The Sadistic Reader: Gender and the Pleasures of Violence in the Novel

This project seeks to explain the prevalence of narratives that feature sexual violence against women in the tradition of the Anglophone novel. To this end, it posits the existence of a sadistic reading practice that coincides with readers\u27 sympathetic identification. A sadistic reader takes pleasure in the bodily violation of the woman at the center of a novel; such a reader enters the text expecting violence, and experiences a sense of narrative gratification when the inevitable violation plays out. These expectations emerge from repeated interactions with a literary tradition in which victimized heroines are routine. To explore such sadism, I follow two lines of inquiry. The first examines the literary mechanisms that create meaning and pleasure from textual violence, and determines what devices exist within the text to engage the reader in a virtual complicity with that act. The second explores how violent representations implicate the culture at large: to what extent do these texts reify cultural attitudes towards violence against women, to what extent do they code sexuality, and to what extent do they react to existing sexual norms? Combining historical theories of the novel, reader response theory, and psychoanalysis, I trace the uneasy relationship between readers and female protagonists. Although readers sympathetically identify with a novel\u27s heroine, her bodily vulnerability makes her a fraught site for such identification, and, in the moment of her violation, she is easily maneuvered from the position of the sympathetic me to the abjected not-me. Thus readers can enjoy identifying with the heroine throughout her narrative, while still rejecting her vulnerability. I explore this seeming paradox by analyzing the works of Angela Carter, Joyce Carol Oates, and J.M. Coetzee. These authors self-consciously examine the rape narrative as it operates in the literature of the postmodern era. Their respective novels The Magic Toyshop, Blonde, and Disgrace, consider both the influence of literary history on the self-perceptions of the modern heroine and demonstrate the complex, shifting form of identification through which readers interact with novelistic heroines

Diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphism markers to identify hybridization between dromedary and Bactrian camels

This article sets out findings from a small-scale collaborative project evaluating the use of a self-audit tool to promote the development of information literacy in MA social work students at a university in the north of England. The project involved the use of the audit tool early in the first and second years of a two-year professional masters programme and, alongside this, completion of two evaluation questionnaires. Analysis of the data suggested substantially increased confidence(measured by self-report) in the identified skills over the first year of the programme. The authors recognise that many factors may contribute to improved confidence and skills. Nevertheless, students identified use of the tool and the signposting to resources within it as helpful, and most felt that the stated aims had been met

First Insight Into Genetic Diversity of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) in Slovenia

In Europe, the Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) was on the brink of extinction in the 19th century. Therefore, different conservation measures were implemented, and several reintroductions were made in the Alpine arc, starting from the only surviving population in Gran Paradiso, Italy. An extreme historical bottleneck and additional reintroductions have strongly shaped the genetic make-up of recent populations, resulting in significant genetic drift and profound inbreeding across the species range. To support science-based conservation actions, molecular methods have been increasingly used. However, such analyses did not include populations in Slovenia. We analysed neutral loci (partial fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome b, mtDNA) and the adaptive major histocompatibility complex (MHC DRB exon 2) of the Alpine ibex from both Slovenian populations (Julian and Kamnik-Savinja Alps) to understand how past reintroductions and recent management have affected the genetic diversity of the species. Results showed that both populations are genetically severely depleted, carrying only one mtDNA haplotype and one functional allele for MHC DRB exon 2, Caib-DRB*01. This calls for further conservation actions, including the reintroduction of individuals with different genetic background. However, the Alpine ibex is currently considered a non-native species in Slovenia, which makes conservation actions extremely difficult and threatens the long-term survival of the species. Therefore, scientists and population managers are urging policy/decision makers to change the status of the species to the native one and consequently to allow reintroductions. These appeals are supported by previous archaeological data on the existence of bones assigned to Alpine ibex in the Julian Alps, and evidence of severe genetic depletion in current ibex populations confirmed in this study. PRVI VPOGLED V GENETSKO RAZNOLIKOST ALPSKEGA KOZOROGA (Capra ibex) V SLOVENIJI Izvleček: V Evropi je bil alpski kozorog (Capra ibex) v 19. stoletju na robu izumrtja. Izvajali so se različni ukrepi za njegovo ohranjanje. V alpskem loku je bilo izvedenih več ponovnih naselitev, najprej z edino ohranjeno populacijo v kraju Gran Paradiso v Italiji. Izredna okrnjenost vrste v preteklosti in dodatne ponovne naselitve so močno vplivale na genetsko sestavo populacije, kar je povzročilo znaten genetski zdrs in parjenje v sorodstvu na celotnem območju vrste. V podporo znanstveno utemeljenim ukrepom ohranjanja se vse pogosteje uporabljajo molekularne metode, vendar takšne analize niso vključevale populacij v Sloveniji. Da bi razumeli, kako je ponovno naseljevanje in nedavno upravljanje vplivalo na genetsko raznolikost vrste, smo analizirali nevtralne lokuse (delni fragment mitohondrijskega citokroma b, mtDNA) in adaptivni poglavitni histokompatibilnostni kompleks (MHC DRB ekson 2) alpskega kozoroga iz obeh slovenskih populacij (Julijske in Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe). Rezultati so pokazali, da sta obe populaciji genetsko zelo osiromašeni, saj nosita le en haplotip mtDNA in en funkcionalni alel za MHC DRB ekson 2, Caib-DRB*01. Zato so potrebni nadaljnji ukrepi za ohranjanje, vključno s ponovno naselitvijo živali z drugačnim genetskim ozadjem. Vendar alpski kozorog v Sloveniji trenutno velja za tujerodno vrsto, kar zelo otežuje ukrepe za njegovo ohranitev in ogroža dolgoročno preživetje vrste. Znanstveniki in upravljavci populacij zato pozivajo politike/odločevalce, naj spremenijo status vrste v avtohtono in posledično omogočijo ponovno naselitev. Ti pozivi so podprti s predhodnimi arheološkimi podatki o obstoju kosti alpskega kozoroga v Julijskih Alpah in z dokazi o izraziti genetski osiromašenosti sedanjih populacij kozoroga, potrjenimi v tej študiji. Ključne besede: Capra ibex; mitohondrijska DNA; MHC DRB exon2; ponovna naselitev; upravljanj

Diversity of selected toll-like receptor genes in cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) and African leopards (Panthera pardus pardus).

BackgroundThe growing world population amplifies the anthropogenic impact on wildlife globally. With shrinking habitats, wild populations are being pushed to co-exist in close proximity to humans, leading to an increased threat of infectious disease. Therefore, understanding the immune system of a species is key to assess its resilience in a changing environment. The innate immunity system (IIS) is the body’s first line of defense against pathogens. High variability in IIS-genes, such as the toll-like receptor (TLR) genes, appears to be associated with resistance to infectious diseases. However, few studies have investigated diversity in TLR genes in non-model organisms and drawn conclusions for the conservation of vulnerable species. Large predators are threatened globally, and their populations increasingly have been declining over the last decades. Big cats, such as leopards (Panthera pardus) and cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are no exception to this trend and are listed as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) including several subspecies, e.g., A. j. venaticus and P. p. melas, that already face extinction. To better understand vulnerability in terms of immune genetic diversity in the two sympatric occurring species, we compared selected TLR genes (TLR2, TLR4, TLR6 and TLR8) between modern African leopards (P. p. pardus) and Southern African cheetahs (A. j. jubatus). ResultsOur study supports the previously detected high genetic diversity in African leopards and confirms genetic impoverishment in Southern African cheetahs. Despite notable differences, both species share some haplotypic similarities in the investigated TLRs. Moreover, our historic cheetah samples from all five subspecies showed levels of genetic diversity comparable to modern African leopards. By including historic cheetahs and samples from all known subspecies, we put the observed IIS diversity into an evolutionary context.ConclusionThe genetic diversity in the investigated TLR genes in modern Southern African cheetahs and in historic cheetahs is low compared to African leopards. However, according to previous studies, the low immune genetic diversity might not yet affect the health of this cheetah subspecies. Compared to historic cheetah data and other subspecies, a more recent population decline might explain the observed genetic impoverishment of TLR genes in modern Southern African cheetahs.<br/

Nucleotide diversity of functionally different groups of immune response genes in Old World camels based on newly annotated and reference-guided assemblies

Background Immune-response (IR) genes have an important role in the defense against highly variable pathogens, and therefore, diversity in these genomic regions is essential for species' survival and adaptation. Although current genome assemblies from Old World camelids are very useful for investigating genome-wide diversity, demography and population structure, they have inconsistencies and gaps that limit analyses at local genomic scales. Improved and more accurate genome assemblies and annotations are needed to study complex genomic regions like adaptive and innate IR genes. Results In this work, we improved the genome assemblies of the three Old World camel species - domestic dromedary and Bactrian camel, and the two-humped wild camel - via different computational methods. The newly annotated dromedary genome assembly CamDro3 served as reference to scaffold the NCBI RefSeq genomes of domestic Bactrian and wild camels. These upgraded assemblies were then used to assess nucleotide diversity of IR genes within and between species, and to compare the diversity found in immune genes and the rest of the genes in the genome. We detected differences in the nucleotide diversity among the three Old World camelid species and between IR gene groups, i.e., innate versus adaptive. Among the three species, domestic Bactrian camels showed the highest mean nucleotide diversity. Among the functionally different IR gene groups, the highest mean nucleotide diversity was observed in the major histocompatibility complex. Conclusions The new camel genome assemblies were greatly improved in terms of contiguity and increased size with fewer scaffolds, which is of general value for the scientific community. This allowed us to perform in-depth studies on genetic diversity in immunity-related regions of the genome. Our results suggest that differences of diversity across classes of genes appear compatible with a combined role of population history and differential exposures to pathogens, and consequent different selective pressures.Peer reviewe

Gene-Set Enrichment Analysis for Identifying Genes and Biological Activities Associated with Growth Traits in Dromedaries

Simple Summary This project aimed to find biological themes affecting growth in dromedaries. Candidate SNPs associated with growth were mapped to 22 genes, and 25 significant themes were identified related to growth. The main biological functions included calcium ion binding, protein binding, DNA-binding transcription factor activity, protein kinase activity, tropomyosin binding, myosin complex, actin-binding, ATP binding, receptor signaling pathway via JAK-STAT, and cytokine activity. EFCAB5, MTIF2, MYO3A, TBX15, IFNL3, PREX1, and TMOD3 genes are candidates for improving growth in camel breeding programs. Growth is an important heritable economic trait for dromedaries and necessary for planning a successful breeding program. Until now, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and QTL-mapping have identified significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with growth in domestic animals, but in dromedaries, the number of studies is very low. This project aimed to find biological themes affecting growth in dromedaries. In the first step, 99 candidate SNPs were chosen from a previously established set of SNPs associated with body weight, gain, and birth weight in Iranian dromedaries. Next, 0.5 kb upstream and downstream of each candidate SNP were selected from NCBI (assembly accession: GCA_000803125.3). The annotation of fragments with candidate SNPs regarding the reference genome was retrieved using the Blast2GO tool. Candidate SNPs associated with growth were mapped to 22 genes, and 25 significant biological themes were identified to be related to growth in dromedaries. The main biological functions included calcium ion binding, protein binding, DNA-binding transcription factor activity, protein kinase activity, tropomyosin binding, myosin complex, actin-binding, ATP binding, receptor signaling pathway via JAK-STAT, and cytokine activity. EFCAB5, MTIF2, MYO3A, TBX15, IFNL3, PREX1, and TMOD3 genes are candidates for improving growth in camel breeding programs