Ethnicity and practice in Malaysian unions

In mainland Malaysia, the tri‐ethnic schema of Malay‐Chinese‐Indian continues to have a decisive influence on macro‐level policy and micro‐level behaviour. However, other means of organizing experience are not entirely precluded. This article features the profiles of three Malaysian trade union leaders who must, in effect, feed the concept of class through an ethnic grid in order to attract and retain union members. The lives of these unionists exemplify how ethnicity and class in Malaysia, as elsewhere, are constructive processes that demand the active participation of individuals even as that participation is subject to the constraints of hegemony. However, there is certainly sufficient play in the Malaysian system to suggest that current ethnic and class concepts ‐ and, indeed, hegemony itself ‐ have great potential for change.     

The Relationship between Childhood Cruelty to Animals and Psychological Adjustment: A Malaysian Study

ABSTRACT

In Western research, cruelty to animals in childhood has been associated with comorbid conduct problems and with interpersonal violence in later life. However, there is little understanding of the etiology of cruelty to animals, and what in the child's life may require attention if the chain linking animal cruelty and later violence is to be broken. The study reported in this paper investigated the association between parent-reported cruelty to animals, and parent- and self-reported psychological strengths and weaknesses in a sample of 379 elementary school children in an Eastern context, Malaysia. No gender differences were found in relation to cruelty to animals or psychological problems, as assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). However, there were different predictors of cruelty to animals for boys and girls. Regression analyses found that for boys, parent-reported hyperactivity was a unique predictor of Malicious and Total Cruelty to animals. For girls, self-reported conduct problems was a unique predictor of Typical Cruelty to animals. Parent-reported total difficulties were associated with Typical, Malicious, and Total Cruelty to animals. We suggest that routine screening of children with an instrument such as the SDQ may help to detect those children who may need to undergo further assessment and perhaps intervention to break the chain linking childhood cruelty to animals and later conduct problems.     

Fixity and Flux: Bidayuh (Dis)engagements with the Malaysian Ethnic System

This article explores conceptions of the Malaysian ethnic system from the perspective of certain Bidayuhs, an indigenous group of Sarawak, Borneo. Recent scholarship has highlighted the ‘fluid’ and ‘shifting’ nature of Malay identity; but less attention has been paid to how ethnic minorities in the region depict Malayness. I suggest that for many Bidayuhs, Malay-ness is marked by an inescapable flxity which stifies a fluidity that they value as intrinsic to Bidayuh-ness and other aspects of life. Moreover, this sense of flxity has been mapped onto their conceptions of the (Malay-dominated) Malaysian ethnic system, in which they are inescapably entangled. The article investigates some of the consequent tensions arising from Bidayuh (dis)engagements with Malaysia's ethnic ‘flxity’, while tracing certain trends and changes in this relationship.     

Neap-spring tidal effects on dissolved oxygen in two Malaysian estuaries

The longitudinal distributions of dissolved oxygen change dramatically during neap-spring tidal cycles in the lower Selangor and Klang Rivers. An oxygen deficit develops in both estuaries when the tidal range is high. The Selangor River inflow is nearly saturated with D.O., but during spring tides D.O. falls to as little as 15% of saturation in the middle reaches of the estuary. The Klang River has low D.O. freshwater input, an oxygen minimum develops during neap tides, and anoxic conditions are produced by spring tides. These oxygen minima are attributed to the high oxygen demand of sediment that rests on the bottom during neap tides and is resuspended during spring tides. The ecological effects of tidal cycling patterns of dissolved oxygen in these Malaysian estuaries need further study, within the context of land use patterns and other human activities.     

Physico-chemistry,destratification and nutrient budget of a lowland eutrophicated Malaysian reservoir and its limnological implications

Subang Lake (3° 10N, 101°29E) is a stratified lowland reservoir with a marked chemocline of some variables that probably contributes to a greater species diversity and vertical layering of plankton communities. Destratification occurs in the reservoir and is probably seasonal. Destratification results in toxic and deoxygenated waters as well as nutrient replenishment from the hypolimnion and could cause sudden mass fish and zooplankton mortality and consequent algal blooms. The nutrient budget study indicates that the reservoir is naturally oligotrophic with phosphate as a limiting factor and the high nutrient loading of the auxiliary water intake from a nearby river, Buloh River, is the cause of eutrophication in the reservoir.     

Problems in the harvest of edible birds' nests in Sarawak and Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

Due to the value of their nests, there is great pressure on the populations of black-nest swiftlets (Collocalia maximus) and white-nest swiftlets (Collocalia fuciphagus) in the Malaysian provinces of Sarawak and Sabah. The problems are particularly acute at Gunung Mulu National Park, in spite of a complete ban on collection there, and at Niah National Park, where every participant in a complex collection and trading system has an incentive to take more nests than permitted. More successful harvest systems function in Sabah's Gomantong and Madai Caves. Recommendations for improved management of the nest harvest include addressing corruption, ensuring that local people with traditional rights to collect nests do not lose income to illegal immigrant labor and to traders, improving research and education about the swiftlets' behavior and ecology, and moving value-added processing of the nests closer to the caves where they originate and to the people who collect them.     

Alexandrium (Dinophyceae) species in Malaysian waters

A study was carried out to determine the presence of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin-producing dinoflagellates in the coastal waters of Peninsula Malaysia. This followed first ever occurrences of PSP in the Straits of Malacca and the northeast coast of the peninsula. The toxic tropical dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum was never encountered in any of the plankton samples. On the other hand, five species of Alexandrium were found. They were Alexandrium affine, Alexandrium leei, Alexandrium minutum, Alexandrium tamarense and Alexandrium tamiyavanichii. Not all species were present at all sites. A. tamiyavanichii was present only in the central to southern parts of the Straits of Malacca. A. tamarense was found in the northern part of the straits, while A. minutum was only found in samples from the northeast coast of the peninsula. A. leei and A. affine were found in both the north and south of the straits. Cultured isolates of A. minutum and A. tamiyavanichii were proven toxic by the receptor binding assay for PSP toxins but A. tamarense clones were not toxic. Mean toxin content for the A. tamiyavanichii and A. minutum clones were 26 and 15 fmol per cell STX equivalent, respectively. This study has provided evidence on the presence of PSP toxin-producing Alexandrium species in Malaysian waters which suggests that PSP could increase in importance in the future.     

文化的起源——动物文化的普遍性与人类文化的独特性

在很长一段时间里文化被认为是人类文明的产物.该文提供了许多关于动物文化现象的证据,并且提供了动物创新和社会学习能力的观察与实证研究的结果,用以说明文化在动物中存在的可能性.然而,人类文化与动物文化存在着明显差异,造成这种结果的原因可能主要是两者认知能力的差异:人类特殊的认知模式--文化认知造就了人类复杂的文化体系.     

Leptin and leptin receptor gene polymorphisms and their association with plasma leptin levels and obesity in a multi-ethnic Malaysian suburban population

Background

This study was to investigate the prevalence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in leptin gene LEP (A19G and G2548A) and leptin receptor gene LEPR (K109R and Q223R) and their association with fasting plasma leptin level (PLL) and obesity in a Malaysian suburban population in Kampar, Perak.

Methods

Convenience sampling was performed with informed consents, and the study sample was drawn from patients who were patrons of the Kampar Health Clinic. A total of 408 subjects (mean age, 52.4 ± 13.7 years; 169 men, 239 women; 190 obese, 218 non-obese; 148 Malays, 177 ethnic Chinese, 83 ethnic Indians) participated. Socio-demographic data and anthropometric measurements were taken, and genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

Results

The LEP A19G, G2548A and LEPR K109R, Q223R variant allele frequencies were 0.74, 0.67 and 0.61, 0.79, respectively. The genotype and allele distributions of these gene variants were significantly different among ethnic groups, but not among body mass index (BMI) classes. Subjects with LEPR K109 and Q223 allele had significantly higher systolic blood pressure and adiposity indices after adjustment for ethnicity (higher BMI, total body and subcutaneous fat; lower skeletal muscle percentage). Subjects with LEPR 109R allele had lower PLL than their wild-type allele counterparts. The influence of LEP A19G and G2548A SNPs on blood pressures, anthropometrics, and PLL was not evident. Interestingly, synergistic effect of the LEP and LEPR SNPs was observed as subjects homozygous for all four SNPs studied exhibited significantly higher subcutaneous fat and PLL than those with other genotype combinations.

Conclusions

The LEP and LEPR SNPs in this study may not be an obesity marker among Malaysians in this population, but were associated with ethnicity. Our findings suggest that each of these SNPs contributes to minor but significant variation in obesity-related traits and in combination they display synergistic effects on subcutaneous fat and PLL.     

Fruit Bats (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) as Seed Dispersers and Pollinators in a Lowland Malaysian Rain Forest1

The aims of this study were to (1) characterize the food resources exploited by fruit bats (Pteropodidae) within an old‐growth Malaysian dipterocarp forest, (2) test the viability of the seeds they disperse, and (3) provide an estimate of the proportion of trees that are to some degree dependent upon bats for seed dispersal and/or pollination. Fruit species exploited by bats could be distinguished from those eaten by birds largely on the basis of color (as perceived by human beings). Bat‐dispersed fruits were typically inconspicuous shades of green–yellow or dull red–brown, whereas fruits eaten by birds were generally bright orange to red. Dietary overlap between bats and nonflying mammals was relatively high. In contrast to primates and squirrels, which were major seed predators for several of the plant species under investigation, fruit bats had no negative impact on seed viability. A botanical survey in 1 ha of old‐growth forest revealed that 13.7 percent of trees (?15 cm girth at breast height) were at least partially dependent upon fruit bats for pollination and/or seed dispersal.     

Physical and ultrastructural basis of blue leaf iridescence in four Malaysian understory plants

Iridescent blue leaf coloration in four Malaysian rain forest understory plants, Diplazium tomentosum Bl. (Athyriaceae), Lindsaea lucida Bl. (Lindsaeaceae), Begonia pavonina Ridl. (Begoniaceae), and Phyllagathis rotundifolia Bl. (Melastomataceae) is caused by a physical effect, constructive interference of reflected blue light. The ultrastructural basis for this in D. tomentosum and L. lucida is multiple layers of cellulose microfibrils in the uppermost cell walls of the adaxial epidermis. The helicoidal arrangement of these fibrils is analogous to that which produces a similar color in arthropods. In B. pavonina and P. rotundifolia the blue-green coloration is caused by parallel lamellae in specialized plastids adjacent to the abaxial wall of the adaxial epidermis. The selective advantage of this color production, if any, is unknown.     

Culture,cultural factors and psychiatric diagnosis: review and projections

This paper aims to provide conceptual justifications for the inclusion of culture and cultural factors in psychiatric diagnosis, and logistic suggestions as to the content and use of this approach. A discussion of the scope and limitations of current diagnostic practice, criticisms from different quarters, and the role and relevance of culture in the diagnostic encounter, precede the examination of advantages and disadvantages of the approach. The cultural content of psychiatric diagnosis should include the main, well-recognized cultural variables, adequate family data, explanatory models, and strengths and weaknesses of every individual patient. The practical aspects include the acceptance of “cultural discordances” as a component of an updated definition of mental disorder, and the use of a refurbished cultural formulation. Clinical “telescoping” strategies to obtain relevant cultural data during the diagnostic interview, and areas of future research (including field trials on the cultural formulation and on “culture bound syndromes”), are outlined.     

Introduction: Re-thinking Ethnic and Racial Studies

The changing boundaries of the study of ethnicity and race have been the subject of much debate in recent years. New theoretical debates have come to the fore and empirical research has broached new questions. Taking its cue from the wide range of themes covered in this special issue, this article seeks to map out some of the key areas in which this transformation has become apparent and to highlight the implications for ethnic and race relations as a field of study. In doing so it engages with some of the key questions that run through the whole of this special issue, including the relationship between race, power and politics, identity and difference and the politics of multiculturalism. It concludes by touching on some issues that need further research and analysis.     

Cultural continuity and its implications on human evolution: A study from eastern Indian

Evidence of human evolution in India is mainly limited to cultural remains. Despite lack of proper absolute chronology a developmental pattern is established. Present work focuses on a specific region in the state of Orissa, located on eastern plateau region. So far no human fossil remain has been found from this area but there is enough cultural evidence to postulate evolutionary sequence. The earliest cultural remain, rich in Acheulian tradition, is found from the lower gravel bed, dated c. 0.3 myr B.P. on the basis of Toba ash. Then onward cultural evidences are found constantly from subsequent beds. Size diminution and refinement of technology is the hallmark for progress. Celts and polishing grinding technology is generally considered as the final phase of Stone Age technology. Findings from the region indicate continuation of the Stone Age tradition for a long time even into the recent past. The earliest metal finding is brass. This alloy is not only persisting in the region but even the technology of making brass objects is the same today. The tribal communities, the indigenous people living in the area, bear a legacy of behavioural strategy for survival. It appears that in the areas, life continued without a break from prehistory to present day in a processual manner. A similar situation is found in Africa, where as a result of comprehensive work the process of continuity is properly understood. In India, lack of absolute dates is the major hindrance for this kind of work. An attempt is made here to understand the behaviour, ecology and other related factors responsible for cultural continuity in the studied area.     

Intervention or Inversion: Australian Indigenous Justice and the Politics of Cultural Incompatibility

Australian Indigenous affairs are underscored by a central tension between the rights of Indigenous peoples to self-determination, and assimilation policy premised on cultural homogeneity. This tension is most evident between the Northern Territory Government-commissioned Anderson and Wild (2007 Anderson, P. and Wild, R. Ampe akelyernemane meke mekarle: Little children are sacred. Report to the Northern Territory board of inquiry into the protection of Aboriginal children from sexual abuse. Darwin: Northern Territory Government.  [Google Scholar]) report, entitled Ampe akelyernemane meke mekarle: Little children are sacred, which recommends the continuation of community-led programs in response to childhood sexual abuse in Indigenous communities, and the Commonwealth's Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007 (NTNER), commonly known as ‘the intervention’, which Altman and Hinkson (2007 Altman, J. and Hinkson, M. 2007. Coercive reconciliation: Stabilise, normalise, exit Aboriginal Australia, Melbourne: Arena Publications.  [Google Scholar]) claim represents a ‘coercive’ attempt to dismantle Indigenous rights to manage their affairs. In her critique of cultural incompatibility (culturalism), McConaghy (2000 McConaghy, C. 2000. Rethinking Indigenous education: Culturalism, colonialism and the politics of knowing, Flaxton: Post Pressed.  [Google Scholar]) observes that radicalism, or cultural difference policy in oppositional histories of power and control, seeks to invert colonial power relations. Instead, argues McConaghy, radicalism (much like assimilation) reinstitutes colonial relations of dominance. I draw on culturalism to explore the tension between Indigenous self-determination (a form of inversion), represented within the Little children are sacred report, and intervention, as a model not for coercive assimilation but for cultural integration (Sutton 2001a Sutton, P. 2001a. The politics of suffering: Indigenous policy in Australia since the 1970s. Anthropological Forum, 11: 125–173. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]; Pearson 2007 Pearson, N. 2007. The urgent quest for a radical political centre. The Age, 1 September Insight 11 [Google Scholar]). I propose that cultural inversion, as a justificatory model for addressing dysfunction within Indigenous communities, displaces the needs and rights of individuals for mainstream intervention.     

A review of otters (Carnivora: Mustelidae: Lutrinae) in Malaysia and Singapore

Four species of otters have been recorded from Malaysia and Singapore in the past: Lutra lutra (Common or Eurasian Otter), Lutra sumatrana (Hairy-nosed Otter), Lutrogale perspicillata (Smooth Otter) and Amblonyx cinereus (Oriental Small-clawed Otter). All four are listed in the Threatened Species Categories of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals: L. lutra is designated Vulnerable and the status of the other three Asian species are Insufficiently Known due to lack of information. From a review of the available literature and collation of museum records from Malaysia and Singapore, the past status of the four species are examined. Presently, only L. perspicillata and A. cinereus are common in Peninsular Malaysia where they are widely distributed, but both are rare in Singapore. L. sumatrana is rare but apparently still found in East Malaysia. It is possible that L. lutra did not range in Malaysia this century. Information about the habitat types, group size, range, diet and behaviour for all the species is poorly known. The available information allows a discussion of the Smooth and Small-clawed Otters only. This dearth of knowledge has hampered maintenance and breeding efforts of zoos and conservation activity.     

牛视网膜微血管内皮细胞体外分离与培养的实验研究

目的:探讨牛视网膜微血管内皮细胞(bovine retinal capillary endothelial cells,BREcs)体外分离、培养方法,为研究视网膜血管性疾病提供一定的实验基础。方法:无菌条件下取出视网膜并剪碎,经筛网过滤、胶原酶消化获取视网膜微血管内皮细胞,接种于明胶包被的培养瓶中,原代培养时用不同的培养基筛选细胞,并在传代时利用差速黏附法以获得较纯BRECs,通过形态学观察和免疫组化方法鉴定BRECs。结果:用此法原代培养BRECs纯度达98%,混有的血细胞及神经组织细胞碎片在换液和传代过程中逐渐被去除,成纤维细胞和周细胞的污染可分别用不同的培养基和差速黏附法纯化去除。结论:该方法简单有效,获得的BRECs纯度高,生长状态良好,为研究眼部血管性疾病提供良好平台。     

大麦不同基因型游离小孢子的直接培养再生及培养体系的优化

以微搅拌法建立了小孢子直接游离的预处理和培养程序。在大田生长的４个对培养反应不同的大麦基因型上,以新鲜幼穗游离小孢子进行直接培养,均成功地诱导了胚状体并获得再生绿色植株。小孢子的发育进程说明,直接游离的小泡子在预处理过程中的发育要慢于在花药中预处理的小孢子,而且其培养效率也较低。直接游离小孢子的培养密度以０．８～１．０×１０５／ｍｌ较理想,至少应不低于６×１０４／ｍｌ．８％－１０％的糖浓度可明显提高小孢子分裂频率和胚状体诱导频率。实验结果也表明两种培养基ＦＨＧ和ＭＮ６无明显差异,均适宜于直接游离的小孢子培养,并对游离小孢子直接培养在理论和应用上的意义进行了讨论