Abstract Pteropid bats are species of zoonotic significance and are known to be reservoir hosts of many viral diseases recently emerged in Asia and Australia. The transfer of these organisms from bats into terrestrial hosts resulted in lethal illnesses in humans and animals. Implementing attentive strategies for the detection and monitoring of these organisms is essential to the protection of humans, animals and the balance of the global economy. Unfortunately the paucity of information on these mammals’ immune system and the absence of diagnostic tools for the detection and for the studying of the humoral response in these animals disengage us from responding promptly when such outbreaks occur and prevent us from describing the possible underling causes that may be responsible for the absence of symptoms in bats infected with such organisms. It was assumed that flying foxes have immunoglobulin like molecules that provide humoral response and are involved in mediating secondary effector functions such as complement fixation and activation of other components of the cellular response in a similar manner as it occurs in humans and other mammals. The aims of this study which include immunoglobulin isotype identification, purification and characterisation as well as generation of reagents that are immunoglobulin class specific, provide the primary platform that should enable us to begin examining these questions. IgG was purified from the black flying fox’s serum by affinity chromatography using Protein G and Protein A. Protein L was ineffective in purifying any antibody from the bat serum. The heavy chain of IgG was also purified by gel electroelution. IgG was digested with papain to yield Fab and Fc fragments. The identity of the bat IgG was confirmed by N-terminal sequencing of the heavy chain and light chain of immunoglobulins separated by SDS-PAGE and by N-terminal sequencing of Fc and Fc' fragments. IgM has also been purified using methods that have not been previously explored to our knowledge. These methods consisted of the purification of Fab specific antibodies from antisera generated against Fab, and using these antibodies to capture other immunoglobulin classes in samples that had been previously enriched by classical fractionation methods. Antisera against the whole IgG molecule, Fc, Fab, IgG heavy chain and IgM heavy chain have been produced in rabbits and tested by Western blot and ELISA. The antisera against the whole IgG molecule and against the Fc were also utilized to detect antibodies to Nipah virus in bats that were found positive to Serum Neutralisation Test. Failure to identify the bat IgA in the bat serum poses questions on the presence, abundance and functional significance of such molecule in bats. The tools that were generated in this study recognise immunoglobulin isotypes, which enabled us to detect and measure antibodies and will allow the study of the humoral response in infected bats to a large extent. Tedious approaches routinely adopted for the purification of antibodies involve a series of pre-fractionation steps or affinity chromatography which rely on the use of expensive immobilised novel or partially characterised ligands, with no guarantee of affinity for the immunoglobulin isotype of interest. The method adopted for immunoglubulin isotype purification described in this study proved to be an effective, reasonably quick and economic solution for immunoglubulin isotype purification from any mammalian species.

ABSTRACT Despite increasing evidence for the impact of feral cats Felis catus on native fauna in Australia, little is known of the ecology of cats, particularly factors that limit cat abundance. The ecology of the feral cat in Australia is represented by just 15 published studies on diet, only one of which has examined diet in relation to prey availability, and one study of home range behaviour. The red fox Vulpes vulpes is a significant pest to agriculture and native fauna in Australia and widespread fox removals have been proposed by the Vertebrate Biocontrol Cooperative Research Centre (VBCRC). However, there is concern that feral cats may increase compensatorily when fox populations are reduced, as has occurred in Western Australia, and therefore that predation pressure may not be alleviated on native fauna following fox control programs. This thesis is divided into two parts. First, the diet and home range size of cats is examined in relation to prey availability, and home range overlap and habitat use are determined. In the second part, several niche parameters (diet, home range and habitat use) that were potentially important resources for foxes and cats were quantified to assess the potential for competition. Avoidance and aggression between cats and foxes was examined using simultaneous radiotracking techniques and video observations. The hypothesis that foxes limit cats through interspecific competition (exploitation and interference) was then tested using a fox removal experiment. Finally, three further hypotheses were tested using a fox removal experiment to determine which factors limit feral cats at Burrendong. The four hypotheses tested were thus: i) Cats are limited independently of foxes through other factors such as food availability; ii) Foxes limit cats through interspecific competition (exploitation and/or interference); iii) Foxes limit cats through intraguild predation; iv) Cats benefit from the presence of foxes through facilitation. The diets and spatial use of feral cats were examined on agricultural land on the eastern shore of Lake Burrendong, New South Wales (32o40�S, 149o 10�E) between July 1994 and June 1997. The major land use for the area is water catchment under the agistment of sheep Ovis aries and cattle Bos taurus. The study area encompasses about 90 km2 of hilly terrain with undulating slopes that extend down to a flat foreshore area that has been extensively cleared of trees for grazing. The slopes are generally well timbered and dominated by white box Eucalyptus albens woodlands with some yellow box E. melliodora associations. Stands of cyprus pines Callitris spp. are also common. Feral cats and red foxes are established throughout the study area, and the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus was abundant until the arrival of Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (RCD) in June 1996. The diet of feral cats was determined from the analysis of 499 scats. Rabbits were the staple prey of cats, with occurrence (O) in 81.6% of scats and comprising 68.4% by volume (V). Carrion (mostly eastern grey kangaroo Macropus giganteus and sheep) (O 21.5%, V 11.5%) was an important secondary food, particularly in winter and spring. Other mammalian prey included brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula (O 4.6%, V 2.4%), house mice Mus domesticus (O 6.2%, V 3.2%), black rats Rattus rattus (O 2.6%, V 1.4%) and a dunnart Sminthopsis sp. (probably S. murina) (O 0.2%, V 0.006%). Invertebrates (mostly Orthopterans) (O 41.5%, V 7.5%), vegetation (O 26.3%, V 3.6%), birds (O 4.2%, V 0.8%) and reptiles (O 3.4%, V 0.3%) were generally of minor importance in the diet. Few significant seasonal differences were found, although invertebrates contributed significantly less, and possums more, to the mean scat volume in winter and summer respectively. A significant dietary response was found for changes in rabbit abundance, but not for the other prey groups. Cats continued to prey heavily on rabbits after the arrival of Rabbit Calicivirus Disease, despite the relatively low numbers of rabbits. Ten months post-RCD, house mice increased in importance in the diet. However, it was not known whether this represented prey switching sensu stricto or opportunistic predation on an increased mouse population, as mouse abundance was not measured during this period. Seventy-seven cats (48 recaptures) were caught in 6762 trap nights between November 1994 and August 1996 using both cage traps and leg-hold traps. A further 18 individual cats were trapped as non-target animals by the VBCRC Fox Sterility Project and used in this study. Trapped adult cats were fitted with radio collars and their home range size, overlap and habitat use examined. Home ranges and core areas were quantified using 95% and 50% kernel utilisation distributions (KE 95 and KE 50) and minimum convex polygons (MCP 100, MCP 95, MCP 50). Four habitat types (grassland, open woodland, open forest, and mudflats) were delineated on aerial photographs and a habitat map produced using ARC/INFO. Compositional analysis was used to examine habitat preference in cats. Home range sizes of cats (n = 15, 598 fixes) in winter 1995, prior to fox removal, were similar to those reported in the only published study of cat spatial use in Australia, but larger than those recorded elsewhere. This may have reflected more dispersed food resources in Australia, although home range size was not correlated significantly with rabbit abundance. Male ranges (MCP 95 = 284 ha, n = 11) tended to be larger than females ( = 151ha, n = 4), but no differences were detected between young (1-3 years, = 271ha, n = 7) and old (>3 years, = 221ha, n = 8) cats. Cats were active both by day and night with no temporal differences being detected in range size. Both adult male and female cats tended to be solitary, although home ranges overlapped extensively. Kin groups were indicated (but not confirmed) as most inter-sexual overlap occurred between young and old cats. Habitat composition of home ranges generally reflected the availability of habitats at the study site, although cats significantly avoided mudflats. Home ranges comprised mostly open woodland and open forest habitats with smaller areas of grassland and mudflats. However, within individual home ranges, cats used grassland and open woodland habitats most often where rabbits were more abundant. Inter-individual (sex, age) or temporal (day/night) differences in habitat use were not detected. Comparison of resource use between cats and foxes indicated a large overlap in diet, home ranges and habitat use. Dietary breadths and overlaps between cats and foxes increased when rabbit availability declined in autumn and post-RCD. Dietary overlap was high overall (75%), although some resource partitioning was detected. Rabbits were more important in the diet of cats than foxes, particularly in summer, when foxes ate more grasshoppers. Carrion, invertebrates and vegetation were more important for foxes than for cats overall. Home ranges of both cats and foxes comprised mostly open woodland habitats followed by grassland, open forest and mudflats, which largely reflected their relative availabilities. However, within individual home ranges, cats showed a preference for grassland habitats. In addition, cats tended to deposit scats more often than foxes at rabbit warrens and at hollow log entrances, while foxes deposited scats more often than cats on sand plots, tracks and at dams. The large overlap in resource use between cats and foxes indicated a high potential for exploitation competition. Foxes may attempt to lessen competition by killing cats (interference competition). Three radiocollared cats were killed by foxes and aggression was observed toward cats. Home ranges overlapped extensively, but avoidance was indicated from the simultaneous radiotracking of both predators, as greater separations and lower overlaps in home ranges and core areas were recorded between species than within species. In addition, video observations suggested avoidance of carcasses by cats in the presence of foxes. The hypothesis that foxes limit feral cats through interspecific competition was then tested using a fox removal experiment. Foxes were reduced at two of the four sites from October 1995 using �1080� baiting and spotlight shooting by the VBCRC Predator-Prey project. Resource use and abundance of cats were compared before and after fox removal and between treated and untreated sites. Although no increase in cat abundance followed the removal of foxes, significant behavioural changes by cats strongly suggested interspecific competition operating via exploitation and interference. Exploitation competition was supported by the increased consumption of carrion by cats at the treated sites after fox removal, while support for interference competition came from the increased use of grassland habitats at night after fox removal. The direction of the resource shifts to more prey-rich habitats indicated asymmetry in the relationship between the two predator species. Although the null hypothesis of no limitation of cats by foxes could not be rejected, as no increase in cat abundance was recorded after fox removal, interspecific competition was considered to be the most likely mechanism limiting feral cats at Burrendong. Intraguild predation was not indicated as no cat remains were found in any of the 343 fox scats or 255 fox stomachs that were examined. In addition, minimal evidence was found for facilitation between cats and foxes, or for food limitation. The potential for foxes to limit cats, as shown in this study, indicates that cats need to be considered in future fox control operations. Integrated pest management, where foxes, cats and rabbits are controlled together, is strongly proposed if the objective is to safeguard native fauna in Australia. Further research is required to improve the effectiveness of current techniques for censusing cat populations, particularly in forested areas. This is essential for monitoring the effectiveness of control campaigns and quantifying factors that limit cat populations, and ultimately for effective protection of susceptible native fauna.

在香港，這個以華人為主的社會中，民眾對「狐仙」的想像都比較單一，大多離不開潑婦、情婦、腋臭過重等負面的意思。這些印象的形成與中國傳統文學作品中的狐形象和香港流行媒體的渲染，有著非常密切的關係。但作為信仰的象徵，狐仍有其獨特的文化意義。狐仙信仰在中國有著源遠流長的歷史，亦是一種流行於百姓階層中的民間信仰。早在先秦時期，狐已帶有道德上的意義。自唐代以來，狐一直為華北地區的一種古老民間信仰，古人相信老狐可以修道成為神仙助人，亦可以成為妖精祟人，這反映了狐仙的兩個面向。此信仰雖然植根在中國北方，但亦同時出現於華南地區，包括香港。在現今都市化的發展下，狐仙信仰在香港已呈現出一幅跟北方不一樣的面貌。在今日香港，華人為社會上的大多數，相關的民間信仰神祇為數甚多，狐仙信仰亦為其中之一。但長久以來，由於中國宗教往往會簡單地分為制度性宗教與民間宗教，而狐仙信仰則標籤為後者，是制度性宗教的從屬，故相關的研究結果亦不多。故此，有必要進行研究以了解狐仙信仰在今日香港社會的情況。由於相關的文獻資料不多，故筆者主要會進行實地的田野調查，以了解香港狐仙信仰的具體內容。本文將會分為七個章節，除去緒論以及結論的部份，筆者會先了解「狐仙」在歷史上的形成與發展，之後會討論香港民眾對狐仙為何會抱有負面的印象。其後再深入探討狐仙在信仰上的內涵，包括有關狐仙的傳說故事和儀式實踐，並會探討此信仰的善信群體。在了解到香港狐仙信仰的基本資料後，筆者會嘗試引用臺灣以及山東地區的狐仙信仰，從側面的角度，去以了解香港狐仙信仰的獨特性。In Hong Kong, a society with the majority of Chinese, people do have a simple and single imagination towards the idea of "fox", which mostly involved vixen, mistress, excessive underarm odor and other negative meaning. The formation of these impressions has a close relation with the images of "fox" which we found in traditional Chinese literature and the rendering of the popular media. However, as a symbol of faith, fox still has its own unique cultural significance. "Fox belief" has a long history and also popular among the general population in China. The moral significance of "fox" is originated before the Pre-Qin Period. Since the Tang Dynasty, it has become a popular religion among the people in Northern China. Our ancestors believed that the old foxes had the ability to transform into supernatural creatures, which can become either a "God" or a "Monster". Although fox cult was originated at the Northern China, it can also be found in the Southern regions, including Hong Kong. Under the morden urban development, the ritual practices of fox cult in Hong Kong and other regions are very different from on another. Hong Kong, which belongs to the Sinosphere as well, contains thousands of Chinese folk deities, including fox belief. However, due to the traditional systematic Chinese religion system, research is limited in this area as fox belief was perceived to be a popular religion, subordinate to the systematic religion. Hence, there is a need for us to find out the real picture of fox cult in Hong Kong. In this research, field work is the most important method to acquire related knowledge since there are limited archives base on this area. The research will be divided into 7 parts, except the introduction and the conclusion, a historical background towards the formation and development of "Fox Cult" will be first discussed. Then, the common negative impression of Hong Kong people towards "fox spirit" will also be discussed. The main argument will be focusing on the faith connotation of fox cult in Hong Kong, including the legends and ritual practices. Moreover, the faith communities will also be a concern of this research. Lastly, in order to ascertain the uniqueness of fox belief in Hong Kong, fox cult in Taiwan and Shandong will also be introduced under a comparative method.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2001. / Includes tables. Title from title screen (viewed Apr. 22, 2008). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science. Degree awarded 2001; thesis submitted 2000. Includes bibliography. Also available in print form.

The subject of this thesis is the animal bones deriving from foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and dogs (Canis familiaris) found in the Pitted Ware Culture site of Ajvide, located in the Eksta parish on Gotland, Sweden. The multiple excavations of this site have uncovered large amounts of osteological material, of which animal bones make up about 2500kg. The aim of this case study is to unveil the purpose and function of foxes on Ajvide, while also comparing them with the previously known dogs. Additionally, the relation between man and fox is also a point of interpretation. The osteological analysis has determined foxes and dogs are distributed decently evenly, the dog being a bit more common. The spatial analysis determined that both fox- and dog bones were most common in the activity areas called “black areas”. The analysis has determined that the foxes skulked around the locale, scavenging for slaughter waste from the human slaughter of seals and fish. It has also been theorized how the foxes of Ajvide did not possess a ritualistic significance to the peoples of Ajvide.

A proposta dessa dissertação é analisar as peças The Children´s Hour e The Little Foxes, de Lillian Hellman, pela primeira vez encenadas nos Estados Unidos em 1934 e 1939 respectivamente. A análise discute a forma da peça bem feita e a forma do melodrama nessas obras, assim como o conteúdo delas, a fim de identificar como a crítica social e as formas teatrais propostas pela dramaturga estão intrincadas. Com base em autores como Peter Szondi, essencial para se entender a dialética entre forma e conteúdo, Jean Marie Thomasseau, teórico do melodrama, e de outros que escreveram sobre a peça bem feita, procurou-se entender como Hellman valeu-se das próprias formas correntes da cultura dominante e da indústria cultural para investigar a sociedade capitalista norte-americana. Para a compreensão ampla de tais questões, foram analisados os textos dramatúrgicos, encenações, adaptações para cinema e televisão, tanto nos Estados como no Brasil. Hellman foi constantemente criticada pelas opções formais de suas obras, algo que é revelado pela fortuna crítica mais relevante que foi coletada e é apresentada nessa dissertação, servindo de suplemento para as análises. Lillian Hellman examinou o conservadorismo arbitrário e as estratégias de manutenção do capitalismo criticando a classe dominante através da utilização das formas teatrais privilegiadas por essa classe. / This work aims to analyze Lillian Hellman\'s plays The Children´s Hour and The Little Foxes, which were first performed in the United States in 1934 and 1939 respectively. In addition to the content of these works, the analysis discusses the well-made play and the melodrama in order to identify how social criticism and these theater forms are interrelated, as proposed by her. Based on authors such as Peter Szondi, whose work is fundamental to understanding the dialectics between form and content, and Jean-Marie Thomasseau, a melodrama theorist, as well as others who wrote about the well-made play, this dissertation searches for a comprehension of how the playwright made use of the dominant culture\'s own forms to investigate North-American capitalist society. For a comprehensive understanding of such issues, the dramaturgical texts, performances, as well as film and television adaptations in both the United States and Brazil have been analyzed. Hellman was constantly criticized for the formal choices of her plays, something revealed in articles and essays by relevant critics. These criticisms are presented in this dissertation in order to supplement the analysis. Lillian Hellman criticized the dominant class\' arbitrary conservatism and the strategies of capitalist maintenance by employing theater forms which were endowed by that class.

A proposta dessa dissertação é analisar as peças The Children´s Hour e The Little Foxes, de Lillian Hellman, pela primeira vez encenadas nos Estados Unidos em 1934 e 1939 respectivamente. A análise discute a forma da peça bem feita e a forma do melodrama nessas obras, assim como o conteúdo delas, a fim de identificar como a crítica social e as formas teatrais propostas pela dramaturga estão intrincadas. Com base em autores como Peter Szondi, essencial para se entender a dialética entre forma e conteúdo, Jean Marie Thomasseau, teórico do melodrama, e de outros que escreveram sobre a peça bem feita, procurou-se entender como Hellman valeu-se das próprias formas correntes da cultura dominante e da indústria cultural para investigar a sociedade capitalista norte-americana. Para a compreensão ampla de tais questões, foram analisados os textos dramatúrgicos, encenações, adaptações para cinema e televisão, tanto nos Estados como no Brasil. Hellman foi constantemente criticada pelas opções formais de suas obras, algo que é revelado pela fortuna crítica mais relevante que foi coletada e é apresentada nessa dissertação, servindo de suplemento para as análises. Lillian Hellman examinou o conservadorismo arbitrário e as estratégias de manutenção do capitalismo criticando a classe dominante através da utilização das formas teatrais privilegiadas por essa classe. / This work aims to analyze Lillian Hellman\'s plays The Children´s Hour and The Little Foxes, which were first performed in the United States in 1934 and 1939 respectively. In addition to the content of these works, the analysis discusses the well-made play and the melodrama in order to identify how social criticism and these theater forms are interrelated, as proposed by her. Based on authors such as Peter Szondi, whose work is fundamental to understanding the dialectics between form and content, and Jean-Marie Thomasseau, a melodrama theorist, as well as others who wrote about the well-made play, this dissertation searches for a comprehension of how the playwright made use of the dominant culture\'s own forms to investigate North-American capitalist society. For a comprehensive understanding of such issues, the dramaturgical texts, performances, as well as film and television adaptations in both the United States and Brazil have been analyzed. Hellman was constantly criticized for the formal choices of her plays, something revealed in articles and essays by relevant critics. These criticisms are presented in this dissertation in order to supplement the analysis. Lillian Hellman criticized the dominant class\' arbitrary conservatism and the strategies of capitalist maintenance by employing theater forms which were endowed by that class.

This study analyzed the personalities and actions of Regina, Birdie, Alexandra, and Lavinia from Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes and Another Part of the Forest. The analysis was focused on the relationship between the life and personality of Lillian Hellman and each of the characters. The method of character analysis that was used was that described by David Grote in Script Analysis, but the effect of cultural history on the characters and on Lillian Hellman was examined as well. It was discovered that Lillian Hellman had infused the characters with many aspects her own personality. In the case of Regina and Lavinia, Hellman also used the characterizations to sort out her mixed feelings toward her parents.

This study analyzed The Children's Hour, The Little Foxes, Watch on the Rhine, Toys in the Attic in terms of the forms of human love delineated by Erich Fromm in The Art of Loving. The motives and actions of one or more principal characters and their dramatic situations were studied. It was discovered that, in the plays that were examined, each character responded to his or her situation in a loving or a hateful manner and that these choices with regard to love provided the dramatic matrix of the play.