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Lenacapavir, targeting the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) capsid, is the first-in-class antiretroviral drug recently approved for clinical use. The development of Lenacapavir is attributed to the remarkable progress in our understanding of the capsid protein made during the last few years. Considered little more than a component of the virus shell to be shed early during infection, the capsid has been found to be a key player in the HIV-1 life cycle by interacting with multiple host factors, entering the nucleus, and directing integration. Here, we describe the key advances that led to this 'capsid revolution'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental conditions that marine populations experience are being altered because of climate change. In particular, changes in temperature and increased variability can cause shifts in spatial distribution, leading to changes in local physiological rates and recruitment success. Yet, management of fish stocks rarely accounts for variable spatial dynamics or changes in movement rates when estimating management quantities such as stock abundance or maximum sustainable yield. To address this concern, a management strategy evaluation (MSE) was developed to evaluate the robustness of the international management system for Pacific hake, an economically important migratory stock, by incorporating spatio-temporal population dynamics. Alternative hypotheses about climate-induced changes in age-specific movement rates, in combination with three different harvest control rules (HCR), were evaluated using a set of simulations that coupled single-area estimation models with alternative operating models representing spatial stock complexity. Movement rates intensified by climate change caused a median decline in catches, increased annual catch variability, and lower average spawning biomass. Impacts varied by area and HCR, underscoring the importance of spatial management. Incorporating spatial dynamics and climate change effects into management procedures for fish stocks with spatial complexity is warranted to mitigate risk and uncertainty for exploited marine populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species distribution models (SDMs) use presence records to determine the relationship between species occurrence and various environmental variables to create predictive maps describing the species' distribution. The Oscura Mountains Colorado chipmunk (Neotamias quadrivittatus oscuraensis) occurs in central New Mexico and is of conservation concern due to its relict distribution and threats to habitat. We previously created an occupancy model for this taxon, but were concerned that the model may not have adequately captured the ecological factors influencing the chipmunk's distribution because of the data hungry nature of occupancy modeling. MaxEnt is another SDM method that is particularly effective at testing large numbers of variables and handling small sample sizes. Our goal was to create a MaxEnt model for the Oscura Mountains Colorado chipmunk and to compare it with our previous occupancy model for this taxon, either to strengthen our original assessment of the relevant ecological factors or identify additional factors that were not captured by our occupancy model. We created MaxEnt models using occurrence records from baited camera traps and opportunistic surveys. We adjusted model complexity using a novel method for tuning both the regularization multiplier and feature class parameters while also performing variable selection. We compared the distribution maps and variables selected by MaxEnt to the results of our occupancy model for this taxon. The MaxEnt and occupancy models selected similar environmental variables and the overall spatial pattern of occurrence was similar for each model. Likelihood of occurrence was positively related to elevation, piñon woodland vegetation type, and topographic variables associated with escarpments. The overall similarities between the MaxEnt and occupancy models increased our confidence of the ecological factors influencing the distribution of the chipmunk. We conclude that MaxEnt offers advantages for predicting the distribution of rare species, which can help inform conservation actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An animal's 3D form, combined with the directional lighting that is typical of many natural light environments, often results in the production of self-shadows, which may increase prey detectability to visual predators or vice versa. In terrestrial animals, countershading patterning, a luminance gradient from dark dorsal to pale ventral pigmentation, acts to counterbalance this effect by essentially reversing the distribution of light incident across the body surface. Although widespread among aquatic predators and prey, it is unclear whether countershading facilitates camouflage through elimination of self-shadows (self-shadow concealment [SSC]), enhances the match between an animal's radiance and that of the background for multiple viewing angles (background matching [BM]), or a combination of both. We used clay models of a color-changing freshwater fish to determine the optimal patterning for SSC in different light environments, and we compared this to the skin reflectance profile of fish held under the same conditions. Fish adjusted their countershading pattern in response to changes in the light environment, but the observed reflectance profiles did not match the modeling predictions for optimal SSC. Thus fish adjusted their body pigmentation to match the viewing background rather than to conceal their ventral shadows. We suggest that different selection pressures resulting from the dissimilar characteristics of light in air and water have resulted in convergence of similar countershading phenotypes in terrestrial and aquatic prey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Distance from home to school is an important influence on the decision to use active transport (AT); however, ecological perspectives would suggest this relationship maybe moderated by individual, interpersonal and environmental factors. This study investigates whether (i) gender, (ii) biological maturation, (iii) perceived family support for physical activity (PA) and (iv) multiple deprivation moderate the relationship between distance to school and AT. Methods A total of 611 children (11-12 years old, 334 females) were recruited from schools in Leicestershire, UK. Gender, family support for PA, and AT were self-reported. Home and school postcodes were used to determine multiple deprivation and distance to school (km). Predicted age at peak height velocity was used to indicate biological maturation. Results Logistic regressions revealed the main effects explained 40.2% of the variance in AT; however; distance to school was the only significant predictor. Further analyses revealed that distance to school had a greater negative impact on the use of AT in late-maturing (OR: 3.60, CI: 1.45-8.96), less deprived (OR: 3.54, CI: 1.17-10.72) and children with low family support of PA (OR: 0.26, CI: 0.11-0.61). Conclusions This study provides evidence that, although distance to school might be the strongest predictor of AT, this relationship is complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the factors related to dietary lapse occurrence in a community sample of dieters. Methods: An ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology, via mobile phone-based diaries, was employed to record dietary lapse occurrences in a group of dieters ( N = 80; M = 41.21 ± 15.60 years; M = 30.78 ± 7.26) over 7 days. Results: Analyses indicated that lapses were positively associated with the strength of dietary temptation, presence of others, coping responses, and the environment (exposure to food cues) in which the dieters were in; lapses were more likely to occur in the evening and were negatively associated with the use of coping mechanisms. Additionally, lapse occurrence was found to mediate the relationships among the above predictors of lapse and the self-efficacy to resist future dietary temptations. Conclusions: Results provide an insight into the occurrence of lapses in dieters and have implications for interventions focusing on weight loss maintenance and relapse prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's rise in Africa has been largely overlooked, despite the important implications of the growing presence of Indian corporations and a rise in New Delhi's political ties with the continent. Not only are Indian actors providing much-needed investment and capital, but Indo-African connections represent a further important diversification of Africa's international relations, something which reflects a major development for the continent. Indian activity in Africa may be said to constitute a middle ground between China's profit-maximizing and largely statist approach and the much-resented intrusive conditionalities associated with western policies. It is evident that India's growing activity in Africa has the potential to help African companies become more efficient by exposing them to competition, new advances in technology and modern labour skills. African governments could potentially use the opportunity of an increased Indian corporate presence in Africa as sources of appropriate technology, skills and advice for economic development. However, if not handled correctly, any goodwill that India possesses in Africa will quickly be squandered and/or India will become just another actor in Africa. It is up to Africans to negotiate with Indian actors to ensure that the benefits accrued from Indo-African ties are evenly shared and that Indian interest in the continent, alongside that of others, may help to serve as a catalyst for economic revitalization. The key issue is how African leaders can seek to leverage newfound Indian investment and interest in Africa so that Africa's place in global trade networks becomes more proactive and beneficial to the continent's citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Multiple factors contribute to muscle weakness and reduced muscle mass in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and this impacts patients' quality of life. One factor implicated in this process is systemic inflammation, an accompaniment of acute exacerbations. Recurrent exacerbations are associated with lower health status. This study examines the relationship between muscle weaknesses, health status and exacerbation frequency in a cohort of patients with COPD. Methods This is an observational study of 188 (95 female) patients with COPD attending two hospital clinics in the northeast of England between 2004 and 2007. We measured spirometry, body mass index, health status (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire) and grip strength and recorded Medical Research Council dyspnoea scores and the frequency of exacerbations in the previous year. Results Patients were aged 72.568.3 years (data expressed as mean±SD) with Medical Research Council score of 3.6±0.8, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) of 49.2±21.5 per cent predicted and a total St George's Respiratory Questionnaire score of 72.2±15.5. Grip strength, expressed as per cent predicted, was 72. ±21.8 in men and 81.0±18.2 in women. Exacerbations ranged from zero to five in the previous year and there were associations of reduced grip strength with exacerbation frequency (χ²=9.634; p=0.0019) and lower health status (χ²=34.00; p<0.001). Conclusion Our data clearly demonstrate that reduction in grip strength occurs more frequently and to a greater extent in patients with a history of frequent exacerbations and is associated with reduced health status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Botswana's economic policy, as of July 2012, in response to the article "Botswana: a development-oriented gate-keeping state," by Ellen Hillbom that was published in the journal during 2012. An overview of economic development in Botswana from the 1960s through 2012, including the role that the discovery of diamonds played in the country's economic development, is provided. An overview of the Botswana elite, including their relationship with the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), is also provided.

Many endemic plant species belong to taxonomically complex groups. These endemics have often arisen as a consequence of recent and rapid evolutionary divergence facilitated by processes such as hybridization, polyploidy and/or breeding system transitions. The rapid and dynamic nature of divergence in taxonomically complex groups leads to problems in the implementation of traditional species-based approaches for the conservation of the biodiversity that they contain. Firstly, the taxa of interest can be difficult to define and identify, leading to practical difficulties in implementing conservation measures. Secondly, a species-based approach often fails to capture the complexity of diversity present in the taxonomically complex group. To accommodate these challenges, we have developed a Process-Based Species Action Plan approach. This is designed to conserve the processes leading to the generation of biodiversity, rather than focusing on the preservation of individual named taxa. We illustrate the approach using a group of endemic tree species ( Sorbus) on the Scottish island of Arran that have originated via a combination of multiple recent hybridization events and apomixis. The plan focuses on the optimization of habitat management to ensure the reproduction and regeneration of Sorbus in the zone in which these evolutionary processes operate, and to facilitate hybridization that will ensure the continued generation of diversity in this group. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 168, 194-203. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's political and economic activities in Africa are increasing at an exponential rate. Equally, they are attracting criticism, chiefly over Beijing's no-strings-attached stance on human rights and governance. It is clear that many African states that enjoy Chinese support not only trample on civil and political rights (as per Western ideas of human rights), but also subvert their citizens' economic and social rights (as per China's discourse on human rights). If whilst adhering to the principle of non-interference, Chinese activities actually make things worse for some in Africa, then Beijing's argument that basic socioeconomic rights are more important for the poor than abstract political rights is potentially problematic. This is because there is a danger that Beijing's engagement in Africa might be exploited by autocrats on the continent for their own, well-understood, reasons. Doing no harm, rather than a studied disinterest, needs to be part of China's overall African policy, something that Beijing is bound to recognize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overexpression of genes that respond to drought stress is a seemingly attractive approach for improving drought resistance in crops. However, the consequences for both water-use efficiency and productivity must be considered if agronomic utility is sought. Here, we characterize two tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) lines (sp12 and sp5) that overexpress a gene encoding 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, the enzyme that catalyzes a key rate-limiting step in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. Both lines contained more ABA than the wild type, with sp5 accumulating more than sp12. Both had higher transpiration efficiency because of their lower stomatal conductance, as demonstrated by increases in δ13C and δ18O, and also by gravimetric and gas-exchange methods. They also had greater root hydraulic conductivity. Under well-watered glasshouse conditions, mature sp5 plants were found to have a shoot biomass equal to the wild type despite their lower assimilation rate per unit leaf area. These plants also had longer petioles, larger leaf area, increased specific leaf area, and reduced leaf epinasty. When exposed to root-zone water deficits, line sp12 showed an increase in xylem ABA concentration and a reduction in stomatal conductance to the same final levels as the wild type, but from a different basal level. Indeed, the main difference between the high ABA plants and the wild type was their performance under well-watered conditions: the former conserved soil water by limiting maximum stomatal conductance per unit leaf area, but also, at least in the case of sp5, developed a canopy more suited to light interception, maximizing assimilation per plant, possibly due to improved turgor or suppression of epinasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the next five years, Chinese trade with Africa is predicted to reach $100 billion per year. Much of this springs from China's growing expansion into Africa's oil markets. It is argued that Chinese oil diplomacy in Africa has two main goals: in the short-term to secure oil supplies to help feed growing domestic demand back in China; and in the long-term, to position China as a global player in the international oil market. Yet at the same time, this oil safari is being accompanied by an explicit stance that emphasizes state sovereignty and 'non-interference' in domestic affairs and is wholly disinterested in transparency or human rights. Consequently, Beijing has increasingly been accused of turning a blind eye to autocracy and corruption. China is also threatening to undercut efforts by the African Union and its western partners to make government and business more accountable. While China is providing investment where little was previously forthcoming, concerns about Beijing's engagement with Africa's oil industries need to be resolved, not least by African leaders themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chancellor Gordon Brown has declared that 2005 will be a milestone in the United Kingdom's campaign to meet the UN Millennium Goals. Owing to Britain's chairmanship of both the G8 and the European Union in 2005, Brown believes that an opportunity to raise the continent's star in global politics presents itself. This comes after the launch in 2004 of the Blair Commission for Africa and a recent spate of high profile interventions by assorted politicians and famous musicians. It also follows a trend begun at the G8 meetings where Africa is placed on the G8 agenda. Such an interest in the continent is to be welcomed. Yet this article contends that Gordon Brown's assumptions regarding Africa's troubles, and the ingredients found within his proposals, are mistaken and need rethinking. The article argues that Brown's approach to Africa's problems is based on incomplete information or a misreading of the situation, and by default may serve to prolong Africa's crises rather than alleviate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-parameter flow cytometric techniques coupled with dual colour fluorescent staining were used to study the physical and metabolic consequences of inclusion body formation in batch cultures of the recombinant Escherichia coli strain MSD3735. This strain contains a plasmid coding for the isopropylthiogalactopyranoside-inducible model eukaryotic protein AP50. It is known that the synthesis of foreign proteins at high concentrations can exert a severe metabolic stress on the host cell and that morphological changes can occur. In this work, using various points of induction, it was shown that inclusion body formation is followed immediately by measurable changes in the characteristic intrinsic light scatter patterns for the individual cell (forward scatter, 90° side scatter) and a concomitant progressive change in the individual cell physiological state with respect to both cytoplasmic membrane polarisation and permeability. This work establishes flow cytometry as a potentially valuable tool for monitoring recombinant fermentation processes, providing important information for scale-up. Further, we discuss the possibility of optimising inclusion body formation by manipulating the fermentation conditions based on these rapid “real-time” measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been said that diamonds are Botswana's best friend, but with the rise of the 'conflict diamonds' issue in international politics, spurred on in the main by non-governmental organizations, Botswana has felt compelled to go on the offensive to persuade the diamond-buying public that its diamonds are 'clean' and legitimate. This 'Diamonds for Development' project has in recent months been one of the main planks of Botswana's foreign policy. However, a parallel NGO campaign around the issue of the San Bushmen has emerged that, based on perceptions linking diamonds to the removal of the San from their homes, threatens Gaborone's image as a producer of 'clean' diamonds. This article attempts to explain the dynamics behind these two issues currently bedevilling Botswana's relations with the outside world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the implications of the presidential elections in Zimbabwe on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Goals of the NEPAD: Overview on the political crisis in Zimbabwe; Response by African elites on the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

When plants encounter compacted soil, stomatal closure occurs and shoot growth slows. These responses occur in the absence of detectable changes in foliar water status. The use of genotypes with a reduced capacity to synthesize either ABA or ethylene has provided convincing evidence that ABA is responsible for providing the signal that regulates stomatal aperture, whereas increased ethylene production leads to an inhibition of shoot growth. Compaction results in an elevated export of ABA from the roots while enhanced ethylene synthesis is associated with increased expression of ACC oxidase in the aerial parts of the plant. Future work will explore the mechanisms responsible for regulating these events and the contribution of anaerobiosis to the stresses experienced by roots growing under compacted conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how far the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has sabotaged the attempts of South African President Thabo Mbeki to engineer an African Renaissance. It does so in three stages. The first section discusses how South Africa's African policy has been influenced by Mbeki's vision of a renaissance and exactly what this has entailed. The second section then provides an analysis of the conflict in the DRC and suggests that the primary factor driving the violence is a form of klep-tocratic political economy, what we call vagabondage politique. The third discusses South Africa's unsuccessful attempts to broker a peace agreement. The article concludes that, ironically, the very neo-liberal principles that lie at the heart of Mbeki's vision of an African Renaissance have contributed to the erosion of the neo-patrimonial state in Africa and actually encouraged the growth of what William Reno described as 'warlord capitalism'. Thus, instead of understanding the war in the DRC as the antithesis of an African Renaissance, it may well represent a prophetic glimpse of what the dark side of neo-liberalism has in store for areas of the globe that remain peripheral to the affairs of the great powers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the control of abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis in plants. Mechanism underlying the ABA biosynthetic pathway; Location of genetic lesions in the ABA biosynthetic pathway; Impairment of biosynthetic steps in ABA-deficient mutants.

Presents the author's reflections on peace and order in a suburb in South Manchester, England. Typical Victorian suburb; Park as site of crime; Noise and disturbance from pubs; Need for burglar alarms and other security devices; The English suburb in the post-war period; Withdrawal of residents from involvement in public activity.

The article analyzes Winifred Horrabin's several film reviews published in "Lansbury's Labour Weekly," "Tribune," and the "Manchester Evening News." What all Horrabin's journalism featured was a commitment to socialist feminism, and her journalistic interests and opportunities in the 1930s reflected the extraordinarily gendered division of labour. Film reviews of Horrabin have to be read in the context of a more far reaching critique of social inequality and of the dominant culture of the day, alongside a wider identification with popular culture which is a broader strand of populism.

The concern of this paper is to locate the escalating international trade in drugs and the associated international problem of 'money-laundering': firstly, on the production side, as an effect of the demise of mass production in Western countries and the intensification of competition for capital; and, secondly, on the demand side, in terms of the cultural conditions contributing to the consumption of hard thugs, especially in North American metropolitan areas. The argument attempts to provide an alternative, sociological account, grounded in political economy and cultural theory, to the more familiar demonological accounts of Western political leaders and journalists, which tend to focus too simplistically on the activities of Third World drug-barons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Episodic diffuse cerebral symptoms and unexpected falls were investigated by ambulatory electrocardiography in nine men and 19 women aged 65 years or more. Eight subjects with episodic dizziness or syncope had cardiac arrhythmias which are known to be capable of causing these symptoms and four of these had symptoms at the time of the arrhythmia. However, only one was detected by ambulatory electrocardiography alone. No significant arrhythmias were found in any of the remaining subjects. When 17 symptomatic subjects were compared with 17 age- and sex-matched asymptomatic controls, cardiac arrhythmias known to be capable of causing symptoms were commoner in the symptomatic group, but the differences were not statistically significant. Ambulatory electrocardiography is of no more value than standard electrocardiography in the detection of arrhythmias associated with diffuse cerebral symptoms in elderly people. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) control the progression through the cell cycle. Using a two-hybrid approach, two clones encoding proteins interacting with the Arabidopsis thaliana CDK Cdc2aAt were identified. One clone encoded a novel putative substrate of Cdc2aAt, whereas the second clone was identified as a D-type cyclin (cycD1;1). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZE) catalyses two early steps in the abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthetic pathway. The sequence of a cDNA clone encoding ZE from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia was reported in 1996 and represented the first DNA sequence data on an ABA biosynthetic enzyme. The N. plumbaginifolia cDNA has been used to provide a heterologous probe to isolate a ZE cDNA from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). DNA and amino acid sequence differences are considered in relation to putative functional domains within the enzyme. The results of northern analysis in tomato are discussed in relation to the effects of water stress on ZE mRNA levels. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]