Articulation(s) of Culture(s): Mobilizing knowledge, ecological justice, and media convergence

This paper draws on articulation(s) as a multi-method countermethodology in the design of educational research. We use this form of critical\ud inquiry to examine ecological literacies and digital epistemologies associated with\ud Dow’s 2006 worldwide advertising campaign, “The Human Element”.\ud Articulation(s) draw from research that continues to evolve reflexively and that\ud openly questions deterministic institutional explanations. Our interpretation of\ud articulation(s) include(s) critical processes for gathering, analyzing, and\ud interpreting data. A critique of Dow‘s “The Human Element” ad is provided as an\ud example of how multimodal forms of information have been mobilized,\ud (re)presented, (re)mixed, and (re)mediated using media convergence, how various\ud points of view intersect formations of everyday digital media networks, and how\ud communication practices entail subtle and complex relationships associated with\ud social and political meanings and values. Our focus is on social justice issues of\ud ecology as mobilized through media convergence. We argue that an integrated and\ud negotiated approach to critical inquiry linking ecological justice through education\ud can help researchers, teachers, and students analyze conditions of culture(s) within\ud the contexts of complex political and social conditions that are prevalent in most\ud societies

Unraveling the rapid radiation of crested newts, Triturus cristatus superspecies, using complete mitogenomic sequences

Background - The rapid radiation of crested newts (Triturus cristatus superspecies) comprises four morphotypes: 1) the T. karelinii group, 2) T. carnifex - T. macedonicus, 3) T. cristatus and 4) T. dobrogicus. These vary in body build and the number of rib-bearing pre-sacral vertebrae (NRBV). The phylogenetic relationships of the morphotypes have not yet been settled, despite several previous attempts, employing a variety of molecular markers. We here resolve the crested newt phylogeny by using complete mitochondrial genome sequences. Results - Bayesian inference based on the mitogenomic data yields a fully bifurcating, significantly supported tree, though Maximum Likelihood inference yields low support values. The internal branches connecting the morphotypes are short relative to the terminal branches. Seen from the root of Triturus (NRBV = 13), a basal dichotomy separates the T. karelinii group (NRBV = 13) from the remaining crested newts. The next split divides the latter assortment into T. carnifex - T. macedonicus (NRBV = 14) versus T. cristatus (NRBV = 15) and T. dobrogicus (NRBV = 16 or 17). Conclusions - We argue that the Bayesian full mitochondrial DNA phylogeny is superior to previous attempts aiming to recover the crested newt species tree. Furthermore, our new phylogeny involves a maximally parsimonious interpretation of NRBV evolution. Calibrating the phylogeny allows us to evaluate potential drivers for crested newt cladogenesis. The split between the T. karelinii group and the three other morphotypes, at ca. 10.4 Ma, is associated with the separation of the Balkan and Anatolian landmasses (12-9 Ma). No currently known vicariant events can be ascribed to the other two splits, first at ca. 9.3 Ma, separating T. carnifex - T. macedonicus, and second at ca. 8.8 Ma, splitting T. cristatus and T. dobrogicus. The crested newt morphotypes differ in the duration of their annual aquatic period. We speculate on the role that this ecological differentiation could have played during speciatio

Training and testing parameters in formation of stimulus equivalence: methodological issues

Research on stimulus equivalence has been prominent for more than 40 years in behavior analysis. The present article will focus on issues related to methodological considerations in stimulus equivalence research. An introduction to stimulus equivalence is provided, followed by a discussion of parameters in training conditional discriminations and testing for the emergence of equivalence classes. Some issues related to different training structures, the use of instructions, simultaneous versus delayed matching to sample, the role of familiar stimuli, response requirements for the sample stimulus, and criteria for (a) defining responding in accordance with equivalence and (b) establishing conditional discrimination are discussed in more detai

Natural resources and rural agriculture: In balance or imbalance? The example of Botswana's rangelands

Assesses the effect (balance or imbalance) of the present relationships between the natural resource base and human activities; examines the role of some potentially destabilising forces, i.e, international markets, government programmes and socio-economic stratification; and reviews government's role in terms of its contributions to prudent natural resource management and options for the promotion of sustainable rural development

Differing Demands of ‘High’ and ‘Low’ Narratives from the Heian Period for the Translator

This essay addresses the different demands of translating texts of high art and works of a lower literary register from Japan’s mid-Heian period (10th to 11th century). The author has shifted from translating highly literary texts such as the ‘Kagero nikki’ (‘The Kagero Diary’) and ‘Sarashina nikki’ (‘The Sarashina Diary’) to translating the ‘Ochikubo monogatari’ (‘Tale of the Lady of the Low Chamber’), which may be considered representative of Heian popular fiction and is itself a parody of a Cinderella type romance. A comparison of passages from the diaries and the ‘Ochikubo monogatari’ shows how stylistic differences between the two types of narrative have required the author to adjust and often reverse previous translation principles and strategies.This essay addresses the different demands of translating texts of high art and works of a lower literary register from Japan’s mid-Heian period (10th to 11th century). The author has shifted from translating highly literary texts such as the ‘Kager? nikki’ (‘The Kager? Diary’) and ‘Sarashina nikki’ (‘The Sarashina Diary’) to translating the ‘Ochikubo monogatari’ (‘Tale of the Lady of the Low Chamber’), which may be considered representative of Heian popular fiction and is itself a parody of a Cinderella type romance. A comparison of passages from the diaries and the ‘Ochikubo monogatari’ shows how stylistic differences between the two types of narrative have required the author to adjust and often reverse previous translation principles and strategies

Natural Beauty, Ethics and Conceptions of Nature

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An integrated seismic and well data study of shallow fluid accumulations in Snøhvit, SW Barents Sea

In the vicinity of the Snøhvit hydrocarbon reservoir in the Hammerfest Basin a number of fluid flow phenomena occur, e.g. free gas accumulations, pockmarks and potential indicators of gas hydrates.The presence of shallow gas may cause major blowouts during drilling. To reduce the risk, it is important to locate the shallow gas and gas hydrates. CO2 has been injected into the Snøhvit reservoir since 2008, even though there has been proven leakage from the reservoir. Leakage of CO2 from the reservoir, through the overburden reaching the seabed is a significant environmental risk. Therefore, it is important obtain a detailed understanding to processes controlling fluid flow, how deep-seated faults can act as conducts for fluid migration, as well as the origin of the shallow gas and gas hydrates located above the reservoir. Newly released 3D seismic data shows the upper few 100s meters of the overburden at Snøhvit in much more detail than previous known, due to reprocessing. In this thesis the migration mechanisms of fluids are described in detail together with seismic indications of shallow gas and gas hydrates. Further, pockmarks, gas chimneys and high amplitude anomalies were mapped out and discussed in relation to deep seated faults penetrating the reservoir. A conceptual model was carried out explaining the origin of the shallow gas above the Snøhvit field in relation to the geological history in the area and how faults play an important part. It was found that the cycles of glacial loading and unloading during the Cenozoic have caused extensive fracture developments, leading to migration of gas from the reservoir to form shallow accumulations of gas and gas hydrates with suitable pressure and temperature conditions. A simpe analytical model was used to determine the leak off factor of two faults located close to the F-2 CO2 injector, and to study which parameters might affect the migration of CO2 from the reservoir through a faoult and into overlying sand, thereby explore more about the risk of storing CO2 in the Snøhvit reservoir today. The leak off factor calculated in this study was found to be very low. The main parameters driving leakage through faults seem to be the reservoir permeability, fault permeability and reservoir thickness. The risk of injection into a low permeable reservoir with an overlaying high permeable sand was highlighted. It is also shown that the fault permeability becomes less important if the overlaying sand has low permeability and hence low flow potential