025.431: The Dewey blog

Color in Animals

“Conspicuousness, Not Eye Mimicry, Makes ‘Eyespots’ Effective Antipredator Signals” is the title of an article in Behavioral Ecology, reported in National Geographic News:

The eyespots on the wings of butterflies and moths are intended to be conspicuous to predators, not to resemble the eyes of larger animals, a new study found. . . .

The authors concluded that the visual “loudness” of the markings startle or frighten the predator into avoiding spotted prey.

A study by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies is described in an article entitled “The Secret Language of Fish” in Telegraph.co.uk:

The vivid colours of coral reef fishes represent a ‘language’ that dates back at least 50 million years but is still baffling to humans in many respects, a leading fish expert concedes today. . . .

Fossil specimens of reef fish from Monte Bolca, Italy, studied by Prof. Bellwood reveal that even as far back as 50 million years ago fish were spotted, striped and probably highly coloured also.

Fish colour appears to communicate both information - useful for finding mates and advertising status in the pecking order - and disinformation, intended to mislead predators and competitors.  But there is no easy explanation for the rainbow displays of the most spectacularly brilliant reef fish, he says.

Comprehensive works on color in animals are classed in 591.472 Camouflage and color, e.g., Amazing Animal Colors and Animal Dazzlers: The Role of Brilliant Colors in Nature.

Works on color in moths are classed in 595.781472 Camouflage and color in Lepidoptera (built with 595.78 Lepidoptera, which has the note “Class here moths,” plus 1 General topics of natural history of animals from the add table under 592-599 Specific taxonomic groups of animals, following the add footnote at 595.78: “Add as instructed under 592-599,” plus 472 from 591.472 Camouflage and color, as instructed at 1 in the add table under 592-599).  Works on color in butterflies are classed in 595.7891472 Camouflage and color in Papilionoidea (Butterflies) (built with 595.789 Butterflies plus 1 from the add table under 592-599 plus 472 from 591.472 Camouflage and color).    

The ARC Centre study appears not to focus on one taxonomic group of fishes.  If that is correct,  we can begin with 597 Cold-blooded vertebrates    Pisces (Fishes), which has the footnote to add as instructed under 592-599.  Since 597 has a dual heading, we can focus henceforth on the second and narrower part of the heading:  Pisces (Fishes).  WebDewey has a built number 597.17789 Coral fishes (built with 597 plus 1 from the add table under 592-599 plus 7 from  591.7 Animal ecology, animals characteristic of specific environments plus 789 from 577.789 Reef ecology, which has the note: “Class here coral reef ecology”).  In the table of preference under 591 Specific topics in natural history of animals, however, 591.4 Physical adaptation appears above 591.7 Animal ecology, animals characteristic of specific environments.  Consequently, for color in coral reef fishes we must begin with 597.1472 Camouflage and color in Pisces (Fishes) (built with 597 plus 1 from the add table under 592-599 plus 472 from 591.472 Camouflage and color). The 591.472 entry has the note “Subdivisions are added for either or both topics in heading” and the footnote “Add standard subdivisions as instructed under 591.”  The add table under 591 Specific topics in natural history of animals indicates that Table 1 notation 09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment is regular, with one zero.  The final number is 597.147209142 Camouflage and color in coral reef fishes (built with 597.1472 plus T1—09 Geographic treatment plus T2—142 Islands, which has the note: “Including atolls, coral reefs”).

A work about color in one of the specific coral reef fishes mentioned in the ARC Centre study would be classed with the specific fish, e.g., gobies or parrotfishes in 597.7 Perciformes, where they are mentioned in the including note, and marine butterfly fishes or damselfishes in 597.72 Percoidea, where they are mentioned in the including note. Because these specific kinds of fishes are mentioned in including notes, no further addition is possible.

Marine Biodiversity and the Phoenix Islands Protected Area

In 2006 the Republic of Kiribati, a Pacific island nation located near the intersection of the equator and the international date line,

announced the establishment of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area at the 8th Conference of the Parties (COP8) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), being held in Curitiba, Brazil. . . . In creating the protected area, the Republic of Kiribati took a significant step toward meeting protected area commitments for 2010/12 under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Island Biodiversity Program of Work. From Underwatertimes.com.

Recently Kiribati announced that it is greatly enlarging the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), creating “the world's largest protected marine reserve, a California-sized wilderness brimming with reefs, fish and birds” (Reuters).  Three research expeditions to PIPA “found great marine biodiversity, including more than 120 species of coral and 520 species of fish, some new to science. . . . Protecting the Phoenix Islands means restricting commercial fishing in the area, resulting in a loss of revenue that the Kiribati government would normally receive from issuing foreign commercial fishing licenses” (Science Daily).

Browsing the Relative Index for “biodiversity” in WebDewey yields these results:

Biodiversity   333.95
Biodiversity
      see Manual at  333.7-333.9 vs. 363.1, 363.73, 577         
Biodiversity--biology   578.7
Biodiversity--conservation   333.9516
Biodiversity--conservation--awards   333.9516079
Biodiversity--conservation--United States   333.95160973
Biodiversity--ecology   577
Biodiversity--resource economics   333.95

In the Manual note at 333.7-333.9 vs. 363.1, 363.73, 577 Social aspects of ecology, we find:

Use numbers in 300 rather than 577 for works on ecology and specific natural environments that discuss public policy and resource economics rather than biology. Class . . . as follows:
. . . .

6. Biodiversity: Use 333.95 (especially for works emphasizing its value or importance).

If in doubt, prefer in the following order: 333.7-333.9, 363.1, 363.73, 577.

In the schedule at 333.95 Biological resources is the note: “Class here biodiversity.” Since class-here notes have hierarchical force, biodiversity is also classed in the subdivision 333.956 Fishes, which has the notes: “Class here marine biological resources, comprehensive works on finfish and shellfish. For shellfish, see 333.955.  For a specific kind of marine biological resource not provided for below, see the kind, e.g., marine algae 333.9538, marine mammals 333.9595.”

Works on conservation and protection of marine biodiversity are classed in 333.95616 Conservation and protection of marine biological resources (built with 333.956 Fishes plus 16 Conservation and protection from the add table at 333.7-333.9 Natural resources and energy, following the footnote at 333.956: “Add as instructed under 333.7-333.9”).  Examples are Marine Reserves: A Guide to Science, Design, and Use and Marine Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation: The Application and Future Development of the IMO’s [International Marine Organization’s] Particularly Sensitive Sea Area Concept.  A work on conservation and protection of marine biodiversity in Kiribati’s Phoenix Islands would be classed in 333.95616099681 (333.95616 plus T1—09 Geographic treatment plus T2—9681 Kiribati).

Works on conservation and protection of specific kinds of marine resources are classed with the kind, e.g., works on conservation and protection of coral reefs 333.955316 (built with  333.9553 Coral reefs plus 16 Conservation and protection from the add table at 333.7-333.9 Natural resources and energy), e.g., Coral Reef Conservation.

eLearning and Dewey training modules

We would like to say that the new Dewey training modules, available online, are a brand‑new, cutting-edge idea. But the truth of the matter is that eLearning—electronic learning—has been around in some form for at least two decades. Many aspects of the learning process can be electronically enhanced. Two properties that qualify the Dewey training modules as eLearning are: (1) the availability of the teaching materials on the web and (2) the use of WebDewey as part of the training program.

As a general educational activity, eLearning is classed in 371.334 Computer science methods of instruction and study, a displacement of standard subdivision T1—0285 Computer applications under 371.3 Methods of instruction and study. Web-based instruction is classed more specifically in 371.3344678 Internet-based methods of instruction (built with 371.334, plus 4678 from 004.678 Internet, following the add instruction under 371.334). 

But 371.3344678  is not the correct number for classing the Dewey training modules, given the instruction under 371.3 to “class methods of instruction in a specific subject at secondary and higher levels with the subject in 001–999, plus notation 071 from Table 1.”   This note leads to the question, Which subdivision of T1—071 Education should be used, T1—0711 Higher education or T1—0715 Adult education and on-the-job training? Based on advice received at ALA Midwinter 2007, the Dewey training modules are specifically oriented toward library professionals, rather than being specifically oriented toward students in library and information studies. The Dewey training modules provide continuing education, a class-here concept under T1—0715. Thus, the correct number for the Dewey training modules is 025.4310715 Adult education in the Dewey Decimal Classification (built with 025.431 Dewey Decimal Classification, plus notation T1—0715 Adult education).

Heart Disease and Women

February is American Heart Month. “Although heart disease is sometimes thought of as a ‘man’s disease,’ it is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States.”  American Heart Month begins with National Wear Red Day, part of a movement sponsored by the American Heart Association to emphasize what women must do to improve their heart health.

Comprehensive medical works on cardiovascular disease are classed in 616.1 Diseases of cardiovascular system, on heart disease in 616.12 Diseases of heart.  Comprehensive medical works focusing on women are classed in 616.10082 Cardiovascular disease in women (built with 616.1 plus extra 0, following pattern at 008 History and description with respect to kinds of persons in add table at 616.1-616.9 Specific diseases, plus T1—082 Women) and 616.120082 Heart disease in women (built with 616.12 plus extra 0, following pattern at 008 in add table at 616.1-616.9, plus T1—082).  Examples are Cardiovascular Disease in Women and Women & Heart Disease.

Mardi Gras

Today is the last day before Lent starts in the Western Church.  (The Orthodox Church waits a few weeks to start Lent in most years, including this one).  So it's Mardi Gras, Carnival, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday, depending on where you live.

My first experience of Carnival was back on February 14th, 1961, in Florence (Firenze in Italian), where my family was on holiday for a couple of days.  For an Australian teenager, it was an amazing experience to be surrounded by those crazy-for-one-day Italians.  And the next day we saw TV cameras being set up on the Ponte Vecchio, and wondered why, until we found out that there was a total solar eclipse in that part of Italy on that day  The two events made our visit to Italy even more memorable than we had expected.

Mardi Gras is classed at 394.25 Carnival in Dewey; Lent is classed at 263.92 Lent; pancakes (for Pancake Tuesday) are classed at 641.815 Bread and bread-like foods; Florence is classed at T2--45511 Florence; and total solar eclipses are classed at 523.78 [Solar] Eclipses.

Slow Cookers

“Slow Cookers Yield Rich Flavors in No Time” was the title of a recent NPR Kitchen Window story that began, “There's something incredibly satisfying about coming home hungry on a snowy winter’s day and breathing in the savory scent of pork braised in wine — especially when it’s ready to eat when you walk in the door.”  The story includes recipes for “Lemon-Caraway BBQ Pork,”  “Cinnamon-Orange Brisket,” and “Lamb Shanks with Dried Apricots.”

Comprehensive works about cooking with a slow cooker are classed in 641.5884 Electric slow cooking, e.g., America's Best Slow Cooker Recipes and Slow Cooker Magic: A Seasonal Selection of Family Favorite Recipes.

For specialized works about cooking with a slow cooker, you need to consult the table of preference and the see references at 641.5 Cooking. For example, in the table of preference, 641.56 Cooking for special situations, reasons, ages appears above 641.58 Cooking with specific fuels, appliances, utensils; consequently, works on vegetarian cooking with a slow cooker are classed in 641.5636 Vegetarian cooking (e.g., 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes), and works on low-carbohydrate cooking with a slow cooker are classed in 641.56383 Low-carbohydrate cooking (e.g., The Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook: Over 120 Delicious Low-Carb Recipes that Cook Themselves).  At 641.5 Cooking is the reference “For cooking specific materials, see 641.6”; consequently, works on cooking game with a slow cooker are classed in 641.691 Game (e.g., Slow Cookers Go Wild!).