scholarly journals Nocturnal singing by diurnal birds in Afrotropical highlands

Author(s):  
Michał Budka ◽  
Anna Skierczyńska ◽  
Marcin Antczak ◽  
Tomasz S. Osiejuk

AbstractMost bird species are active by day. However, even typically diurnal species have been observed to sing by night, although the functions and mechanisms of this behaviour are not well understood. In our study, we focused on nocturnal singing by diurnal birds in Afrotropical highlands (Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon). We recorded 48-h soundscapes in 18 random recording sites using autonomous sound recorders to examine the occurrence and intensity of nocturnal singing among diurnal birds. We applied three definitions of night—the time period between: (1) astronomical, (2) nautical and (3) civil dusk and dawn, which may include or exclude beginning of dawn chorus from the night-time period. We recorded 53 bird species, representing seven orders and 27 families. Of 50 typically diurnal species, only three sang by astronomical night, producing in total 10 songs. Applying the nautical night definition did not change the meaning of the results—the same three species produced 12 vocalisations. By civil night, 21 species were recorded singing. From the analysed 2128 vocalisations produced by civil night, 2109 were produced during 25 min period between nautical and civil dawn (22–47 min before sunrise), what suggests that civil night covers the beginning of dawn chorus and should not be considered as a nighttime. Our study reveals that in Afrotropical highlands, unlike in temperate regions, diurnal birds stay silent at night. Using astronomical and nautical definition of night gives similar results. The intensive singing recorded between nautical and civil dawn (included into nautical night), we interpreted as the beginning of dawn chorus rather than true night singing. We suggest that precise definition of nighttime is required to compare the results of different studies and to better understand the phenomenon of night singing by diurnal birds.

Author(s):  
W. A. Shannon ◽  
M. A. Matlib

Numerous studies have dealt with the cytochemical localization of cytochrome oxidase via cytochrome c. More recent studies have dealt with indicating initial foci of this reaction by altering incubation pH (1) or postosmication procedure (2,3). The following study is an attempt to locate such foci by altering membrane permeability. It is thought that such alterations within the limits of maintaining morphological integrity of the membranes will ease the entry of exogenous substrates resulting in a much quicker oxidation and subsequently a more precise definition of the oxidative reaction.The diaminobenzidine (DAB) method of Seligman et al. (4) was used. Minced pieces of rat liver were incubated for 1 hr following toluene treatment (5,6). Experimental variations consisted of incubating fixed or unfixed tissues treated with toluene and unfixed tissues treated with toluene and subsequently fixed.


Author(s):  
Anne Whitehead

This book offers a critique of the dominant understanding and deployment of empathy in the mainstream medical humanities. Drawing on feminist theory, it positions empathy not as something that one has or lacks, and needs to accrue, but as something that one does and that is embedded within structural, institutional and cultural relations of power. It aims to provide a critically informed definition of empathy, drawing on phenomenology, in order to counter the vagueness of the term as it has often been used. It questions, too, the assumption that empathy is limited to the clinical relation, looking to a broader and more encompassing definition of the ‘medical’. Combining theoretical argument with literary case studies of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Pat Barker’s Life Class, Ian McEwan’s Saturday, Aminatta Forna’s The Memory of Love and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, this book contends that contemporary fiction is not a vehicle for accessing another’s illness experience, but itself engages critically with the question of empathy and its limits. The volume marks a key contribution to the rapidly evolving field of the critical medical humanities.


Author(s):  
Susan C. Graham

Culinary experiences have long been an important aspect of tourism. For many destinations, culinary offerings have become ubiquitous with the place – pasta in Italy, wine in the Loire- or Napa Valley, or curry in India. As tourists increasingly seek out authentic touristic experiences, including culinary experiences, the question arises regarding what constitutes an authentic culinary experience in a place. While authentic and authenticity are terms widely used in the tourism literature, a precise definition of what those terms mean and a method for identifying that which is authentic remains elusive. Research regarding authenticity in tourism suggests that locals occupy a ‘place of privilege’ with respect to determining the authenticity of a touristic experience because of their connection to and context in relation to the place. This paper examines the perspectives of Prince Edward Island (PEI) residents with respect to what constitutes an authentic culinary touristic experience in which visitors to Canada’s smallest province can partake and that provide those visitors with a glimpse of what life in PEI is or was really like, and provides a voice for an underrepresented group in the authenticity discourse. Results show that authentic culinary experiences transcend food, and encompass people, places, and experiences in ways that enrich touristic endeavours, and that locals understand and interpret authenticity in ways that both conform to and differ from existing scholarly work related to tourism authenticity, and span objective, existential, and constructive authenticity.


Author(s):  
Johannes Lindvall

This chapter introduces the problem of “reform capacity” (the ability of political decision-makers to adopt and implement policy changes that benefit society as a whole, by adjusting public policies to changing economic, social, and political circumstances). The chapter also reviews the long-standing discussion in political science about the relationship between political institutions and effective government. Furthermore, the chapter explains why the possibility of compensation matters greatly for the politics of reform; provides a precise definition of the concept of reform capacity; describes the book's general approach to this problem; and discusses the ethics of compensating losers from reform; and presents the book's methodological approach.


2021 ◽  
pp. 147059312110127
Author(s):  
Jörgen Sandberg ◽  
Mats Alvesson

We all want to develop impactful and valuable theories, but what do we mean by ‘theory’? In this piece, we reply to the four readers’ comments on a recent paper in which we propose a theory typology that, in comparison to existing literature, offers a considerably broader, more pluralistic and, at the same time, more precise definition of the meaning(s) of ‘theory’ within academia. In their comments, the readers raise several insightful points that encourage us to further clarify the theory typology, as well as to expand on how it can be useful for researchers in marketing and social science more broadly.


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