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Tibnīn was an important small Crusader fief and a fortified castle. It was vital for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, because it included fertile agricultural lands, was a tax collection centre, and because it controlled the Damascus-to-Tyre commercial route. Additionally, its castle played defensive and offensive role in the north of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and upper Galilee, and its rulers of Tibnīn played a major role in forming the history of the Latin East. When the Crusaders invaded the Levant at the end of the eleventh century, it was given rise to new demographic, cultural, socio-economic, and architectural features. The present Paper aims at removing some of the mystery concerning the fief of Tibnīn and its castle in the Latin East. This paper thus is a study of the demographic structure of Tibnīn and discusses the socio-economic role of Tibnīn in the Latin east. Moreover, the role of Tibnīn in influencing the relations between Muslims and the Crusaders in the Levant and the architecture of the castle of Tibnīn and its importance in the age of the Crusade will be examined.
In this chapter we develop an agenda for future research on the personalization of politics. To do so, we clarify the propositions of the personalization hypothesis, critically discuss the normative standard on which most studies base their evaluation of personalization, and systematically summarize empirical research findings. We show that the condemnation of personalization is based on a trivial logic and on a maximalist definition of democracy. The review of empirical studies leads us to question the assumption that personalization has steadily increased in all areas of politics. Finally, our normative considerations help us develop new research questions on how personalized politics affects democracy. Moreover, this review also makes clear that another weakness of today's empirical research on the personalization of politics lies in methodological problems and a lack of analysis of the impacts of systemic and contextual variables. Consequently, we suggest methodological pathways and possible explanatory factors for the study of personalization.
Tumours involving the cauda equina : a review of their clinical features and differential diagnosis
(1930)
A general survey of the material available in the literature at once draws attention to the fact that it is only in the late and hopeless stages of cauda equina tumours that the classical clinical picture of a lesion of the cauda equina or even a collection of symptoms and signs similar to that produced by a traumatic lesion is encountered. ...
The North Arnerican species of the genus Cremastocheilus are reviewed. These belong to 5 subgenera, Macropodina, Trinodea, Anatinodia, Mymcotonus, and Cremastocheilus. Taxonomie changes are: She inclusion of Crernastocheilus nitens and C. chapini in the subgenus Cremastocheilus rather than Myrmecotonus. Also Anatinodia is elevated to subgeneric status. A key to the subgenera is provided, as is a key to the species of the 5 subgenera, recognizing that the 35 species in the subgenus Cremastocheilus are in need of revision. A critical review of the host records, geographic distribution, and ecology of the Tribe Crernastocheilini (Family Scarabaeidae. subfamily Cetoniinae) is provided. This contains enormous numbers of new records for both the genera Genuchinus and CremastocheiLus both from the literature and from the extensive field work that is reported here for the first time. A Summary of the host records is presented in tabular form. This table shows the association of all species of Cremastocheilus with ants as adults and the larvae either associated with the vegetable material of the ant nests or with vegetable material in rodent burrows. Genuchinus is shown to be a general predator on soft bodied insects while the other genera of the Cremastocheilini are associated with plants, particularly bromeliads. A detailed study of the external morphology and sexual dimorphism of the genera Genuchinus and Crernastocheilus is presented. All species of Cremastocheilus can be sexed with the naked eye by the difference in the shapes of the abdominal terminal Segments, wherein males have the posterior border of the last ventral abdominal segment either straight or slightly bowed, while females have this border broadly rounded. There are other microscopic sexual differences in the structure of the legs. The rest of the external morphology is also presented, particularly from the point of view of adaptations to either a predaceous or rnyrmecophilous existente. Particularly adapted for predation are the pointed maxillae which are used for piercing prey. Particularly adapted for myrmecophily are the mentum, the maxillae, the generally thick exoskeleton, trichomes on both the anterior and posterior angles of the pronotum, the elytra, and the legs (which are adapted to the nest substrate of the host ant nests. Exocrine glands are described for Genuchinus ineptus and at least 1 species of each of the 5 subgenera of Cremastocheilus. In general, there are no gland cells nor glandular areas in Genuchinuc that are comparable to those of Cremastocheilus. The gland cells and glandular areas are quite extensive andvariable arnong species of Cremastocheilus. The frontal gland of some Cremastocheilus (strongly developed in C. castaneus and the C. canaliculatus species group, but weakly developed in the C. wheeleri species group) is described for the first time. Because these glands are not found in Genuchinus ineptuc, a species with general predatory habits, it is thought that these play a role, as yet unknown, in interactions with ants. The life cycles of the subgenera of Cremastocheilus are described. The general life cycle entails adult beetles eclosing in ant nests during the summer and then undertaking dispersal flights. The adults then enter ant nests and ovenivinter there, eating ant larvae during the Winter. Another dispersal flight occurs in the spring during which the adults mate and enter ant nests again. The females then lay eggs and the adults die. The eggs hatch and the larvae spend 3 instars feeding upon vegetable material in the nests. The lmae then pupate in typical scarabaeine earthen cells made of fecal material and soil. These eclose in the summer and the cycle is repeated. Variation from species to species is largely in the timing. Leaving the nest in late Summer, mating seems to be triggered by rainfall in all the species studied. Mating of C. (Macropodina) beameri takes place in rodent burrows. Males seem attracted to females from a distance but the mechanism of this remains obscure. In the subgenus Trinodia, mating takes place on sandy washes or roadsides where females land. In the subgenus Myrmecotonus, maüng also takes place in sandy areas. In C. (Cremastocheilus) mating takes place on sand bars along rivers in the southeastern U.S. and in sand dunes in northeastern U.S. The femaies dig down into the sand. Males locate these places by some unknown mechanism and then dig down to copulate with the females. Field experiments showed unequivocaily that males dig only into areas occupied by females. No sex-specific Sex attractant glands have been located in females so far. Dispersal to ant nests occurs after mating except for C. (Macropodina) beameri which lays its eggs in the rodent burrows and then probably disperses to ant nests. Beetle activity going in and out of nests was studied using wire hardware cloth screens over entrances to Mynnecocystus nests. The mesh size was such that the ants could move freely in or out but the beetles got stuck by their thoraces. The direction then could be interpreted by the direction in which they got stuck. By this method, C. stathamae was shown to leave nests from 23 June to 1 September with a peak on 6 July, just after the beginning of the summer rains. Beetles entered nests from June 23 to August 3, however 39% entered on July 16, probably pulsed by the leaving time which was correlated with the rains. Life cycle timing: C. (Macropodina) develop in the nests of Wood rats (Neotoma sp.]. Females lay about 40 eggs each. The 3 larval instars to pupation take about 1 month. Pupae are found from late August to weil into September. In other subgenera as well, larvae are found in parts of the nest devoid of ants, The timing is similar in all the subgenera found with ants. Mortality factors: While ants attack Cremastocheilus adults, there is no evidence that they are ever killed by ants nor is there evidence that ants kill larvae nor hard earthen pupae cases which protect the pupae. During dispersal fiights and mating, the adults are exposed to predation and evidence is presented that shows predation by horned toads, spiders, magpies, and tiger beetles. Probably most mortality occurs in the larval and pupd stages where the beetles are attacked by internal parasites and fungus. Further rnortality is caused by limitation of the food supply during the larval stage. Reentering nests: Females of C. (Macropodina) beameri select specific rodent and other burrows, attract males for rnating. and then enter the burrow for oviposition. C. stathamae are carried into the ants nests from as far away as 25ft. The beetles appear to land spontaneously after flying randomly over M. depilis nesting areas. Then the wander about waiting for the ants to carry them into the nests. Cremastocheilus hirsutus fly low over the ground searching for Pogonomyrrnex barbatus nests, land. and move straight for the nest entrances which they enter unhindered. Among all species, the ants frequently eject beetles but the net rnovement is in. Ants frequently attacked Cremastocheilus in laboratory observation nests when they were introduced. These attacks seldom resulted in the death of the beetles and the beetles were eventually ignored. When the beetles entered brood chambers, where they fed upon larvae, they were mostly ignored and even licked assiduously by the ants. A principle defensive behavior by the beetles is feigning death (letisimulation). The beetles give off an unpleasant "dead fish odor when collected in the I field. Experiments show that this substance functions to fend off some predators but further experiments indicated that these substances were ineffective against both ants and kangaroo rats. Experiments with various species of Cremastocheilus adults indicate that the adults eat only ant larvae. The beetles will eat larvae of non-host ants but show preferences for the larvae of their normal hosts. Under the same experimental conditions. Genuchinus ineptus adults will feed on a variety of insect adults and larvae. Field experiments on the function of trichome secretions did not indicate that they function to attract ants at a distance nor are they involved in worker acceptance. Laboratory experiments in which areas with a high concentration of gland cells were presented to ants showed that no ants were attracted. Laboratory introduction of Cremastocheilus hamisii adults into Fomica schau.si nests yielded many interactions including ants licking the anterior pronotal angles, the mentum area where the frontal glands empty and a carina over the eye with a dense pad of short setae. These are areas of concentration of gland cells and these are the first observations of licking by ants in specific sites containing exocrine glands. Radioisotope experiments showed food exchange among ants but never from ants to beetles. Other experiments showed that ants can pick up radioactivity from the beetles without feeding on trichome secretions. Evolutionary pathways: Adult Cremastocheilini probably followed the evolutionary route from adult predation on soft bodied insects to specialized feeding upon ant brood and the subsequent development of the beetle larvae in vegetable material in the ant colonies. Thus Genuchininseptus makes a logical outgroup in that they are general predators probably feeding mostly on Diptera larvae associated with Sotol plants in the field. The rnajor evolutionary step taken by Cremastocheiluswas to specialize on ant brood. Then the species radiated into ant colonies inhabiting southwestem North Arnenca. Most of the ant hosts invaded have quantities of vegetable material in their nests sufficient to support several developing scarab larvae. Host colonies are large, contain accessible brood, and are usually dominant foragers Evidence supports the idea that the species of Cremastocheilus have differentes in behavior and morphology that reflect adaptation to the behavioral ecology of different species of ants rather than different evolutionary levels of integration into ant colonies.
Forty-two chemicals were tested for their ability to induce cytogenetic change in Chinese hamster ovary cells using assays for chromosome aberrations (ABS) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE). These chemicals were included in the National Toxicology Program's evaluation of the ability of four in vitro short-term genetic toxicity assays to distinguish between rodent carcinogens and noncarcinogens. The conclusions of this comparison are presented in Zeiger et al. [Zeiger E, Haseman JK, Shelby MD, Margolin BH, Tennant RW (1990): [Environ Molec Mutagen 16(Suppl 18): 1-14]. The in vitro cytogenetic testing was conducted at four laboratories, each using a standard protocol to evaluate coded chemicals with and without exogenous metabolic activation. Most chemicals were tested in a single laboratory; however, two chemicals, tribromomethane and p-chloroaniline, were tested at two laboratories as part of an interlaboratory comparison. Four chemicals (CI. basic red 9 HCI, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, oxytetracycline HCI, and rotenone) were tested for SCE in one laboratory and in a different laboratory for ABS. Tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium sulfate was tested at one laboratory and the chloride form was tested at a different laboratory. Twenty-five of the 42 chemicals tested induced SCE. Sixteen of these also induced ABS; all chemicals that induced ABS also induced SCE. There was approximately 79"10 reproducibility of results in repeat tests, thus, we conclude that this protocol is effective and reproducible in detecting ABS and SCE.
New data on the distribution were the reported: Buksendya river (153º15’E, 59º12’N), Yama valley (152º59’E, 60º00’N) and Nayakhan river (158º15’E, 62º33’N), mostly single birds in late summer, autumn or early winter. Resident breeding pairs regularly occur only in the Chelomdzha and further to the west – in Inya and Ulbeya valleys, and upper heads of the Kava valley (Fig. 1). New observations in the Inya valley (July-August 1999) and in the Chelomdzha valley (July 2003) have proved that the Blakiston’s Fish Owl dwells in lush flood-plain woods along the middle and lower streams of both of these valleys. Currently, the Blakiston’s Fish Owl steadily occurs within the limits of Kava-Chelomdza forestry of the Magadansky State Reserve (Tarkhov & Potapov 1986), and, most likely, the Chelomdzha valley forms currently the north-eastern limit of the species range. In the Chelomdzha valley the regular duet singing of the Blakiston’s Fish Owl begins from early February. Usually the birds display in the evenings, 20-40 min after sunset. The longevity of evening vocalizations increases from 3-5 min in first week of February to 30-50 min in mid-March. The intervals between strophes vary from 14-55 s, 27 s on average (n = 48). The chicks hatched between 2nd and 5th of May. Daytime hours the parents spend nearby the nest in the crowns of larches. During intense chick’s growth the parents visit the nest 4-5 times in a night. Search for food and hunting takes from 40-60 min. According to photo documents, the parents feed the chicks with sculpins and graylings (18–30 cm in length). The parents spend midnight hours nearby the nest. Becoming 50 days old the chicks leave the nest and roams around supervised by the parents.
Finding the peripheries : sovereignty and colonialism in nineteenth-century international law
(1999)
Several Coleopterists have been asked to revise the family sections, working from diskettes modified and provided from the original "Beetles of the United States." They will rewrite these sections, and will be recognized as the author of the section. They are asked to sign a writing contract with the publisher. Other Coleopterists have been asked to review the family sections of the new book. These persons are acknowledged in the family section text.
Twenty-two species of Strymon are known from the vicinity of Cacaulandia in Rondonia, Brazil, of which 14 are new species. These belong to 5 species groups: the "oreala" group [Strymon megarus (Godart)]; the "ziba" group [Strymon ziba (Hewitson), Strymon thulia (Hewitson), Strymon spinatus new species, Strymon latamaculus new species, Strymon pallidulus new species, Stlymon tholus new species]; "valentina" group [Strymon rotundum new species]; "crossoea" group [Strymon crossoea (Hewitson), Strymon crambusa (Hewitson), Stlymon germana new species, Strymon novasignum new species, Strymon clavus new species, Strymon implexus new species, Strymon inmirum new species, Strymon incanus new species, Strymon faunalia (Hewitson), Strymon halos new species, Strymon conspergus new species, Strymon bazochii (Godart), Strymon diagonalis new species]; and "eurytulus" group [Strymon bubastus (Stoll)]. Tentative subgroups of species are suggested for the "crossoea" group as they occur in Rondonia. A neotype is designated for Tmolus basilides and the name synonymized with Strymon megarus. The "basilides" group of Johnson et al. (1990) is renamed the "ziba" group. Based on lectotype designations and superficial and genital differences, S. ziba and S. thu.lia are elevated to specific status.
The species of Gigantombra and Angulopis encountered in the Caca ulandia area of central Rondonia, Brazil, are reviewed. These include ten species (all new) of Gigantombra (G. microserrata, G. dl:vergens, G. quadramacula, G. ampla, G. fuscafascia, G. silva, G. rondonia, G. obscura, G. pelplexa, G. pUlpura) and one new species of Angulo pis (A. tenuis). Thecla sangala Hewitson (1868) is recognized as having priority over Theela autoelea Hewitson (1863-1878 [1877]), new synonym. Rondonia continues to appear as a center ofthecline endemism and to provide abundant examples of sibling species diversity.
Background: Kyrgyzstan, where HIV is concentrated in prisons and driven by injection drug use, provides a prison-based methadone maintenance therapy program as well as abstinence-oriented therapeutic community based on the 12-step model called the “Clean Zone.” We aimed to qualitatively assess how prisoners navigate between these treatment options to understand the persistence of the Clean Zone despite a lack of evidence to support its effectiveness in treating opioid use disorders.
Methods: We conducted an analysis of policy documents and over 60 h of participant observation in February 2016, which included focus groups with a convenience sample of 20 therapeutic community staff members, 110 prisoners across three male and one female prisons, and qualitative interviews with two former Clean Zone participants. Field notes containing verbatim quotes from participants were analyzed through iterative reading and discussion to understand how participants generally perceive the program, barriers to entry and retention, and implications for future treatment within prisons.
Results: Our analyses discerned three themes: pride in the mission of the Clean Zone, idealism regarding addiction treatment outcomes against all odds, and the demonization of methadone.
Conclusion: Despite low enrollment and lack of an evidence base, the therapeutic community is buttressed by the strong support of the prison administration and its clients as an “ordered” alternative to what is seen as chaotic life outside of the Clean Zone. The lack of services for Clean Zone patients after release likely contributes to high rates of relapse to drug use. The Clean Zone would benefit from integration of stabilized methadone patients combined with a post-release program.
Neural responses to heartbeats in the default network encode the self in spontaneous thoughts
(2016)
The default network (DN) has been consistently associated with self-related cognition, but alsoto bodily state monitoring and autonomic regulation. We hypothesized that these two seemingly disparate functional roles of the DN are functionally coupled, in line with theories proposing that selfhood is grounded in the neural monitoring of internal organs, such as the heart. We measured with magnetoencephalograhy neural responses evoked by heartbeats while human participants freely mind-wandered. When interrupted by a visual stimulus at random intervals, participants scored the self-relatedness of the interrupted thought. They evaluated their involvement as the firstperson perspective subject or agent inthethought (“I”), and on another scaleto what degreethey werethinking aboutthemselves (“Me”). During the interrupted thought, neural responses to heartbeats in two regions of the DN, the ventral precuneus and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, covaried, respectively, with the “I” and the “Me” dimensions of the self, even at the single-trial level. No covariation between self-relatedness and peripheral autonomic measures (heart rate, heart rate variability, pupil diameter, electrodermal activity, respiration rate, and phase) or alpha power was observed. Our results reveal a direct link between selfhood and neural responses to heartbeats in the DN and thus directly support theories grounding selfhood in the neural monitoring of visceral inputs. More generally, the tight functional coupling between self-related processing and cardiac monitoring observed here implies that, even in the absence of measured changes in peripheral bodily measures, physiological and cognitive functions have to be considered jointly in the DN.
Introduction: The rational development of new therapeutics requires a thorough understanding of how aberrant signalling affects cellular homeostasis and causes human disease. Chemical probes are tool compounds with well-defined mechanism-of-action enabling modulation of, for example, domain-specific protein properties in a temporal manner, thereby complementing other target validation methods such as genetic gain- and loss-of-function approaches.
Areas covered: In this review, the authors summarize recent advances in chemical probe development for emerging target classes such as solute carriers and ubiquitin-related targets and highlight open resources to inform and facilitate chemical probe discovery as well as tool compound selection for target validation and phenotypic screening.
Expert opinion: Chemical probes are powerful tools for drug discovery that have led to fundamental insights into biological processes and have paved the way for the development of first-in-class drugs. Open resources can inform on various aspects of chemical probe development and provide access to data and recommendations on use of chemical probes to catalyse collaborative science and help accelerate drug target identification and validation.
In the field of mycology at the present time, many of the fungi which are most frustrating to attempt to classify are the Ascomycetes of pyrenomycetous nature. While it is possible to identify many species from descriptions in the literature, the position of these species in respect to one another is difficult to assign. A major step toward a modern classification was provided by Luttrell (1951b, 1955), where he expanded Miller's (1928) and Nannfeldt's (1932) recognition of differences between the subclasses Loculoascomycetes and Euascomycetes and utilized the basic characteristics of the ascus and of centrum development to delimit major groups. Currently, studies of generic types by a number of investigators are providing a firm base for the assignment of taxa to the correct genus. Several systems of classification are available, but none of these is entirely satisfactory. The following synopsis is offered as an alternative arrangement of one order in the Loculoascomycetes. For the present, the system applies to fungi known from temperate North America. The classification probably will have to be expanded and emended as tropical and temperate fungi from other continents are studied. My intention is to continue with similar studies of taxa in the other orders of both Loculoascomycetes and Euascomycetes.
The Nearctic members of the genus Oetophorus Foerster are revised. There are four species, 0. pleuralis (Cresson), and 0. obscurus, O. clavatus, and O. maculatus, new species. The name Oetophorus stretchii (Cresson) is placed in synonymy with the name Oetophol'us pleuralis (Cresson). Relationships of the genus with others in the tribe Perilissini and relationships of the species included in the genus are briefly discussed.
While the sortal constraints associated with Japanese numeral classifiers are well-studied, less attention has been paid to the details of their syntax. We describe an analysis implemented within a broad-coverage HPSG that handles an intricate set of numeral classifier construction types and compositionally relates each to an appropriate semantic representation, using Minimal Recursion Semantics.
There are many aspects of Haas' life and experiences in India which deserve greater attention. I would like to refer briefly only to his attempts as a litterateur to come to terms with 'India' as presented in his autobiographical recollection and to some comparative cultural reflections in his essays. Like all reconstructions his autobiographical recollection of India is also a construct in which the site of India as a place of exile is justified by an achieved awareness between conscious individual choice and inevitability. An individual acts out a personal history, the prefiguration of which he only becomes aware of in the form of a subsequent epiphanic realization. Given Haas' literary background, it is not surprising that this is articulated through a literary association.
The following new species are described from the Maghreb: Tapinocyba algirica n. sp. and Walckenaeria heimbergi n. sp. The unknown male of Minicia elegans and the unknown females of Alioranus pauper, Cherserigone graciipes and Entelecara truncatifrons are described. Tmeticus hipponense is transfered to the genus Gongylidiellum and HybocoptliS ericicola is removed from synonymy with H. corrugis and revalidated. The Maghrebian species of the genera Alioranus, Brachycerasphora, Cherserigone, Didectoprocnemis, Entelecara, Eperigone, Erigone, Gnathonarium, Gonatium, Gongylidiellum, Hybocoptus, Lessertia, Maso, Mierargus, Microetenonyx, Minicia, Monocephalus, Nematogmus, Ostearius, Prinerigone, Styloetetor, Tapinocyba, Triehoncoides and Trichoncus are all revised. As a final paper in a series on the Linyphiidae of the Maghreb, all the remaining genera are reviewed. A total of 169 species of Linyphiidae has currently been recorded in the Maghreb.
Sesame, Sesamum indicum L. (syn.S. orientale L.) belongs to family Pedaliaceae and is perhaps the oldest oilseed crop known to man. It is an annual, maturing in 70 to 140 days, but usually in 105 days or less, and contains 45-60% oil in its small, flat, oblong seeds which, may be white, brown or black.
Articulatory token-to-token variability not only depends on linguistic aspects like the phoneme inventory of a given language but also on speaker specific morphological and motor constraints. As has been noted previously (Perkell (1997), Mooshammer et al. (2004)) , speakers with coronally high "domeshaped" palates exhibit more articulatory variability than speakers with coronally low "flat" palates. One explanation for that is based on perception oriented control by the speaker. The influence of articulatory variation on the cross sectional area and consequently on the acoustics should be greater for flat palates than for domeshaped ones. This should force speakers with flat palates to place their tongue very precisely whereas speakers with domeshaped palates might tolerate a greater variability. A second explanation could be a greater amount of lateral linguo-palatal contact for flat palates holding the tongue in position. In this study both hypotheses were tested.
Decreased STARD10 expression is associated with defective insulin secretion in humans and mice
(2017)
Genetic variants near ARAP1 (CENTD2) and STARD10 influence type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk. The risk alleles impair glucose-induced insulin secretion and, paradoxically but characteristically, are associated with decreased proinsulin:insulin ratios, indicating improved proinsulin conversion. Neither the identity of the causal variants nor the gene(s) through which risk is conferred have been firmly established. Whereas ARAP1 encodes a GTPase activating protein, STARD10 is a member of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR)-related lipid transfer protein family. By integrating genetic fine-mapping and epigenomic annotation data and performing promoter-reporter and chromatin conformational capture (3C) studies in β cell lines, we localize the causal variant(s) at this locus to a 5 kb region that overlaps a stretch-enhancer active in islets. This region contains several highly correlated T2D-risk variants, including the rs140130268 indel. Expression QTL analysis of islet transcriptomes from three independent subject groups demonstrated that T2D-risk allele carriers displayed reduced levels of STARD10 mRNA, with no concomitant change in ARAP1 mRNA levels. Correspondingly, β-cell-selective deletion of StarD10 in mice led to impaired glucose-stimulated Ca2+ dynamics and insulin secretion and recapitulated the pattern of improved proinsulin processing observed at the human GWAS signal. Conversely, overexpression of StarD10 in the adult β cell improved glucose tolerance in high fat-fed animals. In contrast, manipulation of Arap1 in β cells had no impact on insulin secretion or proinsulin conversion in mice. This convergence of human and murine data provides compelling evidence that the T2D risk associated with variation at this locus is mediated through reduction in STARD10 expression in the β cell.
The birds of Billiton Island
(1937)
Sexual reproduction in yeasts has a survival function by providing an alternative to the vegetative processes when conditions are no longer conducive for growth. If both sexes are in the correct physiological state (usually under starvation conditions), then initiation of copulation involves the mutual induction of a sexual response. This response is mediated by diffusible compounds and by physical contact. Initial cell contacts between opposite mating types can be disrupted easily, but stronger intercellular bonds form later that result in the fusion of two cells into one. Union between mates involves mixing of parental gene pools. The new diploid organism or its subsequent offspring might be better equipped to survive in a new environment because they may contain new combinations of parental genes. Hence, sex is more advantageous to the survival of the species than it is to the individual organism. The purpose of this review is to compare the steps in the mating process in three species of yeasts. The various physiological factors, events and regulatory phenomena that are part of the mating process will be described for Hansenuta wingei, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Sections II, III and IV, respectively. Then, in Section V, the similarities and differences among these yeast systems will be discussed. Emphasis in this article will be on recent observations since reviews of earlier work are available for each mating system (for H. wingei: Crandall and Brock, 1968; Crandall and Caulton, 1975; for Schizosacch. pombe: Leupold, 1970; Gutz et at., 1974; for Sacch. cerevisiae: Fowell, 1969a, b; Bilinski et at., 1975; Sena et at., 1975). For a comprehensive review of conjugation in all yeasts, fungi and other micro-organisms, consult Crandall (1977). The three yeasts to be reviewed here are quite diverse in terms of their ecological niches, metabolism, morphology and life cycles. Therefore, for a better understanding of the physiology of sexual reproduction in these organisms, it is necessary first to consider these characteristics. A more detailed description of each yeast is given in Lodder (1970).
Four new species of the genus Sokoloviana (Pterolichoidea; Ptiloxenidae) from waders suborder Charadrii (Charadriiformes) are described: Sokoloviana cornuta sp. nov. from the Banded Stilt, Cladorhynchus leucocephalus; Sokoloviana ibidorhynchae sp. nov. from the Ibis-bill, Ibidorhyncha strutersi; Sokoloviana chilensis sp. nov. from the Southern Lapwing, Vanellus chilensis and Sokoloviana vanelli sp. nov. from the Red-wattled Lapwing, Vanellus indicus atronuchalis. A key to all described species is given.
In this article we examine and "exapt" Wurzel's concept of superstable markers in an innovative manner. We develop an extended view of superstability through a critical discussion of Wurzel's original definition and the status of marker-superstability versus allomorphy in Natural Morphology: As we understand it, superstability is - above and beyond a step towards uniformity - mainly a symptom for the weakening of the category affected (cf. 1.,2. and 4.). This view is exemplified in four short case studies on superstability in different grammatical categories of four Germanic languages: genitive case in Mainland Scandinavian and English (3.1), plural formation in Dutch (3.2), second person singular ending -st in German (3.3), and ablaut generalisation in Luxembourgish (3.4).
Background: Bacterial meningitis is associated with high mortality and long-term neurological sequelae. Increasing the phagocytic activity of microglia could improve the resistance of the CNS against infections. We studied the influence of activin A, a member of the TGF-β family with known immunoregulatory and neuroprotective effects, on the functions of microglial cells in vitro.
Methods: Primary murine microglial cells were treated with activin A (0.13 ng/ml–13 μg/ml) alone or in combination with agonists of TLR2, 4, and 9. Phagocytosis of Escherichia coli K1 as well as release of TNF-α, IL-6, CXCL1, and NO was assessed.
Results: Activin A dose-dependently enhanced the phagocytosis of Escherichia coli K1 by microglial cells activated by agonists of TLR2, 4, and 9 without further increasing NO and proinflammatory cytokine release. Cell viability of microglial cells was not affected by activin A.
Conclusions: Priming of microglial cells with activin A could increase the elimination of bacteria in bacterial CNS infections. This preventive strategy could improve the resistance of the brain to infections, particularly in elderly and immunocompromised patients.
Effects of BPA in snails
(2006)
It is an ethical requirement that new findings be presented in light of and in conjunction with a balanced evaluation of the current knowledge and published literature. We believe that Oehlmann et al. (2006) violated this general principle in several ways. For example, the authors inferred that prosobranch snails have a functional estrogen receptor and therefore a much higher sensitivity to estrogens and endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) than other species previously reported in the literature. We found several other problems in their article...
The Invertebrate section of the Museum of Zoology QCAZ at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador in Quito maintains nearly two million curated specimens, and comprises Ecuador's largest collection of native taxa. We review 1902 type specimens from 6 subspecies and 320 species in 121 genera and 42 families, currently kept in the Museum. The list includes 116 holotypes, 10 allotypes, 1774 paratypes and 2 neoparatypes. The collection of type specimens is particularly strong in the Coleoptera (family Carabidae and Staphylinidae) and Hymenoptera. However, other insect orders such as Diptera and Lepidoptera and non-insect arthropods such as Acari, Aranea and Scorpiones, are moderately represented in the collection. This report provides original data from labels of every type specimen record. An analysis of the geographic distribution of type localities showed that collection sites are clustered geographically with most of them found. towards the northern region of Ecuador, in Pichincha, Cotopaxi and Napo provinces. Sites are mainly located in highly accessible areas near highways and towns. Localities with a high number of type species include the cloud forest reserve Bosque Integral Otonga and Parque Nacional Yasunf in the Amazon rainforest near PUCE's Yasuni Scientific Station. Type localities are not well represented in the Ecuadorian National System of Protected Areas. Future fieldwork Sllould include. localities in the southern region of Ecuador but also target less accessible areas not located near highways or towns. We discuss the value of the collection as a source of information for conservation and biodiversity policies in Ecuador.
Notes on irish plants
(1909)
"The death of the Emperor Frederick Il in 1250 marked a tuming point in German affairs. When in 1212 the young King of Sicily had taken Germany by storm, driving north his Welf rival Otto IV of Brunswick and securing the support of the German princes, it had seemed that a new golden age had begun. Walther von der Vogelweide at last received his "lêhen", and praised his new patron as "der edel künec, der milte künec". ln Aachen a crusade was proclaimed for the liberation of Jerusalem. Comparisons were made with the Emperor's grandfather, Frederick Barbarossa. The house of Hohenstaufen was again in the ascendency. But these high expectations were always unrealistic. Frederick's crusading vows became a thom in his flesh; his enemies held him to them, but obstructed him as he sought to fulfil them. Much of his energy was taken up in a dual struggle against insurgency in his restive Lombard states, and against the bitter invective of the papal propagandists. Although Innocent lll had been the prime sponsor of the young Emperor, Honorius III became alan·ned at the prospect of a union of the crowns of Sicily and the Empire, and Gregory IX and Innocent IV became determined to break the power of the Hohenstaufen dynasty once and for all. The popes did not have it all their own way. For the most part, the German princes remained loyal, pleased to have an emperor who interfered so little in their affairs. Frederick‘s policy of diplomacy and compromise attracted more sympathy than that of the Pope who refused to meet and treat with him. His early death, however, left his son Conrad IV in a weak position from which he was unable to recover, and within twenty years the last Hohenstaufen rulerwas deposed. The impact of these events on the intellectual climate in Germany was immense. After Frederick's death, there was an upsurge in apocalyptic preaching, and much of the literature of the period was diffused with a sense of nostalgia. It is in this light that we must read the account of the life of Frederick II which is offered by the Viennese patrician, Jansen Enike. Enikel‘s Universal Chronicle ('Weltchronik') recounts the history of the world from Adam to Frederick. It was written about 1272, just four years after the death of Conradin, the last of the Staufen line. Enikel was probably born in the 1230s, and his own lifespan exactly coincided with the years of Hohenstaufen decline. His account ol Frederick's life has limited value as history, but casts an interesting sidelight on the confusion of impressions which had gathered in popular lore. In keeping with the rest of his chronicle, it is anecdotal, falling naturally into ten sections of differing lengths, most of which are to some extent self-contained units. Together, these fill over thirteen hundred lines, making Frederick Enikel's most comprehensively treated post-biblical protagonist; only Moses and David are dealt with at greater length."
During a 4-week run in October–November 2006, a pilot experiment was performed at the CERN Proton Synchrotron in preparation for the Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets (CLOUD) experiment, whose aim is to study the possible influence of cosmic rays on clouds. The purpose of the pilot experiment was firstly to carry out exploratory measurements of the effect of ionising particle radiation on aerosol formation from trace H2SO4 vapour and secondly to provide technical input for the CLOUD design. A total of 44 nucleation bursts were produced and recorded, with formation rates of particles above the 3 nm detection threshold of between 0.1 and 100 cm -3 s -1, and growth rates between 2 and 37 nm h -1. The corresponding H2O concentrations were typically around 106 cm -3 or less. The experimentally-measured formation rates and htwosofour concentrations are comparable to those found in the atmosphere, supporting the idea that sulphuric acid is involved in the nucleation of atmospheric aerosols. However, sulphuric acid alone is not able to explain the observed rapid growth rates, which suggests the presence of additional trace vapours in the aerosol chamber, whose identity is unknown. By analysing the charged fraction, a few of the aerosol bursts appear to have a contribution from ion-induced nucleation and ion-ion recombination to form neutral clusters. Some indications were also found for the accelerator beam timing and intensity to influence the aerosol particle formation rate at the highest experimental SO2 concentrations of 6 ppb, although none was found at lower concentrations. Overall, the exploratory measurements provide suggestive evidence for ion-induced nucleation or ion-ion recombination as sources of aerosol particles. However in order to quantify the conditions under which ion processes become significant, improvements are needed in controlling the experimental variables and in the reproducibility of the experiments. Finally, concerning technical aspects, the most important lessons for the CLOUD design include the stringent requirement of internal cleanliness of the aerosol chamber, as well as maintenance of extremely stable temperatures (variations below 0.1 °C)
When, some two centuries ago, German Romantics turned their backs on modernity – industrialisation, urbanisation, commerce and secularisation – they turned to ancient India. For them, India exemplified the primordial unity of mankind with this and the afterworld. For sections of the emerging nationalist movement in Germany, found the deployment of India handy to question the cultural hegemony, and eventually break the political dominance, of France. They tried to surpass the French, who claimed the ancient Roman heritage, by claiming an even older heritage for the Germans. Friedrich Schlegel for example suggested that the German language, and not the French, stood in unbroken continuity with ancient Sanskrit. For Romantics such as he, Sanskrit, the oldest surviving Indo-European language, was closest to the language of original divine revelation. This lead Schlegel to romanticise India in a way that stood in marked contrast to the Orientalist clichés current in other parts of Europe at the time. For him, the link between Sanskrit and German made Germany the true oriental self of Europe. The importance of this particular representation of India for the German national movement is underlined by the great number of university chairs that sprang up in the course of the nineteenth century: twenty two in Germany as opposed to only three in the United Kingdom. This paper explores the particular kind of ‘inverse’ Orientalism of the Germans in the context of its recent post-colonial critique.
Pope Benedict XVI’s Regensburg lecture has been exposed by some learned voices of 'the Muslim world' as alluding, by the means of one particular quotation, to age-old stereotypes about Islam being an essentially violent creed in which moderation through reason has no legitimate place, and of representing Muhammadas an evil and inhuman man who preached that Islam should be spread by the sword. While none of these presumably 'Muslim' voices deny that the Pope has the right to express his opinions, even when they are plainly wrong in the face of historic facts that show how Islam and Christianity were spread (or were made to spread) across the world, he is criticised for a host of omissions in terms of intellectual honesty and factual accuracy. These omissions, it is argued here, cast an unfortunate light on the compatibility of scientific and religious rationality much advocated by the Pope in his 12 September 2006 lecture. This flagrant 'performative contradiction' (Habermas) leaves room for speculation about the true aim of the speech. Is Benedict XVI's appeal to theology as a legitimate academic discipline a credible attempt to explicate Roman Catholicism's rightful place in a modern world governed by liberal democracy and ethical-political pluralism, or is it a reflection of a move to restore the age-old, intolerant, anti-scientific, and anti-democratic legacy of the pre-Vatican II Catholic Church?
Explaining cross-country differences in growth rates requires not only an understanding of the link between growth and public policies, but also an understanding of why countries choose different public policies. This paper shows that ethnic diversity helps explain cross-country differences in public policies and other economic indicators. In the case of Sub-Ssharan Africa, economic growth is associated with low schooling, political instability, underdeveloped financial systems, distorted foreign exchange markets, high government deficits, and insufficient infrastructure. Africa's high ethnic fragmentation explains a significant part of most of these characteristics.
Notes upon the emotionality of a schizophrenic patient and its relation to problems of technique
(1953)
It seems justifiable to inquire into the specific factors which make the emotionality of a schizophrenic patient different from that of other patients and to investigate to what extent this specificity of schizophrenic emotionality might require specific changes in the psychoanalytic technique. Although I do not think that this paper can really live up to the full requirements of such an ambitious undertaking, it nevertheless may contribute modestly to it. My speculations began during a phase of the treatment of a schizophrenic patient; long after her acute condition had subsided I thought I observed-within clinically pertinent areas-a specific relationship between the patient's ego structure and her emotions. It seems to me that this relationship might allow generalization in terms of a basic defect with which a schizophrenic patient has to struggle, although in various phases of the disease and of the treatment the phenomenology of schizophrenic emotionality differs unquestionably in significant aspects. However, before delving into the subject matter, a few general points must be raised in reference to the psychoanalytic theory of emotions.
Earliest expansion of animal husbandry beyond the Mediterranean zone in the sixth millennium BC
(2017)
Since their domestication in the Mediterranean zone of Southwest Asia in the eighth millennium BC, sheep, goats, pigs and cattle have been remarkably successful in colonizing a broad variety of environments. The initial steps in this process can be traced back to the dispersal of farming groups into the interior of the Balkans in the early sixth millennium BC, who were the first to introduce Mediterranean livestock beyond its natural climatic range. Here, we combine analysis of biomolecular and isotopic compositions of lipids preserved in prehistoric pottery with faunal analyses of taxonomic composition from the earliest farming sites in southeast Europe to reconstruct this pivotal event in the early history of animal husbandry. We observe a marked divergence between the (sub)Mediterranean and temperate regions of Southeast Europe, and in particular a significant increase of dairying in the biochemical record coupled with a shift to cattle and wild fauna at most sites north of the Balkan mountain range. The findings strongly suggest that dairying was crucial for the expansion of the earliest farming system beyond its native bioclimatic zone.
A population of wild Rattus rattus living in the roofs of the laboratory buildings was studied by supplying food every evening and watching the behaviour of the animals at the feeding place. Some observations were also made on caged animals. The rats were predominantly of the black rattus variety but white-bellied greys appeared now and then. In breeding tests the grey colour behaved as though determined by a single recessive gene. The study covered two periods of approximately 9 months each, separated by an interval of 3 months during which a reduced quantity of food was provided and the rat population underwent a major decline. During the two periods of richer feeding the population first increased and then stabilized at a level where the animals remained in good condition and there was no starvation. In the first 9-month period, stabilization was achieved by emigration of young adults who colonized neighbouring buildings. Towards the end of the second period, stabilization was achieved by limitation of breeding. The rats accepted a wide variety of foods, including meat, and a number of instances of predation were seen. Small vertebrates as well as insects were killed and eaten. Small pieces of food were usually eaten in situ but large bits were taken up to the nests in the roof. Such differential treatment in relation to size may be a factor of some importance in the evolution of hoarding. The rats visiting the feeding place formed a unit with a definite social structure. A single dominant male and never more than one, was always present and in certain circumstances a linear male hierarchy was formed. There were usually two or three mutually tolerant top ranking females who were subordinate to the top male but dominant to all other members of the group. Within the group attacks were directed downwards in the social scale. An attacked subordinate either fled or appeased and serious fights therefore did not develop. The most essential component of the appease. ment appeared to be a mouth to mouth contact which may be derived from the infantile pattern of 'mouth suckling'. Appeasement permitted superior rats to maintain their status without the necessity of carrying attacks on subordinates to the point where actual hurt was inflicted. A group territory round the feeding place was defended against interlopers. Both sexes took part in chasing out intruders but since males showed inhibition in attacking females, the exclusion of strange females was due principally to the activities of the home females. The point at which pursuit of an intruder stopped was regarded as the territorial boundary. This was also the limit beyond which a group member would not allow himself to be chased but it was not a prison wall. When agonistic tendencies were not aroused the animals no longer always I turned back at the boundary and foraging beyond its limits allowed them to become familiar with an area larger than the territory. Although intruders were normally driven out, it was occasionally possible for a particularly determined animal of either sex to force its way in and ultimately become a member of the group. The patterns of behaviour seen are described, particularly those concerned with hostile encounters and with mating. Scent marking with urine drip trails was not seen but adults of both sexes marked by rubbing the cheeks and ventral surface on branches. The circumstances in which tooth gnashing was heard suggest that this behaviour is not a form of threat but a response to unfamiliar auditory or visual stimuli. There was some evidence that it functioned as an alarm signal within the group. Pilo-erection and a gait or posture with the hind legs much extended ('stegosauring') are considered to function as threats. Pilo-erection occurred in situations where there was little to suggest conflict and is considered to represent a form of threat which has undergone emancipation. Various forms of displacement and ambivalent behaviour were seen. Rapid vibration of the tail occurred in thwarting situations, either during mating or when a defeated opponent suddenly vanished. There was no evidence that it acted as a signal. The common form of amicable behaviour was social grooming. Another amicable action was sitting together with the bodies in contact. Animals reared in cages remained shy and wary and even hand reared young developed the usual alarm responses to movement and noises. Females had their first litters at ages of 3 to 5 months. For first litters gestation periods were 21 to 22 days but in females that were simultaneously lactating they ranged from 23 to 29 days. Eight was the commonest litter number and ten the highest recorded. At birth the tail is very much shorter than the body but has outstripped it by the time the youngster emerges from the nest. This was found to be the result of a period of extremely rapid tail growth immediately preceding emergence. In Rattus norvegicus the peak in tail growth rate was found to be later and less striking. The difference is interpreted as related to the importance of the tail in climbing in the more arboreal R. rattus. During the second week of life an edge response (retreat from a declivity) and a clinging response made their appearance: these have the function of preventing accidental falls from a nest situated above ground level. Mouth suckling was seen only during a period of a few days towards the end of lactation. Play developed within a few days of emergence from the nest: locomotor and fighting play were the common types. Older animals occasionally joined in play with the young. In problem solving tests, first solutions were not insightful but once a solution had been found, the successful technique was at once adopted and subsequently perfected. There was no evidence of learning by imitation but the rats did learn from each other's behaviour that food could be obtained at a certain location and thus the solution of a problem by one rat accelerated its independent solution by others. The reasons for the differences between the behaviour of the free living population and the caged animals studied by other authors are discussed.
Expression of surfactant protein B is dependent on cell density in H441 lung epithelial cells
(2017)
Background: Expression of surfactant protein (SP)-B, which assures the structural stability of the pulmonary surfactant film, is influenced by various stimuli, including glucocorticoids; however, the role that cell-cell contact plays in SP-B transcription remains unknown. The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of cell-cell contact on SP-B mRNA and mature SP-B expression in the lung epithelial cell line H441.
Methods: Different quantities of H441 cells per growth area were either left untreated or incubated with dexamethasone. The expression of SP-B, SP-B transcription factors, and tight junction proteins were determined by qPCR and immunoblotting. The influence of cell density on SP-B mRNA stability was investigated using the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D.
Results: SP-B mRNA and mature SP-B expression levels were significantly elevated in untreated and dexamethasone-treated H441 cells with increasing cell density. High cell density as a sole stimulus was found to barely have an impact on SP-B transcription factor and tight junction mRNA levels, while its stimulatory ability on SP-B mRNA expression could be mimicked using SP-B-negative cells. SP-B mRNA stability was significantly increased in high-density cells, but not by dexamethasone alone.
Conclusion: SP-B expression in H441 cells is dependent on cell-cell contact, which increases mRNA stability and thereby potentiates the glucocorticoid-mediated induction of transcription. Loss of cell integrity might contribute to reduced SP-B secretion in damaged lung cells via downregulation of SP-B transcription. Cell density-mediated effects should thus receive greater attention in future cell culture-based research.
The Acadian population of the Atlantic provinces is located in a number of geographically separate areas. Existing phonological descriptions of specific varieties have shown the existence of a great deal of diversity, but also much common ground. Little comparative work has been conducted to assess the extent to which the various regional varieties share the characteristics described for individual communities. New data are here brought to bear on these issues, drawn from the material collected in the course of a research project which has as its general objective the systematic charting of the linguistic differences and similarities among the Acadian communities of Nova Scotia. Features common to all these communities and to previously described varieties are distinguished from those which show interdialectal differences, and the nature of these differences is analyzed.