“You've Got to Work on This Axon”: J. Z. Young and Squid Giant Axon Preparations in 20th-Century Neurobiology**

Employing and extending Hans-Jörg Rheinberger's analytical concept of epistemic things, this essay proposes one reason why squid giant axons, unusually large invertebrate nerve fibers, had such great impacts on twentieth-century neurobiology. The 1930s characterizations of these axons by John Zachary Young reshaped prevailing assumptions about nerve cells as epistemic things, I argue. Specifically, Young's preparations of these axons, which consisted of fibers attached to laboratory technologies, highlighted similarities between giant axons and more familiar ones via lines of comparative study common to aquatic biology. Young's work convinced other biologists that the squid giant fibers were, in fact, axons, despite their unusual fused (syncytial) structures, thereby promoting further studies, such as intracellular measurements, made possible by the fiber's size. Tracing direct relations between preparations of squid axons and broader interpretations of neurons as epistemic things, this paper renders an actors’ category, “preparations,” into an analytical one. In turn, it offers glimpses into how aquatic organisms shaped twentieth-century neurobiology and how local experiments can drive broader, disciplinary changes.     

'Taming the Lagoon': Aquaculture Development and the Future of Customary Marine Tenure in Kiribati, Central Pacific

ABSTRACT The atolls and low‐lying limestone islands of Kiribati (Micronesia) illustrate the challenges of economic development based on natural resources exploitation. For that reason, the widely scattered island nation has relied heavily on foreign aid and remittances sent by merchant seamen. However, it is becoming apparent that excessive reliance on external support can no longer be considered secure in the medium to longer term, notably with cutbacks in aid assistance and advances in marine technology. In attempts at achieving ‘self‐reliance’, successive governments have always perceived marine resources development, particularly living resources, as a means of attaining greater economic independence. Recently, efforts have been underway to promote inshore and aquaculture development by smallholders. Seaweed farming, and especially black pearl production, are new commercial ventures. Giant clam mariculture remains an option. While it is too early to measure the success of some of these projects, their establishment may have important implications for reviving marine tenure by encouraging smallholders to reassert their traditional rights to inshore resources. Customary marine tenure (CMT) has declined significantly as a result of colonial intrusion. Today, the impact of population growth, urbanization, more efficient extractive technologies and expanding market opportunities calls for more effective village‐based control of threatened resources. Close monitoring of aquaculture projects will be required to minimize potential conflicts over traditional marine ownership.     

The role of honey hunting in supporting subsistence livelihoods in Sumbawa,Indonesia

Honey from the giant Asian honey bee (Apis dorsata) has been harvested by communities throughout Southeast Asia for centuries. In Indonesia, 80 per cent of the national supply of honey comes from Sumbawa; however, there is limited information regarding the sustainability and importance of honey hunting in supporting rural livelihoods. This study used semi‐structured interviews and questionnaires to examine honey hunting and forest honey production in Sumbawa. It evaluates the economic and cultural importance, opportunities, and constraints of honey hunting and prompts us to suggest that income generation from honey plays a critical role in supporting rural communities. Of respondents, 83 per cent reported that income from honey was essential and accounts for 68 per cent of cash income. Yet honey hunters were harvesting using destructive methods under dangerous conditions and are subject to unpredictable market prices and fluctuating yields. Unlike situations in other areas of Indonesia, no system of customary law was found to exist that defines ownership of honey trees and the right to harvest from them. Limited access to market information, high moisture content of honey, and limited training and extension services were identified as key constraints. Future research exploring the sustainability of harvesting practices and mechanisms for improving profitability of honey hunters would be valuable.     

A Case of Pituitary Gigantism and Acromegaly in Anatolia (Tasmasor,Erzurum, Turkey)

In 2003, a tall skeleton belonging to a young adult individual was recovered from a post‐medieval cemetery situated north‐east of the modern city of Erzurum, Turkey. The sex of the individual was not possible to determine. The predicted stature values range from 182 to 200 cm with the average 188.94 cm. The growth was proportional on almost all bones, except for the cranial and facial bones. The selected metric data were compared with the mean values of the male individuals from the same cemetery for differential diagnosis. The individual exhibits characteristics of both pituitary gigantism and acromegaly due to the tumour formation developed in the intrasellar area. Pathological features such as severe osteoarthritis, enthesis and new bone formation around and on the joint surface of the post‐cranial bones, kyphoscoliosis and ankylosis are in agreement with these diagnoses as well. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

哈大巨型城市带要素集聚分异与空间极化格局

在界定空间极化概念的基础上,应用均匀度指数、基尼系数、崔王指数分析城市带内部要素集聚程度分异及空间极化格局,结论如下：①1990-2014 年哈大巨型城市带要素集聚程度时空分异明显,"核心-边缘"结构逐步显现,城市带内部基于要素集聚程度的哈长与辽中南次区域逐渐发育;②城市带内部要素集聚存在显著的空间极化,空间极化的"四城市"格局已经形成;③城市发展内源力是哈大巨型城市带整体空间极化的主要影响因素,城市投资强度和经济发展水平对城市带空间极化格局演变的影响也较显著。城市投资强度与吸引力差异是哈长次区域空间极化分异的重要影响因素,而城市发展内源力是影响辽中南次区域空间极化的主要因素。