Bacteria-killing ability of fresh blood plasma compared to frozen blood plasma.

In recent years, the bacteria-killing assay (BKA) has become a popular technique among ecoimmunologists. New variations of that assay allow researchers to use smaller volumes of blood, an important consideration for those working on small-bodied animals. However, this version of the assay requires access to a lab with a nanodrop spectrophotometer, something that may not be available in the field. One possible solution is to freeze plasma for transport; however, this assumes that frozen plasma samples will give comparable results to fresh ones. We tested this assumption using plasma samples from three species of birds: chickens (Gallus gallus), ash-throated flycatchers (Myiarchus cinerascens), and western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana). Chicken plasma samples lost most or all of their bacterial killing ability after freezing. This did not happen in flycatchers and bluebirds; however, frozen plasma did not produce results comparable to those obtained using fresh plasma. We caution researchers using the BKA to use fresh samples whenever possible, and to validate the use of frozen samples on a species-by-species basis.

Spiritual well-being and lifestyle choices in adolescents: A quantitative study among Afrikaans-speaking learners in the North West Province of South Africa.

OBJECTIVE: This article reports on an investigation into the connection between spirituality and the lifestyle choices of adolescents in the North West Province of South Africa. METHOD: An examination of the theoretical connections between these two entities in the lives of adolescents was followed by a quantitative study in which a questionnaire consisting of an adapted version of the Youth Risk Behaviour Survey and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale was used. RESULTS: The empirical investigation shows that a significant correlation exists between the two variables and it appears that spiritual well-being can have a positive influence on the lifestyle choices made by adolescents. CONCLUSION: Further research must be carried out to assess the impact of spirituality on risk behaviours and lifestyle choices.