A study of the Southern African begomovirus pathosystem : determining the diversity of whitefly transmitted geminiviruses (WTG) infecting indigenous plants in South Africa

Abstrract : With an ever increasing world population, there is growing pressure on agricultural production to keep up with the demand for food, fuel and fiber products. Agricultural intensification has resulted in the conversion of approximately one-half of the Earth’s terrestrial surface to agricultural crops and range-land. This has significantly changed the natural landscape around agricultural borders, with the development of agro-ecological interface’ between wild ecosystems and crop or pasture lands. These areas are populated with crop plants, weeds of crop systems and non-crop plants that consist of both native and introduced plants. One very important aspect of this change in landscape, is the influence of microroganisms, particularly plant viruses, that move across the interface between crop and wild plants (virus reservoirs) and significantly impact agricultural production. Due to the potential role of these essentially unknown or poorly studied plant viruses in crop diseases and yield loss, they should be a focus of study. The aim of this project, was to characterize the circular viral DNA viral diversity in infecting indigenous or non-cultivated plant species in various cropping systems in South Africa, using a metagenomics approach. A survey was carried out in 2014 and 2015 in three Provinces (Limpopo, Mphumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal) of South Africa. Samples were collected from a total of 230 plants growing alongside cultivated crops and screened for viral infection. The viral diversity in these samples were explored using viral amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), rolling circle amplification (RCA), RCA/restriction fragment length polymorphisms) (RCA/RFLP) and the results extended by next generation sequencing (NGS). Initial screening of the plants by PCR, using universal/degenerate begomovirus primers, found that 24% of the non-cultivated plants tested positive for possible begomovirus infection. To further reveal the full circular, viral diversity of the collected samples, they were screened by RCA/RFLP, followed by NGS for virus identification. The use of the RCA/RFLP was found to be a rapid, reproducible method to screen a large number of plant samples for viral biodiversity. Because of the high cost of NGS, a combined strategy was used, where initially RCA positive samples were pooled, and sequenced in one NGS run (NGS 2014, Pool-1 and 2), and after further screening by PCR, the plant samples suspected to contain circular viral molecules, were sequencing in individual NGS runs (NGS 2015). The pooled NGS, strategy was found to be an effective method for viral discovery, as it did allow the detection and characterization of both previously known viruses and previously unknown, novel virus genomes (Table 4.2). The drawback of the pooling-strategy was that for most viral contigs, the full viral genome could not be assembled and, post-NGS, it required a lengthy follow up procedure to trace the original plant samples, where the viral molecules originated from. 4 The data provided by the individual NGS runs (NGS 2015) allowed for the identification of both previously known viruses (four strains or variants of Tomato Curly Stunt Virus), and previously unknown, novel virus species (one monopartite and two bipartite begomoviruses, two betasatellite molecules and one genomovirus) in four different, uncultivated host species (Table 4.3). Previous studies have shown the widespread presence of ToCSV throughout South Africa and indeed, four ToCSV genomes were recovered in this study, both from tomato plants and weed species. The two ToCSV genomes recovered from the weeds species, Malvastrum coromandelianum and Acalypha indica, represent new natural host report for this virus and should be targeted for removal as they are acting as begomovirus reservoir in these cropping areas. The novel begomovirus species identified in this study, include one monopartite begomovirus, named Malvastrum curly stunt virus (MalCSV), that was identified in M. coromandelianum, along with an isolate of Tomato leaf curl Togo betasatellite (ToLCTGB) and one bipartite begomovirus, named Sida corlifolia golden mosaic virus (SiCGMV) that was identified in S. corlifolia, along with a novel betasatellite that was termed Sida corlifolia yellow mosaic betasatellite (SiCYMB).The MalCSV was identified from a symptomless host, but the SiCGMV and SiCYMB viral molecules were detected in a weed plant displaying symptoms of viral infection, i.e. bright yellow and green mosaic coloration of the apical leaves. The SiCGMV isolate displayed unique ‘NW-like’ genetic features and phylogenetic analysis grouped SiCGMV with other Corchoroviruses, a subgroup of whitefly transmitted viruses, genetically distinct, and basal to all other begomoviruses. These Old World (OW) viruses, with unique New Word (NW) genetic features, are likely due to distinct evolutionary histories or genetic isolation in their host species. It also lends support to the idea that NW begomoviruses may have originated in the OW and were subsequently disseminated to the NW, and that Corchoviruses may be a remnant of such NW begomoviruses that once populated the OW. Furthermore, this study provided the first reports of beta-satellite molecules in South Africa. A new bipartite begomovirus was identified in Phaseolus vulgaris (bean), for which the name Phaseolus vulgaris begomovirus was proposed. Phylogenetic analysis grouped this viral isolate with ScCBV, a member of the‘legumoviruses’ group. Begomoviruses infecting legumes often cluster phylogenetically as a group between the OW and NW begomoviruses and have collectively been referred to as ‘legumoviruses’. No symptoms were observed on the bean plant at the time of collection, thus further investigation into the biological characteristics and possible economic impact of this newly identified virus is required...M.Sc. (Biochemistry

THE HISTORICAL CUBA-U.S. DISCORDANCY FROM THE THEORETICAL OUTLOOK OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

This paper focuses on the main features of the relationship between Cuba and the United States (U.S.) since the nineteenth century to the present. The essay analyses the confrontation between these two countries from the theoretical view of International Relations (IR). The aim of the paper is to demonstrate that the nature of the Cuba-U.S. discrepancies during the Cold War is not confined to the ideological controversy of the East/West relations. Despite the changes that have taken place in world politics during the 1990s and the hopes which opened with the Obama administration, the design of U.S. policy towards Cuba has scarcely changed after the end of the Cold War. On the other hand, the revival of the Wilsonian ideas alleged in the mainstream IR literature does not take into account the special case of the Cuba-U.S relations. Regardless of the current trend to stress international institutions and to sort out conflict within the framework of international agreements, the Cuban problem remains as a national interest matter for the U.S. The historic sequence of the Cuban issue in American politics lend support to the argument that while within the academic discipline of International Relations there is a trend to consider the current period as a proof of the end of realism, the wires which lead the American political behaviour towards Cuba are still under the influence of old-fashioned national interest, the rational choice program and the U.S. dilemma of a superpower being challenged in its own hemisphere

Going the Distance by Going Green: DLSU’s Transportation System pre-, during, and post-pandemic

sustainable operations agenda. Guided by this agenda, we formed partnerships to operationalize a greener transportation system. One of our initiatives is to partner with an electromechanical solutions provider in operationalizing our zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) policy with the use of electronic vehicles in our shuttle services before the pandemic. To reduce the number of private vehicles on campus, we also partnered with a bus company to provide a point-to-point service for our community members.  During the pandemic, we continued to develop facilities and programs to encourage the use of bicycles by our community post-pandemic. With this, we look forward to further reducing the number of private vehicles on campus and the need to provide additional parking spaces. Keyword: Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV), Shuttle services, Bicycle

ANALISA POLA PEMBELIAN KEBUTUHAN IBU DAN BAYI UNTUK MEMBUAT PAKET BELANJA MURAH DI TOKO LOVE BABY STORE

Competition in the business sector is a common thing and cannot be avoided. And that also applies to every business entity that is run in the online marketplace. The purpose of this study is to (1) apply data mining with association rules in managing sales data at the Love Baby Store store to produce shopping item sets that can help consumers in the check out process (2) make cheap shopping item sets from the results of sales data analysis previously to find out consumer buying patterns (3) Applying the FP-Growth algorithm, which is one of the algorithms in data mining to determine data that often appears, so that it can get information about consumer patterns and tendencies in shopping. (4) Love Baby store can find out consumer buying patterns, so they can develop new business strategies, such as designing cheap shopping item sets that can make it easier for consumers to check out and at a more affordable price. This research is a research that uses data mining in the form of sales transaction data for 3 months. This data was analyzed using FP-Growth. The results of this study are the number of purchase intentions is influenced by several factors, namely the relatively cheaper price and the existence of a discount or free shipping promo. The purchase pattern is designed using the FP-Growth method with the result "If consumers buy the Zap Jip Off Road 4 Drive Inertial Baby Toy Car, they will also buy a Fruit Teether/Baby Tooth Teether [Without Packing]" with a confidence level of 67

Triggers to Word of Mouth and Revisit Intention to Chinese Food Restaurant

The purpose of this study is to probe the differences between the main triggers to revisit intention (RI) and word of mouth (WOM) intention of the Chinese Restaurants´ consumers. The research method is quantitative; 525 consumers were surveyed in Tijuana. Ten indicators of the consumer behavioural intention were included to carried out multiple linear regressions. It was found that empathy, food taste and physical environment are related to both, but with different levels of importance and effect. Nevertheless, price ratio, and time to receive the food have a statistically relationship with RI and food aroma and time to receive the restaurant bill are significant just to the WOM

Exploring the dynamics of informal foreign currency trading : the case of Harare's black market traders.

Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.Zimbabwe's economy has shrunk by 40 percent over five years (Bratton and Masununngure 2006:23). The country currently faces an unemployment rate of at least 80 percent, and an inflation rate of 165 000 per cent (BBC News, 8 /10/2008). Many Zimbabweans have turned to the informal sector as a source of livelihood and survival with formal employment estimated to constitute only 16 percent of the labour force in 2006 (Tibaijuka, 2005). The violation of political and civil rights as well as the state's approach to regulation of the economy has translated into low investor confidence. In addition the country has serious foreign currency shortages. The sheer scale of informality combined with radical attempts by the state to regulate these and other economic activities make Zimbabwe a unique context within which to understand the nature of the informal economy. Recent research on the Zimbabwean informal economy has focused on its destruction through the Operation Murambatsvina (Potts, 2007; Tibaijuka, 2005) as well as the nature and extent of cross border trading (Muzvidziwa, 1998). Other authors have explored the nature of the informal economy in crisis states in particular Zaire / Democratic Republic of Congo (MacGaffey, 1997; Dehart and Marysse, 1997). There however is no research which explores the dynamics of informal foreign currency trading in this or other contexts. The objective of this study is to explore the nature of informal foreign currency trading in Zimbabwe. The research aims to investigate the dynamics of informal foreign currency trading by tracing the role of state regulation in these operations, linkages between the formal sector and informal currency traders, the role of social networks, the lived experiences of traders involved and the social-economic benefits derived by these operations. The research approach drew on ethnographic methods. The researcher spent considerable time with the people whose realities the research aims to understand. In total 10 traders were observed and interviewed in January 2008. This research shows that excessive state intervention in the foreign exchange market leads to the emergence of informal foreign currency trading on the 'black market'. As the black market premium widens, the intensity of informality with regards to foreign currency trading increases. The existence of informal—formal linkages is strongly demonstrated by this research. It shows that there is a strong relationship between the informal currency traders and the private sector including other government entities. In order for this relationship to be sustained the research also reveals that social networks are essential for informal foreign currency traders. The study shows that informal foreign currency traders operate mainly from the streets and rented office space although deals can done from any environment as long as it is secured from law enforcement agencies. The benefits of informal foreign currency trading accrue more at the household level (micro level) rather than the macro level. This research reveals that in a state of economic crisis the formal economy fails to provide adequate basic services and commodities. As a result, an informal economy is created to ensure the supply of scarce goods and services. The study shows that Zimbabwe's economy has managed to sustain itself despite economic collapse. Informal activities are identified as playing critical role in sustaining the population of the country. The study shows that foreign currency is being traded entirely on the parallel market. Private sector and government entities totally rely on informal foreign currency traders for their supplies of foreign currency. Chapter 2 reviews the literature on the informal economy. Various theoretical approaches to the informal economy are outlined. Much of the research on informality draws attention to the role of networks of trust and reciprocity - social capital. Debates about this notion are also reviewed. In Chapter 3 the background to the Zimbabwean economic and political crisis generally and the foreign currency problems facing the country particularly is outlined. The foreign currency regulations of Zimbabwe and how they have changed over time are also considered. International experience of parallel exchange rate regimes and currency crises are also reviewed. Chapter 4 reflects the research methodology. This chapter explains how the data was collected, analyzed and interpreted. The ethical concerns and potential biases arising from the methodology are explored. Chapter 5 presents the findings from the interviews. It analyses and interprets the various views gathered from the participants. The concluding chapter, Chapter 6 reflects back on the literature and outlines the policy recommendations drawing from the research findings

Stadibike: Yleisötapahtuman pilotointi

StadiBike on StoryOf Sports Oy:n tuottama ja toteuttama pyöräilyn ympärille rakentuva kaupallinen festivaali-tyyppinen yleisötapahtuma. Se järjestettiin ensimmäistä kertaa Helsingin Suvilahdessa toukokuussa 2011. Kyseessä oli pilotti-tapahtuma, millä oli tarkoitus selvittää onko StadiBike-tapahtumalle riittävästi kaupallista kysyntää. Tapahtuman pyrkimys oli luoda sateenvarjo minkä alle kaikki pyöräilyn alalajit ja niihin liittyvät ilmiöt kokoontuisivat kerran vuodessa. Pääasiallinen kohderyhmä, jota markkinoinnilla pyrittiin tavoittamaan oli täysi-ikäiset pääkaupunkiseutulaiset. Tapahtuman sisältö koostui sisätiloissa järjestetyistä fillari-messuista sekä laajalla ulkoalueella järjestetystä kirjavasta kattauksesta osallistavaa ja ei-kaupallista ohjelmaa, kuten koeajoratoja, erilaisia näytöksiä ja kilpailuja, work-shoppeja, paneeli-keskusteluja, kirpputori sekä fillari-taidetta. StadiBike havainnollisti yleisölle mm. Kuinka pelataan fillaripooloa, miten trial-fillarilla voi tehdä voltin traktorin katolta, kuinka nopeasti 3-vuotiaat oppivat ajamaan pumptrackia ja millainen on kontrabasson ja bmx-pyörän yhdessä synnyttämä moderni baletti-esitys. Tässä varsin moniulotteista tapahtumaa tarkastelevassa opinnäytetyössä arvioidaan tapahtuman onnistumista ja esitetään ehdotuksia sen jatkokehittämiseksi. Opinnäytetyön tekemisessä on hyödynnetty niin kvantitatiivisia, kuin kvalitatiivisia menetelmiä. Asiakasnäkökulmasta onnistumista arvioidaan opinnäytetyön tekijän tapahtumassa toteuttaman kävijäkyselyn tuloksia analysoimalla. Tuotantonäkökulmasta onnistumista arvioidaan StadiBiken vastaavan tuottajan haastattelun perusteella. Onnistumisen arviointi, johtopäätökset, sekä kehitysehdotukset perustuvat siis kahteen eri näkökulmaan joita peilataan lähdekirjallisuuden teoreettiseen viitekehykseen: markkinointiviestintään ja sen peruskäsitteisiin, erityisesti tapahtumamarkkinointiin.StadiBike is a commercial festival-type of public event based on bicycles and cycling. It is produced and carried out by Story Of Sports Ltd and was organized for the first time in May of 2011 in Helsinki’s Suvilahti. It was a pilot; the event producers set out to find out whether there was enough demand for the event. StadiBike aimed at creating an umbrella underneath which all cycling sports and phenomena could gather around once a year. The main target audience that was reached out for through marketing was adults from the Great Helsinki region. StadiBike consisted of a trade show held indoors and a colorful compilation of activities and non-commercial programming held outdoors in the likes of test-drive ranges, shows and competitions, workshops, panel discussions, a bike flea market and bike art. StadiBike demonstrated to the public an extensive amount of bike-related phenomena, for example how to play bike-polo, how to make a flip from on top of a tractor with a trial-bicycle, how fast 3 year olds learn how to ride a pumptrack and how a contrabass and a bmx-bike can together give birth to a modern ballet. The rather multi-faceted event is viewed in this thesis with the objective of evaluating its success and forming suggestions on how to further develop it. The thesis is carried out using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The event’s success from the customer point of view is evaluated through analyzing the results of a survey carried out in the event by the author. The event’s success from the production point of view is evaluated based on an interview with the events senior producer. The evaluation of the event’s success, the conclusions and development proposals are thus based on two different points of view and are then reflected on the theoretical framework: marketing communications and it’s basic concepts, especially event marketing

Liderazgo pedagógico y gestión de proyectos de innovación en docentes de cuatro instituciones educativas públicas, UGEL Huaraz. Ancash, 2022

En la presente investigación se estudió acerca del liderazgo pedagógico y la gestión de proyectos de innovación, cuyo objetivo fue determinar la influencia que presenta la primera sobre la segunda. Se empleó un tipo de investigación aplicada, con un enfoque cuantitativo, método hipotético-deductivo, diseño no experimental y de corte transversal. La población estuvo conformada por 120 docentes de cuatro instituciones educativas públicas, de los cuales se tomó una muestra de 92. La recolección de datos se hizo a través de dos cuestionarios, una para cada variable, los cuales fueron validados por expertos, además tuvieron confiabilidad aceptada por el alfa de Cronbach. Los resultados al aplicar la prueba logística ordinal fueron p-valor de 0,000 que es menor al margen de error permitido (0,05), probando que la gestión de proyectos de innovación es explicada por el liderazgo pedagógico con un Pseudo R2 de Cox y Snell de 94,7 % y Nagelkerke en 94,8 %. Por ende, se concluyó que el liderazgo pedagógico influye significativamente en la gestión de proyectos de innovación en docentes de cuatro instituciones públicas, UGEL Huaraz. Ancash

CREACIÓN Y OPTIMIZACIÓN DE UN PORTAFOLIO DE INVERSIÓN PARA UNA SOCIEDAD DE INVERSIÓN DE RENTA VARIABLE

Un portafolio de inversión creado bajo la metodología de Markowitz tiene un riesgo menor y un rendimiento mayor que un portafolio de inversión aleatorio. La estructura de este trabajo consta de cuatro capítulos. En el primero se hablara del Sistema Financiero Mexicano, su integración, regulación, funciones etc. El segundo capítulo, se hablará de manera específica sobre las sociedades de inversión, como se constituyen, su clasificación y demás aspectos generales sobre ellas. Para el tercer capítulo, se presenta la teoría que se utiliza en la creación y optimización del portafolio, que es la llamada Teoría del Portafolio de Markowitz. En el cuarto capítulo, se verá la aplicación del modelo de Markowitz, en donde se pondrá en práctica el fundamento teórico del capítulo 3, esto con el fin de crear el portafolio óptimo

Enseñanza-aprendizaje de grupos funcionales de la química orgánica, basado en la extracción de principios activos presentes en la especie vegetal Lippia alba (Alivia Dolor)

En este trabajo se diseñó una estrategia didáctica experimental, para la enseñanza-aprendizaje de grupos funcionales de la Química Orgánica, a partir de la extracción de principios activos presentes en el aceite esencial de la especie vegetal Lippia alba (Alivia-dolor). El trabajo inició con la realización de encuestas a alumnos y adultos mayores del Resguardo Indígena Kankuamo, acerca del uso de la planta de Alivia dolor. Seguidamente, se consultó en la literatura sobre los compuestos orgánicos contenidos en el aceite esencial de esta planta. Luego, se estructuró una secuencia didáctica mediante guías de trabajo colaborativo y el desarrollo experimental de la extracción. Finalmente, se aplicó y evaluó en clase la estrategia didáctica para establecer su validez. Con base en los resultados de la evaluación, se concluyó que la estrategia didáctica permitió cumplir con los objetivos del aprendizaje previsto en los estudiantes. Paralelamente, se logró la articulación entre el proyecto pedagógico que tiene la Institución Educativa Agrícola La Mina y el área de ciencias, generando espacios de práctica, estudio y reflexión con el fin de que los alumnos valoren el entorno en el que se encuentran y entiendan la riqueza que los rodea.Abstract. In this work an experimental teaching strategy for teaching and learning based on functional groups of organic chemistry was designed, through the extraction of active ingredients present in the essential oil of the plant species Lippia alba (Alivia-dolor). The work began with surveys of students and old people of Resguardo Indígena Kankuamo about the use of Alivia-dolor plant. Then, it was consulted in the literature about organic compounds in the essential oil of this plant. After that, a teaching sequence was structured by guides collaborative work and experimental development of extraction. Finally, the teaching strategy was applied and evaluated in class to establish its validity. Based on the results of the evaluation, it was concluded that the teaching strategy allowed meet the learning objectives provided for students. In parallel, the articulation between the education project of the Educational Institution Agricultural Mine and the sciences, was achieved, creating spaces for practicing, studying and reflecting, in order to students value the environment in which they find themselves and understand the wealth that surrounds them.Maestrí