Traditional Tropical Root Crop Technology: Some Interactions with Modern Science

RESUMEN Tecnología tradicional de las cosechas raiceras en los trópicos: ciertas interacciones con la ciencia moderna En la humedad tropical, las cosechas raiceras tales como mandioca, ñame y batata, junto con varias cosechas de rafíces aroides, son muy preferidas a los céréales como alimentos corrientes, ya que son m´s eficaces desde el punto de vista alimenticio en estos ecosistemas. Se ha estimado que constituyen la dieta corriente de unos 400 a 500 millones de personas. Los científicos agrícolas han prestado muy poca atención a los problemas de almacenamiento y tratamiento posterior a la cosecha de estos productos, pero las sociedades tradicionales que tanto dependen de ellos han evolucionado unos sistemas muy eficaces, con recursos muy limitados. Estas sociedades suelen ser ecocéntricas en lugar de tecnocéntricas y podrían beneficiarse por interacción con la moderna technología, siempre y cuando esta última no domine ni destruya los sistemas tradicionales. SUMMARY In the humid tropics, root crops such as cassava, yams, sweet and white potatoes and a variety of aroid root crops are widely preferred to grains as staple foods, as they are often more efficient food producers under these ecosystems. They have been estimated to provide the staple food of some 400?500 mn people. Little attention has been given by agricultural scientists to the post?harvest storage and processing problems of these crop products, but traditional societies dependent on them have evolved effective systems, with very limited resources. These societies are usually ecocentric rather than technocentric, and could benefit by interaction with modern technology so long as this neither dominates nor destroys the traditional systems. RÉSUMÉ La technologie tradionnelle des cultures tropicales de racines alimentaires; quelques interactions avec la science moderne Sous les tropiques humides, les cultures de racines alimentaires telles que manioc, igname, patates et pommes de terre blanches ainsi qu'une diversité de cultures de racines aracées ont en grande mesure la préférence sur les graines en tant que nourriture de base, vu qu'elles sont souvent des productrices d'aliments plus efficaces sous ces écosystèmes. On a calculé qu'elles assurent la nourriture de base à environ 400 à 500 millions de personnes. Les techniciens agronomes se sont peu penchés sur les problèmes d'emmagasinage et de traitement des produits se ces récoltes, mais les sociétés traditionnelles qui en dépendent ont mis au point des systèmes efficaces, avec des ressources de plus limitées. Ces sociétés sont d'habitude écocentriques plutôt que tecnnocentriques, et pourraient bénéficier de l'interaction avec la technologie moderne pour autant que cette dernière ni domine ni détruise les systèmes traditionnels

IL-13 Stimulates Proliferation and Expression of Mucin and Immunomodulatory Genes in Cultured Conjunctival Goblet Cells

Citation: Tukler Henriksson J, Coursey TG, Corry DB, De Paiva CS, Pflugfelder SC. IL-13 stimulates proliferation and expression of mucin and immunomodulatory genes in cultured conjunctival goblet cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2015;56:4186-4197. DOI:10.1167/iovs.14-15496 PURPOSE. To investigate the effects of IL-13 on goblet cell proliferation, differentiation, and expression of mucin and immunomodulatory genes. METHODS. Explants were excised from the conjunctiva of young C57BL/6 mice. Cultures received 200 lL per week of either Keratinocyte media (KSFM) or KSFM supplemented with 10 ng/mL IL-13 and were incubated for 3 (D3), 7 (D7), or 14 (D14) days. Subsequently, cell proliferation was assessed or cultures were immunostained, collected for dot blot, or for reverse transcription (RT) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) or for RT-PCR gene array. RESULTS. The cultured conjunctival epithelium expressed goblet cell associated keratin 7 and mucins MUC5AC and MUC2 and when stimulated with IL-13 showed increased proliferation at D3 and D7 (P < 0.05) compared with control. MUC5AC expression was increased in the IL-13-treated group at D3 and D14 (P < 0.05). IL-13-treated cultures showed increased chemokine ligand 26 (CCL26), chloride channel calcium activated channel 3 (CLCA3), fas ligand (FasL), and Relm-b at D7. All conjunctival cultures expressed MUC2, and its expression was decreased at D3 (P < 0.05) and increased at D14 (P < 0.05) with IL-13 treatment. CONCLUSIONS. This study demonstrated that conjunctival goblet cells are IL-13 responsive cells that produce factors known to maintain epithelial barrier, stimulate mucin production, and modulate immune response in nonocular mucosa when treated with IL-13. The functional significance of IL-13-stimulated factors remains to be determined. Keywords: conjunctiva, goblet cells, interleukin-13, cell culture T he conjunctiva covers two-thirds of the ocular surface and functions as a support tissue for cornea. 2,3 Conjunctival goblet cells are surrounded by lymphocytes and dendritic cells and their density has been found to change in certain ocular surface immune/inflammatory conditions. 4 Goblet cell density has been reported to decrease in aqueous tear deficiency, a condition where T helper 1 (Th1) and Th17 cells infiltrate the conjunctiva, and increase in atopic keratoconjunctivitis and vernal keratoconjunctivitis, predominantly Th2-mediated diseases. 5-8 The mucus stimulating activity of the Th2 cytokine IL-13 has been reported to have a defensive role in the intestines by eliminating helminthic parasites and in the airways by protecting from particles or allergens. 9,10 However, excessive IL-13 expression is associated with goblet cell hyperplasia and mucous hypersecretion, both in the gut and in the airways where it can result in airway obstruction. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the Th2 cytokine IL-13 can modulate proliferation, differentiation, and expression of mucin and immunomodulatory gene

Sediment Movement at LTER Sites: Mechanics, Measurement and Integration with Hydrology

published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewedOpe

An Integrated Framework for Intersectorality: Nonprofitness and Its Influence on Society and Public Administration Programs

Cross-sector interactions have long occurred in the public delivery of goods, services, and interests. While scholars have often addressed cross-sector interactions using the dimensions of publicness (state) and privateness (market), an intersectoral framework necessitates the understanding and incorporation of nonprofitness to account for the dimensions of nonprofits along the public-private continuum. This article proposes a framework for identifying the dimensions of nonprofits in an intersectoral world and draws on relevant examples to illustrate the presence and influence of nonprofitness. The article then focuses on the future of education in the field of public administration and, in light of the proposed framework, makes and considers recommendations to help educational programs better equip students to appreciate work across sectors

Stress and Patient Safety – A review of literature on work related stress in nursing and it’s consequences for patient safety

Bakgrund: Stress är i dagsläget vanligt och kan upplevas både som positiv och negativ. Stress kan uppstå från fysiska, psykiska och etiska faktorer. Kroppen kan hantera kortvarig stress, och negativa konsekvenser kan uppstå vid stresspåslag i längre perioder. Det är i dagsläget vanligt att personal inom hälso- och sjukvården har en ohälsosam arbetsbelastning och sjuksköterskeyrket är numera ett stressfyllt yrke. Patientsäkerhet inom vården innebär en frånvaro av skador som kan förebyggas och sjuksköterskan ska bedriva en god vård för att minimera avvikande händelser. Vid bristande patientsäkerhet kan vårdskada och vårdlidande uppstå. En vårdskada definieras som när en skada inom hälso- och sjukvården uppstår men som hade kunnat förebyggas, och vårdlidande när patienten upplever ett lidande relaterat till vården. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturstudie är att belysa vilka arbetsmiljörelaterade stressfaktorer den grundutbildade sjuksköterskan upplever och hur dessa kan påverka patientsäkerheten. Metod: En litteraturöversikt som innefattar tolv vetenskapliga artiklar, varav två är kvalitativa och tio är kvantitativa. De kvalitativa artiklarna kvalitetsgranskades med en kvalitativ mall och de kvantitativa artiklarna granskades med en generell mall för vetenskapliga artiklar. Artiklarna analyserades och resultatet sorterades i huvudkategorier och subkategorier. Resultat: Presenteras i två huvudkategorier, generell och personbunden stress, samt specifika stressfaktorer. Huvudkategorierna delades sedan in i subkategorierna generell stress, personbundna faktorer, arbetstider, arbetskrav, samarbete, arbetsrelationer och organisatoriska faktorer. Resultatet presenteras även tabell 1 med de avvikande händelser som identifierades, vilka delades in i kategorierna vårdskada och anmälan, omvårdnad och medicin, låg bemanning, och organisation. Slutsats: Stress har en stark koppling till ett försämrat patientsäkerhetsarbete. Även många identifierade stressfaktorer hade en koppling till varandra. Sjuksköterskan löper en risk att utföra undersökningar och behandlingar som leder till en vårdskada. Stress upplevs även när en vårdskada uppstår, vilket leder till en ond cirkel mellan stress och patientsäkerhet

Managing Sjögren’s Syndrome and non-Sjögren Syndrome dry eye with anti-inflammatory therapy

Terry G Coursey, Cintia S de PaivaCullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USAAbstract: Dry eye from Sjögren’s syndrome is a multifactorial disease that results in dysfunction of the lacrimal functional unit. Studies have shown changes in tear composition, including inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and metalloproteinase. T-lymphocytes have been shown to increase in the conjunctiva and lacrimal glands in patient and animal models. This inflammation is in part responsible for the pathogenesis of the disease, which results in symptoms of eye irritation, ocular surface epithelial disease, and loss of corneal barrier function. There are a number of anti-inflammatory approaches for treating this disease. The current study reviews details of immune response and anti–inflammatory therapies used to control this disease.Keywords: keratoconjunctivitis sicca, SS, cyclosporin A, steroids, dry eye, Sjögren’s Syndrom

Comparison between two lunar situations on emission and larval transport of decapod larvae in the Mondego estuary (Portugal)

This study compares the rhythms of larval release of the most abundant decapod crustaceans between the New Moon and the First Quarter. Eurelian field surveys were conducted at a small estuary (Mondego river) on the Atlantic coast of Portugal. All taxa showed tidal and lunar rhythm changes in abundance. The larval emission was very strong during nocturnal ebb neap tides at the First Quarter. Export of zoea did not occur to Rhithropanopeus harrisii. Despite the extensive literature on seasonal abundance, dispersal patterns, larval emission and recruitment of estuarine crabs, little is known about patterns of emission and larval transport in estuaries of Atlantic coast of Portugal, with crepuscular high tides around the quarter moons. The aim of the present study was to compare the larval emission of decapods in the Mondego river estuary, at different lunar situations and during nyctemeral cycles.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6VR3-4B6JTC7-R/1/b4360279335b2f8b4a5079cb00dde30