The Other September 11th: El Mercurio Media Coverage after the Chilean Coup of 1973

This thesis provides an exploratory overview of the role the El Mercurio newspaper played along with the military after the Chilean coup of 1973. The study reviews the contents of the newspaper’s front pages, including their coverage of the events during the coup. The thesis will show how the paper revisited its coverage each year on the September 11th anniversary, beginning with the years dominated by the military government, from 1973 through 1990, and continuing through the transition to democracy, from 1991 through 2007. The primary method used in the course of this examination is a content analysis, which will determine how propaganda was used during and after the coup, and to show media bias in favor of the government through the use of language used images conveyed by the conservative faction during the dictatorship and even later during Chile’s transition to democracy

Robust anti-oxidant defences in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae confer tolerance to the host oxidative burst

•Plants respond to pathogen attack via a rapid burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, ROS are also produced by fungal metabolism and are required for the development of infection structures in Magnaporthe oryzae. •To obtain a better understanding of redox regulation in M. oryzae, we measured the amount and redox potential of glutathione (EGSH), as the major cytoplasmic anti-oxidant, the rates of ROS production, and mitochondrial activity using multi-channel four-dimensional (x,y,z,t) confocal imaging of Grx1-roGFP2 and fluorescent reporters during spore germination, appressorium formation and infection. •High levels of mitochondrial activity and ROS were localized to the growing germ tube and appressorium, but EGSH was highly reduced and tightly regulated during development. Furthermore, germlings were extremely resistant to external H2O2 exposure ex planta. EGSH remained highly reduced during successful infection of the susceptible rice cultivar CO39. By contrast, there was a dramatic reduction in the infection of resistant (IR68) rice, but the sparse hyphae that did form also maintained a similar reduced EGSH. •We conclude that M. oryzae has a robust anti-oxidant defence system and maintains tight control of EGSH despite substantial oxidative challenge. Furthermore, the magnitude of the host oxidative burst alone does not stress the pathogen sufficiently to prevent infection in this pathosystem.BBSR

Synthesis and self-assembly of polyimide/poly(dimethylsiloxane) brush triblock copolymers

A series of novel brush triblock copolymers containing 'glassy' fluorinated polyimide, poly((4,4'-hexafluoroisopropylidene diphthalic anhydride)-co-(2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine)) (poly(6FDA-co-TMPD)), and 'rubbery' polydimethylsiloxane monomethacrylate (PDMS-MA) were synthesized and characterized. Well-defined difunctional poly(6FDA-co-TMPD) with a,w-amino end-groups was initially prepared via step-growth polymerization using precise control of the diamine (TMPD) to dianhydride (6FDA) ratio. Subsequent functionalization with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide afforded a telechelic macroinitiator suitable for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The macroinitiator and its diamino poly(6FDA-co-TMPD) precursor were characterized via gel permeation chromatography (GPC), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analysis and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI ToF) mass spectroscopy. ATRP of PDMS-MA using the macroinitiator in different molar ratios afforded a series of brush triblock copolymers with high monomer conversions (88-94%) and varying PDMS weight fractions. Self-assembly of the triblock brush copolymers in dimethylformamide (DMF) afforded nanoparticles with hydrodynamic diameters (dH) ranging from 87 to 109 nm, as determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. Cross-linking of the nanoparticles was achieved via hydrogen abstraction through the thermal degradation of benzoyl peroxide. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) revealed that the self-assemblies and their cross-linked derivatives had spherical morphologies

Hyper-Raman scattering analysis of the vibrations in vitreous boron oxide

Hyper-Raman scattering has been measured on vitreous boron oxide, $v-$B$_2$O$_3$. This spectroscopy, complemented with Raman scattering and infrared absorption, reveals the full set of vibrations that can be observed with light. A mode analysis is performed based on the local D$_{3h}$ symmetry of BO$_3$ triangles and B$_3$O$_3$ boroxol rings. The results show that in $v-$B$_2$O$_3$ the main spectral components can be succesfully assigned using this relatively simple model. In particular, it can be shown that the hyper-Raman boson peak arises from external modes that correspond mainly to librational motions of rigid boroxol rings.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, 2 table

Consumers` sensory and nutritional perceptions of three types of milk

Objective: To identify consumer perceptions of whole milk, reduced-fat milk and soy milk, and to investigate demographic influences on perceptions and types of milk consumption. Design and setting: Questionnaires covering nutritional and sensory perceptions of three types of milk.Subjects: Three hundred and sixty-one randomly selected shoppers in Melbourne, Australia.Results: Generally, respondents held positive perceptions about milk. Milk was considered as having good sensory properties, providing a good source of nutrients, and being a convenient and safe product. However, despite these findings, misperceptions and unawareness about the nutrient content of milk were prevalent. Negative perceptions were most common for whole milk and were mostly related to its perceived high fat, cholesterol and energy contents. Soy milk received lower ratings on sensory quality and convenience than dairy milk. There were few sociodemographic differences in consumers\u27 perceptions. Although reduced-fat milk consumption was more frequent among elderly people and type of milk consumption was related to parenthood, no other significant effects of demographic variables were found on the consumption of specific milk types.Conclusion: Although positive perceptions were common, negative perceptions and misperceptions appear to be prevalent, presenting a challenge for nutrition education. Sociodemographic factors were not shown to be important predictors of perceptions and type of milk consumption

Cliophysics: Socio-political Reliability Theory, Polity Duration and African Political (In)stabilities

Quantification of historical sociological processes have recently gained attention among theoreticians in the effort of providing a solid theoretical understanding of the behaviors and regularities present in sociopolitical dynamics. Here we present a reliability theory of polity processes with emphases on individual political dynamics of African countries. We found that the structural properties of polity failure rates successfully capture the risk of political vulnerability and instabilities in which 87.50%, 75%, 71.43%, and 0% of the countries with monotonically increasing, unimodal, U-shaped and monotonically decreasing polity failure rates, respectively, have high level of state fragility indices. The quasi-U-shape relationship between average polity duration and regime types corroborates historical precedents and explains the stability of the autocracies and democracies.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Crosslinked Polypeptide Films via RAFT-Mediated Continuous Assembly of Polymers

Polypeptide coatings are a cornerstone in the field of surface modification due to their widespread biological potential. As their properties are dictated by their structural features, subsequent control thereof using unique fabrication strategies is important. Herein, we report a facile method of precisely creating densely crosslinked polypeptide films with unusually high random coil content through continuous assembly polymerization via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (CAP‐RAFT). CAP‐RAFT was fundamentally investigated using methacrylated poly‐l‐lysine (PLLMA) and methacrylated poly‐l‐glutamic acid (PLGMA). Careful technique refinement resulted in films up to 36.1±1.1 nm thick which could be increased to 94.9±8.2 nm after using this strategy multiple times. PLLMA and PLGMA films were found to have 30–50 % random coil conformations. Degradation by enzymes present during wound healing reveals potential for applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering

Large-Area Liquid Scintillation Detector Slab

A low-cost detector 18' x 2' x 5" has been developed for an underground cosmic ray neutrino experiment. The liquid employed is a high-clarity mineral oil-based mixture, and light is guided to the ends of the detector by total internal reflection at the surface of the Lucite container. Signals from 2 five-inch photomultipliers at each end give energy and event location for single penetrating particles, with relatively good discrimination against natural radioactivity by virtue of the substantial thickness. Data are presented on the response function of the tank, energy resolution, rates and thresholds. A number of modifications that have been tried are also described

Validation of Reference Genes for Robust qRT-PCR Gene Expression Analysis in the Rice Blast Fungus \u3ci\u3eMagnaporthe oryzae\u3c/i\u3e

The rice blast fungus causes significant annual harvest losses. It also serves as a genetically- tractable model to study fungal ingress. Whilst pathogenicity determinants have been unmasked and changes in global gene expression described, we know little about Magnaporthe oryzae cell wall remodelling. Our interests, in wall remodelling genes expressed during infection, vegetative growth and under exogenous wall stress, demand robust choice of reference genes for quantitative Real Time-PCR (qRT-PCR) data normalisation. We describe the expression stability of nine candidate reference genes profiled by qRT-PCR with cDNAs derived during asexual germling development, from sexual stage perithecia and from vegetative mycelium grown under various exogenous stressors. Our Minimum Information for Publication of qRT-PCR Experiments (MIQE) compliant analysis reveals a set of robust reference genes used to track changes in the expression of the cell wall remodelling gene MGG_Crh2 (MGG_00592). We ranked nine candidate reference genes by their expression stability (M) and report the best gene combination needed for reliable gene expression normalisation, when assayed in three tissue groups (Infective, Vegetative, and Global) frequently used in M. oryzae expression studies. We found that MGG_Actin (MGG_03982) and the 40S 27a ribosomal subunit MGG_40s (MGG_02872) proved to be robust reference genes for the Infection group and MGG_40s and MGG_Ef1 (Elongation Factor1-α) for both Vegetative and Global groups. Using the above validated reference genes, M. oryzae MGG_Crh2 expression was found to be significantly (p\u3c0.05) elevated three-fold during vegetative growth as compared with dormant spores and two fold higher under cell wall stress (Congo Red) compared to growth under optimal conditions. We recommend the combinatorial use of two reference genes, belonging to the cytoskeleton and ribosomal synthesis functional groups, MGG_Actin, MGG_40s, MGG_S8 (Ribosomal subunit 40S S8) or MGG_Ef1, which demonstrated low M values across heterogeneous tissues. By contrast, metabolic pathway genes MGG_Fad (FAD binding domain-containing protein) and MGG_Gapdh (Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) performed poorly, due to their lack of expression stability across samples