Fredrik Barth: From Fieldwork to Theory

Fredrik Barth: From Fieldwork to Theory. 1999. 56 minutes, color. video by Werner Sperschneider. Coproduced by the Institut für den Wissenschaftlichen Film (IWF) and the Danish Film Institute Workshop. For more information, contact the IWF-Knowledge and Media, Nonnenstieg 72, 37075, Göttingen, Germany; www.iwf.de .     

From 'circumstances' to 'environment': Herbert Spencer and the origins of the idea of organism-environment interaction

The word 'environment' has a history. Before the mid-nineteenth century, the idea of a singular, abstract entity--the organism--interacting with another singular, abstract entity--the environment--was virtually unknown. In this paper I trace how the idea of a plurality of external conditions or circumstances was replaced by the idea of a singular environment. The central figure behind this shift, at least in Anglo-American intellectual life, was the philosopher Herbert Spencer. I examine Spencer's work from 1840 to 1855, demonstrating that he was exposed to a variety of discussions of the 'force of circumstances' in this period, and was decisively influenced by the ideas of Auguste Comte in the years preceding the publication of Principles of psychology (1855). It is this latter work that popularized the word 'environment' and the corresponding idea of organism--environment interaction--an idea with important metaphysical and methodological implications. Spencer introduced into the English-speaking world one of our most enduring dichotomies: organism and environment.     

Obituary: Robert Spencer

Robert Spencer 12 March 1923 – 21 September 1994, by Chris Mead¸     

Critical Approaches to Fieldwork: Contemporary and Historical Archaeological Practice

Critical Approaches to Fieldwork: Contemporary and Historical Archaeological Practice. Gavin Lucas. New York: Routledge,2001. 246 pp.     

光合作用研究进展:从分子机理到绿色革命

根据国际科学期刊Nature,Science和PhotosynthesisResearch等近年发表的60多篇文献评论了过去5年来光合作用研究领域的研究进展.这篇评论由光合机构的精细结构与光合作用的反应机理、光合作用的调节机制与环境胁迫和光合机理知识的应用与绿色革命三部分组成.第一部分包括天线和反应中心的结构、放氧机理和ATP合成的分子机理;第二部分涉及二磷酸核酮糖羧化酶/加氧酶,光抑制,氧化还原调节和光合作用的高温抑制;第三部分讨论新绿色革命的特点和艰巨性,指出新绿色革命的中心问题是作物光合效率的改善,锐利武器是基因工程,新绿色革命的成功有赖于对光合作用的深入理解和分子生物学家、植物生理学家、生物化学家与农学家们的协同努力.     

``Terror's Talk: Fieldwork and War'

My purpose in this essay is to raise some questions about what isinvolved in research on political violence. Since 1995 I haveconducted ethnographic research in rural villages throughoutAyacucho, the region of Peru most heavily affected by the warbetween the guerrilla group Sendero Luminoso, the rondascampesinas (armed peasant patrols) and the Peruvian armed forces.A key factor motivating my research was a desire to write againstthe culture of violence arguments that were used to ``explain'the war. The concept of a ``culture of violence' or ``endemicviolence' has frequently been attributed to the Andean region,particularly to the rural peasants who inhabit the highlands.I wanted to understand how people make and unmake lethal violencein a particular social and historical context, and to explore thepositioning and responsibilities of an anthropologist who conductsresearch in the context of war.     

From structure to application: Progress and opportunities in peptide materials development

For over 20 years, peptide materials in their hydrogel or soluble fibril form have been used for biomedical applications such as drug delivery, cell culture, vaccines, and tissue regeneration. To facilitate the translation of these materials, key areas of research still need to be addressed. Their structural characterization lags compared to amyloid proteins. Many of the structural features designed to guide materials formation are primarily being characterized by their observation in atomic resolution structures of amyloid assemblies. Herein, these motifs are examined in relation to peptide designs identifying common interactions that drive assembly and provide structural specificity. Current efforts to design complex structures, as reviewed here, highlight the need to extend the structural revolution of amyloid proteins to peptide assemblies to validate design principles. With respect to clinical applications, the fundamental interactions and responses of proteins, cells, and the immune system to peptide materials are still not well understood. Only a few trends are just now emerging for peptide materials interactions with biological systems. Understanding how peptide material properties influence these interactions will enable the translation of materials towards current and emerging applications.