Listen to the band! How sound can realize group identity and enact intergroup domination

Recent research suggests that sound appraisal can be moderated by social identity. We validate this finding, and also extend it, by examining the extent to which sound can also be understood as instrumental in intergroup relations. We interviewed nine members of a Catholic enclave in predominantly Protestant East Belfast about their experiences of an outgroup (Orange Order) parade, where intrusive sound was a feature. Participants reported experiencing the sounds as a manifestation of the Orange Order identity and said that it made them feel threatened and anxious because they felt it was targeted at them by the outgroup (e.g., through aggressive volume increases). There was also evidence that the sounds produced community disempowerment, which interviewees explicitly linked to the invasiveness of the music. Some interviewees described organising to collectively ‘drown out’ the bands’ sounds, an activity which appeared to be uplifting. These findings develop the elaborated social identity model of empowerment, by showing that intergroup struggle and collective self-objectification can operate through sound as well as through physical actions

Pheno- and genotyping of Pasteurella multocida isolated from goat in Iran

In this study, phenotype, capsular type and some virulence factors (pfha1, tbpA, and toxA) of caprine Pasteurella multocida were described in 10 isolates from goat. Two biochemical biovars were recognized among the isolates based on dulcitol and sorbitol fermentation. The isolates belonged to biovars P. multocida sub. multocida (80%) and P. multocida sub. septica (20%). Capsular typing of isolates by PCR demonstrated two capsular types A (90%) and D. Among 3 virulence genes detected by PCR, we found a remarkable high prevalence of tbpA (80%) and toxA (70%) genes among caprine isolates. The high prevalence of these genes owning association of disease status among healthy animals showed high potential of the strains in induction of disease. The high prevalence of toxA and tbpA among goat is very similar to the ones in sheep isolates. Comparison of virulence genes profile showed possibility of P. multocida transmission between sheep and goat

Neighbourhood identity helps residents cope with residential diversification: contact in increasingly mixed neighbourhoods of Northern Ireland

Research on residential diversification has mainly focused on its negative impacts upon community cohesion and positive effects on intergroup relations. However, these analyses ignore how neighbourhood identity can shape the consequences of diversification among residents. Elsewhere, research using the Applied Social Identity Approach (ASIA) has demonstrated the potential for neighbourhood identity to provide social and psychological resources to cope with challenges. The current paper proposes a novel model whereby these ‘Social Cure’ processes can enable residents to cope with the specific challenges of diversification. We present two studies in support of this model, each from the increasingly religiously desegregated society of post-conflict Northern Ireland. Analysis of the 2012 ‘Northern Ireland Life and Times’ survey shows that across Northern Ireland, neighbourhood identity impacts positively upon both wellbeing and intergroup attitudes via a reduction in intergroup anxiety. A second custom-designed survey of residents in a newly-mixed area of Belfast shows that neighbourhood identification predicts increased wellbeing, reduced intergroup anxiety and reduced prejudice, independently of group norms and experiences of contact. For political psychologists, our evidence suggests a reformulation of the fundamental question of ‘what effects does residential mixing have on neighbourhoods?’ to ‘how can neighbourhood communities support residents to collectively cope with contact?’

Detection of virulence-associated genes of Pasteurella multocida isolated from cases of fowl cholera by multiplex-PCR

The current systems of breeding poultry, based on high population density, increase the risk of spreading pathogens, especially those causing respiratory diseases and those that have more than one host. Fowl Cholera (FC) is one such pathogen, and even though it represents one of several avian diseases that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of notifiable diseases that present with sudden death, the pathogenesis and virulence factors involved in FC are still poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate twelve genes related to virulence in 25 samples of Pasteurella multocida isolated from FC cases in the southern region of Brazil through the development of multiplex PCR protocols. The protocols developed were capable of detecting all of the proposed genes. The ompH, oma87, sodC, hgbA, hgbB, exBD-tonB and nanB genes were present in 100% of the samples (25/25), the sodA and nanH genes were present in 96% (24/25), ptfA was present in 92% (23/25), and pfhA was present in 60% (15/25). Gene toxA was not identified in any of the samples studied (0/25). Five different genetic profiles were obtained, of which P1 (negative to toxA) was the most common. We concluded that the multiplex-PCR protocols could be useful tools for rapid and simultaneous detection of virulence genes. Despite the high frequency of the analyzed genes and the fact that all samples belonged to the same subspecies of P. multocida, five genetic profiles were observed, which should be confirmed in a study with a larger number of samples

Seizure prediction : ready for a new era

Acknowledgements: The authors acknowledge colleagues in the international seizure prediction group for valuable discussions. L.K. acknowledges funding support from the National Health and Medical Research Council (APP1130468) and the James S. McDonnell Foundation (220020419) and acknowledges the contribution of Dean R. Freestone at the University of Melbourne, Australia, to the creation of Fig. 3.Peer reviewedPostprin

Polymorphism of coagulase gene in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from buffaloe milk

The aim of this study was to analyze the coA gene on Staphylococcus aureus isolates collected from milks of native buffaloes in north-west of Iran. For this purpose, seventy five S. aureus isolates were examined by PCR-RFLP. Amplification of coA gene revealed various amplicons with a sizes of approximately 600, 700, 760 and 850 bp in 12, 25, 29 and 9 of the isolates, respectively. AluI digestion of the amplicons demonstrated that the isolates had the same PCR band size in the same PCR-RFLP patterns. The result of coA gen analysis was similar to the isolates from cattle milk

Biotyping of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from milk and milk products in Tabriz city

Knowledge about phenotypic features of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from milk and their products is very limited in Tabriz region. The aim of this study was to determine the biotypes of S. aureus. For this purpose, 48 S. aureus strains which were previously isolated from cow raw milk (24), traditional cheese (12) and ice cream (12) in Tabriz region were considered. Biotyping was carried out by means of Staphylokinase production, β-hemolysis, coagulation of cow plasma and crystal violates reaction. Among 48 isolates, 23 and 2 strains were belonged to the human and ovine ecovars, respectively. The rest of the isolates were identified as non-host specific ecovars. Regarding the high prevalence rate of human ecovars in this study, it seems that these ecovars may have been transmitted to these products via human handling