Contextualising social capital in online brand communities

Online brand communities (OBC) are growing in number and becoming an increasingly important interface where marketers can effectively facilitate the relationship between their brand and consumers. A qualitative study using a four-month netnography over three OBCs followed by focus groups with OBC members explored the dynamics of social capital in these communities. Findings indicate that social capital is an important driver in the success of OBCs, and all the elements of social capital including a shared language, shared vision, social trust and reciprocity are evident. Moreover, results from this study indicate that these elements are crucial in developing the network ties that are integral to building loyalty and brand equity

Sulfation patterns of chondroitins in the rat brainstem during development and vestibular compensation

Session: Development: A.7.B Development of Neural Systems: Sensory Systems ; Poster presentation 4: Board no. A032 - poster no. 177

Dynamics of chondroitin sulfation in the rat brain during development and vestibular compensation

Conference Theme: Nature and Nurture in Brain FunctionsChondroitin sulfate (CS) regulates neuronal plasticity by restricting neurite growth and synapse formation. Sulfation on C- 2 of glucuronic acid, C-4 and/ or C-6 of N-acetylgalactosamine of the repeating disaccharide units contributes to the heterogeneity and functions of CS. However, the regulation of CS sulfation in the brain is still poorly understood. We hypothesized that the abundance of different sulfated CS moieties changes in coordination with plastic changes in the brain. With fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis, we found that in both the cortex and the brainstem during postnatal development, mono-4-sulfated chondroitin moiety increased while mono-6-sulfated moiety decreased progressively to an undetectable level in adults. Di-2, 4 and 2, 6-sulfated moieties were not detectable in early postnatal stages but small amount could be found at later stages. We set forth to find changes in CS moieties in a plastic event in adult rat. Following unilateral labyrinthectomy in adult rats, we observed immediate deficits in posture, motor and ocular functions. Time taken for functional recovery reflected compensatory rewiring of the brainstem network. During the recovery period, expression of the mono-6-sulfated chondroitin moiety resumed, reminiscent of that in the early postnatal period. Real time PCR also revealed differences in the expression of chondroitin sulfotransferases between the left and right vestibular nucleus during early stage of vestibular compensation. Taken together, the developmental changes in CS sulfation and the rise of mono-6-sulfated moiety during vestibular compensation suggest a role of CS sulfation pattern in neuronal plasticity

Change in sulfation patterns of chondroitin associated with the plastic changes in the rat brainstem

Conference Theme: Science and Aging: An Era of Discover