bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blue Tit (Parus Caeruleus) Agonistic Displays: A Reappraisal
Authors: Scott  , Deag
Published: March 2012

1. In order to reappraise work by Stokes (1962a, b) and subsequent interpretations of his results, a data set involving 906 dyadic Blue Tit interactions was coIlected and analysed using video playback. 2. A number of shortcomings in Stokes' original approach were highlighted, including his broad definition of attack and a lack of information on the true frequency of behaviours and of combinations of elements at an instance in time. 3. A total of 16 behaviours and actions with a clear agonistic context were identified. Similarity indices (Jaccard Index) were calculated based on the co-occurrence of behaviours at an instance in time. No behaviours were associated at a high enough level to warrant their consideration solely as compound displays. 4. True attack was rare, unpredictable and effective. Escalated fights occurred in < 1% of interactions, with peck attacks which were not escalated into fighting in a further 2% of interactions. The rarity of true attack makes it more useful to look at the relationship between behaviour and interaction outcome (win/lose), than between behaviour and subsequent actions (attack/stay/escape). 5. Seven behaviours were associated with winning (e.g. Wings out, Nape erect) and three (e.g. Crest erect) with losing. However, no behaviour was restricted to only one of these roles, no behaviour precisely predicted winning or losing, and many birds won or lost without showing these behaviours. Crest erect is associated with fear but is not simply a surrender signal. 6. In addition to the displays investigated, several other factors are thought to be involved in contest resolution. These are briefly discussed.
Female-Female Competition Affects Female Ornamentation in the Sex-Role Reversed Pipefish Syngnathus Typhle
Authors: Bernet Patricia , Rosenqvist Gunilla , Berglund Anders
Published: March 2012

1. In the sex role reversed pipefish Syngnathus typhle females compete for males, and males are more choosy than females. Before mating, females display a temporary sexual ornament in the form of a lateral zigzag pattern, which is an amplification of their permanent colour pattern. 2. In experiments males showed no significant preferences for permanently contrast-rich females, nor for females matching closely with the background. 3. Females in physical contact with a male could potentially develop the ornament, but under female-female competition females were more likely to display it than otherwise. 4. The ornament accurately predicted female mating success. More ornamented females displayed more actively towards males and were found closer to males than were non-ornamented females. 5. Females under predation threat were less ornamented than un-threatened females, suggesting a reduced potential for male choosiness under threat. 6. We conclude that the female ornament serves both to attract partners (males) and repel competitors (females).
Do Contingencies with Tutor Behaviour Influence Song Learning in Zebra Finches?
Authors: Houx Bart , Cate Carel Ten
Published: March 2012

Social interaction with a song tutor is often found to be important for the song learning process in songbirds, but the mechanism is still unclear. The main aim of this study is to find indications for contingencies between singing and interactive behaviours, between and within tutors and tutees, which might influence the song learning process of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). To this end we observed the interactions of eleven juvenile zebra finch males with their fathers (the tutors) and their mothers during the sensitive phase for song learning, and examined four different types of possible contingencies. The evidence for these contingencies was not very strong: (1) We found some weak indications that a tutee can anticipate tutor song by preceding tutor behaviour. There were no indications that (2) tutor song is contingent upon subsequent behaviour of the tutor, that (3) juvenile males can control singing of their tutor by preceding operant social behaviour, or that (4) social behaviour of the tutor reinforces singing of the tutee. We found some indications that the juvenile males attend actively to the tutor song. Furthermore, we found that the juvenile males maintained more mutual interactions with their father than with their mother. In general, we did not find any clear relationship between aspects of social interaction and song copying in zebra finches.
Responses of Golden Shiner Minnows to Chemical Cues from Snake Predators
Authors: Godard Renée , Bowers Bonnie , Wannamaker Catherine
Published: March 2012

Studies of a limited number of species of fish in the superorder Ostariophysi have shown they they exhibit strong antipredator behaviour to conserved alarm substance in feces and in other byproducts from predatory fish that have consumed ostariophysans. Our experiments examined the ability of a previously untested ostariophysan to recognize chemical cues from two species of snake predators. In Experiment 1, shoals of golden shiners (Notemigonus chrysoleucas) exhibited strong shelter-seeking responses to water which contained waste byproducts from either a sympatric snake or an allopatric snake which had been fed golden shiners but not to a distilled water control. There was no difference in response to the sympatrie snake predator, northern water snakes (Nerodia sipedon), compared to the allopatric snake predator, black-bellied garter snakes (Thamnophis melanogaster). In Experiment 2, individual shiners exhibited vigourous dashing when presented with water which contained waste byproducts from N. sipedon fed golden shiners but exhibited a much weaker response to water which contained waste byproducts from N. sipedon fed green swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri, a non-ostariophysan) or to a water control. These results suggest that the alarm substance produced in the epidermis of the golden shiners is conserved in snake waste byproducts. Experiment 3 showed that there was little difference in shelter-seeking behaviour by shoals of shiners when presented with water in which N. sipedon had soaked, water in which T. melanogaster had soaked, or a distilled water control. Thus it appears that secretions from the skin of these predators may not be chemically labelled.
Risk Factors and Emergence from Refuge in the Lizard Eumeces Laticeps
Authors: Cooper, Jr. William
Published: March 2012

I studied effects of three risk factors, predator proximity, persistence in attacking, and speed, on latency to emerge after entering a refuge in the scincid lizard Eumeces laticeps. I simulated a predator by directly approaching a lizard until it took refuge, usually a tree hole. Costs per unit time of lost opportunities to forage or engage in other activities enhancing fitness did not vary with risk factors. Skinks remained in refuges longer when I stayed near the refuges than when I withdrew to a greater distance. At both distances, skinks monitored my presence visually from positions at or near refuge entrances. Skinks remained in refuges longer after the second of two successive similar approaches at the same speed than after the first, suggesting that they perceived increased risk due to persistence by an individual predator, but the assessment might have been based on attack rate without individual recognition. Latency to emergence increased with predator approach speed, giving another indication of response to higher risk. If lizards were approached twice in succession, latency to emergence was much greater when predator speed was faster during the second approach. When the second approach was slower, there was no significant difference in latency between trials. Risks associated with speed and persistence thus simultaneously affect risk assessment. A recent model (Sih, 1992) of emergence from refuge supposes that decisions affecting latency to emerge are based on a balance of costs of remaining in refuge (often predominantly costs of lost opportunities for feeding or mating) against risk of predation. All data are consistent with a generalized view of Sih's (1992) model, but studies are needed to assess effects of cost and limited information about predator presence.
Feeding Innovations and Forebrain Size in Australasian Birds
Authors: Lefebvre Louis , Gaxiola Aurora , Dawson Sherry , Timmermans Sarah , Rosza Lajos , Kabai Peter
Published: March 2012

Many authors have proposed that behavioural flexibility in the field is associated with learning ability in captivity, relative forebrain size and rate of structural evolution. In birds, the frequency of feeding innovations reported in the short notes sections of ornithology journals may be a good way to operationalize flexibility. In this paper, we examine in the birds of Australia and New Zealand the relationship between forebrain size and innovation frequency found in a previous study covering North America and the British Isles. From a methodological point of view, the two variables are highly reliable: innovation frequency per taxonomic group is similar when different readers judge innovation reports and when different editorial styles govern journals; relative forebrain size yields very similar estimates whether mean residuals from a log-log regression are used or ratios of forebrain to brainstem mass. Innovation frequency per taxon is correlated between the two Australasian zones and between these zones and the more northerly ones studied previously. Innovation frequency is also associated with relative forebrain size in Australia and, to a lesser extent, in New-Zealand; in Australia, parrots show the high frequency of innovations predicted by their large forebrain, but yield no innovations in the New Zealand sample. The forebrain/innovation trend is independent of juvenile development mode, but phylogeny appears to be an important intervening variable in Australasia, as evidenced by non-significant independent contrasts.
Sexual Preferences for Mate Song in Female Canaries (Serinus Canaria)
Authors: Beguin Nathalie , Leboucher Gerard , Kreutzer Michel
Published: March 2012

Recent studies have shown that female passerine birds give more sexual displays for songs of their mates than for songs of other males. The present study aimed to determine to what extent familiarisation with a song may account for females' song preferences. Ten female canaries were paired with a male during 3 days before egg laying; females were subsequently left alone to incubate and rear their young. Females were subjected to the familiarisation procedure when nestlings were 9 days old, until they were 17 days old. During the familiarisation period, twice a day, each female was successively exposed to the playback of three successive song records: (a) The mate song (M), a song frequently emitted by their previous sexual partner; when this song was played back, females were concurrently exposed to the sight of their previous mate. (b) The song of a non-mate accompanied by the sight of the mate (NMAS), a song emitted by a non-mate male; when this song was played back, females were also exposed to the sight of their previous mate. (c) The song of a non-mate not accompanied by the sight of the mate (NMNAS). At the end of this familiarisation period, the sexual preferences of the females for these songs were studied. Sexual responses were elicited by the emission of the M, NMAS and NMNAS songs, without male presentation. We analysed the total number of copulation solicitation displays (CSDs) elicited by each song. Females displayed more for M song than for NMAS or NMNAS songs. Eight of the 10 females gave at least half of their displays to M song. In a separate experiment, females without reproductive experience with the males failed to present a preference for any of these songs. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that mate recognition is not a mere effect of familiarisation with songs but is closely associated with previous reproductive experience. Song preferences that develop as a result of association with a particular male may be important in the maintenance of pair bonds and could influence future copulation acceptance with this mate.
Positioning Behaviour in Roach Shoals: The Role of Body Length and Nutritional State
Authors: Krause Jens , Reeves Paul , Hoare Daniel
Published: March 2012

This study investigated the positioning behaviour of individual fish in small shoals of 2 and 10 roach, Rutilus rutilus. In pairs consisting of one small and one large fish with an average length difference of 10 mm, no difference was observed in the number of initiations of shoal movement between small and large fish. However, once both fish were moving, large fish took up the front position more frequently than small ones. A subsequent experiment showed that body length was positively correlated with swimming speed which could explain the leading position of large fish. In a second experiment, using pairs of size-matched fish we found that in moving shoals fish which had been deprived of food for 7 days were more likely to take up front positions than well-fed conspecifics. No difference, however, was observed in the frequency of initiations of shoal movement. A final experiment with pairs and shoals of 10 fish showed that fish in the front position (and in the front half of the shoal for shoals of 10 fish) were much more likely to obtain food particles than fish in other shoal positions when resources were limited. This could provide a functional explanation for the occurrence of food-deprived fish in front positions. Our results suggest that the initiation of new swimming directions in stationary shoals does not follow the same principles as positioning behaviour in shoals that are already on the move.
Food Abundance, Intruder Pressure, and Body Size as Determinants of Territory Size in Juvenile Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss)
Authors: Keeley  , McPhail
Published: March 2012

We observed the behaviour of juvenile steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in two rivers in British Columbia, Canada, to determine the importance of invertebrate drift abundance, intruder pressure, and body size of territory holders as correlates of territory size. Territory size increased with increasing fish size, but fish smaller than 5 cm had relatively large territories for their body size, in comparison to fish that were larger than 5 cm in length. After statistically controlling for the effect of body size, territory size was inversely related to the abundance of drifting invertebrates. Territory size was not related to the number of intrusions observed on a territory per hour, but was inversely related to local fish density, a second measure of intruder pressure. Steelhead trout appear to defend territory areas that are most similar in size to juvenile Atlantic salmon. This study provides evidence that stream-dwelling salmonids scale territory size to body size in a manner that allows them to capture a maximum daily ration of food on their territories.
Mate Selection by Male Winter Moths Operophtera Brumata (Lepidoptera, Geometrldae): Adaptive Male Choice or Female Control?
Authors: Van Dongen Stefan , Matthysen Erik , Sprengers Ellen , Dhondt André
Published: March 2012

Mate choice is an important component of sexual selection. It is expected to evolve if the benefits of choice outweigh the costs. Yet, the relative importance of costs and benefits in the evolution of mate choice remain poorly understood. In this study we present experimental evidence for adaptive mate choice by males, but not females, in the winter moth. In a series of experiments we show that: (a) males have a higher probability of attempting to copulate, and consequently also a higher probability to copulate with a larger, more fecund female; (b) if males are given the choice between two females they are more likely to copulate with the larger female; and (c) females do not seem to show any mate discrimination. A sample of winter moths collected in copula in the field did not show any assortative mating for body size. This is the first demonstration of male choice in a moth species with chemical communication. This choice is possibly based on variation in female pheromone quality and/or quantity. We argue that the relatively higher variation in female quality and the limited number of male matings probably have led to male choosiness despite a strongly male biased operational sex ratio. This is consistent with recent studies indicating that choice and competition may occur more frequently in the same sex than previously thought.
Genetic Analysis of Predatory Efficiency in Natural and Laboratory Made Hybrids of Poeciliopsis (Pisces: Poeciliidae)
Authors: Lima Neuza Rejane Wille
Published: March 2012

Multiple hybridization events between females of Poeciliopsis monacha and males of P. lucida have produced a genetic diversity of all-female biotypes in Sonora, Mexico. All-females depend on the sperm of their sexual ancestors. Strong competition among all-females and their coexistent sexual host take place. The frozen niche-variation model was proposed to explain how such coexistence is possible and how the genetic diversity of all-female biotypes arose. According to this model, the hybrids have multiple origins, freeze and replicate unique genotypes, and produce phenotypic differences with reduced ecological overlap with one another and their sexual ancestors. The objective of the study was to test whether differences in predatory efficiency of all-females are 'frozen' from the sexual ancestor which possessed phenotypic diversity for that behavioural trait. I investigated predatory efficiency in nine strains of Poeciliopsis (P. monacha, two natural hybrids, and six laboratory made hybrids). First, I analysed the variation in average performances of each strain for time spent in capture and handling of two prey species (Artemia salina and Daphnia magna). Second, I offered both prey simultaneously to test if preference affects the average time spent to handle prey. Preference for prey species was analysed using the order of capture as reference. Handling time and prey preference differed among laboratory made hybrids, supporting frozen niche-variation model assumptions.
Conspecific Recognition in Pigeons (Columba Livia) Using Dynamic Video Images
Authors: Shimizu
Published: March 2012

Video images of pigeons were used to examine the degree to which these images are equivalent to real live conspecifics by analyzing the natural behaviors of pigeons in the presence of each stimulus. Three aspects of courtship display (i.e. bowing, tail-dragging, and vocalizations) were selected and the display duration for each was measured. When videotaped images of female pigeons were presented as stimuli, the display duration by male pigeons was not significantly different from that for the live birds. In contrast, the subjects showed much shorter, or no, displays to the video images of a non-pigeon bird (cockatoo) and an empty chamber. The results suggest that the video images of pigeons contained necessary information to trigger the courtship behaviors. Furthermore, the present study examined which features of the video images were critical for triggering the displays by manipulating the images. Thus, the subjects' behaviors were more vigorous (1) when video images were in motion rather than still, and (2) when the head-only region was visible rather than the body-only region. These results suggest that motion and facial/head characteristics are important features. Collectively, the results indicate that the use of video images as stimuli and courtship displays as measures provide a useful method to study the visual recognition of conspecifics in birds.
Geographic Variation in South Pacific Humpback Whale Songs
Authors: Helweg David , Cato Douglas , Jenkins Peter , Garrigue Claire , McCauley Robert
Published: March 2012

Every winter, (male) humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) produce long
complex songs. Song content is dynamic and singers incorporate changes as
they occur, thus song is shared through cultural transmission. We compared
songs recorded in winter migratory termini in Tonga, New Caledonia, Eastern
Australia, and on migration paths off Eastern Australia and New Zealand, in
the winter of 1994. Seven themes were shared by all regions, with an
additional two themes shared by all but Tonga. Differences in regional
variants were most pronounced between Tongan and Eastern Australian song.
New Caledonian and Kaikouran song were more similar to songs from Eastern
Australia rather than Tonga. These regional differences were stable across
the season. The results suggest some migratory exchange among widely
separate wintering regions of Area V, consistent with tag recovery data, but
the time and location at which song sharing occurs remains speculative.
Musik und Politik Über die gesellschaftliche Relevanz von Musik und Musikwissenschaft
Authors: Koldau Linda Maria
Published: March 2012

Though often stylized as the most transcendent of the arts, music is inseparably linked to politics and society. The essay offers several examples of how even the technical and aesthetic aspects of music have been determined by political factors through the ages. In conclusion, the author turns to the political role of musicology and the current tendency in Germany to transfer academic institutes of musicology to conservatories.
Miguel de Unamuno und Antero de Quental Iberische Religionskritik, einbrechende Moderne und die Tragik des Verlustes
Authors: Dix Steffen
Published: March 2012

In recent years the study of local religious histories, especially in Europe, has gained in prominence. Because of the encounters between different cultural traditions in the Middle Ages and the voyages of discovery, the religious history of the Iberian Peninsula became one of the most complex in Europe. This article focuses on one portion of this history around the turn of the 19th/20th century, and in particular on two attempts to blame the Catholic religion for the general crisis in Spain and Portugal at the start of the modern era. These two forms of critiquing religion are illustrated by the examples of Miguel de Unamuno and Antero de Quental, whose writings were characteristic of the typical relationship between religion and intellectuals in this period. Not only were the Spanish philosopher and the Portuguese poet influential on their own and later generations, but they are also truly representative of a certain tragic ”loss“ of religion in the Iberian Peninsula.
Der Feldgottesdienst zu Jom Kippur vor Metz 1870
Authors: Hübner Holger
Published: March 2012

Commemoration of a field service held by 1200 Jewish soldiers protected by their gentile comrades on Yom Kippur of 1870 during the siege of Metz in the Franco-Prussian war played an important role among German Jews as a symbol of acceptance and integration into the society as citizens with equal rights. Based on a short note in several newspapers it became very fast a very common commemoration among Jews. But it was a pious fraud of an act that never happened in the described way. Although this was known and already published in late 1870 it did not hamper the spreading. In recent years this tradition of commemoration was revitalized. This time even in combination with a wrong date: the day when the French garrison of Metz surrendered. Moreover, it is described even by officials as an act of traditional religious tolerance in the German armed forces.
Mit den Waffen der Aufklärung gegen den Antisemitismus
Authors: Krah Franziska
Published: March 2012

The rise of political anti-Semitism in Imperial and Weimar Germany met with public opposition initiated primarily by Jews. From various perspectives, jewish journalists and intellectuals investigated the origin of this anti-Semitism, its different manifestations as well as possibilities of its public rejection. Journalist Binjamin W. Segel (1866-1931) hereby focused his efforts on debunking antiSemitic myths, such as the Jewish World Conspiracy, as popularized by the text "The protocols of the Elders of Zion". In his writings, Segel, with an Eastern European background, pays attention to the discrimination of "Ostjuden" (EastEuropean Jews) in particular. Furthermore, Segel deals with questions regarding the origins of anti-Semitism, and the effectiveness of Jewish opposition towards it. The following article outlines his life and discusses his work.
Sotzialistisher Kinder Farband (SKIF) Die Kinderorganisation des
Authors: Schweigmann-Greve Kay
Published: March 2012

Following the liberation of Poland 1945, the childrens organization of the Jewish-Socialdemocratic "Bund" SKIF formed itself anew and remained in existence until the communists' ban of social democratic organizations. Starting with the first post-war conference of the International of social democratic children and youth education in October 1945 until the mid-sixties the SKIF played a recognizable role within these international structures of the "Falcons" movement. In the late forties the SKIF simultaneously existed in Paris, where a successor organization is still active, and in Brussels. During the seventies and eighties a "SKIF-ist" holiday colony existed in New York and from 1950 until this day further groups exist in Melbourne. Since 1945 the SKIF has existed primarily as an organization of survivors and their children. Later it managed to develop a new function and to offer an educational model for the following generations of Jewish children, which lies beyond religion and Zionism.
Vom Niedergang des akademischen Stils Professoren im Wandel der Zeit
Authors: Knoll Joachim
Published: March 2012

This article argues that German universities have changed in structure and style and in doing so have distanced themselves from the classic university ideal. This thesis will be illustrated with examples. This development has led to changes that make it plausible to speak of a decline of academic style and professorial culture. Even though almost all reform writings promise not to touch the legacy of the classical university idea, the continuous reform processes (regulation of the university and compartmentalization of disciplines) have made it increasingly difficult to uphold the university's independence. These external developments have also had an effect on the social climate and the respectful cooperation of professors, staff, and students. Even if such blanket statements do not apply everywhere, the reforms should nevertheless keep the history of the university in mind and maintain ,,as much Humboldt as possible."
,,Ich lasse eben alle Antisemiten erschiessen…" Über die Hintergründe für Nietzsches spätes Bekenntnis zum exterminatorischen Anti-Antisemitismus
Authors: Niemeyer Christian
Published: March 2012

Recent studies, such as the one by Thomas Mittmann, have drawn new attention to Nietzsche's position towards anti-Semitism. In this context, the following article will delineate a few main ideas on this topic and strive to define Nietzsche's early anti-Semitism more clearly and with regard to the factors that influenced it. The same will be done for Nietzsche's late anti-anti-Semitism, which culminated in his ominous statement: "Just now I am having all anti-Semites shot."
Creation, Sin and Its Curse, and the People of God: an Intertextual Reading of Genesis 1-12 and Acts 1-7
Authors: Phillips Thomas E.
Published: March 2012

This essay offers an intertextual reading of Gen 1-12 and Acts 1-7. Specifically, it considers how three soteriological themes (i.e., creation, sin and its curse, and creation of God's people) play a central role in the narratives of Gen 1-12 and Acts 1-7 and how reading these narratives intertextually can enhance one's appreciation for the evocative power of these themes in Genesis and for their distant echoes in Acts.
“Imitators” (Mimetai) in 1 Cor. 4:16 and 11:1: A New Reading of Threefold Embodiment
Authors: Kim Yung Suk
Published: March 2012

When it comes to the language of “imitation” (mimesis) in Paul’s letters (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 1 Thess. 1:6-7; 2:14), divisions among scholars are most clearly manifest. At one end of the scholarly spectrum, Paul follows a Stoic model of imitation, according to which the teacher exhorts pupils to follow him, based upon his authority established (demonstrated) by good conduct. Accordingly, Paul is viewed as an advocate of the Hellenistic ideal of unity at the expense of diversity. At the other end of the spectrum, Paul is seen as a social conservative and an obstacle to true liberation. Here the idea of imitation serves as a means of control and domination of others, as post-colonial and feminist scholars have pointed out. So Paul’s exhortation to “be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1) is understood as a demand for sameness, an appeal to copy Paul. However, the language of imitation can be read through the eyes of “embodiment”—a way of life, as an alternate meaning of imitation in 1 Corinthians, which will lead to the involvement of three aspects of God, Christ and the believer. I argue that imitation in 1 Corinthians is neither a copy or sameness nor a type or model to be emulated by the Corinthians. Rather, it should be understood as a way of life rooted in the image of Christ crucified, which plays a central role in the letter, deconstructing abusive, destructive powers in a community and society and reconstructing a beloved community for all.
On (Not) Obeying the Sabbath: Reading Jesus Reading Scripture
Authors: Ansell Nicholas
Published: March 2012

This essay examines the sabbath controversy of Mark 2:23-28 to see how Jesus faces the challenge of biblical interpretation as he models what it means for his disciples to image God in freedom. In dominant approaches to the Gospels, the interpretive process set in motion by this passage, which I characterize as ‘reading Scripture reading Jesus reading Scripture,’ is confined to its earlier stages—a reductionism that calls for hermeneutical reflection. If a narrative has a ‘life of its own’ beyond authorial intention (indispensable though the author may be), can we say the same about a character who is central to a narrative? If so, is ‘the Jesus of Mark’s Gospel’ ‘more than’ the ‘Markan Jesus’ of much scholarly concern? This essay seeks to develop an intertextual, Christocentric hermeneutic by attending to the implicit as well as explicit ways in which Jesus’ reading of Scripture takes place ‘within’ the Gospel narrative.
Forgotten Dimensions of Holiness
Authors: Robson James E.
Published: March 2012

This article explores a sometimes forgotten dimension of divine holiness, divine holiness as love. It starts by reflecting on an apparent incongruity between the New Testament summary of the law, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself ” (Lev 19:18) and that verse’s context in Leviticus, where a more probable summary is the call, “Be holy for I, YHWH your God, am holy” (Lev 19:2). It examines the significance of the conjunction of Lev 19:2 and 19:18, and argues that it is appropriate to speak of love as a dimension of divine holiness. In the main part of the article, which looks at the Old Testament more widely, including Exodus, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Hosea and the prayer life of Israel, divine holiness as love is evident on closer examination in three ways: holiness and self-disclosure, holiness and saving activity, and holiness and divine presence.
The Problems Posed By 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 And A Solution
Authors: Simpson John W.
Published: March 2012

Even apart from the difficulties the passage poses for peace between Christians and Jews, significant problems of both form and content confront the interpreter of 1 Thess 2:13-16. The appearance of what is apparently a second thanksgiving section in the letter - after the earlier one beginning at 1:2 - has been a major difficulty. Furthermore, the passage departs in verses 15-16 from its initial theme and from the central concerns of 1:2-3:13, that is, from the Thessalonian Christians' response to the gospel and their positive relationship with the apostle, to deal with another group, "the Jews" (2:14), quite harshly and in a way different from Romans 9-11. A number of different approaches have been made with regard to this passage, but here it will suffice to mention two briefly and devote the rest of our space to the development of one approach and to response to the arguments of another.
Law, Teleology and International Relations: An Essay in Counterdisciplinarity
Authors: Koskenniemi Martti
Published: March 2012

Interdisciplinary approaches often bemoan international law’s lack of theoretical sophistication and naïve utopianism. Instead of offering effective tools of governance, it seems committed to outdated ideas about an international public realm and a dubious teleology of progress. This essay – given as the E. H. Carr lecture at the University of Aberystwyth in 2011 – reviews efforts to reform international law into a science and a more efficient instrument of international rule. Such efforts have been a part of international law’s internal development but their lack of success depends on a mistaken view of the field as a ‘discipline’ − a set of theoretical or technical propositions. This essay defends a view of international law as an argumentative practice in which political claims are defended and attacked, rather than as a governance tool or institutional blueprint. At its worst, law may buttress bureaucratic privilege. At its best it may offer, for a cynical world, a vocabulary for imagining better futures. It may also sharpen political thought and strategic awareness, but it cannot replace them.
Knowledge Beyond the Individual? Making Sense of a Notion of Collective Knowledge in Organization Theory
Authors: Hecker Achim
Published: March 2012

Although the notion of ‘collective knowledge’ has become a building block of many knowledge-based studies on the organization, there is little clarity about the precise meaning of the term. This paper aims at closing this explanatory gap by investigating the question of what it can mean for knowledge to be collective. In drawing on relevant literatures it analytically distinguishes three types of collective knowledge and elaborates on their nature. Through analysis of their interrelationship and interaction within the organization, these types are integrated into an overarching framework forming a pluralistic epistemology of collective knowledge. Finally, some implications of the proposed epistemological framework for our understanding of higher-order knowledge-related constructs (such as routines and capabilities) as well as for the architecture of firms and industries are outlined.
Building civil society on rubble: Citizenship and the politics of culture in Taiwan
Authors: Jung Shaw-wu
Published: March 2012

This article explores a path to organizing politics that differs from the Western model of civil society. I want to argue, first, through analysis of a case in Taiwan, that the state’s technologies of governance have radically restructured notions of the social and in turn the way people practice politics; second, as culture has itself become a crucial contest site, the contest has in turn given rise to new forms of political action; and third, that, ironically, the rise of civil society has occurred alongside the revitalization of tradition. In other words, presumably shared “tradition” inspires individuals’ political actions, which in practice operate quite separately from the premise of liberal individualism. I conclude that we should look very carefully at the political and social context in which the civil society emerges, and then we can determine in what ways it is connected to people.
Too Latino and Not Latino Enough
Authors: Ojeda Lizette , Navarro Rachel L. , Meza Rocío Rosales , Arbona Consuelo
Published: March 2012

The relationship between demographics (generation status, age, gender, education level) and ethnicity-related stressors, namely, perceived discrimination, stereotype confirmation concern, and own-group conformity pressure, and the life satisfaction of 115 Latino college students was examined. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated the demographic and ethnicity-related stressors collectively significantly predicted life satisfaction. Specifically, older students, men, students who reported lower stereotype confirmation concern and own-group conformity pressure had significantly higher life satisfaction than younger students, women, and students who reported higher stereotype confirmation concern and own-group conformity pressure, respectively. Implications for college personnel and future research examining the consequences of ethnicity-related stressors on Latino college students’ well-being are delineated.
Sex-Based Sentencing
Authors: Embry Randa , Lyons Phillip M.
Published: March 2012

The current research examines the utility of the evil woman hypothesis by examining sentencing discrepancies between male and female sex offenders. National Corrections Reporting Program data are used to identify sex offenders for the years 1994 to 2004 and the sentences they received for specific sex offenses. Statistical analyses reveal a significant difference in sentence length between men and women, but not in the expected direction. The evil woman hypothesis would assume women are sentenced more harshly, but data show men receive longer sentences for sex offenses than women. Support is provided for the chivalry hypothesis to explain immediate sentencing disparity.
Production of ceramic bodies from Tunisian Cretaceous clays
Authors: Hachani M. , Hajjaji W. , Moussi B. , Medhioub M. , Rocha F. , Labrincha J. A. , Jamoussi F.
Published: March 2012

The aim of this research was to assess the potential application of the Late Cretaceous levels as raw material for the production of ceramic tiles. Mineralogical, chemical and grain size distribution studies were carried out on four clays sampled at different sites in the Tunisian Central Atlas. Clays are mainly composed of phyllosilicates, usually illite and kaolinite. Quartz, feldspars and dolomite were also detected.

Tiles were prepared by pressing clay bodies at 250 bar and then firing at different temperatures following industrial conditions as closely as possible. Thermal analysis showed the influence of mineralogical composition and grain size distribution on the material behaviour during firing. The physical properties of fired tiles were obtained from specific tests in accordance with international standards (ISO), i.e. the firing shrinkage, water absorption, apparent density and flexural strength. The development of physical properties indicates an optimal firing range between 1050–1150°C. Results demonstrate the potential of Late Cretaceous materials as raw materials for the production of ceramic tiles.
Geology and mineralogy of a sepiolite-palygorskite occurrence from SW Eskişehir (Turkey)
Authors: Yeniyol M.
Published: March 2012

The present occurrence is the only deposit among those found in Eskişehir province containing both sepiolite and palygorskite in economic amounts. To describe the geology, mineralogy and genetic relationships, two representative measured sections were examined by field work and XRD, XRF and SEM analyses. Sepiolite and palygorskite occur in a ∼40 m thick part of Pliocene sequence where saponite is also found. These minerals appear in ascending order as: palygorskite, saponite, saponite + palygorskite, sepiolite and sepiolite + palygorskite, frequently in association with dolomite. Chemical precipitation from the alkaline lake environment under semiarid or arid conditions was the main process resulting in sepiolite, palygorskite and saponite formation. Of these, saponite and palygorskite were formed when the lake water was rich-in Al and Fe. Changes in pH may have controlled whether saponite or palygorskite could be formed. Palygorskite was also developed by transformation from saponite during diagenesis.
Chromosome painting in three-toed sloths: a cytogenetic signature and ancestral karyotype for Xenarthra
Authors: Azevedo Nathália F , Svartman Marta , Manchester Andrea , de Moraes-Barros Nádia , Stanyon Roscoe , Vianna-Morgante Angela M
Published: March 2012

Background

Xenarthra (sloths, armadillos and anteaters) represent one of four currently recognized Eutherian mammal supraorders. Some phylogenomic studies point to the possibility of Xenarthra being at the base of the Eutherian tree, together or not with the supraorder Afrotheria. We performed painting with human autosomes and X-chromosome specific probes on metaphases of two three-toed sloths:Bradypus torquatusandB. variegatus. These species represent the fourth of the five extant Xenarthra families to be studied with this approach.

Results

Eleven human chromosomes were conserved as one block in bothB. torquatusandB. variegatus: (HSA 5, 6, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21 and the X chromosome).B. torquatus, three additional human chromosomes were conserved intact (HSA 1, 3 and 4). The remaining human chromosomes were represented by two or three segments on each sloth. Seven associations between human chromosomes were detected in the karyotypes of bothB. torquatusandB. variegatus: HSA 3/21, 4/8, 7/10, 7/16, 12/22, 14/15 and 17/19. The ancestral Eutherian association 16/19 was not detected in theBradypusspecies.

Conclusions

Our results together with previous reports enabled us to propose a hypothetical ancestral Xenarthran karyotype with 48 chromosomes that would differ from the proposed ancestral Eutherian karyotype by the presence of the association HSA 7/10 and by the split of HSA 8 into three blocks, instead of the two found in the Eutherian ancestor. These same chromosome features point to the monophyly of Xenarthra, making this the second supraorder of placental mammals to have a chromosome signature supporting its monophyly.
Transcriptome analysis reveals the time of the fourth round of genome duplication in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Authors: Wang Jin-Tu , Li Jiong-Tang , Zhang Xiao-Feng , Sun Xiao-Wen
Published: March 2012

Background

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is thought to have undergone one extra round of genome duplication compared to zebrafish. Transcriptome analysis has been used to study the existence and timing of genome duplication in species for which genome sequences are incomplete. Large-scale transcriptome data for the common carp genome should help reveal the timing of the additional duplication event.

Results

We have sequenced the transcriptome of common carp using 454 pyrosequencing. After assembling the 454 contigs and the published common carp sequences together, we obtained 49,669 contigs and identified genes using homology searches and an ab initio method. We identified 4,651 orthologous pairs between common carp and zebrafish and found 129,984 paralogous pairs within the common carp. An estimation of the synonymous substitution rate in the orthologous pairs indicated that common carp and zebrafish diverged 120 million years ago (MYA). We identified one round of genome duplication in common carp and estimated that it had occurred 5.6 to 11.3 MYA. In zebrafish, no genome duplication event after speciation was observed, suggesting that, compared to zebrafish, common carp had undergone an additional genome duplication event. We annotated the common carp contigs with Gene Ontology terms and KEGG pathways. Compared with zebrafish gene annotations, we found that a set of biological processes and pathways were enriched in common carp.

Conclusions

The assembled contigs helped us to estimate the time of the fourth-round of genome duplication in common carp. The resource that we have built as part of this study will help advance functional genomics and genome annotation studies in the future.
EMT transcription factors snail and slug directly contribute to cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer
Authors: Haslehurst Alexandria M , Koti Madhuri , Dharsee Moyez , Nuin Paulo , Evans Ken , Geraci Joseph , Childs Timothy , Chen Jian , Li Jieran , Weberpals Johanne , Davey Scott , Squire Jeremy , Park Paul C , Feilotter Harriet
Published: March 2012

Background

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a molecular process through which an epithelial cell undergoes transdifferentiation into a mesenchymal phenotype. The role of EMT in embryogenesis is well-characterized and increasing evidence suggests that elements of the transition may be important in other processes, including metastasis and drug resistance in various different cancers.

Methods

Agilent 4 × 44 K whole human genome arrays and selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry were used to investigate mRNA and protein expression in A2780 cisplatin sensitive and resistant cell lines. Invasion and migration were assessed using Boyden chamber assays. Gene knockdown of snail and slug was done using targeted siRNA. Clinical relevance of the EMT pathway was assessed in a cohort of primary ovarian tumours using data from Affymetrix GeneChip Human Genome U133 plus 2.0 arrays.

Results

Morphological and phenotypic hallmarks of EMT were identified in the chemoresistant cells. Subsequent gene expression profiling revealed upregulation of EMT-related transcription factors including snail, slug, twist2 and zeb2. Proteomic analysis demonstrated up regulation of Snail and Slug as well as the mesenchymal marker Vimentin, and down regulation of E-cadherin, an epithelial marker. By reducing expression of snail and slug, the mesenchymal phenotype was largely reversed and cells were resensitized to cisplatin. Finally, gene expression data from primary tumours mirrored the finding that an EMT-like pathway is activated in resistant tumours relative to sensitive tumours, suggesting that the involvement of this transition may not be limited to in vitro drug effects.

Conclusions

This work strongly suggests that genes associated with EMT may play a significant role in cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer, therefore potentially leading to the development of predictive biomarkers of drug response or novel therapeutic strategies for overcoming drug resistance.
Smoking and health-related quality of life in English general population: implications for economic evaluations
Authors: Vogl Matthias , Wenig Christina M , Leidl Reiner , Pokhrel Subhash
Published: March 2012

Background

Little is known as to how health-related quality of life (HRQoL) when measured by generic instruments such as EQ-5D differ across smokers, ex-smokers and never-smokers in the general population; whether the overall pattern of this difference remain consistent in each domain of HRQoL; and what implications this variation, if any, would have for economic evaluations of tobacco control interventions.

Methods

Using the 2006 round of Health Survey for England data (n = 13,241), this paper aims to examine the impact of smoking status on health-related quality of life in English population. Depending upon the nature of the EQ-5D data (i.e. tariff or domains), linear or logistic regression models were fitted to control for biology, clinical conditions, socio-economic background and lifestyle factors that an individual may have regardless of their smoking status. Age- and gender-specific predicted values according to smoking status are offered as the potential 'utility' values to be used in future economic evaluation models.

Results

The observed difference of 0.1100 in EQ-5D scores between never-smokers (0.8839) and heavy-smokers (0.7739) reduced to 0.0516 after adjusting for biological, clinical, lifestyle and socioeconomic conditions. Heavy-smokers, when compared with never-smokers, were significantly more likely to report some/severe problems in all five domains - mobility (67%), self-care (70%), usual activity (42%), pain/discomfort (46%) and anxiety/depression (86%) -. 'Utility' values by age and gender for each category of smoking are provided to be used in the future economic evaluations.

Conclusion

Smoking is significantly and negatively associated with health-related quality of life in English general population and the magnitude of this association is determined by the number of cigarettes smoked. The varying degree of this association, captured through instruments such as EQ-5D, may need to be fed into the design of future economic evaluations where the intervention being evaluated affects (e.g. tobacco control) or is affected (e.g. treatment for lung cancer) by individual's (or patients') smoking status.