Linguistic and Cultural Analysis of Empathy: Strategies for Japanese-English Translation

Examining linguistic and pragmatic aspects of the translation of Japanese empathy and politeness in contemporary novels reveals that socio-cultural meaning is often neutralised. From an educational perspective, examples for intercultural language teaching and learning, universal and culturally specific values, and the attribution of meaning in collectivist and individualist societies can be examined. Implications for the viability of a universal approach to translation are discussed in relation to values that are specific to Japanese culture

Phylogenetic analysis of faecal microbiota from captive cheetahs reveals underrepresentation of Bacteroidetes and Bifidobacteriaceae

Background: Imbalanced feeding regimes may initiate gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases in endangered felids kept in captivity such as cheetahs. Given the crucial role of the host's intestinal microbiota in feed fermentation and health maintenance, a better understanding of the cheetah's intestinal ecosystem is essential for improvement of current feeding strategies. We determined the phylogenetic diversity of the faecal microbiota of the only two cheetahs housed in an EAZA associated zoo in Flanders, Belgium, to gain first insights in the relative distribution, identity and potential role of the major community members. Results: Taxonomic analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries (702 clones) revealed a microbiota dominated by Firmicutes (94.7%), followed by a minority of Actinobacteria (4.3%), Proteobacteria (0.4%) and Fusobacteria (0.6%). In the Firmicutes, the majority of the phylotypes within the Clostridiales were assigned to Clostridium clusters XIVa (43%), XI (38%) and I (13%). Members of the Bacteroidetes phylum and Bifidobacteriaceae, two groups that can positively contribute in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, were absent in the clone libraries and detected in only marginal to low levels in real-time PCR analyses. Conclusions: This marked underrepresentation is in contrast to data previously reported in domestic cats where Bacteroidetes and Bifidobacteriaceae are common residents of the faecal microbiota. Next to methodological differences, these findings may also reflect the apparent differences in dietary habits of both felid species. Thus, our results question the role of the domestic cat as the best available model for nutritional intervention studies in endangered exotic felids

Integrated community profiling indicates long-term temporal stability of the predominant faecal microbiota in captive cheetahs

Understanding the symbiotic relationship between gut microbes and their animal host re- quires characterization of the core microbiota across populations and in time. Especially in captive populations of endangered wildlife species such as the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), this knowledge is a key element to enhance feeding strategies and reduce gastrointestinal disorders. In order to investigate the temporal stability of the intestinal microbiota in cheetahs under human care, we conducted a longitudinal study over a 3-year period with bimonthly faecal sampling of 5 cheetahs housed in two European zoos. For this purpose, an integrated 16S rRNA DGGE-clone library approach was used in combination with a series of real-time PCR assays. Our findings disclosed a stable faecal microbiota, beyond intestinal community variations that were detected between zoo sample sets or between animals. The core of this microbiota was dominated by members of Clostridium clusters I, XI and XIVa, with mean concentrations ranging from 7.5-9.2 log10 CFU/g faeces and with significant positive correla- tions between these clusters (P<0.05), and by Lactobacillaceae. Moving window analysis of DGGE profiles revealed 23.3-25.6% change between consecutive samples for four of the cheetahs. The fifth animal in the study suffered from intermediate episodes of vomiting and diarrhea during the monitoring period and exhibited remarkably more change (39.4%). This observation may reflect the temporary impact of perturbations such as the animal’s compro- mised health, antibiotic administration or a combination thereof, which temporarily altered the relative proportions of Clostridium clusters I and XIVa. In conclusion, this first long-term monitoring study of the faecal microbiota in feline strict carnivores not only reveals a remark- able compositional stability of this ecosystem, but also shows a qualitative and quantitative similarity in a defined set of faecal bacterial lineages across the five animals under study that may typify the core phylogenetic microbiome of cheetahs

One Step Forward, One Step Back: Shale Gas in Denmark and Sweden

Denmark and Sweden take two-fold positions on the question whether shale gas should be developed. At first sight, it appears the governments are supportive by licencing exploration to domestic and foreign companies. However, Denmark has suspended issuance of new licenses as doubts of extraction activities have risen. Sweden was forced to give landowners and municipalities a say in decision-making, and there is a larger context of mining minerals policy controversy. Even though both countries only have exploration activities at the moment, and the economic promise is yet unclear, public awareness and attention are increasing and cause difficulties for governments and industry to proceed without open discussions and debates. Scandinavia’s green image is at stake as the new fossil fuel opportunities are in conflict with the ambitious goals for renewable energy development. Both countries now have to prioritise energy self-sufficiency and industrial economics versus ecological consciousness

Übergang KiTa - Grundschule: Flexible Eingangsphase an der Salzbödetal-Schule - das Konzept eines am Kind orientierten Übergangs

Die Salzbödetal-Schule ist eine Einrichtung des Landkreises Gießen. Sie ist eine der beiden Grundschulen der Stadt Lollar bei Gießen (Mittelhessen) und wird von etwa 140 Schülern besucht, die in den Ortsteilen Salzböden und Odenhausen wohnen. Von 1993 bis 1998 nahm die Salzbödetal-Schule unter ihrem damaligen Namen Grundschule Salzböden als eine von fünf Grundschulen an dem Modellversuch zur pädagogischen und strukturellen Neukonzeption des Schulanfangs der Bund-Länder-Kommission für Bildungsplanung und Forschungsförderung teil. [...] Die Modellversuchsschulen wurden verpflichtet, alle schulpflichtigen Kinder ohne Überprüfung der Schulfähigkeit in das erste Schuljahr aufzunehmen. Der Modellversuch in Hessen steht in Zusammenhang mit ähnlichen Versuchen in anderen Bundesländern. (DIPF/Orig.

401(k) Plan Expenses

Under a 401(k) plan, your benefit is your vested account balance. This account balance reflects the contributions you make to the plan, the contributions your employer makes to the plan on your behalf (if any), and investment gains and losses. Many 401(k) plan participants are responsible for choosing how to invest their account balances. If you direct the investment of your 401(k) plan account balance, it is important to understand that fees and expenses may substantially reduce the growth of your 401(k) plan account balance over the course of your working life. The Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that paying 1% in extraneous fees can reduce your 401(k) plan account balance by 28% over the course of 35 years. Accordingly, it is important to familiarize yourself with the various types of fees and expenses that can affect the growth of your 401(k) plan account balance. This fact sheet summarizes many of these common fees

Ontologies and possibilities of human rights: Exploring dissensus to facilitate reconciliation in post-conflict education contexts

In light of growing critique of human rights and human rights education, this article explores ontologies of human rights, the possibilities they present for dissensus and how this could influence human rights education in post-conflict education contexts towards reconciliation. We draw on Dembour’s (2010) categorisation of the different schools of human rights and Ranciere’s (2004) two forms of rights to explore possible constructing points of dissensus. The data obtained in a NRF funded project Human rights literacy: A quest for meaning (Roux, 2012), indicate that student-teachers are disillusioned by human rights and perceive a conflict between what human rights are (contextual) and could (idealistic) be. While we concur with Keet (2015) that there is a need for “Critical Human Rights Education” (Keet, 2015) we focus on human action and the structuring of dissensus within political, social and educational spaces as crucial to the continual formulation, claims, rejection, amendments and recognition of human rights. In conclusion, we pose that human rights education should be a continual dissonant process, enabling moments of dissensus within intersecting spaces of (non)existing rights

Ideological illusions, human rights and the right to education: the in(ex)clusion of the poor in post-apartheid education

AbstractAgainst the background of global concern about the political and social consequences ofhuman rights, this article uses an ideological lens to explore the (non)existence of the rightto education in South Africa. We argue that post-apartheid education actively(re)normalises the in(ex)clusions of the poor in education within neo-liberal capitalisthuman rights frameworks. Data from the NRF funded project Human Rights Literacy: Aquest for meaning (Roux, 2012) indicate that student-teachers are aware of the ideologicalillusion presented in the Real and contrasting educational realities. We conclude by arguingfor the need to assume common responsibility for the in(ex)clusions of the poor ineducation. The importance of human rights literacies cannot be underestimated in thisregard. Human rights literacies open spaces in which student-teachers in commonresponsibility can engage with issues such as poverty and in(ex)clusions in education

An Atomic and Molecular Study of the Interstellar Medium Around the SNR RCW 103

We report on the detection of HCO+ and 12CO emission in the rotational transition J=1-0 in the vicinity of the shock front at the southern border of the supernova remnant RCW 103, where previous infrared observations suggest an interaction with a molecular cloud. The observations were carried out with the Australian Millimeter Radiotelescope at Mopra. We observed a depletion of HCO+ behind the supernova shock front. In addition, we studied the interstellar medium over an extended region towards RCW 103 based on archival 21 cm HI line observations from the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and the Parkes Telescope. No atomic gas is observed in emission in coincidence with the molecular feature. This absence is interpreted in terms of self absorption processes.Comment: accepted to be published in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australi