Correlation between evolutionary history, flowering phenology, growth form and seral status for important veld grasses

Thirty species of veld grasses were analysed for their evolutionary history, flowering phenology, growth form and range of veld types. These characteristics were correlated with successional classes as reported in the literature, and the classes were defined on the basis of the parameters considered. The lowest and highest seral states were clearly distinguished from each other, but there was some overlap between the intermediate class and the highest and lowest classes. Six of the species differed from other representatives of their class. They were either in vegetation types atypical of other species in their group, were known to comprise a number of ecotypes, or were members of hybrid complexes

Candida glabrata ace2 hypervirulence: Looking at the genes behind the effect

Our current understanding of virulence in the opportunistic pathogen Candida glabrata is in its infancy. To expand our understanding of C. glabrata virulence, an investigation into the genes transcriptionally regulated by the first virulence-moderating gene to be discovered in Candida, ACE2, was undertaken. For the first time in C. glabrata, a partial Ace2p regulon containing 12 previously univestigated genes that show Ace2p­‐dependent expression has been defined. Study of their promoter regions discovered possible Ace2p DNA binding sites, with 10 genes showing possible direct regulation by Ace2p in C. glabrata. A reductionist approach was employed in an effort to study the effects of the deletion of each of the 12 partial Ace2p-­regulon genes in C. glabrata individually. Both phenotypic and virulence analyses were used to analyse the results of the individual deletions with regard to the extreme hypervirulence displayed by the ace2 null cells. The results indicate that out of the 10 genes successfully disrupted, six were shown to be significantly different when compared with the C. glabrata wild type in a neutropenic murine model of systemic candidiasis and therefore hypervirulent. Each of the six hypervirulent genes showed 100% mortality after five days post infection, markedly different to the hypervirulence displayed by the ace2 null, which displayed 100% mortality within 18 hours post infection, and to the wild type, which displayed 40% mortality after 14 days post infection. The C. glabrata sic1 null was also found to elicit significantly increased cytokine release in an in vitro macrophage infection assay, as measured by IL­‐6 and TNFα ELISA. The results presented in this thesis therefore indicate that the hypervirulence and immune over-stimulation shown by the ace2 mutant in C. glabrata is most likely multifactorial with a combination of antivirulence genes contributing to the extreme hypervirulence and immune over-stimulation. During the course of investigation into the Ace2p regulon, a novel gene lacking homology to putative glucanases or other yeast genes was highlighted. Therefore the uncharacterised Ace2p regulon gene DSE1, whose function is currently unknown, was investigated. Using C. glabrata and its close genetic relative, the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a study of the localisation, phenotype and structural prediction revealed a possible enzymatic or regulatory function for Dse1p, localised to the cell budding area and daughter cell, with a likely role in cell wall metabolism and cell separation within C. glabrata

Insta-muscle: examining online and offline IPED trade and masculine body culture

Empirical evidence suggests that we are witnessing a rise in the use of image and performance enhancing drugs both nationally and internationally (Sagoe et al., 2014; Mullen et al., 2020) which, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, shows little sign of halting. Set against this context, this thesis interrogates the consumption and supply of IPEDs within the post-industrial city of Stoke-on-Trent, as well as the digitised spaces of the social media sites (SNS) Facebook and Instagram. Underpinned by a twelve-month ‘connective’ ethnography, the work employs cutting-edge criminological theory to identify Stoke’s health and fitness industry as a site of deviant leisure (Smith and Raymen, 2018). Through data precured from enactive fieldwork in two gyms, semi-structured interviews, and digital ethnographic observations, it presents a multi-faceted account of IPED consumption, taking in a psychoanalytic exploration of bodily desire, elements of instrumental and hyper-conformist use, the pleasures of lifestyle enhancement, and the role of SNS as ‘dopogenic environments’ (Backhouse et al., 2018). Building upon this, the thesis then offers a comprehensive account of IPED supply in the city. First identifying underground laboratories (UGLs) as the most common producers of IPEDs in the UK, the work paints a picture of the local ‘partial’ market (Fincoeur et al., 2015). Within this, the sanctity of bodily and cultural capital is discussed alongside the barriers that preclude external actors from accessing the supply chain. However, the research also identifies a concerted move towards commercialisation and digitisation, wherein the market now caters for less culturally embedded users and has in some respects moved online (Hall and Antonopoulos, 2016). The impact of these shifts is made clear in a discussion of the IPED market on both Facebook and Instagram. Ultimately, the research offers an original empirical and theoretical account of the image and performance enhancing drugs market. The findings bring us closer to a more theoretically nuanced account of IPED consumption, as well as building on the burgeoning body of work on the marketplace for these substances. This will be of use to academics, practitioners and policymakers

An Extension to the Frenet-Serret and Bishop Invariant Extended Kalman Filters for Tracking Accelerating Targets

This paper presents an extension to the original Frenet-Serret and Bishop frame target models used in the invariant extended Kalman filter (IEKF) to account for tangential accelerations for highly-manoeuvrable targets. State error propagation matrices are derived for both IEKFs and used to build the accelerating Frenet-Serret (FSa-LIEKF) and Bishop (Ba-LIEKF) algorithms. The filters are compared to the original Frenet-Serret and Bishop algorithms in a tracking scenario featuring a target performing a series of complex manoeuvres. The accelerating forms of the LIEKF are shown to improve velocity estimation during non-constant velocity trajectory segments at the expense of increased noise during simpler manoeuvres

City of Frederick Downtown Hotel and Conference Center Demand Analysis

Final project for BUMO758K (Fall 2014). University of Maryland, College Park.The City of Frederick is pursuing the development of a downtown hotel and conference center (DHCC). The City has tapped as its project lead the Plamondon Companies, a local developer with a wealth of relevant experience in the hospitality industry. Plamondon has proposed a 207-room hotel bearing the Marriott brand and an attached conference center of about 23,500 square feet. The City and its Department of Economic Development are pursuing necessary approvals to build on the proposed site but it also must convince key stakeholders of the project’s viability. Development of the conference center portion of the DHCC will require significant public subsidy from the City, Frederick County, and the State of Maryland. The local business community, particularly existing hoteliers, will be greatly affected by the DHCC. What types of meetings and events will the DHCC host? And will the conference center attract visitors who fill not only the Marriott’s beds, bars, and dining tables, but induce spillover business for the other restaurants, hotels, and local attractions already established in and around Frederick? The DHCC faces competition locally and across the State from facilities similar to that proposed by Plamondon. But Frederick, the project’s developer, and its eventual operator, can leverage the City’s existing strengths and position the DHCC to be an economic engine for the City. First, the City and DHCC should forge connections with key nonprofits and regional organizations as well as meeting planners, who are the gatekeepers to much of the conference center industry and are invaluable advocates for locations such as Frederick. Building these relationships and dutifully maintaining them will keep Frederick in the rotation as groups like the Maryland Economic Development Association and Maryland Municipal League schedule regular meetings across the State. Second, the pitch to these groups must be about Frederick—not ballrooms or hotel suites. The lively downtown, historical sites, nearby natural beauty and other attractions can differentiate Frederick from other cities with similar conference facilities. And third, the City and DHCC should make a play for government business in the long-term. Tighter budgets in Washington and meeting and events restrictions following a string of conference scandals across a number of agencies have slowed the federal meeting business to a trickle. But Fort Detrick cannot be ignored. Its unique and essential leadership in biotechnology could bring the DHCC some business in the short-term. It is, however, much more likely to yield greater dividends in the long-term as spending once again opens up. Positioning the DHCC to capture the eventual increase in demand from the Fort and other local agencies will help ensure the long-term viability of the facility. Pursuit of the strategies outlined above will put the DHCC on solid footing to attract meeting and event business from its four core market segments. Special events, such as weddings, are a natural source of business for the Center and will likely fill much of its calendar. Local businesses led by the largest employers in the County are a key driving force behind the project and will use the DHCC and Marriott regularly for a number of purposes. The DHCC and City as a whole will have the opportunity to attract significant conference and meeting business from regional and statewide nonprofits and organizations. And while demand will be slack in the short-term, government business could be a boon for the DHCC as the federal dollars start to flow once again.The City of Frederic

ANDALE Pittsburgh: Results of a Promotoraled, Home-Based Intervention to Promote a Healthy Weight in Latino Preschool Children

Background: Latino preschool children have higher rates of obesity than preschool children from other racial/ ethnic groups; however, few effective, culturally appropriate interventions exist targeting this group. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a 10-week, promotora-mediated, home-based intervention to promote a healthy weight in Latino preschool children. Methods: Trained promotoras (community health workers) delivered 10, 90-min weekly interactive and tailored sessions to Latino families living in Allegheny County. Participants were recruited through promotoras’ own social networks and community gatherings, flyers, and word of mouth. Primary outcome measures included child body mass index (BMI) z-score and percentile. Secondary outcome measures included child objectively measured physical activity and dietary intake, and the home social and physical environment (e.g., parent health behaviors, parent selfefficacy, parental support, physical activity equipment in the home). The final analysis sample included 49 of 51 participants who completed both baseline and follow-up assessments. Results: Participants included mothers (33.5 ± 6.1 years old) and their preschool-aged children who were primarily 1st generation immigrants from Mexico (65%). The primary analyses of BMI percentile and z-score showed no change post-intervention. However, there was a significant decrease in child BMI percentile for overweight and obese children from baseline to follow-up (p \u3c .05). We also saw significant pre/post increases in child daily fruit and vegetable intake, and parent moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, fruit and vegetable servings per day, and self-efficacy; and significant decreases in child saturated fat and added-sugar intake, and child and parent screen time (p’s \u3c .05). Conclusions: Despite the short duration of the intervention and follow-up, this pilot study showed promising effects of a promotora-mediated intervention to promote a healthy weight in Latino preschool childre

Exploring masculinities, sexual health and wellbeing across areas of high deprivation in Scotland: the depth of the challenge to improve understandings and practices

Within and across areas of high deprivation, we explored constructions of masculinity in relation to sexual health and wellbeing, in what we believe to be the first UK study to take this approach. Our sample of 116 heterosexual men and women age 18–40 years took part in individual semi-structured interviews (n = 35) and focus group discussions (n = 18), across areas in Scotland. Drawing on a socio-ecological framework, findings revealed experience in places matter, with gender practices rooted in a domestically violent milieu, where localised, socio-cultural influences offered limited opportunities for more egalitarian performances of masculinity. We discuss the depths of the challenge in transforming masculinities in relation to sexual health and wellbeing in such communities

Optical Nanofibers: a new platform for quantum optics

The development of optical nanofibers (ONF) and the study and control of their optical properties when coupling atoms to their electromagnetic modes has opened new possibilities for their use in quantum optics and quantum information science. These ONFs offer tight optical mode confinement (less than the wavelength of light) and diffraction-free propagation. The small cross section of the transverse field allows probing of linear and non-linear spectroscopic features of atoms with exquisitely low power. The cooperativity -- the figure of merit in many quantum optics and quantum information systems -- tends to be large even for a single atom in the mode of an ONF, as it is proportional to the ratio of the atomic cross section to the electromagnetic mode cross section. ONFs offer a natural bus for information and for inter-atomic coupling through the tightly-confined modes, which opens the possibility of one-dimensional many-body physics and interesting quantum interconnection applications. The presence of the ONF modifies the vacuum field, affecting the spontaneous emission rates of atoms in its vicinity. The high gradients in the radial intensity naturally provide the potential for trapping atoms around the ONF, allowing the creation of one-dimensional arrays of atoms. The same radial gradient in the transverse direction of the field is responsible for the existence of a large longitudinal component that introduces the possibility of spin-orbit coupling of the light and the atom, enabling the exploration of chiral quantum optics.Comment: 65 pages, to appear in Advances in Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physic

Frequent burning promotes invasions of alien plants into a mesic African savanna

Fire is both inevitable and necessary for maintaining the structure and functioning of mesic savannas. Without disturbances such as fire and herbivory, tree cover can increase at the expense of grass cover and over time dominate mesic savannas. Consequently, repeated burning is widely used to suppress tree recruitment and control bush encroachment. However, the effect of regular burning on invasion by alien plant species is little understood. Here, vegetation data from a long-term fire experiment, which began in 1953 in a mesic Zimbabwean savanna, were used to test whether the frequency of burning promoted alien plant invasion. The fire treatments consisted of late season fires, lit at 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year intervals, and these regularly burnt plots were compared with unburnt plots. Results show that over half a century of frequent burning promoted the invasion by alien plants relative to areas where fire was excluded. More alien plant species became established in plots that had a higher frequency of burning. The proportion of alien species in the species assemblage was highest in the annually burnt plots followed by plots burnt biennially. Alien plant invasion was lowest in plots protected from fire but did not differ significantly between plots burnt triennially and quadrennially. Further, the abundance of five alien forbs increased significantly as the interval (in years) between fires became shorter. On average, the density of these alien forbs in annually burnt plots was at least ten times as high as the density of unburnt plots. Plant diversity was also altered by long-term burning. Total plant species richness was significantly lower in the unburnt plots compared to regularly burnt plots. These findings suggest that frequent burning of mesic savannas enhances invasion by alien plants, with short intervals between fires favouring alien forbs. Therefore, reducing the frequency of burning may be a key to minimising the risk of alien plant spread into mesic savannas, which is important because invasive plants pose a threat to native biodiversity and may alter savanna functioning