Mean Divergence Research Articles

Chromosomal diversity and molecular divergence among three undescribed species of Neacomys (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) separated by Amazonian rivers.

The Neacomys genus (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) is distributed in the Amazon region, with some species limited to a single endemic area, while others may occur more widely. The number of species within the genus and their geographical boundaries are not known accurately, due to their high genetic diversity and difficulties in taxonomic identification. In this work we collected Neacomys specimens from both banks of the Tapajós River in eastern Amazon, and studied them using chromosome painting with whole chromosome probes of Hylaeamys megacephalus (HME; Rodentia, Sigmodontinae), and molecular analysis using haplotypes of mitochondrial genes COI and Cytb. Chromosome painting shows that Neacomys sp. A (NSP-A, 2n = 58/FN = 68) and Neacomys sp. B (NSP-B, 2n = 54/FN = 66) differ by 11 fusion/fission events, one translocation, four pericentric inversions and four heterochromatin amplification events. Using haplotypes of the concatenated mitochondrial genes COI and Cyt b, Neacomys sp. (2n = 58/FN = 64 and 70) shows a mean divergence of 6.2% for Neacomys sp. A and 9.1% for Neacomys sp. B, while Neacomys sp. A and Neacomys sp. B presents a medium nucleotide divergence of 7.4%. Comparisons were made with other published Neacomys data. The Tapajós and Xingu Rivers act as geographic barriers that define the distribution of these Neacomys species. Furthermore, our HME probes reveal four synapomorphies for the Neacomys genus (associations HME 20/[13,22]/4, 6a/21, [9,10]/7b/[9,10] and 12/[16,17]) and demonstrate ancestral traits of the Oryzomyini tribe (HME 8a and 8b, 18 and 25) and Sigmodontinae subfamily (HME 15 and 24), which can be used as taxonomic markers for these groups.

Methods of Candida dubliniensis identification and its occurrence in human clinical material.

Candida dubliniensis was reported as a new species in 1995. This species is often misidentified as Candida albicans. The aims of this work were to determine the occurrence of C. dubliniensis in various clinical materials, to evaluate several ways to identify it and to examine the genetic variability of isolates. Among 7706 isolates originally identified as C. albicans, 237 were identified as C. dubliniensis (3.1%). Most of the C. dubliniensis isolates were obtained from the upper and lower respiratory tract (61.4 and 22.9%). Five phenotypic methods including latex agglutination were used (cultivation on CHROMagar Candida, on Staib agar, at 42°C and in medium with 6.5% NaCl), but only cultivation on the medium with an increased concentration of NaCl and latex agglutination gave reliable results. Species-specific polymerase chain reaction was used as the confirmation method. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry provided less reliable results. In fact, 78.9% of C. dubliniensis isolates had scores above 1.7. However, the rest of them (21.1%) were also identified as C. dubliniensis even when the scores were lower than 1.7. Divergences among C. dubliniensis strains were evaluated by means of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Eighty-six selected C. dubliniensis isolates showed a 69.6% level of similarity. The results of this study expand the knowledge of the incidence, means of identification and genotypic divergence of C. dubliniensis isolates.

Multidisciplinary re-description of Plasmodium (Novyella) paranucleophilum in Brazilian wild birds of the Atlantic Forest kept in captivity.

Haemosporidian blood parasites of the Plasmodium genus are the causative agents of avian malaria in many parts of the world. Despite the great diversity of Brazilian avifauna, few studies have been conducted to examine the haemosporidians of wild birds found in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, especially those kept in captivity. This study aimed to re-examine and further characterize the South American avian parasite Plasmodium paranucleophilum using a multidisciplinary approach. Blood samples were collected from 68 captive birds representing 15 species found in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Morphometric and morphological characterization was performed, in addition to PCR and sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and subsequent phylogenetic analysis. The overall prevalence of P. paranucleophilum infection in the study was 13.23% (n=9), with a mean parasitemia of 0.58%. We observed the highest parasitemia of 3.88% in Rupornis magnirostris. In our phylogenetic analysis, P. paranucleophilum and P lasmodium nucleophilum formed distinct, highly supported clades, with a mean genetic divergence of 2.48%. This study provides new morphological and molecular data, expanding our knowledge of the haemosporidians of wild birds in Brazil and highlighting the need for further investigation. The true depth of diversity in Brazilian avian haemosporidians remains largely unknown, and given the enormous variety of vectors and avian species, there may be many more species of these blood parasites yet to be described.

Distinct parasite populations infect individuals identified through passive and active case detection in a region of declining malaria transmission in southern Zambia

BackgroundSubstantial reductions in the burden of malaria have been documented in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, with elimination strategies and goals being formulated in some regions. Within this context, understanding the epidemiology of low-level malaria transmission is crucial to achieving and sustaining elimination. A 24 single-nucleotide-polymorphism Plasmodium falciparum molecular barcode was used to characterize parasite populations from infected individuals identified through passive and active case detection in an area approaching malaria elimination in southern Zambia.MethodsThe study was conducted in the catchment area of Macha Hospital in Choma District, Southern Province, Zambia, where the parasite prevalence declined over the past decade, from 9.2% in 2008 to less than 1% in 2013. Parasite haplotypes from actively detected, P. falciparum-infected participants enrolled in a serial cross-sectional, community-based cohort study from 2008 to 2013 and from passively detected, P. falciparum-infected individuals enrolled at five rural health centres from 2012 to 2015 were compared. Changes in P. falciparum genetic relatedness, diversity and complexity were analysed as malaria transmission declined.ResultsActively detected cases identified in the community were most commonly rapid diagnostic test negative, asymptomatic and had submicroscopic parasitaemia. Phylogenetic reconstruction using concatenated 24 SNP barcode revealed a separation of parasite haplotypes from passively and actively detected infections, consistent with two genetically distinct parasite populations. For passively detected infections identified at health centres, the proportion of detectable polyclonal infections was consistently low in all seasons, in contrast with actively detected infections in which the proportion of polyclonal infections was high. The mean genetic divergence for passively detected infections was 34.5% for the 2012–2013 transmission season, 37.8% for the 2013–2014 season, and 30.8% for the 2014–2015 season. The mean genetic divergence for actively detected infections was 22.3% in the 2008 season and 29.0% in the 2008–2009 season and 9.9% across the 2012–2014 seasons.ConclusionsDistinct parasite populations were identified among infected individuals identified through active and passive surveillance, suggesting that infected individuals detected through active surveillance may not have contributed substantially to ongoing transmission. As parasite prevalence and diversity within these individuals declined, resource-intensive efforts to identify the chronically infected reservoir may not be necessary to eliminate malaria in this setting.

Genetic variability and diversity analysis for yield and its components in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Forty nine genotypes of wheat were studied for generating scientific information on nature and magnitude of genetic variability and diversity for designing breeding programme. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design in three replications. The data were recorded on days to 50% flowering, plant height, peduncle length, number of productive tillers per plant, days to maturity, spike length, number of spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight, biological yield per plant, grain yield per plant, harvest index and gluten content. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes for all the characters under study. The highest estimates of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) were observed for grain yield per plant. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was observed for grain yield per plant. Based on D2 –Statistics, 49 genotypes were grouped into eight clusters. The highest inter-cluster distance was found between cluster VII and VIII followed by III and VII. This indicates that genotypes included in these clusters possess wide genetic diversity. Grain yield per plant (31.46%) showed highest contribution towards genetic divergence; therefore, this character was major determinant of genetic diversity. On the basis of divergence and cluster mean it may be suggested that maximum heterosis and good recombinants could be obtained in crosses between genotypes of cluster VIII, VII and III in varietal improvement programme. Thus, crosses between the genetically diverse genotypes of cluster VIII with genotypes HUW 655, HP 1937, DBW 88 and HD 3058 and cluster VII with genotypes like HP 1938, HUW 656, K1006, DBW83, DBW 84, K1004, UP2822 and NW5050 are expected to exhibit high heterosis and are also likely to produce new recombinants with desired traits.

Reconstructing the introduction history of an invasive fish predator in South Africa

The Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a global invader with demonstrated ecological impacts on native fish communities. Introductions of fishes in freshwater ecosystems are often characterized as complex processes, yet an understanding of the nature of the introduction can inform management and conservation actions. Early in the twentieth century, two introductions of Largemouth Bass were made into South Africa for the establishment of a recreational fishery, and subsequent translocations have expanded their distribution to include much of southern Africa. In this study we quantified neutral genetic variation, modeled potential introduction scenarios, and identified potential source regions from within the native range. We documented limited levels of genetic diversity in nuclear microsatellite genotypes across populations (mean allelic richness = 1.80 and mean observed heterozygosity = 0.16) and observed low levels of genetic differentiation among four of the five focal populations (mean pairwise fixation index = 0.09), with a fifth population displaying greater levels of genetic divergence (mean pairwise fixation index = 0.27). A total of three cytochrome b haplotypes were recovered from South Africa samples and the single most common haplotype (93% of individuals) was identical to a haplotype from a population of Largemouth Bass in Maryland, USA. Using limited available stocking data along with outputs from Principal Component Analysis and approximate Bayesian evaluation of competing introduction scenarios we confirm the presence of multiple introductions. Despite evidence for multiple introductions, Largemouth Bass in South African water bodies harbor extremely low neutral genetic diversity, suggesting that even a very limited number of propagules can experience a high likelihood of success in invading nonnative waters.

Generalized balance equations for charged particle transport via localized and delocalized states: Mobility, generalized Einstein relations, and fractional transport.

A generalized phase-space kinetic Boltzmann equation for highly nonequilibrium charged particle transport via localized and delocalized states is used to develop continuity, momentum, and energy balance equations, accounting explicitly for scattering, trapping and detrapping, and recombination loss processes. Analytic expressions detail the effect of these microscopic processes on mobility and diffusivity. Generalized Einstein relations (GER) are developed that enable the anisotropic nature of diffusion to be determined in terms of the measured field dependence of the mobility. Interesting phenomena such as negative differential conductivity and recombination heating and cooling are shown to arise from recombination loss processes and the localized and delocalized nature of transport. Fractional transport emerges naturally within this framework through the appropriate choice of divergent mean waiting time distributions for localized states, and fractional generalizations of the GER and mobility are presented. Signature impacts on time-of-flight current transients of recombination loss processes via both localized and delocalized states are presented.

Phenetic and phylogenetic relationships among Aceria spp. (Acari: Eriophyoidea) inhabiting species within the family Brassicaceae in Serbia.

We examined morphological and genetic differences among Aceria spp. inhabiting six Brassicaceae species in Serbia. Five of them have been already mentioned in the literature as original or alternate hosts of Aceria spp. (Berteroa incana (L.) DC., Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik., Cardamine hirsuta L., Lepidium draba L. and Sisymbrium orientale L.), whereas Aurinia petraea (Ard.) Schur was registered here for the first time as a host for Aceria sp. Results of morphometric analyses indicated clear differentiation of Aceria spp. from B. incana, L. draba, A. petraea and S. orientale, whereas the other two entities were less diverse and clustered together. Molecular analyses indicated that the average mean divergence over all sequence pairs was 18.3% (11.8-25.9%) and disclosed that the observed mtCOI distances between the six host-associated Aceria entities are large enough to represent differences between species. The Aceria sp. hosted by B. incana was morphologically and genetically most distinctive, whereas discrepancy between phenetic and phylogenetic relationships was found in the position of Aceria sp. hosted by L. draba when compared with those inhabiting C. hirsuta, S. orientale and C. bursa-pastoris.

Epistemic Identities in Interdisciplinary Science

We introduce “epistemic identities” as a concept helpful for understanding the dynamics of interdisciplinary science practice. After acknowledging the ambiguity of “identity” and examining divergent meanings, we argue that analysis of identity is necessary in order to account for social and personal dimensions of practice non-reductively, and to better understand values and implicit hierarchies in science practice, as these, in turn, influence cognitive practices. With reference to ethnographic data from two integrative systems biology laboratories, we analyze specifically three theories of identity in terms of their affordances for understanding intergroup characterizations in interdisciplinary problem spaces.

Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Laparocerus, with comments on colonisation and diversification in Macaronesia (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae).

The flightless Entiminae weevil genus Laparocerus is the species-richest genus, with 237 species and subspecies, inhabiting Macaronesia (Madeira archipelago, Selvagens, Canary Islands) and the continental ‘Macaronesian enclave’ in Morocco (one single polytypic species). This is the second contribution to gain insight of the genus and assist in its systematic revision with a mitochondrial phylogenetic analysis. It centres on the Canarian clade, adding the 12S rRNA gene to the combined set of COII and 16S rRNA used in our first contribution on the Madeiran clade (here re-analysed). The nuclear 28S rRNA was also used to produce an additional 4-gene tree to check coherency with the 3-gene tree.A total of 225 taxa (95%) has been sequenced, mostly one individual per taxa. Plausible explanations for incoherent data (mitochondrial introgressions, admixture, incomplete lineage sorting, etc.) are discussed for each of the monophyletic subclades that are coincident with established subgenera, or are restructured or newly described. The overall mean genetic divergence (p-distance) among species is 8.2%; the mean divergence within groups (subgenera) ranks from 2.9 to 7.0% (average 4.6%), and between groups, from 5.4% to 12.0% (average 9.2%). A trustful radiation event within a young island (1.72 Ma) was used to calibrate and produce a chronogram using the software RelTime.These results confirm the monophyly of both the Madeiran (36 species and subspecies) and the Canarian (196 species and subspecies) clades, which originated ca. 11.2 Ma ago, and started to radiate in their respective archipelagos ca. 8.5 and 7.7 Ma ago. The Madeiran clade seems to have begun in Porto Santo, and from there it jumped to the Desertas and to Madeira, with additional radiations. The Canarian clade shows a sequential star-shape radiation process generating subclades with a clear shift from East to West in coherence with the decreasing age of the islands. Laparocerus garretai from the Selvagens belongs to a Canarian subclade, and Laparocerus susicus from Morocco does not represent the ancestral continental lineage, but a back-colonisation from the Canaries to Africa. Dispersal processes, colonisation patterns, and ecological remarks are amply discussed. Diversification has been adaptive as well as non-adaptive, and the role of ’geological turbulence’ is highlighted as one of the principal drivers of intra-island allopatric speciation.Based on the phylogenetic results, morphological features and distribution, five new monophyletic subgenera are described: Aridotrox subg. n., Belicarius subg. n., Bencomius subg. n., Canariotrox subg. n., and Purpuranius subg. n., totalling twenty subgenera in Laparocerus.

Introduction: representations of India at home and abroad

This dossier makes an original contribution to the semantic analysis of the representations on India. It aims to broaden the academic debate on South Asian studies by focusing on the cultural practices of both Indians and migrants and on their representations of India, a much neglected subject in the literature. The five articles it comprises examine three dimensions of representations about India. One concerns the connection between tourism and religion, and the transformation of representations of Portuguese presence in Goa. Another dimension addresses the representations of the lifestyle migrants in India and the population in Portugal, notably regarding the consumption of an Indian and Bollywood lifestyle. A third dimension focuses on South Asian migrants in Portugal embeddedness, through economic processes. The main finding that brings these papers together is that the importance given by the different actors to the cultural representations about India is so strong that it defines decisions for their life experiences. These cultural representations are heterogeneous, circulating with divergent meanings in India and abroad, grounded on different images of past and present. The articles explore their production and uses in various settings.

Proposed synonymy for Micropogonias altipinnis (Günther 1864), Micropogonias ectenes (Jordan & Gilbert 1882), and Micropogonias megalops (Gilbert 1890)

Within the Sciaenidae family, the genus Micropogonias is composed of three recognized species along the Pacific coast of Mexico: Micropogonias altipinnis, M. ectenes, and M. megalops. These species exhibit overlapping diagnostic characters, which make species identification difficult. This study ties morphological differences (meristic, morphometry of body, and otolith) with DNA sequences (CO1 and 16S fractions of mtDNA and 28S of nDNA) among Micropogonias species in the Pacific. Meristic analysis showed a latitudinal variation among the three species in the number of rays, the number of gill rakers, and length of the longest spine of the dorsal fin. Discriminant analysis of morphometric characters (body and otolith) showed three morphological entities (p < 0.001). However, the mean genetic divergences among the three species with partial sequences of mtDNA (CO1 and 16S), and nuclear (28S) were lower than those reported at the interspecific level (>2%). Genetic results suggest that the three species are one species and that the differences in meristics and morphometry could be the result of phenotypic plasticity or incipient speciation. In this sense, M. ectenes and M. megalops are proposed as junior synonyms of M. altipinnis.

Evolutionary history of Podarcis tiliguerta on Corsica and Sardinia

BackgroundPodarcis tiliguerta is a wall lizard endemic to the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Previous findings of high mtDNA and morphological diversity have led to the suggestion that it may represent a species complex. Here, we analysed mitochondrial and nuclear markers (mtDNA, 3110 bp; 6 nDNA loci, 3961 bp) in P. tiliguerta sampled from thirty-two localities across Corsica and Sardinia.ResultsWe find much greater intraspecific genetic divergence than between sister species of other Mediterranean island Podarcis, i.e., between P. lilfordi and P. pityusensis. We detected three mtDNA clusters in Corsica (North, South-East and South-West) and either two or three in Sardinia (North vs. South) depending on the clustering method. Only one or two nDNA groups were identified within each main island (again, depending on the method). A Bayesian time-calibrated multispecies coalescent tree was obtained from mtDNA and provided statistical support for a Miocene origin of the species (13.87 Ma, 95% HPD: 18.30–10.77 Ma). The posterior mean divergence time for the Corsican and Sardinian lineages was 12.75 Ma ago (95% HPD: 16.94–9.04 Ma).ConclusionThe results support the evolutionary distinctiveness of Corsican and Sardinian populations and also indicate a lack of post-divergence migration despite periods of contact being possible. Further to this, species delimitation analyses of Corsican and Sardinian lineages provided statistical support for their recognition as distinct (sister) taxa. Our results provide new insights into the biogeography of the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, and contribute important findings relevant to the systematics and evolution of this speciose lizard genus.

Drifter observations of submesoscale flow kinematics in the coastal ocean

AbstractFronts and eddies identified with aerial guidance are seeded with drifters to quantify submesoscale flow kinematics. The Lagrangian observations show mean divergence and vorticity values that can exceed 5 times the Coriolis frequency. Values are the largest observed in the field to date and represent an extreme departure from geostrophic dynamics. The study also quantifies errors and biases associated with Lagrangian observations of the underlying velocity strain tensor. The greatest error results from undersampling, even with a large number of drifters. A significant bias comes from inhomogeneous sampling of convergent regions that accumulate drifters within a few hours of deployment. The study demonstrates a Lagrangian sampling paradigm for targeted submesoscale structures over a broad range of scales and presents flow kinematic values associated with vertical velocities O(10) m h−1 that can have profound implications on ocean biogeochemistry.

Molecular based phylogenetic species recognition in the genus Pampus (Perciformes: Stromateidae) reveals hidden diversity in the Indian Ocean

Pomfrets (Genus Pampus) are commercially important fishes in the Indo Pacific region. The systematics of this genus is complicated due to morphological similarities between species. The silver pomfret from Indian waters has long been considered to be Pampus argenteus. The objective of the study was to utilize the mitochondrial COI gene to establish the molecular identity of the silver pomfret distributed in Indian waters and to resolve the phylogenetic relationships among Pampus species in the world based on sequence data in the NCBI database. Seven valid Pampus species are identified in this study. The mean genetic divergence value calculated between clades representing these species was 7.9%. The mean genetic distance between the so-called Pampus argenteus from Indian waters and sequences attributed to P. argenteus from the South China Sea, where the neotype of this species was collected, was found to be greater than 12%, strongly supporting the likelihood of the Indian species being distinct. The Indian Pampus species show very close affinity to P. cinereus, with inter species differences less than 2%. The taxonomic identity of the silver pomfret in India is also discussed here, in light of molecular and morphological evidence.

Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia

The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people, in Gedeo zone focusing on sage and elite informants on three randomly selected woredas (the administrative unit in Ethiopia which is above kebele and below zone). It is assumed that the views of both sage and elite informants represents the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people is holistic and implicit. Methodologically, qualitative research approach has been employed. Theoretically, the meaning, nature, significance and the roles of environmental ethics were discussed with the informants and a nexus has been sought vis-à-vis scholarly perspectives. Besides, the moral relations between the Gedeo people with their environment were discussed. Despite the divergent meanings given by informants, the meaning of indigenous environmental ethics for the Gedeo people, undoubtedly, is understandable implicitly and found in unwritten form in their cultural practices, institutions, religious systems, history, and oral traditions. It is also holistic in its nature since it encompasses both anthropocentric (weak) and non-anthropocentric views. Besides, they provide utilitarian and non-utilitarian, intrinsic and extrinsic values and both the power of domination and stewardship for humankind towards the environment. Morality, religion, culture, history, indigenous knowledge, social institutions are the Archimedean points of environmental obligation. Generally, for the Gedeo people the issue of justice, integrity, and stability is not merely human virtues but they also extend them to the environment as well.

Divergensi DNA Mitokondria Pada Burung Pijantung Kecil (Arachnothera longirostra) dari Indonesia

ABSTRACT A total of 781 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA ND2 gene was analyzed to investigate their divergence in the Arachnothera longirostra (Nectariniidae) birds in Jawa and Sumatera islands of Indonesia. Blood and tissue samples were collected from 27 birds consisted of 8 samples from T.N.G. Halimun, 6 samples from T.N.G. Gede Pangrango, 6 samples from T.N. Ujung Kulon, 1 sample from Dieng (Jawa), and 6 samples from Jambi (Sumatera). Total genomic DNA was extracted from each sample and used in PCR to amplify a single fragment of mDNA ND2 gene. Their DNA sequence data were compared with those from Johor (Malaya Peninsula) and Sabah-Sarawak Borneo (GenBank). There were 61 variable sites included 34 parsimony sites and 27 sequence haplotypes. Mean genetic distance or sequence divergences within bird populasions were ranged from the lowest (0.25 %) for Ujung Kulon to the highest (0.76 %) for G. Gede Pangrango; while mean genetic distance between populations were of 1.67% to 2.82 % for Java island vs Jambi (Sumatera), and 1.06 to 2.09 % for Java vs Borneo. Phylogenetic NJ tree showed that there were two main clades, i.e. 1) birds of Jambi (Sumatra), Johor (Malay Peninsula), Sabah-Sarawak (Borneo), and Ujung Kulon (Java), and 2) birds of G. Gede Pangrango, G. Halimun, and Dieng (Java). Past geologic event may influenced genetic divergence occurred within the populations. Moreover, geographic features such as mountain may played role for population isolation as showed on the Little Spiderhunter bird from G. Halimun, G. Gede Pangrango and Dieng. Key words: mitochondrial DNA, ND2 gene, Arachnothera longirostra, genetic divergence

The Youth of Things: Life and Death in the Age of Kajii Motojirō by Stephen Dodd

Reviewed by: The Youth of Things: Life and Death in the Age of Kajii Motojirō by Stephen Dodd Eve Zimmerman The Youth of Things: Life and Death in the Age of Kajii Motojirō. By Stephen Dodd. University of Hawai‘i Press, 2014. 304pages. Hardcover $57.00; soft-cover $28.00. Stephen Dodd’s The Youth of Things: Life and Death in the Age of Kajii Motojirō contains the first complete translation of Kajii Motojirō’s works, along with a series of thoughtful and well-researched critical essays that situate the iconoclastic “modernist” in the intellectual and artistic currents of 1920s and 1930s Japan. Beginning with its appearance in the clever title, the word “things” is used to suggest the materiality of the modernist moment, or Kajii’s fascination with the speed, motion, and commodification of city life. At the same time, the phrase “the youth of things” foreshadows the end of a modernist movement that would soon rupture and slip away. In the case of Kajii, the divergent meanings of Dodd’s title converge at the level of the body: from the mid-1920s until his death in 1932, Kajii graphed his own physical decline from tuberculosis in a series of finely detailed and sensitive prose poems, pictures of the world and his own body falling through it. In his introduction, Dodd uses Kajii’s writing as a means to recreate the breadth and dizzying scale of cultural production that took place in Japan from the mid-1920s to the early 1930s, along with the attendant social and political changes. By situating Kajii among a group of male contemporaries who made up the literary establishment (bundan) of his day, Dodd stresses that although Kajii was drawn to various movements, he never followed any one literary coterie in particular. Far more pressing was the question of his own mortality. The first chapter of the book focuses on how Kajii crafted a writer’s persona out of his experience of severe illness and impending death. This study does not fall under the category of the “literary biography” per se, but does demonstrate Dodd’s mindfulness of how bodily experience generates subjectivity. Indeed, this chapter goes one step further, arguing for a link between Kajii’s physical body and Japan’s “body politic,” which grew increasingly nationalistic in the early 1930s. By parsing Kajii’s use of the trope of darkness, for example, Dodd illustrates how it referred both to Kajii’s spiritual quest (for a darkness replete with peace) and to the ways in which the state attempted to banish those with unhealthy bodies and unhealthy thoughts. Dodd’s openness to reading the text through various lenses (including gender studies, psychoanalysis, and poststructuralism) lends itself to a refreshing breadth of interpretation. Like his subject, Dodd’s work cannot be reduced to a single approach. In chapters 2, 3, and 4, Dodd turns an analytical eye to Kajii’s texts. At first, he pinpoints the modernist strain in Kajii and attempts to define the movement itself. Rather than locate modernist leanings in pulsating city streets or in the rows of commodities that line market shelves, however, Dodd focuses on the deep sense of loss that reverberated through the intellectual and artistic movements of Japan in the [End Page 126] 1920s, which were suffused with the sense that one could never go home again. He nevertheless identifies a sense of optimism in Kajii’s work, which increasingly reflects the writer’s growing interest in a realm of pure sensation and also explores “new meanings for space and time” (p. 67). Providing numerous examples of sensation in the texts he examines, Dodd traces how the nihilistic Remon (Lemon) can be refigured from a story of annihilation to one of epiphany: the bright yellow fruit splattered over the books that Maruzen had rendered as commodities. Other moments in Kajii’s writings also come to mind: his painfully beautiful evocation of the passage of a frog through water in Kōbi (Mating), or the main character’s midnight walk through the mountains in Fuyu no hae (Winter Flies). In Kajii’s hands, the world is rendered in shifting but vivid images, sounds, and sensory perceptions that reduce...

Intricate Marital Partnerships: Elopement and Concubinage Among the Kuria in North-Eastern Tanzania

Using participant observation and in-depth interview data in semi-urban and rural North-eastern Tanzania, this article demonstrates that the freedom to marry is characterized by restrictive rules. It specifically highlights that agencies are used byindividuals to enforce marital relationships through elopement and concubinage unions, practices that are incompatible with Kuria’s widely valued expectations. Suitors continue to be constrained by wider society expectations despite social and economicchanges that reduce parents’ authority and decline the significance of bridewealth cattle. Changes are happening as Kuria marriage values are enacted and renegotiated by individuals opting for different and even divergent meanings amid social and economic transformations. These options lead to pestering, having lower status, isolation in certain rituals, moving far away from family, ending unions, lacking certain customary rights, delaying to enter into marriage, and escaping marital violenceand forced marriages. Therefore, this article explores the dimensions of marriage, both at intra- and extra-familial realms.

Drawing Family Boundaries: Children's Perspectives on Family Relationships in Rural and Urban Ethiopia

This article explores how children conceptualise and practice family relationships in two social settings in Ethiopia. Based on ethnographic data, it discusses (i) how urban and rural children construct family; (ii) what family activities children do and which social positions they assume; and (iii) the convergence and divergence of meanings and practices of family relationships between urban and rural Ethiopia. The analysis demonstrates how ‘normative family’ and actual ‘family practices’ are shaped by socio‐cultural, material and spatial contexts. Insights drawn also reveal the complex ways in which access to material resources, geographical distance, rural‐urban locations and cultural traits such as patterns of marriage and child relocation practices shape family relationships.