Romantic Undertones in Revolutionary France: The Case for Tarare as Spark For The Revolution

Music is almost never cited among the causes of the French Revolution. Other arts are occasionally mentioned, such as painting and poetry, as are more obvious disciplines including philosophy and literature, which could directly disseminate the ideals of the Enlightenment. Despite this, music is only referenced insofar as how it was impacted by the Revolution, rather than how it may have played a part in the development of revolutionary sentiment. The purpose of this dissertation is to make a case for music as a cultural cause for the French Revolution by analyzing a relatively unknown opera, Tarare, by composer Antonio Salieri and librettist Pierre Beaumarchais. Tarare is rife with politically subversive material, and was premiered at the Paris Opera just two years before the Bastille was stormed, effectively beginning the Revolutionary period. French Opera is first established as an ideal and equitable conduit of Enlightenment thought and political messaging. Various political elements of French music are then discussed, concluding that Tarare exhibits many of these elements. French music, historically ignored or forgotten, is discussed as an often exclusionary art, reconciling the relative importance of works such as Tarare with their lack of modern appreciation. The plot of and salient musical examples from Tarare are then analyzed in terms of their unprecedented political impact. Finally, the contemporary success of Tarare is connected to Beaumarchais’s intent as a librettist, which is clarified by discussion of his career as a political agitator and revolutionary sympathizer

Rotating biological contactors for wastewater treatment - A review

Rotating biological contactors (RBCs) for wastewater treatment began in the 1970s. Removal of organic matter has been targeted within organic loading rates of up to 120 g m−2 d−1 with an optimum at around 15 g m−2 d−1 for combined BOD and ammonia removal. Full nitrification is achievable under appropriate process conditions with oxidation rates of up to 6 g m−2 d−1 reported for municipal wastewater. The RBC process has been adapted for denitrification with reported removal rates of up to 14 g m−2 d−1 with nitrogen rich wastewaters. Different media types can be used to improve organic/nitrogen loading rates through selecting for different bacterial groups. The RBC has been applied with only limited success for enhanced biological phosphorus removal and attained up to 70% total phosphorus removal. Compared to other biofilm processes, RBCs had 35% lower energy costs than trickling filters but higher demand than wetland systems. However, the land footprint for the same treatment is lower than these alternatives. The RBC process has been used for removal of priority pollutants such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products. The RBC system has been shown to eliminate 99% of faecal coliforms and the majority of other wastewater pathogens. Novel RBC reactors include systems for energy generation such as algae, methane production and microbial fuel cells for direct current generation. Issues such as scale up remain challenging for the future application of RBC technology and topics such as phosphorus removal and denitrification still require further research. High volumetric removal rate, solids retention, low footprint, hydraulic residence times are characteristics of RBCs. The RBC is therefore an ideal candidate for hybrid processes for upgrading works maximising efficiency of existing infrastructure and minimising energy consumption for nutrient removal. This review will provide a link between disciplines and discuss recent developments in RBC research and comparison of recent process designs are provided (Section 2). The microbial features of the RBC biofilm are highlighted (Section 3) and topics such as biological nitrogen removal and priority pollutant remediation are discussed (Sections 4 and 5). Developments in kinetics and modelling are highlighted (Section 6) and future research themes are mentioned

Upper-rim monofunctionalisation in the synthesis of triazole- and disulfide-linked multicalix[4]- and -[6]arenes.

Covalently linked multiple calixarenes are valued in supramolecular chemistry. We report an easy and versatile synthetic route to covalently linked double and triple calix[4]arene and calix[6]arenes by a novel DMF‐controlled selective alkylation of a convenient and readily available upper‐rim dimethylaminomethyl‐substituted tetrahydroxy calix[4]arene and ‐[6]arenes. Synthetic routes to upper‐rim functionalised redox active disulfide‐linked double‐, tetra‐ and peptidohybrid‐calixarenes employing either redox chemistry (CH2SH) or thiolates (CH2S–) are also opened up from the same key starting material

Leaf trichomes affect caterpillar feeding in an instar-specific manner

Leaf trichomes play well-established roles in defense against insect herbivores, both as a physical barrier that impedes herbivore movement and by mediating chemical defenses. However, little work has examined how different trichome types influence herbivory by herbivores at different stages of development. We examined whether caterpillar instar and trichome type (glandular or non-glandular) affected the ability of the specialist herbivore caterpillar Manduca sexta to initiate feeding on 11 Solanaceous species exhibiting variation in the density and type of leaf trichomes. Our results suggest that non-glandular trichomes are far more effective than glandular trichomes in deterring the initiation of feeding by first- and second-instar caterpillars. Meanwhile, neither glandular nor non-glandular trichomes significantly affected the ability of third-instar caterpillars to commence feeding. These findings suggest that while non-glandular trichomes deter feeding initiation by early instar caterpillars, the contribution of both trichomes on later instars may depend on effects after feeding initiation

Patterns of Natural and Human-Caused Mortality Factors of a Rare Forest Carnivore, the Fisher (Pekania pennanti) in California.

Wildlife populations of conservation concern are limited in distribution, population size and persistence by various factors, including mortality. The fisher (Pekania pennanti), a North American mid-sized carnivore whose range in the western Pacific United States has retracted considerably in the past century, was proposed for threatened status protection in late 2014 under the United States Endangered Species Act by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in its West Coast Distinct Population Segment. We investigated mortality in 167 fishers from two genetically and geographically distinct sub-populations in California within this West Coast Distinct Population Segment using a combination of gross necropsy, histology, toxicology and molecular methods. Overall, predation (70%), natural disease (16%), toxicant poisoning (10%) and, less commonly, vehicular strike (2%) and other anthropogenic causes (2%) were causes of mortality observed. We documented both an increase in mortality to (57% increase) and exposure (6%) from pesticides in fishers in just the past three years, highlighting further that toxicants from marijuana cultivation still pose a threat. Additionally, exposure to multiple rodenticides significantly increased the likelihood of mortality from rodenticide poisoning. Poisoning was significantly more common in male than female fishers and was 7 times more likely than disease to kill males. Based on necropsy findings, suspected causes of mortality based on field evidence alone tended to underestimate the frequency of disease-related mortalities. This study is the first comprehensive investigation of mortality causes of fishers and provides essential information to assist in the conservation of this species

Practical steps toward integrating economic, social and institutional elements in fisheries policy and management

While international agreements and legislation call for incorporation of four pillars of sustainability, the social (including cultural), economic and institutional aspects (the ‘human dimension’) have been relatively neglected to date. Three key impediments have been identified: a relative lack of explicit social, economic and institutional objectives; a general lack of process (frameworks, governance) for routine integration of all four pillars of sustainability; and a bias towards biological considerations. Practical integration requires a ‘systems’ approach with explicit consideration of strategic and operational aspects of management; multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary evaluations; practical objectives for the four pillars of sustainability; appropriate participation; and a governance system that is able to integrate these diverse considerations in management. We challenge all involved in fisheries to immediately take five practical steps toward integrating ecological, economic, social and institutional aspects: (1) Adopt the perspective of the fishery as a ‘system’ with interacting natural, human and management elements; (2) Be aware of both strategic and operational aspects of fisheries assessment and management; (3) Articulate overarching objectives that incorporate all four pillars of sustainability; (4) Encourage appropriate (and diverse) disciplinary participation in all aspects of research, evaluation and management; and (5) Encourage development of (or emulate) participatory governance

Rapidly developed, optimized, and applied wastewater surveillance system for real-time monitoring of low-incidence, high-impact MPOX outbreak

Recent MPOX viral resurgences have mobilized public health agencies around the world. Recognizing the significant risk of MPOX outbreaks, large-scale human testing, and immunization campaigns have been initiated by local, national, and global public health authorities. Recently, traditional clinical surveillance campaigns for MPOX have been complemented with wastewater surveillance (WWS), building on the effectiveness of existing wastewater programs that were built to monitor SARS-CoV-2 and recently expanded to include influenza and respiratory syncytial virus surveillance in wastewaters. In the present study, we demonstrate and further support the finding that MPOX viral fragments agglomerate in the wastewater solids fraction. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the current, most commonly used MPOX assays are equally effective at detecting low titers of MPOX viral signal in wastewaters. Finally, MPOX WWS is shown to be more effective at passively tracking outbreaks and/or resurgences of the disease than clinical testing alone in smaller communities with low human clinical case counts of MPOX

The state of the Martian climate

60°N was +2.0°C, relative to the 1981–2010 average value (Fig. 5.1). This marks a new high for the record. The average annual surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly for 2016 for land stations north of starting in 1900, and is a significant increase over the previous highest value of +1.2°C, which was observed in 2007, 2011, and 2015. Average global annual temperatures also showed record values in 2015 and 2016. Currently, the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of lower latitudes

HIV Prevention Via Mobile Messaging for Men Who Have Sex With Men (M-Cubed): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be the predominately impacted risk group in the United States HIV epidemic and are a priority group for risk reduction in national strategic goals for HIV prevention. Modeling studies have demonstrated that a comprehensive package of status-tailored HIV prevention and care interventions have the potential to substantially reduce new infections among MSM. However, uptake of basic prevention services, including HIV testing, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, condom distribution, condom-compatible lubricant distribution, and preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), is suboptimal. Further, stronger public health strategies are needed to promote engagement in HIV care and viral load suppression among MSM living with HIV. Mobile health (mHealth) tools can help inform and encourage MSM regarding HIV prevention, care, and treatment, especially among men who lack access to conventional medical services. This protocol details the design and procedures of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a novel mHealth intervention that comprises a comprehensive HIV prevention app and brief, tailored text- and video-based messages that are systematically presented to participants based on the participants’ HIV status and level of HIV acquisition risk. Objective: The objective of the RCT was to test the efficacy of the Mobile Messaging for Men (M-Cubed, or M3) app among at least 1200 MSM in Atlanta, Detroit, and New York. The goal was to determine its ability to increase HIV testing (HIV-negative men), STI testing (all men), condom use for anal sex (all men), evaluation for PrEP eligibility, uptake of PrEP (higher risk HIV-negative men), engagement in HIV care (men living with HIV), and uptake of and adherence to antiretroviral medications (men living with HIV). A unique benefit of this approach is the HIV serostatus-inclusiveness of the intervention, which includes both HIV-negative and HIV-positive MSM. Methods: MSM were recruited through online and venue-based approaches in Atlanta, Detroit, and New York City. Men who were eligible and consented were randomized to the intervention (immediate access to the M3 app for a period of three months) or to the waitlist-control (delayed access) group. Outcomes were evaluated immediately post intervention or control period, and again three and six months after the intervention period. Main outcomes will be reported as period prevalence ratios or hazards,depending on the outcome. Where appropriate, serostatus/risk-specific outcomes will be evaluated in relevant subgroups. Men randomized to the control condition were offered the opportunity to use (and evaluate) the M3 app for a three-month period after the final RCT outcome assessment. Results: M3 enrollment began in January 2018 and concluded in November 2018. A total of 1229 MSM were enrolled. Datacollection was completed in September 2019.Conclusions: This RCT of the M3 mobile app seeks to determine the effects of an HIV serostatus–inclusive intervention on the use of multiple HIV prevention and care-related outcomes among MSM. A strength of the design is that it incorporates a large sample and broad range of MSM with differing prevention needs in three cities with high prevalence of HIV among MSM