cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Balancing intestinal and systemic inflammation through cell type-specific expression of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor
Creators: name: Brandstätter, Olga
name: Schanz, Oliver
name: Vorac, Julia
name: König, Jessica
name: Mori, Tetsushi
name: Maruyama, Toru
name: Korkowski, Markus
name: Haarmann-Stemmann, Thomas
name: Smolinski, Dorthe Von
name: Schultze, Joachim L.
name: Abel, Josef
name: Esser, Charlotte
name: Takeyama, Haruko
name: Weighardt, Heike
name: Förster, Irmgard
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::630 Landwirtschaft::630 Landwirtschaft und verwandte Bereiche

description: As a sensor of polyaromatic chemicals the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) exerts an important role in immune regulation besides its requirement for xenobiotic metabolism. Transcriptional activation of AhR target genes is counterregulated by the AhR repressor (AhRR) but the exact function of the AhRR in vivo is currently unknown. We here show that the AhRR is predominantly expressed in immune cells of the skin and intestine, different from other AhR target genes. Whereas AhRR antagonizes the anti-inflammatory function of the AhR in the context of systemic endotoxin shock, AhR and AhRR act in concert to dampen intestinal inflammation. Specifically, AhRR contributes to the maintenance of colonic intraepithelial lymphocytes and prevents excessive IL- 1β production and Th17/Tc17 differentiation. In contrast, the AhRR enhances IFN-γ-production by effector T cells in the inflamed gut. Our findings highlight the physiologic importance of cell-type specific balancing of AhR/AhRR expression in response to microbial, nutritional and other environmental stimuli.
Simulating electronic structure on bosonic quantum computers
Creators: name: Dutta, Rishab
name: Vu, Nam P.
name: Xu, Chuzhi
name: Cabral, Delmar G. A.
name: Lyu, Ningyi
name: Soudackov, Alexander V.
name: Dan, Xiaohan
name: Li, Haote
name: Wang, Chen
name: Batista, Victor S.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Quantum harmonic oscillators, or qumodes, provide a promising and versatile framework for quantum computing. Unlike qubits, which are limited to two discrete levels, qumodes have an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space, making them well-suited for a wide range of quantum simulations. In this work, we focus on the molecular electronic structure problem. We propose an approach to map the electronic Hamiltonian into a qumode bosonic problem that can be solved on bosonic quantum devices using the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE). Our approach is demonstrated through the computation of ground potential energy surfaces for benchmark model systems, including H$_2$ and the linear H$_4$ molecule. The preparation of trial qumode states and the computation of expectation values leverage universal ansatzes based on the echoed conditional displacement (ECD), or the selective number-dependent arbitrary phase (SNAP) operations. These techniques are compatible with circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) platforms, where microwave resonators coupled to superconducting transmon qubits can offer an efficient hardware realization. This work establishes a new pathway for simulating many-fermion systems, highlighting the potential of hybrid qubit-qumode quantum devices in advancing quantum computational chemistry.
description: 83 pages including references and SI, 23 figures, minor revision
title: Economic conditions of Ceylon (c.1070 A.D. to 1344).
Creators: name: Siriweera, Wathuge I.
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1970

description: This study attempts to trace and examine the economic conditions of Ceylon during the period c. A.D. 1070 to 1344. The geographical area of the new capitals that were chosen by the Sinhalese kings after the abandonment of Polonnaruwa as the seat of authority resulted in some changes in the economic pattern and organization of the Sinhalese kingdom. By examining the nature of such changes where relevant, the author has primarily attempted to delineate the main features of economic organization of the Polonnaruwa period and the immediately following period which saw the gradual decline of the Rajarata reservoir system. The introductory chapter outlines the political history of the period and examines the social framework of the Sinhalese. Chapter II analyses the patterns of land tenure and includes a close examination of the popularly accepted view that the king was the sole owner of land. This is followed by a chapter on irrigation which attempts to survey certain problems such as labour organization for irrigation works and methods of distribution of water. The fourth chapter outlines the agricultural practices of the Island. In this chapter an attempt is also made to estimate the area of paddy cultivation in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The nature of the internal trade and monetary transactions are being dealt with in the next chapter, while the sixth chapter is devoted mainly to foreign trade. The last chapter examines the revenue terms and principles and methods of taxation, and the conclusion brings out the main results of this study.
title: The simple nominal phrase in Hausa.
Creators: name: Galadanci, Muhammad K.M.
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1969

description: The thesis describes the structure of the Simple Nominal Phrase, its constituent elements, their role in the Simple Nominal Phrase and their relationship to each other. In the first section, the Simple Nominal Phrase is distinguished from other types of Nominal Phrase, and shown to be analysable in terms of a Head, pre-Head Qualifiers, and post-Head Qualifiers. The various types of item - both adverbial and non-adverbial - which can occur in Nominal Phrases are then described in terms of their own structure and their possible occurrence in the Simple Nominal Phrase, as Head or as pre-Head or post-Head Qualifier or as both. The second section is concerned, first, with Nominal Phrases consisting of Head alone, and then with the possible combinations of various types of Qualifier and of Head, and the co-occurrence in a single Nominal Phrase of various types of Qualifier. Attention is given first to pre-Head Qualifiers, then to post-Head Qualifiers, and then to the co-occurrence - both optional and necessary - of pre-Head and post-Head Qualifiers. The possibility of accumulation of Qualifiers in a single Nominal Phrase is also considered, and the sequential order of their occurrence. The third section examines the operation of Gender and of Number agreements within the Simple Nominal Phrase, and the possibility of interrupting the continuity of Simple Nominal Phrase by certain extraneous items. In addition to specific conclusions on the role of various types of item and their combination, co-occurrence and accumulation, the general conclusion is reached, that analysis in terms of a Head and pre-Head and post-Head Qualifiers facilitates the description of the Simple Nominal Phrase, its constituent elements and their relationship to one another.
title: The social and cultural construction of gender realities in an Igbo society: Nnobi case study.
Creators: name: Amadiume, Ifeyinwa
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1983

description: In this thesis, I examine the politics of sex and gender in the social and cultural systems of an Igbo community (Nnobi) at three historical periods. Even though sexual dualism was pervasive of indigenous institutions, the separation of the sexes was mediated by the flexible gender system of the traditional language and culture. Sex did not always correspond to gender, and women could, therefore, play roles usually monopolized by men, or be classified as 'males' in terms of power and authority over others. This was possible because such roles were not rigidly masculinized or feminized, and there was therefore no stigma attached to the breaking of gender rules. Furthermore, the presence of a matriarchal ideology embedded in a goddess-focused religion, favoured and encouraged the acceptance of women in central positions of authority. In contrast to the traditional culture, I show how Western culture, religion and education attendant on colonialism, introduced a rigid gender system which strictly masculinized and feminized roles. Traditional women's power was, therefore, eroded. The post-independence period, on the other hand, saw the revival of traditional culture, co-existing with Western cultures and institutions. There were, however, in that traditional culture, enough contradictions which local men could manipulate, in order to marginalize the position of their womenfolk in the political structures of the contemporary society.
THE BIOLOGY OF PHENACOCCUS AZALEAE KUWANA, A PEST OF BUNGE PRICKLY ASH (ZANTHOXYLUM BUNGEANUM MAXIM) FOREST IN NORTHERN CHINA
Creators: name: Xie, Yingping
name: Zhao, Jinlong
name: Guo, Yongping
name: Li, Yunfeng
Publisher: name: Entomologica
Year: 2016

description: THE BIOLOGY OF PHENACOCCUS AZALEAE KUWANA, A PEST OF BUNGE PRICKLY ASH

(ZANTHOXYLUM BUNGEANUM MAXIM) FOREST IN NORTHERN CHINA.

Phenacoccus azaleae Kuwana (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae) is a major new pest of bunge prickly ash forest in northern China, where it causes high tree mortality when present for two consecutive years. This paper reports on the biology of this pest in northern China, where it has been studied since 1995. The life cycle can be divided into eight phases, two of which cause severe injury to the host plant, through the feeding of: (a) the 3rd-instar nymphs and adult females between late March and mid-May, and (b) the young nymphs which are present on the leaves between late June and October. The adult sex ratio was 6-7TM:1¢. The various development stages are described. Of the natural enemies, ladybirds (Coccinellidae) and lacewings (Neuroptera) were the major predators, but they were not abundant in the newly- infested areas. In addition, a few parasitic Hymenoptera were recorded but appeared to be ineffective.

Key words: Aphis gossypii, Papilio xuthus, Podagri comeiashirahatai, Calloides magnificus, Agrilus zanthoxylumi, plum, elm, Azalea, Japan, Korea, voltinism, development, population dynamics, damage, Lasius fuliginosus, L. niger, sex ratio, growth rate, Harmonia axyridis, Coccinella septempunctata, Chrysopa.
description: Entomologica, Vol 33 (1999)
title: Being an Indian Communist the South African way: The influence of Indians in the South African Communist Party, 1934-1952.
Creators: name: Raman, Parvathi
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 2002

description: The Indians that settled in South Africa were differentiated by class, caste, religion, language and region of origin. Whilst some Indians were imported as indentured labourers to work on the sugar plantations in Natal, others came as merchants and traders and set up businesses in South Africa. In this thesis, I consider the historical background to the construction of 'Indianness' in South Africa, where the idea of 'community', a contested and transformative concept, called upon existing cultural traditions brought from India, as well as new ways of life that developed in South Africa. Crucially, central to the construction of 'Indianness' were notions of citizenship and belonging within their new environment. I look at the ways in which sections of the Indian 'community' were radicalised through fighting for democratic rights and citizenship in South Africa, and subsequently joined the South African Communist Party. With Indian South African communists, there was, I argue, a complex articulation between the influence of Gandhi and the Indian national movement, socialism and class politics, and the circumstances of their new social and political landscape. Historically, Indians have been disproportionately represented in the South African Communist Party in relation to their numbers in wider South African society. They have played an important part in the development of political strategies within the party and, in particular, have contributed to the ongoing debate on the relationship between nationalism and socialism and the practical application of this in party work. In this thesis, I look at the role of Indians in the South African Communist Party and consider the social, cultural and political influences that they brought to the organisation. I examine how these traditions were woven into new forms of political resistance within the CP, and how these fed into the Defiance Campaign of 1952.
Conserved DNA sequence features underlie pervasive RNA polymerase pausing
Creators: name: Gajos, Martyna
name: Jasnovidova, Olga
name: Bömmel, Alena Van
name: Freier, Susanne
name: Vingron, Martin
name: Mayer, Andreas
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Gene Regulation
subject: Chromatin
subject: Epigenetics
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie

description: Pausing of transcribing RNA polymerase is regulated and creates opportunities to control gene expression. Research in metazoans has so far mainly focused on RNA polymerase II (Pol II) promoter-proximal pausing leaving the pervasive nature of pausing and its regulatory potential in mammalian cells unclear. Here, we developed a pause detecting algorithm (PDA) for nucleotide-resolution occupancy data and a new native elongating transcript sequencing approach, termed nested NET-seq, that strongly reduces artifactual peaks commonly misinterpreted as pausing sites. Leveraging PDA and nested NET-seq reveal widespread genome-wide Pol II pausing at single-nucleotide resolution in human cells. Notably, the majority of Pol II pauses occur outside of promoter-proximal gene regions primarily along the gene-body of transcribed genes. Sequence analysis combined with machine learning modeling reveals DNA sequence properties underlying widespread transcriptional pausing including a new pause motif. Interestingly, key sequence determinants of RNA polymerase pausing are conserved between human cells and bacteria. These studies indicate pervasive sequence-induced transcriptional pausing in human cells and the knowledge of exact pause locations implies potential functional roles in gene expression.
Circuits through prescribed edges
Creators: name: Knappe, Paul
name: Pitz, Max
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2018
Subjects: subject: Combinatorics (math.CO)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: 05C38, 05C40, 05C45

description: We prove that a connected graph contains a circuit---a closed walk that repeats no edges---through any $k$ prescribed edges if and only if it contains no odd cut of size at most $k$.
description: 12 pages; 3 figures
title: Sex and immortality: A study of Chinese sexual activities for better-being.
Creators: name: Umekawa, Sumiyo
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 2004

description: My thesis sets out to figure out the whole outline of Chinese sexual art, fangzhongshu (the art of the bedchamber). Although studies on this subject have drawn academic attention especially since the reappearance of the earliest extent of the genre in 1973, the clarification of Chinese sexual techniques seems obscure to me. It is my contention that clearer understanding of what is fangzhongshu will contribute towards a greater appreciation of ideas, theories and intellectual backgrounds in Chinese sexual techniques as well as of their practical methods. The thesis is divided into four main chapters. I begin with a diachronic review of account of the sexual art, with investigations into several individual viewpoints for and against it. In the second chapter, I will survey intellectual backgrounds of phenomena surrounding the sexual art, so as to establish a tentative explanation of the art. The third chapter focuses on practical aspects of sexual techniques by categorising them in accordance with the purposes that each method attempts to achieve. The fourth and the final chapter will be devoted to investigate sexual arts in relationship with the images of xian (Immortals) and religious operation. The results of this analysis would indicate that fangzhongshu was a collection of sexual techniques containing three different dimensions; they were methods to actualise general hope for better-being, techniques not for male but for female pleasure and numinous practices for communication with the world beyond.
Reinforcement learning decoders for fault-tolerant quantum computation
Creators: name: Sweke, Ryan
name: Kesselring, Markus S.
name: Nieuwenburg, Evert P. L. Van
name: Eisert, Jens
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: quantum error correction
subject: reinforcement learning
subject: fault tolerant quantum computing
subject: 000 Informatik, Informationswissenschaft, allgemeine Werke::000 Informatik, Wissen, Systeme::004 Datenverarbeitung; Informatik

description: Topological error correcting codes, and particularly the surface code, currently provide the most feasible road-map towards large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computation. As such, obtaining fast and flexible decoding algorithms for these codes, within the experimentally realistic and challenging context of faulty syndrome measurements, without requiring any final read-out of the physical qubits, is of critical importance. In this work, we show that the problem of decoding such codes can be naturally reformulated as a process of repeated interactions between a decoding agent and a code environment, to which the machinery of reinforcement learning can be applied to obtain decoding agents. While in principle this framework can be instantiated with environments modelling circuit level noise, we take a first step towards this goal by using deepQ learning to obtain decoding agents for a variety of simplified phenomenological noise models, which yield faulty syndrome measurements without including the propagation of errors which arise in full circuit level noise models.
Investigations on the occurrence of tapeworm infections in German horse populations with comparison of different antibody detection methods based on saliva and serum samples
Creators: name: Jürgenschellert, Laura
name: Krücken, Jürgen
name: Austin, Corrine J.
name: Lightbody, Kirsty L.
name: Bousquet, Eric
name: Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg Von
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Equine parasites
subject: Anoplocephala
subject: Cestodes
subject: ELISA
subject: Faecal egg count
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::630 Landwirtschaft::630 Landwirtschaft und verwandte Bereiche

description: Background Effective and sustainable worm control in horses would benefit from detailed information about the current regional occurrence of tapeworms. Different diagnostic methods are currently available to detect Anoplocephala spp. infections in horses. However, the format as well as the sensitivity and specificity of the methods vary considerably. Methods A coprological, serological and questionnaire study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of tapeworm infections on 48 horse farms in the region of Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany. In total, faecal samples of 484 horses were analysed using the double centrifugation/combined sedimentation-flotation and mini-FLOTAC. Serum (n = 481) and saliva (n = 365) samples were analysed by ELISAs to determine antibody levels against Anoplocephala spp. 12/13 kDa excretory/secretory (E/S) antigens. Results Cestode eggs were detected in 0.6% of faecal samples (farm prevalence 6.3%) without differences between the two methods. In contrast, antibodies against Anoplocephala spp. were detected in 16.2% (farm prevalence 52.1%) and in 29.5% (farm prevalence 75.7%) of the serum and saliva samples, respectively. Both ELISA based methods for detection of tapeworms reported a greater number of infected animals requiring treatment than were positively identified by coproscopy. Logistic regression analysis identified permanent pasture access, large pastures and regular pasture changes and high strongyle egg counts as risk factors for positive serum antibody responses to Anoplocephala spp. while last treatment with praziquantel was protective. Other protective factors were the presence of foals and high numbers of horses on the farm. Daily removal of faeces from the pasture and horse age did not have a significant effect. Conclusions The findings of the present serological investigation indicate that tapeworm prevalence in Berlin/Brandenburg horse farms is much higher than would be anticipated by using conventional/coproscopic analyses. Moreover, the majority of tapeworm-positive horses had not received a cestocidal drug at their last treatment. Considering the already known low sensitivity of the coproscopic detection, the equine veterinary diagnostics can be enhanced by the use of antibody detection methods such as the saliva-based ELISA.
A Cantor-Bernstein-type theorem for spanning trees in infinite graphs
Creators: name: Erde, Joshua
name: Gollin, Pascal
name: Joó, Atilla
name: Knappe, Paul
name: Pitz, Max
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: Combinatorics (math.CO)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: 05C63, 05C40

description: We show that if a graph admits a packing and a covering both consisting of $λ$ many spanning trees, where $λ$ is some infinite cardinal, then the graph also admits a decomposition into $λ$ many spanning trees. For finite $λ$ the analogous question remains open, however, a slightly weaker statement is proved.
description: 7 pages
title: Party platform change and democratic evolution in Taiwan: 1991-2001.
Creators: name: Fell, Dafydd J.
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 2003

description: The year 2001 marked the tenth anniversary of Taiwan's multi-party elections, offering a timely opportunity to take stock of the state of party politics in Taiwan. This study examines evolution of party competition in Taiwan, looking at how Taiwan's parties have adjusted to their new multi-party election environment. Have Taiwan's parties followed a convergent or divergent pattern of competition. Or has Taiwan followed the common models of many new democracies of either a hegemonic one party dominant system or a completely unconsolidated system of weak catchall parties and personality orientated, issueless campaigns. I argue that Taiwan has developed a healthy state of inter-party competition, in which parties and issues have mattered in the evolution of Taiwan's democracy. Taiwan's parties have shown reduced polarization, as election orientated leaders have pushed their parties towards a moderate centre in response to election results and public opinion. However, they have not merged into indistinguishable catchall parties. Instead, leapfrogging of policy positions has been rare, as movement has been within limits set out by party ideology and inner party factional balance. Within ten years of democratic elections Taiwan's parties have swiftly institutionalised a pattern of competition similar to their counterparts parties of Western Europe, with the parties consistently stressing different issues and the public able to distinguish parties on core issues. I show how the successful operation of Taiwanese democracy goes beyond the institutionalisation of party platforms. Taiwanese public opinion has been shown to be sophisticated and moderate, consistently rejecting parties taking radical stances. Moreover, the Taiwan case shows having genuine opposition parties really makes a difference. Firstly, the rise of new electoral issues, such as political corruption and social welfare created new cross cutting cleavages, a phenomenon political scientists view as conductive to democratic stability. Secondly, ten years of multi-party elections have resulted a rapid transformation of mainstream norms towards the opposition's position on many core issues. Products of these campaign debates include a much expanded and more inclusive welfare system, broader norms on what constitutes political corruption and stricter anti corruption legislation. Finally, on the most controversial issue in Taiwanese politics, the mainstream parties have reached a tacit understanding on many aspects of the national identity question. In short, I argue that democracy is working in Taiwan.
Susceptible trichostrongyloid species mask presence of benzimidazole-resistant Haemonchus contortus in cattle
Creators: name: Mohammedsalih, Khalid M.
name: Krücken, Jürgen
name: Bashar, Ahmed
name: Juma, Fathel-Rahman
name: Abdalmalaik, Abdalhakaim A. H.
name: Khalafalla, Amna
name: Abakar, Adam
name: Coles, Gerald
name: Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg Von
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: β-tubulin
subject: Anthelmintic resistance
subject: Gastro-intestinal nematodes
subject: Haemonchus placei
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::630 Landwirtschaft::630 Landwirtschaft und verwandte Bereiche

description: Background Benzimidazole (BZ) anthelmintics are widely used to control infections with parasitic nematodes, but BZ resistance is an emerging threat among several nematode species infecting humans and animals. In Sudan, BZ-resistant Haemonchus contortus populations were recently reported in goats in South Darfur State. The objective of this study was to collect data regarding the situation of BZ resistance in cattle parasitic nematodes in South Darfur using phenotypic and molecular approaches, besides providing some epidemiological data on nematodes in cattle. Methods The faecal egg count reduction test and the egg hatch test (EHT) were used to evaluate benzimidazole efficacy in cattle nematodes in five South Darfur study areas: Beleil, Kass, Nyala, Rehed Al-Birdi and Tulus. Genomic DNA was extracted from pools of third-stage larvae (L3) (n = 40) during trials, before and after treatment, and pools of adult male Haemonchus spp. (n = 18) from abattoirs. The polymorphisms F167Y, E198A and F200Y in isotype 1 β-tubulin genes of H. contortus and H. placei were analysed using Sanger and pyrosequencing. Results Prevalence of gastro-intestinal helminths in cattle was 71% (313/443). Reduced albendazole faecal egg count reduction efficacy was detected in three study areas: Nyala (93.7%), Rehed Al-Birdi (89.7%) and Tulus (88.2%). In the EHT, EC50 values of these study areas ranged between 0.032 and 0.037 µg/ml thiabendazole. Genus-specific PCRs detected the genera Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus and Cooperia in L3 samples collected after albendazole treatment. Sanger sequencing followed by pyrosequencing assays did not detect elevated frequencies of known BZ resistance-associated alleles in codon F167Y, E198A and F200Y in isotype 1 β-tubulin gene of H. placei (≤ 11.38%). However, polymorphisms were detected in H. contortus and in samples with mixed infections with H. contortus and H. placei at codon 198, including E198L (16/58), E198V (2/58) and potentially E198Stop (1/58). All pooled L3 samples post-albendazole treatment (n = 13) were identified as H. contortus with an E198L substitution at codon 198. Conclusions To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first report of reduced albendazole efficacy in cattle in Sudan and is the first study describing an E198L substitution in phenotypically BZ-resistant nematodes collected from cattle.
Euro+Med-Checklist Notulae, 13
Creators: name: Raab-Straube, Eckhard Von
name: Raus, Thomas
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: distribution
subject: Euro+Med PlantBase
subject: Europe
subject: Med-Checklist
subject: Mediterranean
subject: new combination
subject: new record
subject: taxonomy
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::580 Pflanzen (Botanik)::580 Pflanzen (Botanik)

description: This is the thirteenth of a series of miscellaneous contributions, by various authors, where hitherto unpublished data relevant to both the Med-Checklist and the Euro+Med (or Sisyphus) projects are presented. This instalment deals with the families Amaryllidaceae (incl. Alliaceae), Apocynaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Compositae, Crassulaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Gramineae, Hydrocharitaceae, Iridaceae, Labiatae, Liliaceae, Malvaceae, Meliaceae, Myrtaceae, Orobanchaceae, Oxalidaceae, Papaveraceae, Pittosporaceae, Primulaceae (incl. Myrsinaceae), Ranunculaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rubiaceae, Solanaceae and Umbelliferae. It includes new country and area records and taxonomic and distributional considerations for taxa in Allium, Anthemis, Atriplex, Centaurea, Chasmanthe, Chenopodium, Delphinium, Digitaria, Elodea, Erigeron, Eucalyptus, Hypecoum, Leptorhabdos, Luffa, Malvaviscus, Melia, Melica, Momordica, Nerium, Oxalis, Pastinaca, Phelipanche, Physalis, Pittosporum, Salvia, Scorzoneroides, Sedum, Sesleria, Silene, Spartina, Stipa, Tulipa and Ziziphus, new combinations in Cyanus, Lysimachia, Rhaponticoides and Thliphthisa, and the reassessment of a replacement name in Sempervivum.
Measuring Endogenous Corticosterone in Laboratory Mice - a Mapping Review, Meta-Analysis, and Open Source Database
Creators: name: Mierden, Stevie Van Der
name: Leenaars, Cathalijn H. C.
name: Boyle, Erin C.
name: Ripoli, Florenza L.
name: Gass, Peter
name: Durst, Mattea
name: Goerlich-Jansson, Vivian C.
name: Jirkof, Paulin
name: Keubler, Lydia M.
name: Lewejohann, Lars
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: mapping review
subject: corticosterone
subject: mice
subject: meta-regression
subject: 3Rs
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie

description: Evaluating stress in laboratory animals is a key principle in animal welfare. Measuring corticosterone is a common method to assess stress in laboratory mice. There are, however, numerous methods to measure glucocorticoids with differences in sample matrix (e.g., plasma, urine) and quantification techniques (e.g., enzyme immunoassay or radioimmunoassay). Here, the authors present a mapping review and a searchable database, giving a complete overview of all studies measuring endogenous corticosterone in mice up to February 2018. For each study, information was recorded regarding mouse strain and sex; corticosterone sample matrix and quantification technique; and whether the study covered the research theme animal welfare, neuroscience, stress, inflammation, or pain (the themes of specific interest in our consortium). Using all database entries for the year 2012, an exploratory meta-regression was performed to determine the effect of predictors on basal corticosterone concentrations. Seventy-five studies were included using the predictors sex, time-since-lights-on, sample matrix, quantification technique, age of the mice, and type of control. Sex, time-since-lights-on, and type of control significantly affected basal corticosterone concentrations. The resulting database can be used, inter alia, for preventing unnecessary duplication of experiments, identifying knowledge gaps, and standardizing or heterogenizing methodologies. These results will help plan more efficient and valid experiments in the future and can answer new questions in silico using meta-analyses.
Characterizing symmetry-protected thermal equilibrium by work extraction
Creators: name: Mitsuhashi, Yosuke
name: Kaneko, Kazuya
name: Sagawa, Takahiro
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The second law of thermodynamics states that work cannot be extracted from thermal equilibrium, whose quantum formulation is known as complete passivity; A state is called completely passive if work cannot be extracted from any number of copies of the state by any unitary operations. It has been established that a quantum state is completely passive if and only if it is a Gibbs ensemble. In physically plausible setups, however, the class of possible operations is often restricted by fundamental constraints such as symmetries imposed on the system. In the present work, we investigate the concept of complete passivity under symmetry constraints. Specifically, we prove that a quantum state is completely passive under a symmetry constraint described by a connected compact Lie group, if and only if it is a generalized Gibbs ensemble (GGE) including conserved charges associated with the symmetry. Remarkably, our result applies to non-commutative symmetry such as $SU(2)$ symmetry, suggesting an unconventional extension of the notion of GGE. Furthermore, we consider the setup where a quantum work storage is explicitly included, and prove that the characterization of complete passivity remains unchanged. Our result extends the notion of thermal equilibrium to systems protected by symmetries, and would lead to flexible design principles of quantum heat engines and batteries. Moreover, our approach serves as a foundation of the resource theory of thermodynamics in the presence of symmetries.
description: 48 pages, 7 figures
title: Islamic metalwork and other related objects from the excavations at Tall Abu Skhayr, al-Daura, Baghdad.
Creators: name: Shammri, Hussain A.
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1986

description: This study sets out to analyse the metal finds and other related objects which came to light from excavations at Tell Abu Skhayr at Al-Daura in the western part of Baghdad, Iraq, and to discuss the relevance of this evidence for the history and archaelogy of the cAbbasid (3/9th - mid 7th/mid 13th C.) and the Ilkhanid (late 7th/13th - mid 8th/14th C.) periods. In its entirety, the study comprises six chapters. The first chapter deals with the history and geography of the location and is divided into two parts: (a) the identification of the site and (b) the floods; this also provides us with background historical material. The second chapter covers the three seasons of the excavations from 1976 to 1978. The third chapter sets out the coin finds which are a most important factor in dating the layers of the mound. In the fourth chapter, the pottery finds are discussed in detail and contribute further evidence to the dating of the site. The fifth chapter relates to the metal finds and their significance and goes on to compare these finds with other cAbbasid and Ilkhanid metal objects. Finally, in chapter six various conclusions are drawn from the data collected in the previous chapters. The identification of the site under the name of Sarsar is aided by reference of Muslim authors of the period. Appendices cover two charts: A. A brief account of medieval Muslim writers who mentioned Sarsar in their works. B. The floods in West Baghdad which occurred from 215-1374/830-1954.
title: Red earth song: Marai Kirtan of Rarh: Devotional singing and the performance of ecstasy in the Purulia District of Bengal, India.
Creators: name: La Trobe, Jyoshna
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 2010

description: Kirtan is devotional hymn singing, music and dance in praise of a deity usually performed by a group of devotees, as well as a literary tradition. Marai kirtan is a style of kirtan found in the rural area of West Bengal known as Rarh, particularly in the Purulia District (Manbhum) where the tradition exists in its most potent form of expression. It is performed inside the local temples by a variety of village based kirtan groups that are both egalitarian and competitive in nature. In Purulia, the term marai meaning "circular", but the inner meaning is "to grind", for "if you grind Hari nam, the name of god, like sugar cane in your heart, then it will also melt for god" (JM, 2006: Pers.comm.). Marai kirtan is considered the best way of worshipping god, of creating musical intensity and arousing devotion for god. It also has various utilitarian purposes such as the bringing of rain and auspiciousness to the village as well as a means of social protest. My research reveals that marai kirtan has a very distinctive performance structure consisting of various musical sections that generate musical/devotional intensity to reach a climax (katan matan). Elaborate melodic lines and complex rhythmic compositions are interwoven with improvisations and dance choreographies that produce ecstatic heights for prolonged periods with the use of only two words, Hari Bolo, highlighting the inherent creative musical dynamism within the marai kirtan performance. My methodology consists of ethnographic investigation built upon observation and interviews in the field, incorporating Rarhi terms and meanings, combined with an analysis of performances through a study of audio/visual recordings made on location. Due to the paucity of documentation on marai kirtan and lack of relevant literary material, my investigation concentrates on the collection of data at its source and a phenomenological perspective of the tradition. I have examined six different kirtan groups: the Brahmans, Mahatos, Rajwar, Karandhi villagers and the Vaisnavas with particular focus on the Mahato group from Kostuka village, whose lives have been transformed by marai kirtan.
title: Hokkaido dairy farm: Change, otherness and the search for security.
Creators: name: Hansen, Paul S.
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 2010

description: Hokkaido has been essential to Japan's modern nation-state building project. The region's importance was initially promoted through a polysemic quest for macro security; to secure, or fix, the northern island into the structure of modem Japan and in-so-doing to provide safety or security. Security was sought politically, militarily, and through linking economics and recourses, notably the extraction of coal and lumber and the production of food. Dairy farming became a key industry, central in defining the contemporary popular image of Hokkaido. Ironically, despite the importance of securing and security, the industry, and perhaps Hokkaido itself, remains 'Other' within the context of Japan; home to livelihoods and locations that cannot be reconciled with essentialist Japanese discourses, for example idealized images of regional cultural homogeneity, harmony, village or rural life. Today (2005-2010), Hokkaido's dairy industry is rapidly changing. Influenced by macro insecurities and uncertainties, dairy production based on pastoral mixed family farms is shifting to joint shared industrial mega and mono culture farms that require high overhead and technology, as well as workers from outside of the community. These shifts alter community, family, values, alongside relationships, both human and animal. Thus, the region has become a site of intense individual meso and micro security searching for locals, outsiders, and what I term "lo-siders" and "no-siders". All but locals can be seen as 'tourist' workers who come from across rural and urban Japan, and increasingly, from abroad. This thesis documents and examines these shifts historically. It provides a contemporary ethnographic example of one farm at the heart of change, otherness, and the search for security, where the author was employed as a dairy worker. It suggests that the triad of change, otherness, and security can be utilized as a comparative analytic frame for other 'frontier' areas - spatial and biological.
Assessment of the F200Y mutation frequency in the β tubulin gene of Haemonchus contortus following the exposure to a discriminating concentration of thiabendazole in the egg hatch test
Creators: name: Baltrušis, Paulius
name: Komáromyová, Michaela
name: Várady, Marián
name: Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg Von
name: Höglund, Johan
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Droplet digital PCR
subject: Haemonchus contortus
subject: β tubulin
subject: F200Y
subject: Anthelmintic resistance
subject: Benzimidazole
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::630 Landwirtschaft::630 Landwirtschaft und verwandte Bereiche

description: The ruminant livestock production sector is under threat due to the infections with gastrointestinal nematode parasites and the subsequent development of anthelmintic resistance. One of most common and pathogenic species in small ruminants is Haemonchus contortus. The ability to control the infections with this and other gastrointestinal nematodes relies heavily on the use of anthelmintic drugs. Although resistance to all major classes of anthelmintics has been shown in H. contortus, the precise mechanism of resistance acquisition is only known for benzimidazoles. F200Y (TAC) is a common point mutation in the isotype 1 beta tubulin gene which is associated with an effective increase in the resistance towards benzimidazole drugs. Here, we show the utility of using this mutation as a marker in a droplet digital PCR assay to track how two H. contortus laboratory strains, characterized by different resistance levels, change with respect to this mutation, when subjected to increasing concentrations of thiabendazole. Additionally, we wanted to investigate whether exposure to a discriminating dose of thiabendazole in the egg hatch test resulted in the death of all H. contortus eggs with a susceptible genotype. We found the MHco5 strain to maintain an overall higher frequency of the F200Y mutation (80-100%) over all drug concentrations, whilst a steady, gradual increase from around 30%-60% was observed in the case of the MHco4 strain. This is further supported by the dose-response curves, displaying a much higher tolerance of the MHco5 strain (LD50 = 0.38 mu g/ml) in comparison to the MHco4 strain (LD50 = 0.07 mu g/ml) to the effects of thiabendazole. All things considered, we show that the F200Y mutation is still a viable and reliable marker for the detection and surveillance of benzimidazole drug resistance in H. contortus in Europe.
title: The role of the European Union in the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian issue: Towards an engagement based on respect for international law and human rights.
Creators: name: Bertrand, Agnès
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 2010

description: This thesis consists in a legal analysis of the involvement of the European Union (EU) in the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Its object is to investigate whether the EU in its policies directed at Israel and the Palestinians helps fostering, entrenching or decreasing the commission of violations of international law which result from the occupation of the Palestinian Occupied Territories. After having offered an in-depth analysis of the content of Common Article 1 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the obligation to cooperate to put an end to a violation arising under a peremptory norm of international law, the obligation not to recognise and the obligation not to aid and assist, the thesis offers a legal framework based on an empirical approach to international law in order to explain how international actors can contribute to the commission or the perpetration of violations of international law. It further details the objectives of the EU in its external relations to promote respect for international law and human rights. The thesis proceeds with an investigation of the diplomatic involvement of the EU in the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian issue and the relations between the EU, Israel and the Palestinians taken individually. It analyses how violations of international law which derive from the occupation of the Palestinian Territories interfere in the implementation of these relations and how the EU reacts to this interference. The thesis concludes that the EU is incrementally acquiescing in the violations of international law which result from the occupation of the Palestinian Territories, is giving incentives to the perpetuation of this situation, and is also breaching its commitment to base its relations with Israel and the Palestinians on respect for human rights. It ends by offering recommendations for a better-directed involvement of the EU with Israel and the Palestinians.
title: Dialogue as discourse : Priests, kings and women in the early Upanisads.
Creators: name: Black, Brian
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 2003

description: The purpose of this thesis is to provide a discourse analysis of the early Upanisads, focusing primarily on the dialogues. We will pay close attention to character development and the description of social situations. In looking at the dialogues, we will argue that the literary presentation of the philosophical ideas is an integral part of the claims that Upanisadic composers were making about reality. Brahmin composers use the dialogue form to explicitly connect particular people, practices and institutions with philosophical ideas. The Upanisads establish the proper mode of conduct for four kinds of dialogical situations; lessons taught by a brahmin teacher to a brahmin student; debates between brahmins and other brahmins; discussions between brahmins and kings; and conversations between brahmins and women. These dialogues serve to outline to both brahmins and their dialogical partners, the proper techniques by which individuals discuss philosophy. This thesis is organised into four main sections. Each section also deals with a particular institutional practice through which brahmins discuss religio-philosophical ideas. The discussions between teachers and students are linked to initiation; conversations between brahmins and other brahmins are presented in the form of a debate; discussions between brahmins and kings are connected to the court and the conversations between brahmins and their wives are linked to household. When we look at the Upanisads in this way, we can better understand their differences from previous Vedic texts, which primarily concentrate on the sacrifice, and how they thus represent a shift in how knowledge is constituted in early historic India.
Detection of target-site and metabolic resistance to pyrethroids in the bed bug Cimex lectularius in Berlin, Germany
Creators: name: Vander Pan, Arlette
name: Kuhn, Carola
name: Schmolz, Erik
name: Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg Von
name: Krücken, Jürgen
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Cimex lectularius
subject: Pyrosequencing
subject: Target-site resistance
subject: Metabolic resistance
subject: Germany
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit::610 Medizin und Gesundheit

description: Knockdown-resistance (kdr) against pyrethroids in bed bugs (Cimex lectularis) is associated with the presence of several point mutations in the voltage-sensitive sodium channel alpha-subunit gene and/or an increased metabolic detoxification by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs). In the present study, pyrosequencing assays were developed to quantify the presence of the kdr substitutions (V419L or L925I substitution) in bed bugs in Berlin, Germany. In 14 of 17 bed bug field strains, pymsequencing revealed the presence of the substitution L925I with allele frequencies between 30% and 100%. One field strain additionally carried the substitution V419L with allele frequencies of 40% in males and 96% in females. In seven of the 17 field strains, mRNA levels of four CYP genes were examined using RT-qPCR. Relative to a susceptible laboratory reference strain, five field strains showed significantly higher mRNA levels of cyp397a1 with 7.1 to 56-fold increases. One of these strains additionally showed a 4.9-fold higher mRNA level of cyp398a1 compared to the reference strain, while cyp4cm1 and cyp6dn1 showed no significant differences. Our findings indicate that multiple resistance mechanisms are present in German C. lectularius populations simultaneously.