Genetic modification of wheat to improve resistances to fungal diseases

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tsukuba, (A), no. 5930, 2011.10.31Error in binding; leaf 60 bound before leaf 59Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-143

Using game theory approach to interpret stable policies for Iran's oil and gas common resources conflicts with Iraq and Qatar

Oil and gas as the non-renewable resources are considered very valuable for the countries with petroleum economics. These resources are not only diffused equally around the world, but also they are common in some places which their neighbors often come into conflicts. Consequently, it is vital for those countries to manage their resource utilization. Lately, game theory was applied in conflict resolution of common resources, such as water, which is a proof of its efficacy and capability. This paper models the conflicts between Iran and its neighbors namely Qatar and Iraq between their oil and gas common resources using game theory approach. In other words, the future of these countries will be introduced and analyzed by some well-known 2 9 2 games to achieve a better perspective of their conflicts. Because of information inadequacy of the players, in addition to Nash Stability, various solution concepts are used based on the foresight, disimprovements, and knowledge of preferences. The results of mathematical models show how the countries could take a reasonable strategy to exploit their common resources

Identification and frequency of consumption of wild edible plants over a year in central Tunisia: a mixed-methods approach

Objective: To identify wild plants used as food and assess their frequency of consumption over a year in a region of Tunisia where agriculture is undergoing a major transformation from smallholder farming to an intensive high-input agricultural system. Design: Qualitative ethnobotanical study followed by a survey of women's frequency of consumption of wild plants conducted using FFQ at quarterly intervals. Setting: Sidi Bouzid governorate of central Tunisia. Participants: Mixed-gender group of key informants (n 14) and focus group participants (n 43). Survey sample of women aged 20-49 years, representative at governorate level (n 584). Results: Ethnobotanical study: thirty folk species of wild edible plants corresponding to thirty-five taxa were identified by key informants, while twenty folk species (twenty-five taxa) were described by focus groups as commonly eaten. Population-based survey: 98 % of women had consumed a wild plant over the year, with a median frequency of 2 d/month. Wild and semi-domesticated fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Anethum graveolens) was the most frequently consumed folk species. Women in the upper tertile of wild plant consumption frequency were more likely to be in their 30s, to live in an urban area, to have non-monetary access to foods from their extended family and to belong to wealthier households. Conclusions: In this population, wild edible plants, predominantly leafy vegetables, are appreciated but consumed infrequently. Their favourable perception, however, offers an opportunity for promoting their consumption which could play a role in providing healthy diets and mitigating the obesity epidemic that is affecting the Tunisian population

Linnaparkide kasutusmustrid, ruumiline ligipääsetavus ja kasutajaeelistused Iraani pealinnas Teheranis

A Thesis for applying for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Landscape Architecture.Väitekiri filosoofiadoktori kraadi taotlemiseks maastikuarhitektuuri erialal.Tehran, the capital of Iran, suffers from many social and environmental problems. The most important problem is poor urban planning, which led to massive sprawl. The amount of urban green or blue space, in particular parks, has not kept pace with residential development and the increase in population density resulting from inward migration. As parks are increasingly recognised as vital components of the urban fabric for a wide range of benefits, such as the health, well-being and quality of life of urban residents, it is time that this subject was given serious consideration. Investigations were made related to aspects of urban park distribution within the city, patterns of use, park quality and user preferences of a representative sample of parks distributed across the city. Data were collected through city and site assessments, user observations, and a questionnaire. This study revealed there was no consistency or clear pattern in the distribution of parks or other green areas in relation to the urban residential patterns and whether the district is a better off or poor one. It also found that patterns of urban park use and their relationship to factors of quality, depend on each other and work together, so all these criteria should fit the needs of future users. It recognised that design should focus on the most important criteria to improve the quality of life of local residents. The findings also revealed that three significant sets of factors – recreation, accessibility and culture – contribute to the satisfaction of visitors to two types of park, modern ones and historical, traditional ones. The results showed that the modern parks were preferred over the traditional ones. A broad overview of the emerging picture also revealed important problems associated with spatial justice and especially gender issues – where there are specific obstacles placed in the way of women using parks equally with men. Therefore, it is recommended that more attention be paid to provide green space in an equitable way within the city, as a priority for planning. Also careful consideration is required of the people’s need for parks in Tehran. The results provide guidance for future research about understanding the needs for park users in Tehran and should help park planners to identify the priorities for future planning.Iraani pealinn Teheran vaevleb paljude sotsiaalsete ja keskkonnaprobleemide käes. Kõige olulisem neist on kehv linnaplaneerimine, mis on viinud linna ulatusliku laialivalgumiseni. Linna rohealade ja veekogude ning eelkõige parkide hulk ei ole suutnud sammu pidada elamuarenduse ja sisserändest tulenenud asustustiheduse kasvuga. Kuna parke peetakse järjest enam linnaruumi eluliselt tähtsaks osaks, mis on mitmes mõttes kasulikud (näiteks linnaelanike tervise, heaolu ja elukvaliteedi jaoks), siis on aeg see teema tõsisemalt käsile võtta. Kogu linna haarava parkide esindusliku valimi põhjal viidi läbi parkide jaotust puudutavate aspektide, kasutusmustrite, parkide kvaliteedi ja kasutajaeelistuste uuringud. Andmeid koguti linna- ja kohahindamise, kasutajavaatluste ja küsimustiku kaudu. Uuringust selgus, et parkide või teiste rohealade jaotumuses puudub järjepidevus ning selge seaduspära linna elamustruktuuride ja ka selle vahel, kas tegu on paremal või halvemal järjel linnaosaga. Samuti leiti, et linnaparkide kasutusmustrid ja nende suhe kvaliteediteguritega sõltuvad üksteisest ning toimivad koos, mistõttu peaksid kõik need kriteeriumid olema kooskõlas tulevaste kasutajate vajadustega. See tähendab, et kavandamisel peaks keskenduma kõige olulisematele kriteeriumitele, et parandada kohalike elanike elukvaliteeti. Uuringu tulemustest selgus ka see, et puhkamisvõimalused, ligipääsetavus ja kultuur on kolm olulist tegurit, mis annavad panuse külastajate rahulolusse kahte tüüpi parkide (ajalooliste ehk traditsiooniliste ja tänapäevaste) puhul. Tulemuste järgi eelistatakse tänapäevaseid parke traditsioonilistele. Üldine ülevaade olukorrast tõi ilmsiks ka mitu ruumikasutusõigluse ning eelkõige soolise võrdõiguslikkusega seotud probleemkohta – naistele on seatud teatud piirangud, mis ei luba neil parke meestega võrdselt kasutada. Seetõttu on soovitatav pöörata planeerimisel esmalt rohkem tähelepanu rohealade võrdsele kasutusõigusele. Samuti tuleb hoolikalt läbi mõelda inimeste vajadused Teherani parkides. Tulemused annavad suunised edasisteks uuringuteks, et mõista Teherani pargikasutajate vajadusi ja peaksid aitama pargiplaneerijatel määrata kindlaks tulevaste planeeringute prioriteedid.Publication of this dissertation is supported by the Estonian University of Life Sciences

ChatGPT: Applications, Opportunities, and Threats

Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT (Conditional Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is an artificial intelligence technology that is fine-tuned using supervised machine learning and reinforcement learning techniques, allowing a computer to generate natural language conversation fully autonomously. ChatGPT is built on the transformer architecture and trained on millions of conversations from various sources. The system combines the power of pre-trained deep learning models with a programmability layer to provide a strong base for generating natural language conversations. In this study, after reviewing the existing literature, we examine the applications, opportunities, and threats of ChatGPT in 10 main domains, providing detailed examples for the business and industry as well as education. We also conducted an experimental study, checking the effectiveness and comparing the performances of GPT-3.5 and GPT-4, and found that the latter performs significantly better. Despite its exceptional ability to generate natural-sounding responses, the authors believe that ChatGPT does not possess the same level of understanding, empathy, and creativity as a human and cannot fully replace them in most situations.Comment: 13 Pages, 1 Figure, Preprint accepted in IEEE Systems and Information Engineering Design Symposium (SIEDS) 202

An annotated bibliography for comparative prime number theory

The goal of this annotated bibliography is to record every publication on the topic of comparative prime number theory together with a summary of its results. We use a unified system of notation for the quantities being studied and for the hypotheses under which results are obtained. We encourage feedback on this manuscript (see the end of Section~1 for details).Comment: 98 pages; supersedes "Comparative prime number theory: A survey" (arXiv:1202.3408

Extracellular vesicles and intercellular communication within the nervous system

Extracellular vesicles (EVs, including exosomes) are implicated in many aspects of nervous system development and function, including regulation of synaptic communication, synaptic strength, and nerve regeneration. They mediate the transfer of packets of information in the form of nonsecreted proteins and DNA/RNA protected within a membrane compartment. EVs are essential for the packaging and transport of many cell-fate proteins during development as well as many neurotoxic misfolded proteins during pathogenesis. This form of communication provides another dimension of cellular crosstalk, with the ability to assemble a “kit” of directional instructions made up of different molecular entities and address it to specific recipient cells. This multidimensional form of communication has special significance in the nervous system. How EVs help to orchestrate the wiring of the brain while allowing for plasticity associated with learning and memory and contribute to regeneration and degeneration are all under investigation. Because they carry specific disease-related RNAs and proteins, practical applications of EVs include potential uses as biomarkers and therapeutics. This Review describes our current understanding of EVs and serves as a springboard for future advances, which may reveal new important mechanisms by which EVs in coordinate brain and body function and dysfunction

Exosomes mediate cell contact–independent ephrin-Eph signaling during axon guidance

The cellular release of membranous vesicles known as extracellular vesicles (EVs) or exosomes represents a novel mode of intercellular communication. Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their membrane-tethered ephrin ligands have very important roles in such biologically diverse processes as neuronal development, plasticity, and pathological diseases. Until now, it was thought that ephrin-Eph signaling requires direct cell contact. Although the biological functions of ephrin-Eph signaling are well understood, our mechanistic understanding remains modest. Here we report the release of EVs containing Ephs and ephrins by different cell types, a process requiring endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) activity and regulated by neuronal activity. Treatment of cells with purified EphB2(+) EVs induces ephrinB1 reverse signaling and causes neuronal axon repulsion. These results indicate a novel mechanism of ephrin-Eph signaling independent of direct cell contact and proteolytic cleavage and suggest the participation of EphB2(+) EVs in neural development and synapse physiology