The effects of gypsy moth defoliation on acorn production (the seed source for oak regeneration), and the forest floor regeneration environment were investigated. Parameters measured included: acorn quantity, weight, development, and viability; litterfall; and forest floor depth and biomass. Nineteen plots in north-central Virginia and western Maryland on which trees suffered heavy, moderate, or no defoliation were monitored over a two-year period. / Master of Science

An instructional guide for high school science and agricultural education courses was designed around the topic of integrated pest management (IPM) and the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar [L.]) problem in Virginia. Construction of the guide followed three phases—design, development, and evaluation—of the Instructional Development Institute (IDI) model of instructional design. Lessons were developed using information from Virginia agricultural education course competencies, national science standards, a conceptual model of IPM, and gypsy moth management references and contacts. A validation panel consisting of two educators and two gypsy moth managers provided a review of the guide. / Master of Science

The objective of this study was to determine differences in small mammal assemblage structure and population dynamics among four oak dominated sites at four different stages of gypsy moth disturbance: a high tree mortality site, a disturbance in process site, a disturbance recovery site, and an undisturbed reference site. More specifically, the study was designed to identify changes in habitat structure that would influence small mammal microdistributions and determine the quality of habitat created by gypsy moth herbivory using demographic structure of <i>Peromyscus</i> populations as an indicator of habitat quality. <i>Peromyscus leucopus</i>, Peromyscus maniculatus, the Soricids, and <i>Clethrionomys gapperi</i> had greater abundances at the disturbed sites relative to the reference site. Gypsy moth disturbance increased the abundance of small mammals and the number of coexisting species within a given area, which was attributed to several changes in habitat structure. The disturbed sites were characterized as having more fallen logs and standing dead snags, greater shrub and herbaceous cover, and higher invertebrate abundances relative to the reference site. These changes in habitat structure provided small mammals with increased cover from avian predators, more food resources, and potential nesting cavities. <i>P. leucopus</i> populations at the high mortality site exhibited greater demographic stability than the reference Site populations. This was marked by higher proportions of females, smaller density fluctuations, more fall recruitment of young, higher residency, and lower proportions of males. Strong evidence for density-dependent population regulation was observed for <i>P. leucopus</i> populations at the high mortality site and the <i>P. maniculatus</i> population at the recovery site. At high densities these populations exhibited extensive intraspecific microhabitat segregation. Female adults segregated from juveniles and male adults into more optimal microhabitats. Male adult microhabitat use significantly differed from male juvenile microhabitat use. The exclusion of young mice from optimal microhabitats by adults may be a mechanism by which adults limit over-exploitation of resources by subordinate members of the population at high densities. The results of this study suggest that gypsy moth disturbance of areas dominated by chestnut oaks at least temporarily improves habitat quality for small mammals. / Master of Science

During June 1990 - November 1993 I measured the responses of black bears (Ursus americanus) in Shenandoah National Park (SNP), Virginia to gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) induced oak (Quercus spp.) mortality. Oak species composed >50% of the forest canopy of SNP, and oak mortality rates ranged from 1- ≥48%. I compared black bear population dynamics, food habits, movements and habitat use to preinfestation data collected in SNP from 1982 - 1985. Scat analysis indicated that the current diet of SNP’s black bear population includes proportionally more soft mast in the fall and more soft mast and ants (Formicidae spp., P<0.0001) in the summer than did the preinfestation diet. Fewer acorns (Quercus spp. mast, P=0.03) and squawroot (Conopholis americana, P=0.01) were consumed in the fall and summer respectively. No decline in the physical condition of adult females (P=0.91), subadult males (P=0.34) or subadult females (P=0.94) was evident. Adult male physical condition declined (P=0.03) for unknown reasons. The mean age of neither female (P=0.99) nor male bears (P=0.54) was different from preinfestation data. Mean litter size - 2.25 cubs - did not differ (P=0.49) froma preinfestation mean of 2.0 cubs. Survival of radio-collared female bears was 100%, indicating that the female survival rate has not declined from a high preinfestation survival rate. Minimum cub survival rate to 1 year was 64.7%. Fall and annual home ranges of female bears were smaller (P=0.001 and P=0.002, respectively) than during preinfestation years. Use of forest cover types differed from availability during the summer (P<0.01), early fall (P<0.0001) and late fall (P<0.001) and when compared to preinfestation data. Use of stands with different levels of oak mortality was not different from availability during the summer (P=0.1) but was different during the early fall (P<0.005) and late fall (P<0.001). / Master of Science

Title: Body Composition and Motor Performance of Roma Children in the Most District Background: The Roma way of life, or rather the values they live up to, is different from the values and way of life of the majority population. This results in a lower life expectancy of the Roma and a worse social position in Czech society, even in total social exclusion. Since the individual's lifestyle evolves from childhood on, we focused on assessing the lifestyle using several parameters of body composition and motor performance of Roma children in socially excluded Roma localities Aims: The aim of this thesis is to find out the influence of the lifestyle of Roma children living in socially excluded Roma localities in the Most district on their body composition and motor performance. The second goal is to compare the body composition and motor performance of the children from majority population and socially excluded children from the Most district with the Czech children population standards. Methods: In total 733 children 7-15 years of age participated in the study, of which 448 were from majority population of the Most district (221 girls and 227 boys) and 285 children were from socially excluded Roma localities in the Most district (124 girls and 161 boys). Bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA 2000 M...

Die Gattung Beta gehört zur Familie der Chenopodiaceae und wird in die vier Sektionen Beta, Corollinae, Nanae und Procumbentes unterteilt, wobei die Zuckerrübe der Sektion Beta zugeordnet wird. Aus dem Genom der Zuckerrübe und verwandter Wildarten konnten bereits eine Vielzahl von repetitiven DNA-Familien kloniert und untersucht werden. Mit der monosomen Fragmentadditionslinie PRO1 stand eine Chromosomenmutante zur Verfügung, die neben den 18 B. vulgaris-Chromosomen ein Chromosomenfragment der Wildrübe Beta procumbens enthält. Da dieses als Minichromosom bezeichnete Fragment mitotische Stabilität aufweist, muss es ein funktionelles Centromer besitzen, das auch im genetischen Hintergrund von Beta vulgaris aktiv ist. Mit der Erstellung einer BAC (bacterial artifical chromosome)-Bank von PRO1 wurde die molekulare Charakterisierung von Ty3-gypsy-Retrotransposons eines einzelnen Wildrüben-Centromers möglich. Die für die Wildrübe Beta procumbens spezifischen Satellitenrepeats pTS5 und pTS4.1 dienten der Selektion von BACs aus der Centromer-Region des PRO1-Minichromosoms. Die Identifizierung eines unikalen genomischen Locus, mit einer Verschachtelung von zwei nicht homologen LTR-Retrotransposons, ermöglichte die gerichtete Isolation der LTR-Retrotransposons Beetle1 und Beetle2. Das Retrotransposon Beetle1 hat eine Gesamtlänge von 6736 bp und wird von LTR-Sequenzen begrenzt, die eine Länge von 1091 bp (5’-LTR) bzw. 1089 bp (3’-LTR) aufweisen. Das LTR-Retrotransposon Beetle2 weist mit 6690 bp eine ähnliche Gesamtlänge wie Beetle1 auf. Es wird von deutlich kürzeren LTR-Sequenzen mit einer Länge von 774 bp begrenzt. Aufgrund der Reihenfolge der Polyproteingene lassen sich Beetle1 und Beetle2 in die Gruppe der Ty3-gypsy-Retrotransposons (Metaviridae) einordnen. Beide Retrotransposon-Familien besitzen ein einziges offenes Leseraster (open reading frame; ORF) mit fusionierten gag- und pol-Genen. Datenbankrecherchen zeigten hohe Homologien von Beetle1 und Beetle2 mit den centromerischen Ty3-gypsy-Retrotransposons CRM aus Zea mays, CRR aus Oryza sativa und cereba aus Hordeum vulgare. Diese centromerischen Retrotransposons (CRs) sind in den Poaceae stark konserviert und stellen neben Satellitenrepeats eine hochabundante Sequenzklasse der Centromere der Süßgräser dar. Da sie im 3’-Bereich des gag-pol-Polyproteins eine Chromodomäne aufweisen, werden sie der eigenständigen Gruppe der Chromoviren zugeordnet. Chromodomänen sind zur Bindung von Proteinen und DNA befähigt und spielen eine wichtige Rolle in der Chromatin-Modifikation und der Bildung von Heterochromatin-Regionen. Beetle1 und Beetle2 besitzen Motive einer Chromodomäne, die vermutlich für eine gerichtete Transposition in die Centromer-Region verantwortlich ist. Neben der geringen Divergenz von Beetle1- und Beetle2-Sequenzen sowohl im Genom von Beta procumbens als auch in den anderen Arten der Sektion Procumbentes spricht auch das junge Alter von 100 000 bis 350 000 Jahren und die Transkriptionsaktivität für eine Einordnung dieser Ty3-gypsy-Retrotransposons in die Gruppe der Chromoviren. Sowohl die Southern-Hybridisierung als auch die Fluoreszenz-in situ-Hybridisierung zeigten, dass Beetle1 und Beetle2 nur für die Sektion Procumbentes spezifisch sind und dort in hoher Kopienzahl vorkommen. Untersuchungen mit methylierungssensitiven Restriktionsendonukleasen veranschaulichten den hohen Grad an Cytosin-Methylierung von Beetle1 und Beetle2.

Chromatin insulators are short DNA sequences that, together with enhancers and silencers, orchestrate gene transcription through DNA-protein interactions in eukaryotic genomes. It has been proposed that insulators operate at the chromatin level by generating functionally independent higher-order chromatin domains. Insulators may maintain the integrity of such domains using two properties: blocking enhancer-promoter interactions and blocking heterochromatin spreading. The gypsy insulator of Drosophila was identified as a region of the gypsy retrovirus responsible for the production of tissue-specific mutations in many genes. The Suppressor of Hairy wing [Su(Hw)] protein contains 12 zinc fingers that specifically bind the gypsy insulator. Upon DNA binding, Su(Hw) recruits a second protein, Modifier of Mdg4 67.2 [Mod(mdg4) 67.2], and the interaction of both proteins is required for insulator function in vivo. We have found that three different arrays of gypsy retrovirus insertions in a yellow transgene result in unique yellow phenotypes, showing that the enhancer-blocking activity of the Drosophila gypsy insulators depends on the relative orientation of the gypsy retroviruses on the chromosome. We also observed from transgenic lines with gypsy retrovirus or insulator insertions that interaction of insulators may be regulated by active enhancers according to the relative positions of the insulators flanking the enhancers. Moreover, we show that gypsy insulators can positively modulate yellow activation and result in wild-type levels of expression when placed upstream of enhancers in yellow transgenes in which enhancers are placed out of context by &#;-DNA spacers and fail to reproduce the expression levels of yellow in wings and body cuticle. Our results provide evidence indicating that this phenomenon is independent of the boundary activity. Genetic analysis using mod(mdg4)67.2 mutant lines containing gypsy retrovirus insertions revealed that the gypsy insulator may be placed close to the yellow promoter region and be intimately involved in transcriptional activation and repression. Therefore, we suggest that insulators may also function by mediating long range interactions between enhancers and promoters.

The aim of this thesis is to argue about a Gypsy/Roma community&amp / #8217 / s identity construction from the point of view of classical literature on ethnicity, class and gender dimensions in the symbolic identity construction in the case of Turkey. In this regard, it is important to examine whether this community benefits from citizenship rights. For this purpose, Edirne is chosen as a sample of Turkey because majority of Gypsy/Roma population lives in and this border city into which migrations took place from Bulgaria and Greece. Also for practical reasons of building a communication network, Edirne is selected as a case. A qualitative study, using in-depth interviews with a total of 36 married persons of Gypsy/Roma community referring 18 household in-depth-interviews have been conducted from 2003 winter to summer. Besides, in-depth-interviews with 13 non-Gypsies have been conducted. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and the transcribed texts were used for discourse analysis. During the interviews socio-economic profile, marriage, practices of cultural habits, neighbourhood partnership, political identity, religious rituals and perceiving own identity were inquired. There are three major conclusions of this thesis. The first finding is related to Gypsy/Roma community&amp / #8217 / s socio-economic status. Gypsy/Roma community has problems accessing social benefits of education, health and the labour market in addition to having negative living conditions. The arguments of &amp / #8216 / &amp / #8216 / underclass&amp / #8217 / &amp / #8217 / and &amp / #8216 / &amp / #8216 / urban marginalization&amp / #8217 / &amp / #8217 / coincide with these results. Not only occupation, but also race, ethnicity and gender are linked together with Gypsy/Roma status as &amp / #8216 / inferior&amp / #8217 / citizens. Secondly, Gypsy/Roma community is a closed community in their relations with non-Gypsies with regard to marriage and social network. The third finding is associated with Gypsy/Roma community&amp / #8217 / s perceptions of their identity, which shows variations within community. In this regard, Roma is taken to be the &amp / #8216 / &amp / #8216 / other&amp / #8217 / &amp / #8217 / of not only the non-Gypsies but also Gypsy identity is accepted as the &amp / #8216 / &amp / #8216 / other&amp / #8217 / &amp / #8217 / even of Roma.

Scholars researching Britain from the 1880s to the First World War have often failed to portray a diverse range of British attitudes towards the period’s state-sanctioned efforts to assimilate the Romani people. In most academic works, British voices that called for the elimination of Romani culture drown out those that were opposed to their assimilation into sedentary industrial wage-labour and formal education. They also mostly engage in only a surface analysis of the relationships between perspectives on the Romani and the great shifts occurring in British society. This thesis reveals a greater complexity of viewpoints within British society over issues of Romani assimilation that were increasingly fueled by the age’s rapid social and technological change. Poets, journalists, evangelical reformers, romantic gypsiologists and progressive politicians were some of the groups in Britain whose projections of fears and desires upon the Romani created an unintended referendum on the quickening forces of modernity. / Graduate

Les représentations de la Bohémienne dans la littérature française du XIXe siècle sont le résultat d’une présence scénique assez ancienne en France, sous la forme des personnages de la commedia dell’arte. Les circonstances historiques et socio-culturelles des deux pays ont ajouté de nouvelles fonctions à ce personnage. Depuis les plus anciennes images des personnages des contes merveilleux et jusqu’au roman qui lui offre des perspectives diverses, la Tsigane se remarque par son exotisme, étant une figure de l’altérité. L’étrangeté de ce personnage apparaît dès qu’on analyse les ethnonymes européens, très divers et signifiant une origine supposée ou légendaire. Dans l’espace linguistique roumain il existe une variété de surnoms et de noms signifiant des métiers ou des traditions interprétées par ce peuple, certains noms représentant aussi des marques de l’ironie ou de rejet social. Nous avons considéré utile de commencer par l’étude des noms pour continuer avec une analyse par genres littéraires. Ainsi, les Bohémiennes des ballets et des romans d’aventures surprennent le lecteur par le mélange de bien et de mal dans leurs actions. Leur caractère d’initiatrices est présent dans la plupart des ballets. Les Bohémiennes interviennent dans le conflit initial, offrant une solution et leur intrusion est révélatrice pour les autres personnages. Les romans d’aventures spéculent le caractère duel du personnage, popularisant les motifs du déguisement et de l’enfant enlevé et retrouvé. La Tsigane y opère une transformation des autres personnages et impose une réflexion à la liberté et à la vérité sociale. Les personnages se déguisent en Bohémienne pour échapper aux restrictions ou aux poursuites. Nous avons analysé les images de la Tsigane dans les textes littéraires roumains du début du XIXe siècle et surtout des décennies 1830-1860. L’hypothèse d’un personnage à fonction de symbole idéologique s’en est détachée. La Tsigane y est une voix des oppressés, une image de la misère mais aussi une métaphore du changement et du progrès. Elle fait partie des manifestations d’un mouvement subversif dirigé par des intellectuels pro-occidentaux. Dans la même période où la Bohémienne est pleinement représentée dans les arts romantiques français, la Tsigane apparaît elle aussi dans les premiers textes des auteurs roumains. Elle devient peu à peu une figure de la révolte. Les images de la Tsigane-Bohémienne dans les deux littératures sont une preuve de l’influence française sur la génération des intellectuels roumains de la moitié du XIXe siècle. Elles montrent aussi une synchronisation entre les deux littératures, résultat des efforts extraordinaires de cette élite formée presque entièrement en France. / The representations of Gypsies in the French and the Romanian literature of the nineteenth century are part of a romantic cultural movement. Since the oldest images, the characters of fairy tales and the ballets, to novel that offers them various perspectives, the Gypsy is noted for its exoticism, being a figure of otherness. The literary representations of the nineteenth century are an extension of the old collective images. The characters of Romanian literature further illustrate the ancestral types of the woman blacksmith, and the mythical image of Isis exists in both literatures. The gypsy ballet and adventure novels surprise the reader by the mixture of good and evil in their actions. Their initiation function is present in most of the ballets. The Gypsy women are involved in the initial conflict, offering a solution. The adventure novels speculate the dual nature of the character, proliferating the grounds of disguise and of the children abducted and found after several years. The Gypsy also operates there a change of the other characters and places the reflection on freedom and social truth. The characters disguise themselves into Bohemians to escape the restrictions or prosecution. The images of Gypsies in the Romanian literary texts from the early nineteenth century and especially in the decades from 1830 to 1860 sustain the hypothesis of a subversive character. The Gypsy woman is chosen to speak the social truth, being a face of misery but also a symbol of change and of progress in the cultural movement led by the generations of pro-Western intellectuals. She is one of the voices of the oppressed and gradually becomes a figure of revolt. In the same period that the Gypsy is everywhere in the French romantic arts, she also appears in the first texts of the Romanian authors. This proove the French influence on the young Romanian generation. It also shows a synchronization between the two literatures, the result of the extraordinary efforts made by this elite formed almost entirely in France.