Bacterial cell-wall quantification by a modified low volume Nelson-Somogyi method and its use with different sugars

The study of peptidoglycan binding proteins frequently requires in vitro binding assays in which the isolated peptidoglycan used as substrate has to be carefully quantified. Here we describe an easy and sensitive assay for the quantification of peptidoglycan based on a modified Nelson-Somogyi reducing sugar assay. We report the response of this assay to different common sugars and adapt its use to peptidoglycan samples that have been subjected to acid hydrolysis. This method showed a better sensitivity than the peptidoglycan quantification method based on the acid detection of diaminopimelic acid. The method described in this work besides being valuable in the characterization of peptidoglycan binding proteins, is also useful for quantification of reducing monosaccharides or of polysaccharides after acid or hydrolysis.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Financiamiento de la educación superior en América Latina Funding higher education in Latin America

El trabajo parte de un panorama general de la situación de la educación superior en América Latina, tanto de su crecimiento cuantitativo como de las políticas públicas más relevantes. En la segunda parte es analizada una de esas políticas, la de financiamiento de las universidades públicas. Para ese trabajo fueran utilizados los datos basados en los estudios de lesalc/UNESCO. Por fin, el texto discute un plan de acción para el establecimiento de una agenda de financiamiento en la educación superior.<br>This work is based on an overview of the situation of higher education in Latin America, both of its quantitative growth and its more relevant public policies. The second part examines one of those policies: that of funding public universities. The work used data based on studies by IESALC/UNESCO. Finally, an action plan is discussed for the establishment of an agenda to fund higher education