Heat Shock Protein 70 Expression in Juvenile Eastern Oysters, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791), Exposed to Anoxic Conditions

Anoxic water events in conjunction with summer high temperatures are thought to be one of the causes of declines in natural oyster reefs on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. Work is underway to determine whether tolerance to low oxygen can be selected for in hatchery-produced oysters. As a component of this work, the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70) was examined in control (normoxia) and anoxia-challenged juvenile oysters. Parental Eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica were collected from 2 sites, Cedar Point Reef (CP), an area considered to have normoxic conditions, and White House Reef (WH), an area suspected to experience periodic anoxia. F1 generation oysters were produced from CP and WH parents that survived an anoxic exposure of 96 h. Control F1 generation oysters from both parental stocks not exposed to anoxia were also produced. The F1 generation oysters were subsequently exposed to anoxia or control normoxic conditions, and differences in expression of HSP 70 were examined. Nitrogen was used to create the anoxic conditions for both the parental and F1 generations. Three HSP 70 isoforms—2 constitutive forms (HSC 77 and HSC 72) and 1 inducible form (HSP 69)—were expressed in both anoxia- and normoxia-exposed oysters from all groups. Although there were differences among groups of oysters from the 2 sites, there were no differences in the expression of HSC 77 and HSC 72 between the control and anoxia-treated oysters within a group. Interestingly, the expression of HSP 69 was higher in oysters exposed to normoxia than the ones from anoxia treatments. These differences are thought to reflect a combination of responses to nutritional stress in the controls and facultative anaerobiosis and metabolic arrest in the anoxia groups

A Proposed Process for Managing the First Amendment Aspects of Campus Hate Speech

For public institutions, attempts to regulate hate speech raise substantial legal issues under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. For private institutions, which may not be bound by the First Amendment, attempts to regulate hate speech raise sensitive policy questions concerning the role of free expression on campus. Numerous articles (many of which are listed in the references below) have undertaken substantive analysis of these constitutional issues and policy questions. In contrast, this article explores a preliminary and overarching concern: the process by which a college or university addresses the problem of hate speech, and in particular the process by which the institution manages the First Amendment aspects of the problem. In other words, this article focuses on the decision-making process rather than on the decisions themselves; it is the journey, not the destination, that is of primary concern

Liquidation of Corporation

Import 22/07/2015Diplomová práce se zabývá procesem likvidace obchodních společností v České republice. Cílem této práce je popsat postup likvidace obchodních společností a upozornit na některé problémy, které proces likvidace s sebou přináší, poukázat na řešení základních organizačních a ekonomických otázek související s likvidací a propojit právní a daňový pohled na likvidaci. Práce je rozdělena do čtyř kapitol. V první kapitole jsou definovány jednotlivé právní formy obchodních společností a možné způsoby jejich zrušení. Druhá kapitola se zabývá popisem likvidačního procesu, kdy jsou popsány jednotlivé kroky likvidátora v průběhu likvidace. Třetí kapitola je věnována osobě likvidátora, podmínky nutné k výkonu likvidátora, povolání likvidátora do funkce. Čtvrtá kapitola je věnována praktickým problémům spojenými s procesem likvidace.Thesis deals with the process of liquidation of corporations in the Czech Republic. The aim of this thesis is to describe the procedure of liquidation and to point out some possible problems that could occur during liquidation. The legal and tax point view of the topic will also be included. Thesis is divided into 4 main chapters. Different legal forms of the corporations and the ways of dissolution of companies are defined in the first chapter. The second chapter pursues the process of liquidation. One part of this chapter is devoted to activities of the liquidator. The person of the liquidator, including his competences and required skills, is described in the third chapter. The last chapter is focused on practical problems concerning the process of liquidation.119 - Katedra právavelmi dobř

Bumble bee parasite strains vary in resistance to phytochemicals

Nectar and pollen contain diverse phytochemicals that can reduce disease in pollinators. However, prior studies showed variable effects of nectar chemicals on infection, which could reflect variable phytochemical resistance among parasite strains. Inter-strain variation in resistance could influence evolutionary interactions between plants, pollinators, and pollinator disease, but testing direct effects of phytochemicals on parasites requires elimination of variation between bees. Using cell cultures of the bumble bee parasite Crithidia bombi, we determined (1) growth-inhibiting effects of nine floral phytochemicals and (2) variation in phytochemical resistance among four parasite strains. C. bombi growth was unaffected by naturally occurring concentrations of the known antitrypanosomal phenolics gallic acid, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid. However, C. bombi growth was inhibited by anabasine, eugenol, and thymol. Strains varied >3-fold in phytochemical resistance, suggesting that selection for phytochemical resistance could drive parasite evolution. Inhibitory concentrations of thymol (4.53-22.2 ppm) were similar to concentrations in Thymus vulgaris nectar (mean 5.2 ppm). Exposure of C. bombi to naturally occurring levels of phytochemicals—either within bees or during parasite transmission via flowers—could influence infection in nature. Flowers that produce antiparasitic phytochemical, including thymol, could potentially reduce infection in Bombus populations, thereby counteracting a possible contributor to pollinator decline

Factors influencing engineering students’ decisions to cheat by type of assessment

Academic dishonesty (cheating) has been prevalent on college campuses for decades, and the percentage of students reporting cheating varies by college major. This study, based on a survey of 643 undergraduate engineering majors at 11 institutions, used two parallel hierarchical multiple regression analyses to predict the frequency of cheating on exams and the frequency of cheating on homework based on eight blocks of independent variables: demographics, pre-college cheating behavior, co-curricular participation, plus five blocks organized around Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (moral obligation not to cheat, attitudes about cheating, evaluation of the costs and benefits of cheating, perceived social pressures to cheat or not to cheat, and perceived effectiveness of academic dishonesty policies). The final models significantly predict 36% of the variance in “frequency of cheating on exams” and 14% of the variance in “frequency of cheating on homework”. Students don’t see cheating as a single construct and their decisions to cheat or not to cheat are influenced differently depending on the type of assessment. Secondary findings are that a student’s conviction that cheating is wrong no matter what the circumstances is a strong deterrent to cheating across types of assessment and that a student who agrees that he/she would cheat in order to alleviate stressful situations is more likely to cheat on both exams and homework.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42694/1/11162_2006_Article_9010.pd

Semiochemical-based alternatives to synthetic toxicant insecticides for pollen beetle management

There is an urgent need to develop sustainable pest management systems to protect arable crops in order to replace the current over-reliance on synthetic insecticides. Semiochemicals are insect- or plant-derived chemicals that are used by organisms as information signals. Integrated pest management tools are currently in development that utilise semiochemicals to manipulate the behaviour of pest insects and their natural enemies to provide effective control of pests within the crop. These innovative tools usually require fewer inputs and can involve multiple elements therefore reducing the likelihood of resistance developing compared with use of synthetic toxicants. We review here the life cycle of the pollen beetle Brassicogethes aeneus (previously known as Meligethes aeneus) which is a pest insect of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and describe the current knowledge of any behaviour mediated by semiochemicals in this species. We discuss the behavioural processes where semiochemical-based control approaches may be appropriate and consider how these approaches could be integrated into an integrated pest management strategy for this important arable crop

Validation of the Short Version (TLS-15) of the Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45) Across 37 Languages

Love is a phenomenon that occurs across the world and affects many aspects of human life, including the choice of, and process of bonding with, a romantic partner. Thus, developing a reliable and valid measure of love experiences is crucial. One of the most popular tools to quantify love is Sternberg’s 45-item Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45), which measures three love components: intimacy, passion, and commitment. However, our literature review reveals that most studies (64%) use a broad variety of shortened versions of the TLS-45. Here, aiming to achieve scientific consensus and improve the reliability, comparability, and generalizability of results across studies, we developed a short version of the scale—the TLS-15—comprised of 15 items with 5-point, rather than 9-point, response scales. In Study 1 (N = 7,332), we re-analyzed secondary data from a large-scale multinational study that validated the original TLS-45 to establish whether the scale could be truncated. In Study 2 (N = 307), we provided evidence for the three-factor structure of the TLS-15 and its reliability. Study 3 (N = 413) confirmed convergent validity and test–retest stability of the TLS-15. Study 4 (N = 60,311) presented a large-scale validation across 37 linguistic versions of the TLS-15 on a cross-cultural sample spanning every continent of the globe. The overall results provide support for the reliability, validity, and cross-cultural invariance of the TLS-15, which can be used as a measure of love components—either separately or jointly as a three-factor measure

Predictors of Enhancing Human Physical Attractiveness: Data from 93 Countries

People across the world and throughout history have gone to great lengths to enhance their physical appearance. Evolutionary psychologists and ethologists have largely attempted to explain this phenomenon via mating preferences and strategies. Here, we test one of the most popular evolutionary hypotheses for beauty-enhancing behaviors, drawn from mating market and parasite stress perspectives, in a large cross-cultural sample. We also test hypotheses drawn from other influential and non-mutually exclusive theoretical frameworks, from biosocial role theory to a cultural media perspective. Survey data from 93,158 human participants across 93 countries provide evidence that behaviors such as applying makeup or using other cosmetics, hair grooming, clothing style, caring for body hygiene, and exercising or following a specific diet for the specific purpose of improving ones physical attractiveness, are universal. Indeed, 99% of participants reported spending \u3e10 min a day performing beauty-enhancing behaviors. The results largely support evolutionary hypotheses: more time was spent enhancing beauty by women (almost 4 h a day, on average) than by men (3.6 h a day), by the youngest participants (and contrary to predictions, also the oldest), by those with a relatively more severe history of infectious diseases, and by participants currently dating compared to those in established relationships. The strongest predictor of attractiveness-enhancing behaviors was social media usage. Other predictors, in order of effect size, included adhering to traditional gender roles, residing in countries with less gender equality, considering oneself as highly attractive or, conversely, highly unattractive, TV watching time, higher socioeconomic status, right-wing political beliefs, a lower level of education, and personal individualistic attitudes. This study provides novel insight into universal beauty-enhancing behaviors by unifying evolutionary theory with several other complementary perspectives