Screening of Feral and Wood Pigeons for Viruses Harbouring a Conserved Mobile Viral Element: Characterization of Novel Astroviruses and Picornaviruses

A highly conserved RNA-motif of yet unknown function, called stem-loop-2-like motif (s2m), has been identified in the 3′ end of the genomes of viruses belonging to different RNA virus families which infect a broad range of mammal and bird species, including Astroviridae, Picornaviridae, Coronaviridae and Caliciviridae. Since s2m is such an extremely conserved motif, it is an ideal target for screening for viruses harbouring it. In this study, we have detected and characterized novel viruses harbouring this motif in pigeons by using a s2m-specific amplification. 84% and 67% of the samples from feral pigeons and wood pigeons, respectively, were found to contain a virus harbouring s2m. Four novel viruses were identified and characterized. Two of the new viruses belong to the genus Avastrovirus in the Astroviridae family. We propose two novel species to be included in this genus, Feral pigeon astrovirus and Wood pigeon astrovirus. Two other novel viruses, Pigeon picornavirus A and Pigeon picornavirus B, belong to the Picornaviridae family, presumably to the genus Sapelovirus. Both of the novel picornaviruses harboured two adjacent s2m, called (s2m)2, suggesting a possible increased functional effect of s2m when present in two copies

Hvordan bidrar småkraft til lokal verdiskapning?

Master i Energy Management - Nord universitet, 201

Estimation of the advection effects induced by surface heterogeneities in the surface energy budget

Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Mål og strategi for samfunnsansvar Tilfellet Falconbridge/Xstrata/Glencore i Kristiansand

Masteroppgave økonomi og administrasjon- Universitetet i Agder, 2015Oppgavens hensikt er å øke vår faglige forståelse og gi innsikt i bedrifters mål og strategi for samfunnsansvar. Verden står ovenfor store miljøforandringer, og jordens bæreevne ble overskredet for flere tiår siden. Dette har skapt stor debatt rundt hva bedrifter kan gjøre for å være med på å snu en slik trend. Bedrifter blir i større grad enn tidligere holdt ansvarlig for sosiale- og miljømessige konsekvenser knyttet til deres produksjon og handlingsmønster, og som en konsekvens av dette har begrepet samfunnsansvar fått en sentral rolle hos flere selskaper. Det finnes ulike forklaringer på hvorfor en bedrift engasjerer seg i arbeid omkring samfunnsansvar. Enkelte vektlegger samfunnsansvar som et etisk virkemiddel for å oppnå legitimitet, andre har dette som et strategisk verktøy for økt verdiskapning og innovasjon. I denne oppgaven har vi foretatt et kvalitativ studie av en bedrifts mål og strategi for samfunnsansvar. Casebedriften er Nikkelverket Glencore i Kristiansand, et raffineringsverk underlagt tre ulike konsern de siste ti årene. På grunnlag av dette er følgende problemstilling utarbeidet: ”Hvilke faktorer påvirker Nikkelverkets strategi for samfunnsansvar? ” Det viser seg å foreligge en klar utvikling av Nikkelverkets tilnærming til samfunnsansvar. Fra å være ansett som noe helt nødvendig for å opprettholde deres legitimitet under tiden med Falconbridge som eier, til å bli integrert som et strategisk verdiskapende verktøy som følge av oppkjøpet fra Xstrata i 2006. Et nytt eierskifte til Glencore plc viser til en ny eier hvor samfunnsansvar står sentralt, men mangler sterk strategisk forankring i konsernets kjernevirksomhet. Til tross for dette har Nikkelverket videreført deres strategi som ble utviklet med Xstrata som eier, hvor samfunnsansvar er strategisk forankret i bedriftens drift, verdier og visjoner. Den strategiske tilnærmingen baseres på det mål om å skape delte verdier, hvilket skal skape gjensidig suksess mellom bedrift og samfunn. De empiriske funnene viser at Nikkelverket legger ned mye arbeid i å analysere hvilke samfunnsmessige utfordringer som kan relateres til deres drift, og dermed ta del av Nikkelverkets profitt- og konkurransestrategi samtidig som det tilfører verdifulle bidrag til samfunnet. Drivkreftene bak denne utviklingen viser seg å ha endret seg fra å være interessenter som myndigheter og lokalsamfunn, til å være eierne sammen med ledelsen i Nikkelverket

But a walking shadow: designing, performing and learning on the virtual stage

Representing elements of reality within a medium, or taking aspects from one medium and placing them in another is an act of remediation. The process of this act, however, is largely taken for granted. Despite the fact that available information enables a qualitative assessment of the history of multimedia and their influences on different fields of knowledge, there are still some areas that require more focused research attention. For example, the relationship between media evolution and new developments in scenographic practice is currently under investigation. This article explores the issue of immediacy as a condition of modern theatre in the context of digital reality. It discusses the opportunities and challenges that recent technologies present to contemporary practitioners and theatre design educators, creating a lot of scope to break with conventions. Here, we present two case studies that look into technology-mediated learning about scenography through the employment of novel computer visualization techniques. The first case study is concerned with new ways of researching and learning about theatre through creative exploration of design artefacts. The second case study investigates the role of the Immersive Virtual World Second Life™ (SL) in effective teaching of scenography, and in creating and experiencing theatrical performances

Genomic epidemiology of Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis strains causing invasive disease in Norway during 2018

Background: Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) is an emerging global pathogen, yet the epidemiology and population genetics of SDSE species have not been extensively characterized. Methods: We carried out whole genome sequencing to characterize 274 SDSE isolates causing bloodstream infections obtained through national surveillance program in 2018. We conducted multilocus sequence typing (MLST), emm-typing, core genome phylogeny, as well as investigated key features associated with virulence. Moreover, comparison to SDSE from other geographic regions were performed in order to gain more insight in the evolutionary dynamics in SDSE. Results: The phylogenetic analysis indicated a substantial diversity of emm-types and sequence types (STs). Briefly, 17 emm-types and 58 STs were identified that formed 10 clonal complexes (CCs). The predominant ST-types were ST20 (20%), ST17 (17%), and ST29 (11%). While CC17 and CC29 clades showed a substantial heterogeneity with well-separated emm-associated subclades, the CC20 clade harboring the stG62647 emm-type was more homogenous and the most prevalent in the present study. Moreover, we observed notable differences in the distribution of clades within Norway, as well as several disseminated CCs and also distinct geographic variations when compared to data from other countries. We also revealed extensive intra-species recombination events involving surface exposed virulence factors, including the emm gene important for phylogenetic profiling. Conclusion: Recombination events involving the emm as well as other virulence genes in SDSE, are important mechanisms in shaping the genetic variability in the SDSE population, potentially offering selective advantages to certain lineages. The enhanced phylogenetic resolution offered by whole genome sequencing is necessary to identify and delimitate outbreaks, monitor and properly characterize emerging strains, as well as elucidate bacterial population dynamics.publishedVersio