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Issue 74
July 2008

Welcome to the 74th edition of Flash, our bi-weekly alert for science, health and medical journalists. Flash is a courtesy service with access to ScienceDirect, Elsevier’s online platform, providing full text access to some 2,000 scientific, technical and medical journals.

If you report a story, we would ask that you credit Elsevier’s journal as the source.

Please use your Flash login and password to access each article’s full text on ScienceDirect. For a new password, forgotten passwords or if you have any feedback, please contact Anna Hogrebe at newsroom@elsevier.com or at +31 20 485 3269.

ARTICLES

1. SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF THE CRYSTAL SKULLS – ANCIENT OR MODERN?

Determining the authenticity of archaeological artefacts in museum collections is of crucial importance, but the process often unfolds like a mystery – with scientists and historians picking apart fact from fiction.

In particular, the so-called ancient Mexican crystal skulls, which have been the subject of numerous popular books, documentaries and articles, illustrate this challenge. In Elsevier’s latest Journal of Archaeological Science, a new paper focuses on the history, technology and material of a crystal skull owned by the British Museum, and another larger white quartz skull donated recently to the Smithsonian Institution. By focusing on the manufacturing techniques using scanning electron microscopy to examine tool marks on the artefacts, the researchers were able to compare the skulls with Mesoamerican objects from secure archaeological contexts.

Specifically, the skulls were compared to a rock crystal goblet and a group of Aztec/Mixtec rock crystal beads, which show no evidence of lapidary wheels. In contrast, the two skulls under consideration were carved with rotary wheels. Combining the electron microscopy work with the provenance study of the quartz and the history of the skulls led the authors to conclude that the British Museum skull was worked in Europe during the nineteenth century.

In addition to providing more clarity on the origins of these skull, the study illustrates that it was possible to distinguish between early modern working methods and more typical twentieth century technologies used to work the Smithsonian Institute skull, which was probably manufactured shortly before it was bought in Mexico City in 1960.

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2. CANINE AGGRESSION: BREEDS APART?

For any prospective dog owner, finding the right breed can make the difference between a lovely walk in the park to a bad day at the pound. In Elsevier’s latest edition of Applied Animal Behaviour Science, researchers take an in-depth look at the differences in breed when it comes to canine aggression.

The present study surveyed the owners of more than 30 breeds of dogs using the Canine Behavioural Assessment and Research Questionnaire, a validated and reliable instrument for assessing dogs’ responses to a variety of common stimuli and situations. Specifically, aggression was looked at in terms of how breeds responded to strangers, owners and other dogs. The findings revealed considerable variation among breeds in both the prevalence and severity of aggression depending on the situation.

In general, the highest rates of human-directed aggression were found in smaller breeds. Aggression also appeared to be more severe when directed toward other dogs, followed by unfamiliar people and household members. Breeds with most aggression (bites or bite attempts) towards humans included Dachshunds, Chihuahuas and Jack Russell Terriers (toward strangers and owners); Australian Cattle Dogs (toward strangers); and American Cocker Spaniels and Beagles (toward owners). More than 20 percent of Akitas, Jack Russell Terriers and Pit Bull Terriers were reported as displaying serious aggression toward unfamiliar dogs.

Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Brittany Spaniels, Greyhounds and Whippets were the least aggressive towards both humans and dogs.

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3. THE ART OF ONLINE COMMUNICATION

As e-mail and online chat become everyday communication channels, researchers are scrambling to learn more about how we adapt our conversations and communication styles to get our points across and ensure understanding.

In Elsevier’s latest Journal of Pragmatics, a new study explores the use of Concessive Repair in computer-mediated interaction. Concessive Repair consists of three distinct phases: the speaker first makes a statement (Overstatement), which s/he then retracts, denies or backs down on (Concession), and finally makes a modified claim (Revised statement). Concessive Repair has largely been associated with spoken conversations, so this paper analyses how participants utilise this technique in written conversation, specifically in relation to e-mail and chat forums.

Approximately 400 messages were analysed with email gathered from open, public discussion groups, as well as closed discussion groups. A number of sample statements are included within the paper itself.

Based on the findings, the researchers were able to show that Concessive Repair is not exclusive to spoken conversation, and is indeed used in written communication to modify overstatements in the interest of successful communication. Still, there were a few differences noted in the computer-mediated interactions – most notably that Concessive Repair tends to occur in the same sequence of the overstatement. Thus participants tend to self-initiate it and use it pre-emptively in online discussions before any trouble in communication has been made evident.

The authors conclude that this immediate self-repair in the computer-mediated environment should be regarded as a highly other-oriented practice, revealing that participants want to interact with a virtual other in a way that ensures a successful communication exchange.

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DISCLAIMER:
The summaries of published papers in this email are intended to be read as accessible signposts towards the original abstracts and articles, which of course have been peer-reviewed. However, the summaries in this email have not been peer reviewed, nor have they been approved by the authors of the articles or their editors.

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1. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2008.05.007
2. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2008.04.006
3. doi:10.1016/j.pragma.2008.04.018