Bovine milk oligosaccharides as anti-adhesives against the respiratory tract pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae

peer-reviewedStreptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-positive pathogen, which is regularly found in the upper respiratory tract of healthy individuals. Increased numbers of S. pneumoniae have been observed colonising the upper respiratory tract of children affected by respiratory tract infections. Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-3Gal has been previously identified as one of the receptors involved in the adherence and translocation of S. pneumoniae. As this structure is similar to the milk oligosaccharide lacto-N-neoTetraose, many studies have investigated if free milk oligosaccharides can inhibit the adhesion of S. pneumoniae to epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. Here, we demonstrate that bovine oligosaccharides, which were extracted from demineralised whey, using a combination of membrane filtration and chromatography, were capable of reducing S. pneumoniae adhesion to pharynx and lung cells in vitro when tested at physiological concentrations. This study strengthens the potential use of bovine derived milk oligosaccharides as functional ingredients to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases

Experts on e-learning: insights gained from listening to the student voice!

The Student Experience of e-Learning Laboratory (SEEL) project at the University of Greenwich was designed to explore and then implement a number of approaches to investigate learners’ experiences of using technology to support their learning. In this paper members of the SEEL team present initial findings from a University-wide survey of nearly a 1000 students. A selection of 90 ‘cameos’, drawn from the survey data, offer further insights into personal perceptions of e-learning and illustrate the diversity of students experiences. The cameos provide a more coherent picture of individual student experience based on the totality of each person’s responses to the questionnaire. Finally, extracts from follow-up case studies, based on interviews with a small number of students, allow us to ‘hear’ the student voice more clearly. Issues arising from an analysis of the data include student preferences for communication and social networking tools, views on the ‘smartness’ of their tutors’ uses of technology and perceptions of the value of e-learning. A primary finding and the focus of this paper, is that students effectively arrive at their own individualised selection, configuration and use of technologies and software that meets their perceived needs. This ‘personalisation’ does not imply that such configurations are the most efficient, nor does it automatically suggest that effective learning is occurring. SEEL reminds us that learners are individuals, who approach learning both with and without technology in their own distinctive ways. Hearing, understanding and responding to the student voice is fundamental in maximising learning effectiveness. Institutions should consider actively developing the capacity of academic staff to advise students on the usefulness of particular online tools and resources in support of learning and consider the potential benefits of building on what students already use in their everyday lives. Given the widespread perception that students tend to be ‘digital natives’ and academic staff ‘digital immigrants’ (Prensky, 2001), this could represent a considerable cultural challenge

Temporal Variation In Fecundity And Spawning In The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, In The Piankatank River, Virginia

Oysters of the genus Crassostrea are considered good examples of an r-selected marine invertebrate with small egg size, high fecundity, and multiple spawning events per year, each characterized by significant individual weight loss. Historical (decadal) data for the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay support these generalities. We present recent (subdecadal) data, collected for natural Crassostrea virginica broodstock of populations in the Piankatank River, Virginia. The relationship is described between oyster size, fecundity, spawning periodicity, and egg viability for natural broodstock. Oysters collected throughout the summers of 2010 through 2012 and induced to spawn by thermal cycling released viable eggs on 7 dates (n = 119 oysters, 35male, 84 female; shell length (SL) range, 58-113 mm). Oysters were opened to examine sex ratio on four additional dates (total n = 242 oysters, 82 male, 160 female). Fecundity varied in the range 10(5)-1.2x10(8) eggs. When all data are considered in unison, no strong relationship with SL is evident; however, when eliminating the artifact of data corresponding to minimal egg release, a much stronger relationship, comparable with that reported in older literature, emerges. Female fraction (Female/(Female + Male)) was consistently more than 1 in oysters larger than 60 mm in SL (estimated age, \u3e= 2 y), generally in accordance with recently published literature on the species in themid-Atlantic. The size-versus-fecundity relationship does not appear to be greatly influenced by disease prevalence/intensity. The temporal sequence of spawning activity was not observed to continue after midsummer and is not commensurate with a cumulative degree-day estimator during the latter half of the well-documented historical spawning season. A size-fecundity estimator for the Piankatank River oysters provides a basis to estimate the disproportionate value of larger/older (\u3e= 3 y) oysters in the system, and provides additional input to the fine-tuning of a previously developed rotational harvest schedule for the river stock. The possible impact of recent changes in water quality, seasonal occurrence of dinoflagellate blooms, and/or long-term impacts of changing regimes were not examined in detail in this study but are suggested as worthy lines of future investigation

IDENTIFIKASI TINGKAH ALPHA MALE MONYET HITAM (Macaca nigra) DI CAGAR ALAM TANGKOKO

IDENTIFICATION OF ALPHA MALE BLACK MONKEY (Macaca nigra) BEHAVIOR IN THE NATURE RESERVE TANGKOKO. This study aims to get the latest specific data regarding behavior Alpha male / Rambo dominant male in the group 1 in the nature reserve Tangkoko. Materials used 1 Monkey Black Male Dominant (Alpha Male) in group 1 residing Rambo in Tangkoko Nature Reserve Batuangus Bitung, North Sulawesi. The data obtained are analyzed and presented descriptively in the form of graphs or histograms. Based on the results and discussion, it can be concluded as follows: (1) The most long-standing activity Alpha Male / Male Dominance in the morning is locomotion and foraging and agonistic. During the day are: foraging, locomotion, grooming, and inactive. (2) Activities are at least done either in the morning or during the day is the mating activity (coitus). (3) Behaviour Males Dominant Alpha Male is different from other black monkeys in one group   Keywords: Alpha Male (Macaca nigra), identification of behavio

Identification of Information Sharing in Supply Chain Management (Case of Woven Bamboo Crafts in Tomohon City)

One method of the application of Supply Chain Management is Information Sharing, where the level or quantity of information sharing is the level at which information is important and confidential in the company (proprietary) to be communicated to business partners in the supply chain. This shared information can vary, ranging from strategic information to the tactical information or information about events logistics, to information about markets and consumers. Through the use of available data and by sharing them with other parties in the supply chain, information can be used to build competitiveness. The aim of this research is to identify the Information Sharing at the Woven Bamboo Crafts in Tomohon. The method used is descriptive Qualitative Analysis that describes or explains aspects of the flow of information or how to share the information from all parties involved in the company. It can be concluded that parties who are associated are bamboo farmers, artisans / vendors and customers, and the way information is shared between the parties involved in the Woven Bamboo Crafts in Tomohon is through telephone or face-to-face (direct communication). The management of Woven Bamboo Crafts should use an e-commerce marketing-based system that uses the internet to market products of woven bamboo so that more people will know the existence of the product. Keywords: information sharing, supply chain managemen

Performance as a classification criterion of tourist origins and destinations

The definition of performance variables, which can be used as indicators of the results obtained/to be obtained, is a fundamental prerequisite in the carrying out of any evaluation process. Portfolio analysis has been used as a tool for the study of market segments, namely of tourist destinations. However, a review of the literature did not identify a single case where the performance variable is adjusted to the nature of the object. In fact, contrary to many other situations, the use of performance variables in absolute terms does not appear to be the most recommendable solution given that the total volume is conditioned by the size of the territory and, above all, by the number of inhabitants. In other words, for a certain level of socio-economic development, larger countries (in terms of size and number of inhabitants) will tend to have higher absolute values. Besides this, the empirical studies reviewed contain little, or no, information about competition, being temporally static. Although in some cases growth rate is used as a variable, thus presupposing the consideration of two magnitudes in two different moments in time, more than one register per object is never considered, meaning that evolutive analyses are not viable. Consequently, a performance proxy was developed which enables a direct comparison between generating countries (origins) and between destinations, regardless of the number of inhabitants. The selection of the performance proxy can depend on the object of study. In any case, it should always permit the evaluation, in general terms, of the results obtained by the destination for the set of origins under analysis and the results generated by the origin for the set of destinations under study. The proposed tool is a component of a model for the identification of priority market segments, and is constituted by a system of orthogonal axes which produces four quadrants that are distinct in terms of intensity (axis OY) and growth (axis OX) of tourist flows. The tool, like the model, can be applied to any type of destination (city, region or country) and to any market segmentation criterion (geographic, demographic, behavioural, psychographic or other). In the study reported here, the instrument is applied to the 15 Member States of the European Union (before its expansion on May 1st 2004), for the period from 1996 to 2001. Eurostat was the sole source of data for the study. The UK and Ireland are the countries classified as ‘Progressing Origins’. With 16.8% of the population, they increased their contribution from 17.7% to 21.9% and are responsible for 38.7% of the growth that occurred between 1996 and 2001. Spain, Greece and Ireland are the countries classified as ‘Progressing Destinations’. With 14.4% of the population, they increased their share of the market from 21.5% to 24.2%, capturing 35.1% of the growth that occurred between 1996 and 2001

Allele-specific expression assays using Solexa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Allele-specific expression (ASE) assays can be used to identify <it>cis</it>, <it>trans</it>, and <it>cis</it>-by-<it>trans </it>regulatory variation. Understanding the source of expression variation has important implications for disease susceptibility, phenotypic diversity, and adaptation. While ASE is commonly measured via relative fluorescence at a SNP, next generation sequencing provides an opportunity to measure ASE in an accurate and high-throughput manner using read counts.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We introduce a Solexa-based method to perform large numbers of ASE assays using only a single lane of a Solexa flowcell. In brief, transcripts of interest, which contain a known SNP, are PCR enriched and barcoded to enable multiplexing. Then high-throughput sequencing is used to estimate allele-specific expression using sequencing counts. To validate this method, we measured the allelic bias in a dilution series and found high correlations between measured and expected values (r>0.9, p < 0.001). We applied this method to a set of 5 genes in a <it>Drosophila simulans </it>parental mix, F1 and introgression and found that for these genes the majority of expression divergence can be explained by <it>cis</it>-regulatory variation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We present a new method with the capacity to measure ASE for large numbers of assays using as little as one lane of a Solexa flowcell. This will be a valuable technique for molecular and population genetic studies, as well as for verification of genome-wide data sets.</p