The thematic analysis of interview data: an approach used to examine the influence of the market on curricular provision in Mongolian higher education institutions

This article describes how thematic analysis was used in the analysis of the qualitative interviews in a doctoral study that was designed to examine the changes taking place in the higher education market in Mongolia in terms of undergraduate curricular provision. The paper presents a rationale for using thematic analysis demonstrating analytical rigour in the stages of coding and the identification of emergent themes through the use of NVivo

Genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of dehalobacter UNSWDHB in response to chloroform

Organohalide respiring bacteria (ORB) are capable of utilising organohalides as electron acceptors for the generation of cellular energy and consequently play an important role in the turnover of natural and anthropogenically-derived organohalides. In this study, the response of a Dehalobacter sp. strain UNSWDHB to the addition of trichloromethane (TCM) after a 50 h period of its absence (suffocation) was evaluated from a transcriptomic and proteomic perspective. The up-regulation of TCM reductive dehalogenase genes (tmrABC) and their gene products (TmrABC) was confirmed at both transcriptional and proteomic levels. Other findings include the upregulation of various hydrogenases (membrane-associated Ni-Fe hydrogenase complexes and soluble Fe-Fe hydrogenases), formate dehydrogenases, complex I and a pyrophosphate-energized proton pump. The elevated expression of enzymes associated with carbon metabolism, including complete Wood Ljungdahl pathway, during TCM respiration raises interesting questions on possible fates of intracellular formate and its potential role in the physiology of this bacterium. Overall, the findings presented here provide a broader view on the bioenergetics and general physiology of Dehalobacter UNSWDHB cells actively respiring with TCM

The Precursor to Glutathione (GSH), γ-Glutamylcysteine (GGC), Can Ameliorate Oxidative Damage and Neuroinflammation Induced by Aβ40 Oligomers in Human Astrocytes

Glutathione (GSH) is one of the most abundant thiol antioxidants in cells. Many chronic and age-related diseases are associated with a decline in cellular GSH levels or impairment in the catalytic activity of the GSH biosynthetic enzyme glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL). γ-glutamylcysteine (GGC), a precursor to glutathione (GSH), can replenish depleted GSH levels under oxidative stress conditions, by circumventing the regulation of GSH biosynthesis and providing the limiting substrate. Soluble amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers have been shown to induce oxidative stress, synaptic dysfunction and memory deficits which have been reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Calcium ions, which are increased with age and in AD, have been previously reported to enhance the formation of Aβ40 oligomers, which have been casually associated with the pathogenesis of the underlying neurodegenerative condition. In this study, we examined the potential beneficial effects of GGC against exogenous Aβ40 oligomers on biomarkers of apoptosis and cell death, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation, in human astrocytes. Treatment with Aβ40 oligomers significantly reduced the cell viability and apoptosis of astrocyte brain cultures and increased oxidative modifications of DNA, lipids, and protein, enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine release and increased the activity of the proteolytic matrix metalloproteinase enzyme, matric metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and reduced the activity of MMP-9 after 24 h. Co-treatment of Aβ40 oligomers with GGC at 200 µM increased the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and led to significant increases in the levels of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and GSH and reduced the GSSG/GSH ratio. GGC also upregulated the level of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and reduced the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) and attenuated the changes in metalloproteinase activity in oligomeric Aβ40-treated astrocytes. Our data provides renewed insight on the beneficial effects of increased GSH levels by GGC in human astrocytes, and identifies yet another potential therapeutic strategy to attenuate the cytotoxic effects of Aβ oligomers in AD

Corrigendum: Identification of cerebral metal ion imbalance in the brain of ageing octodon degus [Front. Aging Neurosci., 9, (2017) (66)] DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00066

Due to a misunderstanding, the O. degus brain specimen used in the study were obtained from the animal facility of the Pontificia Universidad Catholic University of Chile, not the animal facility of the University of Valparaiso as previously stated in the article. Therefore, in the animal methods section, the correct paragraph should read: Octodon degus were obtained from a breeding colony at the animal facility of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and maintained in a controlled temperature room (23 ± 1°C), under a 12:12 h light/dark cycle, with water and food provided ad libitum. At the time of this study, 16 male O. degus were grouped by age, from 12 to 36 months of age (n = 8 per group). Ages were selected to represent the development of AD-like pathology (36 months). All efforts were made to minimize animal discomfort and stress while also limiting the number of animals used. Aged animals were anesthetized with Equitesin (2.5 ml/kg, i.p.) and injected with heparin (4 USP/kg, i.p.). Afterward, brains were surgically removed from their skulls and frozen in isopentane at -78.5°C. All procedures were conducted according to animal protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile