Fox Hunting Research Articles

Exploration of Biomass-related Genes in the FOX-superroot Lines of Lotus corniculatus and its Impact on Agronomic Traits

Background: Identifying biomass-related genes to meet the increasing demand for food supply is important approach for agricultural and scientific efforts. In this study, we employed the Full-length cDNA Over-eXpressing gene hunting system (FOX hunting system) to identify biomass-related genes through ectopic expression of Arabidopsis thaliana full-length cDNA in bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus). Methods: A total of 66 FOX superroot lines (FSLs) from Lotus corniculatus cv. Viking were transferred in vermiculite after two weeks in half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. These FSLs were then grown in a growth chamber for four weeks, during which their plant length and root length were measured. High biomass lines were selected from this group. FSL #83 and #121 were then grown for an additional four months in a greenhouse until they reached maturity, at which point they were evaluated for their agronomic traits. Result: Out of the 66 analyzed FSLs, 15 displayed superior growth characteristics in plant length and total root length. Arabidopsis cDNA, categorized into genes related to various functions such as membrane transport, photosystems, phytohormone synthesis, amino acid synthesis and unknown genes, was introduced into these lines. Two lines were grown to maturity in the greenhouse and their agronomic traits were analyzed in detail. FSL #83 expressed brassinosteroid biosynthetic pathway gene (CPD) led to significant differences in internode length, number of stems, number of flowers and above-ground dry matter weight compared to non-transgenic Super-growing roots (SR). On the other hand, FSL #121 expressed Asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (SYNC1) gene exhibited increases in plant length and the number of stem nodes.

A Beast to Be Slain: The Tiger and the Unquenched Desire of Man

Abstract: Ever since the British colonists blessed tiger hunting as the cardinal "royal" sport of the Haut monde , a surge of interest took place among the leisure class to travel to the British Raj in order to re-practice their ancestral fox hunting on foreign hunting grounds—this time with a more fearsome quarry. Since tigers were considered exotic and fierce creatures, overpowering these beasts secured a certain cachet for the victor, signifying his virility and manliness. As a result, the encounter between man and the tiger—both in the metaphoric and non-metaphoric sense—provided a literary trope for the twentieth-century writers who associated the animal with the erotic hunger of the male protagonists. By studying the traditional beliefs surrounding these mystical creatures, the present article reads some of the notable literary fictions of the twentieth century that use the tiger as a central animal motif— The Beast in the Jungle (1903), Death in Venice (1912), and The Remains of the Day (1989)—in light of each other.

A Beast to Be Slain: The Tiger and the Unquenched Desire of Man

Abstract: Ever since the British colonists blessed tiger hunting as the cardinal "royal" sport of the Haut monde , a surge of interest took place among the leisure class to travel to the British Raj in order to re-practice their ancestral fox hunting on foreign hunting grounds—this time with a more fearsome quarry. Since tigers were considered exotic and fierce creatures, overpowering these beasts secured a certain cachet for the victor, signifying his virility and manliness. As a result, the encounter between man and the tiger—both in the metaphoric and non-metaphoric sense—provided a literary trope for the twentieth-century writers who associated the animal with the erotic hunger of the male protagonists. By studying the traditional beliefs surrounding these mystical creatures, the present article reads some of the notable literary fictions of the twentieth century that use the tiger as a central animal motif— The Beast in the Jungle (1903), Death in Venice (1912), and The Remains of the Day (1989)—in light of each other.

Fleeing entrepreneurs: Foreign residency right and corporate risk-taking

We use a unique sample of Chinese firms to investigate the impact of the foreign residency right (FRR) of a firm’s controlling person on corporate risk-taking. Our findings suggest that the controlling person’s FRR is negatively associated with corporate risk-taking, and the effect of FRR on risk-taking is significantly reduced by Operation Fox Hunt (a program for actively pursuing fled criminals) or when the foreign country has an extradition treaty with China. Our results are robust to tests for endogeneity, alternative metrics of FRR, and risk-taking. We also find that severe financial constraints and a decline in R&D activities are the channels through which FRR reduces corporate risk-taking. Additional analyses show that the effect of FRR on corporate risk-taking is more pronounced when (a) controlling persons hold foreign nationality, (b) controlling persons are powerful or older, or (c) the investors of the firm face greater information asymmetry.

Legal and Non-Legal Image of Fox Hunting and Shooting – the Impact of Globalization on National and International Perceptions of the World

Abstract The aim of this paper is to provide some insight into legal definitions of fox hunting in the United Kingdom and polowanie na lisy in the Republic of Poland and to scrutinize the differences in the legal meaning of the two terms in question and their social perception. The goal of the study is to show that apparently similar concepts may in fact differ significantly and treating them as equivalents may lead to miscommunication. The author will apply the following research methods: the comparative law analysis of legal concepts of fox hunting and polowanie na lisy, and the lexical analysis of the terms in question in legal and non-legal genres. The research findings strongly indicated that globalization and social media have a massive impact on perceptions of various phenomena by people, who frequently stereotype the reality, assuming that well-distributed and popularized “foreign” is identical to “native”. The misunderstanding of such culture-bound terminology may have serious consequences which are already visible in social debates and may negatively affect the legislative process.

KLU/CYP78A5, a Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase Identified via Fox Hunting, Contributes to Cuticle Biosynthesis and Improves Various Abiotic Stress Tolerances.

Acquired osmotolerance after salt stress is widespread among Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) accessions. Most salt-tolerant accessions exhibit acquired osmotolerance, whereas Col-0 does not. To identify genes that can confer acquired osmotolerance to Col-0 plants, we performed full-length cDNA overexpression (FOX) hunting using full-length cDNAs of halophyte Eutrema salsugineum, a close relative of Arabidopsis. We identified EsCYP78A5 as a gene that can confer acquired osmotolerance to Col-0 wild-type (WT) plants. EsCYP78A5 encodes a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase and the Arabidopsis ortholog is known as KLU. We also demonstrated that transgenic Col-0 plants overexpressing AtKLU (AtKLUox) exhibited acquired osmotolerance. Interestingly, KLU overexpression improved not only acquired osmotolerance but also osmo-shock, salt-shock, oxidative, and heat-stress tolerances. Under normal conditions, the AtKLUox plants showed growth retardation with shiny green leaves. The AtKLUox plants also accumulated higher anthocyanin levels and developed denser cuticular wax than WT plants. Compared to WT plants, the AtKLUox plants accumulated significantly higher levels of cutin monomers and very-long-chain fatty acids, which play an important role in the development of cuticular wax and membrane lipids. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induced by osmotic or heat stress was reduced in AtKLUox plants compared to WT plants. These findings suggest that KLU is involved in the cuticle biosynthesis, accumulation of cuticular wax, and reduction of ER stress induced by abiotic stresses, leading to the observed abiotic stress tolerances.

The Viability of Cross-Country Running Appearing in the Winter Olympic Games

Today, cross-country running celebrates over 200 years of being a practiced, organized sport. Originally adapted as a form of imitation fox hunting by schoolboys in England, it is now a globally sanctioned program governed by World Athletics, which oversees marathon running, track and field, and other athletics events. First introduced to the International Olympic Committee by Percy Fischer, a member of the Olympic track committee of the Amateur Athletics Association in October 1910, cross-country running appeared three times on the program for the Summer Olympic Games in 1912, 1920, and 1924 as both a team and individually-scored event. Due to the overwhelming popularity of track and field and marathon events in the current Olympic Games program in the summer, recent attention has turned to promoting cross-country running––largely practiced in the autumnal and winter months the world over––for inclusion on the Winter Olympic Games schedule. Despite a history of nearly 100 years of efforts for reinclusion back into the Olympics, cross-country running has had difficulty in gaining traction for support for the winter program, largely due to the winter olympic charter mandating all sports be practiced exclusively on snow or ice.

Reassessing the Rationale and Ritual of Hunting in the Changing Natural World of Post-Restoration England

In the sixteenth century, deer hunting was the most prestigious type of hunting. The monarchy and the aristocracy spent large amounts of time and money to pursue this slow, ritualistic hunt that could be considered akin to a court masque in its script and symbolic demonstrations. It was also a chance for members of the court to distinguish themselves as brave and noble, and thus fit to rule or govern their respective territories. By the eighteenth century, deer hunting was no longer the most popular or prestigious hunt. The fox had become the premier prey, a distinction that it maintained even into the twentieth century. Most of the scholarship on this transition glosses over the seventeenth century and indicates that the transition can be simply explained by the changing landscape of the English countryside. This is an overly simplistic explanation. This paper will examine sporting and social concerns to explore what else could have encouraged the movement away from deer to fox. The wealth, status and social demonstrations that deer hunting provided were transferred to fox hunting. The fox hunt was also faster and more chaotic, which coincided with the general movement away from staid, performative court rituals. The growing popularity of racing also helped encourage the breeding of horses with improved speed-endurance qualities, which could be used for both hunting and racing.

Exploring the salt- and drought-tolerant genes of alfalfa through expression library screening strategy

Salinity and drought stress are major abiotic stresses negatively affecting the growth and productivity of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Exploration of genes exhibiting superior tolerance to salinity and drought stress in alfalfa will help aid target molecular breeding and developing tolerant forages. In this study, we adopted a high-efficient yeast FOX hunting system for the identification of salinity and drought tolerant genes in alfalfa. Based on the Gateway-compatible vector system, a high-quality expression library was constructed, containing 1.3 × 107 clones with an average size of 1.44 kb. Through heterologous transformation of mixed library plasmid into salt or drought sensitive yeast mutants, monoclonal resistant strains were screened and tolerant genes were captured. Eighteen salinity-tolerance genes were obtained which were involved in several pathways, containing GRAS and zinc finger transcriptional factors, PP2A interaction module, ERVT vesicle transporter and LETM transmembrane protein. Twelve drought tolerance genes were separated, including ERF and SCL transcriptional factors, CIPK and BSK protein kinases, TGL-type ligase, cPGM and cPDL protease. The mRNA transcription levels of these tolerant genes were inducible or suppressible for response to salt or drought stress conditions following quantitative PCR detection, respectively. Furthermore, heterologous transformation of ERVT and CIPK11 can improve the salt and drought stress tolerance in Arabidopsis, which indicates the conservative function of the screening gene in yeast and Arabidopsis. Obtaining these candidate genes can provide new insights for future research with respect to plant salt and drought tolerance.

Fox Hunting in Wild Apples: Searching for Novel Genes in Malus Sieversii.

Malus sieversii is considered the progenitor of modern apple (Malus pumila) cultivars and to represent a valuable source of genetic diversity. Despite the importance of M. sieversii as a source of disease resistance, stress tolerance, and novel fruit traits, little is known about gene function and diversity in M. sieversii. Notably, a publicly annotated genome sequence for this species is not available. In the current study, the FOX (Full-length cDNA OvereXpressing) gene hunting system was used to construct a library of transgenic lines of Arabidopsis in which each transgenic line overexpresses a full-length gene obtained from a cDNA library of the PI619283 accession of M. sieversii. The cDNA library was constructed from mRNA obtained from bark tissues collected in late fall–early winter, a time at which many abiotic stress-adaptative genes are expressed. Over 4000 apple FOX Arabidopsis lines have been established from the pool of transgenic seeds and cDNA inserts corresponding to various Gene Ontology (GO) categories have been identified. A total of 160 inserts appear to be novel, with no or limited homology to M. pumila, Arabidopsis, or poplar. Over 1300 lines have also been screened for freezing resistance. The constructed library of transgenic lines provides a valuable genetic resource for exploring gene function and diversity in Malus sieversii. Notably, no such library of t-DNA lines currently exists for any Malus species.

The role of foxes in the Palaeolithic economies of the Swabian Jura (Germany)

In this study, we examine the role of foxes in Palaeolithic economies, focusing on sites of the Middle Palaeolithic, Aurignacian, Gravettian and Magdalenian of the Swabian Jura. For this purpose, we used published faunal data from 26 assemblages from the region, including new information from the Magdalenian layers of Langmahdhalde. We explore how the abundance of foxes changes over time, how they were used by humans, and how they were deposited at the sites, with a special focus on fox hunting methods. To evaluate these hunting methods, we use the prey choice model of optimal foraging theory (OFT) and simulate possible hunting scenarios, which we test based on the published faunal assemblages. Our research indicates that foxes were hunted since the early Upper Palaeolithic for their meat, fur and teeth, possibly with traps. We find that the abundance of fox remains in the archaeological record of the region increased continuously starting in the Aurignacian, which cannot be explained by taphonomic factors. The trend of foxes to adapt to human-influenced environments with commensal behavior may also have contributed to them being hunted more often.

Opposing Laws with Religious Reasons

Opposing Laws with Religious Reasons

Beliefs Unworthy of Respect in a Democratic Society: A View from the Employment Tribunal

There have been a number of tribunal decisions on the admissibility of discrimination claims concerning ‘belief’ as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. Some have favoured the claimant, establishing, inter alia, that opposition to fox hunting and hare-coursing, a belief in the ‘higher purpose’ of public service broadcasting and a commitment to vegetarianism constitute ‘philosophical beliefs’ for the purposes of the Equality Act. Others do not, such that a belief in wearing a poppy or, in contrast with an earlier decision, a commitment to vegetarianism do not qualify. The admissibility of these claims tended to turn on the extent to which the belief in question was considered cogent or was sufficiently weighty and substantial. In Forstater v CGD Europe & Anor, whether or not a belief fell into the protected category focused on the rather different issue of whether or not it was worthy of respect because of its compatibility (or otherwise) with the dignity and rights of others.

Does the Hunting Act 2004 adequately prevent the killing of foxes?

Foxes have been hunted for decades in the United Kingdom due to it being an essential part of British culture. However, nowadays the public are strongly against fox hunting. This is evident from The Hunting Act 2004 (Act 04) being enforced to protect wild mammals. Despite the Act being in effect there have been cases where suspected hunters have gotten away with being convicted of hunting as a result of loopholes within the current legislation. Therefore in order to improve the effectiveness of the Act it must be built upon. Through analysing the Act itself alongside cases, ethical issues of hunting and changing social attitudes, we will consider whether the Act can be altered so that it can adequately prevent the killing of foxes.

СПЕЦИФІКА ОДНОАКТНИХ П’ЄС СЛАВОМИРА МРОЖЕКА

The article examines the characteristic features of the one-act plays of the Polish playwright of the twentieth century Slavomir Mrozhek. The creativity of the writer tends toward the Theater of absurd, it is characterized by grotesque, sharp satire, parody, contrasting combination of incompatible things as well as eccentricity. Mrozhek creates the world of his dramas by using various means of comic. He describes numerous social and political problem in his dramas. The main motives of the writer’s works are the motive of freedom, the motive of life and death, the motive of the dispute and the antagonism of nature and culture. Mrozhek’s one-act plays are short and rational, they have features of the classic “small play” of the 19th century and traits of the absurd, grotesque play of the 20th century. The article traces the history of the formation and development of the Polish and European one-act play throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, its features and characteristics, furthermore the embodiment of these features in specific dramas of Slawomir Mrozhek were analyzed. Among such dramas, the most famous ones are ‘At Sea’, ‘Karol’, ‘Strip-tease’, ‘Zabawa’, ‘Dilemmas of a dog breeder’, ‘The magical night’, ‘Fox hunting’, a brief analysis of individual works is presented in the article. Particular attention is paid to the presentation and description of the typical characters of Mrozhek’s plays, which were diligently studied by the Polish book critic Jan Blonsky. Each of the characters have a special stereotypical trait that is actualized in the acts of the dramas and is emphasized by the actions of the characters. A one-act play is a convincing view of the actual problems in a small form, which requires great skill. Mrozhek’s one-act plays are sharp, absurd, intellectual as well as topical. The language of the works is full of idioms, eloquent expressions and dialects. The surprise effect and attempts to astonish the reader and to cause ambiguous emotions are the main target for the author. The article provides a more detailed analysis of one of Mrozhek’s dramas – ‘Fox Hunting’, the main character of which is the stereotypical figure of Fox, which gives allegory, signs of fable, Aesopian language to the drama. This work is a typical example of the embodiment of the characteristic features of Slavomir Mrozhek’s one-act plays. The purpose of the article is review, analysis and research of the works of the outstanding Polish playwright Slavomir Mrozhek through the prism of his one-act plays.

‘The More Sport the Merrier, Say We’: Sport in Ireland during the Great Famine

Scholars have made considerable progress in recent years in researching the history of sport in Ireland, yet there are still important areas that have not received scholarly attention. One of these is the topic of sport during the Great Famine. A close perusal of contemporary newspapers reveals that large numbers of Irish people, from all social groups, continued to enjoy sports, either as participants or as spectators, during the Famine years. Horse races, especially steeplechases, were universally popular, with many meets attracting attendances that numbered in the thousands. Other popular sports included fox hunting, stag hunting, greyhound coursing, sailing, cricket and cockfighting. This article illustrates the widespread popularity of sport in Ireland in this period, based mainly on a reading of newspaper accounts, and discusses why the subject of sport does not feature in folk or popular memory of the Famine.

The repertoire of bitter taste receptor genes in canids.

Bitter taste receptors (Tas2rs) play important roles in mammalian defense mechanisms by helping animals detect and avoid toxins in food. Although Tas2r genes have been widely studied in several mammals, minimal research has been performed in canids. To analyze the genetic basis of Tas2r genes in canids, we first identified Tas2r genes in the wolf, maned wolf, red fox, corsac fox, Tibetan fox, fennec fox, dhole and African hunting dog. A total of 183 Tas2r genes, consisting of 118 intact genes, 6 partial genes and 59 pseudogenes, were detected. Differences in the pseudogenes were observed among nine canid species. For example, Tas2r4 was a pseudogene in the dog but might play a functional role in other canid species. The Tas2r42 and Tas2r10 genes were pseudogenes in the maned wolf and dhole, respectively, and the Tas2r5 and Tas2r34 genes were pseudogenes in the African hunting dog; however, these genes were intact genes in other canid species. The differences in Tas2r pseudogenes among canids might suggest that the loss of intact Tas2r genes in canid species is species-dependent. We further compared the 183 Tas2r genes identified in this study with Tas2r genes from ten additional carnivorous species to evaluate the potential influence of diet on the evolution of the Tas2r gene repertoire. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most of the Tas2r genes from the 18 species intermingled across the tree, suggesting that Tas2r genes are conserved among carnivores. Within canids, we found that some Tas2r genes corresponded to the traditional taxonomic groupings, while some did not. PIC analysis showed that the number of Tas2r genes in carnivores exhibited no positive correlation with diet composition, which might be due to the limited number of carnivores included in our study.

‘The Master is the Mistress’: women and fox hunting as sports coaching in Britain

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the relationship between equestrianism and sport coaching at the turn of the twentieth century. Women were avid and admired participants in fox hunting and other mounted field sports by the mid-nineteenth century, and they expanded on this success by attaining positions of leadership in many hunts throughout Britain, specifically as Masters of Hounds. Women thus attained positions of supreme authority over, and therefore equality with, peers of both sexes well before they obtained wartime jobs after 1914 or achieved the vote in 1918. As Masters, women were teachers, trainers, mentors, managers and bosses; they were some of the first female sport coaches, advancing and revolutionising sport in a variety of ways, though such participation has yet to be fully studied or recognised. By examining the position of Master of Hounds and women’s involvement in these leadership roles, we can see how advances in sport shaped changes in social, cultural, and gender perceptions before and after the First World War.

Cabin in the Pines: Albert Music Hall and Constructions of a Pine Barrens Musical Tradition

Albert Music Hall is an outpost of bluegrass, folk, and country music in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, offering hours of live music every Saturday night. It has formally been in existence since the 1970s under the auspices of the Pinelands Cultural Society, but it traces its roots back to the 1950s, when brothers Joe and George Albert started hosting informal musical gatherings at their Pines fox hunting cabin, known in the area as the Homeplace. What started as locals playing old-time and country music at a rustic cabin deep in the woods has evolved into a more formal venue that features musicians from around New Jersey and beyond. Albert Music Hall has persisted as an island of an older, more rural, and isolated Pines in an industrialized, urbanized state. Through an examination of the language, material culture, and music of the venue, this paper considers questions and constructions of authenticity in relation to notions of what a true Pine Barrens musical experience might be for Albert Music Hall audiences and musicians.

Mulberries, and: The Old Lady Tour

Mulberries, and: The Old Lady Tour Donald Platt (bio) Mulberries For breakfast I go out and eat mulberries straight from the tree. I cram them into my hungry watering mouth, so succulent sweet, crunch of their star seeds between my teeth. If one could eat the infinite night sky, it would taste like plump mulberries. They start out small, light green, almost white, swell to pink drupelets, then turn to blood clots, ripen black. Plucked red, they’re tart. Pick them too late, and they’ve already begun to ferment. Dark sugars fester in my mouth. Festina lente, make haste slowly, say the old Latin writers. Such sweet paradox, delicious to the tongue as rain-swollen mulberries. Learn how to grow old and die from them. By tomorrow, some of the red berries will have turned to black constellations I’ll reach for. The starlings will gorge on them, shit out mid mind-maddening zigzag flight [End Page 28] their purple-splatter Rorschachs, a diarrhea diary on our white car’s roof and hood. I read my future in that screed. Festina lente. The world’s a festival of lights. The coreopsis’s bright sunspots will wilt and black out slowly if summer brings no withering drought on the red-winged blackbird’s quick apocalyptic wing. It flashes fire and night with each dark wing beat’s hammer stroke and strike. Death, make haste slowly. Away let me idle this day. A white, two-seater plane buzzes above me, banks, practices perfect circles, pollinates the cumulus clouds flowering the southeast horizon—pure white, hybrid peonies. When I was young, an old poet told me that the proper subject of poetry was flowers. What a forty-pound sack of horse manure, I thought. Now, I’m not so sure. Our hostas put forth green spikes whose tips erupt into creamy lavender clusters of florets, summer’s erectile tissue. The backyard’s studded with clover, star field of weeds that take over everything. Cool breeze sways the mulberry tree. I’m happy to waste my life on these words, so many indescribably sweet mulberries [End Page 29] that I and the gossipy starlings can’t possibly consume them all. They fall to the ground where they too become black dirt. The Old Lady Tour Dana, my wife, used to drive her dad, Erwin, from his retirement community in Virginia Beach to visit his two lifelong friends three hours away in Charlottesville. “The old lady tour” she calls it, as if Coco and Carter are landmarks, bronze nonagenarian statues that the pigeons perch and shit upon in the city square, each with a tarnished plaque identifying them, their dates, the exploits that made them famous under the dumbstruck sun now petrified to a standstill. Erwin’s dead. We still make the rounds, do the old lady tour. Coco, who started out in independent living fifteen years ago, just moved to a single room next to the solarium on the third floor of the nursing home. “The waiting for God floor” she likes to call it at ninety-four. She launches into her monologue. How her good friend, who ended up a baroness, was “barren, [End Page 30] no kids” and had gotten married three times. “The first marriage was for love, the second for money, the third for sex.” Coco too is childless. She shows us photos of herself and her late husband Horace in front of their black Bentley in the early 1950s. She looks like a movie star in her form-fitting, strapless, silver satin dress. Her now-thinning white hair, wild as Einstein’s, was then platinum blonde and permed in synchronized waves. She and Horace, in his dove-gray morning suit, were “the cream of Charlottesville’s horsey set.” She tells us how they built an ultra-modern house out in the country, mostly glass, with floor-to-ceiling windows, against which the hounds when Horace went riding with their neighbors in the monthly fox hunt “would lift their legs” as they went baying by, hot on the scent. Coco would have to go out and wash the windows. The couple to whom she sold the property tore the...