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Institutions globally are focusing on ways and means to develop businesses and an entrepreneurial culture. Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) are regarded the world over as being job creators of the future and battling more and more with large corporations which are retrenching staff, and it has fallen to the SMME sector to create employment. Consequently, governments and institutions are focusing increasingly on ensuring that entrepreneurial growth takes place. One method used almost universally is business plan competitions which are aimed at stimulating interest in business and getting people with the skills to start their own businesses. There are many of these competitions in the industry but they will only succeed if the idea is evaluated positively. If it is not, the initiative might not be able to attract funding or gain access to potential suppliers and customers. This article focuses on an analysis of success factors of business plan competitions and recommends a blueprint that can be followed -with minor country or regional adjustments - to run these competitions successfully.Keywords: business plan competition, SMME, small business, South Africa, 1. INTRODUCTIONIt is commonly accepted that business plan competitions are used worldwide to stimulate and develop business growth, i.e. to encourage the creation of new business ventures, to allow participants [...]

Atypical sensory perception is one of the most ubiquitous symptoms of autism, including a tendency towards a local-processing bias. We investigated whether local-processing biases were associated with global-processing impairments on a global/local attentional-scope paradigm in conjunction with a composite-face task. Behavioural results were related to individuals' levels of autistic traits, specifically the Attention to Detail subscale of the Autism Quotient, and the Sensory Profile Questionnaire. Individuals showing high rates of Attention to Detail were more susceptible to global attentional-scope manipulations, suggesting that local-processing biases associated with Attention to Detail do not come at the cost of a global-processing deficit, but reflect a difference in default global versus local bias. This relationship operated at the attentional/perceptual level, but not response criterion., Author(s): Ryan A. Stevenson [sup.1] , Sol Z. Sun [sup.1] [sup.2] , Naomi Hazlett [sup.1] , Jonathan S. Cant [sup.2] , Morgan D. Barense [sup.1] [sup.3] , Susanne Ferber [sup.1] [...]

Human NK cell deficiencies are rare yet result in severe and often fatal disease, particularly as a result of viral susceptibility. NK cells develop from hematopoietic stem cells, and few monogenic errors that specifically interrupt NK cell development have been reported. Here we have described biallelic mutations in IRF8, which encodes an interferon regulatory factor, as a cause of familial NK cell deficiency that results in fatal and severe viral disease. Compound heterozygous or homozygous mutations in IRF8 in 3 unrelated families resulted in a paucity of mature [CD56.sup.dim] NK cells and an increase in the frequency of the immature [CD56.sub.bright] NK cells, and this impairment in terminal maturation was also observed in [Irf8.sup.-/-], but not [Irf8.sup.+/-] mice. We then determined that impaired maturation was NK cell intrinsic, and gene expression analysis of human NK cell developmental subsets showed that multiple genes were dysregulated by IRF8 mutation. The phenotype was accompanied by deficient NK cell function and was stable over time. Together, these data indicate that human NK cells require IRF8 for development and functional maturation and that dysregulation of this function results in severe human disease, thereby emphasizing a critical role for NK cells in human antiviral defense., Introduction NK cell deficiency (NKD) is an inborn or primary immunodeficiency causing susceptibility to severe and often fatal viral infection and malignancy (1-5). NKD can be classified as classical, arising [...]

Today, there is a greater focus on worldwide academic excellence and quality of tuition. The industry can be more selective nowadays, because there is a wide range of graduates due to a variety of institutions offering many qualifications of different standards and quality. In order for a higher education institution to be successful and profitable, quality products and services need to be ensured and delivered. It becomes evident that many higher education institutions are ignorant towards the level of service they provide, which implicates the students' attitudes towards the institution. It is, therefore, important that higher education institutions know what level of service students expect from them. The study aimed to identify the most important service feature of student administration, according to students. A quantitative study was conducted among 200 students at a South African university. The results indicated that students' perceptions regarding service quality, as well as the overall level of satisfaction of the service are only slightly above average. Danas se sve vise izrazava usmjerenost na postizanje svjetske akademske izvrsnosti i kvalitete poducavanja. Industrija, kao korisnik obrazovanja, moze biti sve selektivnija u svom izboru kandidata, jer postoji i veliki broj razlicitih diplomiranih studenata, a sto je posljedica razlicitosti institucija i kvalifikacija, koje variraju po standardu i kvaliteti. Kako bi visokoskolska institucija bila uspjesna i profitabilna, treba osigurati i isporuciti kvalitetne proizvode i usluge. Stoga postaje jasno da brojne visokoskolske institucije ne obracaju pozornost na razinu usluge koju nude, sto djeluje i na stavove studenata prema instituciji. Zbog tog je i potrebno da visokoskolske institucije znaju koja se razina usluge od njih ocekuje. U ovoj se studiji identificiraju najvaznije karakteristike usluga studentske administracije, definirane u skladu sa studentskom percepcijom. Kvantitativno istrazivanje je provedeno medu 200 studenata u juznoafrickom sveucilistu, a njegovi rezultati ukazuju da je studentska percepcija kvalitete usluge, kao i ukupna razina zadovoljstva uslugom, u maloj mjeri veca od prosjeka., 1. INTRODUCTION Customers are seen as the lifeblood of the existence of an organisation, this is the case for all organisations (Lauer, 2012:1). The same applies to higher education institutions [...]

Inherited immunodeficiency disorders can be caused by mutations in any one of a large number of genes involved in the function of immune cells. Here, we describe two families with an autosomal recessive inherited immunodeficiency disorder characterized by increased susceptibility to infection and autoimmunity. Genetic linkage studies mapped the disorder to chromosomal region 14q11.2, and a homozygous guanine-to-adenine substitution was identified at the last base of exon 3 immediately following the translational termination codon in the TCRα subunit constant gene (TRAC). RT-PCR analysis in the two affected individuals revealed impaired splicing of themRNA, as exon 3 was lost from the TRAC transcript. The mutant TCRα chain protein was predicted to lack part of the connecting peptide domain and all of the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains, which have a critical role in the regulation of the assembly and/or intracellular transport of TCR complexes. We found that T cells from affected individuals were profoundly impaired for surface expression of the TCRαβ complex. We believe this to be the first report of a disease-causing human TRAC mutation. Although the absence of [TCRαβ.sup.+] T cells in the affected individuals was associated with immune dysregulation and autoimmunity, they had a surprising level of protection against infection., Introduction Inherited immunodeficiencies have provided novel insights into T and B cell development and immune function. Failure of T cell development, of whatever cause, produces the clinical syndrome of SCID, [...]

A combination of genome-wide linkage and whole-exome sequencing was used to identify a homozygous missense mutation in FADD, encoding the Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD) which cause dominantly inherited autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) in the patients. The results provide insight into the key role of FADD in Fas-dependent and Fas-independent signaling pathways in humans and genetic basis of the complex clinical disorder and some of the key mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.06.025 Byline: Hazel J. Nichols (a), William Amos (a), Michael A. Cant (b), Matthew B.V. Bell (a), Sarah J. Hodge (b) Abstract: Of key importance for understanding cooperative societies is the way in which reproductive opportunities are distributed among group members. Traditionally, skew has been thought of as a product of intrasexual competition. However, cooperatively breeding species often live in mixed-sex groups, so the behaviour of one sex has the potential to influence skew in the other. We addressed the importance of inter- and intrasexual conflict in determining reproductive skew through a study of paternity sharing in the cooperatively breeding banded mongoose, Mungus mungo. Unlike banded mongoose females, where reproductive skew is low, males exhibited high skew, with 85% of paternities being assigned to the three oldest males in each group. Individual males appeared unable to monopolize reproduction because females come into oestrus in synchrony and mate multiply. Instead, older males increased their success by mate guarding the oldest, most fecund females. Our findings therefore highlight the importance of mate choice in males and reveal the behavioural differences between the sexes that generate reproductive skew. They also emphasize the considerable influence that female behaviour can have on male reproductive skew. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, U.S.A. (b) Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, U.S.A. Article History: Received 21 January 2010; Revised 6 April 2010; Accepted 24 June 2010 Article Note: (miscellaneous) MS. number: 10-00049R

Production of protein by the lactating mammary gland is stimulated by intake of dietary energy and protein. Mass-action effects of essential amino acids (EAA) cannot explain all of the nutritional response. Protein synthesis in tissues of growing animals is regulated by nutrients through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and integrated stress response (ISR) networks. To explore if nutrients signal through the mTOR and ISR networks in the mammary gland in vivo, lactating cows were feed-deprived for 22 h and then infused i.v. for 9 h with EAA+ glucose (Glc), Glc only, L-Met+L-Lys, L-His, or L-Leu. Milk protein yield was increased 33 and 27% by EAA+Glc and Glc infusions, respectively. Infusions of Met+Lys and His generated 35 and 41%, respectively, of the EAA+GIc response. Infusion of EAA+Glc reduced phosphorylation of the ISR target, eukaryotic initiation factor(elF) 2, in mammary tissue and increased phosphorylation of the mTOR targets, ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) and S6. Both responses are stimulatory to protein synthesis. Glucose did not significantly increase mammary S6K1 phosphorylation but reduced elF2 phosphorylation by 62%, which implicates the ISR network in the stimulation of milk protein yield. In contrast, the EAA infusions increased (P < 0.05) or tended to increase (P < 0.1) mammary mTOR activity and only His, like Glc, decreased elF2 phosphorylation by 62%. Despite activation of these protein synthesis signals to between 83 and 127% of the EAA+Glc response, EAA infusions produced less than one-half of the milk protein yield response generated by EAA+Glc, indicating that ISR and mTOR networks exert only a portion of the control over protein yield. J. Nutr. 140: 285-292, 2010. doi: 10.3945/jn.109.114033.

Initiation of mRNA translation and elongation of the polypeptide chain are 2 regulated processes responsible for the short-term postprandial acceleration of protein synthesis in animal tissues. It is known that a chronic increase in the absorptive supply of AA stimulates protein synthesis in ruminant animals, but effects on translation initiation and elongation are unknown. To determine whether initiation or elongation phases of global mRNA translation are affected by chronic elevation of AA supply, 24 ewe lambs of 25.9 [+ or -] 2.5 kg of BW were randomly allocated to 4 treatment groups of 6 lambs each. All lambs received a basal diet of barley and hay at 1.2 times maintenance ME intake. Treatments were an intravenous (i.v.) saline infusion as a control, i.v. infusion of 6 essential AA (EAA; Arg, Lys, His, Thr, Met, Cys) for 10 d, i.v. infusion of the same EAA excluding Met and Cys (EAA-SAA) for 10 d, and an oral drench of fishmeal twice daily for 17 d. Fishmeal supplementation supplied an extra 719 mg of N x [kg.sup.-0.75] x [d.sup.-1] and N retention was increased 519 mg x [kg.sup.-0.75] x [d.sup.-1] over the control. The EAA treatment supplied an extra 343 mg of N x [kg.sup.-0.75] x [d.sup.-1] directly into the blood, and N balance was increased by 268 mg x [kg.sup.-0.75] x [d.sup.-1]. Deletion of Met plus Cys from EAA had no effect on N balance. The results indicate that Met plus Cys did not limit body protein gain on the basal diet alone or the basal diet plus 6 AA. Protein fractional synthesis rates in liver, duodenum, skin, rumen, semimembranosus, and LM were measured by a flooding dose procedure using L-[ring-2,6-[sup.3]H]-Phe. Ribosome transit times were estimated from the ratio of nascent to total protein-bound radioactivities. Fishmeal and EAA treatments had no effect on RNA, DNA, or protein contents of tissues, but fractional synthesis rate, translational efficiency, and concentrations of active ribosomes were consistently elevated. Ribosome transit time was not affected by long-term AA supply. We conclude that the chronic stimulation of protein synthesis by long-term i.v. infusion of EAA or supplementation with an undegradable protein source is brought about by an improvement in the rate of initiation of mRNA translation with no change in the rate of polypeptide chain elongation. Key words: amino acid, fishmeal, protein synthesis, ribosome transit time, sheep doi: 10.2527/jas.2009-1901

Although amino acids (AA) synthesized by enteric microbiota in the upper gut of nonruminants can be absorbed, they do not necessarily make a net contribution to the host's AA supply. That depends on whether protein or nonprotein nitrogen sources are used for microbial protein production. We determined the contributions of urea, endogenous protein (EP), and dietary protein (DP) to microbial valine (MVAL) at the distal ileum of growing pigs, based on isotope dilutions after a 4-d continuous infusion of L-[1-[sup.13]C]valine to label EP and of [[sup.15]N [sup.15]N]urea. Eight barrows were assigned to either a cornstarch and soybean meal-based diet with or without 12% added fermentable fiber from pectin. Dietary pectin did not affect (P > 0.10) the contributions of the endogenous and DP to M.VAL. More than 92% of valine in microbial protein in the upper gut was derived from preformed AA from endogenous and DP, suggesting that de novo synthesis makes only a small contribution to microbial AA.

To identify the relative roles of translation initiation and elongation in the long term control of protein synthesis in ovine tissues, fractional synthesis rates (FSR) and ribosomal transit times (RTT) were measured in vivo in 24 ewe lambs at 3 levels of intake [maintenance (M), 1.5M, and 2M] and 8 mature ewes at 2M intake. After 17 to 25 d on treatment, animals were given an i.v. flooding dose of L-[ring-2,6-[sup.3]H]phenylalanine and tissues were collected for analysis of radioactivity in free protein, total protein, and nascent ribosome-associated proteins. Ribosome transit time (the inverse of elongation rate) averaged 83, 393, 183, 241, 85, and 113 s for liver, duodenum, skin, rumen, semimembranosus, and LM, respectively. In response to an increased level of intake, protein FSR increased (P < 0.01) in all tissues except rumen and was attributed to greater translational efficiency. There was no effect (P > 0.50) of intake on RTT in these tissues, and the estimated proportion of ribosomes attached to and actively translating mRNA was increased (P < 0.07), indicating that an upregulation of initiation was responsible for the greater FSR. Mature ewes exhibited lower (P < 0.10) protein FSR in all tissues compared with lambs, which was related to a decline in the RNA:protein ratio in all tissues except for liver and duodenum. In all tissues but liver and semimembranosus, RTT increased (P < 0.10) with age. The lower elongation rate was not considered to have influenced the protein synthetic rate, but it caused an increase in the proportion of ribosomes actively translating mRNA. It is anticipated that this work will provide direction to future studies of the molecular mechanisms of chronic FSR control. Key words: age, intake, protein synthesis, ribosome transit time, sheep

An enduring puzzle of human life history is why women cease reproduction midway through life. Selection can favor post-reproductive survival because older females can help their offspring to reproduce. But the kin-selected fitness gains of helping appear insufficient to outweigh the potential benefits of continued reproduction. Why then do women cease reproduction in the first place? Here, we suggest that early reproductive cessation in humans is the outcome of reproductive competition between generations, and we present a simple candidate model of how this competition will be resolved. We show that among primates exhibiting a postreproductive life span, humans exhibit an extraordinarily low degree of reproductive overlap between generations. The rapid senescence of the human female reproductive system coincides with the age at which, in natural fertility populations, women are expected to encounter reproductive competition from breeding females of the next generation. Several lines of evidence suggest that in ancestral hominids, this younger generation typically comprised immigrant females. In these circumstances, relatedness asymmetries within families are predicted to give younger females a decisive advantage in reproductive conflict with older females. A model incorporating both the costs of reproductive competition and the benefits of grandmothering can account for the timing of reproductive cessation in humans and so offers an improved understanding of the evolution of menopause. fertility | grandmother hypothesis | human evolution | life history | menopause

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.03.003 Byline: P.M. Buston, H.K. Reeve, M.A. Cant, S.L. Vehrencamp, S.T. Emlen Abstract: Reproductive skew theory provides a compelling explanation for the partitioning of reproduction among individuals within animal societies. One constructive criticism of the theory is that there are too many models, all of which have different assumptions and predictions, which makes it difficult to know what to test. Here we begin the process of tackling this problem, by re-examining the assumptions and predictions of basic concession and restraint models, two transactional models that are often tested as alternatives. Concession models assume that the dominant has complete control over the allocation of reproduction but may yield some of the group's reproduction to prevent the subordinate from voluntarily departing. Restraint models assume that the subordinate has complete control over the allocation of reproduction but may not claim all of the group's reproduction to prevent the dominant from forcibly evicting it. We show that the group dissolution tactics that individuals use (forcible eviction or voluntary departure) need not be an assumption of the model, but rather they can be predicted using Hamilton's rule and the standard variables of skew models. We reveal that the assumption that one individual (dominant or subordinate) has complete control over the allocation of reproduction is an idea common to both models, and we resolve this semantic difference by calling this individual 'the allocator'. We show that, regardless of the group dissolution tactics that individuals adopt, the allocator's share of the reproduction always increases as relatedness increases, as group productivity increases, and as constraints on leaving to breed elsewhere intensify. We conclude that concession and restraint type models make qualitatively similar predictions, and should not be tested as alternatives. In summary, this study makes the transactional framework of reproductive skew more general, by eliminating restrictive assumptions, and more amenable to testing in the field, by clarifying assumptions and predictions. Author Affiliation: (a) National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, U.S.A. (a ) Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, U.S.A. (a ) Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, U.K. Article History: Received 23 December 2005; Revised 7 April 2006; Accepted 12 March 2007 Article Note: (miscellaneous) MS. number: A10331R

Author(s): The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium; Management Committee; Paul R. Burton [1]; David G. Clayton [2]; Lon R. Cardon [3]; Nick Craddock [4]; Panos Deloukas [5]; Audrey Duncanson [6]; [...]

Author(s): The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium; Management Committee; Paul R. Burton [1]; David G. Clayton [2]; Lon R. Cardon [3]; Nick Craddock [4]; Panos Deloukas [5]; Audrey Duncanson [6]; [...]

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-5871.2007.00441.x Byline: JAY T. JOHNSON (1), GARTH CANT (2), RICHARD HOWITT (3), EVELYN PETERS (4) Author Affiliation: (1)Department of Anthropology and Geography, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, P.O. Box 880368, Lincoln, NE 68588-0368, USA. (2)Department of Geography, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand. (3)Department of Human Geography, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia. (4)Department of Geography, University of Saskatchewan, 9 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada S7N 5A5. Article note: (*) Corresponding author. Email: jjohnson18@unl.edu

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhg.2005.10.002 Byline: Sarah G. Cant Abstract: This paper examines historical geographies of speleology in Britain between 1935 and 1953. As the study of caves, speleology was constructed as a sporting-science. The paper traces the formation and activities of the British Speleological Association, the influence of the speleologist Eli Simpson, arguments relating to the practice of speleology, and the formation of the Cave Research Group in 1947, to examine the geographies of science that emerge through speleology. By tracing some of the spatial, social and practical issues within the histories of speleology, distinct social and regional geographies are uncovered. Debates about practising science, definitions of speleology as sporting-science and 'the right kind of speleologist' complicate the geographical histories of speleology within Britain. As well as emphasising the spatial outcomes of these issues, I suggest that personality can also impact upon geographies of science in profound ways. Author Affiliation: School of Geography, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.03.040 Byline: Michael A. Cant Abstract: The recent development of reproductive skew (RS) theory shows striking parallels with that of parent-offspring conflict (POC) theory a decade earlier. In particular, the concept of 'battleground' and 'resolution' models in POC theory is equally relevant to RS theory. The battleground of conflict in POC and RS has been defined by different constraints (which I term 'optimization' and 'group stability' constraints, respectively). This distinction is not inherent but arises simply because POC models assume that the fitness benefits of an increasing share of resource show diminishing returns, whereas skew models assume a linear relation between reproductive share and fitness. Incorporating diminishing returns into skew models reveals a simple and almost wholly neglected explanation for reproductive sharing. Models of POC have moved on from simply defining the battleground to consider how conflict within it is resolved. The development of analogous models for RS theory is at a relatively early stage. In particular, more work is needed to understand the manner and extent to which overt aggression can mediate reproductive control. Lessons learned from attempts to test POC theory can help guide tests of RS theory, and provide information on both the nature of the battleground over reproduction and the mechanism by which conflicts are resolved. Author Affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge Article History: Received 26 November 2004; Revised 9 February 2005; Accepted 15 March 2005 Article Note: (miscellaneous) MS. number: RV-56

A computer model was developed to predict responses of lactating ewes to concentrate supplementation, whether on pasture or stall-fed, given concentrate once per day or in multiple feedings, and suckling multiple lambs. The model considers effects of concentrate supplementation on organic acid production, saliva flow, ruminal pH, and forage intake. The user defines ewe BW, feed composition, and concentrate feeding times and amounts. The reference ewe has free access to forage and water. Upon consumption, forages and concentrates enter into lag pools for 2.0 and 0.24 h, respectively. Carbohydrates then enter ruminal pools of degradable fiber, undegradable fiber, or nonstructural carbohydrate, from which they are degraded or pass to the lower gut. Rapid dissociation of organic acids from carbohydrate fermentation and buffers from rumination are simulated to determine ruminal pH according to the Henderson-Hasselbach equation. The pH, in turn, affects fiber degradation rates. Forage intake continues during daylight hours until ruminal NDF exceeds 1.0% of BW, or organic acid concentration exceeds 130 mM. A circadian pattern of organic acid concentrations and pH of rumen contents with multiple concentrate feedings was simulated by the model with root mean square prediction error of 7.7 and 3.0 to 4.0% of the observed mean, respectively. However, ignoring fermentation of dietary protein may have caused an underestimation of organic acid production rates. The model predicted the increase in total DMI and the substitution effect on forage intake of increasing levels of concentrate supplementation. Simulations suggested that a single concentrate meal daily was best fed in the evening to minimize the substitution effect, and that there was no benefit in forage intake to feeding 2 kg/d concentrate in more than two meals per day. Key Words: Forage Intake, Modeling, Ruminal pH, Sheep

Our objectives were to examine the effect of an i.p. injection of a flooding dose of L-phenylalanine (Phe) containing L-[[ring-.sup.2][H.sub.5]Phe on time courses of physiologic responses, the tracer Phe enrichments, and fractional protein synthesis rates (FSR) in plasma, visceral organs, and muscles. In a randomized complete block design, 5 blocks of 5 littermate piglets were weaned at 16 d of age and injected i.p. with a flooding dose of L-Phe (1.5 mmol/kg body weight) on d 8 postweaning under fed conditions. Tissues were collected at 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 min postinjection. Plasma glucose concentration increased (cubic effect, P < 0.05) from 4.8 preinjection to 5.8 mmol/L 15 min postinjection and returned to preinjection levels thereafter. Plasma insulin concentration did not change (P > 0.05) over time. Plasma Phe concentration increased logarithmically (P < 0.05) from 85 to 711 [micro]mol/L and reached 95% of the maximum concentration 48 min postinjection, but no changes (P > 0.05) in tissue contents of other free amino acids were observed. The Phe free pools in plasma, visceral organs, and muscles were evenly enriched (32.3 [+ or -] 1.4 mol%) with [L-[.sup.2][H.sup.5]]Phe 15 min after the i.p. injection. The FSR in visceral organs did not change (P > 0.05), whereas plasma and muscle protein FSR decreased (P < 0.05) over time. We conclude that the i.p. injected tracer Phe rapidly distributed into plasma and intra- and extracellular spaces, and was effective for measuring FSR in visceral organs, but not in plasma and muscles of pigs. KEY WORDS: * route of tracer delivery * stable isotopes * isotopic enrichment * piglets

The excretion of major odor-causing and acidifying compounds in response to dietary supplementation of chicory inulin extract was investigated with six Yorkshire barrows, with an average initial BW of 30 kg, according to a balanced two-period cross-over design. The animals were fed a control diet containing no inulin extract and a treatment diet with 5% inulin extract (as-fed basis) at the expense of cornstarch. Each diet was formulated (as-fed basis) to contain 16% CP from corn (51%) and soybean meal (29%). Each experimental period lasted 14 d, with 10 d for dietary adaptation and 4 d for collection of fecal and urine samples. The fecal samples were analyzed for four major classes of odor-causing and acidifying compounds: 1) VFA; 2) N-containing compounds, including total N and ammonia; 3) volatile sulfides measured as hydrogen sulfide units; and 4) phenols and indoles, including p-cresol, indole, and skatole. Supplementation of chicory inulin at 5% had no effects on the fecal excretion of VFA (P = 0.29), ammonia (P = 0.96), total volatile sulfides (P = 0.56), p-cresol (P = 0.56), and indole (P = 0.75). Fecal excretion of total N (inulin = 6.13 vs. control = 5.10 g/ kg DMI) was increased (P < 0.05), whereas urinary total N excretion (inulin = 15.1 vs. control = 16.4 g/[pig*d]) was not affected (P = 0.17) by the inulin supplementation compared with the control group. Furthermore, fecal excretion of skatole (inulin = 9.07 vs. control = 18.93 mg/kg DMI) was decreased (P < 0.05) by the inulin supplementation compared with the control group. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 5% chicory inulin extract is effective in decreasing the fecal excretion of skatole in growing pigs fed corn and soybean meal diets. Key Words: Chicory Inulin, Feces, Odor-Causing Compounds, Pigs

Xiao, Changting, V. Margaret Quinton, and John P. Cant. Description of glucose transport in isolated bovine mammary epithelial cells by a three-compartment model. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 286:C792-C797, 2004. First published November 26, 2003; 10.1152/ ajpcell.00356.2003.--Initial rates of glucose entry into isolated bovine mammary epithelial cells display moderate degrees of asymmetry and cooperative interactions between export and import sites. The present study examined the hypothesis that these kinetic features are due to compartmentalization of intracellular glucose. Net uptake of 3-O-methyl-D-[l-[.sup.3H]glucose (3-OMG) by isolated bovine mammary epithelial cells was measured at 37 [degrees] C. The time course of 3-OMG net uptake was better fitted by a double-exponential equation than by a single- or triple-exponential equation. Compartmental analysis of the time course curve suggested that translocated 3-OMG is distributed into two compartments with fractional volumes of 32.6 [+ or -] 5.7% and 67.4 [+ or -] 5.7%, respectively. The results support the view that glucose transport in bovine mammary epithelial cells is a multistep process consisting of two serial steps: fast, carrier-mediated, symmetric translocation of sugar across the cell plasma membrane into a small compartment and subsequent slow exchange of posttranslocated sugar between two intracellular compartments. A three-compartment model of this system successfully simulated the observed time course of 3-OMG net uptake and the observed dependence of unidirectional entry rates on intra- and extracellular 3-OMG concentrations. Simulations indicated that backflux of radiolabeled sugar from the small compartment to extracellular space during 15 s of incubation gives rise to the apparent asymmetry, trans-stimulation, and cooperativity of mammary glucose transport kinetics. The fixed-site carrier model overestimated the rate of glucose accumulation in cells, and its features can be accounted for by the compartmentalization of intracellular sugar. compartmentalization; milk synthesis

Multilayer films containing gold nanoparticles, stabilized with a carboxylic acid terminated thiol and the polyelectrolyte PDDA are synthesized on APTES-functionalized silicon substrates. It is evident from the Kelvin probe measurements that the sign of the surface charge oscillates, as expected if layer formation is being driven by electrostatic interactions.

Xiao, Changting, and John P. Cant. Glucose transporter in bovine mammary epithelial cells is an asymmetric carrier that exhibits cooperativity and trans-stimulation. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 285: C1226-C1234, 2003. First published July 16, 2003; 10.1152/ajpcell.00190.2003.--Glucose transport kinetics were quantified in isolated bovine mammary epithelial cells using 3-O-methyl-D-glucose. Isolated cells retained satisfactory viability and glucose uptake activity, which was inhibited by cytochalasin B, phloretin, [HgCl.sub.12], and low temperature. Initial rates of entry were measured over a 15-s interval at 37[degrees]C under zero-trans, equilibrium-exchange, high-cis, and high-trans concentrations of 3-0-methyl-D-glucose between 0 and 20 mM. The combined set of rate measurements from all experimental conditions was fit to the fixed-site carrier model by nonlinear regression to estimate parameters of transport. For the regression between predicted and observed initial rates, [r.sup.2] was 0.97. Forward [V.sub.max] was estimated at 18.2 [nmo*min.sup.-1] * mg [protein.sup.-1], and the Michaelis constant was 8.29 mM. The cooperativity parameter was 1.63, trans-stimulation was 2.13-fold, and asymmetry was 2.06-fold. On the basis of the kinetic parameters, variations in intracellular glucose concentrations are not responsible for the range of glucose uptakes by bovine mammary glands observed in vivo. model; cow; mammary epithelial cell

This study integrates the results of quantitative and qualitative methods to elucidate the association between sexualidentity and physical and sexual abuse among Puerto Rican drug users. A structured questionnaire was [...]