and presumably connected to the elevated expression of secreted effector proteins during infection of the host plant Zea mays. In the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, expression of UPR target genes is induced upon binding of the central regulator Hac1 to unfolded protein response elements (UPREs in their promoters. While a role of the UPR in effector secretion has been described previously, we investigated a potential UPR-dependent regulation of genes encoding secreted effector proteins. In silico prediction of UPREs in promoter regions identified the previously characterized effector genes pit2 and tin1-1, as bona fide UPR target genes. Furthermore, direct binding of the Hac1-homolog Cib1 to the UPRE containing promoter fragments of both genes was confirmed by quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation (qChIP analysis. Targeted deletion of the UPRE abolished Cib1-dependent expression of pit2 and significantly affected virulence. Furthermore, ER stress strongly increased Pit2 expression and secretion. This study expands the role of the UPR as a signal hub in fungal virulence and illustrates, how biotrophic fungi can coordinate cellular physiology, development and regulation of secreted virulence factors.

lac repressor is an antivirulence factor of Salmonella enterica: its role in the evolution of virulence in Salmonella.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandeepa M Eswarappa

Full Text Available The genus Salmonella includes many pathogens of great medical and veterinary importance. Bacteria belonging to this genus are very closely related to those belonging to the genus Escherichia. lacZYA operon and lacI are present in Escherichia coli, but not in Salmonella enterica. It has been proposed that Salmonella has lost lacZYA operon and lacI during evolution. In this study, we have investigated the physiological and evolutionary significance of the absence of lacI in Salmonella enterica. Using murine model of typhoid fever, we show that the expression of LacI causes a remarkable reduction in the virulence of Salmonella enterica. LacI also suppresses the ability of Salmonella enterica to proliferate inside murine macrophages. Microarray analysis revealed that LacI interferes with the expression of virulence genes of Salmonella pathogenicity island 2. This effect was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Interestingly, we found that SBG0326 of Salmonella bongori is homologous to lacI of Escherichia coli. Salmonella bongori is the only other species of the genus Salmonella and it lacks the virulence genes of Salmonella pathogenicity island 2. Overall, our results demonstrate that LacI is an antivirulence factor of Salmonella enterica and suggest that absence of lacI has facilitated the acquisition of virulence genes of Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 in Salmonella enterica making it a successful systemic pathogen.

Identification of O-mannosylated virulence factors in Ustilago maydis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfonso Fernández-Álvarez

Full Text Available The O-mannosyltransferase Pmt4 has emerged as crucial for fungal virulence in the animal pathogens Candida albicans or Cryptococcus neoformans as well as in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis. Pmt4 O-mannosylates specific target proteins at the Endoplasmic Reticulum. Therefore a deficient O-mannosylation of these target proteins must be responsible for the loss of pathogenicity in pmt4 mutants. Taking advantage of the characteristics described for Pmt4 substrates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we performed a proteome-wide bioinformatic approach to identify putative Pmt4 targets in the corn smut fungus U. maydis and validated Pmt4-mediated glycosylation of candidate proteins by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. We found that the signalling mucin Msb2, which regulates appressorium differentiation upstream of the pathogenicity-related MAP kinase cascade, is O-mannosylated by Pmt4. The epistatic relationship of pmt4 and msb2 showed that both are likely to act in the same pathway. Furthermore, constitutive activation of the MAP kinase cascade restored appressorium development in pmt4 mutants, suggesting that during the initial phase of infection the failure to O-mannosylate Msb2 is responsible for the virulence defect of pmt4 mutants. On the other hand we demonstrate that during later stages of pathogenic development Pmt4 affects virulence independently of Msb2, probably by modifying secreted effector proteins. Pit1, a protein required for fungal spreading inside the infected leaf, was also identified as a Pmt4 target. Thus, O-mannosylation of different target proteins affects various stages of pathogenic development in U. maydis.

Re-examination of Chinese semantic processing and syntactic processing: evidence from conventional ERPs and reconstructed ERPs by residue iteration decomposition (RIDE.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fang Wang

Full Text Available A number of studies have explored the time course of Chinese semantic and syntactic processing. However, whether syntactic processing occurs earlier than semantics during Chinese sentence reading is still under debate. To further explore this issue, an event-related potentials (ERPs experiment was conducted on 21 native Chinese speakers who read individually-presented Chinese simple sentences (NP1+VP+NP2 word-by-word for comprehension and made semantic plausibility judgments. The transitivity of the verbs was manipulated to form three types of stimuli: congruent sentences (CON, sentences with a semantically violated NP2 following a transitive verb (semantic violation, SEM, and sentences with a semantically violated NP2 following an intransitive verb (combined semantic and syntactic violation, SEM+SYN. The ERPs evoked from the target NP2 were analyzed by using the Residue Iteration Decomposition (RIDE method to reconstruct the ERP waveform blurred by trial-to-trial variability, as well as by using the conventional ERP method based on stimulus-locked averaging. The conventional ERP analysis showed that, compared with the critical words in CON, those in SEM and SEM+SYN elicited an N400-P600 biphasic pattern. The N400 effects in both violation conditions were of similar size and distribution, but the P600 in SEM+SYN was bigger than that in SEM. Compared with the conventional ERP analysis, RIDE analysis revealed a larger N400 effect and an earlier P600 effect (in the time window of 500-800 ms instead of 570-810ms. Overall, the combination of conventional ERP analysis and the RIDE method for compensating for trial-to-trial variability confirmed the non-significant difference between SEM and SEM+SYN in the earlier N400 time window. Converging with previous findings on other Chinese structures, the current study provides further precise evidence that syntactic processing in Chinese does not occur earlier than semantic processing.

Evaluation of approaches to monitor Staphylococcus aureus virulence factor expression during human disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wouter Rozemeijer

Full Text Available Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen of medical significance, using multiple virulence factors to cause disease. A prophylactic S. aureus 4-antigen (SA4Ag vaccine comprising capsular polysaccharide (types 5 and 8 conjugates, clumping factor A (ClfA and manganese transporter C (MntC is under development. This study was designed to characterize S. aureus isolates recovered from infected patients and also to investigate approaches for examining expression of S. aureus vaccine candidates and the host response during human infection. Confirmation of antigen expression in different disease states is important to support the inclusion of these antigens in a prophylactic vaccine. Hospitalized patients with diagnosed S. aureus wound (27 or bloodstream (24 infections were enrolled. Invasive and nasal carriage S. aureus isolates were recovered and characterized for genotypic diversity. S. aureus antigen expression was evaluated directly by real-time, quantitative, reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR analysis and indirectly by serology using a competitive Luminex immunoassay. Study isolates were genotypically diverse and all had the genes encoding the antigens present in the SA4Ag vaccine. S. aureus nasal carriage was detected in 55% of patients, and in those subjects 64% of the carriage isolates matched the invasive strain. In swab samples with detectable S. aureus triosephosphate isomerase housekeeping gene expression, RNA transcripts encoding the S. aureus virulence factors ClfA, MntC, and capsule polysaccharide were detected by qRT-PCR. Antigen expression was indirectly confirmed by increases in antibody titer during the course of infection from acute to convalescent phase. Demonstration of bacterial transcript expression together with immunological response to the SA4Ag antigens in a clinically relevant patient population provides support for inclusion of these antigens in a prophylactic vaccine.

Evaluation of approaches to monitor Staphylococcus aureus virulence factor expression during human disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozemeijer, Wouter; Fink, Pamela; Rojas, Eduardo; Jones, C Hal; Pavliakova, Danka; Giardina, Peter; Murphy, Ellen; Liberator, Paul; Jiang, Qin; Girgenti, Douglas; Peters, Remco P H; Savelkoul, Paul H M; Jansen, Kathrin U; Anderson, Annaliesa S; Kluytmans, Jan

2015-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen of medical significance, using multiple virulence factors to cause disease. A prophylactic S. aureus 4-antigen (SA4Ag) vaccine comprising capsular polysaccharide (types 5 and 8) conjugates, clumping factor A (ClfA) and manganese transporter C (MntC) is under development. This study was designed to characterize S. aureus isolates recovered from infected patients and also to investigate approaches for examining expression of S. aureus vaccine candidates and the host response during human infection. Confirmation of antigen expression in different disease states is important to support the inclusion of these antigens in a prophylactic vaccine. Hospitalized patients with diagnosed S. aureus wound (27) or bloodstream (24) infections were enrolled. Invasive and nasal carriage S. aureus isolates were recovered and characterized for genotypic diversity. S. aureus antigen expression was evaluated directly by real-time, quantitative, reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis and indirectly by serology using a competitive Luminex immunoassay. Study isolates were genotypically diverse and all had the genes encoding the antigens present in the SA4Ag vaccine. S. aureus nasal carriage was detected in 55% of patients, and in those subjects 64% of the carriage isolates matched the invasive strain. In swab samples with detectable S. aureus triosephosphate isomerase housekeeping gene expression, RNA transcripts encoding the S. aureus virulence factors ClfA, MntC, and capsule polysaccharide were detected by qRT-PCR. Antigen expression was indirectly confirmed by increases in antibody titer during the course of infection from acute to convalescent phase. Demonstration of bacterial transcript expression together with immunological response to the SA4Ag antigens in a clinically relevant patient population provides support for inclusion of these antigens in a prophylactic vaccine.

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL SIZE AND SOME IT FACTORS IN THE CONTEXT OF ERP SUCCESS ASSESSMENT: AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

EDUARD EDELHAUSER

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The study set sights on Romanian organizations which implemented a SIVECO ERP and BI software. The methodology used is both quantitative and qualitative. The research results were obtained with the use of a questionnaire, and our purpose was to demonstrate some hypothesis concerning the size of the organisation, the management method and the IT&C based decision. The questionnaire was operated with SPSS 17, through a linear regression analysis. The research has revealed how the organizational size and the IT factors interaction in the 2010 Romanian organizations. The research has a high level of originality, such a study has been never conducted before for computer based advanced management methods implementation.

Cloning, expression, purification and crystallization of a pair of novel virulence factors, SghA and SghR, from Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ye, Fuzhou [Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551 (Singapore); Wang, Chao [Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673 (Singapore); National Cancer Centre Singapore, 11 Hospital Drive, Singapore 169610 (Singapore); Fu, Qinqin [Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551 (Singapore); Zhang, Lian-hui [Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673 (Singapore); Gao, Yong-gui, E-mail: ygao@ntu.edu.sg [Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551 (Singapore); Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673 (Singapore)

2015-08-25

The crystallization of the novel virulence factors SghA and SghR is reported. Two proteins, SghA and SghR, which were recently identified and characterized as novel bacterial virulence factors regulating the infection of plant hosts by Agrobacterium, were cloned, overexpressed and purified with high yield. Both SghA and SghR form dimers in solution. The purified SghA and SghR were crystallized and the crystals diffracted to 1.9 and 2.1 Å resolution, respectively. Data were collected and processed, and the crystallographic parameters were within acceptable ranges. These results will help in the determination of their structures in order to uncover the molecular mechanism of how these two proteins together control the release of plant defence signals against agrobacteria during pathogen–host interaction.

Cloning, expression, purification and crystallization of a pair of novel virulence factors, SghA and SghR, from Agrobacterium tumefaciens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye, Fuzhou; Wang, Chao; Fu, Qinqin; Zhang, Lian-hui; Gao, Yong-gui

2015-01-01

The crystallization of the novel virulence factors SghA and SghR is reported. Two proteins, SghA and SghR, which were recently identified and characterized as novel bacterial virulence factors regulating the infection of plant hosts by Agrobacterium, were cloned, overexpressed and purified with high yield. Both SghA and SghR form dimers in solution. The purified SghA and SghR were crystallized and the crystals diffracted to 1.9 and 2.1 Å resolution, respectively. Data were collected and processed, and the crystallographic parameters were within acceptable ranges. These results will help in the determination of their structures in order to uncover the molecular mechanism of how these two proteins together control the release of plant defence signals against agrobacteria during pathogen–host interaction

Assessing the Total cost of ownership of ERP systems : Case study analysis on the factors behind customer costs in recent minor implementations

OpenAIRE

Rydgård, Göran; Palmberg, Nils

2010-01-01

This master’s thesis presents a model for calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO) of relatively small ERP implementations, including two years of running the system. The main factors affecting the cost items in the model are also analyzed, based in part on four case projects that the consultancy company Acando has carried out recently and in part on literature. The case projects were investigated through interviews with key actors in the projects from Acando and the customer, and throug...

The Riemerella anatipestifer AS87_01735 Gene Encodes Nicotinamidase PncA, an Important Virulence Factor.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaolan; Liu, Beibei; Dou, Yafeng; Fan, Hongjie; Wang, Shaohui; Li, Tao; Ding, Chan; Yu, Shengqing

2016-10-01

Riemerella anatipestifer is a major bacterial pathogen that causes septicemic and exudative diseases in domestic ducks. In our previous study, we found that deletion of the AS87_01735 gene significantly decreased the bacterial virulence of R. anatipestifer strain Yb2 (mutant RA625). The AS87_01735 gene was predicted to encode a nicotinamidase (PncA), a key enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of nicotinamide to nicotinic acid, which is an important reaction in the NAD(+) salvage pathway. In this study, the AS87_01735 gene was expressed and identified as the PncA-encoding gene, using an enzymatic assay. Western blot analysis demonstrated that R. anatipestifer PncA was localized to the cytoplasm. The mutant strain RA625 (named Yb2ΔpncA in this study) showed a similar growth rate but decreased NAD(+) quantities in both the exponential and stationary phases in tryptic soy broth culture, compared with the wild-type strain Yb2. In addition, Yb2ΔpncA-infected ducks showed much lower bacterial loads in their blood, and no visible histological changes were observed in the heart, liver, and spleen. Furthermore, Yb2ΔpncA immunization of ducks conferred effective protection against challenge with the virulent wild-type strain Yb2. Our results suggest that the R. anatipestifer AS87_01735 gene encodes PncA, which is an important virulence factor, and that the Yb2ΔpncA mutant can be used as a novel live vaccine candidate. Riemerella anatipestifer is reported worldwide as a cause of septicemic and exudative diseases of domestic ducks. The pncA gene encodes a nicotinamidase (PncA), a key enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of nicotinamide to nicotinic acid, which is an important reaction in the NAD(+) salvage pathway. In this study, we identified and characterized the pncA-homologous gene AS87_01735 in R. anatipestifer strain Yb2. R. anatipestifer PncA is a cytoplasmic protein that possesses similar PncA activity, compared with other organisms. Generation of the pncA mutant Yb

Neural correlates of own and close-other’s name recognition: ERP evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pawel eTacikowski

2014-04-01

Full Text Available One’s own name seems to have a special status in the processing of incoming information. In event-related potential (ERP studies this preferential status has mainly been associated with higher P300 to one’s own name than to other names. Some studies showed preferential responses to own name even for earlier ERP components. However, instead of just being self-specific, these effects could be related to the processing of any highly relevant and/or frequently encountered stimuli. If this is the case: (1 processing of other highly relevant and highly familiar names (e.g., names of friends, partners, siblings, etc. should be associated with similar ERP responses as processing of one's own name; and (2 processing of own and close others' names should result in larger amplitudes of early and late ERP components than processing of less relevant and less familiar names (e.g., names of famous people, names of strangers, etc.. To test this hypothesis we measured and analyzed ERPs from 62 scalp electrodes in 22 subjects. Subjects performed a speeded two-choice recognition task - familiar vs. unfamiliar - with one’s own name being treated as one of the familiar names. All stimuli were presented visually. We found that amplitudes of P200, N250 and P300 did not differ between one’s own and close-other’s names. Crucially, they were significantly larger to own and close-other’s names than to other names (unknown and famous for P300 and unknown for P200 and N250. Our findings suggest that preferential processing of one’s own name is due to its personal-relevance and/or familiarity factors. This pattern of results speaks for a common preference in processing of different kinds of socially relevant stimuli.

Virulence of a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain carrying the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuursted, Kurt; Schøler, Lone; Hansen, Frank

2011-01-01

, and in vitro virulence by assessing various virulence factors. The NDM-1 carrying K. pneumoniae isolate was the most virulent in the murine sepsis model but there was no clear cut correlation to in vitro virulence factors or killing in C. elegans. It is concluded that K. pneumoniae carrying NDM-1 have......The aim of the study was to compare and evaluate virulence in five strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, including an isolate carrying New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1). In vivo virulence was assessed using a murine sepsis model and using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans killing model...

Clustering ERP implementation project activities: a foundation for project size definition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssens, G.; Kusters, R.J.; Heemstra, F.J.; Sadiq, A.; Reichert, M.; Schultz, K.; Trienekens, J.J.M.; Moller, C.; Kusters, R.J.

2007-01-01

The size of an ERP project can be a useful measurement for predicting the effort needed to complete an ERP implementation project. Because this measurement does not exist, research is needed to find a set of variables which can define the size of an ERP implementation project. This paper shows 21

The HtrA-Like Protease CD3284 Modulates Virulence of Clostridium difficile

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, Dennis; Buckley, Anthony M.; de Jong, Anne; van Winden, Vincent J. C.; Verhoeks, Joost P. A.; Kuipers, Oscar P.; Douce, Gillian R.; Kuijper, Ed J.; Smits, Wiep Klaas; Corver, Jeroen

2014-01-01

In the past decade, Clostridium difficile has emerged as an important gut pathogen. Symptoms of C. difficile infection range from mild diarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis. Besides the two main virulence factors toxin A and toxin B, other virulence factors are likely to play a role in the

Making sense of all the conflict: a theoretical review and critique of conflict-related ERPs.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Michael J; Clayson, Peter E; Clawson, Ann

2014-09-01

Cognitive control theory suggests that goal-directed behavior is governed by a dynamic interplay between areas of the prefrontal cortex. Critical to cognitive control is the detection and resolution of competing stimulus or response representations (i.e., conflict). Event-related potential (ERP) research provides a window into the nature and precise temporal sequence of conflict monitoring. We critically review the research on conflict-related ERPs, including the error-related negativity (ERN), Flanker N2, Stroop N450 and conflict slow potential (conflict SP or negative slow wave [NSW]), and provide an analysis of how these ERPs inform conflict monitoring theory. Overall, there is considerable evidence that amplitude of the ERN is sensitive to the degree of response conflict, consistent with a role in conflict monitoring. It remains unclear, however, to what degree contextual, individual, affective, and motivational factors influence ERN amplitudes and how ERN amplitudes are related to regulative changes in behavior. The Flanker N2, Stroop N450, and conflict SP ERPs represent distinct conflict-monitoring processes that reflect conflict detection (N2, N450) and conflict adjustment or resolution processes (N2, conflict SP). The investigation of conflict adaptation effects (i.e., sequence or sequential trial effects) shows that the N2 and conflict SP reflect post-conflict adjustments in cognitive control, but the N450 generally does not. Conflict-related ERP research provides a promising avenue for understanding the effects of individual differences on cognitive control processes in healthy, neurologic and psychiatric populations. Comparisons between the major conflict-related ERPs and suggestions for future studies to clarify the nature of conflict-related neural processes are provided. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ERP system usage : The role of control and empowerment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maas, J.B.G.M.; van Fenema, P.C.; Soeters, J.M.M.L.

2014-01-01

Organisations have made significant investments in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems with the strategic expectation that employees will utilise this technology to enhance organisational performance. However, research indicates that ERP systems are underutilised. In order to disentangle the

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE AND ERP IMPLEMENTATION SUCCESS: THE MODERATING ROLE OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zafar U. Ahmed

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP is a useful tool that builds strong capabilities, improves performance, supports better decision making, and provides competitive advantage for businesses. ERP aims to help the management by setting better business practices and equipping them with the right information to take timely decision. In any new technology implementation, one of the issues that need to be addressed is the resistance to change. Many implementations have failed due to strong resistance from the end users. Thus, the main purpose of this paper is to test the impact of resistance to change on ERP's implementation success and how change management initiatives acts in the capacity of a moderating role. Using data collected from 69 manufacturing organizations through a mail survey, it was found that resistance to change is negatively related to achievement of predetermined goals (b = –0.930, p < 0.01 and usersatisfaction (b = –0.952, p < 0.01. Further, change management initiatives did not moderate the relationship between resistance and predetermined goals but it moderated the relationship between resistance and user satisfaction. In addition, change management initiatives have a direct positive impact on user satisfaction. This research concludes that the human factor is very important in ERP's implementation.

A Comprehensive Literature Review of the ERP research field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kræmmergaard, Pernille; Schlichter, Bjarne Rerup

During the past decade ERP has attracted attention from both academic and industrial communities (Shehab, Sharp et al. 2004) and we feel that now is an opportune time for the ERP field to ask how the field has evolved and what its present state is (Chen and Hirschheim 2004). The purpose...... of this paper is to address these questions, which is done by providing an overview of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) research field regardless of research discipline, research topic and research traditions. Abstracts from 723 peer-reviewed journal publications from 2000 up till 2007 have been analyzed...... according to journal, authors and year of publication, and further categorized into research discipline, research topic and methods used. The paper demonstrates that the body of academic knowledge about ERP systems has reached a certain level of maturity and several different research disciplines have...

An Investigation on Exhaustion of SAP ERP Users: Influence of Pace of Change and Technostress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prashanta Kumar Roy

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Despite recent growing research interest on ERP research, the understanding on ERP induced exhaustion is still limited. This study examines how the pace of change of ERP functionalities and interface causes exhaustion in workplace. For this purpose, we conducted an investigation on 128 ERP users from two different organizations in Bangladesh. We extended theory of technostress by integrating pace of change of ERP system. Result suggests that pace of change on ERP system significantly affect work-overload, work-life conflict and role ambiguity on ERP users. Result also shows that work-overload and role ambiguity are strong predictors for ERP induced exhaustion.

Beyond Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): The Next Generation Enterprise Resource Planning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-01

systems can provide these business functions. • ERP system: an enterprise-wide commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software product (e.g., SAP and Oracle...are with two Tier 1 ERP software vendors: Oracle and SAP .16 Moreover, the implementation contracts for these larger ERP system investments were only...documents/FIAR_Plan_November_2011.pdf. 16 compliance was accomplished. In the current environment, DoD’s two ERP software vendors— Oracle and SAP —and the

Pursuing a Vendor-Endorsed ERP Award for Better Job Prospect: Students' Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Kung, LeeAnn; Kung, Hsiang-Jui

2017-01-01

This paper identifies factors that motivate students to pursue a vendor-endorsed ERP award by integrating concepts from motivation theory and constructs from technology acceptance literature. We developed a web-based survey with closed- and open-ended questions to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Students in…

ERP in agriculture: Lessons learned from the Dutch horticulture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verdouw, C.N.; Robbemond, R.M.; Wolfert, J.

2015-01-01

Farming nowadays is a complex managerial task that imposes stringent requirements on farm management information systems. In other sectors, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are widely implemented to meet such requirements. This paper assesses the applicability of ERP systems in the

Attenuation of quorum-sensing-dependent virulence factors and biofilm formation by medicinal plants against antibiotic resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Sankar Ganesh

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas aeruginosa use small signaling molecules such as acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs, which play an important role in release virulence factors and toxin for further establishment of host infection. Thus, involving with the QS system would provide alternative ways of preventing the pathogenicity. In the present study, totally six medicinal plants (Terminalia bellerica, Celastrus paniculatus, Kingiodendron pinnatum, Schleichera oleosa, Melastoma malabathricum, Garcinia gummi-gutta were screened for anti-QS activity using biomonitor strain of Chromobacterium violaceum CV12472. The primary screening of antimicrobial activity of all the plant extracts have inhibited the growth of tested bacterial species. Of these at the sub-minimum inhibitory concentration the methanol extract of T. bellerica (0.0625–0.5 mg/ml has significantly inhibited violacein production (20.07–66.22% in C. violaceum (CV12472. Consequently, the extract of T. bellerica has reduced the production of pyocyanin, exopolysaccharide and biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa strains. Fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed the reduction of biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa strains when treated with T. bellerica. GC–MS analysis showed the active compounds inhibited the production of virulence factors of P. aeruginosa. The results suggest the possible use of this T. bellerica as an anti-QS and anti-biofilm agent to control Pseudomonas infection. Interference of QS provides an important means for the inhibition of bacterial virulence and thus aids in treatment strategies.

Profiling Antibody Responses to Infections by Chlamydia abortus Enables Identification of Potential Virulence Factors and Candidates for Serodiagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

Forsbach-Birk, Vera; Foddis, Corinna; Simnacher, Ulrike; Wilkat, Max; Longbottom, David; Walder, Gernot; Benesch, Christiane; Ganter, Martin; Sachse, Konrad; Essig, Andreas

2013-01-01

Enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE) due to infection with the obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydia (C.) abortus is an important zoonosis leading to considerable economic loss to agriculture worldwide. The pathogen can be transmitted to humans and may lead to serious infection in pregnant women. Knowledge about epidemiology, clinical course and transmission to humans is hampered by the lack of reliable diagnostic tools. Immunoreactive proteins, which are expressed in infected animals and humans, may serve as novel candidates for diagnostic marker proteins and represent putative virulence factors. In order to broaden the spectrum of immunogenic C. abortus proteins we applied 2D immunoblot analysis and screening of an expression library using human and animal sera. We have identified 48 immunoreactive proteins representing potential diagnostic markers and also putative virulence factors, such as CAB080 (homologue of the “macrophage infectivity potentiator”, MIP), CAB167 (homologue of the “translocated actin recruitment protein”, TARP), CAB712 (homologue of the “chlamydial protease-like activity factor”, CPAF), CAB776 (homologue of the “Polymorphic membrane protein D”, PmpD), and the “hypothetical proteins” CAB063, CAB408 and CAB821, which are predicted to be type III secreted. We selected two putative virulence factors for further characterization, i.e. CAB080 (cMIP) and CAB063, and studied their expression profiles at transcript and protein levels. Analysis of the subcellular localization of both proteins throughout the developmental cycle revealed CAB063 being the first C. abortus protein shown to be translocated to the host cell nucleus. PMID:24260366

Carbon nanoparticles in lateral flow methods to detect genes encoding virulence factors of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noguera, P.; Posthuma-Trumpie, G.A.; Tuil, van M.; Wal, van der F.J.; Boer, de A.; Moers, A.P.H.A.; Amerongen, van A.

2011-01-01

The use of carbon nanoparticles is shown for the detection and identification of different Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli virulence factors (vt1, vt2, eae and ehxA) and a 16S control (specific for E. coli) based on the use of lateral flow strips (nucleic acid lateral flow immunoassay,

Early differential processing of material images: Evidence from ERP classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiebel, Christiane B; Valsecchi, Matteo; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

2014-06-24

Investigating the temporal dynamics of natural image processing using event-related potentials (ERPs) has a long tradition in object recognition research. In a classical Go-NoGo task two characteristic effects have been emphasized: an early task independent category effect and a later task-dependent target effect. Here, we set out to use this well-established Go-NoGo paradigm to study the time course of material categorization. Material perception has gained more and more interest over the years as its importance in natural viewing conditions has been ignored for a long time. In addition to analyzing standard ERPs, we conducted a single trial ERP pattern analysis. To validate this procedure, we also measured ERPs in two object categories (people and animals). Our linear classification procedure was able to largely capture the overall pattern of results from the canonical analysis of the ERPs and even extend it. We replicate the known target effect (differential Go-NoGo potential at frontal sites) for the material images. Furthermore, we observe task-independent differential activity between the two material categories as early as 140 ms after stimulus onset. Using our linear classification approach, we show that material categories can be differentiated consistently based on the ERP pattern in single trials around 100 ms after stimulus onset, independent of the target-related status. This strengthens the idea of early differential visual processing of material categories independent of the task, probably due to differences in low-level image properties and suggests pattern classification of ERP topographies as a strong instrument for investigating electrophysiological brain activity. © 2014 ARVO.

A requirements engineering framework for cross-organizational ERP systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daneva, Maia; Wieringa, Roelf J.

2006-01-01

The development of cross-organizational enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions is becoming increasingly critical to the business strategy of many networked companies. The major function of cross-organizational ERP solutions is to coordinate work in two or more organizations. However, how to

Trust at first sight: evidence from ERPs

OpenAIRE

Marzi, Tessa; Righi, Stefania; Ottonello, Sara; Cincotta, Massimo; Viggiano, Maria Pia

2012-01-01

We used event-related potentials (ERPs) to tap the temporal dynamics of first impressions based on face appearance. Participants were asked to evaluate briefly presented faces for trustworthiness and political choice. Behaviorally, participants were better at discriminating faces that were pre-rated as untrustworthy. The ERP results showed that the P100 component was enhanced for untrustworthy faces, consistently with the view that signals of potential threat are given precedence in neural pr...

Analysis on the integration of ERP and e-commerce

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yongqing; Shi, Yuliana

2017-08-01

With the continuous development of China's modern economic construction, a variety of information technology are emerging. The new economic development characterized by e-commerce has accelerated the globalization of the economy. In face of increasingly fierce market competition, for enterprises, the constructions of ERP and e-commerce are necessary ways to enhance the core competitiveness of enterprises. At present, most of the internal ERP systems and external e-commerce systems are in relatively independent state. However, with the increasing fierce market competition, a single mode of operation has been unable to meet the requirements of enterprise development. Accordingly, the effective integration of ERP and e-commerce in the new era has become one of the most important topics for enterprise development. This paper firstly analyzes the relationship between ERP and e-commerce, and then analyzes the necessity and feasibility of integration, and finally discusses the integration strategies and technologies.

Applying PPM to ERP Maintenance and Continuous Improvement Initiatives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

El-Tal, Nada Maria; Fonnesbæk, Majbrit; Kræmmergaard, Pernille

2006-01-01

to gain business benefits from the systems. However the ERP literature on how to do this is limited. The purpose of this article is to explore how Project Portfolio Management (PPM) from the Research and Development (R&D) literature can be applied to an ERP second wave context, when companies...... are to prioritize and select maintenance and continuous improvement initiatives. This is done by reviewing the existing literature in the fields of PPM from R&D literature and then by reviewing the existing literature about maintenance and improvement initiatives in the ERP literature, after which the two...... are compared and discussed using three case-studies. The paper contributes with a discussion on how PPM from R&D can be applied to maintenance and continuous improvement initiatives in the second wave of ERP. The paper ends with arguing that emphasis needs to be given to this field, since a conscious...

AFM observation of OMVPE-grown ErP on InP substrates using a new organometal tris(ethylcyclopentadienyl)erbium (Er(EtCp)3)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akane, T.; Jinno, S.; Yang, Y.; Kuno, T.; Hirata, T.; Isogai, Y.; Watanabe, N.; Fujiwara, Y.; Nakamura, A.; Takeda, Y.

2003-01-01

ErP has been grown on InP(0 0 1) substrates by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) using a new liquid organic Er source: tris(ethylcyclopentadienyl)erbium (Er(EtCp) 3 ). Morphological change of an ErP layer on InP(0 0 1) is investigated together with that of an overgrown capping InP layer. Optimum growth condition of InP causes islanding on over-monolayer-ErP. A relatively low overgrowth temperature of InP is a key factor for attaining complete capping coverage on ErP

Low virulent oral Candida albicans strains isolated from smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

de Azevedo Izidoro, Ana Claudia Santos; Semprebom, Andressa Marafon; Baboni, Fernanda Brasil; Rosa, Rosimeire Takaki; Machado, Maria Angela Naval; Samaranayake, Lakshman Perera; Rosa, Edvaldo Antonio Ribeiro

2012-02-01

It is widely accepted that tabagism is a predisposing factor to oral candidosis and cumulate data suggest that cigarette compounds may increase candidal virulence. To verify if enhanced virulence occurs in Candida albicans from chronic smokers, a cohort of 42 non-smokers and other of 58 smokers (all with excellent oral conditions and without signs of candidosis) were swabbed on tong dorsum and jugal mucosa. Results showed that oral candidal loads do not differ between smoker and non-smokers. Activities of secreted aspartyl-protease (Sap), phospholipase, chondroitinase, esterase-lipase, and haemolysin secretions were screened for thirty-two C. albicans isolates. There were detected significant increments in phospholipasic and chondroitinasic activities in isolates from non-smokers. For other virulence factors, no differences between both cohorts were achieved. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differences in Word Recognition between Early Bilinguals and Monolinguals: Behavioral and ERP Evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Lehtonen, Minna; Hulten, Annika; Rodriguez-Fornells, Antoni; Cunillera, Toni; Tuomainen, Jyrki; Laine, Matti

2012-01-01

We investigated the behavioral and brain responses (ERPs) of bilingual word recognition to three fundamental psycholinguistic factors, frequency, morphology, and lexicality, in early bilinguals vs. monolinguals. Earlier behavioral studies have reported larger frequency effects in bilinguals' nondominant vs. dominant language and in some studies…

Imaging mass spectrometry and genome mining reveal highly antifungal virulence factor of mushroom soft rot pathogen.

Science.gov (United States)

Graupner, Katharina; Scherlach, Kirstin; Bretschneider, Tom; Lackner, Gerald; Roth, Martin; Gross, Harald; Hertweck, Christian

2012-12-21

Caught in the act: imaging mass spectrometry of a button mushroom infected with the soft rot pathogen Janthinobacterium agaricidamnosum in conjunction with genome mining revealed jagaricin as a highly antifungal virulence factor that is not produced under standard cultivation conditions. The structure of jagaricin was rigorously elucidated by a combination of physicochemical analyses, chemical derivatization, and bioinformatics. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

ERP System Implementation: An Oil and Gas Exploration Sector Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Alok; Mishra, Deepti

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems provide integration and optimization of various business processes which leads to improved planning and decision quality, smoother coordination between business units resulting in higher efficiency, and quicker response time to customer demands and inquiries. This paper reports challenges, opportunities and outcome of ERP implementation in Oil & Gas exploration sector. This study will facilitate in understanding transition, constraints and implementation of ERP in this sector and also provide guidelines from lessons learned in this regard.

An empirical analysis of ERP adoption by oil and gas firms

Science.gov (United States)

Romero, Jorge

2005-07-01

Despite the growing popularity of enterprise-resource-planning (ERP) systems for the information technology infrastructure of large and medium-sized businesses, there is limited empirical evidence on the competitive benefits of ERP implementations. Case studies of individual firms provide insights but do not provide sufficient evidence to draw reliable inferences and cross-sectional studies of firms in multiple industries provide a broad-brush perspective of the performance effects associated with ERP installations. To narrow the focus to a specific competitive arena, I analyze the impact of ERP adoption on various dimensions of performance for firms in the Oil and Gas Industry. I selected the Oil and Gas Industry because several companies installed a specific type of ERP system, SAP R/3, during the period from 1990 to 2002. In fact, SAP was the dominant provider of enterprise software to oil and gas companies during this period. I evaluate performance of firms that implemented SAP R/3 relative to firms that did not adopt ERP systems in the pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation periods. My analysis takes two different approaches, the first from a financial perspective and the second from a strategic perspective. Using the Sloan (General Motors) model commonly applied in financial statement analysis, I examine changes in performance for ERP-adopting firms versus non-adopting firms along the dimensions of asset utilization and return on sales. Asset utilization is more closely aligned with changes in leanness of operations, and return on sales is more closely aligned with customer-value-added. I test hypotheses related to the timing and magnitude of the impact of ERP implementation with respect to leanness of operations and customer value added. I find that SAP-adopting companies performed relatively better in terms of asset turnover than non-SAP-adopting companies during both the implementation and post-implementation periods and that SAP

Cost Estimation for Cross-organizational ERP Projects: Research Perspectives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daneva, Maia; Bieman, J.; Wieringa, Roelf J.

There are many methods for estimating size, effort, schedule and other cost aspects of IS projects, but only one specifically developed for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) [67] and none for simultaneous, interdependent ERP projects in a cross-organizational context. The objective of this paper is

Performing ERP, Performing Society

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Christian

suites, during the third period of ERP change. Other, more basic technology developments are more important than new software applications. A biography of a community consists of technical, organizational, financial and marketing changes and occasions. Research limitations/implications: A community...

Tissue tropisms in group A Streptococcus: what virulence factors distinguish pharyngitis from impetigo strains?

Science.gov (United States)

Bessen, Debra E

2016-06-01

Group A streptococci (GAS) are a common cause of pharyngitis and impetigo, and distinct throat strains and skin strains have been long recognized. This review aims to describe recent advances in molecular differences between throat and skin strains, and the pathogenic mechanisms used by virulence factors that may distinguish between these two groups. Recent findings include a new typing scheme for GAS strains based on sequence clusters of genes encoding the entire surface-exposed portion of M protein; correlations between emm-based typing schemes, clinical disease and surface adhesins; covalent bond formation mediated by GAS pili and other adhesins in binding to host ligands; a key role for superantigens in oropharyngeal infection via binding major histocompatibility complex class II antigen; and migration of GAS-specific Th17 cells from the upper respiratory tract to the brain, which may be relevant to autoimmune sequelae. The gap between molecular markers of disease (correlation) and virulence mechanisms (causation) in the establishment of tissue tropisms for GAS infection currently remains wide, but the gap also continues to narrow. Whole genome sequencing combined with mutant construction and improvements in animal models for oropharyngeal infection by GAS may help pave the way for new discoveries.

Virulence Gene Pool Detected in Bovine Group C Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae Isolates by Use of a Group A S. pyogenes Virulence Microarray ▿

Science.gov (United States)

Rato, Márcia G.; Nerlich, Andreas; Bergmann, René; Bexiga, Ricardo; Nunes, Sandro F.; Vilela, Cristina L.; Santos-Sanches, Ilda; Chhatwal, Gursharan S.

2011-01-01

A custom-designed microarray containing 220 virulence genes of Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus [GAS]) was used to test group C Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae (GCS) field strains causing bovine mastitis and group C or group G Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (GCS/GGS) isolates from human infections, with the latter being used for comparative purposes, for the presence of virulence genes. All bovine and all human isolates carried a fraction of the 220 genes (23% and 39%, respectively). The virulence genes encoding streptolysin S, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, the plasminogen-binding M-like protein PAM, and the collagen-like protein SclB were detected in the majority of both bovine and human isolates (94 to 100%). Virulence factors, usually carried by human beta-hemolytic streptococcal pathogens, such as streptokinase, laminin-binding protein, and the C5a peptidase precursor, were detected in all human isolates but not in bovine isolates. Additionally, GAS bacteriophage-associated virulence genes encoding superantigens, DNase, and/or streptodornase were detected in bovine isolates (72%) but not in the human isolates. Determinants located in non-bacteriophage-related mobile elements, such as the gene encoding R28, were detected in all bovine and human isolates. Several virulence genes, including genes of bacteriophage origin, were shown to be expressed by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). Phylogenetic analysis of superantigen gene sequences revealed a high level (>98%) of identity among genes of bovine GCS, of the horse pathogen Streptococcus equi subsp. equi, and of the human pathogen GAS. Our findings indicate that alpha-hemolytic bovine GCS, an important mastitis pathogen and considered to be a nonhuman pathogen, carries important virulence factors responsible for virulence and pathogenesis in humans. PMID:21525223

Host cell interactions of outer membrane vesicle-associated virulence factors of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157: Intracellular delivery, trafficking and mechanisms of cell injury

Science.gov (United States)

Greune, Lilo; Jarosch, Kevin-André; Steil, Daniel; Zhang, Wenlan; He, Xiaohua; Lloubes, Roland; Fruth, Angelika; Kim, Kwang Sik; Schmidt, M. Alexander; Dobrindt, Ulrich; Mellmann, Alexander; Karch, Helge

2017-01-01

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are important tools in bacterial virulence but their role in the pathogenesis of infections caused by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157, the leading cause of life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome, is poorly understood. Using proteomics, electron and confocal laser scanning microscopy, immunoblotting, and bioassays, we investigated OMVs secreted by EHEC O157 clinical isolates for virulence factors cargoes, interactions with pathogenetically relevant human cells, and mechanisms of cell injury. We demonstrate that O157 OMVs carry a cocktail of key virulence factors of EHEC O157 including Shiga toxin 2a (Stx2a), cytolethal distending toxin V (CdtV), EHEC hemolysin, and flagellin. The toxins are internalized by cells via dynamin-dependent endocytosis of OMVs and differentially separate from vesicles during intracellular trafficking. Stx2a and CdtV-B, the DNase-like CdtV subunit, separate from OMVs in early endosomes. Stx2a is trafficked, in association with its receptor globotriaosylceramide within detergent-resistant membranes, to the Golgi complex and the endoplasmic reticulum from where the catalytic Stx2a A1 fragment is translocated to the cytosol. CdtV-B is, after its retrograde transport to the endoplasmic reticulum, translocated to the nucleus to reach DNA. CdtV-A and CdtV-C subunits remain OMV-associated and are sorted with OMVs to lysosomes. EHEC hemolysin separates from OMVs in lysosomes and targets mitochondria. The OMV-delivered CdtV-B causes cellular DNA damage, which activates DNA damage responses leading to G2 cell cycle arrest. The arrested cells ultimately die of apoptosis induced by Stx2a and CdtV via caspase-9 activation. By demonstrating that naturally secreted EHEC O157 OMVs carry and deliver into cells a cocktail of biologically active virulence factors, thereby causing cell death, and by performing first comprehensive analysis of intracellular trafficking of OMVs and OMV-delivered virulence factors

Patterns of Technochange Management in ERP Multisite Implementations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carugati, Andrea; Gibson, Cyrus; Mola, Lapo

2009-01-01

% of the total costs of implementation, small in comparison to installation and testing (45%) and, most significantly, deployment or actually achieving effective use of technology (36%). Douplaga and Astani [7] in a survey conducted among companies of various size to discovered the major issues concerning ERP......, customizations and training. This study focus therefore on the knowledge and training issues in multisite ERP implementations and proposes a contingent approach to implementation strategies in accordance to the level of knowledge possessed by the company in the ERP technology. ...... problems in getting business results from pervasive IT-related "technochanges". Technochange [4] refers to big, technology-driven, technology-dependent change seeking significant strategic benefits and requiring significant organizational change. From the management point of view these projects differ from...

A FRAMEWORK FOR CLASSIFYING MISFITS BETWEEN ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP SYSTEMS AND BUSINESS STRATEGIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosnah Idrus

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Enterprise resource planning (ERP is a broad set of activities that is supported by multi- module application software that helps manufacturers or other businesses manage their activities. ERP is more than a software package; it includes the efforts and activities to integrate internal and external management information, business process automation and reengineering, and organisation structure streamlining. Thus, ERP eventually leads to an efficient and competitive business. Despite the prominence of ERP systems, approximately three-quarters of ERP projects are deemed as failures. Most failures are attributed to the misfit between pre-loaded business models in the ERP system and business requirements in the real world. This paper introduces a framework to classify ERP misfits into logical categories that provide insights for solution derivation. Subsequently, the classification methods are applied to a case study. Practitioners can use the misfit classification method to derive corresponding actions as solutions for ERP misfits based on their nature or specificity. In addition, the theoretical contribution of the ERP misfit problem is explored to provide information for researchers to determine appropriate theories and concepts explaining this domain.

Limiting opportunities for cheating stabilizes virulence in insect parasitic nematodes

Science.gov (United States)

Cooperative secretion of virulence factors by pathogens can often lead to social conflict as cheating mutants that benefit from collective action, but do not contribute to it, can arise and locally outcompete cooperators within hosts, leading to loss of virulence. There is a wide range of in vivo st...

Role of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Virulence Factors in Development of Urinary Tract Infection and Kidney Damage

Science.gov (United States)

Bien, Justyna; Sokolova, Olga; Bozko, Przemyslaw

2012-01-01

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is a causative agent in the vast majority of urinary tract infections (UTIs), including cystitis and pyelonephritis, and infectious complications, which may result in acute renal failure in healthy individuals as well as in renal transplant patients. UPEC expresses a multitude of virulence factors to break the inertia of the mucosal barrier. In response to the breach by UPEC into the normally sterile urinary tract, host inflammatory responses are triggered leading to cytokine production, neutrophil influx, and the exfoliation of infected bladder epithelial cells. Several signaling pathways activated during UPEC infection, including the pathways known to activate the innate immune response, interact with calcium-dependent signaling pathways. Some UPEC isolates, however, might possess strategies to delay or suppress the activation of components of the innate host response in the urinary tract. Studies published in the recent past provide new information regarding how virulence factors of uropathogenic E. coli are involved in activation of the innate host response. Despite numerous host defense mechanisms, UPEC can persist within the urinary tract and may serve as a reservoir for recurrent infections and serious complications. Presentation of the molecular details of these events is essential for development of successful strategies for prevention of human UTIs and urological complications associated with UTIs. PMID:22506110

Genetic factors of Ebola virus virulence in guinea pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Subbotina, Ekaterina; Dadaeva, Alexandra; Kachko, Alla; Chepurnov, Alexander

2010-10-01

Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) causes severe hemorrhagic fever in primates, whereas in guinea pigs it induces a nonlethal infection with a mild fever and subsequent recovery. We performed 7 selective passages in guinea pigs resulted in obtaining of guinea pig-adapted strain (GPA-P7) strain. By the 7th passage, the infection with EBOV induced a lethal disease in animals accompanied by the characteristic hematological changes: leukocytosis (primarily due to neutrophilia) as well as pronounced deficiencies in platelets, lymphocytes, monocytes and significant decrease of blood neutrophils phagocytic capacity. Increasing of virulence correlated with appearance of several nucleotide substitutions: in the genes NP, A2166G (N566S), VP24, U10784C (L147P), G10557A (M71I), G10805U (R154L), and L, G12286A (V236I). It has been theoretically calculated that the mutations associated with an increase in EBOV virulence can confer characteristic secondary structure on the proteins NP (C-terminal region) and full-sized VP24. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Study to Identify the Critical Success Factors for ERP Implementation in an Indian SME: A Case Based Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhyay, Parijat; Dan, Pranab K.

To achieve synergy across product lines, businesses are implementing a set of standard business applications and consistent data definitions across all business units. ERP packages are extremely useful in integrating a global company and provide a "common language" throughout the company. Companies are not only implementing a standardized application but is also moving to a common architecture and infrastructure. For many companies, a standardized software rollout is a good time to do some consolidation of their IT infrastructure across various locations. Companies are also finding that the ERP solutions help them get rid of their legacy systems, most of which may not be compliant with the modern day business requirements.

CRH Affects the Phenotypic Expression of Sepsis-Associated Virulence Factors by Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 1 In vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colette G. Ngo Ndjom

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Sepsis is a life-threatening health condition caused by infectious pathogens of the respiratory tract, and accounts for 28–50% of annual deaths in the US alone. Current treatment regimen advocates the use of corticosteroids as adjunct treatment with antibiotics, for their broad inhibitory effect on the activity and production of pro-inflammatory mediators. However, despite their use, corticosteroids have not proven to be able to reverse the death incidence among septic patients. We have previously demonstrated the potential for neuroendocrine factors to directly influence Streptococcus pneumoniae virulence, which may in turn mediate disease outcome leading to sepsis and septic shock. The current study investigated the role of Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH in mediating key markers of pneumococcal virulence as important phenotypic determinants of sepsis and septic shock risks. In vitro cultures of serotype 1 pneumococcal strain with CRH promoted growth rate, increased capsule thickness and penicillin resistance, as well as induced pneumolysin gene expression. These results thus provide significant insights of CRH–pathogen interactions useful in understanding the underlying mechanisms of neuroendocrine factor's role in the onset of community acquired pneumonias (CAP, sepsis and septic shock.

Relevance of Helicobacter pylori virulence factors for vaccine development Relevancia de los factores de virulencia de helicobacter pylori para el desarrollo de vacunas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luz del Carmen Hernández-Hernández

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Helicobacter pylori infection increases the risk for a wide spectrum of clinical outcomes, ranging from peptic ulcer disease to gastric cancer. However, the infection induces gastric and duodenal ulceration or gastric cancer in only a minority of infected subjects because H. pylori strains are genetically diverse and express different virulence factors. Individuals infected with strains that express these virulence factors probably develop severe diseases such as gastric cancer. Nevertheless, the ancient relationship between H. pylori and humans suggests that some strains could be beneficial to human health, which means that generalized administration of antibiotic therapy could eventually cause problems. The development of vaccines based on virulence factors that provide long-term protection is the best strategy for control and/or elimination of pathogenic strains. The different immunization schemes and formulations designed to evaluate the vaccines based on virulence factors in animal models have offered promising results. However, it is necessary to determine whether or not these results can be reproduced in humans. This article reviews recent vaccination studies that explore this possibility: oral vaccines using urease or inactivated whole cells plus LT as adjuvant and urease expressed in Salmonella spp. vectors, as well as a parenteral multicomponent vaccine plus aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant. Although these studies have achieved limited success, they have established support for the development of an effective vaccine against this infection.La infección por Helicobacter pylori incrementa el riesgo de un amplio espectro de cuadros clínicos, que van de la úlcera péptica al cáncer gástrico. Sin embargo, la infección sólo induce ulceración gástrica y duodenal o cáncer gástrico en la minoría de los sujetos infectados debido que las cepas de H. pylori son genéticamente diversas y expresan diferentes factores de virulencia. As

Species distribution, virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance of Acinetobacter spp. isolates from dogs and cats: a preliminary study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Yui; Harada, Kazuki; Shimizu, Takae; Sato, Tomomi; Kajino, Akari; Usui, Masaru; Tamura, Yutaka; Tsuyuki, Yuzo; Miyamoto, Tadashi; Ohki, Asami; Watarai, Masahisa

2018-05-12

We investigated the prevalence of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance among 67 Acinetobacter spp. isolates, consisting of 21 Acinetobacter baumannii and 46 non-baumannii Acinetobacter from companion animals. The PCR analysis showed that the most prevalent virulence gene was afa/draBC (29.9%), followed by papC (22.4%) and cvaC (20.9%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that resistance to gentamicin (14.9%) and ciprofloxacin (11.9%) was relatively prevalent. Five gentamicin- and/or ciprofloxacin-resistant A. baumannii strains were assigned to ST25, ST149, ST164, ST203, and ST1198. All ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates harbored point mutations in gyrA and/or parC. This is the first preliminary monitoring of animal-origin Acinetobacter spp. in Japan. © 2018 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

The influence of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems' performance on earnings management

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Wen-Hsien; Lee, Kuen-Chang; Liu, Jau-Yang; Lin, Sin-Jin; Chou, Yu-Wei

2012-11-01

We analyse whether there is a linkage between performance measures of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and earnings management. We find that earnings management decreases with the higher performance of ERP systems. The empirical result is as expected. We further analyse how the dimension of the DeLone and McLean model of information systems success affects earnings management. We find that the relationship between the performance of ERP systems and earnings management depends on System Quality after ERP implementation. The more System Quality improves, the more earnings management is reduced.

Characterization of Foodborne Strains of Staphylococcus aureus by Shotgun Proteomics: Functional Networks, Virulence Factors and Species-Specific Peptide Biomarkers

Science.gov (United States)

Carrera, Mónica; Böhme, Karola; Gallardo, José M.; Barros-Velázquez, Jorge; Cañas, Benito; Calo-Mata, Pilar

2017-01-01

In the present work, we applied a shotgun proteomics approach for the fast and easy characterization of 20 different foodborne strains of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), one of the most recognized foodborne pathogenic bacteria. A total of 644 non-redundant proteins were identified and analyzed via an easy and rapid protein sample preparation procedure. The results allowed the differentiation of several proteome datasets from the different strains (common, accessory, and unique datasets), which were used to determine relevant functional pathways and differentiate the strains into different Euclidean hierarchical clusters. Moreover, a predicted protein-protein interaction network of the foodborne S. aureus strains was created. The whole confidence network contains 77 nodes and 769 interactions. Most of the identified proteins were surface-associated proteins that were related to pathways and networks of energy, lipid metabolism and virulence. Twenty-seven virulence factors were identified, and most of them corresponded to autolysins, N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidases, phenol-soluble modulins, extracellular fibrinogen-binding proteins and virulence factor EsxA. Potential species-specific peptide biomarkers were screened. Twenty-one species-specific peptide biomarkers, belonging to eight different proteins (nickel-ABC transporter, N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase, autolysin, clumping factor A, gram-positive signal peptide YSIRK, cysteine protease/staphopain, transcriptional regulator MarR, and transcriptional regulator Sar-A), were proposed to identify S. aureus. These results constitute the first major dataset of peptides and proteins of foodborne S. aureus strains. This repository may be useful for further studies, for the development of new therapeutic treatments for S. aureus food intoxications and for microbial source-tracking in foodstuffs. PMID:29312172

The Role of the Multiple Banded Antigen of Ureaplasma parvum in Intra-Amniotic Infection: Major Virulence Factor or Decoy?

Science.gov (United States)

Dando, Samantha J.; Nitsos, Ilias; Kallapur, Suhas G.; Newnham, John P.; Polglase, Graeme R.; Pillow, J. Jane; Jobe, Alan H.; Timms, Peter; Knox, Christine L.

2012-01-01

The multiple banded antigen (MBA) is a predicted virulence factor of Ureaplasma species. Antigenic variation of the MBA is a potential mechanism by which ureaplasmas avoid immune recognition and cause chronic infections of the upper genital tract of pregnant women. We tested whether the MBA is involved in the pathogenesis of intra-amniotic infection and chorioamnionitis by injecting virulent or avirulent-derived ureaplasma clones (expressing single MBA variants) into the amniotic fluid of pregnant sheep. At 55 days of gestation pregnant ewes (n = 20) received intra-amniotic injections of virulent-derived or avirulent-derived U. parvum serovar 6 strains (2×104 CFU), or 10B medium (n = 5). Amniotic fluid was collected every two weeks post-infection and fetal tissues were collected at the time of surgical delivery of the fetus (140 days of gestation). Whilst chronic colonisation was established in the amniotic fluid of animals infected with avirulent-derived and virulent-derived ureaplasmas, the severity of chorioamnionitis and fetal inflammation was not different between these groups (p>0.05). MBA size variants (32–170 kDa) were generated in vivo in amniotic fluid samples from both the avirulent and virulent groups, whereas in vitro antibody selection experiments led to the emergence of MBA-negative escape variants in both strains. Anti-ureaplasma IgG antibodies were detected in the maternal serum of animals from the avirulent (40%) and virulent (55%) groups, and these antibodies correlated with increased IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 expression in chorioamnion tissue (pureaplasmas are capable of MBA phase variation in vitro; however, ureaplasmas undergo MBA size variation in vivo, to potentially prevent eradication by the immune response. Size variation of the MBA did not correlate with the severity of chorioamnionitis. Nonetheless, the correlation between a maternal humoral response and the expression of chorioamnion cytokines is a novel finding. This host

Comparison of virulence factors and capsular types of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from human and bovine infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Emaneini, Mohammad; Khoramian, Babak; Jabalameli, Fereshteh; Abani, Samira; Dabiri, Hossein; Beigverdi, Reza

2016-02-01

Streptococcus agalactiae is a leading cause of human and bovine infections. A total of 194 S. agalactiae isolates, 55 isolates from bovines and 139 from humans, were analyzed for capsular types, virulence genes (scpB, hly, rib, bca and bac) and mobile genetic elements (IS1548 and GBSi1) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multiplex PCR. Capsular type III was predominant (61%), followed by types V, II, Ib, and IV. The scpB, hly, bca and bac virulence genes were only found among human isolates. Twelve and 2 distinct virulence gene profiles were identified among human and bovine isolates respectively. The virulence gene profiles scpB- hly- IS1548- rib-bca (51%) and scpB- hly- IS1548- bca (19%) were only predominant among human isolates. The rib gene was the most common virulence gene in both human and bovine isolates. The study showed a high prevalence of virulence genes in S. agalactiae strains isolated from human infections, these result can support the idea that S. agalactiae isolated from humans and bovines are generally unrelated and probably belonged to separate populations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

INTEGRATION OF E-BUSINESS WITH ERP SYSTEMS

OpenAIRE

Prof. Pramod Kumar; Dr.M.P.Thapliyal

2010-01-01

It is very important for the businesses in our country to understand the concepts and terms of e-business and to start applying them. In the 1990's, ERP systems were introduced to fulfill some of the technological requirements across functional areas within a corporate boundary. Moreover, with the exponential growth of Internet technology and the emergence of e-business, the focus of ERP systems has changed from an integrated functional focus within an organization to one reaching outside the...

Evolution of ERP Systems in the Cloud: A Study on System Updates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elise Bjelland

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP systems emerged around the new millennium, and since then there has been a lack of research regarding the evolution and update processes of these systems. From the users’ perspective, updates in a traditional on-premise ERP system are carried at their own request; while cloud-based ERPs are compulsory updated. Through an established ERP lifecycle framework, this study investigates how the process of updates is conducted in a cloud ERP context, from both the users’ and vendors’ perspectives. A multiple case study was conducted in Norway at 10 client organizations, as well as a cloud ERP vendor. Our main findings suggest that the vendor and the users view the process of updates differently. The main challenges with the process of updates from the users’ perspective are the size and date of the updates, lack of information and communication during the process, and extinction of certain functionalities. Yet, the main advantages are that all system users will always have the same version of the system, users do not need to spend time on updating the system and paying attention to the ERP market, which leads to more focus on their core competences instead.

Using ERP and WfM Systems for Implementing Business Processes: An Empirical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Aversano, Lerina; Tortorella, Maria

Software systems mainly considered from enterprises for dealing with a business process automation belong to the following two categories: Workflow Management Systems (WfMS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. The wider diffusion of ERP systems tends to favourite this solution, but there are several limitations of most ERP systems for automating business processes. This paper reports an empirical study aiming at comparing the ability of implementing business processes of ERP systems and WfMSs. Two different case studies have been considered in the empirical study. It evaluates and analyses the correctness and completeness of the process models implemented by using ERP and WfM systems.

Detection of Alpha-Toxin and Other Virulence Factors in Biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus on Polystyrene and a Human Epidermal Model.

Science.gov (United States)

den Reijer, P M; Haisma, E M; Lemmens-den Toom, N A; Willemse, J; Koning, R I; Koning, R A; Demmers, J A A; Dekkers, D H W; Rijkers, E; El Ghalbzouri, A; Nibbering, P H; van Wamel, W

2016-01-01

The ability of Staphylococcus aureus to successfully colonize (a)biotic surfaces may be explained by biofilm formation and the actions of virulence factors. The aim of the present study was to establish the presence of 52 proteins, including virulence factors such as alpha-toxin, during biofilm formation of five different (methicillin resistant) S. aureus strains on Leiden human epidermal models (LEMs) and polystyrene surfaces (PS) using a competitive Luminex-based assay. All five S. aureus strains formed biofilms on PS, whereas only three out of five strains formed biofilms on LEMs. Out of the 52 tested proteins, six functionally diverse proteins (ClfB, glucosaminidase, IsdA, IsaA, SACOL0688 and nuclease) were detected in biofilms of all strains on both PS and LEMs. At the same time, four toxins (alpha-toxin, gamma-hemolysin B and leukocidins D and E), two immune modulators (formyl peptide receptor-like inhibitory protein and Staphylococcal superantigen-like protein 1), and two other proteins (lipase and LytM) were detectable in biofilms by all five S. aureus strains on LEMs, but not on PS. In contrast, fibronectin-binding protein B (FnbpB) was detectable in biofilms by all S. aureus biofilms on PS, but not on LEMs. These data were largely confirmed by the results from proteomic and transcriptomic analyses and in case of alpha-toxin additionally by GFP-reporter technology. Functionally diverse virulence factors of (methicillin-resistant) S. aureus are present during biofilm formation on LEMs and PS. These results could aid in identifying novel targets for future treatment strategies against biofilm-associated infections.

PENGEMBANGAN SISTEM HRM TERINTEGRASI DENGAN PENDEKATAN ERP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Regilia Suwu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Human Resources Management merupakan salah satu instrumen yang penting bagi perusahaan dalam pencapaian tujuannya. Penggunaan sistem informasi yang terintegrasi merupakan salah satu unsur penting untuk mengelola bisnis proses dalam manajemen perusahaan. ERP merupakan sistem informasi terintegrasi yang dimaksud dalam upaya peningkatan kualitas perusahaan. Khususnya untuk perusahaan distributor, pengelolaan proses bisnis secara konvensional dapat berpengaruh pada kualitas performa dari perusahaan itu sendiri. Berfokus pada HRM perusahaan distributor, penelitian membahas mengenai implementasi bisnis proses human resource management menggunakan software ERP yaitu Odoo. Penelitian dilakukan dengan menganalisa bisnis proses yang ada kemudian merancang sistem usulan yang terintegrasi lalu diimplementasikan ke dalam Odoo. Pemodelan sistem dirancang untuk mengoptimalkan pengelolaan data yang masih diproses secara konvensional. Optimalisasi dalam setiap proses bisnis meningkatkan kualitas keamanan dengan adanya pengaturan hak akses user dan keakuratan data yang didapat dengan transaksi data yang real time, serta efisiensi waktu yaitu memperkecil durasi waktu yang diperlukan untuk pencatatan dan penyimpanan dokumen dibanding secara manual. Kata Kunci: Sistem Informasi, Human Resources Management, ERP, Bussines Process Management

Rapid screening of pyogenic Staphylococcus aureus for confirmation of genus and species, methicillin resistance and virulence factors by using two novel multiplex PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Haque, Abdul; Haque, Asma; Saeed, Muhammad; Azhar, Aysha; Rasool, Samreen; Shan, Sidra; Ehsan, Beenish; Nisar, Zohaib

2017-01-01

Emergence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major medical problem of current era. These bacteria are resistant to most drugs and rapid diagnosis can provide a clear guideline to clinicians. They possess specific virulence factors and relevant information can be very useful. We designed this study to develop multiplex PCRs to provide rapid information. We studied 60 Staphylococcus aureus isolates and detected methicillin resistance by cefoxitin sensitivity and targeting of mecA gene. After initial studies with uniplex PCRs we optimized two multiplex PCRs with highly reproducible results. The first multiplex PCR was developed to confirm genus, species and methicillin resistance simultaneously, and the second multiplex PCR was for screening of virulence factors. We found 38.33% isolates as methicillin resistant. α -toxin, the major cytotoxic factor, was detected in 40% whereas β-hemolysin was found in 25% cases. Panton Valentine leucocidin was detected in 8.33% and toxic shock syndrome toxin in5% cases. The results of uniplex and multiplex PCRs were highly compatible. These two multiplex PCRs when run simultaneously can provide vital information about methicillin resistance and virulence status of the isolate within a few hours as compared to several days needed by routine procedures.

Invasion thresholds and the evolution of nonequilibrium virulence

OpenAIRE

Bull, J. J.; Ebert, D.

2008-01-01

Abstract The enterprise of virulence management attempts to predict how social practices and other factors affect the evolution of parasite virulence. These predictions are often based on parasite optima or evolutionary equilibria derived from models of host-parasite dynamics. Yet even when such models accurately capture the parasite optima, newly invading parasites will typically not be at their optima. Here we show that parasite invasion of a host population can occur despite highly nonopti...

Complete genome sequence of hypervirulent and outbreak-associated Acinetobacter baumannii strain LAC-4: epidemiology, resistance genetic determinants and potential virulence factors

Science.gov (United States)

Ou, Hong-Yu; Kuang, Shan N.; He, Xinyi; Molgora, Brenda M.; Ewing, Peter J.; Deng, Zixin; Osby, Melanie; Chen, Wangxue; Xu, H. Howard

2015-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important human pathogen due to its multi-drug resistance. In this study, the genome of an ST10 outbreak A. baumannii isolate LAC-4 was completely sequenced to better understand its epidemiology, antibiotic resistance genetic determinants and potential virulence factors. Compared with 20 other complete genomes of A. baumannii, LAC-4 genome harbors at least 12 copies of five distinct insertion sequences. It contains 12 and 14 copies of two novel IS elements, ISAba25 and ISAba26, respectively. Additionally, three novel composite transposons were identified: Tn6250, Tn6251 and Tn6252, two of which contain resistance genes. The antibiotic resistance genetic determinants on the LAC-4 genome correlate well with observed antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Moreover, twelve genomic islands (GI) were identified in LAC-4 genome. Among them, the 33.4-kb GI12 contains a large number of genes which constitute the K (capsule) locus. LAC-4 harbors several unique putative virulence factor loci. Furthermore, LAC-4 and all 19 other outbreak isolates were found to harbor a heme oxygenase gene (hemO)-containing gene cluster. The sequencing of the first complete genome of an ST10 A. baumannii clinical strain should accelerate our understanding of the epidemiology, mechanisms of resistance and virulence of A. baumannii. PMID:25728466

Carbon nanoparticles as detection labels in antibody microarrays. Detection of genes encoding virulence factors in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noguera, P.S.; Posthuma-Trumpie, G.A.; Tuil, Van M.; Wal, van der F.J.; Boer, De A.; Moers, A.P.H.A.; Amerongen, Van A.

2011-01-01

The present study demonstrates that carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) can be used as labels in microarrays. CNPs were used in nucleic acid microarray immunoassays (NAMIAs) for the detection of different Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) virulence factors: four genes specific for STEC (vt1,

Map of important transactions and master data in SAP ERP

OpenAIRE

Schermann, Michael

2015-01-01

This image represents the most important transactions and master data in SAP ERP as a tube map. As such, it covers most of the content of Magal & Word (2012) Integrated Business Processes with ERP Systems. Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, USA.

ERP project implementation and risk management of nuclear power enterprise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Fei

2008-01-01

According to the characteristic and development trend of nuclear power enterprise informatization, combined with the general ERP implementation experience, the method is proposed to ensure the successful implementation and risk management of ERP project in nuclear power enterprise. (authors)

Competitive advantage in the ERP system's value-chain and its influence on future development

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Björn; Newman, Mike

2010-02-01

Using the resource-based view, we present a set of propositions related to enterprise resource planning (ERP) development, reflections on competitive advantage and the different roles that stakeholders play in the value-chain. This has the goal of building a foundation for future research on ERPs and how stakeholders' desire to achieve competitive advantage influence ERP development, especially when it comes to development of a more standardised or pre-customised ERP system. The propositions also act as a foundation for increasing our knowledge concerning the difficulty in developing improved ERP systems.

Excess labile carbon promotes the expression of virulence factors in coral reef bacterioplankton.

Science.gov (United States)

Cárdenas, Anny; Neave, Matthew J; Haroon, Mohamed Fauzi; Pogoreutz, Claudia; Rädecker, Nils; Wild, Christian; Gärdes, Astrid; Voolstra, Christian R

2018-01-01

Coastal pollution and algal cover are increasing on many coral reefs, resulting in higher dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. High DOC concentrations strongly affect microbial activity in reef waters and select for copiotrophic, often potentially virulent microbial populations. High DOC concentrations on coral reefs are also hypothesized to be a determinant for switching microbial lifestyles from commensal to pathogenic, thereby contributing to coral reef degradation, but evidence is missing. In this study, we conducted ex situ incubations to assess gene expression of planktonic microbial populations under elevated concentrations of naturally abundant monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, mannose, and xylose) in algal exudates and sewage inflows. We assembled 27 near-complete (>70%) microbial genomes through metagenomic sequencing and determined associated expression patterns through metatranscriptomic sequencing. Differential gene expression analysis revealed a shift in the central carbohydrate metabolism and the induction of metalloproteases, siderophores, and toxins in Alteromonas, Erythrobacter, Oceanicola, and Alcanivorax populations. Sugar-specific induction of virulence factors suggests a mechanistic link for the switch from a commensal to a pathogenic lifestyle, particularly relevant during increased algal cover and human-derived pollution on coral reefs. Although an explicit test remains to be performed, our data support the hypothesis that increased availability of specific sugars changes net microbial community activity in ways that increase the emergence and abundance of opportunistic pathogens, potentially contributing to coral reef degradation.

Excess labile carbon promotes the expression of virulence factors in coral reef bacterioplankton

KAUST Repository

Cardenas, Anny

2017-09-12

Coastal pollution and algal cover are increasing on many coral reefs, resulting in higher dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. High DOC concentrations strongly affect microbial activity in reef waters and select for copiotrophic, often potentially virulent microbial populations. High DOC concentrations on coral reefs are also hypothesized to be a determinant for switching microbial lifestyles from commensal to pathogenic, thereby contributing to coral reef degradation, but evidence is missing. In this study, we conducted ex situ incubations to assess gene expression of planktonic microbial populations under elevated concentrations of naturally abundant monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, mannose, and xylose) in algal exudates and sewage inflows. We assembled 27 near-complete (>70%) microbial genomes through metagenomic sequencing and determined associated expression patterns through metatranscriptomic sequencing. Differential gene expression analysis revealed a shift in the central carbohydrate metabolism and the induction of metalloproteases, siderophores, and toxins in Alteromonas, Erythrobacter, Oceanicola, and Alcanivorax populations. Sugar-specific induction of virulence factors suggests a mechanistic link for the switch from a commensal to a pathogenic lifestyle, particularly relevant during increased algal cover and human-derived pollution on coral reefs. Although an explicit test remains to be performed, our data support the hypothesis that increased availability of specific sugars changes net microbial community activity in ways that increase the emergence and abundance of opportunistic pathogens, potentially contributing to coral reef degradation.

Excess labile carbon promotes the expression of virulence factors in coral reef bacterioplankton

KAUST Repository

Cardenas, Anny; Neave, Matthew J.; Haroon, Mohamed; Pogoreutz, Claudia; Radecker, Nils; Wild, Christian; Gä rdes, Astrid; Voolstra, Christian R.

2017-01-01

Coastal pollution and algal cover are increasing on many coral reefs, resulting in higher dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. High DOC concentrations strongly affect microbial activity in reef waters and select for copiotrophic, often potentially virulent microbial populations. High DOC concentrations on coral reefs are also hypothesized to be a determinant for switching microbial lifestyles from commensal to pathogenic, thereby contributing to coral reef degradation, but evidence is missing. In this study, we conducted ex situ incubations to assess gene expression of planktonic microbial populations under elevated concentrations of naturally abundant monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, mannose, and xylose) in algal exudates and sewage inflows. We assembled 27 near-complete (>70%) microbial genomes through metagenomic sequencing and determined associated expression patterns through metatranscriptomic sequencing. Differential gene expression analysis revealed a shift in the central carbohydrate metabolism and the induction of metalloproteases, siderophores, and toxins in Alteromonas, Erythrobacter, Oceanicola, and Alcanivorax populations. Sugar-specific induction of virulence factors suggests a mechanistic link for the switch from a commensal to a pathogenic lifestyle, particularly relevant during increased algal cover and human-derived pollution on coral reefs. Although an explicit test remains to be performed, our data support the hypothesis that increased availability of specific sugars changes net microbial community activity in ways that increase the emergence and abundance of opportunistic pathogens, potentially contributing to coral reef degradation.

Managing the Challenges of Leadership in ERP Implementations: An Exploratory Study of the Leadership Challenges Encountered by Project Managers Involved in ERP Implementation Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Wanjagi, James K.

2013-01-01

Increasingly, organizations are conducting more Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects in order to promote organizational efficiencies. Meanwhile, minimal research has been conducted on the leadership challenges faced by project managers during the ERP project implementations and how these challenges are managed. The existing project…

The Role of Antibiotics in Modulating Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodille, Elisabeth; Rose, Warren; Diep, Binh An; Goutelle, Sylvain; Lina, Gerard; Dumitrescu, Oana

2017-10-01

Staphylococcus aureus is often involved in severe infections, in which the effects of bacterial virulence factors have great importance. Antistaphylococcal regimens should take into account the different effects of antibacterial agents on the expression of virulence factors and on the host's immune response. A PubMed literature search was performed to select relevant articles on the effects of antibiotics on staphylococcal toxin production and on the host immune response. Information was sorted according to the methods used for data acquisition (bacterial strains, growth models, and antibiotic concentrations) and the assays used for readout generation. The reported mechanisms underlying S. aureus virulence modulation by antibiotics were reviewed. The relevance of in vitro observations is discussed in relation to animal model data and to clinical evidence extracted from case reports and recommendations on the management of toxin-related staphylococcal diseases. Most in vitro data point to a decreased level of virulence expression upon treatment with ribosomally active antibiotics (linezolid and clindamycin), while cell wall-active antibiotics (beta-lactams) mainly increase exotoxin production. In vivo studies confirmed the suppressive effect of clindamycin and linezolid on virulence expression, supporting their utilization as a valuable management strategy to improve patient outcomes in cases of toxin-associated staphylococcal disease. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Genetic and Virulent Difference Between Pigmented and Non-pigmented Staphylococcus aureus

OpenAIRE

Jing Zhang; Yujuan Suo; Daofeng Zhang; Fangning Jin; Hang Zhao; Chunlei Shi

2018-01-01

Staphyloxanthin (STX), a golden carotenoid pigment produced by Staphylococcus aureus, is suggested to act as an important virulence factor due to its antioxidant properties. Restraining biosynthesis of STX was considered as an indicator of virulence decline in pigmented S. aureus isolates. However, it is not clear whether natural non-pigmented S. aureus isolates have less virulence than pigmented ones. In this study, it is aimed to compare the pigmented and non-pigmented S. aureus isolates to...

Genetic and Virulent Difference Between Pigmented and Non-pigmented Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jing; Suo, Yujuan; Zhang, Daofeng; Jin, Fangning; Zhao, Hang; Shi, Chunlei

2018-01-01

Staphyloxanthin (STX), a golden carotenoid pigment produced by Staphylococcus aureus , is suggested to act as an important virulence factor due to its antioxidant properties. Restraining biosynthesis of STX was considered as an indicator of virulence decline in pigmented S. aureus isolates. However, it is not clear whether natural non-pigmented S. aureus isolates have less virulence than pigmented ones. In this study, it is aimed to compare the pigmented and non-pigmented S. aureus isolates to clarify the genetic and virulent differences between the two groups. Here, 132 S. aureus isolates were divided into two phenotype groups depending on the absorbance (OD 450 ) of the extracted carotenoids. Then, all isolates were subjected to spa typing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and then the detection of presence of 30 virulence factors and the gene integrity of crtN and crtM . Furthermore, 24 typical S. aureus isolates and 4 S. argenteus strains were selected for the murine infection assay of in vivo virulence, in which the histological observation and enumeration of CFUs were carried out. These isolates were distributed in 26 sequence types (STs) and 49 spa types. The pigmented isolates were scattered in 25 STs, while the non-pigmented isolates were more centralized, which mainly belonged to ST20 (59%) and ST25 (13%). Among the 54 non-pigmented isolates, about 20% carried intact crtN and crtM genes. The in vivo assay suggested that comparing with pigmented S. aureus , non-pigmented S. aureus and S. argenteus strains did not show a reduced virulence in murine sepsis models. Therefore, it suggested that there were no significant genetic and virulent differences between pigmented and non-pigmented S. aureus .

Critical challenges in ERP implementation: A qualitative case study in the Canadian oil and gas industry

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, Sreekumar A.

This exploratory qualitative single-case study examines critical challenges encountered during ERP implementation based on individual perspectives in four project roles: senior leaders, project managers, project team members, and business users, all specifically in Canadian oil and gas industry. Data was collected by interviewing participants belonging to these categories, and by analyzing project documentation about ERP implementation. The organization for the case study was a leading multinational oil and gas company having a substantial presence in the energy sector in Canada. The study results were aligned with the six management questions regarding critical challenges in ERP: (a) circumstances to implement ERP, (b) benefits and process improvements achieved, (c) best practices implemented, (d) critical challenges encountered, (e) strategies and mitigating actions used, and (f) recommendations to improve future ERP implementations. The study results highlight six key findings. First, the study provided valid circumstances for implementing ERP systems. Second, the study underscored the importance of benefits and process improvements in ERP implementation. Third, the study highlighted that adoption of best practices is crucial for ERP Implementation. Fourth, the study found that critical challenges are encountered in ERP Implementation and are significant during ERP implementation. Fifth, the study found that strategies and mitigating actions can overcome challenges in ERP implementation. Finally, the study provided ten major recommendations on how to improve future ERP implementations.

The combined effects of starvation and pH on the virulence of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ACER

2013-04-17

Apr 17, 2013 ... the virulence of Shigella sonnei ATCC25931. Ali Ellafi* .... P-values of < 0.05 were considered as significant. ..... Virulence factors of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other ... gene expression in Porphyromonas gingivalis. Infect.

Transient virulence of emerging pathogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolker, Benjamin M; Nanda, Arjun; Shah, Dharmini

2010-05-06

Should emerging pathogens be unusually virulent? If so, why? Existing theories of virulence evolution based on a tradeoff between high transmission rates and long infectious periods imply that epidemic growth conditions will select for higher virulence, possibly leading to a transient peak in virulence near the beginning of an epidemic. This transient selection could lead to high virulence in emerging pathogens. Using a simple model of the epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics of emerging pathogens, along with rough estimates of parameters for pathogens such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, West Nile virus and myxomatosis, we estimated the potential magnitude and timing of such transient virulence peaks. Pathogens that are moderately evolvable, highly transmissible, and highly virulent at equilibrium could briefly double their virulence during an epidemic; thus, epidemic-phase selection could contribute significantly to the virulence of emerging pathogens. In order to further assess the potential significance of this mechanism, we bring together data from the literature for the shapes of tradeoff curves for several pathogens (myxomatosis, HIV, and a parasite of Daphnia) and the level of genetic variation for virulence for one (myxomatosis). We discuss the need for better data on tradeoff curves and genetic variance in order to evaluate the plausibility of various scenarios of virulence evolution.

Occurrence Of Virulence Factors And Antimicrobial Resistance In Pasteurella Multocida Strains Isolated From Slaughter Cattle In Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faham eKhamesipour

2014-10-01

Full Text Available A total of 30 Pasteurella multocida strains isolated from 333 pneumonic and apparently health slaughter cattle were examined for capsule biosynthesis genes and 23 virulence associated genes by polymerase chain reaction. The disc diffusion technique was used to determine antimicrobial resistance profiles among the isolates. Of the isolates, 23 belonged to capsular type A, 5 to capsular type D and two isolates were untypeable. The distribution of the capsular types in pneumonic lungs and in apparently health lungs was statistically similar. All virulence genes tested were detected among the isolates derived from pneumonic lungs; whereas isolates derived from apparently health lungs carried 16 of the 23 genes. The frequently detected genes among isolates from pneumonic lungs were exbD, hgbA, hgbB, ompA, ompH, oma87 and sodC; whereas tadD, toxA and pmHAS genes occurred less frequently. Most of the adhesins and superoxide dismutases; and all of the iron acquisition and protectin proteins occurred at significantly (p≤0.05 higher frequencies in isolates from pneumonic lungs. Isolates from apparently healthy lungs didn’t carry the following genes; hsf-1, hsf-2, tadD, toxA, nanB, nanH and pmHAS. One adhesion (hsf-1 and two iron acquisition (exbD and tonB genes occurred at significantly (p≤0.05 higher frequencies among capA isolates. All the P. multocida isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, doxycycline, enrofloxacin, nitrofurantoin and tetracyclines. Different proportions of the isolates were however resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin, erythromycin, lincomycin, penicillin, rifampin, streptomycin and florfenicol. Our results reveal presence of virulence factors in P. multocida strains isolated from symptomatic and asymptomatic bovids. A higher frequency of the factors among isolates from symptomatic study animals may suggest their role in pathogenesis of P. multocida-associated bovine respiratory disease. The results further

The role of semantic and phonological factors in word recognition: an ERP cross-modal priming study of derivational morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kielar, Aneta; Joanisse, Marc F

2011-01-01

Theories of morphological processing differ on the issue of how lexical and grammatical information are stored and accessed. A key point of contention is whether complex forms are decomposed during recognition (e.g., establish+ment), compared to forms that cannot be analyzed into constituent morphemes (e.g., apartment). In the present study, we examined these issues with respect to English derivational morphology by measuring ERP responses during a cross-modal priming lexical decision task. ERP priming effects for semantically and phonologically transparent derived words (government-govern) were compared to those of semantically opaque derived words (apartment-apart) as well as "quasi-regular" items that represent intermediate cases of morphological transparency (dresser-dress). Additional conditions independently manipulated semantic and phonological relatedness in non-derived words (semantics: couch-sofa; phonology: panel-pan). The degree of N400 ERP priming to morphological forms varied depending on the amount of semantic and phonological overlap between word types, rather than respecting a bivariate distinction between derived and opaque forms. Moreover, these effects could not be accounted for by semantic or phonological relatedness alone. The findings support the theory that morphological relatedness is graded rather than absolute, and depend on the joint contribution of form and meaning overlap. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.