Migrant networks and political participation in Mozambique

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and EconomicsThis paper examines the hypothesis that migration might enhance the demand for political improvements both by migrants and migrant’s networks. We use individuallevel survey and behavioral data that were collected during the 2009 elections in Mozambique to show that the proportion of migrants in a village improves the demand for political accountability not only through migrants themselves but also their networks. Whereas the interest in politics is driven by the amount of migrants in the geographical network, the transmission of democratic ideas seems to be fostered by regular contact with migrant households. These results are robust when controlling for self-selection

Application of High Resolution Mass Spectrometry for the Screening and Confirmation of Novel Psychoactive Substances

There has been an emergence of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) in forensic casework globally. Although the reported prevalence of these compounds has been relatively low in comparison to traditional drugs of abuse, published case studies suggest that some NPS have significant pharmacological effects that may cause severe impairment and/or death. Because of these effects, it is important that toxicology laboratories have the capability of identifying these compounds to complete a comprehensive toxicological analysis for human performance and post-mortem investigations. Recently, mass spectrometry has gained favor over traditional screening assays such as immunoassays for the identification of NPS in biological specimens. This trend is mainly a result of the fact that mass spectrometry provides the required sensitivity and selectivity for a broader range of analytes. High resolution tandem mass spectrometry has been suggested for analysis of NPS, as this technique further increases selectivity by increasing mass accuracy and providing MS/MS spectral data. The main goal of the present study was to investigate the applicability of using high resolution mass spectrometry to screen for and confirm a large number of novel psychoactive substances. The present study consisted of three main tasks, which included 1) the creation of a large high resolution MS/MS spectral library and database, 2) the development of a solid phase extraction (SPE) method and acquisition methods, and 3) a collision induced dissociation (CID) study of regioisomeric NPS compounds. The MS/MS spectral library created contains spectral data for 252 NPS. In addition, 875 NPS entities were included in the compound database. The library and database can be used by toxicology laboratories to aid in the identification of NPS in casework using MS/MS spectral data and full scan MS data, respectively. The analytical method developed used SPE and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The HRMS method demonstrated limits of detection ranging from 0.5- 5 ng/mL for NPS from various structural drug classes. The CID experiments demonstrated that relative ion abundance alone could be used to differentiate some sets of regioisomers. The present work can aid toxicology laboratories in the identification of NPS and demonstrates the applicability of HRMS for their screening and confirmation

Colchicum autumnale - Control strategies and their impact on vegetation composition of species-rich grasslands

The meadow saffron Colchicum autumnale occurs on agricultural land predominantly in extensively managed grassland, often underlying nature preservation regulations. Due to its high toxicity if fresh or conserved (hay and silage), there is a need of control measures to ensure the future management and sward utilization of sites with occurrence of C. autumnale. Until now it is unclear, to what extent common management recommendations affect the vegetation composition of species-rich grassland.In this study, the effect of different management measures (late hay cut with or without rolling, early hay cut, late mulching in May, early mulching in April, herbicide application with or without reseeding) on the number of C. autumnale and the vegetation composition of a moderately species-rich Dauco-Arrhenatheretum elatioris (31 ± 4 species per m², mean ± standard deviation) was examined since 2006. The number of C. autumnale was first significantly reduced three years after the start of the experiment in the early and late mulching treatments; in the next three experimental years treatment differences in C. autumnale reduction did not increase significantly. With respect to vegetation composition, herbicide application had the overriding effect, as it decreased the plant species number and proportions of forbs significantly. The late hay cut preserved the original plant diversity, no negative effect of rolling or the early hay cut was observed. Early mulching resulted in an increase in Dactylis glomerata and Trisetum flavescens and in the decrease of Crepis biennis, Vicia sepium, Tragopogon pratense and Trifolium pratense; it had no negative effect on the total proportion of high nature value (HNV) species. Late mulching resulted in a significantly lower yield proportion of high nature value species in 2012 and less similar in vegetation composition compared to the late hay cut treatment than early mulching; therefore it seems not to be a suitable control measure of C. autumnale in plant species-rich grassland on the long-term.Keywords: Colchicum autumnale, extensive grassland, grassland management, plant diversity, vegetation compositionColchicum autumnale – Strategien zur Kontrolle und ihr Effekt auf die   Vegetationszusammensetzung eines artenreichen GrünlandsZusammenfassungDie Herbstzeitlose Colchicum autumnale kommt auf landwirtschaftlichen Flächen vorrangig im Extensivgrünland vor, das häufig Naturschutzauflagen unterliegt. Aufgrund der hohen Giftigkeit, ob frisch oder konserviert (Heu und Silage), werden Regulationsmaßnahmen benötigt, um die zukünftige Bewirtschaftung betroffener Flächen und die Verwendung der Aufwüchse sicher zu stellen. Bisher ist unklar, welches Ausmaß übliche Bewirtschaftungsempfehlungen auf die Vegetationszusammensetzung von artenreichem Grünland haben.In dieser Studie wurde seit 2006 der Effekt unterschiedlicher Bewirtschaftungsmaßnahmen (später Heuschnitt mit und ohne Walzen, früher Heuschnitt, spätes Mulchen im Mai, frühes Mulchen im April, Herbizidanwendung mit und ohne Nachsaat) auf die Anzahl an C. autumnale und die Vegetationszusammensetzung einem mäßig artenreichen Dauco-Arrhenatheretum elatioris (31 ± 4 Arten je m², Mittelwert ± Standardabweichung) untersucht. Die Anzahl an C. autumnale war erstmalig nach drei Versuchsjahren bei frühem und spätem Mulchen signifikant reduziert; in den nächsten drei Versuchsjahren verstärkten sich die Unterschiede zwischen den Behandlungen nicht signifikant. Hinsichtlich der Vegetationszusammensetzung hatte die Herbizidbehandlung den stärksten Effekt, da sie zu signifikanter Abnahme der Pflanzenartenzahl und des Ertragsanteils der Kräuter führte. Der späte Heuschnitt bewahrte die ursprüngliche Pflanzenartenvielfalt, ebenso wurde kein negativer Effekt durch Walzen oder früheren Heuschnitt im Juni beobachtet. Frühes Mulchen führte zur Zunahme von Dactylis glomerata und Trisetum flavescens und der Abnahme von Crepis biennis, Vicia sepium, Tragopogon pratense und Trifolium pratense; es hatte keinen negativen Effekt auf den Gesamtertragsanteil an high nature value (HNV)-Arten. Spätes Mulchen führte 2012 zu einem signifikant niedrigeren Ertragsanteil an HNV-Arten und geringerer Ähnlichkeit in der Vegetationszusammensetzung zum späten Heuschnitt als frühes Mulchen; es scheint daher längerfristig nicht die passende Maßnahme zur Regulation von C. autumnale in artenreichem Grünland zu sein.Stichwörter: Colchicum autumnale, extensives Grünland, Grünlandmanagement, Pflanzenartenvielfalt, Vegetationszusammensetzun

Characterization of Toll-like receptors in primary lung epithelial cells: strong impact of the TLR3 ligand poly(I:C) on the regulation of Toll-like receptors, adaptor proteins and inflammatory response

BACKGROUND: Bacterial and viral exacerbations play a crucial role in a variety of lung diseases including COPD or asthma. Since the lung epithelium is a major source of various inflammatory mediators that affect the immune response, we analyzed the inflammatory reaction of primary lung epithelial cells to different microbial molecules that are recognized by Toll-like receptors (TLR). METHODS: The effects of TLR ligands on primary small airway epithelial cells were analyzed in detail with respect to cytokine, chemokine and matrix metalloproteinase secretion. In addition, the regulation of the expression of TLRs and their adaptor proteins in small airway epithelial cells was investigated. RESULTS: Our data demonstrate that poly(I:C), a synthetic analog of viral dsRNA, mediated the strongest proinflammatory effects among the tested ligands, including an increased secretion of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, GM-CSF, GRO-α, TARC, MCP-1, MIP-3α, RANTES, IFN-β, IP-10 and ITAC as well as an increased release of MMP-1, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-10 and MMP-13. Furthermore, our data show that poly(I:C) as well as type-1 and type-2 cytokines have a pronounced effect on the expression of TLRs and molecules involved in TLR signaling in small airway epithelial cells. Poly(I:C) induced an elevated expression of TLR1, TLR2 and TLR3 and increased the gene expression of the general TLR adaptor MyD88 and IRAK-2. Simultaneously, poly(I:C) decreased the expression of TLR5, TLR6 and TOLLIP. CONCLUSION: Poly(I:C), an analog of viral dsRNA and a TLR3 ligand, triggers a strong inflammatory response in small airway epithelial cells that is likely to contribute to viral exacerbations of pulmonary diseases like asthma or COPD. The pronounced effects of poly(I:C) on the expression of Toll-like receptors and molecules involved in TLR signaling is assumed to influence the immune response of the lung epithelium to viral and bacterial infections. Likewise, the regulation of TLR expression by type-1 and type-2 cytokines is important considering the impact of exogenous and endogenous TLR ligands on Th1 or Th2 driven pulmonary inflammations like COPD or asthma, respectively

Untersuchung der Regulation von Sekundärmetabolitgenclustern in Alternaria alternata

In dieser Arbeit wurden in Alternaria alternata die zum Cluster der Polyketidsynthase PksB gehörenden Gene identifiziert sowie ein Metabolit, welcher zu dem Cluster gehören könnte. Auch die PksD wurde näher charakterisiert. Es wurde weiterhin gezeigt, dass VeA und LaeA, zwei globale Regulatoren, eine wichtige Rolle in der Sekundärmetabolitproduktion spielen. Zusätzlich wurde auf die epigenetische Regulation durch FphA und LreA hingewiesen

Examining individual differences in language learning: A neurocognitive model of language aptitude

A common practice in the cognitive neurosciences is to investigate population-typical phenomena, treating individuals as equal except for a few outliers that are usually discarded from analyses or that disappear on group-level patterns. Only a few studies to date have captured the heterogeneity of language processing across individuals as so-called “individual differences”; fewer have explicitly researched language aptitude, which designates an individual’s ability for acquiring foreign languages. Existing studies show that, relative to average learners, very gifted language learners display different task-related patterns of functional activation and connectivity during linguistic tasks, and structural differences in white and grey matter morphology, and in white matter connectivity. Despite growing interest in language aptitude, there is no recent comprehensive review, nor a theoretical model to date that includes the neural level. To fill this gap, we review neuroscientific research on individual differences in language learning and language aptitude and present a first, preliminary neurocognitive model of language aptitude. We suggest that language aptitude could arise from an advantageous neurocognitive profile, which leads to high intrinsic motivation and proactive engagement in language learning activities. On the neural level, interindividual differences in the morphology of the bilateral auditory cortex constrain individual neural plasticity, as is evident in the speed and efficiency of language learning. We suggest that language learning success is further dependent upon highly efficient auditory-motor connections (speech-motor networks) and the structural characteristics of dorsal and ventral fibre tracts during language learning

Different Modes of Pitch Perception and Learning-Induced Neuronal Plasticity of the Human Auditory Cortex

We designed a melody perception experiment involving eight harmonic complex tones of missing fundamental frequencies (hidden auditory object) to study the short-term neuronal plasticity of the auditory cortex. In this experiment, the fundamental frequencies of the complex tones followed the beginning of the virtual melody of the tune “Frère Jacques”. The harmonics of the complex tones were chosen so that the spectral melody had an inverse contour when compared with the virtual one. Evoked magnetic fields were recorded contralaterally to the ear of stimulation from both hemispheres. After a base line measurement, the subjects were exposed repeatedly to the experimental stimuli for 1 hour a day. All subjects reported a sudden change in the perceived melody, indicating possible reorganization of the cortical processes involved in the virtual pitch formation. After this switch in perception, a second measurement was performed. Cortical sources of the evoked gamma-band activity were significantly stronger and located more medially after a switch in perception. Independent Component Analysis revealed enhanced synchronization in the gamma-band frequency range. Comparing the gamma-band activation of both hemispheres, no laterality effects were observed. The results indicate that the primary auditory cortices are involved in the process of virtual pitch perception and that their function is modifiable by laboratory manipulation

The Cooperating Teacher’s Role Within the Context of a Coteaching Clinical Practice Model

The School of Education at Walter Baxter College (WBC; a pseudonym), a private, 4-year, liberal arts college located in the Midwestern United States, has not integrated role conceptualization training for cooperating teachers who have partnered within a yearlong, coteaching clinical practice model. The problem was that cooperating teachers have demonstrated inconsistencies in providing mentorship as part of the coteaching model. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to provide information on how to support cooperating elementary education teachers in effectively understanding and executing their roles as mentors to teacher candidates when partnering within a coteaching clinical practice model. Two theories grounded this study: Portner’s four mentoring functions and Stets and Burke’s role identity formation. The research questions of the study focused on how cooperating teachers describe and operationalize their roles as mentors and how the teacher preparation program can support cooperating teachers. Through one-on-one interviews and reflection papers of five cooperating teacher participants, thematic data analysis suggested the opportunity for professional development to better train and support cooperating teachers in their roles as mentors. Based on these findings, a professional development program was developed as the project to provide cooperating teachers with explicit instruction and practice in coaching teacher candidates as related to mentoring. As WBC’s teacher preparation program (i.e., the project) better reinforces and supports a collaborative mentoring model, positive social change will occur resulting in better-prepared teacher candidates that will consequently become better classroom teachers and strengthened partnerships with prekindergarten-12 schools