Toxoplasma gondii major surface antigen (SAG1): in vitro analysis of host cell binding

Previous studies have indicated that SAG1, the major surface molecule of the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is an important attachment ligand for the host cell. However, the research data that supports this claim comes largely from studies investigating tachyzoite binding, and not SAG1 binding per se. In this study we successfully developed an in vitro attachment assay to directly evaluate the mechanism of SAG1-host cell binding. Competition experiments were then performed using SAG1 that had been pre-treated with the neoglycoprotein BSA-glucosamide or with antibody. Soluble BSA-glucosamide blocked SAG1 attachment to MDBK cells in a dose-dependent manner, implying that SAG1 binding is mediated, in part, via attachment to host cell surface glucosamine. Interestingly, pre-incubation of SAG1 in polyclonal sera from chronically infected mice failed to block binding. This challenges the assumption that anti-SAG1 antibodies block parasite attachment through the masking of SAG1 host cell binding domains. Taken together, this evidence presents new strategies for understanding SAG1-mediated attachment

Convivial moments : reflections on participation in undisciplined enviroments.

I found myself picking up my notebook and a pencil to draft my reflections of my experience at Undisciplined Environments (UE): they felt the more appropriate tools

York of the Corps of Discovery

Assesses the scholarship dealing with York, William Clark\u27s slave, who was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Two schools of writing developed regarding York. The Sambo school dominated his depiction for almost two centuries and publications at the turn of the 21st century still saw York in racist terms, as a slave grateful for his status. At the other extreme is the superhero school that describes York in heroic terms, rescuing Clark from peril, fluent in French, tall in height. Both schools are grounded in stereotypes and poor scholarship. The best source for establishing a historically accurate York is the University of Nebraska Press\u27s \u27The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition\u27 (1986-97), but even these primary source writings must be used with qualification, as scholars need to distinguish between observation and biased judgment in the journals. A definitive biography of York may never be written, but scholars adhering to standards of scholarship can create a more accurate portrayal than the body of work on York perpetuates

Impure Altruism in Dictators’ Giving

We design an experiment to test whether the behavior of dictators can be rationalized by the impurely altruistic utility function. By giving the recipients an endowment of varying levels, we create an environment that allows for observable differences in behavior depending upon whether pure or impure altruism is the primary motivation. We find that the behavior of 66 percent of the dictators can be rationalized by the impurely altruistic utility function, while only 40 percent of the dictators make choices that are consistent with the purely altruistic utility function.Dictator Game, Impure Altruism, Incomplete Crowding Out

Adding Value to the Life of Terminally Ill Patients Through Legacy Art Projects

Rather than giving up, the terminal patient can be helped to continue living until they die, experiencing a time of personal growth for all involved through the creation of legacy projects

Perceived advantages and disadvantages of inclusion versus self-contained classes for students with moderate to severe cognitive disabilities in high school

The way that students with cognitive disabilities have been supported has evolved in this country over time. Schools and other service facilities that support these students have changed. In the past, students with disabilities were not allowed the same opportunities to learn as students without disabilities. These students were placed in alternative schools or self-contained classrooms. Today, the placement of students in schools varies, as students are either in self-contained classrooms, or placed in inclusive classes with their non-disabled peers for all or part of the school day. The shift towards a more inclusive classroom setting for students with special needs stems from the desire to educate students with disabilities within the least restrictive environment (LRE). LRE is an important principle of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The intent of IDEA is to provide accommodations or modifications for students with disabilities to help them access the general education curriculum and meet their needs within the LRE which is constantly changing the way classrooms are setup to effectively meet student’s needs. The least restrictive environment is the environment in which students with special needs receive their education in general education settings with students of the same age who do not have a disability

The effects of late nitrogen in the yield and quality of milling wheat : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agricultural Science in Agronomy at Massey University

The quality of wheat milled to produce flour for leavened bread is related to its protein content. The presence of specific proteins in milling wheat gives dough its elastic properties and dertermines baking quality. Good quality wheat will produce loaves with high volumes and a fine crumb texture. It is known that wheat cultivars differ in their ability to produce good quality bread through differences in the composition of their protein. In cultivars of good quality, the greater the protein content, the better the quality of bread produced. The Manawatu Mills Limited, Palmerston North varies the price it pays for milling wheat according to cultivar and protein content. Premiums can be obtained by increasing grain protein content. This presents local wheat growers with the financial incentive to improve the yield and quality of their crops. To investigate the feasibility of using late applications of nitrogen fertiliser to increase the protein content and yield of milling wheat three trials were carried out at different sites during the spring and summer of 1989/90. These sites were at Kairanga, Almadale and Waituna West in the Manawatu region using the cultivar Rongotea. They were chosen to provide a range of environmental conditions, particularly temperature, over which to test the effect of nitrogen fertiliser on protein content. To achieve different temperature regimes, these sites are situated at low, medium and high altitude. It has been suggested that temperature over the grain-fill period can influence both protein content and composition of wheat, which in turn influences its ability to produce good quality bread. Four different rates of nitrogen fertiliser were applied just prior to the boot stage. These were 0, 20, 40 and 80 kg N/ha. There were significant differences in grain yield amongst sites with Kairanga achieving 6.4 tonnes/ha, Almadale 5.9 tonnes/ha and Waituna West 6.8 tonnes/ha. These yields were above the long term district average. Grain yield responded to late nitrogen at Kairanga and Waituna West. Yields increased from 6.1 to 6.9 tonnes/ha at Kairanga and from 6.4 to 7.2 tonnes/ha at Waituna West as application rates increased from zero to 80 kg N/ha. Any potential yield response at Almadale was suppressed due to an infection of the root rot fungus, 'take-all'. The yield response at Kairanga resulted from an increase in grain weights whereas at Waituna West it resulted from an increase in ear numbers at harvest. At both responsive sites late nitrogen delayed conopy senescence. Protein contents also varied significantly amongst sites and in response to the application of nitrogen fertiliser. Protein content (14% moisture basis) ranged from 8.87 to 10.87% at Kairanga, from 10.35 to 11.28% at Waituna West and from 12.97 to 13.69% at Almadale as application rates increased from zero to 80 kg N/ha. The differences in protein levels obtained from different sites resulted in a considerable variation in baking quality. Samples from eight plots from each site were sent to the Wheat Research Institute, Christchurch, for test baking. Average bake scores were 19 at Kairanga, 21 at Waituna West, and 26 at Almadale. There was a strong, positive relationship between bake score and grain protein content amongst these samples. A convenient measure of baking quality, the sodium dodecyl sulphate test, was used to estimate baking quality of each plot. This allowed the relationship between baking quality and grain protein content to be identified for each site. The relationship between protein and baking quality differed between sites, being much stronger at Kairanga than at Almadale and Waituna West. The relatively poor relationship between protein and baking quality at Waituna West and Almadale can be partly explained by the limited range of protein contents resulting from treatment effects, particularly at Almadale. There was evidence that site had influenced the relationship between protein content and baking quality. At Kairanga and Waituna West late applications of nitrogen fertiliser significantly increased both grain yield and protein content. The yield increases, combined with the price premiums for increased protein, meant that it would have been profitable to apply late nitrogen. At Almadale there was no yield response and the protein response was limited, making late applications of nitrogen uneconomic. Pest and disease pressure at Almadale reduced yield, contributing to grain protein content being above the point where premiums are available. It was concluded that it can be economically feasible to use late applications of nitrogen on crops which have a high potential yield. Factors limiting yield, such as pests, diseases and moisture stress, will limit any potential benefit

Tracing the Girls: Reimagining the immigrant past

On 19 January 1898 Kate Teehan disembarked from the S.S. Wolloomoolloo at Fremantle. She and Kitty Page, who arrived here in 1901, are but two out of the approximately 1,700 single women who came to West Australia from Great Britain between 1849 and the early 1900s.This paper describes a reimagining of their stories; a practice-led research journey towards a piece of short fiction that unsettles the dominant narrative of single female immigration—that is, good but poverty-stricken lass boards a ship for Australia where she works briefly before marrying well. While this narrative accurately describes the trajectory of Kitty Page, it fails to encompass the experience of Kate Teehan, an immigrant woman, multiply marginalised by gender, class, illiteracy and poor mental health