On-Line Team Project Communication Tool Set

Team projects offer a valuable mechanism for effective learning. However, communication within the team, with the instructor and between different teams is a challenging task that can greatly limit the effectiveness of the learning experience. Some of the tools and concepts that are being developed for distance learning applications can be used to enhance team project communication within teams that are geographically separated as well as for in-campus teams. This article documents a set of on-line tools that allow for asynchronous team participation and timely monitoring and feedback by the instructor

Potensi Tunikata Rhopalaea SP. sebagai Sumber Inokulum Jamur Simbion Penghasil Antimikroba

The research on the potency of tunicate Rhopalaea sp as a source of inoculum fungal symbionts that produce antimicrobial has been done. This research aimed to know the tunicate's potency as a source of inoculum fungal symbionts and to characterize isolate symbiont fungal Rhopalaea sp. Isolation of fungi was performed using a PDA medium (Potato Dextrose Agar). Characterization of isolates fungal symbiont through macroscopic and microscopic observation, and testing its activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The results showed there were three isolates(Asc 1, Asc 2 dan Asc 3) of fungal symbionts Rhopalaea sp. The results of macroscopic observation colony showed that Asc 1 had a flat surface such as cotton while Asc 2 and Asc 3 had a surface such as flour; Colours of isolates : Asc 1 (yellow), Asc 2 and Asc 3 (dark green). The result of microscopic observation reveals that Asc 1 had septa, Asc 2 and Asc 3 hadn't septa; Asc 1 with blue brownish hyphae, while Asc 2 and Asc 3 hyaline (colorless); Asc 1 had asexual spores sporangiophores, while Asc 2 and Asc 3 had conidioshpore. Asc 1 isolate was suspected, belongs to the genus Penicillium and Asc 2 and Asc 3 isolates were suspected to be classified into the genus Aspergillus. All three isolates were able to inhibit the growth of Salmonella thypi bacteria and Candida albicans fungus

Metritis in dairy cows: Risk factors and reproductive performance

The objectives of this study were to assess the risk factors for metritis, its effects on milk yield and on reproductive performance, and the efficacy of ceftiofur therapy in Holstein dairy cows. Cows (n. =. 303) from a commercial dairy herd in Argentina were studied. Cows were scored for body condition, and blood samples were collected on d -14, 7, 21, 31, 41, and 50 relative to parturition. Cows having a watery, purulent, or brown, and fetid vaginal discharge (VD) and rectal temperature ≤39.2°C were diagnosed as having clinical metritis, and those having a similar VD and rectal temperature >39.2°C were diagnosed as having puerperal metritis. Both clinical and puerperal metritis cows were randomly assigned to control (no treatment) or ceftiofur group (2.2. mg/kg. ×. 3 consecutive days). Cure was declared if clear VD was observed at 21 d in milk (DIM). Blood samples were analyzed for nonesterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, and blood urea nitrogen using commercial kits, and for insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin, and leptin by RIA. Data were analyzed with PROC MIXED, GENMOD, PHREG, and LIFETEST from SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). The risk for metritis increased with dystocia, retained fetal membranes, and dead calf [AOR (adjusted odds ratio). =. 2.58, 95% CI: 1.189-5.559], and as prepartum nonesterified fatty acids levels increased (AOR. =. 1.001, 95% CI: 0.999-1.002). Conversely, risk decreased as prepartum insulin-like growth factor-1 increased (AOR. =. 0.65, 95% CI: 0.349-1.219). Cows having either clinical or puerperal metritis produced less milk by 90 DIM than did healthy cows (2,236. ±. 172 vs. 2,367. ±. 77 vs. 2,647. ±. 82 kg, respectively). Cows with puerperal metritis had lower risk for pregnancy by 100 DIM (AOR. =. 0.189, 95% CI: 0.070-0.479) and a lower hazard rate for pregnancy by 150 DIM (hazard rate: 0.753, 95% CI: 0.621-0.911), and took longer to get pregnant (129 vs. 111 vs. 109 d, for puerperal metritis, clinical metritis, and healthy cows, respectively). Ceftiofur treatment was not associated with cure rate or milk yield but was related to increased risk for pregnancy at timed artificial insemination (AOR. =. 2.688, 95% CI: 0.687-10.832), and for lower risk of reproductive cull (AOR. =. 0.121, 95% CI: 0.014-1.066). In conclusion, abnormal calving and negative energy balance are associated with increased risk for metritis. Metritis, especially puerperal metritis, correlates with reduced milk production and poor reproductive performance. Finally, the likelihood for having a normal VD (indicative of cure) increased 2.6% for every day of increase in postpartum time and was 2 times higher for cows with clinical metritis than for those with puerperal metritis.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Fourth-order interference in the Wigner representation for parametric down-conversion experiments

In the Wigner formalism, after giving a general description of a light beam, the theory of parametric down-conversion is developed to second-order in the coupling constant. We then describe the detection process by calculating the auto-correlation and cross-correlations of the signal and idler beams. Four recent experiments are analyzed in detail: interference on a screen, Franson's experiments [Phys. Rev. Lett. 62, 2205 (1989)], Rarity and Tapster's experiments [Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 2495 (1990)], and induced coherence without induced emission [X. Y. Zou, L. J. Wang, and L. Mandel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 318 (1991)]

Bacteriological and cytological findings during the late puerperal period after two different treatments of retained placenta followed by acute puerperal metritis

The aim of the study was to compare the effect of two acute puerperal metritis (APM) treatment protocols on uterine condition during the late puerperal period (5th to 7th week). Late gestation healthy cows (n = 21) were divided randomly in three equal groups. Parturitions were induced. Treatments of APM were started on the third day postpartum (PP). Group A was treated with an oxytocin analogue carbetocin for three days and intrauterine administration of cephapirin between days 15 and 17. Group B was given intramuscular injection of ceftiofur for five days followed by two injections of prostaglandin F2α, at an interval of 12 h, on the eighth day PP. Group C served as the control group with no treatment. Body temperature was recorded daily for 14 days PP. Uterine biopsies for bacteriology, and uterobrush samples for cytology, were taken once a week from the 5th to 7th week postpartum. No differences were found in body temperature on day 14 PP, presence of bacteriological infections and disappearance of uterine inflammatory signs diagnosed by cytological examination between experimental groups

Metritis in dairy cows: Risk factors and reproductive performance

The objectives of this study were to assess the risk factors for metritis, its effects on milk yield and on reproductive performance, and the efficacy of ceftiofur therapy in Holstein dairy cows. Cows (n. =. 303) from a commercial dairy herd in Argentina were studied. Cows were scored for body condition, and blood samples were collected on d -14, 7, 21, 31, 41, and 50 relative to parturition. Cows having a watery, purulent, or brown, and fetid vaginal discharge (VD) and rectal temperature ≤39.2°C were diagnosed as having clinical metritis, and those having a similar VD and rectal temperature >39.2°C were diagnosed as having puerperal metritis. Both clinical and puerperal metritis cows were randomly assigned to control (no treatment) or ceftiofur group (2.2. mg/kg. ×. 3 consecutive days). Cure was declared if clear VD was observed at 21 d in milk (DIM). Blood samples were analyzed for nonesterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, and blood urea nitrogen using commercial kits, and for insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin, and leptin by RIA. Data were analyzed with PROC MIXED, GENMOD, PHREG, and LIFETEST from SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). The risk for metritis increased with dystocia, retained fetal membranes, and dead calf [AOR (adjusted odds ratio). =. 2.58, 95% CI: 1.189-5.559], and as prepartum nonesterified fatty acids levels increased (AOR. =. 1.001, 95% CI: 0.999-1.002). Conversely, risk decreased as prepartum insulin-like growth factor-1 increased (AOR. =. 0.65, 95% CI: 0.349-1.219). Cows having either clinical or puerperal metritis produced less milk by 90 DIM than did healthy cows (2,236. ±. 172 vs. 2,367. ±. 77 vs. 2,647. ±. 82 kg, respectively). Cows with puerperal metritis had lower risk for pregnancy by 100 DIM (AOR. =. 0.189, 95% CI: 0.070-0.479) and a lower hazard rate for pregnancy by 150 DIM (hazard rate: 0.753, 95% CI: 0.621-0.911), and took longer to get pregnant (129 vs. 111 vs. 109 d, for puerperal metritis, clinical metritis, and healthy cows, respectively). Ceftiofur treatment was not associated with cure rate or milk yield but was related to increased risk for pregnancy at timed artificial insemination (AOR. =. 2.688, 95% CI: 0.687-10.832), and for lower risk of reproductive cull (AOR. =. 0.121, 95% CI: 0.014-1.066). In conclusion, abnormal calving and negative energy balance are associated with increased risk for metritis. Metritis, especially puerperal metritis, correlates with reduced milk production and poor reproductive performance. Finally, the likelihood for having a normal VD (indicative of cure) increased 2.6% for every day of increase in postpartum time and was 2 times higher for cows with clinical metritis than for those with puerperal metritis.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

GM and KM immunoglobulin allotypes in the Galician population: new insights into the peopling of the Iberian Peninsula

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The current genetic structure of Iberian populations has presumably been affected by the complex orography of its territory, the different people and civilizations that settled there, its ancient and complex history, the diverse and persistent sociocultural patterns in its different regions, and also by the effects of the Iberian Peninsula representing a refugium area after the last glacial maximum. This paper presents the first data on <it>GM </it>and <it>KM </it>immunoglobulin allotypes in the Galician population and, thus, provides further insights into the extent of genetic diversity in populations settled in the geographic extremes of the Cantabrian region of northern Spain. Furthermore, the genetic relationships of Galicians with other European populations have been investigated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Galician population shows a genetic profile for <it>GM </it>haplotypes that is defined by the high presence of the European Mediterranean <it>GM</it>*<it>3 23 5* </it>haplotype, and the relatively high incidence of the African marker <it>GM*1,17 23' 5*</it>. Data based on comparisons between Galician and other Spanish populations (mainly from the north of the peninsula) reveal a poor correlation between geographic and genetic distances (<it>r </it>= 0.30, <it>P </it>= 0.105), a noticeable but variable genetic distances between Galician and Basque subpopulations, and a rather close genetic affinity between Galicia and Valencia, populations which are geographically separated by a long distance and have quite dissimilar cultures and histories. Interestingly, Galicia occupies a central position in the European genetic map, despite being geographically placed at one extreme of the European continent, while displaying a close genetic proximity to Portugal, a finding that is consistent with their shared histories over centuries.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings suggest that the population of Galicia is the result of a relatively balanced mixture of European populations or of the ancestral populations that gave rise to them. This would support the importance of the migratory movements that have taken place in Europe over the course of recent human history and their effects on the European genetic landscape.</p

Auditory conflict and congruence in frontotemporal dementia.

Impaired analysis of signal conflict and congruence may contribute to diverse socio-emotional symptoms in frontotemporal dementias, however the underlying mechanisms have not been defined. Here we addressed this issue in patients with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD; n = 19) and semantic dementia (SD; n = 10) relative to healthy older individuals (n = 20). We created auditory scenes in which semantic and emotional congruity of constituent sounds were independently probed; associated tasks controlled for auditory perceptual similarity, scene parsing and semantic competence. Neuroanatomical correlates of auditory congruity processing were assessed using voxel-based morphometry. Relative to healthy controls, both the bvFTD and SD groups had impaired semantic and emotional congruity processing (after taking auditory control task performance into account) and reduced affective integration of sounds into scenes. Grey matter correlates of auditory semantic congruity processing were identified in distributed regions encompassing prefrontal, parieto-temporal and insular areas and correlates of auditory emotional congruity in partly overlapping temporal, insular and striatal regions. Our findings suggest that decoding of auditory signal relatedness may probe a generic cognitive mechanism and neural architecture underpinning frontotemporal dementia syndromes

Loureirin B, an essential component of Sanguis Draxonis, inhibits Kv1.3 channel and suppresses cytokine release from Jurkat T cells

Sanguis draxonis (SD), also known as “Dragon’s Blood”, is a traditional herb medicine that has been used to treat a variety of complications with unknown mechanisms. Recent studies show that SD displays immunosuppressive activities and improves symptoms of type I diabetes in animal models. However, the mechanisms underlying SD’s immunosuppressive actions are not completely understood. The voltage-gated Kv1.3 channel plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases by regulating the functions of both T cells and B cells. Here we investigated the effect of SD and one of its active components loureirin B (LrB) on Kv1.3. Both SD and LrB inhibited Kv1.3-mediated currents, produced a membrane depolarization, and reduced Ca(2+) influx in Jurkat T cells. In addition, application of LrB inhibited phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced IL-2 release from activated Jurkat T cells. Furthermore, point mutations in the selective filter region significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of LrB on Kv1.3. The results of these experiments provide evidence that LrB is a channel blocker of Kv1.3 by interacting with amino acid residues in its selective filter region. Direct inhibition of Kv1.3 in T cells by SD and LrB might be the cellular and molecular basis of SD-mediated immunosuppression