The ecological dynamics of co-flowering communities are largely mediated by pollinators. However, current understanding of pollinator-mediated interactions primarily relies on how co-flowering plants influence attraction of shared pollinators, and much less is known about plant–plant interactions that occur via heterospecific pollen (HP) transfer. Invaded communities in particular can be highly affected by the transfer of alien pollen, but the strength, drivers and fitness consequences of these interactions at a community scale are not well understood. Here we analyse HP transfer networks in nine coastal communities in the Yucatan Mexico that vary in the relative abundance of invasive flowers to evaluate how HP donation and receipt varies between native and alien plants. We further evaluate whether HP donation and receipt are mediated by floral traits (e.g. display, flower size) or pollinator visitation rate. Finally, we evaluated whether post-pollination success (proportion of pollen tubes produced) was affected by alien HP receipt and whether the effect varied between native and alien recipients. HP transfer networks exhibit relatively high connectance (c. 15%), suggesting high HP transfer within the studied communities. Significant network nestedness further suggests the existence of species that predominantly act as HP donors or recipients in the community. Species-level analyses showed that natives receive 80% more HP compared to alien species, and that alien plants donate 40% more HP than natives. HP receipt and donation were mediated by different floral traits and such effects were independent of plant origin (native or alien). The proportion of alien HP received significantly affected conspecific pollen tube success in natives, but not that of alien species. Synthesis. Our results suggest that HP transfer in invaded communities is widespread, and that native and alien species play different roles within HP transfer networks, which are mediated by a different suite of floral traits. Alien species, in particular, play a central role as HP donors and are more tolerant to HP receipt than natives—a finding that points to two overlooked mechanisms facilitating alien plant invasion and success within native co-flowering communities.

Close textual analysis of the four extant film versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers reveals that each film modifies the original story such that it reflects changing societal attitudes toward physicians and the medical profession, as well as depictions of military and government in the science fiction genre. The changing depictions of characters and events in these films respond to changes in medical history, social history, and the science fiction genre across five decades. Each film reflects the contemporary anxieties of its time and the perceived ability of physicians to relieve those anxieties. Doctors are important semantic elements of the science fiction genre, and their position within the syntax of a film helps to determine its meaning. By focusing on the physician character, this study finds that in addition to being a metaphor for threats such as Communism, Invasion of the Body Snatchers also reflects concerns about disease and other medical threats.

Protecting personal privacy has become an increasingly important issue as computers become a more integral part of everyday life. As people begin to trust more personal information to be contained in computers they will question if that information is safe from unwanted intrusion and access. With the rise of mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, wearable technology) users have enjoyed the convenience and availability of stored personal information in mobile devices, both in the operating system and within applications.For a mobile application to function correctly it needs permission or privileges to access and control various resources and controls on the mobile device. These permissions can range from location and account information to access to all storage on the mobile device. A single permission, or a combination of permissions, could lead to a high risk of potential privacy invasion. This privacy invasion risk can be amplified specifically for security applications when compared to non-security applications due to the administrative privileges that security applications frequently need to moderate and protect information on a mobile device. Currently there is no defined matrix or framework for analyzing privacy risks for any mobile platform, including the main mobile platforms of Android, iOS and Windows mobile.The purpose of this research is to create a framework for analyzing mobile application permissions and identify potentially invading permission. The framework produces a Privacy Invasion Profile (also known as a PIP) for each application, which can be used to compare the risk of privacy invasion for a specific application.

Polycystic kidney disease is a disorder that leads to fluid filled cysts that replace normal renal tubes. During the process of cellular development and in the progression of the diseases, fibrocystin can lead to impaired organ formation and even cause organ defects. Besides cellular polarity, mechanical properties play major roles in providing the optimal apical-basal or anterior–posterior symmetry within epithelial cells. A breakdown of the cell symmetry that is usually associated with mechanical property changes and it is known to be essential in many biological processes such as cell migration, polarity and pattern formation especially during development and diseases such as the autosomal recessive cystic kidney disease. Since the breakdown of the cell symmetry can be evoked by several proteins including fibrocystin, we hypothesized that cell mechanics are altered by fibrocystin. However, the effect of fibrocystin on cell migration and cellular mechanical properties is still unclear. In order to explore the function of fibrocystin on cell migration and mechanics, we analyzed fibrocystin knockdown epithelial cells in comparison to fibrocystin control cells. We found that invasiveness of fibrocystin knockdown cells into dense 3D matrices was increased and more efficient compared to control cells. Using optical cell stretching and atomic force microscopy, fibrocystin knockdown cells were more deformable and exhibited weaker cell–matrix as well as cell–cell adhesion forces, respectively. In summary, these findings show that fibrocystin knockdown cells displayed increased 3D matrix invasion through providing increased cellular deformability, decreased cell–matrix and reduced cell–cell adhesion forces

Regulation of the bacterial second messenger cyclic-di-GMP in Salmonella Typhimurium allows it to delicately alter phenotypes to optimize invasion and survive intracellularly in epithelial cells and macrophages to become virulent and cause infection. Cyclic-di-GMP concentration is regulated by the presence of external stimuli, sensory diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) and phosphodiesterases (PDEs), and cyclic-di-GMP binding effectors. Previous studies established that maintenance of low cyclic-di-GMP concentrations is required for survival in macrophages, and that deletion of 3 active PDEs reduces this survival. Here I showed that these 3 PDEs also influenced the infection of epithelial cells. Further studies re-established the decreased survival in an immortalized macrophage cell line and determined that cyclic-di-GMP-binding cellulose synthase BcsA was responsible for the decreased survival in macrophages. Finally, I also identified an active DGC whose deletion within the 3xKO restores survival levels, suggesting that this enzyme is responsible for the synthesis of cyclic-di-GMP during macrophage infection.

The purpose of this study is to analyze and compare the representations made by Aftonbladet (AB) and Dagens Nyheter (DN) of Swedish security policy due to the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 2022. The period of the investigation is one week for each conflict, based on when Russian troops officially invaded Ukraine.The essay has been done through a qualitative content analysis and a security policy theory. The results as for the Crimea conflict in 2014 show Swedish security policy changing tune after recognising the worse security position in Sweden´s immediate area and increased resources for the armoured forces. As for the Russian invasion 2022 many different consequences occurred for example again increased spending for the armoured forces, direct sanctions against Russia and Sweden sent apart from aide also military equipment to Ukraine.The analysis results showed that Sweden stopped focusing on inward-facing security policy goals and are today placing as much focus on outward-looking security policy goals.

American Geopolitical Culture strongly rejects the concept of spheres of influence, but great power competition often dictates a tacit acceptance of rival powers' privileged zones of control. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union sought to maintain a sphere of influence along its border, and on multiple occasions resorted to the use of force to maintain control over foreign states. How did the United States react to the Soviet use of force in sovereign territory that fell within the Soviet privileged spheres of influence? This paper looks at three case studies, the Hungarian Revolution, the Prague Spring, and the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, and provides an analysis of the American foreign policy response, and the geopolitical and cultural values that informed policymakers' decision-making. Despite the limited interventions pursued by the United States, the United States constantly sought to undermine Soviet efforts to maintain a sphere of influence. In Hungary and Czechoslovakia, the United States prioritized long-term strategies on a global scale to weaken the Soviet Union in lieu of tactical interventions in opposition to the Soviet use of force. In Afghanistan, the United States continued to maintain its long-term strategies, while taking advantage of unique local factors to place additional strain on the Soviet Union. Across all three case studies the United States consistently pursued strategies that sought to weaken the Soviet Union as a whole, rather than just target individual spheres of influence. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation examines the American response to the Soviet use of force within its spheres of influence during the Cold War. American politicians have strongly rejected the validity of spheres of influence and consider them to be a form of imperialism that undermines a state's sovereign right to govern its own affairs. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union used military force to exert control over spheres of influence in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Afghanistan. The American response to each of these case studies varied. In Hungary and Czechoslovakia, the United States actively avoided intervening against the Soviet invasion, while in Afghanistan the United States provided extensive aid in the form of weapons, training, and intelligence. What explains the difference in the American approach to each of these case studies? This dissertation argues Soviet sphere of influence dynamics were stronger in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, which acted as a deterrent to any American intervention. Rather than engaging the USSR in its established spheres of influence, the United States prioritized opposing Soviet expansion elsewhere while propagandizing Soviet brutality to sway world opinion away from the Soviet Block. In Afghanistan, Soviet influence was considerably weaker, allowing the United States greater opportunities to contest the Soviet invasion directly.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has greatly impacted the political environment, especially, around energy and gas imports from Russia. As a country previously highly dependent on Russian gas and the Nord Stream 2 project underway, Germany’s position is particularly interesting. While there is literature on the topic, it lacks the utilization of discourse analysis. To identify discursive changes in the use of language in the German government, official government speeches or statements from the early 2000s and after the Ukraine crisis in 2014 are being analysed. The happenings of 2014 are considered to be the first significant event in the energy relation between Germany and Russia. Both stylistic devices and narratives are being considered in the analysis. The findings show a lack of application of stylistic devices throughout the selected material, wherefore no discursive differentiation can be found. However, general narrative changes can be identified throughout the material and defined time periods, starting with optimism towards economic cooperation with Russia. After the Ukraine crisis, the narrative shifted to a more apprehensive one, while still advocating for the energy imports from Russia. With Russia no longer being a reliable supplier from 2022 on, the narrative finally shifts to negative. In the later material concrete approaches to diversification are also discussed contributing to a narrative that moves away from Russia as a single energy source.

Invasions from coho salmon were first reported in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (CHBR) in 2019 which is the most southern distribution registered to date. The CHBR is known for its high number of endemic species and unique biodiversity, such as the native fishes Galaxias maculatus and Aplochiton taeniatus. There are now three invasive salmonid species in the rivers of CHBR and are a potential threat to the native fish taxa. Stable isotope and gut content analysis were used to understand resource utilization by both native galaxiid and invasive salmonid taxa, as well as aquatic macroinvertebrates and riparian spiders. The natural laboratory study approach applied to this research, allowed for comparisons of differences within streams that contain conditions in which fish do not occur naturally, to sites in which high densities of invasive salmonid exist. Analysis of the trophic niche and diet in this study showed the importance of marine resource use by the native galaxiid and coho salmon juveniles supported with elevated δ15N and δ34S ratios. Diet analysis also confirmed there was the highest similarity between the coho salmon juveniles and the native fish. Altered behavior and habitat use was shown through the isotope and diet analysis for the galaxiid in snow melt streams which could be due to the high density of invasive salmonids in these streams. The invasive salmonids were found to impact aquatic macroinvertebrate populations, specifically larger bodied Trichoptera abundance. Aquatic insect emergence was negatively correlated to salmonid densities. The aquatic insect emergence revealed alterations with significantly higher biomass of aquatic insect emergence in upstream sites without invasive fish. Lastly, aquatic insect predator (Hydrobiosidae: Rheochorema sp.) exhibited a suppressed trophic position in rivers with invasive salmonids. An unexpected finding from the study was the refugium stream habitat conditions that has been shown to be important for conserving the native fish in the CHBR. We conclude that the impacts from invasive species are significant enough to disrupt lower trophic levels especially aquatic insects. The altered aquatic emergence and insect behavior have the potential to disrupt food webs and ecosystem functioning in the southernmost protected ecoregion in the world.

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