The western psychic as diviner: Experience and the politics of perception

Divination has been a well‐studied subject in the field of anthropology. Yet diviners within Western societies have been curiously ignored. Van Dijk's and Pels’ (1996) concept of the ‘politics of perception’ is discussed as a means of under‐standing why this is the case. Redressing this gap, I study the practices and experiences of an American psychic. This ethnographic material helps to move us beyond the patient‐client dialogue to address the internal processes of the diviners themselves. The reflexive exegesis of Elizabeth, an American diviner, reveals the spontaneous, visual nature of her practice and also highlights the role of the senses and emotions in divination. Other examples of sensory experience, such as in cases of blindness, show that those senses deemed lower down’ in the hierarchy of perception can be accurate modes of gaining knowledge of the world.     

Lipid Peroxidation in the Cortex and Medulla of Rabbit Kidneys Subjected to Cold Ischaemia and the Value of Protective Agents

The storage of rabbit kidneys for 24hr at 0 C in isotonic saline resulted in significantly increased rates of lipid peroxidation, as measured by the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive material and Schiff bases during in vitro incubation of homogenates prepared from the cortex and medulla. In addition, the content of thiobarbituric acid-reactive material in the medulla was also significantly elevated as a result of cold storage for 24 hr.

The effects of antioxidants (vitamin E), iron-chelation (desferoxamine) and inhibitors of arachidonic acid oxidation (indomethacin and dazmegrell on the rate of lipid peroxidation in homogenates prepared from ischaemic kidneys were studied. This demonstrated that lipid peroxidation in the cortex was predominantly non-specific and iron-catalysed whereas in the medulla approximately 50% of the TBA-reactive material was formed enzymically from arachidonic acid by cyclooxygenase.     

Longidorus orongorongensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Dorylaimida) from subsoil of conifer/broadleaved forest

Abstract

Longidorus orongorongensis n. sp. is bisexual and recognisable from its large size (adults over 6 mm long), long odontostyle (145-172 μm), bluntly conoid lip region continuous with the body contour and especially by the posteriorly placed guide ring more than 60 μm from the oral aperture; also the female has a bluntly rounded tailless than an anal body width long. The first stage juvenile has a bluntly rounded tail. Juveniles and adults from one site below virgin forest are described.     

Diaulota koreana,new species on Korean coasts with a discussion of its phylogenetic relationships (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae)

Diaulota koreana Yoo and Ahn new species is described in the intertidal zones of the southern part of the Korean peninsula and illustrations of diagnostic characters are presented. A cladistic analysis of the Liparocephalini based on 50 adult characters suggests that the new species belongs to the genus Diaulota Casey within the Liparocephalini. Similarities and differences among the liparocephaline genera are presented. Phylogenetic relationships of Diaulota koreana Yoo and Ahn new species among the Liparocephalini are briefly discussed.     

Modelling biological invasions over homogeneous and inhomogeneous landscapes using level set methods

The establishment, spread and subsequent degradation of existing environments by invasive species is a worldwide problem affecting native and agricultural ecosystems. The phenomenal cost to governments as a result of research and eradication or control drives the need to understand invasion characteristics. In this paper we develop a method for modelling the boundary of an invasion over time with model inputs being the initial distribution of the invasion and the speed at which the invasion front moves over time. This speed function can depend on the topography of the ground cover and we consider examples of homogeneous and inhomogeneous spread. The possibility of a long-distance dispersal event occurring is also considered. In particular, examples of the spread of emergent weeds and weeds which favour creeks and river beds in New Zealand are presented.     

Association of shiftwork and immune cells among police officers from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress study

Shift workers suffer from a constellation of symptoms associated with disruption of circadian rhythms including sleep abnormalities, and abnormal hormone secretion (e.g. melatonin, cortisol). Recent, but limited, evidence suggests that shift workers have elevated levels of circulating white blood cells (WBCs) compared to their day working counterparts. Interestingly, recent reviews highlight the strong linkage between the immune system and circadian rhythms which includes, but is not limited to, circulating cell populations and functions. The elevated levels of these WBCs may be associated with the increased chronic disease risk observed among this group. The purpose of this analysis was to examine the cross-sectional association between long- and short-term (3, 5, 7, and 14 days) shiftwork (SW) and counts of WBCs among officers in the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) cohort. Data collection for this analysis took place among 464 police officers working in Buffalo, New York, USA between 2004 and 2009. Precise SW histories were obtained using electronic payroll records. Officers were assigned a shift type based on the shift (i.e. day, evening, night) that they spent a majority (i.e. ≥50%) of their time from 1994 to the data collection date for long-term SW. The same process was applied to SW over 3, 5, 7, and 14 days prior to data collection. A fasted blood sample collected in the morning of a non-work day was used for characterization of WBCs (total), neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. Potential confounding factors included demographic characteristics (e.g. age, sex, race), occupational characteristics (e.g. rank), health behaviors (e.g. smoking, alcohol consumption, diet), anthropometrics, and other biomarkers (e.g. lipids, hemoglobin A1C, leptin). Generalized linear models were used to estimate least square means of the immune cells according to SW categorization for long- and short-term SW histories. Compared to the day shift group, those working long-term night shifts had greater absolute numbers of total WBCs, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes (all p < 0.05). Those working mainly on the night shift over 7-days had elevated counts of WBCs, lymphocytes, and monocytes (p < 0.05) compared to those mainly working day shifts. Results based on 3-, 5-, and 14-day SW were similar to the 7-day results. This study corroborates other studies with similar findings. However, this analysis provided insights into the effect of both long- and short-term SW on the number of circulating WBCs. SW may lead to disruption of circadian-influenced components of the immune system, which in term, may result in various chronic diseases. These findings, plus previous findings, may provide evidence that SW may lead to immune system dysregulation. Future research is needed to understand whether increases in immune cells among shift workers may be associated with the increased disease risk among this group.     

Shifts in bacterial communities of two caribbean reef-building coral species affected by white plague disease

Coral reefs are deteriorating at an alarming rate mainly as a consequence of the emergence of coral diseases. The white plague disease (WPD) is the most prevalent coral disease in the southwestern Caribbean, affecting dozens of coral species. However, the identification of a single causal agent has proved problematic. This suggests more complex etiological scenarios involving alterations in the dynamic interaction between environmental factors, the coral immune system and the symbiotic microbial communities. Here we compare the microbiome of healthy and WPD-affected corals from the two reef-building species Diploria strigosa and Siderastrea siderea collected at the Tayrona National Park in the Caribbean of Colombia. Microbiomes were analyzed by combining culture-dependent methods and pyrosequencing of 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) V5-V6 hypervariable regions. A total of 20 410 classifiable 16S rDNA sequences reads were obtained including all samples. No significant differences in operational taxonomic unit diversity were found between healthy and affected tissues; however, a significant increase of Alphaproteobacteria and a concomitant decrease in the Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria was observed in WPD-affected corals of both species. Significant shifts were also observed in the orders Rhizobiales, Caulobacteriales, Burkholderiales, Rhodobacterales, Aleteromonadales and Xanthomonadales, although they were not consistent between the two coral species. These shifts in the microbiome structure of WPD-affected corals suggest a loss of community-mediated growth control mechanisms on bacterial populations specific for each holobiont system.     

A new species of Rhytidognathus (Carabidae,?Migadopini) from Argentina

The Migadopini are a small tribe of Carabidae with 47 species that occur in South America, Australia, and New Zealand, in the sub-Antarctic areas. In South America, most of the genera inhabit areas related to sub-Antartic Nothofagus forest except two monogeneric genera, the Ecuadorian genus Aquilex Moret and the Pampean genus Rhytidognathus Chaudoir. These two genera are geographically isolated from the remaining five South American genera. New material of Rhytidognathus from the northeast of Buenos Aires province and from Entre Ríos province permits establishing that the previous records of Rhytidognathus ovalis (Dejean) for Argentina were erroneous and that it belongs to a new species. Based on external morphological characters and from male and female genitalia we describe Rhytidognathus platensis as a new species. In this contribution we provide illustrations, keys, habitat characteristics and some biogeographic considerations on the distribution of Rhytidognathus.