A book corner in the classroom

I took some old books from my home and gave them to the children and found that the children enjoyed reading them as they had never read such books before. Those who did not know how to read also started flipping and turning over the pages.That was when I got the idea of creating a library, or book corner, in the classroom

Play and learn : games for classrooms

Children’s learning and playing go hand in hand. Even before going to school and after starting school, children learn a lot while playing. However, after a certain age, though learning continues, playing gradually decreases. In school too, activity based learning is more prevalent up to the primary and upper primary classes but is totally missing in higher classes

Small and medium-sized enterprises in the digital business sector

The chapter is a systematic literature review of fundamental theories about small and medium business (SME) success. The chapter examines how they specifically impact digital SMEs. The chapter examined six theories: dynamic capability view (DCV), composition-based view of firm growth (CBV), resourcebased view (RBV), resource dependence theory (RDT), upper echelon theory (UET), strategic contingency theory (SCT). The results showed that RBV, DCV, and UET become relevant in articulating the value inherent to the internal resources in SMEs (which render their capabilities dynamic). In contrast, the SCT framework and the RDT model show more significance in relation to uncertainty and contingency. CBV was found to be a more pertinent framework to predict the success of SMEs. The results support CBV’s hypothesis that SMEs (including digital SMEs) are able to be competitive without extensive resource advantage, too complicated technologies, or market power. The increased deployment of CBV can be advocated as a critical determinant of digital SME success

of Research in Interactive Marketing Email is Evil! Behavioural Responses towards Permission based Direct Email Marketing and Gender Differences

Purpose – This study assesses consumers’ beliefs in three Middle Eastern Arab countries regarding attitudinal and behavioural responses towards permission-based Direct Email Marketing (hereafter DEM) and the moderating role of gender in the hypothesized path model. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modelling was used to test our hypothesized path model, utilizing data collected from 829 respondents. Findings – Our findings show that attitude was found to fully mediate the relationship between beliefs and behavioural responses towards permission-based DEM. Gender moderates the relationship between beliefs and attitudes, and responses to permission-based DEM. Notably, female respondents were found to react more actively when exposed to permission-based DEM. Research limitations/implications – Further qualitative research is needed to learn more about how and why individuals develop behavioural intentions in certain ways towards opt-in DEM. Also, neuropsychology approaches such eye-tracking are endorsed for future research to gain more insights and conquer biases associated with self-reporting procedures in countries where such technologies are deemed as legal and ethical to be used with human subjects. Practical implications – Advertisers promoting products and services in the Middle Eastern Arab context should take further steps to enhance the quality of information [including cultural sensitiveness] and the perceived entertainment value that could be delivered to consumers through permission-based DEM, especially for female internet users. Additionally, this study highly recommends the double opt-in approach to permission-based DEM. Originality/value – To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to address the gender role as a moderator of the path depicting the effectiveness of permission-based DEM approach in the Middle East (Arab counties), from beliefs to behavioural responses via attitudes

Quantitative 3-dimensional imaging and tissue cytometry reveals lymphatic expansion in acute kidney injury

The lymphatic system plays an integral role in physiology and has recently been identified as a key player in disease progression. Tissue injury stimulates lymphatic expansion, or lymphangiogenesis (LA), though its precise role in disease processes remains unclear. LA is associated with inflammation, which is a key component of acute kidney injury (AKI), for which there are no approved therapies. While LA research has gained traction in the last decade, there exists a significant lack of understanding of this process in the kidney. Though innovative studies have elucidated markers and models with which to study LA, the field is still evolving with ways to visualize lymphatics in vivo. Prospero-related homeobox-1 (Prox-1) is the master regulator of LA and determines lymphatic cell fate through its action on vascular endothelial growth factor receptor expression. Here, we investigate the consequences of AKI on the abundance and distribution of lymphatic endothelial cells using Prox1-tdTomato reporter mice (ProxTom) coupled with large-scale three-dimensional quantitative imaging and tissue cytometry (3DTC). Using these technologies, we describe the spatial dynamics of lymphatic vasculature in quiescence and post-AKI. We also describe the use of lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor-1 (LYVE-1) as a marker of lymphatic vessels using 3DTC in the absence of the ProxTom reporter mice as an alternative approach. The use of 3DTC for lymphatic research presents a new avenue with which to study the origin and distribution of renal lymphatic vessels. These findings will enhance our understanding of renal lymphatic function during injury and could inform the development of novel therapeutics for intervention in AKI

Immunization of pigs with replication-incompetent adenovirus-vectored African swine fever virus multi-antigens induced humoral immune responses but no protection following contact challenge

IntroductionAfrican swine fever virus (ASFV) is a pathogen of great economic importance given that continues to threaten the pork industry worldwide, but there is no safe vaccine or treatment available. Development of a vaccine is feasible as immunization of pigs with some live attenuated ASFV vaccine candidates can confer protection, but safety concerns and virus scalability are challenges that must to be addressed. Identification of protective ASFV antigens is needed to inform the development of efficacious subunit vaccines.MethodsIn this study, replication-incompetent adenovirus-vectored multicistronic ASFV antigen expression constructs that covered nearly 100% of the ASFV proteome were generated and validated using ASFV convalescent serum. Swine were immunized with a cocktail of the expression constructs, designated Ad5-ASFV, alone or formulated with either Montanide ISA-201™ (ASFV-ISA-201) or BioMize® adjuvant (ASFV-BioMize).ResultsThese constructs primed strong B cell responses as judged by anti-pp62-specific IgG responses. Notably, the Ad5-ASFV and the Ad5-ASFV ISA-201, but not the Ad5-ASFV BioMize®, immunogens primed significantly (p < 0.0001) higher anti-pp62-specific IgG responses compared with Ad5-Luciferase formulated with Montanide ISA-201™ adjuvant (Luc-ISA-201). The anti-pp62-specific IgG responses underwent significant (p < 0.0001) recall in all the vaccinees after boosting and the induced antibodies strongly recognized ASFV (Georgia 2007/1)-infected primary swine cells. However, following challenge by contact spreaders, only one pig nearly immunized with the Ad5-ASFV cocktail survived. The survivor had no typical clinical symptoms, but had viral loads and lesions consistent with chronic ASF.DiscussionBesides the limited sample size used, the outcome suggests that in vivo antigen expression, but not the antigen content, might be the limitation of this immunization approach as the replication-incompetent adenovirus does not amplify in vivo to effectively prime and expand protective immunity or directly mimic the gene transcription mechanisms of attenuated ASFV. Addressing the in vivo antigen delivery limitations may yield promising outcomes

Sequence variation in the human transcription factor gene POU5F1

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>POU5F1 expression is required to maintain stem cell pluripotency and for primordial germ cells to retain proliferative capability in embryonic development. Recent evidence suggests that <it>POU5F1 </it>may also be a testicular germ cell carcinoma (TGCC) oncogene, and <it>POU5F1 </it>variation may influence TGCC risk. As an important first step to a genetic association study, we sought to identify all common sequence variants in an 11.3 kb region containing <it>POU5F1</it>, and to describe the linkage disequilibrium patterns, using DNA from individuals of African-descent (AD) and European-descent (ED).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A higher number of polymorphisms was observed in the AD (n = 102) versus ED (n = 82) population. Among the 41 observed haplotypes, 21 (51%) and 12 (29%) were unique to the AD and ED populations, respectively, while 8 (20%) were observed in both. The number of tagging polymorphisms necessary to explain at least 80% of common variation (minor allele frequency ≥ 0.10) due to the remaining untyped polymorphisms was 17 for an AD and 10 for an ED population, providing a 4.0- and 7.0-fold gain in genotyping efficiency for characterizing nucleotide variation, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>POU5F1 </it>is highly polymorphic, however a smaller subset of polymorphisms can tag the observed genetic variation with little loss of information.</p

Host determinants of HIV-1 control in African Americans

We performed a whole-genome association study of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) set point among a cohort of African Americans (n = 515), and an intronic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the HLA-B gene showed one of the strongest associations. We use a subset of patients to demonstrate that this SNP reflects the effect of the HLA-B*5703 allele, which shows a genome-wide statistically significant association with viral load set point (P = 5.6 x 10(-10)). These analyses therefore confirm a member of the HLA-B*57 group of alleles as the most important common variant that influences viral load variation in African Americans, which is consistent with what has been observed for individuals of European ancestry, among whom the most important common variant is HLA-B*5701

Purinergic Receptor Functionality Is Necessary for Infection of Human Hepatocytes by Hepatitis Delta Virus and Hepatitis B Virus

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) are major sources of acute and chronic hepatitis. HDV requires the envelope proteins of HBV for the processes of assembly and infection of new cells. Both viruses are able to infect hepatocytes though previous studies have failed to determine the mechanism of entry into such cells. This study began with evidence that suramin, a symmetrical hexasulfated napthylurea, could block HDV entry into primary human hepatocytes (PHH) and was then extrapolated to incorporate findings of others that suramin is one of many compounds that can block activation of purinergic receptors. Thus other inhibitors, pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonate (PPADS) and brilliant blue G (BBG), both structurally unrelated to suramin, were tested and found to inhibit HDV and HBV infections of PHH. BBG, unlike suramin and PPADS, is known to be more specific for just one purinergic receptor, P2X7. These studies provide the first evidence that purinergic receptor functionality is necessary for virus entry. Furthermore, since P2X7 activation is known to be a major component of inflammatory responses, it is proposed that HDV and HBV attachment to susceptible cells, might also contribute to inflammation in the liver, that is, hepatitis

Factors affecting the prevalence of strongly and weakly carcinogenic and lower-risk human papillomaviruses in anal specimens in a cohort of men who have sex with men (MSM)

Background: MSM are at higher risk for invasive anal cancer. Twelve human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause cervical cancer in women (Group 1 high-risk HPVs (hrHPVs)) and 13 HPVs are probable/possible causes (Group 2 hrHPVs) of cervical malignancy. HPVs rarely associated with malignancy are classified as lower-risk HPVs (lrHPVs). Materials and Methods: Dacron-swab anal-cytology specimens were collected from and data complete for 97% (1262/1296) of Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) men tested for HPVs using the Linear Array assay. Multivariate Poisson regression analyses estimated adjusted prevalence ratios for Group 1/2 hrHPVs and lrHPVs, controlling for the effects of age, race, ethnicity, sexual partnerships, smoking; HIV-infection characteristics, treatment, and immune status among HIV-infected men. Results: HIV-infected men showed 35-90% higher prevalence of Group 1/2 hrHPVs and lrHPVs than HIV-uninfected men, and higher prevalence of multi-Type, and multiple risk-group infections. CD4+ T-cell count was inversely associated with HPV Group 2 prevalence (p<0.0001). The number of receptive anal intercourse (RAI) partners reported in the 24 months preceding HPV testing predicted higher prevalence of Group 1/2 hrHPVs. Men reporting ≥30 lifetime male sex partners before their first MACS visit and men reporting ≥1 RAI partners during the 24 months before HPV testing showed 17-24% and 13-17% higher prevalence of lrHPVs (p-values ≤0.05). Men reporting smoking between MACS visit 1 and 24 months before HPV testing showed 1.2-fold higher prevalence of Group 2 hrHPVs (p = 0.03). Both complete adherence to CART (p = 0.02) and HIV load <50 copies/mL (p = 0.04) were protective for Group 1 hrHPVs among HIV-infected men. Conclusions: HIV-infected men more often show multi-type and multi-group HPV infections HIV-uninfected men. Long-term mutual monogamy and smoking cessation, generally, and CART-adherence that promotes (HIV) viremia control and prevents immunosuppression, specifically among HIV-infected MSM, are important prevention strategies for HPV infections that are relevant to anal cancer. © 2013 Wiley et al