Hypolithic Microbial Community of Quartz Pavement in the High-Altitude Tundra of Central Tibet

The hypolithic microbial community associated with quartz pavement at a high-altitude tundra location in central Tibet is described. A small-scale ecological survey indicated that 36% of quartz rocks were colonized. Community profiling using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism revealed no significant difference in community structure among a number of colonized rocks. Real-time quantitative PCR and phylogenetic analysis of environmental phylotypes obtained from clone libraries were used to elucidate community structure across all domains. The hypolithon was dominated by cyanobacterial phylotypes (73%) with relatively low frequencies of other bacterial phylotypes, largely represented by the chloroflexi, actinobacteria, and bacteriodetes. Unidentified crenarchaeal phylotypes accounted for 4% of recoverable phylotypes, while algae, fungi, and mosses were indicated by a small fraction of recoverable phylotypes

Towards a peri-urban political ecology of water quality decline

Recent years have witnessed an expanding body of peri-urban and urban scholarship. However, recent scholarship has yet to adequately address the central role of politics and power shaping water quality decline. The article focuses on the trans-Hindon region which is part of Ghaziabad city, close to India’s capital, Delhi. We draw upon urban political ecology and peri-urban scholarship to explain the role of politics and power shaping water quality decline. We argue in favour of creating stronger synergy between peri-urban and UPE debates as part of conceptualising water quality decline. The article shows that as a complex socio-political challenge, water quality decline is centrally shaped by the intensifying linkages between urban and peri-urban forms of development and as a result deserves central attention as part of both these debates

Faire carrière sur la scène de l'art contemporain (entre originalité de la création et stratégies d'auto-promotion)

Depuis les années 1960, de plus en plus d artistes plasticiens parviennent au rang de super stars . Les ventes d œuvres à des prix record lors de ventes aux enchères et dans des galeries, la mise en place d expos-événements , ainsi que la publication de classements d artistes dans la presse spécialisée ou sur Internet, indiquent quels créateurs sont en vogue. Les questions qui se posent sont de savoir pourquoi certains artistes, plutôt que d autres, parviennent au succès, quelles stratégies ils développent et emploient pour attirer l attention des décideurs et quels éléments participent au maintien de leur notoriété. Pour développer leur carrière et assurer leur renommée à long terme, les artistes plasticiens sont soumis à une double contrainte. Ils doivent non seulement concevoir des travaux atypiques et audacieux, mais encore affirmer leur singularité en faisant preuve d excentricité ou d étrangeté. Aussi bien les artistes émergents que les artistes reconnus doivent en permanence élaborer des œuvres originales et afficher un certain tempérament ou mettre en avant une personnalité insolite, afin de maintenir l attention des acteurs institutionnels, des médias et donc du public. Il apparaît que pour atteindre cet objectif, les artistes sont confrontés à la nécessité de mettre en place de véritables stratégies de communication, pouvant être qualifiées de stratégies d auto-promotion , dont les principes sont empruntés aux mondes du marketing, du management, de l économie, de la publicité, du théâtre et des relations publiques.Since the 1960s more and more artists have become real super stars . Record sales of art works at auctions and in galleries, sumptuous exhibitions which attract masses and rankings of artists published in art magazines or on the Internet indicate which artists are trendy. So different questions arise: why are some artists instead of others successful ? Which strategies do they develop and use to catch the attention of the professionals of art ? And which elements help them remaining famous ? To develop their career and maintain their fame on the long run, artists are submitted to a double constraint. On the one hand they have to create untypical and audacious art works and on the other they have to assert their singularity by showing eccentricity or strangeness. As well rising as recognized artists permanently have to produce original art works and show a certain temperament or a strange personality in order to maintain the attention of the institutional leaders, the media and therefore the audience. It appears that to reach this goal artists have to make use of communication strategies, which can be qualified as self-promotion strategies and the principles of which derive from different areas : marketing, management, economy, advertising, theatre and public relations.NICE-BU Lettres Arts Sci.Hum. (060882104) / SudocSudocFranceF

Insights;

The cluster of texts assembled here were imagined, crafted, and brought together as a collaborative writing project that emerged from the seminar titled "Words Matter Worlds: Activist Scholarship and Literary Praxis," which convened over the course of the 2021/22 winter semester as an offering of the American Studies department of the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. Like the seminar that nurtured the considerations that evolve here, these contributions engage with how scholarly writing practices in general, and literary and cultural studies in particular, can remake the world

Sociodemographics of pet ownership among adolescents in Great Britain: findings from the HBSC study in England, Scotland, and Wales

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of pet ownership among adolescents in Great Britain and identify any sociodemographic differences between pet owners and non-pet owners. A total of 14,328 11-to 15-year-old adolescents from England, Scotland, and Wales were included in the analysis. Results revealed 15-year-old adolescents were significantly more likely than 11-year-old adolescents to own dogs (OR = 1.146, p < 0.001) but less likely to own fish, reptiles, or amphibians (OR = 0.629, p < 0.001), and small mammals (OR = 0.630, p < 0.001). Thirteen-year-olds were significantly more likely than 11-year-olds to own dogs (OR = 1.240, p = 0.021) and birds (OR = 1.299, p = 0.010), but significantly less likely to own fish, reptiles, or amphibians (OR = 0.795, p < 0.001). No gender differences were found. White adolescents were more likely than non-white adolescents to own all pet types. Those living in single-parent families were significantly more likely than those living with two parents to own dogs (OR = 1.186, p = 0.013) and cats (OR = 1.319, p < 0.001). Furthermore, those who reported living in stepfamilies were also more likely to own cats (OR = 1.428, p < 0.001). Adolescents with siblings were more likely to own cats (OR = 1.391, p = 0.001), fish, reptiles, or amphibians (OR = 1.220, p = 0.037) than adolescents without siblings. Adolescents with employed parents (both or one) were significantly more likely than those with unemployed parents to own dogs (OR = 1.414, p = 0.002) and birds (OR = 1.523, p = 0.018). Adolescents from high-affluence families were less likely than adolescents from low-affluence families to own dogs (OR = 0.888, p = 0.037), small mammals (OR = 0.832, p = 0.005), and birds (OR = 0.801, p = 0.046). Furthermore, family affluence differences were found in different pet types. Differences in all pet types and siblings were also found in a proxy measure of attachment to pets. This study provides evidence that pet ownership is related to several sociodemographic factors. These are relevant to take into account when performing HAI studies on adolescents.Peer reviewe

Challenging Local Government Notions of Community Engagement as Unnecessary, Unwanted and Unproductive: Case Studies From Rural Australia

Despite the fact that sustainability is typically viewed as being dependent upon community engagement at the local level, this paper reveals that there has been a limited emphasis on community involvement in environmental management in rural local government areas in Australia. Using interviews with 67 council staff and elected members from 15 rural government case study sites across four states in Australia, the paper documents the ways in which a lack of emphasis on community participation is legitimized and rationalized by rural local governments. Three key arguments are made by participants. The first is that community engagement is irrelevant in rural areas as the small population means that people have ready daily access to their councillors and that, in turn, councillors have an intimate knowledge of their constituents' interests and concerns. The second is that community engagement for sustainability is unwanted by rural residents who prioritize economic development concerns above the environment. The third rationale given by research participants to justify limited community engagement is that the practice is unproductive. The contention made is that involving community is time-consuming, costly and typically produces little relevant tangible outcomes. The paper concludes by countering these arguments, while acknowledging that rural local governments do face particular financial and human resource limitations in relation to community engagement