Poverty and Perseverance: The Jesuit Mission of Isfahan and Shamakhi in Late Safavid Iran

This essay considers the presence and activities of the Jesuits in early modern Iran, a topic that, to date, has received little attention in English-language scholarship. It examines their motives for wanting to establish a permanent mission in Safavid territory in the mid-seventeenth century—a desire to bring Iran’s Gregorian Armenians under papal jurisdiction and, in part, their search for an overland route to India and China free from Portuguese influence—and discusses these in the context of Iranian concerns and interests. The study’s particular focus is the role of French and Polish Jesuits in the establishment of a mission in Isfahan and the subsequent creation of an outpost in Shamakhi, located in the Safavid-held part of the Caucasus, on the trade route between Iran and Russia. It concludes by evaluating their (meager) accomplishments despite perseverance in the face of poverty and loneliness.<br><br>Este trabajo estudia la presencia y las actividades jesuitas en Irán a comienzos de la época moderna, tema que hasta ahora ha recibido poca atención por parte de la investigación anglosajona. Se examinan algunos de los motivos que tuvieron los jesuitas por establecer una misión permanente en territorio Safaví a mediados del siglo XVII: el deseo de integrar a los Armenios Gregorianos de Irán bajo el dominio papal y buscar una ruta terrestre hacia India y China libre de influencia portuguesa. Estos motivos son discutidos en este trabajo teniendo en cuenta, sobre todo, los intereses y preocupaciones iraníes. Este estudio está dedicado, sobre todo, a estudiar el papel que jugaron los jesuitas franceses y polacos en el establecimiento de una misión en Isfahán, así como la posterior creación de un puesto en Shamakhi, situado en la parte Safaví del Cáucaso, en la ruta comercial entre Irán y Rusia. Este trabajo concluye con una evaluación de los exiguos logros obtenidos en esas misiones, a pesar de la perseverancia de sus actores, teniendo en cuenta la pobreza y soledad que encontraron

An agriculture and health inter-sectorial research process to reduce hazardous pesticide health impacts among smallholder farmers in the Andes

Authors are also recipients of the Teasdale-Corti grant (103460-068)Work with multiple actors is needed to shift agriculture away from pesticide use, and towards greater sustainability and human health, particularly for vulnerable smallholder farmers. This research in potato and vegetable farming communities in the Andean highlands worked with partners from various sectors over several projects. Increased involvement in organic agriculture was associated with greater household food security and food sovereignty. More diversified, moderately developed agricultural systems had lower pesticide use and better child nutrition. The Ecuadorian Ministry of Health has rolled out pesticide poisoning surveillance modeled on this research

Natural polymorphisms in C. elegans HECW-1 E3 ligase affect pathogen avoidance behaviour

available in PMC 2012 June 22.Heritable variation in behavioural traits generally has a complex genetic basis1, and thus naturally occurring polymorphisms that influence behaviour have been defined in only rare instances2,3. The isolation of wild strains of Caenorhabditis elegans has facilitated the study of natural genetic variation in this species4 and provided insights into its diverse microbial ecology5. C. elegans responds to bacterial infection with conserved innate immune responses6-8 and, while lacking the immunological memory of vertebrate adaptive immunity, exhibits an aversive learning response to pathogenic bacteria9. Here, we report the molecular characterization of naturally occurring coding polymorphisms in a C. elegans gene encoding a conserved HECT domain-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase, HECW-1. We show that two distinct polymorphisms in neighbouring residues of HECW-1 each affect C. elegans behavioural avoidance of a lawn of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Neuronspecific rescue and ablation experiments, and genetic interaction analysis suggest that HECW-1 functions in a pair of sensory neurons to inhibit P. aeruginosa lawn avoidance behaviour through inhibition of the neuropeptide receptor NPR-110, which we have previously shown promotes P. aeruginosa lawn avoidance behaviour11. Our data establish a molecular basis for natural variation in a C. elegans behaviour that may undergo adaptive changes in response to microbial pathogens.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH Grant GM084477

Beyond size: The potential of a geometric morphometric analysis of shape and form for the assessment of sex in hand stencils in rock art

Hand stencils are some of the most enduring images in Upper Palaeolithic rock art sites across the world; the earliest have been dated to over 40 Kya in Sulawesi and 37 Kya in Europe. The analysis of these marks may permit us to know more about who was involved in the making the of prehistoric images as well as expanding the literature on the evolution of human behaviour. A number of researchers have previously attempted to identify the sex of the makers of Upper Palaeolithic hand stencils using methods based on hand size and digit length ratios obtained from digital or photo-based images of modern reference samples. Some analyses report that it was males who were responsible for the majority of hand stencils, whilst the most recent analysis determined that females produced the majority of hand stencils. Taken together, however, these studies generate contrasting and incompatible interpretations. In this study we critically review where we currently stand with methods of sexing the makers of hand stencils and the problems for the interpretation of hand markings of Palaeolithic age. We then present the results of a new method of predicting the sex of individuals from their hand stencils using a geometric morpho-metric approach that detects sexual differences in hand shape and hand form (size and shape). The method has the additional advantage of being able to detect these differences in both complete, as well as partial hand stencils. Finally we urge researchers to test this method on other ethnic groups and populations and consider ways of combining efforts towards a common goal of developing a robust, predictive methodology based on diverse modern samples before it is applied to Upper Palaeolithic hand stencils

Inference of the infection status of individuals using longitudinal testing data from cryptic populations: Towards a probabilistic approach to diagnosis

Effective control of many diseases requires the accurate detection of infected individuals. Confidently ascertaining whether an individual is infected can be challenging when diagnostic tests are imperfect and when some individuals go for long periods of time without being observed or sampled. Here, we use a multi-event capture-recapture approach to model imperfect observations of true epidemiological states. We describe a method for interpreting potentially disparate results from individuals sampled multiple times over an extended period, using empirical data from a wild badger population naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis as an example. We examine the effect of sex, capture history and current and historical diagnostic test results on the probability of being truly infected, given any combination of diagnostic test results. In doing so, we move diagnosis away from the traditional binary classification of apparently infected versus uninfected to a probability-based interpretation which is updated each time an individual is re-sampled. Our findings identified temporal variation in infection status and suggest that capture probability is influenced by year, season and infection status. This novel approach to combining ecological and epidemiological data may aid disease management decision-making by providing a framework for the integration of multiple diagnostic test data with other information

Hydrodynamics of fossil fishes

Fromtheir earliest origins, fishes have developed a suite of adaptations for locomotion in water, which determine performance and ultimately fitness. Even without data from behaviour, soft tissue and extant relatives, it is possible to infer a wealth of palaeobiological and palaeoecological information. As in extant species, aspects of gross morphology such as streamlining, fin position and tail type are optimized even in the earliest fishes, indicating similar life strategies have been present throughout their evolutionary history. As hydrodynamical studies become more sophisticated, increasingly complex fluid movement can be modelled, including vortex formation and boundary layer control. Drag-reducing riblets ornamenting the scales of fast-moving sharks have been subjected to particularly intense research, but this has not been extended to extinct forms. Riblets are a convergent adaptation seen in many Palaeozoic fishes, and probably served a similar hydrodynamic purpose. Conversely, structures which appear to increase skin friction may act as turbulisors, reducing overall dragwhile serving a protective function. Here,we examine the diverse adaptions that contribute to drag reduction in modern fishes and review the few attempts to elucidate the hydrodynamics of extinct forms

Effect of Different Factors on Proliferation of Antler Cells, Cultured In Vitro

Antlers as a potential model for bone growth and development have become an object of rising interest. To elucidate processes explaining how antler growth is regulated, in vitro cultures have been established. However, until now, there has been no standard method to cultivate antler cells and in vitro results are often opposite to those reported in vivo. In addition, many factors which are often not taken into account under in vitro conditions may play an important role in the development of antler cells. In this study we investigated the effects of the antler growth stage, the male individuality, passaged versus primary cultures and the effect of foetal calf serum concentrations on proliferative potential of mixed antler cell cultures in vitro, derived from regenerating antlers of red deer males (Cervus elaphus). The proliferation potential of antler cells was measured by incorporation of 3H thymidine. Our results demonstrate that there is no significant effect of the antler growth stage, whereas male individuality and all other examined factors significantly affected antler cell proliferation. Furthermore, our results suggest that primary cultures may better represent in vivo conditions and processes occurring in regenerating antlers. In conclusion, before all main factors affecting antler cell proliferation in vitro will be satisfactorily investigated, results of in vitro studies focused on hormonal regulation of antler growth should be taken with extreme caution

Involvement of the Efflux Pumps in Chloramphenicol Selected Strains of Burkholderia thailandensis: Proteomic and Mechanistic Evidence

Burkholderia is a bacterial genus comprising several pathogenic species, including two species highly pathogenic for humans, B. pseudomallei and B. mallei. B. thailandensis is a weakly pathogenic species closely related to both B. pseudomallei and B. mallei. It is used as a study model. These bacteria are able to exhibit multiple resistance mechanisms towards various families of antibiotics. By sequentially plating B. thailandensis wild type strains on chloramphenicol we obtained several resistant variants. This chloramphenicol-induced resistance was associated with resistance against structurally unrelated antibiotics including quinolones and tetracyclines. We functionally and proteomically demonstrate that this multidrug resistance phenotype, identified in chloramphenicol-resistant variants, is associated with the overexpression of two different efflux pumps. These efflux pumps are able to expel antibiotics from several families, including chloramphenicol, quinolones, tetracyclines, trimethoprim and some β-lactams, and present a partial susceptibility to efflux pump inhibitors. It is thus possible that Burkholderia species can develop such adaptive resistance mechanisms in response to antibiotic pressure resulting in emergence of multidrug resistant strains. Antibiotics known to easily induce overexpression of these efflux pumps should be used with discernment in the treatment of Burkholderia infections

Oxygen Tension Is a Determinant of the Matrix-Forming Phenotype of Cultured Human Meniscal Fibrochondrocytes

BACKGROUND: Meniscal cartilage displays a poor repair capacity, especially when injury is located in the avascular region of the tissue. Cell-based tissue engineering strategies to generate functional meniscus substitutes is a promising approach to treat meniscus injuries. Meniscus fibrochondrocytes (MFC) can be used in this approach. However, MFC are unable to retain their phenotype when expanded in culture. In this study, we explored the effect of oxygen tension on MFC expansion and on their matrix-forming phenotype. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: MFC were isolated from human menisci followed by basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) mediated cell expansion in monolayer culture under normoxia (21%O(2)) or hypoxia (3%O(2)). Normoxia and hypoxia expanded MFC were seeded on to a collagen scaffold. The MFC seeded scaffolds (constructs) were cultured in a serum free chondrogenic medium for 3 weeks under normoxia and hypoxia. Constructs containing normoxia-expanded MFC were subsequently cultured under normoxia while those formed from hypoxia-expanded MFC were subsequently cultured under hypoxia. After 3 weeks of in vitro culture, the constructs were assessed biochemically, histologically and for gene expression via real-time reverse transcription-PCR assays. The results showed that constructs under normoxia produced a matrix with enhanced mRNA ratio (3.5-fold higher; p<0.001) of collagen type II to I. This was confirmed by enhanced deposition of collagen II using immuno-histochemistry. Furthermore, the constructs under hypoxia produced a matrix with higher mRNA ratio of aggrecan to versican (3.5-fold, p<0.05). However, both constructs had the same capacity to produce a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) -specific extracellular matrix. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide evidence that oxygen tension is a key player in determining the matrix phenotype of cultured MFC. These findings suggest that the use of normal and low oxygen tension during MFC expansion and subsequent neo-tissue formation cultures may be important in engineering different regions of the meniscus

Polarity in ZnO nanowires: A critical issue for piezotronic and piezoelectric devices

The polar and piezoelectric nature of the wurtzite structure of ZnO nanowires with a high aspect ratio at nanoscale dimensions is of high interest for piezotronic and piezoelectric devices, but a number of issues related to polarity are still open and deserve a particular attention. In this context, chemical bath deposition offers a unique opportunity to select the O- or Zn-polarity of the resultant nanowires and is further compatible with the fabrication processes of flexible devices. The control and use of the polarity in ZnO nanowires grown by chemical bath deposition opens a new way to greatly enhance the performance of the related piezotronic and piezoelectric devices. However, polarity as an additional tunable parameter should be considered with care because it has a strong influence on many processes and properties. The present review is intended to report the most important consequences related to the polarity in ZnO nanowires for piezotronic and piezoelectric devices. After introducing the basic principles involving crystal polarity in ZnO, a special emphasis is placed on the effects of polarity on the nucleation and growth mechanisms of ZnO nanowires using chemical bath deposition, defect incorporation and doping, electrical contacts and device properties