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Background and aim: Service providers need to be competent in the provision of hospitality. However, the question is, how to operationalize the experience of hospitality? Existing literature shows limited concrete service characteristics that lead to a hospitable experience in service environments. This article presents user-centred research into human-related aspects that influence the hospitality experience of guests.Methods/methodology: Four case studies were performed in a public swimming pool and a catering setting. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, in three of the four cases, regular customers of the organizations were approached by email and asked to rate the importance of behaviours related to hospitable service. In the case of the public swimming pool, part of the data was collected prior to closing of the pool, allowing data collection via survey, on site or via email, depending on visitors’ preferences.Results: The results show which non-verbal employee characteristics contribute to the distinctive factors of hospitality, especially observable behaviour. The factors ‘modest appearance’ and ‘representative appearance’ seem to be of medium importance, and the factor ‘paralanguage’ seems to be the least important factor.Practical implications: This article shows that it is possible to identify concrete characteristics of employee behaviour that people associate with hospitality.

The liver represents a major eliminating and detoxifying organ, determining exposure to endogenous compounds, drugs, and other xenobiotics. Drug transporters (DTs) and drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) are key determinants of disposition, efficacy, and toxicity of drugs. Changes in their mRNA and protein expression levels and associated functional activity between the perinatal period until adulthood impact drug disposition. However, high-resolution ontogeny profiles for hepatic DTs and DMEs in nonclinical species and humans are lacking. Meanwhile, increasing use of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models necessitates availability of underlying ontogeny profiles to reliably predict drug exposure in children. In addition, understanding of species similarities and differences in DT/DME ontogeny is crucial for selecting the most appropriate animal species when studying the impact of development on pharmacokinetics. Cross-species ontogeny mapping is also required for adequate translation of drug disposition data in developing nonclinical species to humans. This review presents a quantitative cross-species compilation of the ontogeny of DTs and DMEs relevant to hepatic drug disposition. A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed Central: Tables and graphs (often after digitization) in original manuscripts were used to extract ontogeny data. Data from independent studies were standardized and normalized before being compiled in graphs and tables for further interpretation. New insights gained from these high-resolution ontogeny profiles will be indispensable to understand cross-species differences in maturation of hepatic DTs and DMEs. Integration of these ontogeny data into PBPK models will support improved predictions of pediatric hepatic drug disposition processes.Significance StatementHepatic drug transporters (DTs) and drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) play pivotal roles in hepatic drug disposition. Developmental changes in expression levels and activities of these proteins drive age-dependent pharmacokinetics. This review compiles the currently available ontogeny profiles of DTs and DMEs expressed in livers of humans and nonclinical species, enabling robust interpretation of age-related changes in drug disposition and ultimately optimization of pediatric drug therapy.

Cell-free extracts of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, grown on ethanol, showed dye-linked alcohol dehydrogenase activities. The enzyme responsible for this activity was purified to homogeneity. It appeared to contain two molecules of pyrroloquinoline quinone per enzyme molecule. In many respects, it resembled other quinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenases (EC 1.1.99.8), having a substrate specificity intermediate between that of methanol dehydrogenases and ethanol dehydrogenases in this group. On the other hand, it also showed dissimilarities: the enzyme was found to be a monomer (Mr 101 000), to need only one molecule of the suicide substrate cyclopropanol to become fully inactivated, and to have a different aromatic amino acid composition.

A simple two-step purification method for chloroperoxidase from Caldariomyces fumago has been developed. After filtration of the mycelium the enzyme was bound to a DEAE Sepharose fast flow column. The enzyme was eluted with a 20-200 mM phosphate buffer, pH=5.8. After gel filtration on a Superose 12 HPLC column pure enzyme was obtained. Instead of gel filtration it was also possible to purify the enzyme by concentration over a membrane filter, 10 K cutoff. Concentration to 8% of the original volume yielded an enzyme preparation with Rz=1.31b in 77% yield. The enzyme was active in t-butyl alcohol/water mixtures up to 70% t-butyl alcohol. The sulfoxidation of thioanisole proceeded readily (conversion > 99%) and with high enantioselectivity (>99%) in t-butyl alochol/water mixtures.

Cell-free extracts of Pseudomonas testosteroni, grown on alcohols, contain quinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenase apoenzyme, as was demonstrated by the detection of dye-linked alcohol dehydrogenase activity after the addition of PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone). The apoenzyme was purified to homogeneity, and the holoenzyme was characterized. Primary alcohols (except methanol), secondary alcohols and aldehydes were substrates, and a broad range of dyes functioned as artificial electron acceptor. Optimal activity was observed at pH 7.7, and the presence of Ca2+ in the assay appeared to be essential for activity. The apoenzyme was found to be a monomer (Mr 67,000 +/- 5000), with an absorption spectrum similar to that of oxidized cytochrome c. After reconstitution to the holoenzyme by the addition of PQQ, addition of substrate changed the absorption spectrum to that of reduced cytochrome c, indicating that the haem c group participated in the enzymic mechanism. The enzyme contained one haem c group, and full reconstitution was achieved with 1 mol of PQQ/mol. In view of the aberrant properties, it is proposed to distinguish the enzyme from the common quinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenases by using the name ‘quinohaemoprotein alcohol dehydrogenase’. Incorporation of PQQ into the growth medium resulted in a significant shortening of lag time and increase in growth rate. Therefore PQQ appears to be a vitamin for this organism during growth on alcohols, reconstituting the apoenzyme to a functional holoenzyme.

A guinea pig model was used to study correlations between cis-platinum dosage and level of hearing loss, hair cell loss in the cochlea. Other parameters measured included weight loss and serum urea, creatinine, and cis-platinum levels. The damage to the inner ear expressed as hearing loss and hair cell loss demonstrated a highly positive correlation with the dosage of cis-platinum, and only a moderately positive correlation with the cis-platinum serum levels. Weight loss correlated well with hearing loss.

BackgroundThe kidney has a critical role in disposition, efficacy and toxicity of drugs and xenobiotics. Developmental changes of renal membrane transporters have the potential to explain population variability in paediatric pharmacokinetics and -dynamics of drugs but data are missing. We aimed to further delineate the expression of human renal tubular transporters multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) 4 and MRP2 and study localization in paediatric kidney samples.MethodsWe planned to semi-quantify expression levels and to study the age-specific localization of the transporters MRP4 and MRP2 with immunohistochemistry on 44 human neonatal and paediatric kidney samples with age range of 24,00 - 40,00 weeks gestational age (GA) and 0,29 - 744 weeks post-natal age (PNA). The staining intensity was semi-quantitatively scored by two independent observers (MB and BG).ResultsMRP4 is found to be localized at the apical membrane of the renal proximal tubules at 27 weeks of GA (n=3, 1,29- 4 weeks PNA) and no age-related changes of expression levels were detected. In a premature neonate of 24 weeks GA (n=1), no MRP4 was detected. The MRP2 staining did not meet the requirements to be scored and was rejected.ConclusionMRP4 is expressed from at least 27 weeks GA onwards and does not show developmental changes. The localization was similar as in adults (Ritter et al., 2005). The half-life of the MRP4 substrate furosemide was found to be 6 to 20-fold longer in neonates than in adults (Pacifici, G.M., 2013). This could potentially be linked with the absence of MRP4 in a premature neonate with GA 24 weeks. However, these data should be confirmed as we only had 1 sample of ±24 weeks GA available. Moreover, our data help us in understanding altered disposition of transporter substrates in paediatrics.ReferencesPacifici, G. M. ( 2013). Clinical pharmacology of furosemide in neonates: a review. Pharmaceuticals;6(9):1094–1129.Ritter CA, Jedlitschky G, Meyer zu Schwabedissen H, Grube M, Ko¨ck K, & Kroemer HK. ( 2005). Cellular export of drugs and signaling molecules by the ATP-binding cassette transporters MRP4 (ABCC4) and MRP5 (ABCC5). Drug metabolism reviews;37(1):253–278.Disclosure(s)Nothing to disclose

BackgroundIn adults, the organic cation transporter 2 (protein name OCT2, gene name SLC22A2) is localised in the kidney proximal tubules where it mediates organic cation secretion. Hence, the transporter plays a role in the disposition and excretion of several drugs and drug-drug interactions. To better understand the disposition of OCT2 substrate drugs in children, we studied OCT2 localisation and expression in paediatric kidney tissue.MethodsThe expression of OCT2 was visualised in tissue using immunohistochemical staining. Tissues were derived post-mortem from children aged 0 -14 years. Gestational age varied between 24 and 40 weeks. Intensity of the staining at the basolateral membrane was scored by two individual observers using three categories; negative, detectible and high. Agreement between two observers was determined using Cohen’s kappa.Results44 kidney samples (n=17 neonates, n=17 infants, n=7 children, n=3 adolescent) were analysed and scored. There was substantial agreement between two judgements with a kappa of 0.773 (p< 0.005). No age related pattern was observed in the expression of OCT2. Even in the youngest age group, the expression of OCT2 was clearly visible.ConclusionThe kidney expression of OCT2 did not show an age-related pattern. In all age groups, expression levels were similar and OCT2 was properly localised at the basolateral membrane. These findings suggest that, with increasing age, OCT2 will not influence the renal excretion of its substrates.Disclosure(s)Nothing to disclose