<p>ABSTRACT</p><p>Nontypable Haemophilus influenzae is a common cause of otitis, sinusitis and conjunctivitis. It is the most common bacterial pathogen associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Studies have shown that nonpathogenic Haemophilus haemolyticus are often mistaken for Haemophilus influenzae due to an absent hemolytic reaction on blood agar. Distinguishing H. haemolyticus from H. influenzae is important to prevent unnecessary antibiotic use, and to understand the role of H. influenzae in clinical infections. In this study, PCR-primers for amplifying 16S rDNA sequences were used to set up a method for distinguishing H. haemolyticus from H. influenzae. The aim was to use the method for analyzing apparent H. influenzae strains, to investigate if some strains were in fact H. haemolyticus. However, because of problems with unspecific primerannealing,no conclusions could be drawn regarding misclassification of H. haemolyticus.</p><p>Moraxella catarrhalis is the second most common bacterial pathogen associated with COPD. It also causes otitis and sinusitis. An important virulence factor of M. catarrhalis is the outer membrane protein Moraxella catarrhalis IgD-binding protein (MID). One part of the protein; MID764-913 , has been shown to function as an adhesin, and this part has been fragmented to further investigate its adhesive properties. The aim of this second, independent study, was to express some of these proteinfragments by cloning in E. coli. The time spent on this project was too short, and no proteins could be expressed duing this period.</p>

ABSTRACT Nontypable Haemophilus influenzae is a common cause of otitis, sinusitis and conjunctivitis. It is the most common bacterial pathogen associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Studies have shown that nonpathogenic Haemophilus haemolyticus are often mistaken for Haemophilus influenzae due to an absent hemolytic reaction on blood agar. Distinguishing H. haemolyticus from H. influenzae is important to prevent unnecessary antibiotic use, and to understand the role of H. influenzae in clinical infections. In this study, PCR-primers for amplifying 16S rDNA sequences were used to set up a method for distinguishing H. haemolyticus from H. influenzae. The aim was to use the method for analyzing apparent H. influenzae strains, to investigate if some strains were in fact H. haemolyticus. However, because of problems with unspecific primerannealing,no conclusions could be drawn regarding misclassification of H. haemolyticus. Moraxella catarrhalis is the second most common bacterial pathogen associated with COPD. It also causes otitis and sinusitis. An important virulence factor of M. catarrhalis is the outer membrane protein Moraxella catarrhalis IgD-binding protein (MID). One part of the protein; MID764-913 , has been shown to function as an adhesin, and this part has been fragmented to further investigate its adhesive properties. The aim of this second, independent study, was to express some of these proteinfragments by cloning in E. coli. The time spent on this project was too short, and no proteins could be expressed duing this period.

There has been a rapid surge toward "organic" products devoid of GMOs, MSGs, and other common compounds found in processed foods that continue to indicate an association with an increased risk for disease. These consumers seek nutrients and vitamins that are lacking in their diet and lifestyle in the form of nutraceuticals for disease prevention and treatment as well as overall lifestyle enhancement. However, these products generally lack clinical evidence as well as legal definition. Due to this ambiguity, nutraceuticals are neither considered a food product nor a pharmaceutical product. Furthermore, due to their alleged natural properties allowing for safe, therapeutic effects, nutraceuticals are being eagerly sought after by consumers in the place of pharmaceuticals. Additionally, since nutraceutical substances are "naturally" derived, there is a general lack of regulation regarding the manufacturing and distribution process. This mismanagement leads to lack of quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) protocols strictly implemented to define appropriate production and storage parameters. Without these critical measures, consumers are subjected to contamination of their products resulting from improper storage conditions and unmanaged production. These contaminants often include heavy metal impurities, pesticides, bacterial activity, and may also be adulterated with illicit drugs, all leading to detrimental health and environmental effects.