Measurements of hybrid fertility and a test of mate preference for two house mouse races with massive chromosomal divergence

Abstract Background Western house mice Mus musculus domesticus are among the most important mammalian model species for chromosomal speciation. Hybrids between chromosomal races of M. m. domesticus suffer various degrees of fertility reduction between full fertility and complete sterility, depending on the complexity of the chromosomal differences between the races. This complexity presents itself in hybrids as meiotic configurations of chromosome chains and rings, with longer configurations having a stronger impact on fertility. While hybrids with short configurations have been intensively studied, less work has been done on hybrids with very long configurations. In this study, we investigated laboratory-reared wild mice from two chromosomally very different races in Switzerland found in close proximity. Hybrids between these races form a meiotic chain of fifteen chromosomes. We performed a detailed analysis of male and female hybrid fertility, including three generations of female backcrosses to one of the parental races. We also tested for possible divergence of mate preference in females. Results While all male F1 hybrids were sterile with sperm counts of zero, 48% of female F1 hybrids produced offspring. Their litter sizes ranged from one to three which is significantly lower than the litter size of parental race females. When hybrid females were backcrossed to a parental race, half of the offspring resembled the parental race in karyotype and fertility, while the other half resembled the F1 hybrids. In the preference test, females of both races indicated a lack of a preference for males of their own karyotype. Conclusions Although the fertility of the F1 hybrids was extremely low because of the complexity of the chromosomal differences between the races, reproductive isolation was not complete. As we did not find assortative female preferences, we expect that contact between these races would lead to the production of hybrids and that gene flow would occur eventually, as fertility can be restored fully after one backcross generation

Building communication skills in German and French on the basis of business English

Навчальний посібник спрямований на абсолютних новачків німецькою та французькою мовами та тих, хто навчається та добре володіє англійською мовою. Він підходить для самостійної роботи і може служити доповненням для базових підручників.Handbook “Building Communication Skills in German and French on the Basis of Business English” (Part 2) is aimed at absolute beginners in German and French and those learners who have good command of English. It is suitable for self-study and class work and can serve as a supplement for basic textbooks

The Art of Communication in a Polarized World

People’s minds are hard to change. In North America and elsewhere, communities are fractured along ideological lines as social media and algorithms encourage individuals to seek out others who think like they do and to condemn those that don’t. This social and political polarization has resulted in systemic discrimination and weaponized communication trends such as gaslighting and fake news. In this compelling new book, Kyle Conway confronts the communication challenges of our modern world by navigating the space between opposing perspectives. Conway explores how individuals can come to understand another person’s interpretation of the world and provides the tools for shaping effective arguments capable of altering their perspective. Drawing on the theory of cultural translation and its dimensions of power, meaning, and invention, Conway deepens our understanding of what it means to communicate and opens the door to new approaches to politics and ethics. An essential guide for surviving in our polarized society, this book offers concrete strategies for refining how values and ideas are communicated.illustrato

Catalytic flow with a coupled finite difference — Lattice Boltzmann scheme

Many catalyst devices employ flow through porous structures, which leads to a complex macroscopic mass and heat transport. To unravel the detailed dynamics of the reactive gas flow, we present an all-encompassing model, consisting of thermal lattice Boltzmann model by Kang et al., used to solve the heat and mass transport in the gas domain, coupled to a finite differences solver for the heat equation in the solid via thermal reactive boundary conditions for a consistent treatment of the reaction enthalpy. The chemical surface reactions are incorporated in a flexible fashion through flux boundary conditions at the gas–solid interface. We scrutinize the thermal FD-LBM by benchmarking the macroscopic transport in the gas domain as well as conservation of the enthalpy across the solid–gas interface. We exemplify the applicability of our model by simulating the reactive gas flow through a microporous material catalyzing the so-called water-gas-shift reaction

Building communication skills in German and French on the basis of business English

Навчальний посібник спрямований на абсолютних новачків німецькою та французькою мовами та тих, хто навчається та добре володіє англійською мовою. Він підходить для самостійної роботи і може служити доповненням для базових підручників.Handbook “Building Communication Skills in German and French on the Basis of Business English” (Part 2) is aimed at absolute beginners in German and French and those learners who have good command of English. It is suitable for self-study and class work and can serve as a supplement for basic textbooks

Klinički značaj izraženosti gena BORIS i MYC u karcinomu pločastih stanica hipofarinksa [Clinical significance of BORIS and MYC expression in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma]

Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma belongs to malignant diseases with dismal prognosis. The most prominent risk factors for this type of cancer are known to cause global DNA hypomethylation and activate cancer-related genes. BORIS is often aberrantly activated in cancer and is involved in activation of MYC transcription. The expression of BORIS and MYC was investigated in retrospective study of 59 hypopharyngeal carcinoma samples. BORIS and MYC expression was analyzed regarding to conventional prognostic factors: tumor size, lymph node involvement and the degree of tumor differentiation. The influence of BORIS and MYC expression on five-year survival rate was analyzed. Two detected BORIS transcript variants, BORISd and BORISk, were expressed in 33.9% and 76.3% of tumor analyzed tumors. The expression of both BORIS transcript variants significantly influenced the five-year survival rate (BORISd, p=0,001; BORISk, p=0,011). BORIS protein was detected in 42.4% of tumor samples and its expression had no impact on patients survival rate. The expression of MYC, regardless of its subcellular localization had no influence on patients survival. Multivariate analysis by recursive partitioning profiled BORISd expression as most powerful prognostic factor in this type of cancer

Jews in Pirot

"Zapažena vrednost ovog rada je i u tome što se posebno ističe sloga i prijateljstvo Srba i Jevreja u Pirotu, od njihovog dolaska iz Španije pa sve do stradanja i likvidacije 1943. godine. Za sve to vreme nije bilo nikakvih sukoba na nacionalnoj i verskoj osnovi. Jevreji su u Pirotu potpuno slobodno izražavali svoje nacionalne, verske i kulturne osobenosti. Živeli su kao jedan narod. Uzajamno poštovanje i prijateljstvo izražavali su se na svakom mestu i u svim prilikama. Autor je došao do dokumenata koja su predstavljala strogo poverljiva akta o pripremama za likvidaciju naših sugrađana marta 1943. godi- ne. Na osnovu toga je i detaljno obrađen čin hapšenja i odvođenja u privremeno sabiralište u gimnazijsku salu (Sokolana) kao i transportovanje sa železničke stanice Pirota i njihov put u nepovrat. Dramatično je kazivanje autora o ponašanju Jevreja u momentu napuštanja svojih domova, znajući da je to poslednji oproštaj od rodnog Pirota. Egzekutori su posebno pripremani za konačan obračun sa jednim vrednim i poštenim narodom. Čitaocu se pruža mogućnost da uvidi kako se ponaša čovek koji drugog čoveka ne smatra čovekom i ponaša se kao prema krvoločnoj životinji. Životinju bi odmah ubili. Međutim, Jevreje su u ovom slučaju prethodno mučili, a zatim na svirep način likvidirali. U radu je prikazan i sam čin uništenja u zloglasnom logoru Treblinka, nezapamćenom u istoriji Ijudskog društva" (izvod iz recenzije)."The notable value of this work is that it highlights the harmony and friendship of Serbs and Jews in Pirot, from their coming from Spain until their suffering and liquidation in 1943. During all that time, there were no conflicts on a national or religious basis. Jews in Pirot expressed their national, religious and cultural characteristics completely freely. They lived as one people. Mutual respect and friendship were expressed in every place and on all occasions. The author came across documents that were strictly confidential acts on the preparations for the liquidation of our fellow citizens in March 1943. Based on that, the act of arresting and taking them to a temporary meeting place in the gymnasium hall (Sokolana), as well as their transportation from the Pirot railway station and they're going to the point of no return, is covered in detail. The author's story about the behaviour of Jews at the moment of leaving their homes, knowing that it is the last farewell to their native Pirot, is dramatic. The executors were specially prepared for the final showdown with hardworking and honest people. The reader is given the opportunity to see how a man behaves who does not consider another man as a man and behaves like a bloodthirsty animal. The animal would be killed immediately. However, in this case, the Jews were previously tortured and then brutally liquidated. The paper also shows the very act of destruction in the infamous Treblinka camp, unprecedented in the history of human society" (part of the review).Biblioteka Svedočanstva / Privredni pregled.Muzej Ponišavlja iz Pirota je 2015. godine objavio 2. dopunjeno izdanje

Wahlen im postsowjetischen Raum

Aus Anlass der am 28. September 2008 stattfindenden Wahlen zum belarussischen Parlament bietet die neueste Ausgabe der Recherche Spezial einen umfassenden und kommentierten Überblick über die neuesten Literatur- und Forschungsnachweise zum Thema "Wahlen im postsowjetischen Raum". Seit der Auflösung der UdSSR im Jahre 1991 hat in allen Nachfolgestaaten zumindest formal ein Übergang zu demokratischen Strukturen stattgefunden. Damit verbunden ist die regelmäßige Durchführung von Wahlen, die sich an den neu geschaffenen Verfassungen und den Wahlgesetzen orientieren. Den sogenannten Gründungswahlen bis 1994 folgten weitere Parlaments- und Präsidentschaftswahlen, an deren Verlauf und Ergebnissen die Demokratieentwicklung in den einzelnen Ländern verfolgt werden konnte. Für westliche Beobachter zeigte sich v.a. in der sogenannten "Orangenen Revolution" 2004 in der Ukraine, die von offensichtlichen Wahlmanipulationen ausgelöst wurde, dass das bloße Vorhandensein entsprechender Institutionen keine Gewähr für tatsächlich demokratische Prozesse, wie den Ablauf freier und fairer Wahlen, bietet. Auch die 2008 bereits erfolgten Präsidentschafts- und Parlamentswahlen in Georgien (Januar/Mai) und die Präsidentschaftswahlen in Russland (März) gaben in ihrem Verlauf Anlass zu Kritik auf Seiten westlicher Beobachter. Vor diesem Hintergrund beschäftigt sich der Recherche Spezial mit den spezifischen Bedingungen, Verlauf und Ergebnissen nationaler Wahlen in den Ländern der ehemaligen Sowjetunion (mit Ausnahme des Baltikums) sowie mit der Rolle internationaler Akteure. Ergänzt wird die Ausgabe durch Beiträge von Stefan Meister und Vladimir Gelman, die einen Überblick über Stand und Entwicklung der Wahlforschung mit Fokus auf den GUS-Raum geben – einerseits aus westlicher Perspektive, andererseits mit dem Blick auf die Disziplin aus russischer Sicht.To mark the parliamentary elections in Belarus on September 28, 2008, the latest edition of "Research Special" offers a comprehensive and annotated overview of the most current literature and research references on the topic "Elections in the post-Soviet area." The former Soviet Republics have, at least formally, been undergoing a transition to democratic structures since the disintegration of the USSR in 1991. This includes holding regular elections oriented towards the newly established constitutions and electoral laws. The so-called "foundation elections" through 1994 were followed by further parliamentary and presidential elections; which made it possible to trace the respective countries’ democratic development through their course and results. The 2004 "Orange Revolution" (as it is known) in the Ukraine, caused by obvious electoral manipulations, demonstrates to Western observers that the mere existence of democratic institutions is no guarantee for actual democratic processes, such as the holding of free and fair elections. Even the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections which took place in Georgia (January and May), as well as the presidential elections in Russia (March) gave Western observers cause for criticism. Against this background "Research Special" deals with the specific conditions, processes, and results of national elections in the countries of the former Soviet Union (except the Baltic States) as well as with the role of international actors. The edition is supplemented with contributions from Stefan Meiser and Vladimir Gelman who provide readers with an overview of the state and development of electoral research with an emphasis on the CIS area - from a western perspective and, with a view to the discipline from a Russian viewpoint as well