Dietary spray-dried animal plasma alleviates mucosal inflammation in experimental models

Podeu consultar el llibre complet a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/67430The intestinal and bronchoalveolar mucosae contribute to homeostasis by preventing the entrance of biological and chemical agents that could alter the stability of the system. In this review, we summarise the main effects of dietary supplementation with spray-dried plasma (SDP), a complex mixture of biologically active functional components, on two models of acute inflammation; a murine model of intestinal inflammation, based on the administration of S. aureus enterotoxin B (SEB), and a model of acute lung inflammation, using mice challenged with lipopolysaccharide from E. coli (LPS). Oral SDP modulates the immune response of the intestinal mucosa and restores the barrier function of the epithelium, preventing most of the effects of SEB on defensin expression, tight-junction permeability and mucosal cytokine production. In the lung, SDP supplementation partially prevents the LPS-induced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, an effect that involves the participation of the common mucosal immune system. In both models, the effects of SDP are mediated by an increased T-reg response and enhanced release of anti-inflammatory cytokines that contribute to mucosal homeostasis

Spray dried plasma as an alternative to antibiotics in piglet feeds, mode of action and biosafety

The use of growth promoting and therapeutic antibiotics in piglet feed has been a concerning subject over the last few decades because of the risk of generating antimicrobial resistance that could be transferred to humans. As a result, many products have been proposed as potential alternatives to the use of antibiotics, and among these, spray dried plasma is considered one of the most promising. However, there have been concerns about its biosafety, particularly during periods of emergence or re-emergence of swine diseases in different regions of the world, such as the recent porcine epidemic diarrhea virus outbreak in North America. The objectives of this paper are to review recent publications about the use of spray dried plasma as an alternative to antibiotics in weaned pig diets, the possible mechanisms of action of spray dried plasma, and the existing evidence related to the biosafety of spray dried animal plasma. Particular attention is given to studies in which spray dried plasma has been directly compared to antibiotics or other alternative antimicrobial products. Several studies on the possible modes of action for spray dried plasma, such as preservation of gut barrier function or modulation of the immune response, are also reviewed. Finally, the paper focuses on the review of the existing studies on the risks of disease transmission with the use of spray dried plasma from porcine origin. Overall, spray dried plasma is a promising alternative to in-feed antimicrobials for piglets, particularly during the early stages of the post-weaning phase. Additionally, there is enough evidence to support that commercial spray dried porcine plasma is a safe product for pigs

The native bee fauna of the Palouse Prairie (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

While synoptic collections provide data on the range and general composition of the North American bee fauna, bee communities associated with specific habitats are largely uncharacterized.  This report describes the community of native bees currently found in remnant fragments of the Palouse Prairie of northern Idaho and southeastern Washington State.  Native bees were collected using standardized collection techniques including blue vane traps, colored pan traps and aerial netting.  More than 13,000 individuals were collected, representing at least 174 species and 36 morphospecies in 29 genera.  These data provide the most thorough characterization of the bee fauna of this vulnerable ecosystem, as well as community level information on bee species of unknown conservation status.  These results are relevant to regional conservation efforts and, more broadly, are representative of conditions in fragmented grasslands surrounded by intense agriculture, a common global land use pattern of conservation concern

Spray dried plasma as an alternative to antibiotics in piglet feeds, mode of action and biosafety

The use of growth promoting and therapeutic antibiotics in piglet feed has been a concerning subject over the last few decades because of the risk of generating antimicrobial resistance that could be transferred to humans. As a result, many products have been proposed as potential alternatives to the use of antibiotics, and among these, spray dried plasma is considered one of the most promising. However, there have been concerns about its biosafety, particularly during periods of emergence or re-emergence of swine diseases in different regions of the world, such as the recent porcine epidemic diarrhea virus outbreak in North America. The objectives of this paper are to review recent publications about the use of spray dried plasma as an alternative to antibiotics in weaned pig diets, the possible mechanisms of action of spray dried plasma, and the existing evidence related to the biosafety of spray dried animal plasma. Particular attention is given to studies in which spray dried plasma has been directly compared to antibiotics or other alternative antimicrobial products. Several studies on the possible modes of action for spray dried plasma, such as preservation of gut barrier function or modulation of the immune response, are also reviewed. Finally, the paper focuses on the review of the existing studies on the risks of disease transmission with the use of spray dried plasma from porcine origin. Overall, spray dried plasma is a promising alternative to in-feed antimicrobials for piglets, particularly during the early stages of the post-weaning phase. Additionally, there is enough evidence to support that commercial spray dried porcine plasma is a safe product for pigs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estructura y arquitectura de computadores : guía práctica para alumnos de primero y segundo curso de Grado en Ingeniería Informática de Gestión y Sistemas de Información

Grados recientes como el de Ingeniería Informática de Gestión y Sistemas de Información, y dada la orientación profesional que va a obtener el/la egresado/a para su incorporación en el mundo de la industria, requieren una revisión del enfoque de determinadas materias relativas a, por ejemplo, cómo está estructurado un computador, qué elementos lo conforman, cómo interactúan, etc.; dando al alumnado una visión amplia sin buscar la exhaustividad (propia de otras titulaciones) pero manteniendo un rigor tanto técnico como científico según la materia tratada

Personal traits and customer responses to CSR perceptions in the banking sector.

Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to explore the moderating role of six personal traits in a causal model to study how customers? perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) influence their affective and behavioural responses to companies. Design/methodology/approach. A structural equation model is tested in a sample of 1,124 banking service customers in Spain. Based on this model, a multisampling analysis is implemented to determine how gender, age, educational level, CSR support, collectivism and novelty seeking moderate customer responses to CSR perceptions. Findings. The findings show that customer responses to CSR perceptions are consistently moderated by gender, age and CSR support. Men, people aged over 45 and highly supportive customers respond to CSR perceptions more positively than women, younger people and customers exhibiting a low level of CSR support. The findings concerning educational level and novelty seeking are less conclusive. Collectivism does not influence customer responses to CSR perceptions to any significant extent. Thus, the findings suggest that gender, age and CSR support are the most useful variables to segment the market to adapt CSR and communication strategies. Originality/value. Previous literature has mostly focussed on identifying the personal traits that differentiate socially oriented customers from others. Thus, this paper contributes to previous literature by exploring the role customers? personal traits play in the identification of differences in customers? responses to their perceptions of the CSR implemented by companies that sell traditional services, such as banking services

Customer CSR expectations in the banking industry

RESUMEN: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine customer corporate social responsibility (CSR) expectations in the crisis context of the Spanish banking industry. The paper also takes into consideration the role that corporate governance structure plays in customer CSR expectations. Design/methodology/approach - Analysing 648 customers of savings banks and 476 customers of commercial banks, several univariate statistics and two cluster analyses are implemented. Findings - The authors identify significantly consistent patterns in the CSR expectations of savings banks and commercial banks customers. The customers of both types of banking companies have similar high expectations concerning the CSR oriented to customers, shareholders and supervising boards, employees, the community and legal and ethical CSR. Also customers of both types of banking companies can be consistently classified as customer oriented, legally (customer)-oriented and CSRoriented customers depending on their CSR expectations. Practical implications - These results have interesting implications for managers because it allows them to develop optimal CSR based on their customers' expectations. In this regard, it is observed that the CSR expectations of savings banks and commercial banks customers are quite homogeneous in such a way that the traditional differentiation in the CSR implemented by savings banks and commercial banks may be no longer justified. Originality/value - Previous scholars who have analysed customer CSR expectations have not studied them in a crisis context. This paper contributes to literature by proposing new managerial strategies for companies facing a product or corporate crisis. Scholars studying customer CSR expectations in the banking industry have not considered the role of corporate governance structure either. This paper provides detailed information about the CSR expectations of savings banks customers and commercial banks customers

Corporate social responsibility and customer loyalty: exploring the role ofidentification, satisfaction and type of company

ABSTRACT: Purpose - The aim of the authors of this paper is to propose a cognitive - affective - conative sequential model to study how three dimensions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) image (society, customers and employees) impact customer affective (identification and satisfaction) and behavioural recommendation and repurchase) responses in the banking industry. The authors also test how the type of company (savings banks vs commercial banks) moderates customer responses to these three dimensions of CSR image. Design/methodology/approach - A multi-group structural equation model is tested using information collected from 648 savings banks' customers and 476 commercial banks' customers in Spain. Findings - The findings demonstrate that the perceptions of customer-centric CSR initiatives positively and consistently impact customer identification with the banking institution, satisfaction, recommendation and repurchase behaviours in the savings and commercial banks' samples. The dimensions of CSR image that concern the activities oriented to society and employees only positively impact customer responses in the savings banks' sample. Practical implications - The findings of this study can assist scholars in creating more informative CSR-based loyalty models that take into consideration new variables (satisfaction and type of company) and better approaches to the conceptualization of CSR image (e.g. the formative approach). The findings can also assist savings and commercial banks in better designing their CSR and communication initiatives to benefit from customer affective and conative responses. Originality/value - The contributions of the paper are threefold: the authors include satisfaction as a new variable in the study of the CSR-based loyalty model; the CSR image is conceptualized as a formative construct, and this provides new justifications for the mixed results reported by previous scholars who have analysed the effects of CSR image on customer loyalty; and the authors explore the moderating role of the type of company on the CSR-based loyalty model proposed in the paper

How customers construct corporate social responsibility images: testing the moderating role of demographic characteristics.

ABSTRACT: This paper discusses the formation process of CSR images from a customer perspective. It analyses the influence of company-CSR coherence, motivational attribution and corporate credibility in the way customers evaluate CSR images in the banking industry. It also describes the impact of customer gender, age and educational level on the formation of CSR images. Results show that CSR images are based on customer perceptions of the company-CSR coherence, the attribution of altruistic motivations and corporate credibility when developing CSR initiatives. The findings also demonstrate that gender, age and educational level do not allow identifying differences in the way customers construct CSR images. Thus, they are not useful in segmenting customers for the design of better CSR and communication strategies