A Portrait of the Library: A Fine History

<p>The Elam School of Fine Arts amalgamated with Auckland University College in 1950, bringing with it a small collection of art books. From these beginnings the Fine Arts Library has developed into the well-funded and reputable arts library that exists today. Throughout its history the Library has supported the Elam School of Fine Arts and later the Department of Art History and has in turn been integrated into and supported by The University of Auckland Library system. This research utilised an historical case study approach to identify and analyse how this web of interconnected relationships has influenced the development, maintenance, and future of a specialised art library. The findings illustrate that, while the Elam School of Fine Arts and the Department of Art History have experienced considerable curricular and administrative changes, these have not had a significant impact on the efficiency and value of the Library. The Fine Arts Library’s collection and services have consistently supported and enhanced the teaching and research needs of these two entities. Despite accommodation, staffing and funding challenges, the Fine Arts Librarians and Library staff, succeeded in establishing a comprehensive and nationally recognised art library with a strong, vibrant and unique culture.</p>

A Portrait of the Library: A Fine History

<p>The Elam School of Fine Arts amalgamated with Auckland University College in 1950, bringing with it a small collection of art books. From these beginnings the Fine Arts Library has developed into the well-funded and reputable arts library that exists today. Throughout its history the Library has supported the Elam School of Fine Arts and later the Department of Art History and has in turn been integrated into and supported by The University of Auckland Library system. This research utilised an historical case study approach to identify and analyse how this web of interconnected relationships has influenced the development, maintenance, and future of a specialised art library. The findings illustrate that, while the Elam School of Fine Arts and the Department of Art History have experienced considerable curricular and administrative changes, these have not had a significant impact on the efficiency and value of the Library. The Fine Arts Library’s collection and services have consistently supported and enhanced the teaching and research needs of these two entities. Despite accommodation, staffing and funding challenges, the Fine Arts Librarians and Library staff, succeeded in establishing a comprehensive and nationally recognised art library with a strong, vibrant and unique culture.</p>

GRAFFITI FROM THE WESTERN OUTSKIRTS OF OLBIA PONTICA

This paper is preliminary review of a small collection of graffiti from the latest excavations on the western outskirts of Olbia Pontica (the so-called «suburbs») in 2015—2020, and their introduction into scientific circulation. The excavations were conducted by the Olbia International Archaeological Expedition led by A. V. Bujskikh as the part of Ukrainian-German multidisciplinary project (co-directors A. V. Bujskikh and J. Fornasier). The researches on the suburbs were headed by A. G. Kuzmischev and J. Fornasier. Over six years of research in various cultural strata and in the fillings of half-dugouts, pits and other objects more than 50 graffiti have been found, inscribed mainly on the fragments of Attic black-lacquered tableware of the 5th—4th centuries BC. Emphasis is placed on determining the main types of inscriptions and their features. Regardless of the year and location of discovery they are divided into five groups: A. Abbreviated anthroponyms or individual words; B. Initials of proper names or one-letter marks; C. Graffiti on treated ostracons; D. Various digital signs and records; E. Graffiti of unclear meaning. The collection under study significantly supplemented the source base of the small epigraphy of the Olbia polis. However, no original, rare and to some extent important informative inscriptions which were recorded in temenos, residential neighborhoods, in some settlements and in Borisfen have been found yet here. In addition the damage of many graffiti makes impossible to interpret them reliably. In no one case we could identify reliably the inscriptions dedicated to any deities. Instead, the large number of abbreviated names and initials of the owners of dishes coincides with a significant import of Attic black-lacquered ceramics in the life of the inhabitants of the suburbs in the 5th—4th centuries BC. Despite the relatively limited number, processed ostracons have replenished this category of Olbia votive finds by the original graffiti of magical significance. At the same time, the fact that in general in the suburbs is a lot of graffiti with digital markings which are most often attributed to traders, deserves special attention. Of course, in the future, all the graffiti from the suburbs need a more detailed visual study both as the fragments of ceramics and their exact professional sketches, and comparative analysis of this type of inscriptions from many ancient Greek sites.

МАГИЧЕСКИЙ АТРИБУТ: МЕЖДУ ЯЗЫЧЕСТВОМ И ИСЛАМОМ

Целью исследования является изучение башкирских амулетов «бетеү», небольшая коллекция которых хранится в фондах Национального музея Республики Башкортостан. В музейном собрании отложились несколько типов «бетеү», бытовавших на рубеже XIX–XX вв. Предметы отличаются друг от друга формой, материалом, техникой изготовления и имеют разное содержание. Амулетам придавались магико-охранительные и сакральные свойства. Согласно древним поверьям башкир, «бетеү» приносит хозяину здоровье, долголетие, удачу во всех делах и оберегает от сглаза и влияния зловредных духов (духов болезней, шайтана и др.). Самым распространенным видом были треугольной формы амулеты, с вложенной в него молитвой или, реже, предметом. Такие кожаные амулеты-футляры носились на шнурке на шее как обереги или подшивались к одежде с внутренней стороны. Аналогичные обережные амулеты бытовали у многих народов, в том числе у среднеазиатских. Башкирские «бетеү» как магический предмет имели широкое распространение в прошлом и все еще популярны в настоящее время среди населения, прежде всего, пожилого возраста. Поэтому они представляют собой важный этнографический источник для изучения духовной и материальной культуры башкирского народа. The research aims to study the Bashkir amulets "beteu", a small collection of which is kept in the funds of the National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The collection possesses several types of "beteu", used at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. Objects differ from each other in shape, material, manufacturing technique, and usage. Magical, protective and sacred properties were attributed to the amulets. The Bashkirs believed that "beteu" brought health, longevity, good luck, and protection from the harmful influence of otherworldly forces. Triangular amulets were the most common, with a prayer or, less often, an object embedded in it. Such leather amulets were worn on a cord around the neck or were sewn to clothes from the inside. Many Central Asian peoples used similar amulets. The Bashkir "beteu", a magical object of cult and ritual significance, combines the pre-Islamic beliefs and the Muslim religion. Therefore, they represent an important ethnographic source for studying the spiritual and material culture of the Bashkir people.

XIX-wieczny słowniczek gwarowy z Podlasia Zygmunta Wasilewskiego jako przyczynek do dziejów polskiej leksykografi i gwarowej .

The subject matter described in this paper is the lexicographic work of Zygmunt Wasilewski, a lawyer, politician, columnist, literary critic, which refers to his 19th-century glossary from the Podlasie region. When characterising this small collection of words (282 headwords), the macrostructure and microstructure of the glossary is taken into consideration. Its lexical material is fi rst of all a source of knowledge about the oldest state of Podlasie dialects and research on Polish dialects overall, but it also offers an insight in the methods of this unqualifi ed lexicographer, enthusiast of “folk things”, amateur ethnographer and dialectologist.

Public Perceptions Towards Synthetic Voice Technology

Text-to-Speech (TTS) technologies have provided ways to produce acoustic approximations of human voices. However, recent advancements in machine learning (i.e., neural network TTS) have helped move beyond coarse mimicry and towards more natural-sounding speech. With only a small collection of recorded utterances, it is now possible to generate wholly synthetic voices indistinguishable from those of human speakers. While these new approaches to speech synthesis can help facilitate more seamless experiences with artificial agents, they also lower the barrier to entry for those seeking to perpetrate deception. As such, in the development of these technologies, it is important to anticipate potential harms and devise strategies to help mitigate against misuse. This paper presents findings from a 360-person survey that assessed public perceptions of synthetic voices, with a particular focus on how voice type and social scenarios impact ratings of trust. Findings have implications for the responsible deployment of synthetic speech technologies.

Medicago truncatula in Interaction with Fusarium and Rhizoctonia Phytopathogenic Fungi: Fungal Aggressiveness, Plant Response Biodiversity and Character Heritability Indices

Fusarium and Rhizoctonia genera are important pathogens of many field crops worldwide. They are constantly evolving and expanding their host range. Selecting resistant cultivars is an effective strategy to break their infection cycles. To this end, we screened a collection of Medicago truncatula accessions against Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and Rhizoctonia solani strains isolated from different plant species. Despite the small collection, a biodiversity in the disease response of M. truncatula accessions ranging from resistant phenotypes to highly susceptible ones was observed. A17 showed relative resistance to all fungal strains with the lowest disease incidence and ratings while TN1.11 was among the susceptible accessions. As an initiation of the characterization of resistance mechanisms, the antioxidant enzymes’ activities, at the early stages of infections, were compared between these contrasting accessions. Our results showed an increment of the antioxidant activities within A17 plants in leaves and roots. We also analyzed the responses of a population of recombinant inbred lines derived from the crossing of A17 and TN1.11 to the infection with the same fungal strains. The broad-sense heritability of measured traits ranged from 0.87 to 0.95, from 0.72 to 0.96, and from 0.14 to 0.85 under control, F. oxysporum, and R. solani conditions, respectively. This high estimated heritability underlines the importance of further molecular analysis of the observed resistance to identify selection markers that could be incorporated into a breeding program and thus improving soil-borne pathogens resistance in crops.

Mental Health, Drug, and Violence Interventions for Sexual/Gender Minorities: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT Compared with cisgender (nontransgender), heterosexual youth, sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) experience great inequities in substance use, mental health problems, and violence victimization, thereby making them a priority population for interventions. OBJECTIVE To systematically review interventions and their effectiveness in preventing or reducing substance use, mental health problems, and violence victimization among SGMY. DATA SOURCES PubMed, PsycINFO, and Education Resources Information Center. STUDY SELECTION Selected studies were published from January 2000 to 2019, included randomized and nonrandomized designs with pretest and posttest data, and assessed substance use, mental health problems, or violence victimization outcomes among SGMY. DATA EXTRACTION Data extracted were intervention descriptions, sample details, measurements, results, and methodologic rigor. RESULTS With this review, we identified 9 interventions for mental health, 2 for substance use, and 1 for violence victimization. One SGMY-inclusive intervention examined coordinated mental health services. Five sexual minority–specific interventions included multiple state-level policy interventions, a therapist-administered family-based intervention, a computer-based intervention, and an online intervention. Three gender minority–specific interventions included transition-related gender-affirming care interventions. All interventions improved mental health outcomes, 2 reduced substance use, and 1 reduced bullying victimization. One study had strong methodologic quality, but the remaining studies’ results must be interpreted cautiously because of suboptimal methodologic quality. LIMITATIONS There exists a small collection of diverse interventions for reducing substance use, mental health problems, and violence victimization among SGMY. CONCLUSIONS The dearth of interventions identified in this review is likely insufficient to mitigate the substantial inequities in substance use, mental health problems, and violence among SGMY.

Additions to knowledge of the biodiversity of benthic hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) in the Balleny Islands (Antarctica)

The Balleny Islands, an isolated archipelago located 240 km off the coast of Victoria Land (East Antarctica), are separated from the Antarctic continental shelf by waters more than 2000 m deep. The benthic hydroid fauna of these islands is little known, with only 25 species reported so far. The present study contributes to a better knowledge of the benthic hydrozoans inhabiting this archipelago by studying a small collection held at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Invertebrate Collection at Wellington, New Zealand. Sixteen species of benthic hydroids were found in the collection, belonging to nine families and 12 genera of Leptothecata. Kirchenpaueriidae and Oswaldella, with three species each, are the most speciose family and genus. Ten species represent new records for the region. The total number of benthic hydroid species known from the islands is raised to 34.