Natural Radiation Induced Developmental Disability: An Avian Model

Radiation exposure during gestation causes mutation in the fetus leading to birth defects in the newborn. On a survey of the coastal villages of Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu, India, high levels of background radiation were detected, which was suggestive of inducing mutations, and congenital abnormalities in the exposed population. To substantiate the dangerous impact of such natural radioactive emissions, we have established an avian model of irradiation-induced birth defect in chicks hatched from eggs exposed to natural radioactive beach sand. The hatched experimental chicks exhibited severe locomotor disability and extreme malformations. Our study proves for the first time, that natural beach sand radiation induces severe developmental abnormalities. The results of this experiment brings to light, the importance of radiation-protection during gestation and also the need for monitoring and cleaning of radioactive sand deposits in beaches all over the world

An integrated model of innovation drivers for smaller software firms

High-technology innovation is essential for economic development in industrialized societies. However, innovation practice in smaller software companies has received little attention. We derive software innovation drivers and outputs from a fragmented literature and analyze their empirical relevance using qualitative data from 25 in-depth interviews with software executives in the Silicon Fen. Repeating patterns in the data set revealed through content analysis show that the most important innovation drivers for smaller software firms are external knowledge, leadership and team processes. Specialized innovation tools and techniques are hardly used. We develop a model of software innovation drivers, together with explorative theoretical propositions.This research work is supported by the Danish Research Council: grant no. 12-133180. Many thanks to the interviewees and the participating companies

An ITS Vision for Melbourne’s Southbank Precinct

Melbourne’s Southbank area is achieving prominence as an activity centre because of the variety of cultural, sporting and entertainment opportunities which it provides. This paper outlines opportunities to maximise the economic and social value of the area by facilitating travel to andthrough the area. The focus here concerns the integration of intelligent transport systems (ITS) into the Southbank area. ITS covers the application of advanced information processing and communications, sensing and control technologies to surface transport. ITS will assist in the reduction of traffic congestion and inconvenience to drivers, public transport users, pedestrians, bicyclists and other travellers. The level of technology that is presently available revolves around variable message roadside signs, radio broadcasts and telephone services. For motorised vehicles, roadside systems appear to present the best option for parking and traffic information. Radio and television systems have the advantage of reaching an urban-wide audience while the roadside systems can focus on particular areas. The linear nature of the Southbank area and associated transport infrastructure lends itself to roadside information providing directions to parking and other facilities. Information for pedestrians can be provided in localised information booths or kiosks. This information could relate to entertainment, places of interest, public transport timetables, provisions of taxi services and parking. The Southbank area stands to benefit not only in the long term, but also during the period when much of the area is being developed, from investment in an ITS to cater for the diverse needs of the many people will visit Melbourne’s entertainment, sporting and cultural hub

Purification, Characterization and Antimicrobial Properties of Hemolymph Lectin from the Larva of Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Lectins are renowned hemagglutinins and multivalent proteins with a well-known quality for sugar-binding specificity that participate significantly in invertebrate defense functions. Studies on biological activity of lectin from coleopteran insect are very scarce. A lectin with specific affinity for N-acetyl neuraminic acid was purified from the hemolymph of the larva of the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus by biospecific adsorption using formalinized rabbit erythrocytes and affinity chromatography using PSM-linked cyanogen bromide activated Sepharose 4B. The specific activity of the lectin purified by affinity chromatography was much higher than the lectin purified by biospecific adsorption. The binding specificity of the weevil lectin distinguishes it from other known insect lectins. Like the crude agglutinin, the lectin purified by affinity chromatography also showed the same pattern of specificity towards erythrocytes. However, 4-to-8-fold decrease in HA titer was observed when tested with the purified lectin. In the same way, reduction is also observed in the HAI titer of the purified lectin with most of the inhibitors except PSM where the HAI titer was identical both in the crude agglutinin and purified lectin. Sugars N-acetyl neuraminic acid, N-acetyl mannosamine and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine inhibited the HA titer of the purified lectin with greater efficacy than the crude agglutinin. The sialic acid specificity of the lectin was confirmed by 16-fold reduction in HA titer with asialo rabbit erythrocytes and 32-fold reduction in HAI titer with desialylated PSM. The purified lectin is homogenous on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide electrophorogram with a molecular weight of about 60 kDa. The lectin showed antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus mutans, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeroginosa and fungi Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger

How big does the effect of an intervention have to be? Application of two novel methods to determine the smallest worthwhile effect of a fall prevention programme: A study protocol

Introduction: This project concerns the identification of the smallest worthwhile effect (SWE) of exercise-based programmes to prevent falls in older people. The SWE is the smallest effect that justifies the costs, risks and inconveniences of an intervention and is used to inform the design and interpretation of systematic reviews and randomised clinical trials. Methods and analysis: This study will comprise two different methodological approaches: the benefitharm trade-off method and the discrete choice experiment to estimate the SWE of exercise interventions to prevent falls in older people. In the benefit-harm trade-off method, hypothetical scenarios with the benefits, costs, risks and inconveniences associated with the intervention will be presented to each participant. Then, assuming a treatment effect of certain magnitude, the participant will be asked if he or she would choose to have the intervention. The size of the hypothetical benefit will be varied up and down until it is possible to identify the SWE for which the participant would choose to have the intervention. In the discrete choice experiment, the same attributes (benefits, costs, risks and inconveniences) with varying levels will be presented as choice sets, and participants will be asked to choose between these choice sets. With this approach, we will determine the probability that a person will consider the effects of an intervention to be worthwhile, given the particular costs, risks and inconveniences. For each of the two approaches, participants will be interviewed in person and on different occasions. A subsample of the total cohort will participate in both interviews. Ethics and dissemination: This project has received Ethics Approval from the University of Sydney Human Ethics Committee (Protocol number: 14404). Findings will be disseminated through conference presentations, seminars and peer-reviewed scientific journals

Physico-Chemical Characterization Of A Naturally Occurring Agglutinin In The Hemolymph Of The Larva Of Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus

The hemolymph of most invertebrates contains naturally occurring hemagglutinins with diverse specificities for erythrocytes. A natural agglutinin with high affinity for rabbit erythrocytes was detected in the hemolymph of the larva of the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus  ferrugineus. The HA titer can be ranked as rabbit > guinea pig = dog = horse > human B > human O = buffalo > goat = pig > human A = rat = mice = cow erythrocytes.  Maximum hemagglutinin activity with rabbit erythrocytes was observed at pH 7.5 and temperature 30°C to 40°C.  The hemagglutinability was calcium dependent and reversibly sensitive to EDTA. The HA activity of the larval hemagglutinin was inhibited by the glycoproteins, Porcine stomach mucin = Fetuin > Bovine thyroglobulin > Transferrin = Apotransferrin > Bovine submaxillary mucin and sugars, N-acetyl mannosamine = melibiose = α-lactose > D-galactosamine > N-acetyl-D-galactosamine = N-acetyl neuraminic acid. Reduction in HA titer with the sialidase treated rabbit erythrocytes revealed the sialic acid specificity of the agglutinin. Presence of a single agglutinin and its proteinaceous nature were unveiled by cross adsorption studies and treatment with denaturing agents respectively.  Therefore, the preliminary description of the hemolymph agglutinin would offer ways to perform lectin purification from Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, the red palm weevil.&nbsp

Studies on amylase activity of an amylolytic bacterium isolated from estuarine soil

Diverse microscopic, macroscopic and biochemical analysis of a starch degrading amylolytic bacterial strain isolated from the soil sample of Rajakkamangalam estuary, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India, revealed its identity to the genus Bacillus. Maximum growth was observed at 12 h when the bacteria was cultured in  minimal agar media with 2% starch maintained for 12 h, at 37°C and pH 5.5, 7.5 and 8.5. Highest enzyme  action as revealed by glucose production in the media was observed at pH 8.0, temperature 30°C and in the presence of 10 mM calcium (Ca). Enzyme activity gradually got reduced with the addition of increasing  concentrations of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), confirming the need for calcium for enzyme action. The amylase produced in the medium was isolated by centrifugation and partially purified by ammonium sulphate fractionation followed by dialysis.Key words: Amylase, bacteria, amylase activity, pH sensitivity, estuarine soil

Automation in human-machine networks: how increasing machine agency affects human agency

© 2018, Springer International Publishing AG. Efficient human-machine networks require productive interaction between human and machine actors. In this study, we address how a strengthening of machine agency, for example through increasing levels of automation, affect the human actors of the networks. Findings from case studies within air traffic management, emergency management, and crowd evacuation are presented, shedding light on how automation may strengthen the agency of human actors in the network through responsibility sharing and task allocation, and serve as a needed prerequisite of innovation and change

Long-Term Functional Side-Effects of Stimulants and Sedatives in Drosophila melanogaster

Background: Small invertebrate animals, such as nematodes and fruit flies, are increasingly being used to test candidate drugs both for specific therapeutic purposes and for long-term health effects. Some of the protocols used in these experiments feature such experimental design features as lifelong virginity and very low densities. By contrast, the ability of both fruit flies and nematodes to resist stress is frequently correlated with their longevity and other functional measures, suggesting that low-stress assays are not necessarily the only useful protocol for testing the long-term effects of drugs. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we report an alternative protocol for fruit fly drug-testing that maximizes reproductive opportunities and other types of interaction, with moderately high population densities. We validate this protocol using two types of experimental tests: 1. We show that this protocol detects previously well-established genetic differences between outbred fruit fly populations. 2. We show that this protocol is able to distinguish among the long-term effects of similar types of drugs within two broad categories, stimulants and tranquilizers. Conclusions: Large-scale fly drug testing can be conducted using mixed-sex high-density cage assays. We find that the commonly-used stimulants caffeine and theobromine differ dramatically in their chronic functional effects, theobromine being more benign. Likewise, we find that two generic pharmaceutical tranquilizers, lithium carbonate and valproic acid, differ dramatically in their chronic effects, lithium being more benign. However, these findings do not necessarily apply t

Manipulation of feeding regime alters sexual dimorphism for lifespan and reduces sexual conflict in Drosophila melanogaster

Sexual dimorphism for lifespan (SDL) is widespread, but poorly understood. A leading hypothesis, which we test here, is that strong SDL can reduce sexual conflict, by allowing each sex to maximise its sex-specific fitness. We used replicated experimental evolution lines of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, which had been maintained for over 360 generations on either unpredictable ‘Random’ or predictable ‘Regular’ feeding regimes. This evolutionary manipulation of feeding regime led to robust, enhanced SDL in Random over control, Regular lines. Enhanced SDL was associated with a significant increase in the fitness of focal males, tested with wild type females. This was due to sex-specific changes to male life history, manifested as increased early reproductive output and reduced survival. In contrast, focal female fitness, tested with wild type males, did not differ across regimes. Hence increased SDL was associated with a reduction in sexual conflict, which increased male fitness and maintained fitness in females. Differences in SDL were not associated with developmental time or developmental survival. Overall, the results showed that the expression of enhanced SDL, resulting from experimental evolution of feeding regimes, was associated with male-specific changes in life history, leading to increased fitness and reduced sexual conflict