Relationship between symbolic violence and overt violence in hate incidents in South Africa

The study reported here explored the relationship between symbolic violence and overt violence through the descriptions of hate incidents experienced in South Africa. Data were collected during a five-year longitudinal study conducted under the auspices of the Hate Crimes Working Group, using its Hate and Bias Monitoring Form and an accompanying user guide. Thematic analysis was used to create categories, themes and interpretations of hate incidents. Six primary themes emerged: i) the victim is less than human or like an animal; ii) humiliation of the victim; iii) use of extreme overkill or destruction; iv) the victim is to blame; v) messages conveyed by hate incidents; and vi) intentional unfair discrimination. These themes are discussed in relation to the existing body of literature on symbolic violence. We argue that there is a mutually reinforcing relationship between symbolic violence and overt violence in hate victimisation. Symbolic violence creates a society in which hate victimisation of certain vulnerable groups becomes socially acceptable by constructing the circumstances in which overt violence could take place. Overt violence occurs when symbolic violence is no longer effective in controlling vulnerable groups, with offenders blatantly resorting to reinforce power differences between themselves and their victims. Overt violence reinforces symbolic violence by sending a message to victims directly, as well as to their larger communities, in terms of their undesirability, not belonging, and being third-class citizens. Effective violence prevention has to take this relationship into account, especially as South Africa grapples with related legislative and policy responses.Keywords: symbolic violence, hate incidents, bias; message crimes, violence, preventio

Reduction of Coxiella burnetii prevalence by vaccination of goats and sheep, the Netherlands

Recently, the number of human Q fever cases in the Netherlands increased dramatically. In response to this increase, dairy goats and dairy sheep were vaccinated against Coxiella burnetii. All pregnant dairy goats and dairy sheep in herds positive for Q fever were culled. We identified the effect of vaccination on bacterial shedding by small ruminants. On the day of culling, samples of uterine fluid, vaginal mucus, and milk were obtained from 957 pregnant animals in 13 herds. Prevalence and bacterial load were reduced in vaccinated animals compared with unvaccinated animals. These effects were most pronounced in animals during their first pregnancy. Results indicate that vaccination may reduce bacterial load in the environment and human exposure to C. burnetii

Cross-talk between signaling pathways leading to defense against pathogens and insects

In nature, plants interact with a wide range of organisms, some of which are harmful (e.g. pathogens, herbivorous insects), while others are beneficial (e.g. growth-promoting rhizobacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, and predatory enemies of herbivores). During the evolutionary arms race between plants and their attackers, primary and secondary immune responses evolved to recognize common or highly specialized features of microbial pathogens (Chisholm et al., 2006), resulting in sophisticated mechanisms of defense

Motivation in words : promotion- and prevention-oriented leader communication in times of crisis.

Research demonstrates that situational uncertainty or crisis strongly influences the endorsement of the more charismatic or decisive leadership styles and that inspirational communication is at the heart of these styles. However, there is currently little understanding of what leaders should convey through their communication to be endorsed in crisis. Based on regulatory focus theory, we argue that times of crisis make leaders who use more promotion-oriented communication more likely to be endorsed and leaders who use more prevention-oriented communication less likely to be endorsed. Results of Study 1, an archival study of U.S. presidents, show that presidents who use more promotion-oriented communication are more endorsed but only if economic growth is low or if inflation is high, while no effects of the use of prevention orientation of communication surfaces. Results of Study 2, a laboratory experiment, show that leaders who communicate a promotion orientation, as compared to a prevention orientation, motivate higher performance in participants in a crisis condition, but that there is no difference in a no-crisis (i.e. control) condition. Finally, results of Study 3, a scenario experiment, demonstrate that organizational leaders that communicate more promotion-oriented (as opposed to more prevention-oriented) have a higher chance of being endorsed but only in times of crisis and that this effect is mediated by followers’ motivation to realize the plans of the leader

Carbonic anhydrases CA1 and CA4 function in atmospheric CO2-modulated disease resistance

Main conclusion Carbonic anhydrases CA1 and CA4 attenuate plant immunity and can contribute to altered disease resistance levels in response to changing atmospheric CO2 conditions. Abstract β-Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) play an important role in CO2 metabolism and plant development, but have also been implicated in plant immunity. Here we show that the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae and application of the microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP) flg22 repress CA1 and CA4 gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Using the CA double-mutant ca1ca4, we provide evidence that CA1 and CA4 play an attenuating role in pathogen- and flg22-triggered immune responses. In line with this, ca1ca4 plants exhibited enhanced resistance against P. syringae, which was accompanied by an increased expression of the defense-related genes FRK1 and ICS1. Under low atmospheric CO2 conditions (150 ppm), when CA activity is typically low, the levels of CA1 transcription and resistance to P. syringae in wild-type Col-0 were similar to those observed in ca1ca4. However, under ambient (400 ppm) and elevated (800 ppm) atmospheric CO2 conditions, CA1 transcription was enhanced and resistance to P. syringae reduced. Together, these results suggest that CA1 and CA4 attenuate plant immunity and that differential CA gene expression in response to changing atmospheric CO2 conditions contribute to altered disease resistance levels

Ігор Степанович Флюнт - доктор медичних наук

23 грудня 2003 року на засіданні спеціалізованої вченої Д 26.198.01 при Інституті фізіології ім. О.О. Богомольця НАН України успішно захистив докторську дисертацію за спеціальністю 14.03.04 - патологічна фізіологія провідний бальнеолог України, лауреат премії ім. Т. Торосєвича в галузі бальнеології, член Нью-Йоркської АН, член Ради Асоціації учених міста Трускавця, керівник трускавецької групи клінічної бальнеології та фітотерапії Інституту фізіології ім. О.О. Богомольця, начмед санаторію “Весна” ЗАТ ЛОЗ “Трускавецькурорт” Ігор Степанович ФЛЮНТ

Goal Orientation in Teams: The Role of Diversity

Organizations make increasingly use of teams as their basic structure, making it more and more important to determine what enables optimal team functioning. Over the past decades, the goals people focus on in achievement settings (i.e. goal orientation) is shown to be highly important for individual behavior. Nevertheless, little is known on how this plays out in a team context. The present dissertation focuses on uncovering the role of team composition in goal orientation on team functioning, with special emphasis on the role of diversity. In a series of experimental and field studies, we examine several important areas in need of clarification leading to several key insights. First, team members’ goal orientation may help or hurt teams dealing with ethnic diversity. Second, effects of mean levels of goal orientation on team performance may be dependent on other factors (moderators). Third, diversity in goal orientation is an important overlooked variable in the literature that plays a large role in team performance. Fourth, both group information elaboration and group efficiency are relevant underlying processes of this relationship. Fifth, team reflexivity may counteract the negative effects of diversity in goal orientation. Finally, a coordinating team leader may bring about the positive potential of diversity in goal orientation

Emission ratio and isotopic signatures of molecular hydrogen emissions from tropical biomass burning

In this study, we identify a biomass-burning signal in molecular hydrogen (H₂) over the Amazonian tropical rainforest. To quantify this signal, we measure the mixing ratios of H₂ and several other species as well as the H₂ isotopic composition in air samples that were collected in the BARCA (Balanço Atmosférico Regional de Carbono na Amazônia) aircraft campaign during the dry season. We derive a relative H₂ emission ratio with respect to carbon monoxide (CO) of 0.31 ± 0.04 ppb ppb⁻¹ and an isotopic source signature of −280 ± 41‰ in the air masses influenced by tropical biomass burning. In order to retrieve a clear source signal that is not influenced by the soil uptake of H₂, we exclude samples from the atmospheric boundary layer. This procedure is supported by data from a global chemistry transport model. The ΔH₂ / ΔCO emission ratio is significantly lower than some earlier estimates for the tropical rainforest. In addition, our results confirm the lower values of the previously conflicting estimates of the H₂ isotopic source signature from biomass burning. These values for the emission ratio and isotopic source signatures of H₂ from tropical biomass burning can be used in future bottom-up and top-down approaches aiming to constrain the strength of the biomass-burning source for H₂. Hitherto, these two quantities relied only on combustion experiments or on statistical relations, since no direct signal had been obtained from in-situ observations