International Folkloristics: Classical Contributions by the Founders of Folklore

International Folkloristics: Classical Contributions by the Founders of Folklore. Alan Dundes. ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1999. 257 pp.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed in this article:
Jennifer Jackson, Truth, Trust and Medicine
Anne Hudson Jones and Faith McLellan (eds.), Ethical Issues in Biomedical Publications
Carl Elliott (ed.), Slow Cures and Bad Philosophers: Essays on Wittgenstein, Medicine, and Bioethics
Robert M. Veatch, Transplantation Ethics
Barry Hoffmaster (ed.), Bioethics in Social Context
Michael W. Fox, Bringing Life to Ethics: Global Bioethics for a Humane Society     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
General/Theoretical: The Fishing Culture of the World: Studies in Ethnology, Cultural Ecology and Folklore, Vol. 1.
General/Theoretical: The Fishing Culture of the World: Studies in Ethnology, Cultural Ecology and Folklore, Vol. 2.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel platinum(IV) complexes with non-functionalized acetylated carbohydrates

[PtMe3(Me2CO)3]BF4 (1) reacts in acetone with 1,2,3,4-tetraacetyl-beta-D-glucopyranose (C2), pentaacetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranose (C3), pentaacetyl-beta-D-mannopyranose (C4) and pentaacetyl-beta-D-galactopyranose (C5) to give trimethyl(carbohydrate)platinum tetrafluoroborate complexes [PtMe3L]BF4 (2-5) (2, L=C2; 3, L=C3; 4, L=C4; 5, L=C5). The platinum-carbohydrate complexes were isolated as white, air and moisture sensitive powders in moderate to good yields (26-87%), and their identities were confirmed by microanalysis, 1H-, 13C- and 195Pt-NMR spectroscopy and ESI mass spectrometry. The coordination modes of the tridentately bound carbohydrate ligands (2, OH+Oring+Oacetyl; 3, Oring+Oether+Oacetyl; 4,5, Oring+Oether+Oether where Oring is the oxygen of a pyranose ring and Oacetyl/ether is the acetyl and ether oxygen of an acetoxy substituent, respectively) were established by evaluating the chemical shifts and the 2J(Pt,H) coupling constants of the methyl ligands and by 2D-NOE experiments. Evaluation of the 3J(H,H) coupling constants shows that the pyranose rings are present in their 4C1 conformation. The results show that carbohydrates without anchoring groups and even without hydroxyl groups can coordinate to the metal center only through very weak donors such as oxygen atoms of pyranose rings and acetoxy substituents.     

The Chicano Heritage

Our Catholic Heritage in Texas, 1519–1936 . Carlos E. Castañeda.
The American Occupation of New Mexico 1821–1852 . Sister Mary Loyola.
Northern Mexico on the Eve of the United States Invasion: Rare Imprints Concerning California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, 1821–1846 . David J. Weber , ed.
Ill Fares the Land: Migrants and Migratory Labor in the United States . Carey McWilliams.
Los Estados Unidos y el México Olvidado . Agustin Cue Cánovas.
Hispanic Folklore Studies of Arthur Campa . Introduction by Carlos E. Cortés.
Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in California . Rose Hollenbaugh Aviña. M.S. thesis, University of California, 1934     

Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars

Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars. Susan Milbrath. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2000. 382 pp.     

Holy Writ as Oral Lit: The Bible as Folklore

Holy Writ as Oral Lit: The Bible as Folklore. Alan Dundes. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 1999. 131 pp.     

In Search of Authenticity: The Formation of Folklore Studies

In Search of Authenticity: The Formation of Folklore Studies. Regina Bendix. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1997.306 pp.     

A revision of the Chinese Stephanidae (Hymenoptera, Stephanoidea)

Stephanidae Leach, 1815 (Hymenoptera: Stephanoidea) from China are revised. Five genera are reported from China: Foenatopus Smith, 1861; Megischus Brullé, 1846; Parastephanellus Enderlein, 1906; Schlettererius Ashmead, 1900; and Stephanus Jurine (in Panzer), 1801, and the genera are keyed. All the Chinese species are described and illustrated and new synonyms are established. Keys to species of the five genera occurring in China and adjacent regions are provided.SIX SPECIES ARE NEW TO SCIENCE: Foenatopus brevimaculatussp. n., Foenatopus maculiferussp. n., Foenatopus yangisp. n., Parastephanellus angulatussp. n., Parastephanellus brevicoxalissp. n. and Parastephanellus zhejiangensissp. n. One species, Parastephanellus matsumotoi van Achterberg, 2006, is newly recorded from China.The following 9 new synonyms are proposed: Foenatopus aratifrons Enderlein, 1913 and Foenatopus yunnanensis Chao, 1964, new synonymys for Foenatopus annulitarsus Enderlein, 1913; Foenatopus cerviculatus (Chao, 1964) and Foenatopus chaoi Belokobylskij, 1995 for Foenatopus chinensis (Elliott, 1919); Foenatopus formosanus Enderlein, 1913 for Foenatopus cinctus (Matsumura, 1912); Foenatopus simillimus (Elliott, 1920) and Foenatopus trilineatus (Elliott, 1920) for Foenatopus flavidentatus (Enderlein, 1913); Foenatopus trilobatus (Elliott, 1920) for Foenatopus ruficollis (Enderlein, 1913); Parastephanellus austrochinensis Belokobylskij, 1995 for Parastephanellus brevistigma Enderlein, 1913. A lectotype is designated for Diastephanus trilineatus Elliott, 1920.     

Social organization and reproductive behavior of ostraciid fishes from Japan and the Western Atlantic Ocean

Social organization and reproductive behavior were studied in 4 species of ostraciid fishes.Lactoria fornasini andLactoria diaphana from Japan andAcanthostracion polygonius from the western Atlsnyiv were usually found in single male, haremic social groups, although the latter 2 species usually included only 2 females per harem, and individuals in all 3 species foraged solitarily. Elements of both “resource defense” and “female defense” (Emlen & Oring 1977) were evident in the 2Lactoria species, and female defense appeared particularly intense inL. diaphana. Resource defense was apparent inA. polygonius. Lactophrys triquetor occurred in lek-like breeding assemblages at Curacao (Netherlands Antilles) and on the Atlantic coast of Panama. These variations in social organization are discussed and a relationship with feeding habits is suggested. All 4 species appear to be gonochores (demonstrated inLactoria by Moyer 1979). The 2Lactoria spp. showed operational sex ratios (OSR: Emlen & Oring 1977) approaching 1∶1 and a high degree of female spawning synchrony. The occurrence of polygyny in species with 1∶1 OSRs and female spawning synchrony is discussed with reference to the Knowlton (1979) model which predicts monogamy to occur in such situations.     

Women's Organizations and the Development of Civil Society

Organizing Women: Formal and Informal Groups in the Middle East. Dawn Chatty and Annika Rabo. eds. New York: New York University Press, 1997.224pp.
Crazy for Democracy: Women in Grassroots Movements. Temma Kaplan. New York: Routledge, 1997.243 pp.
Women and Social Movements in Latin America: Power from Below. Lynn Stephen. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1997.332 pp.
Feminist Nationalism. Lois A. West. ed. New York: Routledge, 1997.294pp.     

Folklore and Literature in All the Languages of Siberia

Book reviewed in this article:
Pamiatniki Fol'klora Narodov Sibiri i Dal'nego Vostoka (Folklore Monuments of the Peoples of Siberia and the Far East), Volumes 1–8 . A. P. Derevianko, V. M. Gatsak, and A. B. Soktoev, eds.     

Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior

Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior. Elliott Sober and David Sloan Wilson. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998. 394 pp.     

BOOK REVIEW

Insect Pests of Trees and Timber in Tasmania: H. J. Elliott and D. W. deLittle. Forestry Commission, Tasmania, 1985. Pp. X + 90. $7.50.     

Revision of the holotype of Lithocodium aggregatum Elliott, 1956 (Lower Cretaceous, Iraq): new interpretation as sponge–calcimicrobe consortium

The encrusting microorganism Lithocodium (type species: Lithocodium aggregatum Elliott), widespread in Late Triassic–Middle Cretaceous shallow-marine carbonates of the Tethys realm, was interpreted in the past as a codiacean green alga, a lituolid foraminifer, calcimicrobial colonies, ulotrichalean green algae, or chambers of boring sponges. A re-study of the type material of L. aggregatum (in the sense of Elliott), stored in the British Museum (Natural History), revealed that this “species” has to be regarded as a calcimicrobial crust, infested by boring sponges (ichnotaxon Entobia).     

The ligand for osteoprotegerin (OPGL) directly activates mature osteoclasts

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and OPG-ligand (OPGL) potently inhibit and stimulate, respectively, osteoclast differentiation (Simonet, W.S., D.L. Lacey, C.R. Dunstan, M. Kelley, M.-S. Chang, R. Luethy, H.Q. Nguyen, S. Wooden, L. Bennett, T. Boone, et al. 1997. Cell. 89:309-319; Lacey, D.L., E. Timms, H.-L. Tan, M.J. Kelley, C.R. Dunstan, T. Burgess, R. Elliott, A. Colombero, G. Elliott, S. Scully, et al. 1998. Cell. 93: 165-176), but their effects on mature osteoclasts are not well understood. Using primary cultures of rat osteoclasts on bone slices, we find that OPGL causes approximately sevenfold increase in total bone surface erosion. By scanning electron microscopy, OPGL-treated osteoclasts generate more clusters of lacunae on bone suggesting that multiple, spatially associated cycles of resorption have occurred. However, the size of individual resorption events are unchanged by OPGL treatment. Mechanistically, OPGL binds specifically to mature OCs and rapidly (within 30 min) induces actin ring formation; a marked cytoskeletal rearrangement that necessarily precedes bone resorption. Furthermore, we show that antibodies raised against the OPGL receptor, RANK, also induce actin ring formation. OPGL-treated mice exhibit increases in blood ionized Ca++ within 1 h after injections, consistent with immediate OC activation in vivo. Finally, we find that OPG blocks OPGL's effects on both actin ring formation and bone resorption. Together, these findings indicate that, in addition to their effects on OC precursors, OPGL and OPG have profound and direct effects on mature OCs and indicate that the OC receptor, RANK, mediates OPGL's effects.     

Cholinergic interneurons in the feeding system of the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. II. N1 interneurons make cholinergic synapses with feeding motoneurons.

The N1 neurons are a population of interneurons active during the protraction phase of the feeding rhythm. All the N1 neurons are coupled by electrical synapses which persist in a high Mg/low Ca saline which blocks chemical synapses. Individual N1 spikes produce discrete electrotonic postsynaptic potentials (PSPS) in other N1 cells, but the coupling is not strong enough to ensure 1:1 firing. Bursts of N1 spikes generate compound PSPS in the feeding motoneurons. The sign (excitation or inhibition) of the N1 input corresponds with the synaptic barrage recorded during the protraction phase. Discrete PSPS are only resolved in a Hi-Di saline. Their variation in latency and number can be explained by variation in electrotonic propagation within the electrically coupled network of N1 cells. The excitatory postsynaptic potentials (ESPS) in the 1 cell are reduced by 0.5 mM antagonists hexamethonium (HMT), atropine (ATR), curare (d-TC) and by methylxylocholine (MeXCh), all of which block the excitatory cholinergic receptor (Elliott et al. (Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 336, 157-166 (Preceding paper.) (1992)). The 1 cell EPSPS were transiently blocked by phenyltrimethylammonium (PTMA), which is both an agonist and antagonist at the 1 cell excitatory acetylcholine (ACh) receptor (Elliott et al. 1992). The inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP) in the 3 cell is blocked by bath applications of MeXCh and PTMA, which both abolish the response of the 3 cell to ACh (Elliott et. al. 1992). The effects of the cholinergic antagonists on the response of 4 cluster and 5 cells to N1 stimulation matches their response to ACh (Elliott et al. 1992). It is concluded that the population of N1 cells are multiaction, premotor cholinergic interneurons.     

Review

Book Reviewed in this article: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (eds) 1994: Handbook of the birds of the world, Vol. II. New World vultures to guineafowl Caro, T. M. 1994: Cheetahs of the Serengeti plains — group living in an asocial species Spinage, C. A. 1994: Elephants. Poyser Natural History Dawkins, M. S. 1994: Die Entdeckung des tierischen Bewußtseins     

Lekking in fallow deer

Bradbury & Gibson (1983) define leks as 'assemblies of adult males which females visit solely for the purpose of copulation'. Although a relatively rare breeding system, lekking has been reported in a wide variety of taxa, including fireflies, butterflies, fish, frogs, manakins and grouse (see Loiselle & Barlow, 1978; Wittenberger, 1978; Bradbury, 1981; Lederhouse, 1982; Oring, 1982). Lek-breeding mammals include one bat (Bradbury, 1977), several antelope (see below) and possibly walrus (Fay, Ray & Kibal'chich, 1984). Nevertheless, the adaptive significance of lek-breeding is still poorly understood (Bradbury & Gibson, 1983).