Cirolana songkhla, a new species of brackish-water cirolanid isopod (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cirolanidae) from the lower Gulf of Thailand

Cirolana songkhla sp. n. was collected from brackish-water habitats including lagoons and estuaries in the coastal zone of the lower Gulf of Thailand. C. songkhla sp. n. is described and fully illustrated; C. songkhla sp. n. can be recognized by the presence of abundant chromatophores dorsally, lack of ornamentation on the posterior pereonites, pleonites and pleotelson, the number of robust setae on the uropodal and pleotelson margins (uropod exopod lateral margin with 12–14 RS, mesial margin with 5–8 RS; endopod lateral margin with 8–10 RS, mesial margin with 11–13 RS; pleotelson with 12–15 RS) and lack of setae on the endopods of pleopods 3–5. A dichotomous key of brackish Cirolana species in Thailand is given

Development of cross-linking strategies for DNA G-quadruplexes : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Chemistry at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

Chemically modified DNA structures are an important development in the study of DNA properties. They allow the manipulation of biophysical properties of DNA complexes, which can give unique perspectives on the behaviours of DNA and molecules, such as enzymes, which interact with DNA. The use of chemical modification to study G-quadruplex structures has been limited, but has shown potential as a method of controlling their topology and behaviour. We plan to achieve this by functionalising positions within quadruplex forming sequences and using this to create linkages between strands. We predict this will improve the stability of the secondary structure and improve kon, the association rate, of the complex. We discuss several general approaches to G-quadruplex modification, and further discuss specific strategies for carrying out these modifications. One general method for modifying DNA is directly modifying the nucleotides that make up the sequence. G-quadruplexes are primarily composed of guanosine, modification of which is primarily possible at two positions, 2 and 8, due to the hydrogen bond arrangement within the structure. We target the 2- and 8- position of modified guanosine molecules with amine substitutions and Sonogashira coupling processes, respectively. We report the synthesis of sequences containing thiol functionalised nucleotides, and an initial assessment of their biophysical properties. The second general method for modifying DNA is incorporating unique, non-native nucleotides with specific functionalities. This has previously been accomplished by incorporating ligands directly into sequences, which were used to form G-quadruplexes with transition metal ions such as copper(II), nickel(II) and cobalt(II). We aim to synthesise sequences containing a modified sugar and incorporate pyridine instead of a nucleobase. We hope this will provide quadruplexes which more closely mimic the structure of native complexes, improving the previously observed properties of modified G-quadruplexes formed in the presence of transition metal ions. We present the synthesis and biophysical properties of a unique quadruplex forming sequence containing a 4-pyridine ligand and pyrrolidine sugar. The thermal stability and kinetic properties of these modified structures are examined using circular dichroism spectroscopy, demonstrating the change in properties relative to native G4 DNA

A theoretical and experimental investigation of steady and unsteady laminar flow of air in tubes subjected to high inlet temperatures

Ph.D.A. L. Ducoffe ; F. M. White, Jr

Moose Distribution And Age And Sex Ratios In Northwest Montana As Reported By Hunters At Check Stations

We sought to better document moose (Alces alces) distribution and age and sex ratios in northwest Montana by asking hunters. During the 2010 hunting season we asked all hunters stopping at six check stations if they had seen moose, and if so, where, how many, and if they saw bulls, cows or calves. During the 13 days that check stations were open 17,564 hunters reported 490 sightings totaling 749 moose (313 bulls, 320 cows, 95 calves and 21 unknown) for an average of 1.5 moose per sighting (range 1 - 5). Across all check stations there was an average of 2.8 sightings and 4.3 moose seen per 100 hunters, but this varied from 0.9 sightings and 1.2 moose per 100 hunters at the Swan Check Station to 6.9 sightings and 10.4 moose per 100 hunters at Canoe Gulch. The bulls per 100 cows ratio averaged 98:100 across all check stations but varied from 67:100 at Canoe Gulch to 225:100 at the Swan. Likewise,the calves per 100 cows ratio averaged 30:100 but varied from 8:100 at the Swan to 54:100 at Thompson Falls. Hunter-reported sex and age ratios at the North Fork Check Station agreed with those observed during a post-season helicopter survey in the same area (?2 p = 0.83), but hunter-reported ratios at Olney were significantly higher than those observed by helicopter (?2 p = 0.01). We discuss the difficulty of monitoring moose populations and the pros and cons of helicopter surveys and hunter-reported moose sightings

Tobias Smollett and the work of writing

This essay offers an overview of the state of Smollett Studies today. It is also an argument about what makes Tobias Smollett interesting. It therefore seeks to avoid the value judgments about “English literature” that have dogged Smollett's reputation (ever since “English literature” was invented) and restore him to the “work of writing” in which he was engaged. The essay thus provides an account of the wide‐ranging nature of his work in order to balance a previous critical emphasis on his novels. It includes some views of his role as a translator, historian, critic, editor, and, perhaps more provocatively, “hack.” Recent studies in eighteenth‐century print culture and the (Scottish) Enlightenment point the way to a new Smollett, at work within a messier history of writing

Intersections of nationality, gender, race and crime in news reporting: the case of Oscar Pistorius – Olympian and murderer

Taking as the starting point the importance of adopting an intersectional approach to studying mediatised representations, this study focuses on media construals of the South African athlete Oscar Pistorius. Spanning a range of intersecting identities - he is white, male, disabled, a sports champion and a convicted murderer - Pistorius presents an important case to study. In this paper, we focus on the period from his success in the 2012 London Olympics to his 'fall from grace' after fatally shooting his girlfriend in 2013. We use a combination of corpus linguistic tools and methods, and Critical Discourse Analysis, to interrogate corpora of press articles published in major British and South African newspapers. Investigating collocational patterns surrounding Pistorius, we show how media ‘mix and match’ aspects of his identity to construct a particular kind of persona. Whereas his disability and (trans)national identity are foregrounded in constructing him as a sports hero, his new emotionality and mental vulnerability are emphasized through gendered representations in the UK while a largely individual representation dominates in South Africa, where he is referred to overwhelmingly by name and in terms of his crime as an amputee, and only obliquely as white and male. At the theoretical level, our study adds to the body of research which challenges the notion that individual experience can be understood by categorising people in terms of one identity component (gender, race, ethnicity). More importantly, it shows that different aspects of identities are foregrounded or backgrounded to navigate shifts in salience in sometimes conflicting identity/ies, and that this is accomplished differently in two different media traditions. At the methodological level, this study shows the potential of a diachronic collocational analysis to unravel patterns of intersectionality in mediatised identity constructions

Generation and dietary modulation of anti-inflammatory electrophilic omega-3 fatty acid derivatives

Dietary ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) decrease cardiovascular risk via suppression of inflammation. The generation of electrophilic α,β-unsaturated ketone derivatives of the ω-3 PUFAs docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) in activated human macrophages is catalyzed by cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2). These derivatives are potent pleiotropic anti-inflammatory signaling mediators that act via mechanisms including the activation of Nrf2- dependent phase 2 gene expression and suppression of pro-inflammatory NF-κB-driven gene expression. Herein, the endogenous generation of ω-3 PUFAs electrophilic ketone derivatives and their hydroxy precursors was evaluated in human neutrophils. In addition, their dietary modulation was assessed through a randomized clinical trial. Methods: Endogenous generation of electrophilic omega-3 PUFAs and their hydroxy precursors was evaluated by mass spectrometry in neutrophils isolated from healthy subjects, both at baseline and upon stimulation with calcium ionophore. For the clinical trial, participants were healthy adults 30-55 years of age with a reported EPA+DHA consumption of ≤ 300 mg/day randomly assigned to parallel groups receiving daily oil capsule supplements for a period of 4 months containing either 1.4 g of EPA+DHA (active condition, n = 24) or identical appearing soybean oil (control condition, n = 21). Participants and laboratory technicians remained blinded to treatment assignments. Results: 5-lypoxygenase-dependent endogenous generation of 7-oxo-DHA, 7-oxo-DPA and 5-oxo-EPA and their hydroxy precursors is reported in human neutrophils stimulated with calcium ionophore and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Dietary EPA+DHA supplementation significantly increased the formation of 7-oxo-DHA and 5-oxo-EPA, with no significant modulation of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolite levels. Conclusions: The endogenous detection of these electro.©2014 Cipollina et al

Promotoras as Mental Health Practitioners in Primary Care: A Multi-Method Study of an Intervention to Address Contextual Sources of Depression

We assessed the role of promotoras—briefly trained community health workers—in depression care at community health centers. The intervention focused on four contextual sources of depression in underserved, low-income communities: underemployment, inadequate housing, food insecurity, and violence. A multi-method design included quantitative and ethnographic techniques to study predictors of depression and the intervention’s impact. After a structured training program, primary care practitioners (PCPs) and promotoras collaboratively followed a clinical algorithm in which PCPs prescribed medications and/or arranged consultations by mental health professionals and promotoras addressed the contextual sources of depression. Based on an intake interview with 464 randomly recruited patients, 120 patients with depression were randomized to enhanced care plus the promotora contextual intervention, or to enhanced care alone. All four contextual problems emerged as strong predictors of depression (chi square, p < .05); logistic regression revealed housing and food insecurity as the most important predictors (odds ratios both 2.40, p < .05). Unexpected challenges arose in the intervention’s implementation, involving infrastructure at the health centers, boundaries of the promotoras’ roles, and “turf” issues with medical assistants. In the quantitative assessment, the intervention did not lead to statistically significant improvements in depression (odds ratio 4.33, confidence interval overlapping 1). Ethnographic research demonstrated a predominantly positive response to the intervention among stakeholders, including patients, promotoras, PCPs, non-professional staff workers, administrators, and community advisory board members. Due to continuing unmet mental health needs, we favor further assessment of innovative roles for community health workers