The Rutherford Atom of Culture

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 231-261
Author(s):  
Lawrence A. Hirschfeld
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Shared Beliefs ◽  
Northern European ◽  
Cultural Life ◽  
Wide Acceptance ◽  
Cultural Performances ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractIncreasingly, psychologists have shown a healthy interest in cultural variation and a skepticism about assuming that research with North American and Northern European undergraduates provides reliable insight into universal psychological processes. Unfortunately, this reappraisal has not been extended to questioning the notion of culture central to this project. Rather, there is wide acceptance that culture refers to a kind of social form that is entity-like, territorialized, marked by a high degree of shared beliefs and coalescing into patterns of key values that animate a broad range of cultural performances and representations. Ironically, anthropologists and other scholars in cultural studies have overwhelmingly come to reject this view of culture. Arguably, then, the move in psychology to attend to cultural environments has paradoxically further distanced it from the fields most concerned with cultural forms. This essay reviews this state of affairs and offers a proposal how a more nuanced appreciation of cultural life can be articulated with theories and methods familiar and available to psychologists.

scholarly journals Vies en Vlaams: de literaire contestatie uit de jaren zestig

1970 ◽  
Vol 64 ◽  
pp. 117-128
Author(s):  
Liesbeth Plateau
Keyword(s):  
Literary History ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Nineteen Sixties ◽  
Literary Field ◽  
Short Life ◽  
Short Life Span ◽  
Cultural Life ◽  
Key Players ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Insight Into

This contribution presents an introductory analysis of one of the key players of the socalled“stenciled revolution” in Flanders in the nineteen sixties. Before concepts likeprovo distressed the entire societal and cultural life in the Netherlands, certain phenomenain Flanders anticipated to this. From 1963, small stenciled magazines shot up likemushrooms in the Flemish literary field. Due to their aggressive stand against the literaryestablishment, the critics quickly caught sight of them and engaged in an energeticpolemic. Because of their involvement in the literary polemics, the stenciled magazinesshortly determined the literary life to a high degree. However, partly due to their complexhistory and short life span, a systematic investigation of this phenomenon has not yet beenconducted. Nevertheless, the underground- magazines of the “stenciled revolution” are invarious ways relevant to a renewed literary history, as they explore both the literary-criticaland the creative-literary boundaries of the traditional contrast between literature andnon-literature. In this article, I focus on one of the most creative-literary oriented of theseFlemish stenciled magazines, namely daele (1966-1968), to gain an insight into the identityof the “stenciled revolution”.

Oil Companies and Climate Change: Inconsistencies between Strategy Formulation and Implementation?

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 42-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingvild Andreassen Sæverud ◽  
Jon Birger Skjærseth
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Strategy Formulation ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Corporate Strategies ◽  
International Climate ◽  
Framework Conditions ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Level 2 ◽  
Insight Into

This article examines major oil companies in terms of climate strategies and their implementation. More specifıcally, it takes a critical look at Shell, BP, and ExxonMobil, and the relationship between rhetoric and action regarding investments in climate-friendly activities. Empirical evidence indicates a generally high degree of consistency between what these companies say and what they do, but interesting differences are also found: ExxonMobil has done somewhat more than its climate strategy formulations would suggest; Shell has done somewhat less; whereas BP's activities are mainly in line with its statements. Factors at three levels contribute to explaining these differences: (1) the company level, 2) the political framework conditions in the various regions where the companies operate, 3) international climate cooperation. The fındings and explanations, although restricted to the three oil companies with regard to climate change, provide insight into the relationship between corporate strategies and implementation more generally. They offer understanding and analytical categories for assessing how well and why such multinational entities put into practice stated objectives.

scholarly journals Complex Minisatellite Rearrangements Generated in the Total or Partial Absence of Rad27/hFEN1 Activity Occur in a Single Generation and Are Rad51 and Rad52 Dependent

2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (17) ◽  
pp. 6675-6689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Lopes ◽  
Cyril Ribeyre ◽  
Alain Nicolas
Keyword(s):  
Pedigree Analysis ◽  
Model System ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Single Generation ◽  
Daughter Cells ◽  
Double Deletion ◽  
Mother And Daughter ◽  
Complex Events ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Insight Into

ABSTRACT Genomes contain tandem repeat blocks that are at risk of expansion or contraction. The mechanisms of destabilization of the human minisatellite CEB1 (arrays of 36- to 43-bp repeats) were investigated in a previously developed model system, in which CEB1-0.6 (14 repeats) and CEB1-1.8 (42 repeats) alleles were inserted into the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. As in human cells, CEB1 is stable in mitotically growing yeast cells but is frequently rearranged in the absence of the Rad27/hFEN1 protein involved in Okazaki fragments maturation. To gain insight into this mode of destabilization, the CEB1-1.8 and CEB1-0.6 human alleles and 47 rearrangements derived from a CEB1-1.8 progenitor in rad27Δ cells were sequenced. A high degree of polymorphism of CEB1 internal repeats was observed, attesting to a large variety of homology-driven rearrangements. Simple deletion, double deletion, and highly complex events were observed. Pedigree analysis showed that all rearrangements, even the most complex, occurred in a single generation and were inherited equally by mother and daughter cells. Finally, the rearrangement frequency was found to increase with array size, and partial complementation of the rad27Δ mutation by hFEN1 demonstrated that the production of novel CEB1 alleles is Rad52 and Rad51 dependent. Instability can be explained by an accumulation of unresolved flap structures during replication, leading to the formation of recombinogenic lesions and faulty repair, best understood by homology-dependent synthesis-strand displacement and annealing.

Molecular interactions shaping the tetraspanin web

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 741-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sjoerd J. van Deventer ◽  
Vera-Marie E. Dunlock ◽  
Annemiek B. van Spriel
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Interactions ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Intramolecular Interactions ◽  
Fundamental Understanding ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Partner Proteins ◽  
Insight Into

To facilitate the myriad of different (signaling) processes that take place at the plasma membrane, cells depend on a high degree of membrane protein organization. Important mediators of this organization are tetraspanin proteins. Tetraspanins interact laterally among themselves and with partner proteins to control the spatial organization of membrane proteins in large networks called the tetraspanin web. The molecular interactions underlying the formation of the tetraspanin web were hitherto mainly described based on their resistance to different detergents, a classification which does not necessarily correlate with functionality in the living cell. To look at these interactions from a more physiological point of view, this review discusses tetraspanin interactions based on their function in the tetraspanin web: (1) intramolecular interactions supporting tetraspanin structure, (2) tetraspanin–tetraspanin interactions supporting web formation, (3) tetraspanin–partner interactions adding functional partners to the web and (4) cytosolic tetraspanin interactions regulating intracellular signaling. The recent publication of the first full-length tetraspanin crystal structure sheds new light on both the intra- and intermolecular tetraspanin interactions that shape the tetraspanin web. Furthermore, recent molecular dynamic modeling studies indicate that the binding strength between tetraspanins and between tetraspanins and their partners is the complex sum of both promiscuous and specific interactions. A deeper insight into this complex mixture of interactions is essential to our fundamental understanding of the tetraspanin web and its dynamics which constitute a basic building block of the cell surface.

The Social Psychology of Leadership

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Platow ◽  
S. Alexander Haslam ◽  
Stephen D. Reicher
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Transactional Leadership ◽  
Shared Beliefs ◽  
Personality Research ◽  
Identity Group ◽  
The Social ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Contextual Variability ◽  
Insight Into

Leadership is the process of influencing others in a manner that enhances their contribution to the realization of group goals. We demonstrate how social influence emerges from psychological in-group members, particularly highly in-group prototypical ones. Through leader fairness, respect, and other rhetorical behaviors, leaders become entrepreneurs of identity, creating a shared sense of “us.” Personality research reveals contextual variability in correlations with leadership outcomes, suggesting that situational parameters exert their own influence over the influence of would-be leaders. Successful transactional leadership is predicated upon a shared social identity, and transformational leadership can help create that identity. Group members have shared beliefs about what makes a leader, with these beliefs themselves fluctuating with changes in the group and intergroup context. Approaching the analysis of leadership from a psychological group perspective allows us to understand leadership literature as an integrated oeuvre that provides insight into leadership’s foundation.

scholarly journals Widespread occurrence of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma ulmi' in elm species in Germany

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernd Schneider ◽  
Ralf Kätzel ◽  
Michael Kube
Keyword(s):  
Qpcr Assay ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Northern European ◽  
Ulmus Glabra ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Quarantine Pathogen ◽  
Elm Yellows ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Specific Symptoms

Abstract Background: Candidatus Phytoplasma ulmi' is the agent associated with elm yellows and has been categorised in the European Union as a quarantine pathogen. For central and northern European countries, information on the occurrence and distribution of the pathogen and its impact on elms is scarce, so a survey of native elm trees has been conducted in Germany. Results: About 6,500 samples from Ulmus minor , Ulmus laevis and Ulmus glabra , were collected nationwide. Phytoplasma detection was performed by applying a universal 16Sr DNA-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay and a novel ' Ca. P. ulmi' specific qPCR assay targeting the 16S-23S spacer region. Both assays revealed that 28% of the samples were infected by ‘ Ca. P. ulmi’, but infection rates of the elm species and regional incidences differed. The phytoplasma presence in the trees was not correlated to disease-specific symptoms. The survey identified a regional disparity of infection which was high in east, south and central Germany, whereas only a few infected sites were found in the western and northern parts of the country. Monitoring the seasonal titre of ‘Ca. P. ulmi’ in an infected tree by qPCR revealed a high colonisation in all parts of the tree throughout the year. Conclusions: ‘ Ca. P. ulmi’ is widely present in elms in Germany. The rare occurrence of symptoms indicates either a high degree of tolerance in elm populations or a low virulence of pathogen strains enabling high infection rates in a long-living host.

Mobile games: players’ experiences with in-app purchases

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aina Ravoniarison ◽  
Cédric Benito
Keyword(s):  
Video Game ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Mobile Games ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Youtube Videos ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThis paper aims to offer a comprehensive perspective into Free-to-Play gamers’ attitudes, feelings toward and perceived value of in-app purchases (IAPs).Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a twofold qualitative methodology using an inductive approach: user-generated YouTube videos and gamers’ online reviews posted on Play stores.FindingsEight topics have emerged out from the qualitative data related to the characteristics of a good/bad IAP, the IAPs as downsides, the ambiguity with traditional Pay-to-Play games, the financial-risk issues, the resistance behaviors, the worries about over-spending and addiction and the frustration mechanism.Research limitations/implicationsBy focusing on IAPs, this research contributes to build an integrative overview to better understand how players deal with IAPs and how this interaction should be analyzed in the light of multiple frameworks. Emphasis is placed on a continuum of player responses from tolerant metacognition to high degree of subversion.Originality/valueA twofold netnographic approach offers a novel contribution to the field of mobile games by bringing together two materials increasingly connected to the video game universe. It also brought to the fore an experiential context by providing insight into the underlying dynamics of Player/IAP interactions.

scholarly journals Nomenclature and taxonomy of the genus Salmonella

2005 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 521-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Tindall ◽  
P. A. D. Grimont ◽  
G. M. Garrity ◽  
J. P. Euzéby
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
International Committee ◽  
The Other ◽  
Wide Acceptance ◽  
Two Systems ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
Clear Presentation

The nomenclature of the genus Salmonella has reached an unsatisfactory state of affairs, with two systems of nomenclature in circulation. One system, proposed in the 1980s by Le Minor and Popoff, has received wide acceptance, although it does not conform to the rules of the Bacteriological Code. The other system, which conforms to the rules of the Bacteriological Code, is being used by an ever-decreasing minority. As a result of a number of recent Requests for an Opinion, the Judicial Commission of the International Committee on the Systematics of Prokaryotes has issued an Opinion (Opinion 80) with the intention that it should solve these discrepancies. However, like all Opinions, it is limited to matters of nomenclature and does not help to interpret the taxonomic consequences. The Judicial Commission has therefore asked experts in the field of nomenclature and taxonomy to write a commentary on the nomenclatural and taxonomic consequences of Opinion 80. The present article explains the nomenclatural consequences of Opinion 80, together with a clear presentation of the taxonomy that results when applying the currently widely accepted interpretation that the genus Salmonella currently includes only two species.

scholarly journals African bureaucracy and public administration: Analysing the normative impediments and prospects

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chinyeake J. Igbokwe-Ibeto
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Public Administrators ◽  
Administrative Reforms ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The People ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
Insight Into

Background: Public perception of bureaucracy and public administration is key to determining how much they can accomplish in a given environment. The pejorative view of bureaucrats and public administrators is not restricted to Africa. Although they are sometimes seen as one and the same, analytically they can be divorced.Aim: Within the framework of system theory, this article analysed the interface between African bureaucracy and public administration with the aim of identifying its impediments and prospects.Setting: Relevant sources of this research were fairly and professionally scrutinised, understood and tested with the available literature for the research purpose. Inter alia, it included scan-reading, comprehensive and critical reading and writing down ideas. Authoritative scholarly sources were reviewed during a desktop study. The purpose was to identify the relevant publications and apply them in the research.Methods: This article utilised qualitative research design and descriptive methods to gain an insight into the nature and character of African bureaucracy and public administration. It is also exploratory because the article attempts to explore the nexus between African bureaucracy and public administration.Result: This article argues that African bureaucracy is losing its potency and ability to give intellectual leadership to public administrators. Bureaucrats in the field rely too much on discretion that often does not sit well with the people and result in poor service delivery.Conclusion: It therefore concludes that the poor state of affairs in African bureaucracy could change if the bureaucracy opens up to administrative reforms, particularly those that add value to their activities and actions. In this era of globalisation, international best practices should be domesticated.

scholarly journals Debris-carrying camouflage among diverse lineages of Cretaceous insects

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. e1501918 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Wang ◽  
Fangyuan Xia ◽  
Michael S. Engel ◽  
Vincent Perrichot ◽  
Gongle Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Early Evolution ◽  
Behavioral Repertoire ◽  
Wood Fibers ◽  
Morphological Adaptations ◽  
Evolutionary Success ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Insect Assemblage ◽  
Insight Into

Insects have evolved diverse methods of camouflage that have played an important role in their evolutionary success. Debris-carrying, a behavior of actively harvesting and carrying exogenous materials, is among the most fascinating and complex behaviors because it requires not only an ability to recognize, collect, and carry materials but also evolutionary adaptations in related morphological characteristics. However, the fossil record of such behavior is extremely scarce, and only a single Mesozoic example from Spanish amber has been recorded; therefore, little is known about the early evolution of this complicated behavior and its underlying anatomy. We report a diverse insect assemblage of exceptionally preserved debris carriers from Cretaceous Burmese, French, and Lebanese ambers, including the earliest known chrysopoid larvae (green lacewings), myrmeleontoid larvae (split-footed lacewings and owlflies), and reduviids (assassin bugs). These ancient insects used a variety of debris material, including insect exoskeletons, sand grains, soil dust, leaf trichomes of gleicheniacean ferns, wood fibers, and other vegetal debris. They convergently evolved their debris-carrying behavior through multiple pathways, which expressed a high degree of evolutionary plasticity. We demonstrate that the behavioral repertoire, which is associated with considerable morphological adaptations, was already widespread among insects by at least the Mid-Cretaceous. Together with the previously known Spanish specimen, these fossils are the oldest direct evidence of camouflaging behavior in the fossil record. Our findings provide a novel insight into early evolution of camouflage in insects and ancient ecological associations among plants and insects.

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