This study investigates the ceremonial village of Orongo and the sacred site of Mata Ngarau. They are located on the southern edge of the Ranu Kau volcano crater, as well as the Motu Nui islet in front of the named volcano. Orongo was the scenario of important political and religious events that submerged Rapa Nui and its inhabitants in a magical story from the mid-1500s to the mid-1800s. This study aims, to some extent, elucidate the context in which the legend and the ritual of the Tangata Manu originates and its importance for the development of the Rapa Nui society. The study examines archaeological, ethnohistorical and contemporary evidences of the birdman cult and contradictory theories about the catastrophe that loomed over the Rapa Nui society The archaeological evidence of those events is the silent testimony of the god Make Make and Tangata Manu, the birdman, the god representative on earth. These are carved on the edge and the slopes of the Ranu Kau crater, in the carved and rupestrian paintings of the stone houses of Mata Ngarau at Orongo, in the caves of the Motu Nui islet and in the one of the cannibals, Ana Kai Tangata. Ethnohistorical evidences provide data on the ritual activities in connection to the birdman cult. The social and environmental degradation which causes of the almost total extermination of its inhabitants as well as the eroding of its culture and with it that of the birdman, Tangata Manu. Today the birdman culture and Orongo is one of the prominent visitors’ sites on the island but interviews with Indigenous Rapanui show that the site also continue to have spiritual and political meaning in today’s society. The modern Rapa Nui society today shows contradictory features. On the one hand we see the face of a thriving, mercantilist society, with hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting it annually and buying handicrafts of dubious local creation. On the other hand, we observe the efforts of hundreds of islanders who struggle to maintain their language, their cultural heritage, their petroglyphs, their cave paintings and their legends. That is the spirit of the rebellion of Tangata Manu.

This paper uses an osteological approach and applies the study of entanglement in an attempt to understand the crematoria on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), which represent a unique tradition within the ceremonial spheres of the Polynesian area. Skeletal remains from the crematorium of ahu Hanga Hahave, which consist of both cremated - and unburned remains, have been analysed to reveal the different practices that took part in the cremation process and to identify the individuals that were deposited in such structure. Ethnohistorical records were applied to interpret the osteological evidence and to discuss the circumstances surrounding the possible use of the crematorium, as either a site for sacrificial offerings or a site for burials.  This paper aims at creating an underlying basis for the study of crematoria on Rapa Nui and provides an overview of the processes central to the disposal of the dead and the usage and significance of this structure. The results of this study showed that the ancient Rapanui through the practice of cremation, followed an internalised structure within their society to complete each cultural act that constituted the crematorium, and these were divided in the construction of the crematorium, the making of fire, and the treatment of the dead. The complexity of each cultural act presents the possibility that an organised society, with at least one designated head, may have been in charge of the practice of cremation physically and spiritually. The skeletal remains could not be applied to determine whether the crematorium of Hanga Hahave was used for sacrificial offering or for burial since the analysed remains only represented one-fifth of the entire bone collection from the crematorium. However, the findings of this study have pointed towards a burial practice rather than a sacrificial one. / Denna uppsats använder ett osteologiskt tillvägagångssätt och Hodders’’entanglement’ studie i tolkningen av krematorierna på Rapa Nui (Påskön), som representerar en unik tradition inom Polynesien. Skelettmaterialet från krematoriet i ahu Hanga Hahave har analyserats för att upptäcka de olika metoder som deltog i kremeringsprocessen och identifiera vilka individer som deponerades här. Etnohistoriska källor användes också i tolkningen av det osteologiska materialet och för att behandla frågorna kring krematoriernas användning: antigen som en plats för offring eller en plats för begravning. Syftet är att skapa en underliggande grund för studiet av krematorierna på Rapa Nui för att ge en överblick på de centrala processerna. Resultatet visade att den forntida Rapanui följde en internaliserad struktur inom sitt samhälle för att slutföra varje kulturell handling som utgjorde kremerings praktik och var uppdelade i konstruktionen av krematoriet, bruken av eld och hantering av de döda. Komplexiteten hos varje handling möjliggör att ett organiserat samhälle, där minst en ledare har varit ansvarig i fysisk eller andlig form. Skelettmaterialet från krematoriet i ahu Hanga Hahave kunde inte användas för att bestämma krematoriets användning eftersom det analyserade materialet endast representerade en femtedel av den totala bensamlingen, dock pekar studiet på en begravningsritual snarare än en offer.

CSIR / Translation initiation is a rate limiting step during protein biosynthesis. Initiation occurs by formation of an initiation complex comprising 30S subunit of ribosome, mRNA, initiator tRNA, and initiation factors. The initiator tRNA has a specialized function of binding to ribosomal P site whereas all the other tRNAs are selected in the ribosomal A site. The presence of a highly conserved 3 consecutive G-C base pairs in the anticodon stem of the initiator tRNA has been shown to be responsible for its P-site targeting. The exact molecular mechanism involved in the P-site targeting of the initiator tRNA is still unclear and focus of our study. Using genetic methods, we obtained mutant E. coli strains where initiator tRNA mutants lacking the characteristic 3-GC base pairs can also initiate translation. One such mutant strain, A30, was selected for this study. Using standard molecular genetic tools, the mutation was mapped and identified to be a mutation in a transcription remodeling factor, RapA (A511V). RapA is a transcription recycling factor and it displaces S1 when it performs its transcription recycling activity. We found this mutation to cause an increase in the S1-depleted ribosomes leading to decreased fidelity of translation initiation as the mutant RapA inefficiently displaces S1 from RNA polymerase complex. The mutation in the RapA was also found to cause changes in the transcriptome which leads to downregulation of major genes important for methionine and purine metabolism. Using mass spectrometric analysis, we identified deficiencies of methionine and adenine in the strain carrying mutant RapA. Our lab had previously reported that methionine and S-adenosyl methionine deficiency cause deficiency of methylations in ribosome which in turn decreases the fidelity of protein synthesis initiation. We used strains deleted for two newly identified methyltransferases, namely RlmH and RlmI, for our study and these strains also showed decreased fidelity of initiation. RlmH and RlmI methylate 1915 and 1962 positions of 23S rRNA respectively. We found that deletion of these methyltransferases also caused defects in ribosome biogenesis and compromised activity of ribosome recycling factor. We constructed phylogenetic trees of the initiator tRNA from 158 species which distinctly assembled into three domains of life. We also constructed trees using the minihelix or the whole sequence of species specific tRNAs, and iterated our analysis on 50 eubacterial species. We identified tRNAPro, tRNAGlu, or tRNAThr (but surprisingly not elongator tRNAMet) as probable ancestors of tRNAi. We then determined the factors imposing selection of methionine as the initiating amino acid. Overall frequency of occurrence of methionine, whose metabolic cost of synthesis is the highest among all amino acids, remains almost unchanged across the three domains of life. Our results indicate that methionine selection, as the initiating amino acid was possibly a consequence of the evolution of one-carbon metabolism, which plays an important role in regulating translation initiation. In conclusion, the current study reveals the importance of methylations in ribosome biogenesis and fidelity of translation initiation. It also strongly suggests a co-evolution of the metabolism and translation apparatus giving adaptive advantage to the cells where presence of methionine in the environment can be a signal to initiate translation with methionine initiator tRNA.

This study sought to analyze tourist perceptions of cultural heritage tourism on Easter Island, more specifically, how they perceived and valued the concept of ‘authenticity’ in representations of local Rapanui culture. By analyzing and categorizing trends found in Trip Advisor reviews left for 6 tourism businesses on the island (3 traditional performance venues and 3 guided tour companies), this primary research question was further broken down to assess 1) what factors in particular render an experience valuable and authentic to the tourist, 2) how tourists perceive indigenous Rapanui’s relationship to their own culture in the context of cultural tourism, and 3) if they perceive the industry as exploiting or empowering the Rapanui people. Ultimately the study uncovered the tendency for tourists to look to the transmitters of culture themselves (i.e. local performers, guides, company owners) when assessing the value and authenticity of their cultural experience, taking into account the transmitter’s indigenous heritage, cultural pride, knowledgeability, and openness and eagerness to share their culture with visitors (evident by the perceived passion with which they performed, or the personal storytelling and friendship evident in the guide-guest relationship). In addition to constructing value and authenticity, these qualities left visitors with the impression that local Rapanui are empowered by the industry and have agency over the manner in which their culture is showcased. The tourist’s search for meaning was also an important finding, as the majority either appreciated direct explanations about island culture and history, or created their own meaning when none was provided. While the scope of this study was limited to Easter Island, it has implications that may be applied to other destinations with indigenous, cultural tourism, as it very much speaks to the value that tourists place on cultural pride and preservation, community-based grassroots tourism, a desire for meaning and explanation, and consideration for the tourist’s own impact on the destination.

<p>U ovom radu su ispitani hemijski sastav i biolo&scaron;ka aktivnost vrsta&nbsp;<em> Brassica oleracea&nbsp; </em>i<em>&nbsp; Brassica rapa</em>&nbsp; poreklom iz organskog i konvencionalnog sistema proizvodnje. Ispitivanja hemijskog sastava su obuhvatila određivanje volatilnih komponenata primenom headspace GC-MS tehnike, kvalitativnu analizu sokova ispitivanih vrsta pomoću LC-DAD-MS/MS tehnike, kvantifikaciju odabranih fenolnih jedinjenja&nbsp;pomoću LC-MS/MS tehnike i spektrofotometrijsko određivanje sadržaja ukupnih glukozinolata, fenola i flavonoida i sadržaja ukupnih monomernih antocijana. Biolo&scaron;ka aktivnost povrća je ispitana određivanjem antioksidantnog potencijal, antimikrobne i antitumorske aktivnosti sokova. Dobijeni rezultati pokazuju da su glavne volatilne komponente ispitivanih vrsta degradacioni proizvodi masnih kiselina i organosumpornih jedinjenja od kojih neke od identifikovanih komponenata predstavljaju ključne mirisne komponente. Na osnovu njihove distribucije nije bilo moguće utvrditi uticaj sistema proizvodnje na miris i ukus ispitivanih vrsta. Pomoću LC-DAD-MS/MS i LC-MS/MS tehnike je utvrđeno prisustvo primarnih metabolita, slobodnih hidroksibenzoevih i hidroksicimetnih kiselina, derivate hinske kiseline&nbsp;sa hidroksicimetnim kiselinama, glikozida flavonola, biflavonoida, i kumarina u sokovima spitivanih vrsta. Pored toga u svim sokovima subili prisutni kondenzacioni proizvodi degradacionih proizvoda indolnih glukozinolata sa askorbinskom kiselinom-&nbsp; askorbigen i metoksiaskorbigen. U sokovima crvenog kupusa su bili prisutni antocijani. Najveći sadržaj ukupnih glukozinolata je određen u brokoliju, dok je crveni kupus sadržao najveći sadržaj ukupnih fenola ukupnih flavonoida kao i hinske kiseline. Crveni kupus je bio varijetet koji je ispoljio najvi&scaron;i antioksidantni kapacitet u svim primenjenim testovima, brokoli i karfiol su ispoljili najjaču antimikrobnu aktivnost, dok je kelj bio varijetet sa najjačim antitumorskim delovanjem. Na osnovu analize hemijskog sastava i biolo&scaron;ke aktivnosti vrsta <em>B</em>. <span id="cke_bm_177S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><em>oleracea</em><span id="cke_bm_177E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span> i&nbsp;<em> B. rapa</em>&nbsp; može se <span id="cke_bm_178E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span>zaključiti da u zavisnosti od primenjenog tipa&nbsp;proizvodnje mogu biti pobolj&scaron;ane neke od karakteristika ispitivanih vrsta i da je uticaj sistema proizvodnje značajan za pojedine varijetete, a nikako za celu vrstu. U konačnom obliku može se zaključiti da bi potencijalna kombinacija sokova crvenog kupusa, brokolija, karfiola i kelja mogla ostvariti značajno hemopreventivno i hemoterapeutsko delovanje, ispoljavajući istovremeno antioksidantnu, antimikrobnu i antitumorsku aktivnost.</p> / <p>Chemical composition and biological activity of<em>&nbsp; Brassica oleracea</em>&nbsp; and&nbsp; <em>B. rapa&nbsp;</em> species were investigated in the present work. Investigation of chemical composition&nbsp; encompassed determination of volatile compounds by headspace GC-MS technique, qualitative analysis of juices of investigated vegetables by LC-DAD-MS/MS technique, quantification of selected phenolic compounds by LC-MS/MS technique and spectrophotometric determination of total content of glucosinolates, phenolic compounds and flavonoids and total content of monomeric anthocyanes. Biological activity of vegetables was investigated by determination of antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial and antitumorigenic effect of juices. Obtained results showed that main volatile compounds were degradation products of fatty acids and organo-sulphur compounds among which some of the identified components were the key aroma compounds. Based on their distribution it was not possible to evaluate influence of cropping system on aroma and taste of investigated species. By LC-DAD-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS techniques, it was determined the presence of primary metabolites, freehydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, derivatives of quinic acid and hidroxicinnamic acids, flavonol glucosides, biflavnoids&nbsp; and a cumarin in juices of the investigated species. Furthermore, condensation products of degradation products of indole glucosinolates with ascorbic acid-&nbsp; ascorbigen and metoxiascorbigen were present in all juices. Anthocyanes were present in juices of red cabbage. The highest total content of glucosinolates was determined in broccoli, while red cabbage had the highest total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, as well as content of qunic acid. Red cabbage was a variety that showed the highest antioxidant capacity measured by different assays. Broccoli and cauliflower expressed the highest antimicrobial potential, while Savoy cabbage was a variety with the highest antitumor effect. Investigation of chemical composition and biological activity showed that applied cropping conditions may be useful for improving some of the characteristics of investigated species and significance of cropping system only&nbsp; for particular varieties, but not for the whole species in general. As the conclusion, potential&nbsp; combination of juices of red cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and Savoy cabbage could be potent chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent, expressing simultaneously antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumor activity.</p>

No description available.

The overall objective of this study is, to understand how the prehistoric individual experienced her “being in the world”. This is done by examining the spatial relationships of prehistoric remains in order to understand hierarchies. The foundation of the thesis is constructed by using data from the prehistoric settlement of Letolo in Samoa (Independent State of Samoa) in West-Polynesia and Hanga Ho´onu on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in East-Polynesia. These data are stored and analysed in a Geographical Information System (GIS). In the Samoan case the intention is to make previously unpublished surveys available. An aim is to develop a method to interpret social information from the spatial relations of built structures. It is questioned if it is possible to interpret the degree of hierarchy in a prehistoric society only from the spatial relations of features. It is concluded that such an inquiry needs to be paired with preunderstanding and analogies, such as ethnohistorical data, since it otherwise is problematic to ascribe meaning to different built structures. The thesis uses ethnohistory for preunderstanding and analogy. The thesis further examines the worldviews and structures that are shown in the repeated practice of groups in the two settlements. / Det övergripande syftet med föreliggande studie är att komma närmare den förhistoriska människans upplevelse av varat, att komma närmare hennes upplevelse av att finnas till i världen. Detta görs genom att undersöka fornlämningars spatiala relationer för att förstå  hierarkier. I uppsatsen redovisas två databaser och Geografiska Informationssystem som har konstruerats utifrån fornlämningsdata från förhistoriska bosättningar på Samoa i västpolynesien och Rapa Nui i östpolynesien. På Samoa är det Letolodalen på ön Savai´i som undersöks, och på Rapa Nui är det Hanga Ho´onu vid La Pérouse-bukten som undersöks. Uppsatsen ämnar tillgängliggöra opublicerade inventeringar av Letolo på Samoa. En intention är att utarbeta specifika kriterier för att utläsa social information från den spatiala utbredningen av fornlämningar. Arbetet ifrågasätter om det är möjligt att läsa ut graden av hierarki i ett förhistoriskt samhälle utifrån de spatiala relationerna mellan fornlämningar. Svaret är att det går om analogier och förförståelse används då det annars är problematiskt att tillskriva mening till fornlämningar. Eftersom Polynesien är väl dokumenterat utifrån ett etnohistoriskt perspektiv används analogier och förförståelse från dessa berättelser. I uppsatsen undersöks vidare mentala världar och strukturer som visar sig i gruppers upprepade praktiker i de två bosättningarna.

Introgression of genes from crops into ruderal populations is a multi-step process requiring sympatry, synchronous flowering, chromosomal compatibility, successful pollination and development of the zygote, germination, establishment and reproduction of hybrid progeny. The goal of this thesis was to generate data on as many steps in this process as possible and integrate them into a predictive statistical model to estimate the likelihood of successful introgression under a range of scenarios. Rape (Brassica napus) and wild turnip (B. rapa var. oleifera) were used as a model system. A homozygous dominant mutation in the rape genome conferring herbicide resistance provided a convenient marker for the study of introgression. Potential differences between wild turnip populations from a wide range of geographic locations in New Zealand were examined. Hand pollination established the genetic compatibility of rape and wild turnip and a high potential for gene introgression from rape to wild turnip. Interspecific hybrids were easily generated using wild turnip as the maternal plant, with some minor differences between wild turnip populations. The frequency of successful hybridisation between the two species was higher on the lower raceme. However, the upper raceme produced more dormant interspecific hybrid seed. Field trials, designed to imitate rare rape crop escapes into the ruderal environment, examined the ability of rare rape plants to pollinate wild turnip plants over four summers. At a ratio of 1 rape plant for every 400 wild turnip plants, the incidence of interspecific hybridisation was consistently low (<0.1 to 2.1 % of total seed on wild turnip plants). There was a significant year effect with the first season producing significantly more seed and a greater frequency of interspecific hybrid progeny than the other years. The frequency of interspecific hybrid progeny increases when the ratio of rape: wild turnip plant numbers increases. The relative importance of anemophily and entomophily in the production of interspecific hybrids was examined. Wild turnip plants produced twice as many seeds with bee pollination relative to wind pollination. However, the frequency of interspecific hybrids under wind pollination was nearly twice that for bee pollination. Light reflectance patterns under UV light revealed a marked difference between wild turnip and rape flowers compared to near identical appearance under visible light. The data indicates that bees are able to distinguish between rape and wild turnip flowers and exhibit floral constancy when foraging among populations with these two species. Hybrid survival in the seed bank, germination and seedling establishment in the field are important components of fitness. Seed banks established in the soil after the field trials described above germinated in subsequent spring seasons. The predominantly brassica weed populations were screened for herbicide resistance and the numbers of interspecific hybrids germinating compared to the original frequency in the field trial results. Frequency of interspecific hybrids was reduced in the populations compared to the original seed deposit. Seed with a known frequency of interspecific hybrid seed was sown in a separate trial, and the frequency of interspecific hybrids compared at 0, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after sowing. Poor germination resulted limited competition between seedlings, however the frequency of interspecific hybrids declined over time indicating low plant fitness. There were no significant population effects on any parameters tested. Interspecific hybrids grown in a glasshouse were backcrossed to the parental species and selfed within the plant and within populations. Pollen from the interspecific hybrids was found to have markedly reduced fertility. Interspecific hybrid plants had low female fertility, with the majority (88%) of the pollinated flowers aborting the siliques. Of the remaining siliques, most (98%) had only one to three seeds per silique. Inheritance of the herbicide resistance gene was regular in backcrosses but highly skewed following self pollination with an excess of herbicide-sensitive progeny. Production of a stochastic predictive model integrated the information acquired over the practical work phase of this thesis and utilised the capabilities of @risk, a new application of a risk analysis tool. The three outputs examined were the number of flowering plants resulting from backcrosses to rape and wild turnip and self pollination of the interspecific hybrid progeny. Five scenarios were modelled and all demonstrated the high likelihood of introgression failure in this system. In all scenarios, >75% of simulations resulted in no interspecific hybrid progeny surviving to flowering in the third generation. In all scenarios, and for all three outputs, the seed set on the interspecific hybrids of the second generation was the major factor that limited the number interspecific hybrid progeny surviving to flowering in the third generation.