The Little Fish

Group Project created in a NTID class in April 2009

Assessment Of A State Commodity Marketing Program: A Case Study Approach Using 2003-2004 Texas Wine Marketing Assistance Program Evaluation

The Texas wine industry is a growing industry that impacts the states economy, offers gains in tourism and provides Texas jobs.  This study shows the gains recognized from Texas Wineries during their participation (2004 fiscal year) in the Texas Wine Marketing Assistance Program (TWMAP) with comparisons made to the initial assessment for 2002 fiscal year.  A questionnaire was created to assess the benefits to the wineries of the state of Texas which participated in the TWMAP program.  When compared to the initial assessment (2002), participating wineries experienced an increase in all categories, for example, average sales, number of wineries participating in the program and visits to the wineries.  A greater number of wineries participated in the programs, and a higher percentage believed that the TWMAP was beneficial to their business.  Thirty percent more wineries reported sales increases, (67% in 2003, 97% in 2004) with average sales increase from $88,983 in 2003 to$109,387 in 2004 creating a total economic impact increase from $4.1 million to$10.1 million.  The ROI increased from 930% to 1,400%. The participants in the TWMAP attribute 35.4% of their sales increases directly to the TWMAP, amounting to $3.57 million in economic benefit for the state, with programming costs of$250,000.  The TWMAP returned over $14 for each$1 of state funds invested, or 1,400% return on state funding.  This was an increase in the already impressive 930% increase in returns reported in 2002.  In light of these trends in this program, it is clear that the TWMAP is establishing a pattern of success and the existence of a marketing campaign has had a successful economic impact on the growth of the Texas wine industry.

Reservoir of Bacterial Exotoxin Genes in the Environment

Many bacteria produce secreted virulence factors called exotoxins. Exotoxins are often encoded by mobile genetic elements, including bacteriophage (phage). Phage can transfer genetic information to the bacteria they infect. When a phage transfers virulence genes to an avirulent bacterium, the bacterium can acquire the ability to cause disease. It is important to understand the role played by the phage that carry these genes in the evolution of pathogens. This is the first report of an environmental reservoir of a bacterial exotoxin gene in an atypical host. Screening bacterial isolates from the environment via PCR identified an isolate with a DNA sequence >95% identical to the Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin A gene (sea). 16S DNA sequence comparisons and growth studies identified the environmental isolate as a psychrophilic Pseudomonas spp. The results indicate that the sea gene is present in an alternative bacterial host, providing the first evidence for an environmental pool of exotoxin genes in bacteria

Methanol Accelerates DMPC Flip-Flop and Transfer: A SANS Study on Lipid Dynamics

© 2019 Biophysical Society Methanol is a common solubilizing agent used to study transmembrane proteins/peptides in biological and synthetic membranes. Using small angle neutron scattering and a strategic contrast-matching scheme, we show that methanol has a major impact on lipid dynamics. Under increasing methanol concentrations, isotopically distinct 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine large unilamellar vesicle populations exhibit increased mixing. Specifically, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine transfer and flip-flop kinetics display linear and exponential rate enhancements, respectively. Ultimately, methanol is capable of influencing the structure-function relationship associated with bilayer composition (e.g., lipid asymmetry). The use of methanol as a carrier solvent, despite better simulating some biological conditions (e.g., antimicrobial attack), can help misconstrue lipid scrambling as the action of proteins or peptides, when in actuality it is a combination of solvent and biological agent. As bilayer compositional stability is crucial to cell survival and protein reconstitution, these results highlight the importance of methanol, and solvents in general, in biomembrane and proteolipid studies

TbGT8 is a bifunctional glycosyltransferase that elaborates<em> N</em>-linked glycans on a protein phosphatase AcP115 and a GPI-anchor modifying glycan in <em>Trypanosoma brucei</em>

AbstractThe procyclic form of Trypanosoma brucei expresses procyclin surface glycoproteins with unusual glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor side chain structures that contain branched N-acetyllactosamine and lacto-N-biose units. The glycosyltransferase TbGT8 is involved in the synthesis of the branched side chain through its UDP-GlcNAc: βGal β1-3N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity. Here, we explored the role of TbGT8 in the mammalian bloodstream form of the parasite with a tetracycline-inducible conditional null T. brucei mutant for TbGT8. Under non-permissive conditions, the mutant showed significantly reduced binding to tomato lectin, which recognizes poly-N-acetyllactosamine-containing glycans. Lectin pull-down assays revealed differences between the wild type and TbGT8 null-mutant T. brucei, notably the absence of a broad protein band with an approximate molecular weight of 110kDa in the mutant lysate. Proteomic analysis revealed that the band contained several glycoproteins, including the acidic ecto-protein phosphatase AcP115, a stage-specific glycoprotein in the bloodstream form of T. brucei. Western blotting with an anti-AcP115 antibody revealed that AcP115 was approximately 10kDa smaller in the mutant. Enzymatic de-N-glycosylation demonstrated that the underlying protein cores were the same, suggesting that the 10-kDa difference was due to differences in N-linked glycans. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed the colocalization of hemagglutinin epitope-tagged TbGT8 and the Golgi-associated protein GRASP. These data suggest that TbGT8 is involved in the construction of complex poly-N-acetyllactosamine-containing type N-linked and GPI-linked glycans in the Golgi of the bloodstream and procyclic parasite forms, respectively

Comparing Competing Theories on the Causes of Mandate Perceptions

The discussion of presidential mandates is as certain as a presidential election itself. Journalists inevitably discuss whether the president-elect has a popular mandate. Because they see elections as too complex to allow the public to send a unitary signal, political scientists are more skeptical of mandates. Mandates, however, have received new attention by scholars asking whether perceptions of mandate arise and lead representatives to act as if voters sent a policy directive. Two explanations have emerged to account for why elected officials might react to such perceptions. One focuses on the President’s strategic decision to declare a mandate, the second on how members of Congress read signals of changing preferences in the electorate from their own election results. We test these competing views to see which more accurately explains how members of Congress act in support of a perceived mandate. The results indicate that members respond more to messages about changing preferences than to the president’s mandate declaration

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to dietary salt among adults in the state of Victoria, Australia 2015

BackgroundInformation on consumer&rsquo;s knowledge, attitudes and behaviours (KABs) related to salt can be used to inform awareness and education campaigns and serve as a baseline measure to monitor changes in KABs over time. The aim of this study was to determine KABs related to salt intake among Victorian adults.MethodsCross-sectional survey conducted in Victorian adults aged 18&ndash;65 years. Participants were recruited from shopping centres located in Melbourne and Geelong and via online methods (Facebook and Consumer Research Panel) to complete an online survey assessing KABs related to dietary salt. Descriptive statistics (mean (SD) or n (%)) were used to report survey findings.ResultsA total of 2398 participants provided a valid survey (mean age 43 years (SD 13), 57% female). The majority (80%) were born in Australia and 63% were the main household grocery shopper. The majority (89%) were aware of the health risks associated with a high salt intake. Eighty three percent believed that Australians eat too much salt. Three quarters (75%) correctly identified salt from processed foods as being the main source of salt in the diet. Less than a third (29%) of participants believed their own individual salt intake exceeded dietary recommendations and only 28% could correctly identify the maximum recommended daily intake for salt. Just under half (46%) of participants were concerned about the amount of salt in food. Almost two thirds (61%) of participants believed that there should be laws which limit the amount of salt added to manufactured foods and 58% agreed that it was difficult to find lower salt options when eating out.ConclusionsThe findings of this study serve as a baseline assessment of KABs related to salt intake in Victorian adults and can be used to assess changes in salt related KABs over time. Public concern about salt is low as many people remain unaware of their own salt intake. An increased awareness of the excessive amount of salt consumed and increased availability of lower salt foods are likely to reduce population salt intake.<br /

The Iowa Homemaker vol.3, no.12

Table of Contents A Greeting to Iowa Homemakers by Dr. Louise Stanley, page 3 A New Book on “Meal Planning and Table Service” by Florence E. Busse, page 4 A Bill of Rights for the Child by Lulu R. Lancaster, page 4 Shrubs as a Garden Background by Juanita Beard, page 5 ‘Tis Egg Time Again by Beth Bailey McLean, page 6 The New Domestic System by Claude L. Benner, page 7 A Time Budget for the Homemaker by Ruth M. Lindquist, page 8 Figures That Do Not Lie by Mae L. Kelley, page 9 The Cooking of Meats by P. Mabel Nelson, page 10 The Psychology of Clothing by Eveleth Pedersen, page 11 Iowa State Women in Rural Schools by W. H. Lancelot, page 12 A Yarn about Yarns by Irene Christian, page 13 Tea Room Accounting by George M. Fuller, page 14 Who’s There and Where by Dryden Quist, page 15 Editorial, page 16 Homemaker as Citizen, page 17 The Eternal Question, page 18 Mrs. Purchaser Chooses Upholstery by Lucile Barta, page 1