The potential of Burkholderia thailandensis E264 for co-valorization of C5 and C6 sugars into multiple value-added bio-products.

Despite known metabolic versatility of Burkholderia spp., sugar metabolism and end-product synthesis patterns in Burkholderia thailandensis have been poorly characterized. This work has demonstrated that B. thailandensis is capable of simultaneously uptaking glucose and xylose and accumulating up to 64% of its dry mass as poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) biopolymers, resulting in a PHA titer of up to 3.8 g L-1 in shake flasks. Rhamnolipids - mainly (68-75%) in the form of Rha-Rha-C14-C14 - were produced concomitantly with a titer typically in the range of 0.2-0.4 g L-1. Gluconic and xylonic acids were also detected in titers of up to 5.3 g L-1, and while gluconic acid appeared to be back consumed, xylonic acid formed as a major end product. This first example of co-production of three products from mixed sugars using B. thailandensis paves the way for improving biorefinery economics.

Pain as a reward: changing the meaning of pain from negative to positive co-activates opioid and cannabinoid systems.

Pain is a negative emotional experience that is modulated by a variety of psychological factors through different inhibitory systems. For example, endogenous opioids and cannabinoids have been found to be involved in stress and placebo analgesia. Here we show that when the meaning of the pain experience is changed from negative to positive through verbal suggestions, the opioid and cannabinoid systems are co-activated and these, in turn, increase pain tolerance. We induced ischemic arm pain in healthy volunteers, who had to tolerate the pain as long as possible. One group was informed about the aversive nature of the task, as done in any pain study. Conversely, a second group was told that the ischemia would be beneficial to the muscles, thus emphasizing the usefulness of the pain endurance task. We found that in the second group pain tolerance was significantly higher compared to the first one, and that this effect was partially blocked by the opioid antagonist naltrexone alone and by the cannabinoid antagonist rimonabant alone. However, the combined administration of naltrexone and rimonabant antagonized the increased tolerance completely. Our results indicate that a positive approach to pain reduces the global pain experience through the co-activation of the opioid and cannabinoid systems. These findings may have a profound impact on clinical practice. For example, postoperative pain, which means healing, can be perceived as less unpleasant than cancer pain, which means death. Therefore, the behavioral and/or pharmacological manipulation of the meaning of pain can represent an effective approach to pain management.

Experiences of action learning groups for public health sector managers in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organisation identifies strengthening leadership and management as an essential component in scaling up health services to reach the UN's Millennium Development Goals. There is an identified need for informal, practically based management training programs, such as action learning, which allow trainees to reflect on their own work environment. Action learning, in essence, is learning by sharing real problems with others, as opposed to theoretical classroom learning. METHODS: The objective of this study was to pilot an action learning group program with managers in a rural public health setting and to explore participants' experience of the program. An eleven-month action learning group program was conducted for public health sector managers in a rural health district in northern KwaZulu-Natal. On conclusion of the action learning group program, a qualitative study using focus group discussions was conducted to explore participants' experience of the action learning groups and their potential usefulness as a development opportunity. RESULTS: Respondents' commitment to the project was evident from the high attendance at group meetings (average of 95%). On conclusion of the program, all participants had presented a work related problem to their respective groups and all participants had developed an action plan, and provided feedback on their action plan. Ten participants were still actively working on their action plans and seven participants had completed their action plans. The main themes that emerged from the qualitative data were understandings of action learning; elements that enabled the program; perceived benefits; and reported changes over the course of the program. The major benefits reported by participants were enhanced teamwork and collaboration, and providing participants with the skills to apply action learning principles to other challenges in their working lives. CONCLUSION: From the participants' shared perspectives, although the findings cannot be generalised, this study showed that the use of action learning groups may help managers resolve problems in their institutions, develop managers' skills of working within teams, and provide a vital form of support for managers. Action learning groups may well be a useful method for improving the skills of public health sector managers in rural health settings.

Nonopioid placebo analgesia is mediated by CB1 cannabinoid receptors.

Placebo analgesia is mediated by both opioid and nonopioid mechanisms, but so far nothing is known about the nonopioid component. Here we show that the specific CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist 5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichloro-phenyl)-4-methyl-N-(piperidin-1-yl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (rimonabant or SR141716) blocks nonopioid placebo analgesic responses but has no effect on opioid placebo responses. These findings suggest that the endocannabinoid system has a pivotal role in placebo analgesia in some circumstances when the opioid system is not involved.