Urban landscape change and its relationality to sense of place : the case study of Swakopmund

This dissertation presents Swakopmund, Namibia, as a case study and asks how changes in the landscape brought about by urban development and modernisation influence the sense of place experienced by the resident population. A mixed-method investigation was carried out for the study through semi-structured in-depth interviews and an anonymous online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of questions relating to the identified components that contribute to a sense of place, namely, image, form, activity, place attachment and place meaning, which the respondents had to rate according to a novel five-point Likert scale. The global theme that emerged from the data was that the modernised facilities selected for the study had a positive influence on the sense-of-place components. Moreover, the data suggested that there was a significant relationship between the facilities and the sense-of-place components. These results highlight that the influence of the modernised facilities on the resident population’s sense of place is determined by how they perceive and experience the facilities and the value they attach to the facilities. Several recommendations are made regarding areas of further study and for Swakopmund’s municipality.Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek hoe veranderinge in die landskap as gevolg van stedelike ontwikkeling en modernisering die gevestigde pleksin van inwoners van Swakopmund, Namibië, beïnvloed. Gemengde metodes in die vorm van indringende semigestruktureerde onderhoude en ’n anonieme aanlyn vraelys is vir hierdie gevallestudie gebruik. Die vraelys het vrae oor die geïdentifiseerde komponente van pleksin, naamlik beeld, vorm, aktiwiteit, konneksie en betekenis van die plek, bevat wat die respondente deur middel van ’n nuutgeskepte Likert-skaal van vyf punte moes beoordeel. Die oorhoofse tema wat uit die data na vore gekom het, was dat die moderne fasiliteite wat vir die studie gekies is ’n positiewe uitwerking op die verskillende pleksin-komponente gehad het. Die data het daarbenewens op ’n statisties beduidende verband tussen die fasiliteite en die pleksin-komponente gedui. Die uitslae beklemtoon dat die invloed van die moderne fasiliteite op die inwoners se pleksin deur hulle persepsie en belewenis van die fasiliteite en die waarde wat hulle aan die fasiliteite heg, bepaal word. Verskeie voorstelle rakende verdere studies in hierdie verband, sowel as voorstelle aan die plaaslike munisipaliteit van Swakopmund, word op grond van die uitslag van die studie gemaak.Lolu cwaningo luveza i-Swakopmund, e-Namibia, njengesibonelo socwaningo futhi lubuza ukuthi izinguquko esimweni esilethwa ukuthuthukiswa kwamadolobha kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwesimanje ziwuthinta kanjani umuzwa wendawo izakhamuzi ezibhekana nazo. Uphenyo lwezindlela ezixubile lwenziwe ocwaningweni ngezingxoxiswano ezijulile ezisakhiwe ezingaphelele kanye nohlu lwemibuzo lwe-inthanethi olungaziwa. Uhla lwemibuzo belunemibuzo ephathelene nezingxenye ezihlonziwe ezinomthelela emqondweni wendawo, okungukuthi, isithombe, isimo, umsebenzi, okunamathiselwe kuyindawo kanye nencazelo yendawo, okuyinto abaphendulile okufanele bayilinganise ngokwenoveli yesikali se-Likert samaphuzu amahlanu. Indikimba yomhlaba wonke eyavela kudatha yayiwukuthi izikhungo zesimanje ezikhethelwe ucwaningo zibe nomthelela omuhle ezingxenyeni zomqondo wendawo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, idatha iphakamise ukuthi kunobudlelwano obubalulekile phakathi kwezinsiza kanye nezingxenye zomqondo wendawo. Le miphumela igqamisa ukuthi umthelela wezikhungo ezithuthukisiwe kumqondo wendawo wezakhamuzi unqunywa indlela abazibona ngayo futhi nabazizwa ngayo izinsiza kanye nenani abalinamathisela ezikhungweni. Izincomo eziningi zenziwe mayelana nezindawo okusazoqhutshekwa nazo kufundwe kanye nomasipala waseSwakopmund.GeographyM. Sc. (Geography

FSRD: fungal stress response database

Adaptation to different types of environmental stress is a common part of life for today's fungi. A deeper understanding of the organization, regulation and evolution of fungal stress response systems may lead to the development of novel antifungal drugs and technologies or the engineering of industrial strains with elevated stress tolerance. Here we present the Fungal Stress Response Database (http://internal.med.unideb.hu/fsrd) aimed to stimulate further research on stress biology of fungi. The database incorporates 1985 fungal stress response proteins with verified physiological function(s) and their orthologs identified and annotated in 28 species including human and plant pathogens, as well as important industrial fungi. The database will be extended continuously to cover other fully sequenced fungal species. Our database, as a starting point for future stress research, facilitates the analysis of literature data on stress and the identification of ortholog groups of stress response proteins in newly sequenced fungal genomes. Database URL: http://internal.med.unideb.hu/fsr

The CCAAT-binding complex coordinates the oxidative stress response in eukaryotes

The heterotrimeric CCAAT-binding complex is evolutionary conserved in eukaryotic organisms. The corresponding Aspergillus nidulans CCAAT- binding factor (AnCF) consists of the subunits HapB, HapC and HapE. All of the three subunits are necessary for DNA binding. Here, we demonstrate that AnCF senses the redox status of the cell via oxidative modification of thiol groups within the histone fold motif of HapC. Mutational and in vitro interaction analyses revealed that two of these cysteine residues are indispensable for stable HapC/HapE subcomplex formation and high-affinity DNA binding of AnCF. Oxidized HapC is unable to participate in AnCF assembly and localizes in the cytoplasm, but can be recycled by the thioredoxin system in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, deletion of the hapC gene led to an impaired oxidative stress response. Therefore, the central transcription factor AnCF is regulated at the post-transcriptional level by the redox status of the cell serving for a coordinated activation and deactivation of antioxidative defense mechanisms including the specific transcriptional activator NapA, production of enzymes such as catalase, thioredoxin or peroxiredoxin, and maintenance of a distinct glutathione homeostasis. The underlying fine-tuned mechanism very likely represents a general feature of the CCAAT-binding complexes in eukaryotes

Cyber Security in the Space Domain : Can Traditional Cyber Methods be Applied in the Ground Segment of Space Projects?

Stronger cyber security is needed in the space domain, since the attack surfaces are widening as the number of new space projects are growing and new use cases emerge for satellites, related to 5G and IoT. Author proposed a research cooperation and a topic evolving around threat modeling of space systems to Huld, a recognized company with extensive experience in software development for space projects and validation and verification of satellite software. The agreed goal was to do a research with an as broad scope as possible to find areas either for further research or for commercialization. The ground segment was selected as an area of special interest. The focus of the research was on evaluating the adaptability of existing cyber security methods in space projects, while investigating the regulatory and standardization landscape. Design science research was selected as a research method. Extensive literature review, standard review and interviews with in-house experts were carried out in the problem identification phase. In the solution design phase, a threat modeling process was created for a ground segment as a service software. In the evaluation phase a workshop was organized where the method was implemented, tested and evaluated. Main finding was that the underdeveloped regulation and standard landscape hinders the adoption of a good cyber hygiene in the space domain. This finding was in-line with the results of the literature review. Threat modeling might act as a bridge to overcome the challenge of how to shift the mentality from the security through obscurity and security as an afterthought to a security by design way of thinking

Overview Of Two Large-Scale Residential Sub-Slab Depressurization System Installation Programs

Sub-slab depressurization (SSD) systems, commonly used to mitigate radon, create a vacuum beneath a building to prevent soil gas from entering the building as a result of pressure gradients that naturally exist between the building and the sub-slab region; the extracted soil gas is then vented directly to the atmosphere. This paper describes two large-scale residential SSD system installation case studies. The SSD systems were designed and installed to mitigate intrusion of soil gas, which contained low levels of volatile organic compounds, into (1) 100+ individual houses and (2) several buildings in a multi-structure condominium complex. The SSD installation methodology consisted of the following components: stakeholder involvement, site assessment, feasibility study, pilot testing/design, installation, performance testing, and operations & maintenance. Public meetings were held and homeowner feedback was elicited to achieve an end product that not only mitigated vapor intrusion, but also was acceptable to the homeowner. The system design process incorporated the results of site-specific assessments and field pilot testing. These systems were installed in a design-build fashion using a variety of construction techniques. Following installation, the SSD systems were performance tested to ensure that the resulting suction field encompassed the entire sub-slab area. Examples of the SSD system installations are presented. SSD system designs/components and construction techniques, issues, and challenges specific to the two case studies are discussed. System performance data and lessons learned from the SSD installations also are presented. In addition, a comparison of the operation of the engineered SSD systems to several radon mitigation systems previously installed using typical radon industry techniques is conducted to reveal some interesting results

The glutathione response to salt stress in the thermophilic fungus, Thermomyces Lanuginosus

In order to investigate the role of glutathione in response to salt stress in the thermophilic fungus, Thermomyces lanuginosus , the biomass and the intracellular pool of protein and the glutathione + glutathione disulphid (GSH + GSSG) was measured for four days in a medium with NaCl or KCl added and in the basal medium. Due to the osmotic and ionic stress imposed by the salts, the growth of T. lanuginosus was delayed and the inhibitory effect of KCl exceeded that of NaCl. Glutathione seemed to be involved in the response of T. lanuginosus towards high concentrations of salt, as the level of stress was negatively correlated with the amount of total glutathione. Salt stress did not result in an increased intracellular protein production. GSH accumulated while nutrients were abundant and were subsequently degraded later, suggesting that nutrients stored in GSH are used when the medium is depleted

Autolysis of <i>Penicillium chrysogenum-A </i>Holistic Approach

293-301Despite of its biotechnological significance, the autolysis of filamentous fungi is a poorly studied and understood area of fungal physiology. The autolysis of 13-lactam producing fungus, Penicillium chrysogenum shares some similarities with the apoptosis of higher eukaryotes. For example, the biosynthesis and processing of age-related hydrolases were highly regulated in carbon-depleted cultures. The in vivo inhibition of autolytic chitinase activity hindered considerably the disintegration of pelleted structures that are typical of the exponential growth phase. In the absence of conidiation, round-ended "yeast-like" hyphal fragments were the dominant surviving morphological forms, which were characterised with decreasing total respiration, increasing cyanide-resistant respiration, intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and declining viability in the autolytic and post-autolytic phases of growth. The term "ageing" was used to describe these physiological changes, and the surviving fragments may undergo oxidative- stress induced programmed cell death. Although variations in oxygen tension and extracellular ROS concentrations are key elements in the initiation of morphological changes, the genomic expression programmes of fungi governing morphological transitions including autolysis are likely to be activated by different kinds of environmental stress and signal transduction pathways. The glutathione (GSH) and ROS metabolisms of P. chrysogenum were influenced by many extrinsic and intrinsic factors in each growth phase studied. As a consequence, no firm correlation was found between the GSHIglutathione disulphide (GSSG) redox status, the intracellular ROS levels and the observed morphological and physiological characteristics of the cells

Effect of vitamin E on autolysis and sporulation of Aspergillus nidulans

The morphologic and physiologic effects of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, on the autolysis and sporulation of Aspergillus nidulans FGSC26 were studied. In carbon-depleted submerged cultures, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulated in the cells and, concomitantly, progressing autolysis was observed, which was characterized by decreasing dry cell masses and pellet diameters as well as by increasing extracellular chitinase activities. Vitamin E supplemented at a concentration of 1g/L hindered effectively the intracellular accumulation of ROS, the autolytic loss of biomass, the disintegration of pellets, and the release of chitinase activities. In surface cultures, vitamin E inhibited autolysis of both A. nidulans FGSC26 and a loss-of-function FlbA autolytic phenotype mutant. In addition, supplementation of the culture medium with this antioxidant also had a negative effect on the sporulation of strain FGSC26 and the FadA(G203R) hypersporulating phenotype mutant. These results suggest that accumulation of ROS was involved in the initiation of both sporulation and autolysis in this filamentous fungus, but that FadA/FlbA signaling was not involved in this vitamin E-dependent regulation. Vitamin E can be recommended as a supplement in fermentations in which the disintegration of pellets and gross autolysis should be avoided