title: Keratin and S100 calcium-binding proteins are major constituents of the bovine teat canal lining

authors: Smolenski, Grant A.

abstract: The bovine teat canal provides the first-line of defence against pathogenic bacteria infecting the mammary gland, yet the protein composition and host-defence functionality of the teat canal lining (TCL) are not well characterised. In this study, TCL collected from six healthy lactating dairy cows was subjected to two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry. The abundance and location of selected identified proteins were determined by western blotting and fluorescence immunohistochemistry. The variability of abundance among individual cows was also investigated. Two dominant clusters of proteins were detected in the TCL, comprising members of the keratin and S100 families of proteins. The S100 proteins were localised to the teat canal keratinocytes and were particularly predominant in the cornified outermost layer of the teat canal epithelium. Significant between-animal variation in the abundance of the S100 proteins in the TCL was demonstrated. Four of the six identified S100 proteins have been reported to have antimicrobial activity, suggesting that the TCL has additional functionality beyond being a physical barrier to invading microorganisms. These findings provide new insights into understanding host-defence of the teat canal and resistance of cows to mastitis.

text: Keratin and S100 calcium-binding proteins are major constituents of the bovine teat canal lining The bovine teat canal provides the first-line of defence against pathogenic bacteria infecting the mammary gland, yet the protein composition and host-defence functionality of the teat canal lining (TCL) are not well characterised. In this study, TCL collected from six healthy lactating dairy cows was subjected to two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry. The abundance and location of selected identified proteins were determined by western blotting and fluorescence immunohistochemistry. The variability of abundance among individual cows was also investigated. Two dominant clusters of proteins were detected in the TCL, comprising members of the keratin and S100 families of proteins. The S100 proteins were localised to the teat canal keratinocytes and were particularly predominant in the cornified outermost layer of the teat canal epithelium. Significant between-animal variation in the abundance of the S100 proteins in the TCL was demonstrated. Four of the six identified S100 proteins have been reported to have antimicrobial activity, suggesting that the TCL has additional functionality beyond being a physical barrier to invading microorganisms. These findings provide new insights into understanding host-defence of the teat canal and resistance of cows to mastitis.

year: 2015-09-25

title: Re-membering those lost: The role of materiality in narrative repair following a natural disaster

authors: Cassim, Shemana

subjects: narrative recovery

abstract: The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami resulted in a tragic loss of life and immense suffering. This thesis explores the ways in which five people from Sri Lanka worked to address the disruption to their life narratives caused by the loss of loved ones as a result of this tragedy. I demonstrate that the reconstruction of life narratives does not aim to cure; instead it helps people make sense of events, and cope and live alongside the aftermath of a disaster. The theoretical framework for this research is informed by narrative research, practice theory and phronesis. Semi-structured and walk-along interview techniques were used to gather the life narratives of the five key informants. Participant accounts were situated within the community setting of the town of Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka. Findings indicate that the significance of public monuments for processes of memorialisation and mourning can be contested compared to what is traditionally understood. I argue that personal material objects, symbolic spaces and everyday practices can serve as metonyms that enable participants to re-story their fractured life narratives. Everyday acts and objects also allow people to re-member loved ones and past lives lost to the tsunami. While language and texts are still important, I go beyond a focus on talk in narrative research in the field of psychology to explore the importance of material objects in sustaining continued bonds with the deceased. Traditional Anglo-American psychological approaches to disaster recovery may be successful in some communities. However, disaster psychology could become more responsive and effective with a greater consideration of the context of culture. This study provides an alternative to the tendency in mainstream psychology to pathologise grief, and highlights the importance of culturally-patterned responses to disaster. I argue that disaster psychology needs to be brought into conversation with other disciplines in order to fully understand how survivors of a tragedy can draw on cultural and community-based resources to build resilience in the face of grief and loss.

text: Re-membering those lost: The role of materiality in narrative repair following a natural disaster The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami resulted in a tragic loss of life and immense suffering. This thesis explores the ways in which five people from Sri Lanka worked to address the disruption to their life narratives caused by the loss of loved ones as a result of this tragedy. I demonstrate that the reconstruction of life narratives does not aim to cure; instead it helps people make sense of events, and cope and live alongside the aftermath of a disaster. The theoretical framework for this research is informed by narrative research, practice theory and phronesis. Semi-structured and walk-along interview techniques were used to gather the life narratives of the five key informants. Participant accounts were situated within the community setting of the town of Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka. Findings indicate that the significance of public monuments for processes of memorialisation and mourning can be contested compared to what is traditionally understood. I argue that personal material objects, symbolic spaces and everyday practices can serve as metonyms that enable participants to re-story their fractured life narratives. Everyday acts and objects also allow people to re-member loved ones and past lives lost to the tsunami. While language and texts are still important, I go beyond a focus on talk in narrative research in the field of psychology to explore the importance of material objects in sustaining continued bonds with the deceased. Traditional Anglo-American psychological approaches to disaster recovery may be successful in some communities. However, disaster psychology could become more responsive and effective with a greater consideration of the context of culture. This study provides an alternative to the tendency in mainstream psychology to pathologise grief, and highlights the importance of culturally-patterned responses to disaster. I argue that disaster psychology needs to be brought into conversation with other disciplines in order to fully understand how survivors of a tragedy can draw on cultural and community-based resources to build resilience in the face of grief and loss.

year: 2013

title: The Seedling: Students' perceptions of science education-How do our students see their science classes?

authors: Taylor, Simon

abstract: What is learning like in Years 9 and 10 science from a student’s viewpoint? What is really going on? Let’s take the opportunity to get up close to their learning world.

Dr Simon Taylor’s current research examines the perceptions of secondary students – how they see learning in their science lessons. This article centres on what we as teachers can learn from student voice, how personally relevant learning contexts used in lessons were particularly significant for Māori and Pacifica students, and how established collaborative practices influenced student engagement.

text: The Seedling: Students' perceptions of science education-How do our students see their science classes? What is learning like in Years 9 and 10 science from a student’s viewpoint? What is really going on? Let’s take the opportunity to get up close to their learning world.

Dr Simon Taylor’s current research examines the perceptions of secondary students – how they see learning in their science lessons. This article centres on what we as teachers can learn from student voice, how personally relevant learning contexts used in lessons were particularly significant for Māori and Pacifica students, and how established collaborative practices influenced student engagement.

year: 2014