"Mad dogs and transnational migrants?" Bajan-Brit second-generation migrants and accusations of madness

Second-generation British-Barbadians ("Bajan-Brits'') returning to the land of their parents are frequently accused by indigenous Barbadian nationals of being mad. Narratives of the migrants reflect four major sets of factors: (1) madness as perceived behavioral and cultural differences; (2) explanations that relate to the historical-clinical circumstances surrounding the incidence of mental ill health among first-generation West Indian migrants to the United Kingdom; (3) madness as a pathology of alienation that is attendant on living in Barbados; and (4) madness as "othering,'' "outing,'' and "fixity.'' British second-generation "returning nationals'' to the Caribbean, living as they do in the plural world of the land of their parents' birth, after having been raised in the colonial "Mother Country,'' exhibit hybridity and in-betweenness. Accusations of madness serve to fix the position of these young migrants outside the mainstream of indigenous Barbadian society. Our analysis invokes recent postcolonial writings dealing with "strange encounters'' to theorize that the madness accusation serves to "other'' the young Bajan-Brit migrants in a strongly postcolonial context.

Fox-hunting in England and Wales: its contribution to the management of woodland and other habitats

Hunting foxes with hounds has been a countryside pursuit in Britain since the 17th Century, but its effect nationally on habitat management is little understood by the general public. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 163 mounted fox hunts of England and Wales to quantify their management practices in woodland and other habitat. Ninety-two hunts (56%), covering 75,514 km(2), returned details on woodland management motivated by the improvement of their sport. The management details were verified via on-site visits for a sample of 200 woodlands. Following verification, the area of woodlands containing the management was conservatively estimated at 24,053 (+/- 2241) ha, comprising 5.9% of woodland area within the whole of the area hunted by the 92 hunts. Management techniques included: tree planting, coppicing, felling, ride and perimeter management. A case study in five hunt countries in southern England examined, through the use of botanical survey and butterfly counts, the consequences of the hunt management on woodland ground flora and butterflies. Managed areas had, within the last 5 years, been coppiced and rides had been cleared. Vegetation cover in managed and unmanaged sites averaged 86% and 64%, respectively, and managed areas held on average 4 more plant species and a higher plant diversity than unmanaged areas (Shannon index of diversity: 2.25 vs. 1.95). Both the average number of butterfly species (2.2 vs. 0.3) and individuals counted (4.6 vs. 0.3) were higher in the managed than unmanaged sites.

Description of Enterococcus canis sp nov from dogs and reclassification of Enterococcus porcinus Teixeira et al. 2001 as a junior synonym of Enterococcus villorum Vancanneyt et al. 2001

Strains from anal swabs and chronic otitis externa in dogs were shown to be phylogenetically related to the Enterococcus faecium species group. They shared a number of phenotypic characteristics with these species, but they could be easily differentiated by biochemical reactions. In addition, the canine strains were unusual in their nearly complete failure to grow on sodium azide-containing enterococci-selective media and in their Voges-Proskauer reactions (usually negative). By using 16S rRNA sequencing and DNA-DNA hybridization of representative strains, as well as tDNA interspacer gene PCR and SDS-PAGE of whole-cell proteins, the group of canine strains was shown to constitute a novel enterococcal species. The name Enterococcus canis sp. nov. is proposed for this species, with LMG 12316(T) (= CCUG 46666(T)) as the type strain. Concurrently, the taxonomic situation and nomenclatural position of Enterococcus porcinus were investigated. As no phenotypic or genotypic differences were found between this species and Enterococcus villorum, the name E. porcinus is considered to be a junior synonym of E. villorum.

Phenotypic and phylogenetic characterization of a new Corynebacterium species from dogs: description of Corynebacterium auriscanis sp. nov.

Six strains of a previously undescribed catalase-positive coryneform bacterium isolated from clinical specimens from dogs were characterized by phenotypic and molecular genetic methods. Biochemical and chemotaxonomic studies revealed that the unknown bacterium belonged to the genus Corynebacterium sensu stricto. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the six strains were genealogically highly related and constitute a new subline within the genus Corynebacterium; this subline is close to but distinct from C. falsenii, C. jeikeium, and C. urealyticum. The unknown bacterium from dogs was distinguished from all currently validated Corynebacterium species by phenotypic tests including electrophoretic analysis of whole-cell proteins. On the basis of phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, it is proposed that the unknown bacterium be classified as a new species, Corynebacterium auriscanis. The type strain of C. auriscanis is CCUG 39938T.

Actinomyces catuli sp. nov., from dogs

An Actinomyces-like bacterium was recovered from two dogs. Based on cellular morphology and biochemical criteria, the unknown bacterium resembled the genus Actinomyces but it did not appear to correspond to any of the currently recognized species of this genus. PAGE analysis of whole-cell proteins confirmed that the strain was phenotypically distinct from all other Actinomyces species and comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the bacterium represents an unknown sub-line within the genus. Based on phenotypic and phylogenetic evidence, it is proposed that the bacterium from dogs be classified as a new species of the genus Actinomyces, Actinomyces catuli. The type strain of Actinomyces catuli is CCUG 41709T (= CIP 106507T).

Actinomyces canis sp. nov., isolated from dogs

Three strains of a previously undescribed catalase-positive Actinomyces-like bacterium were isolated from dogs. Biochemical testing and PAGE analysis of whole-cell proteins indicated that the strains were phenotypically highly related to each other but different from previously described Actinomyces and Arcanobacterium species. Sequencing of 16S rRNA showed that the unknown bacterium represents a new subline within a cluster of species which includes Actinomyces hyovaginalis, Actinomyces georgiae, Actinomyces meyeri, Actinomyces odontolyticus, Actinomyces radingae and Actinomyces turicensis. On the basis of phenotypic evidence and 16S rRNA sequence divergence levels (greater than 5% with recognized Actinomyces species) it is proposed that the unknown strains from canine sources be classified as a new species with the name Actinomyces canis sp. nov. The type strain of Actinomyces canis is CCUG 41706T (= CIP 106351T).

Wanted dead and alive : to what extent are hunting and protection of an endangered species compatible?

Cash-constrained wildlife departments must increasingly look towards revenue-generating activities such as sales of permits for hunting common species combined with fines for those caught with rare species. Pertinent to west Africa, an optimal enforcement model demonstrates the conditions under which a department with neither external budget nor tourism revenue can fully protect a rare species, and the impact on other species and local hunters' livelihoods. The department's effectiveness is shown to depend critically on the extent to which hunters can discriminate among different species. Improvements in hunting technology selectivity are therefore a substitute for increased enforcement spending.