Closure In Fiction And Film: Strategies Of Ending In Howard Hawks\u27s his Girl Friday , Henry James\u27s the Ambassadors , Orson Welles\u27s citizen Kane , And James Joyce\u27s a Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man

This thesis explores closure in two novels, Henry James\u27s The Ambassadors and James Joyce\u27s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and two films, His Girl Friday directed by Howard Hawks and Citizen Kane directed by Orson Welles. The specific study of closure in films is necessitated by the almost total absence of research in this area. Although study of closure in prose narratives is historically more extensive, the study of closure in the two novels under discussion has previously been undertaken within narrow parameters. Rather than invoking a rigid model of the closural process, this thesis draws upon a range of approaches to closure to argue for the importance of a set of interrelated issues which can constitute a framework within which the endings of the four chosen works are analyzed. This methodology involves a sensitivity to the ways in which various types of patterns are resolved, but also includes a recognition of the inherently problematic nature of closure. The thesis distinguishes between closure as a process which develops over the course of the work as a whole and the ending as a specific textual segment in which the preponderance of closural \u27signals\u27 becomes particularly urgent. The importance of patterns developed over the course of the work and the various means of retrospective patterning used to evoke a strong sense of symmetry will both be investigated. Such concerns are complemented by issues particularly reflective of the problematic aspects of closure such as the tension between formal circularity and the linear, forward momentum of narrative elements.;His Girl Friday\u27s position as the first work to be explored in the thesis reflects the fact that it has the most straightforward closural argument of the four works, contrasting with the more modernist, self-reflexive endings of The Ambassadors, Citizen Kane and, particularly, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. While allowing for the distinctive aspects of novels and films, it is hoped that, by examining the closure of narrative fictions in these two media, a sharpened sense of the fundamental issues involving narrative closure will emerge

Development and Field Evaluation of an Elevated Bait Station for Control of Deer Mice in Almonds

Deer mice (Peromyscus spp.) have been identified as a serious pest in almonds in portions of the San Joaquin Valley of California. Broadcast anticoagulant bait is normally used to control deer mice, but is prohibited in areas where the endangered giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens) occurs, leaving growers with no practical means of control. The objectives of this study were to design and test in the laboratory a disposable, spill-resistant, bait station for deer mice, and to field test the bait station in almond orchards. We obtained 20 captive-bred deer mice and observed them interact with prototype bait stations in an observation chamber and in simulated almond trees in outdoor pens. Mouse activity was videotaped in the pens and food consumption measured. Field efficacy trials were conducted in July 2002 in 2 almond orchards, Meyers Block 3 and Cantua, both in Fresno County, California. We used an activity index based on sign left in the crotch of almond trees to estimate efficacy. Mice entered and fed in the prototype bait stations in the observation chamber. Review of 315 hr of videotapes from the pens revealed that the mice readily climbed the almond tree stumps and entered the bait stations to feed. The mice were nocturnal and most active from about 2020 hr through 0530 hr, with virtually no activity during the daylight hours. Use of the bait stations averaged up to 39 entries /mouse/night. The average daily consumption of clean grain per mouse for males was 2.6 gm (SE = 0.39, range = 1.1 - 3.6 gm) and for females was 2.2 gm (SE = 0.26, range = 1.4 - 3.0 gm). Feeding behavior appeared normal and food consumption was not inhibited by the bait stations. The field efficacy trial consisted of 1-week pretreatment period, 2 weeks of treatment with 0.005% diphacinone on oat groats, and a 1-week posttreatment period. Each study area included a treated area of ∃1150 trees and a control (nontreated) area of ∃435 trees. We deployed bait stations filled with 100 gm of bait or clean grain in a grid pattern of every 3rd row and 3rd tree within a row, 119 stations for treated plots and 47 or 48 stations on the control plots. Based on activity indices, efficacy was 72% at Meyers Block 3 and 33% at Cantua. Consumption of diphacinone bait on the treated plots averaged 0.6 and 3.2 gm/station for the 2- week treatment period, at Meyers 3 and Cantua, respectively. Consumption of clean grain on the control plots averaged 1.2 and 5.1 gm/station for the 2-week treatment period, or 0.08 and 0.36 gm/day, at Meyers 3 and Cantua, respectively. Consumption of clean grain did not approach levels recorded in our pen tests. These findings suggest poor bait acceptance. We speculate that almonds were preferred over oat groats, and that bait acceptance might improve if the grain bait was offered during the winter or early spring when the supply of almonds would be reduced

Evaluation of a Floating Bird Diverter

Hazing at oil spills can reduce bird mortalities. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Firefly Pond Diverter™ (Firefly Diverters LLC, Grantsville, UT), a device that floats on the water and is claimed to use motion, reflectivity, and ultraviolet (UV) and visible light emissions to alert and repel birds. The diverter could be useful at a spill, but little is known about how waterbirds would respond. The objectives of this study were to determine if waterbirds were repelled to a greater degree by the diverter compared to a simple novel object (a life ring), to identify the species that responded to the diverter, and determine if birds habituate to the diverter. The study was conducted in December 2007 in a stormwater retention basin in Woodland, California. We divided the study into a 3-day pretreatment period and a 6-day treatment period and counted birds in the morning and afternoon each day. On each day during the treatment period we randomly selected 2 areas of the basin and anchored 2 diverters in one area and 2 life rings in a second area. We moved the diverters and the life rings to new locations daily. During the bird counts we recorded all birds within 15.2 m of each diverter or life ring. For the basin as a whole, we found the temporal pattern of use (fewer birds present in the morning than the afternoon) and number of birds using the basin did not change with the deployment of the diverters and life rings. Species composition was similar during the pretreatment and treatment periods. Gulls, geese, and diving ducks accounted for over 90% of the birds, with gulls most numerous. We observed 7 and 9 species of birds within 15.2 m of the diverters and life rings, respectively. Gulls represented 91% and 81% of the birds near the diverters and the life rings, respectively. There was no difference in the number of birds within 15.2 m of the diverters or the life rings. There also was no difference in the number of birds within 15.2 m of the diverters or \u3e 15.2 m from the diverters. We found the same relationship for the life rings. After field work concluded we were informed that rotation of the flappers on the diverters and an ultraviolet index (UVI) \u3e2 were critical for the diverter to function. During the treatment period there was wind sufficient to spin the flappers during 7 of 12 counts. We observed birds within 15.2 m of the diverters on 6 out of 7 counts with wind. As reported in local newspapers, the UVI was never \u3e2 during the treatment period. If UV radiation has any effect on performance, then December, a month with low UVI values in northern California, was not the optimum time to test. The diverters did not repel birds during this study. It is not known if the diverters will repel birds during conditions of higher UVI. Additional research should be undertaken

A model to predict the likelihood of cliff swallow nesting on highway structures in northern California

Cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) are colonially breeding migratory birds that frequently nest on highway structures. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, people cannot harm swallows or their active nests. This restriction causes problems and delays for construction and maintenance divisions of many departments of transportation. In planning future projects, it would be useful for these divisions to have a habitat selection model that can predict the likelihood of cliff swallow nesting on a particular highway structure. We used logistic regression on data collected from 206 highway structures and 2 different land cover data sets to develop habitat selection models for northern California. The models indicated that low urban development and structure undersurfaces with multiple junctures were the 2 most important predictors of cliff swallow occupancy. Both the presence of water under a structure and a large underpass opening were also factors included in the models. The models correctly predicted 59% of sites occupied by cliff swallows and 88% of sites not occupied. The occupancy classification rate may offer departments of transportation useful insight into the nesting behavior of cliff swallows

Evaluation of Damage by Vertebrate Pests in California Vineyards and Control of Wild Turkeys by Bioacoustics

Complaints of agricultural damage by wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), particularly from wine grape growers, have increased in California. We assessed damage by vertebrate pests in vineyards and tested a bioacoustic-aversion technique for turkeys as an alternative to other control techniques (e.g., reflective tape, trapping, bird netting). We selected 12 vineyards in the Napa Valley and Sierra Foothills American Viticultural Areas of California. We conducted damage surveys to assess percentages of missing or damaged grapes (i.e., grapes that had been stripped, pecked, and plucked) for every grape cluster on 20 randomly-selected vines before harvest in 2007 and on 40 vines in 2008. We assumed that all observed damage was caused by vertebrate pests and that most of this damage was caused by birds. Grape damage caused by wild turkeys was identified by contiguous sections of berries plucked from a cluster, which we referred to as stripped damage. We attributed pecked and plucked damage to passerines. In 2008, we randomly selected 3 vineyards in each area for treatment with broadcast calls (wild turkey alarm, domestic turkey alarm, crow distress). We used motion-activated video cameras to document evidence of damage caused by turkeys and other animals. Damage in the vineyard perimeter was greater than in the interior for all damage types in 2008, but only for plucked damage in 2007. In 2008, stripped, pecked, and plucked damage means for treated vineyards were 1.3%, 1.4%, and 1.5%, respectively; stripped, pecked, and plucked damage means for untreated vineyards were 1.3%, 0.7%, and 0.2%, respectively. There was no difference in mean stripped damage between treated and untreated vineyards in 2008, indicating that broadcast calls had no effect. Comparison between treated sites in 2008 with the same untreated sites in 2007 yielded similar results. Turkeys caused damage in several of the study vineyards, but the problem varied among vineyards and was inconsistent between years. Motion-activated video recordings suggested that raccoons (Procyon lotor), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and other vertebrate pests were to blame for some of the stripped damage

Improved Methods for Deterring Cliff Swallow Nesting on Highway Structures

Cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) are migratory birds that frequently nest on highway structures, such as bridges. Because cliff swallows are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, nesting control methods must not harm cliff swallows or disturb active nests. This can cause delays for maintenance divisions of state departments of transportation, resulting in additional cost. In a multiyear project, we evaluated the effects of bioacoustic deterrents and bridge surface modifications on nesting behavior of cliff swallows. We used cliff swallow alarm and distress calls as bioacoustic deterrents (hereafter, broadcast calls [BC]) because they previously had been shown to delay the onset of nesting. We used low-friction plastic sheeting (PTFE, commonly called by its trade name, Teflon®) and silicone-based paint for bridge surface modification. In 2007, swallows were able to complete nests on silicone paint, but did not successfully complete any nests on PTFE. In 2008, PTFE+BC treatment significantly reduced nesting compared with no treatment, although some nests were completed at PTFE and PTFE+BC sites on the bare concrete next to the sheeting or at locations where sheeting had peeled away. We recommend treatment with PTFE+BC to reduce the likelihood of cliff swallow nesting on bridge surfaces, but this should be supplemented with weekly site visits to check treatment integrity and to remove any partial nests on untreated surfaces

The Prodomain-bound Form of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 10 Is Biologically Active on Endothelial Cells.

BMP10 is highly expressed in the developing heart and plays essential roles in cardiogenesis. BMP10 deletion in mice results in embryonic lethality because of impaired cardiac development. In adults, BMP10 expression is restricted to the right atrium, though ventricular hypertrophy is accompanied by increased BMP10 expression in a rat hypertension model. However, reports of BMP10 activity in the circulation are inconclusive. In particular, it is not known whether in vivo secreted BMP10 is active or whether additional factors are required to achieve its bioactivity. It has been shown that high-affinity binding of the BMP10 prodomain to the mature ligand inhibits BMP10 signaling activity in C2C12 cells, and it was proposed that prodomain-bound BMP10 (pBMP10) complex is latent. In this study, we demonstrated that the BMP10 prodomain did not inhibit BMP10 signaling activity in multiple endothelial cells, and that recombinant human pBMP10 complex, expressed in mammalian cells and purified under native conditions, was fully active. In addition, both BMP10 in human plasma and BMP10 secreted from the mouse right atrium were fully active. Finally, we confirmed that active BMP10 secreted from mouse right atrium was in the prodomain-bound form. Our data suggest that circulating BMP10 in adults is fully active and that the reported vascular quiescence function of BMP10 in vivo is due to the direct activity of pBMP10 and does not require an additional activation step. Moreover, being an active ligand, recombinant pBMP10 may have therapeutic potential as an endothelial-selective BMP ligand, in conditions characterized by loss of BMP9/10 signaling.This work was supported by British Heart Foundation Grants PG/12/54/29734 (to W. L., P. D. U., and N. W. M.) and CH/09/001/25945 (to N. W. M.). He Jiang was supported by the Cambridge Wellcome Trust 4-year Ph.D Programme in Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disease.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology via http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M115.68329

Regulation of bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) by redox-dependent proteolysis.

BMP9, a member of the TGFβ superfamily, is a homodimer that forms a signaling complex with two type I and two type II receptors. Signaling through high-affinity activin receptor-like kinase 1 (ALK1) in endothelial cells, circulating BMP9 acts as a vascular quiescence factor, maintaining endothelial homeostasis. BMP9 is also the most potent BMP for inducing osteogenic signaling in mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and promoting bone formation in vivo. This activity requires ALK1, the lower affinity type I receptor ALK2, and higher concentrations of BMP9. In adults, BMP9 is constitutively expressed in hepatocytes and secreted into the circulation. Optimum concentrations of BMP9 are essential to maintain the highly specific endothelial-protective function. Factors regulating BMP9 stability and activity remain unknown. Here, we showed by chromatography and a 1.9 Å crystal structure that stable BMP9 dimers could form either with (D-form) or without (M-form) an intermolecular disulfide bond. Although both forms of BMP9 were capable of binding to the prodomain and ALK1, the M-form demonstrated less sustained induction of Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation. The two forms could be converted into each other by changing the redox potential, and this redox switch caused a major alteration in BMP9 stability. The M-form displayed greater susceptibility to redox-dependent cleavage by proteases present in serum. This study provides a mechanism for the regulation of circulating BMP9 concentrations and may provide new rationales for approaches to modify BMP9 levels for therapeutic purposes.Funding was provided by the British Heart Foundation. Infrastructure support was provided by the Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre.This is the final version. It was first published by ASBMB at http://www.jbc.org/content/early/2014/09/18/jbc.M114.579771.abstract